N.Korea seeks US peace pact before ditching nukes

• Source: Global Times
• [04:17 January 12 2010]
• Comments

Lü also pointed out that China contributed a lot to changing the North's posture.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and State Councilor Dai Bingguo visited North Korea separately in September and October in an attempt to persuade Pyongyang to return to the Six-Party Talks.

"But it takes time for the peace pact to be agreed on," Lü said, adding that although the reopening of the talks is a wait-and-see situation, Pyongyang's softened tone in changing its international environment is a new start.

Robert King, US President Barack Obama's new envoy on human rights in North Korea, said relations could only improve once Pyongyang improves its "appalling" rights record.

Kim Yong-hyun, a professor at Seoul's Dongguk University, described the proposal as unrealistic.

"I believe the US will not accept it as North Korea has long tried to exclude South Korea from such talks," he told AFP. "The proposal is aimed at taking the upper hand in future negotiations and securing more concessions when talks resume with the US or South Korea."

Agencies contributed to this story