SEOUL, South Korea -- A North Korean diplomat said Friday that progress at a new round of nuclear talks depends on the attitude of the United States, a signal that North Korea is unlikely to make any opening concessions.
Progress can be made in nuclear disarmament talks "if the United States has a sincere attitude and has willingness to improve its relations" with the North, Kim Myong-gil, deputy chief of North Korea's mission to the United Nations in New York, told The Associated Press by telephone.
North Korea agreed to return to the talks last month after a meeting with the US in China in which Washington agreed to discuss its campaign to sever the North's access to the international financial system over the country's alleged illegal activity including counterfeiting and money laundering.
Kim said if the US keeps the promise it made to North Korea during the Beijing meeting, it would be "a good start" for the talks.
The North has said it is returning to six-nation talks to resolve the financial restrictions. However, the US has said only that it agreed to hold talks on the sidelines of the nuclear negotiations about the financial issue, but hasn't made any promise to ease the restrictions.
No date has been set for the resumed arms negotiations, but officials have said they are expected to take place before the end of the year.
North Korea agreed at talks in September 2005 to abandon its nuclear program in exchange for security guarantees and aid, but follow-up discussions in November 2005 failed to make any progress on implementing the deal. The six-party platform -- involving the two Koreas, the US Japan, Russia and China -- has been stalled since then due to the North's boycott over financial restrictions.
Meanwhile, Kim also condemned South Korea's decision to vote in favor of a nonbinding UN General Assembly resolution criticizing the North for human rights abuses.
He said the move "would not have a positive influence" on inter-Korean relations, and denounced the vote as interference in the North's internal affairs.
