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Six-party talks

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Recent History

                     Six-party talks
                        In Korean
   Hangul:              육자 회담 (N: 륙자 회담)
   Hanja:               六者會談
   Romanization:        Yukja hoedam (N: Ryukcha hoedam)
   　
                        In Chinese
   Traditional Chinese: 六方會談
   Simplified Chinese:  六方会谈
   Romanization:
                        Liùfāng Huìtán
                        [ Listen ]
   　
                        In English
   English:             Six-party talks
   　
                       In Japanese
   Kanji:               六者会合
   Kana:                ろくしゃかいごう
   Romanization:        Rokusha Kaigō
   　
                        In Russian
   Cyrillic alphabet:
                        Шестисторонные
                        переговоры
   Romanization:
                        Shestistoronnie

                        peregovory

   The Six-party talks are a series of meetings with six participating
   states - the People's Republic of China, the Republic of Korea (South
   Korea), the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), the
   United States of America, the Russian Federation and Japan. These talks
   were a result of North Korea withdrawing from the Nuclear
   Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 2003. The aim of these talks is to
   find a peaceful resolution to the security concerns raised by the North
   Korean nuclear weapons program. After five rounds of talks, little
   progress has been made.

Content of the six-party talks

   The main points of contention are:
     * Security guarantee - this issue has been raised by North Korea
       since the Bush administration (2001 - Present) took office. North
       Korea perceives the Bush Administration as being hostile and
       planning to overthrow the North Korean government by force. This
       concern was elevated following the 2002 overthrow of the Taliban in
       Afghanistan.
     * The construction of light water reactors - the 1994 Agreed
       Framework (including KEDO) stated that the members of KEDO would
       agree to build several light-water reactors in return for North
       Korea's cessation of its nuclear program. This agreement broke down
       after both sides defaulted, especially since 2000.
     * 'Peaceful' use of nuclear energy - whilst the NPT allows states the
       right to use nuclear energy for civilian purposes, this is thought
       to have been used by North Korea as a cover for their nuclear
       weapons program.
     * Diplomatic relations - North Korea wants normalization of
       diplomatic relations as part of the bargain for giving up its
       nuclear weapons program. The US has at times disagreed and at times
       agreed to this condition, providing North Korea irreversibly and
       verifiably disarms its nuclear weapons program.
     * Financial restrictions / Trade normalization - The US has placed
       heavy financial sanctions on North Korea for what they see as an
       uncooperative attitude and unwillingness to dismantle its nuclear
       weapons program.
     * 'Verifiable' and 'Irreversible' disarmament - Members of the
       six-party talks have disagreed on this. Japan and the US have
       demanded that North Korea completely dismantle its nuclear program
       so that it may never be restarted, and that it can be verified by
       the six members of the talks before aid is given. South Korea,
       China and Russia have agreed on a milder, step-by-step solution
       which involves the members of the six-party talks giving a certain
       reward (e.g. aid) in return for each step of nuclear disarmament.
       North Korea has wanted the US to concede some of the conditions
       first before it will take any action in disarming their weapons
       program, which they see as the only guarantee to prevent a US
       attack on their soil.

Timeline

1st round ( 27 Aug— 29 Aug 2003)

   Representatives:
   Flag of South Korea  South Korea: Lee Soo-hyuk, Deputy Minister of
   Foreign Affairs and Trade
   Flag of North Korea  Democratic People's Republic of Korea: Kim
   Young-il, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
   Flag of United States  United States: James Kelly, Assistant State
   Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
   People's Republic of China  People's Republic of China: Wang Yi,
   Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs
   Flag of Japan  Japan: Yabunaka Mitoji, Director-General of Asian and
   Oceanian Affairs Bureau
   Flag of Russia  Russia: Alexander Losyukov, Deputy Minister of Foreign
   Affairs

   Objectives achieved
     * A Chairman's Summary agreed upon for a further round of talks.
     * No agreement between parties made.

