Cablegate: Media Reaction in Seoul

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SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION IN SEOUL

Subject: Media Reaction; Seoul

East Asia and Pacific: DPRK, nuclear program, Six-Party Talks

"Heavy Fuel Oil Aid to North Korea a Major Driver of the Six-Party
Talks"

Moderate Hankook Ilbo editorialized (12/16): "Because providing one
million tons of heavy fuel oil or equivalent aid to North Korea is
linked with nuclear disablement in North Korea, the question whether
to continue the aid is directly related to maintaining the momentum
of the Six-Party Talks. North Korea's chief negotiator, Vice
Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan, retorted that Pyongyang would
probably adjust the pace of disablement at nuclear facilities. In
the situation where the Six-Party Talks may be losing momentum
following the failure to agree on a verification protocol, if
nuclear disablement is also delayed, it could rattle the Six-Party
framework itself considerably. Six Party Talk member nations must
deal carefully with suspending heavy fuel oil deliveries to
Pyongyang."

Stephens

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