N. Korea Sees No Return to Talks

North Korea said Sunday that it wouldn’t return to six-nation talks on its nuclear weapons program unless the United States lifted financial sanctions on North Korean companies. The announcement clouded prospects for a breakthrough ahead of a security conference in Tokyo.

“Is there anything to do if the United States doesn’t change its position?” said Song Il Hyuck, a member of the North Korean delegation.

He said North Korea never opposed the six-way talks and was ready to resume them if the U.S. lifted sanctions imposed on a Macao-based bank and North Korean companies for alleged illegal activities.

U.S. officials have said Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, scheduled to arrive in Japan today, had no plan to meet with the North Korean delegation.

Song’s comments came amid a flurry of diplomatic activity on the sidelines of a private security conference in Tokyo that has delegates from the six nations in the nuclear talks: the United States, the two Koreas, China, Japan and Russia.

Talks last November yielded an agreement by the North Korean government in Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear program in exchange for aid and security guarantees.

But there has been no progress on implementing that pledge, and Pyongyang is refusing to return to the talks unless the United States lifts its financial sanctions over allegations of counterfeiting and other illegal activities by North Korea. The U.S. has said the sanctions will stay in place and are not related to the nuclear negotiations.