Kim Jong-il , the North Korean leader, last week told a South Korean envoy he would get rid of his country’s nuclear arms once diplomatic ties with the US are “normalised”. Kim Jong-il reportedly said this in a meeting last Friday with Unification Minister Chung Dong-young in Pyongyang.
Briefing the South Korean cabinet about the meeting yesterday, Mr Chung was quoted by a senior official as saying: “If North Korea normalises diplomatic ties with the United States and Washington becomes an ally with Pyongyang, then North Korea would give up all of its missiles.” In February, North Korea declared it possessed nuclear weapons; according to Mr Kim’s latest comments, in order to “give up everything”, the state wants security guarantees.
China has also played a part in negotiating North Korea’s nuclear disarmament, although it repeatly refused the U.S.’s urges to cut economic ties with North Korea. According to Xinhua, via the People’s Daily, “China is pleased with outcome of north-south meeting of Korean peninsular.”
