Roh's adviser gets foreign ministry's top position<\/p>\n
Agencies
\nSeoul<\/p>\n
South Korea's president named his adviser on foreign affairs as
\nhis new foreign minister on Friday, as talks on the North's
\nnuclear crisis hung in limbo with Pyongyang saying every delay in
\nrestarting diplomatic negotiations gives its military more time
\nto build a bigger and better atomic war chest.<\/p>\n
Ban Ki-moon will replace Yoon Young-kwan, who quit his post on
\nThursday amid a rift between some foreign ministry officials and
\nsome members of the president's National Security Council over
\nhow to balance Seoul's relations between North Korea and its
\nbiggest ally, the United States.<\/p>\n
\"He is expected to work through pending issues based on the
\nspirit of trust with our allies,\" the presidential Blue House
\nsaid in a statement.<\/p>\n
Ban is a 60-year-old career diplomat with a reputation as a
\nmoderate who understands the workings of the foreign ministry.<\/p>\n
He was South Korea's vice foreign minister in 2000 and 2001
\nduring former President Kim Dae-jung's administration.<\/p>\n
While the resignation is unlikely to undermine South Korea's
\nclose ties with Washington, it is seen as bolstering the
\ninfluence of presidential aides who preach greater independence
\nfrom the United States.<\/p>\n
Yoon's resignation came just a day after an American who
\nrecently visited North Korea said he was told that the communist
\ngovernment sees every delay in negotiations as a chance to
\nstrengthen its \"nuclear deterrent.\"<\/p>\n
Charles Pritchard, a former State Department official, met the
\nNorth Koreans last week as part of a private visit that included
\na trip with American colleagues to the country's main nuclear
\nsite at Yongbyon.<\/p>\n
Speaking on Thursday in Washington, Pritchard said he was told
\nby North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan: \"Lapses of
\ntime will result in quantitative and qualitative increases in our
\nnuclear deterrent.<\/p>\n
\"Time is not on the U.S. side,\" Kim reportedly said.<\/p>\n
Pritchard, who had visited North Korea previously, said he
\nfound evidence of improved living conditions, including a sharp
\nincrease in vehicular traffic increased availability of
\nelectricity and consumer goods.<\/p>\n
He debunked the notion among some that the country could
\ncollapse because of economic decline.<\/p>\n
\"Don't wait,\" he said. \"It's not going to happen.\"<\/p>\n
The United States, China, Russia, Japan and the two Koreas
\nhave been trying for months to restart another round of six-
\nnation talks on persuading North Korea to give up its nuclear
\nweapons program. A first round ended in Beijing in August without
\nmuch progress.<\/p>\n
North Korea has insisted it needs nuclear weapons as a
\ndeterrent against a possible U.S. attack. But it says it will
\nfreeze its nuclear programs as a first step in talks if
\nWashington lifts sanctions against the North, resumes oil
\nshipments, and removes North Korea from the U.S. State
\nDepartment's list of countries that sponsor terrorism.<\/p>\n
The United States has responded that North Korea must first
\nverifiably begin dismantling its nuclear programs before
\nreceiving any concessions.<\/p>\n
Separately, Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs Igor Ivanov
\nwas in China on Friday to discuss the North Korean standoff,
\naccording to ITAR-TASS news agency.<\/p>\n
He said Pyongyang's offer of a freeze could \"provide a good
\nbasis for the continuation of the negotiating process,\" according
\nto the report.<\/p>\n
The nuclear dispute flared in October 2002 when U.S. officials
\naccused North Korea of running a secret nuclear program in
\nviolation of a 1994 deal requiring the North to freeze its
\nnuclear facilities. Washington and its allies have since cut off
\nfree oil shipments, also part of the 1994 accord.<\/p>",
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