Not easy to revive dialogue to resolve North Korean nuclear issue: South

NEW DELHI: South Korea's Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Affairs today said it will not be easy to revive the Six-Party dialogue, including the US and China, under the present situation to resolve the issue of North Korea's controversial nuclear programme.

Speaking on 'The Situation in the Korean Peninsula and the Republic of Korea Policy (South Korea) towards North Korea' at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), Cho Tae-yong said the North Korean leadership has to make a "fundamental change" in its approach whereas South Korea must demand "bold" steps, involving verifiable commitment, from Pyongyang in a time-bound manner.

Terming the North Korean nuclear issue as a "political, rhetorical threat initially", he said it has now become a military threat.

Cho said China is trying hard towards resumption of the Six-Party Talks, invovling China, US, Russia, South Korea, North Korea and Japan, to increase stability and to minimise provocation.

"South Korea will keep making efforts to solve the issue peacefully. South Korea's policy towards North Korea depends upon deterrence and engagement", he stated.

However, he cautioned the resumption of dialogue will not be easy in the present scenario as North Korea looks at nuclear weapons as a guarantee for survival.

Nearly 123 South Korean companies have invested in the Gaeseong Industrial complex providing livelihood to 50,000 North Koreans. So far, 4321 Korean families have been reunited.

"These initiatives have been stopped lately as North-South relations have deteriorated. Under present condition, the resumption of the dialogue will be difficult," he said.