2nd round ( 25 Feb— 28 Feb 2004)

   Representatives:
   Flag of South Korea  South Korea: Lee Soo-hyuk, Deputy Minister of
   Foreign Affairs and Trade
   Flag of North Korea  Democratic People's Republic of Korea: Kim
   Gye-gwan, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs
   Flag of United States  United States: James Kelly, Assistant State
   Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
   People's Republic of China  People's Republic of China: Wang Yi,
   Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs
   Flag of Japan  Japan: Yabunaka Mitoji, Director-General of Asian and
   Oceanian Affairs Bureau
   Flag of Russia  Russia: Alexander Losyukov, Deputy Minister of Foreign
   Affairs

   Objectives achieved
     * A Chairman's Statement announced with seven articles, including:
          + Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula
          + Peaceful Coexistence of Participating States, stressing the
            use of mutually coordinated measures to resolve crises.
     * Agreement to hold the third round of talks with full participation
       during the second quarter of 2004.

3rd round ( 23 Jun— 25 Jun 2004)

   Representatives
   Flag of South Korea  South Korea: Lee Soo-hyuk, Deputy Minister of
   Foreign Affairs and Trade
   Flag of North Korea  Democratic People's Republic of Korea: Kim
   Gye-gwan, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs
   Flag of United States  United States: James Kelly, Assistant State
   Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
   People's Republic of China  People's Republic of China: Wang Yi,
   Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs
   Flag of Japan  Japan: Yabunaka Mitoji, Director-General of Asian and
   Oceanian Affairs Bureau
   Flag of Russia  Russia: Alexander Alexeyev, Deputy Minister of Foreign
   Affairs

   Objectives achieved
     * A Chairman's Statement announced with eight articles, including:
          + Reconfirming the commitment to denuclearising the Korean
            Peninsula, stressing specification of the scope and time,
            interval (between steps of) and method of verification
     * Agreement to hold fourth round of talks in Beijing before September
       2005

4th round, 1st phase ( 26 Jul— 7 Aug 2005)

   Representatives
   Flag of South Korea  South Korea: Song Min-soon, Deputy Minister of
   Foreign Affairs and Trade
   Flag of North Korea  Democratic People's Republic of Korea: Kim
   Gye-gwan, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs
   Flag of United States  United States: Christopher Hill, Assistant State
   Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
   People's Republic of China  People's Republic of China: Wu Dawei,
   Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs
   Flag of Japan  Japan: Sasae Genichiro, Deputy Director-General of Asian
   and Oceanian Affairs Bureau
   Flag of Russia  Russia: Alexander Alexeyev, Deputy Minister of Foreign
   Affairs

   Objectives achieved
     * US and North Korea cannot agree on 'peaceful' use of nuclear energy
     * Three-week recess of talks due to ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF)
       meeting

4th round, 2nd phase ( 13 Sep— 19 Sep 2005)

   Representatives
   Flag of South Korea  South Korea: Song Min-soon, Deputy Minister of
   Foreign Affairs and Trade
   Flag of North Korea  Democratic People's Republic of Korea: Kim
   Gye-gwan, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs
   Flag of United States  United States: Christopher Hill, Assistant State
   Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
   People's Republic of China  People's Republic of China: Wu Dawei,
   Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs
   Flag of Japan  Japan: Sasae Genichiro, Deputy Director-General of Asian
   and Oceanian Affairs Bureau
   Flag of Russia  Russia: Alexander Alexeyev, Deputy Minister of Foreign
   Affairs

