NKorea close to making nuke declaration: minister
SEOUL (AFP) — The "last work" on securing North Korea's declaration of its nuclear activities is under way and six-nation negotiations could resume next month, South Korea's foreign minister said Wednesday.
Yu Myung-Hwan was speaking a day after a team of US experts met the North's top nuclear envoy Kim Kye-Gwan in Pyongyang to discuss the declaration.
The group is led by Sung Kim, director of Korean Affairs office at the State Department. It is due to return Thursday to South Korea after crossing the heavily fortified border.
"North Korea's nuclear declaration has been long delayed but the US team is conducting the last work in Pyongyang," the minister said in a speech.
"If work is done as scheduled, I expect six-party talks to be held again within May so that the momentum can be maintained."
Yu later told YTN TV news: "We don't have much time left. I hope that progress will be made as early as possible in order for the six-party talks to maintain momentum."
Yonhap news agency said the US team would present a detailed list of data and other materials which North Korea needs to present for verification of its plutonium stockpile.
"North Korea is expected to submit a declaration before the end of this month if the US team's activity goes well," a government source told the agency.
Under a six-party deal last year the North Korea was to receive energy aid and major diplomatic and security benefits in return for full denuclearisation.
But the talks have been stalled for months by a dispute over the North's declaration of all nuclear activities, which it promised to deliver by the end of 2007.
Washington says Pyongyang should not only account for its plutonium programme but also clear up suspicions about an alleged uranium enrichment programme and suspected proliferation -- claims denied by North Korea.
According to numerous reports, the North in a face-saving gesture will merely "acknowledge" US concerns about the two issues in a confidential document to the United States.
The official declaration would deal with the plutonium programme which fuelled its nuclear test in October 2006.
The talks group the United States, the two Koreas, China, Japan and Russia.
