Seoul: Time to push for nuclear talks without North Korea
South Korean President Park Geun-hye speaks during a joint briefing from the foreign, unification and defense ministries at the presidential house in Seoul, Friday, Jan. 22, 2016. President Park questioned the role of long-dormant North Korean nuclear disarmament talks, saying Friday it’s time that regional powers meet without the North in the wake its recent nuclear test. AP
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea’s president has questioned the role of long-dormant North Korean nuclear disarmament talks and says it is time that regional powers meet without the North.
The so-called six-nation talks aimed at ending North Korea’s nuclear program in return for aid remain stalled since December 2008. Pyongyang has since conducted three nuclear tests, including one on Jan. 6.
READ: Latest N. Korea sub missile test a ‘catastrophic failure’—analysts
The six countries are the two Koreas, the US, China, Russia and Japan.
President Park Geun-hye said Friday that it is time to push for a five-nation meeting without North Korea but did not offer specifics.
She urges China, the North’s last major ally, to try to make North Korea follow in Iran’s footsteps.
READ: US envoy urges China ‘leadership’ in sanctioning N. Korea
Teheran last year agreed to curb its nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions.
