U.S. Official Turns Up Rhetoric on North Korea

Stalled six-country negotiations on North Korea’s nuclear weapons program must be accelerated or other ways of dealing with the issue must be considered, the U.S. point man on the issue said Tuesday.

Although the China-hosted talks are the preferred format for resolving the issue, said Christopher Hill, U.S. ambassador to South Korea, “we need to see some progress here. If we don’t, we need to look at other ways to deal with this.”

Speaking at his U.S. Senate nomination hearing to be assistant secretary of State for Asian and Pacific affairs, Hill talked about urging Russia and “any country doing any business” with North Korea to reconsider activities it may be involved in that encourage Pyongyang’s “bad behavior.”

If confirmed by the Senate, “I would like to look very carefully to see what more Russia could do,” Hill told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Since August 2003, Beijing has played host to three inconclusive rounds of talks involving the two Koreas, the United States, China, Japan and Russia. A fourth round planned for late 2004 didn’t materialize.

Hill spoke as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was beginning a trip through Asia, during which a major focus will be jump-starting the six-country talks.

Rice asserted Tuesday in India that North Korea’s “isolation from its neighbors has deepened” as it bolstered its nuclear stockpile in the last year, even as South Korea and China continued to maintain close economic links.

Rice brushed aside Pyongyang’s pronouncement Tuesday that it might increase its nuclear arsenal to maintain a balance of power in East Asia and help prevent a U.S. attack.

She reiterated the administration’s position that it had “no intention” of attacking or invading North Korea.

In Washington, Hill chided Beijing for failing to get Pyongyang to resume negotiations. “It’s our view that China as the host of this process should make sure they get everybody to the table,” he said.

U.S. officials have been unhappy that Beijing has been unwilling to use its leverage to force Pyongyang to the table.