Bosworth seeks to restart Korea talks

SEOUL, May 8 (UPI) -- U.S. envoy to North Korea Stephen Bosworth says Pyongyang will face unwanted consequences if it carries out further nuclear tests.

Speaking Friday in Seoul after meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan, Bosworth said he discussed ways to revitalize the stalled denuclearization talks with North Korea, but also delivered a warning to Pyongyang, the South Korean news agency Yonhap reported.

"If the North Koreans decide to carry out a second nuclear test, we will deal with the consequences of that, and there will be consequences," Bosworth said, adding that he and Yu discussed unspecified "possible steps forward" in the stalled denuclearization process.

North Korea reactivated its plutonium-producing reactor in Yongbyon after announcing last month it was abandoning the six-party talks involving South Korea, the United States, Russia, Japan and China. Pyongyang also threatened to conduct a second nuclear test unless the U.N. Security Council issued an apology over its condemnation of the North's April 5 rocket launch, Yonhap said.

"We are also prepared to deal with North Korea on a bilateral basis, but in a way that reinforces the multilateral process," Yonhap quoted Bosworth as saying.