North Korea may scrap missiles if U.S. improves ties

North Korea may scrap missiles if U.S. improves ties: report

Last Updated Mon, 20 Jun 2005 05:52:12 EDT
CBC News

North Korea will reportedly give up its missiles if the United States establishes diplomatic ties with the country, a South Korean minister told his government Monday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il apparently made the offer in talks with South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young, who had been in Pyongyang to meet Kim, Reuters reported Monday.

Kim was referring to long-, medium- and short-range missiles, which have the capability of reaching Japan and South Korea.

Chung told the South Korean cabinet on Monday that if the U.S. normalizes diplomatic ties with North Korea and becomes an ally with Pyongyang, then North Korea would give up all of those missiles.

Chung said on Friday that North Korea was ready to resume talks with the U.S. about its nuclear weapons program if the U.S showed it respect.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Sunday North Korea is just making excuses.

"The reason they don't want to come to the six-party talks is they don't like facing China and Russia and Japan and South Korea and the United States telling them in a concerted fashion that it's time to get rid of their nuclear weapons," she told CNN.

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