Angry rift between Seoul and Washington deepens<\/p>\n
By Kate Webb<\/p>\n
SEOUL (AFP): The rift between Seoul and Washington over how to
\ntackle North Korea's suspect nuclear program deepened Tuesday
\nwith South Korea accusing the United States of rushing into an
\nill-considered accord with the North simply to pull off a
\ndiplomatic coup.<\/p>\n
Newspapers here quoted unnamed officials as saying the angry
\naccusations were spurred by Seoul's dismay at learning of the
\nbroad outline of an agreement Washington was considering
\npresenting to North Korea at the negotiating table in Geneva.<\/p>\n
In Seoul, U.S. Ambassador James Laney was called into the
\nForeign Office by Foreign Minister Han Sung-joo, their second
\nmeeting in two days, and informed of South Korean "concern" over
\nthe proposed agreement, officials said.<\/p>\n
The Han-Laney meeting followed a top-level security meeting
\nhere and came after top presidential advisor on security, Chung
\nChong Wook, had telephoned his counterpart Anthony Lake to detail
\nthe differences, newspapers said.<\/p>\n
Sources and newspapers said Seoul was unhappy over several
\npoints in the reported proposal.<\/p>\n
The points of difference included special inspections of the
\nNorth's suspect facilities, the proposed timing of the opening of
\nliaison offices in each others' capitals, the resumption of an
\nInter-Korean dialogue and the type of nuclear reactor to be
\noffered to Pyongyang.<\/p>\n
"The United States is rushing for an agreement to score a
\ndiplomatic coup," the Joong-Ang daily quoted Chung as saying, as
\nPresident Kim Young-sam's ruling party issued a statement backing
\nhis hardline stand.<\/p>\n
The rift burst into the open Friday when New York Times and
\nJapan's Asahi Shimbun published interviews with Kim in which he
\nlambasted the United States for making too many compromises and
\ncalled its negotiating posture "half-baked" and naive.<\/p>\n
Embarrassment here Monday over the interviews turned to a
\nunited stand behind Kim Tuesday when his ruling party echoed his
\nhardline criticism.<\/p>\n
The party statement, announced by its spokesman Park Bum-jin
\nafter a meeting of key officials early Tuesday, called the U.S.
\nnegotiating stance "conciliatory" and said "preparedness for war
\nis a must in negotiations with the communists."<\/p>\n
"According to press reports on the Geneva talks, the United
\nStates appears to be going beyond its accords with South Korea,"
\nPark said.<\/p>\n
"The accords call for pushing through special inspections of
\nNorth Korean nuclear facilities so as to guarantee the North's
\ntransparency in its nuclear program, and for providing the North
\nwith a South Korean light water reactor."<\/p>\n
In his interviews Kim was quoted as saying that no more
\ncompromises should be made with the North at a time when it was
\nclose to economic and political collapse.<\/p>\n
The comments aroused consternation in the United States Sunday
\nwhen U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher telephoned Han
\nSung-joo from Jerusalem to express his "concern."<\/p>\n
Christopher later downplayed the disagreement, and said Seoul
\nand Washington had no major differences in their positions on how
\nto persuade the North to give up its suspect nuclear program.<\/p>\n
The latest reports from Geneva have characterized the ongoing
\nnegotiations as "totally deadlocked" over two points -- the
\ntiming of special outside inspections of two nuclear sites and
\nthe refueling and restarting of a 5-megawatt reactor at the
\nNorth's Yongbyong nuclear complex.<\/p>\n
North Korea has for the past two months heaped invective on
\nthe South Korean president, blaming him for a crackdown on
\nradicals and leftists in the South.<\/p>\n
U.S. officials here confirmed that Laney had met with Han, but
\ndeclined further comment, while palace officials said Kim had
\ngiven yet another interview -- this time to Cable News Network
\n(CNN) in which he would outline his views "without interpretation
\nby the print media."<\/p>",
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