U.S. Hints at Sanctions in N. Korea Treaty Pullout

Secretary of State Warren Christopher on Friday termed North Korea’s decision to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty “serious” and said the United Nations may have to consider imposing sanctions on the Pyongyang regime if it continues to resist international inspections of its nuclear facilities.

North Korea said earlier in the day that it will withdraw from the treaty, which sets up procedures for controls and inspections of nuclear plants to make sure that they are not being used to produce nuclear weapons or fuel. Its announcement came after several months in which it had been resisting efforts by the International Atomic Energy Agency to inspect nuclear facilities throughout North Korea.

“Certainly the North Korean situation is a serious one today,” the secretary of state told reporters. “We hope that they might withdraw their withdrawal. But if they don’t, I think that we’ll have to consider further steps.”

He acknowledged that a U.S. effort to obtain U.N. sanctions against North Korea is one possibility.

Christopher said North Korea’s decision “raises many suspicions in our minds” and that Washington will be watching Pyongyang’s actions closely in the next few days.

The Clinton Administration also warned that even if Pyongyang plans to pull out of the treaty, it is still now legally required to open its nuclear facilities to international inspections.

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said the treaty remains in effect for 90 days, even for countries that pull out.

“They (North Korean officials) have the obligation because they entered into (the treaty). They have the obligation because they signed up for it,” he said.

While condemning North Korea’s action, the Administration appeared to leave the door open for talks between the United States and North Korea through the diplomatic channel that the two countries have set up in Beijing.

Boucher said the last meeting between the Americans and North Koreans was held in December. “Whether we’ll have others in the coming days, I can’t tell you at this point,” he said.

At the United Nations, U.S. Ambassador Madeleine Albright called on North Korea to withdraw its declaration immediately.