Six-party talks stalemated

BEIJING, Dec. 12 (UPI) -- Negotiators on North Korea's denuclearization ended four days of talks in Beijing without a deal on verification, raising doubts about the project's future.

"After all, North Korea said it could not consent to putting verification methods in writing at this moment," South Korean negotiator Kim Sook told reporters, Yonhap news agency reported.

Besides South Korea, others in the talks included host China, the United States, Russia, Japan and North Korea.

The Beijing talks, convened after five months of efforts, were intended to produce agreement on ways to verify the accuracy of the nuclear inventory given by North Korea in June and to set a deadline for completing the disabling of its main Yongbyon reactor in return for delivery of heavy oil from the other parties.

The sticking point on verification related to North Korea's refusal to let international inspectors take samples from soil and waste at its nuclear facilities, which the United States had maintained was critical to reaching an agreement.

CNN quoted U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack as saying North Korea refused to sign an agreement on the verification issue.

"This process is not going to move forward beyond this point without a verification protocol being agreed upon," McCormack said.

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi called on all parties to remain confident and patient, show wisdom and the utmost flexibility as a way of moving forward the talks, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Yonhap quoted chief U.S. negotiator Christopher Hill as saying the six nations will keep working on the issue but noted no date has been set for the next meeting.