North Korea does not have divergence with other countries on
understanding the concept of "disablement," top South Korean envoy
to the six-party talks, Chun Yung-woo, said Tuesday.
North Korea hopes to achieve "disablement" within a couple of
months, Chun added.
According to a document reached on February 13 in the last round
of six-party talks that spelled out the initial steps for North
Korea's denuclearization, North Korea agreed to shut down and seal
its Yongbyon nuclear complex and accept IAEA inspectors within 60
days.
In exchange, other parties will start providing Pyongyang with
energy equivalent to 50,000 tons of heavy fuel oil within that time
frame.
Chun stressed that nuclear weapons are subject to destruction
instead of disablement as South Korea hopes to achieve complete
rather than partial denuclearization.
He also said the six parties have not discussed specific
proposals on storing heavy fuel oil to be sent to North Korea in a
third country.
The six round of six-party talks, grouping China, the US, Japan,
Russia, North and South Korea, started Monday in Beijing.
(Xinhua News Agency March 20, 2007)
