PYONGYANG, North Korea, July 21 (UPI) -- North Korea must show commitment to give up its nuclear weapons program before six-party nuclear talks can resume, an official in Seoul said Wednesday.
The agreement was reached at a meeting Tuesday of Seoul's chief nuclear envoy Wi Sung-lac, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Japanese nuclear negotiator Akitaka Saiki, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported.
North Korea has made several conciliatory gestures after the U.N. Security Council issued a rebuke over the March sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan in which 46 sailors died. North Korea has denied involvement.
Since the sinking, North Korean officials have expressed a willingness resume the stalled nuclear talks, despite previously boycotting them and vowing never to return the six-party forum involving the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States, Yonhap said.
"The common view now is that North Korea's attitude on the Cheonan issue has not changed, and as to denuclearization, North Korea has not changed on fundamental issues," the official said. "We've agreed that for now, it is not urgent to resume dialogue, and what is important is to ensure North Korea's denuclearization intent clearly."
The talks have been stalled since late 2008.
