N. Korea Offers ‘Deep Regret’ for Sub Incident

North Korea took a key step Sunday toward easing tensions on the Korean peninsula by expressing “deep regret” for a September incident in which one of its submarines ran aground on South Korea’s coast while on an apparent spying mission.

The South Korean government, which had insisted on an apology for the incursion before negotiations on other matters could move forward, quickly said the statement satisfied its demand.

The North’s statement was issued by the official Korean Central News Agency and by radio in the capital, Pyongyang. Its wording was worked out in recent days in negotiations between the U.S. and Pyongyang in New York, South Korean officials said. It was not immediately clear what, if anything, Washington and Seoul may have promised Pyongyang in exchange for its statement.

Earlier this month, Secretary of State Warren Christopher said the United States might join South Korea in providing aid for North Korean flood victims if an apology was forthcoming.

In a statement Sunday, President Clinton hailed the North’s move.

“I am pleased that Pyongyang has pledged to prevent the recurrence of such an incident and has expressed its willingness to work with others for durable peace and stability on the peninsula,” Clinton said. “This is a significant development, which I hope will contribute to the reduction of tensions on the Korean peninsula.”

From Hilton Head, S.C., Clinton praised South Korean President Kim Young Sam for his “personal efforts to resolve the submarine incursion in a way that opens the door for future South-North dialogue.”

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A senior Clinton administration official characterized the North’s statement as a diplomatic breakthrough that could lead to renewed progress between the two Koreas. Efforts to promote peace were put on hold after the submarine incident.

The incident led to the deaths of 37 people: 24 North Koreans from the submarine and 13 South Korean soldiers and civilians.

In talks today at the border village of Panmunjom, agreement was reached that the bodies of the North Koreans who died in the incident would be returned to the North, with the hand-over likely to take place later today, a U.S. military spokesman said. South Korean state radio said the bodies were on their way to the border.

Resolution of the submarine incident opens the way for talks to move forward on implementation of a 1994 nuclear agreement in which Pyongyang pledged to shut down its nuclear weapons program in return for oil and two nuclear reactors.

The expression of regret also could bring movement toward a four-way Korean peace conference--involving North and South Korea, the United States and China--that was proposed earlier this year by Washington and Seoul.

In Washington, a government official said that North Korea also agreed to allow a resumption of excavations aimed at uncovering the remains of missing American servicemen. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the United States agreed to a modest easing of economic sanctions against North Korea. He said the broad outlines of the deal were worked out a month ago during a visit to North Korea by Rep. Bill Richardson (D-N.M.), the U.N. ambassador-designate.

Resolving the submarine incident improves the chances of a renewed flow of humanitarian aid to North Korea, which has been hard hit by flooding and poor harvests in recent years. According to some reports, many North Korean citizens face the threat of malnutrition or starvation unless more food is shipped to the country.

Eased tensions might lead to progress in U.S.-North Korean discussions on the possible opening of a U.S. liaison office in Pyongyang, something the Communist North has sought for several years.

While South Korea immediately described the statement as an apology and accepted it as such--which was the most important thing in terms of its impact--the actual wording does not specifically mention an apology, only regret.

Pyongyang had claimed that the submarine drifted into South Korean waters after having engine trouble, while Seoul had said the incident was a “military provocation.”

Despite Sunday’s conciliatory language, the context in which Pyongyang released the statement indicated that further progress toward reduced tensions won’t come easily: Using typical North Korean rhetoric, the North’s news agency first ran articles that attacked “U.S. imperialists” and called South Korea’s Kim a “traitor.”

Times staff writer Warren Vieth in Washington contributed to this report.

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