Seoul hails U.S. decision on N. Korea

Powell: Talks to include arms buildup and humanitarian needs

Kim Dae-jung urges North Korea to engage in a dialogue with Washington

June 7, 2001
Web posted at: 3:50 PM EDT (1950 GMT)

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SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korean President Kim Dae-jung has welcomed news that the United States is to reopen talks with communist North Korea on key military issues.

Kim said he hoped the announcement by President George W. Bush would lead to continued close coordination between the two countries.

In a statement from the South Korean president's office Thursday, Kim also urged the North to engage in "serious and earnest" dialogue with Washington in order to bring about progress.

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The reaction from South Korea has lifted hopes that cross-border dialogue between Seoul, South Korea and Pyongyang, North Korea -- stalled for months -- could benefit as a result.

Powell outlines policy

U.S. talks with North Korea will include both North Korea's arms buildup and humanitarian needs, Secretary of State Colin Powell said Thursday.

Powell met Thursday with South Korean Foreign Minister Han Seung-soo to discuss the renewal of talks with the north, which President Bush announced Wednesday. Powell said the negotiations are broader than earlier efforts by the Clinton administration.

"We've expanded the areas of dialogue by putting conventional forces on the agenda and by making it clear to the North Koreans that we want to talk about missiles and missile technology and missile sales and nuclear weapons programs," Powell said. "But also, we want to talk about humanitarian issues."

Powell said the United States will be "reaching out" to the communist government in Pyongyang "in the very near future," and the administration is hoping for "a quick response."

Making his announcement Bush said Wednesday that if North Korea responds "affirmatively" to improved relations, Washington would expand "efforts to help the North Korean people, ease sanctions and take other political steps".

Bush's announcement Wednesday came after an intense review by Washington on its policies towards North Korea.

Bush announced in March he was reviewing all Clinton-era dialogue with the North on its nuclear program, conventional military forces, and weapons proliferation.

At the time, Bush questioned whether North Korea's government could be trusted to uphold agreements on nuclear weapons and other military matters.

Such comments stalled relations between Pyongyang and Seoul on ways to reduce tensions and move toward eventual reconciliation.

In Kim's statement Thursday, he expressed hope that Washington's move would help to jump-start the North-South dialogue.

A White House official said the views of South Korea and Japan - key U.S. allies in the region -- had "played an important role" in the policy shift back toward engagement with North Korea.

The administration not only wants to discuss Pyongyang's advanced weaponry programs, but encourage "a less threatening conventional military posture," Bush said in a written statement.

"Our approach will offer North Korea the opportunity to demonstrate the seriousness of its desire for improved relations," he added.

Washington's North Korea policy review followed a meeting between Bush and Kim Dae-jung in March.

Kim was seeking Bush's support for his so-called "Sunshine Policy" of engagement with North Korea, an effort for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000.

CNN Seoul Bureau Chief Sohn Jie-Ae and CNN State Department Producer Elise Labott contributed to this report.