By Park Song-wu
Korea Times Correspondent


BEIJING _ The United States is ready to address North Korea’s energy needs, Washington’s chief delegate Christopher Hill said at the opening ceremony of the six-party nuclear talks yesterday.

``We’ve made it clear that we’re prepared to address the DPRK’s energy needs,’’ he said, calling North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

The top U.S. negotiator demanded North Korea first dismantle its nuclear programs if it wants to resolve the security and energy concerns. But his demand was delivered this time with different wording.

``When the DPRK makes the decision to dismantle its nuclear program permanently, fully, verifiably, other parties including my country are prepared to take corresponding measures consistent with the principle of words for words and actions for actions,’’ he said.

In the past, Washington said it would not participate in energy aid to the North by the other four nations _ South Korea, Japan, China and Russia _ even if it completely, verifiably and irreversibly dismantle (CVID) its nuclear weapons programs.

A Seoul official, who requested not to be named, said later on the day that Washington might have changed the wording in consideration of Pyongyang’s strong antipathy toward CVID, which North Korea considers an attempt to totally disarm its military.

The U.S. first used CVID at the second round of the talks in February last year. Describing it as a ``humiliating’’ demand that could be made only by the winner of a war, Pyongyang requested Washington not repeat the term anymore. The U.S. has tried not to irritate North Korea by using the term since the third round of talks in June last year.

In his opening remarks at the six-party talks, Kim Kye-gwan, Pyongyang’s vice foreign minister, said that the ``fundamental thing’’ in the talks is to make ``real progress’’ in realizing the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

He added that real progress requires a ``very firm political will’’ and a ``strategic decision’’ of the parties concerned that have interests in ending the threat of nuclear war.

The Seoul official emphasized that Kim’s remarks show Pyongyang’s sincere attitude towards the six-party talks, saying that in the past it was South Korea and the U.S. that used to ask for North Korea’s ``strategic decision’’.

New proposals or any remarks, hinting at concessions, were not made in the opening session of the talks. South Korea’s top negotiator Song Min-soon reiterated his nation’s offer of electricity aid to North Korea if it agrees to dismantle its nuclear programs.

In Seoul, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young reconfirmed that South Korea will promptly start negotiations with North Korea on ways to realize Seoul’s offer of 2 million kilowatts of electricity should the six-party talks produce a joint statement on Pyongyang’s dismantlement of nuclear programs.

It would take at least three years to construct transmission facilities linking the two Koreas, according to Chung, who concurrently chairs the National Security Council’s standing committee.

Meanwhile, the Japanese delegate to the six-party talks said that Tokyo wants the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by Pyongyang to be resolved.

Japan’s top envoy Kenichiro Sasae said that Japan is committed to normalizing relations with North Korea. But he added that ``outstanding issues of concern’’ such as nuclear missiles and abduction issues should be resolved first.

``It is strongly hoped that (North Korea) will sincerely address and resolve these issues,’’ he said.

Song, who delivered his opening remarks right next to Sasae, urged Japan not to let the abduction issue ``detract’’ from the talks’ main topic _ a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.

The six delegations will deliver their keynote speeches at a plenary session today. Each delegation is expected to show their stance in detail on how to resolve North Korea’s nuclear issue.

im@koreatimes.co.kr