Initial Korean Peace Talks Break Down

Four-way talks to arrange a peace conference for the divided Korean peninsula broke down Friday after North Korea refused to soften demands that the agenda include withdrawal of U.S. troops from South Korea.

No further preliminary talks were planned, said a U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity. He made clear that Washington will not resume the talks unless the North signals willingness to compromise.

Officials from the United States, North and South Korea and China met for a second day Friday to hear whether the North would join peace talks without a guarantee to discuss the removal of U.S. troops. The discussions are aimed at establishing an agenda for talks to negotiate a peace treaty to replace the shaky truce between the two Koreas.