   Objectives achieved
     * Agreement on a Joint Declaration of six articles, including:
          + Verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula
          + Observe and realize the 1992 Korean Peninsula Denuclearization
            Declaration
          + North Korea to agree to abandon all nuclear weapons and
            nuclear programs and return to the NPT as soon as possible
          + However, the states still respect North Korea's right to
            peaceful use of nuclear energy as stated under the NPT
          + The issue of the light-water reactors will be discussed at a
            suitable time later
          + US and the South Korea to formally declare that they have no
            nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula
          + US will practice non-aggression towards North Korea
          + US will work to normalize ties with North Korea and by
            respecting each other's sovereignty, right to co-exist
            peacefully.
          + Japan will normalize relations with North Korea through the
            Pyongyang Statement by settling historical disputes.
          + Promising North Korea it will receive economic cooperation and
            aid with energy through strengthening bilateral/multilateral
            economic cooperation in energy, trade and investment. The five
            other members will serve as guarantors to this condition
          + South Korea will channel two million kiloWatts of power to
            North Korea.
          + The Korean Peninsula peace treaty to be negotiated separately.
          + 'Words for words'; 'actions for actions' principle to be
            observed, stressing 'mutually coordinated measures'.
     * Agreement to hold fifth round of talks in early November, 2005.

5th round, 1st phase ( 9 Nov— 11 Nov 2005)

   Representatives
   Flag of South Korea  South Korea: Song Min-soon, Deputy Minister of
   Foreign Affairs and Trade
   Flag of North Korea  Democratic People's Republic of Korea: Kim
   Gye-gwan, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs
   Flag of United States  United States: Christopher Hill, Assistant State
   Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
   People's Republic of China  People's Republic of China: Wu Dawei,
   Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs
   Flag of Japan  Japan: Sasae Genichiro, Deputy Director-General of Asian
   and Oceanian Affairs Bureau
   Flag of Russia  Russia: Alexander Alexeyev, Deputy Minister of Foreign
   Affairs

   Objectives achieved
     * Joint Statement issued with six points. This is essentially the
       same as the previous round's statements, except for:
          + Modifying the 'words for words' and 'actions for actions'
            principle to 'commitment for commitment, action for action'
            principle.
     * No agreement on when the next talks will be held, though March 2006
       looked likely at the time.

5th round, 2nd phase (postponed; possibly in 2007)

   Representatives
   Flag of South Korea  South Korea:
   Flag of North Korea  Democratic People's Republic of Korea:
   Flag of United States  United States:
   People's Republic of China  People's Republic of China:
   Flag of Japan  Japan:
   Flag of Russia  Russia:
   Objectives achieved
     * In April 2006, North Korea offered to resume talks if the US
       releases recently frozen North Korean financial assets held in a
       bank in Macau.
          + The US treats the nuclear and financial issues as separate;
            North Korea does not.
     * North Korea then announced on October 3, 2006, that it was going to
       test its first nuclear weapon regardless of the world situation,
       blaming 'hostile US policy' as the reason for the need for such a
       deterrent. However, it pledged a no-first-strike policy and to
       nuclear disarmament only when there is worldwide elimination of
       such nuclear weapons . For North Korea's full text, read this.
     * On October 9, 2006, North Korea announced a successful nuclear
       test, verified by the US on October 11.
     * In response, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution
       1718 unanimously condemning North Korea, as well as passing Chapter
       VII, Article 41. Sanctions ranged from the economic to the trade of
       military units, WMD-related parts and technology transfer, and a
       ban on certain luxury goods. Both the People's Republic of China
       and the Russian Federation were quick to stress that these were not
       military-enforceable sanctions. The Resolution also gave the right
       to other nations to inspect any North Korean vessel's cargo,
       although the People's Republic of China has held reservations about
       this move, saying it wanted to avoid any military confrontation
       with North Korea's navy.
     * On 31 October 2006, the Chinese government announced that six-party
       talks would resume. U.S. negotiator Christopher Hill later stated
       that the resumption could happen in the next month and that North
       Korea had not set preconditions for the talks. The deadlock was
       broken by what BBC News called "frantic behind-the-scenes
       negotiations" by Beijing. However, Japan's Foreign Minister Taro
       Aso stated that his country was not willing to return to the
       six-party talks until North Korea had renounced nuclear weapons.
     * On 5 December 2006, the Russian envoy Alexander Alexeyev said that
       the talks were unlikely to resume before 2007 owing to the slow
       progress towards the talks and the fact that Christmas was coming
       up soon.

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