jump over navigation bar
Embassy SealUS Department of State
U.S. Embassy Seoul, Korea - Home flag graphic
U.S. Policy & Issues
 
  US - South Korea (ROK) US - North Korea Human Rights Archives Economics & Trade Global Issues American Life Special Reports

U.S. - North Korea

Talks to Continue Despite North Korean Proliferation Activities

U.S. envoy Alexander Vershbow says Six-Party Talks will continue despite evidence of North Korean nuclear aid to Syria.
(© AP Images)

State Department says six-party process “appropriate and best way forward”

By Stephen Kaufman
Staff Writer
April 29, 2008

Washington -- Despite revelations that North Korea was helping Syria to build a nuclear reactor, the Bush administration says the United States remains committed to the Six-Party Talks process it established in 2005 with North Korea, South Korea, China, Japan, and Russia to remove nuclear material from the Korean Peninsula...more

April 25, 2008 - Syria Did Not Disclose Building Nuclear Reactor

This photo, released by the CIA April 24, shows the covert Syrian nuclear reactor under construction near al-Kibar. (© AP Images)

This photo, released by the CIA April 24, shows the covert Syrian nuclear reactor under construction near al-Kibar. (© AP Images)

White House says it was destroyed in 2007 in an Israeli air strike

April 25, 2008
By Merle D. Kellerhals Jr.
Staff Writer

Washington -- Syria did not tell the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) it was building a nuclear reactor in a remote area of eastern Syria with help from North Korean nuclear scientists and engineers, and after it was destroyed in September 2007, made every effort to...more

 

April 24, 2008 - Statement by the Press Secretary

Office of the Press Secretary
April 24, 2008

Today, administration officials have briefed select Congressional committees on an issue of great international concern. Until Sept. 6, 2007, the Syrian regime was building a covert nuclear reactor in its eastern desert capable of producing plutonium...more

 

April 17, 2008 - U.S. Wants Full Accounting of North Korea's Nuclear Programs

U.S. Wants Full Accounting of North Korea's Nuclear Programs

Negotiators and delegates gather for six-nation talks in Beijing on North Korea's nuclear disarmament.
(© AP Images)

Six-Party Talks have shown progress, Rice says

By Merle D. Kellerhals, Jr.
Staff Writer
April 17, 2008

Washington –- The six-nation nuclear talks with North Korea over its weapons program have shown progress, but there is still reason for caution and skepticism, says Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice...more

 
 

April 17, 2008 - On-the-Record Briefing by Secretary Rice 

Secretary Condoleezza Rice

 Secretary Condoleezza Rice

Secretary Condoleezza Rice
Washington, DC
April 17, 2008

SECRETARY RICE: Good morning, everyone. I came by just to take a few of your questions, but I’d like to make a few comments first on several issues.

First, the rapid rise in global food prices is an urgent concern. Those who are hit hardest are the poorest people, and, of course, this is a matter of social justice because no one should have to spend all of their daily wages just to buy their daily bread. Rising food prices are a source of social instability, as we are seeing in a number of places around the globe....more

 

April 2, 2008 - Assistant Secretary Hill Comments on the Six-Party Talks

Christopher R. Hill, Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs

Christopher R. Hill

Christopher R. Hill, Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs

Seoul, South Korea
April 2, 2008

In particular we need to know what the plutonium situation is, but also we know that DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) was engaged in procurements of things for uranium enrichment, so we need to know that status. We also need to know what has gone on with any foreign nuclear cooperation...more

March 28, 2008 - North Korea Should Focus on Six-Party Talks

Sean McCormack, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs

Sean McCormack,
Assistant Secretary of
State for Public Affairs

Daily Press Briefing
Sean McCormack, Spokesman
Washington, DC
March 28, 2008

Spokesman McCormack (Mar. 28): "North Korea should refrain from any of these kinds of missile launches. ...We would hope that they would direct their energies towards fulfilling their obligations under the Six-Party Talks, and as they are fulfilling their obligations...more

 

March 20, 2008 -Six-Party Talks Await Complete and Correct Declaration from Pyongyang
State's Hill says partial declaration politically unsustainable for participants

The stalemate in Phase 2 of the Six-Party Talks is not a result of problems with sequencing, timing, or formatting issues; the real problem has been getting North Korea to agree to a "complete and correct" declaration of all its nuclear materials, capacity, and knowledge -- without exceptions...more

March 19, 2008 - Moving Forward in 2008: The U.S.-East Asia Relationship

Christopher R. Hill

Christopher R. Hill at FPC

Christopher R. Hill, Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs

MODERATOR: Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to the Foreign Press Center. Pleased to have a group here today to hear from Assistant Secretary Christopher Hill from the State Department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs. He'll be discussing 2008 as we move forward throughout the year and the U.S.-East Asian relationship.

Just a reminder, when we move to the question and answer period, if you would please state your name and your news organization before you ask your question, we'd really appreciate it. Thank you so much and I will turn the podium over to Assistant Secretary Hill..more

February 28, 2008 - Progress Being Made on North Korea Nuclear Issue, Rice Says
Secretary urges full cooperation from North Korea

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
meets with Japanese Foreign Minister
Masahiko Komura February 27.
(© AP Images)

By Merle D. Kellerhals Jr.
Staff Writer


Washington –- The United States believes that considerable progress has been achieved on removing the threat of nuclear weapons from the Korean Peninsula, and even more can be expected with improved cooperation from the North Korean regime.

The essential ingredient is the political will to end the nuclear threat completely, says Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

"We have made progress on disablement [of the Yongbyon nuclear facilities].  But we do now need the declaration of the North Koreans that would be complete and would, in its accuracy, show us that there is a way forward," Rice says...more

February 26, 2008 - New York Philharmonic Performs in North Korea
Shared musical values evoke warmth, friendship

Washington -- The music was Gershwin, Dvorak and Wagner; the national anthems were North Korean and American; and the theme was shared musical values.  The orchestra combined Korean folk songs with some of the best-known classical music into a mixture of cultural blends that evoked warmth and friendship even among strangers.

