S Korea warns against hope in N Korea nuclear row

TOKYO, Apr 9 (Reuters) South Korea's chief delegate to stalled talks on ending North Korea's nuclear arms programme warned today against optimism for a breakthrough soon, saying Pyongyang still had serious problems with returning to the table.

North Korea's top delegate to the talks, Kim Kye-gwan, said yesterday he would meet chief envoys from the other countries and seek progress for the nuclear talks that have been deadlocked since producing a basic agreement in September.

''I have not seen a situation that would give much hope or expectation for a breakthrough,'' South Korea's top negotiator, Chun Yung-woo, told reporters after a session of a private forum where all the countries to the talks would be taking part.

''North Korea seems to be doing a lot of hard thinking about returning to the six-way talks,'' he said. ''Until those difficult issues are resolved, it would be difficult for the North and the United States to meet bilaterally.'' The comments appeared to dash expectations that Kim and US chief negotiator Christopher Hill would meet on the sidelines of the forum and manage to create the momentum for the resumption of the talks.

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso urged North Korea to return to the table in a bid to resolve its stand-off with the international community over its nuclear ambitions.

''Nothing will move forward unless North Korea takes part in the six-party talks again,'' he told public broadcaster NHK. ''I believe the United States will have talks with North Korea.'' HURDLE REMAINS HIGH North Korea has said it would be unreasonable to resume the six-party talks until Washington ended a crackdown on firms it suspects of aiding Pyongyang in illicit activities, such as counterfeiting US currency and money laundering.

The crackdown, which Washington says is purely a law enforcement matter, is a ploy to topple the leadership in the North and proved US hostility, something that contradicts the spirit of the six-way talks, Pyongyang has said.

The talks involve the two Koreas, the United States, Japan, Russia and China.

Chinese chief negotiator Wu Dawei called on the countries to take advantage of the meeting in Tokyo and breathe fresh life into the troubled talks that his country has hosted.

''I hope the parties concerned will put in the effort,'' Wu told reporters, arriving in Tokyo. ''For this time, the presence of all the chief delegates of the six-party talks in Tokyo signifies that all parties are willing to put in an effort for this cause.'' Most of the chief envoys to the nuclear talks are expected to attend the national security forum in the Japanese capital.

Some analysts have billed the gathering as a de facto version of the six-party negotiations, which previously took place in Beijing.

Kim met Chun and also the Japanese chief envoy, Kenichiro Sasae, yesterday and discussed ways to resume the talks. Hill will arrive in Tokyo on Monday for the private forum.

Hill has no plans to meet Kim but has not ruled out doing so, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack has said.

The six countries agreed in September the isolated North would end all nuclear programmes in return for aid and a promise for security and better diplomatic ties.

The last session in November aimed at devising a plan to implement the deal produced no progress.

The North Korean defence minister, Kim Il-chol, said the United States was only paying lip service to the talks, while ''zealously inciting hostility toward the DPRK (North Korea)''.

Korea experts said the Tokyo gathering could set the stage for resuming the formal negotiations, but that it would be hard to narrow the gap between Washington and Pyongyang.

Reuters SY RS1915