When it was over, the New York Philharmonic received a five-minute standing ovation from a cheering audience in the East Pyongyang Grand Theater, in North Korea, according to news reports.  Members of the audience and orchestra alike did not want it to end.more...

February 06, 2008 - State’s Hill’s Remarks at Senate Foreign Relations
Briefs on Six-Party Talks for denuclearization of Korean Peninsula

Thank you, Chairman Biden, Ranking Member Lugar, and distinguished Members for inviting me to discuss with your committee recent developments in our efforts to achieve the verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through the Six-Party process.

I have had the opportunity to brief many of you on the Six-Party Talks over the last few months. Since that time, we have made progress on implementation of the October 3, 2007 agreement on “Second Phase Actions for the Implementation of the Joint Statement,” particularly on the disablement of more...

December 31, 2007 - Bush Administration Promises "Sprint to the Finish" in 2008
Mideast peace, Iraq, nuclear proliferation among top diplomatic priorities

Washington "I'm going to work hard to the finish," President Bush told White House reporters at an October 17 press conference.  "I'm going to sprint to the finish line." In a series of recent interviews, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice mapped out the foreign policy road ahead for 2008, the Bush administration's final year in office. more

December 30, 2007 - North Korea Declaration

In September 2005, the United States, China, Russia, Japan and South Korea agreed on a Joint Statement with North Korea that charted the way forward toward achieving a nuclear weapons free Korean peninsula. Under the terms of the Initial Actions Agreement of February 2007, North Korea shut down operations at the Yongbyon nuclear facility where it had produced weapons-grade plutonium and international inspectors returned to North Korea to verify and monitor this process. more

October 17, 2007 - Press Conference by the President

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. We're now more than halfway through October, and the new leaders in Congress have had more than nine months to get things done for the American people. Unfortunately, they haven't managed to pass many important bills. Now the clock is winding down and in some key areas Congress is just getting started. more

October 3, 2007 - Statement by the President on Agreement Announced at Six-Party Talks

I welcome the agreement announced today at the Six-Party Talks in Beijing. Today's announcement reflects the common commitment of the participants in the Six-Party Talks to realize a Korean Peninsula that is free of nuclear weapons. more

September 26, 2007 - Remarks to Media Upon Departure From Japan

QUESTION: About the scope of the [inaudible] at Yongbyon, is it only going to be only [inaudible] on the three facilities at Yongbyon?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE HILL: First of all, the Six-Party plenary is going to hear from the technical team that went in. I think what we are looking to do is to disable the graphite [inaudible] program so there will not be the possibility of producing more plutonium. more

August 28, 2007 - North Korean Nuclear Disablement, Program Declaration Can Overlap
Assistant Secretary Hill to meet with North Korean counterparts in Geneva

Washington -- The “elements” are in place for North Korea to make a full declaration of its nuclear programs and to achieve the disablement of its Yongbyon nuclear facility, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Christopher Hill said ahead of talks with his North Korea counterparts in Geneva scheduled for September 1-2. more

August 1, 2007 - Technical Meetings Begin in North Korea Nuclear Talks
Working groups to meet in August, Six-Party Talks expected in September

Washington -- Diplomats from six nations will begin working in early August on the technical details of an agreement aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear weapons program, a senior U.S. official says. more

July 20, 2007 - Progress Cited on Elimination of Korean Nuclear Programs
U.S. envoy Hill says working groups to meet in August to discuss next steps

Washington -- The chief U.S. envoy to talks aimed at ridding the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons programs said he is “very satisfied” following meetings in Beijing that he described as “the most productive week in the Six-Party process” involving North Korea, South Korea, China, Japan, Russia and the United States. more

July 20, 2007 - Press Communiqué of the Six-Party Talk
Released after the Head of the Delegation meeting in Beijing

I. The Head of Delegation Meeting of the Sixth Round of the Six-Party Talks was held in Beijing from 18 to 20 July 2007. Mr. Wu Dawei; Mr. Kim Gye Gwan; Mr. Kenichiro Sasae; Mr. Chun Yung-woo; Mr. Christopher Hill; and Mr. Vladimir Rakhmanin attended the talks as heads of their respective delegations. Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei chaired the meeting. more

July 20, 2007 - Afternoon Remarks at the Beijing Airport
Christopher R. Hill, Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs

QUESTION: How do you see the agreement?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Well, I think we really set out to arrange a work plan for the coming weeks, and I think we very much succeeded with that. I was very pleased with the Chairman's statement. I think if you read, it you'll see the very real fact that we have a lot of work to do. We have to get all these working groups done in August. Some of them have a lot of work ahead, and then we're going to reconvene. more 

July 16, 2007 - North Korean Reactor Shutdown a “Very Important First Step”
North Korea receives first shipments of heavy fuel oil from South Korea

Washington -- The shutdown of North Korea’s Yongbyon nuclear reactor and the first delivery of supplies of heavy fuel oil to Pyongyang represent a “very important first step” toward the elimination of nuclear programs from the Korean Peninsula, but quicker progress in the next set of steps outlined in a multilateral agreement is needed, the Bush administration says. more

July 13, 2007 - Nuclear-Free Korean Peninsula Is United States’ First Priority
Peace treaty for 1950s war important but secondary concern, envoy says

shington -- The United States hopes to begin talks with North Korea aimed at achieving a peace treaty to the 1950-1953 Korean War before the end of 2007, but a senior U.S. envoy said such an agreement would not be reached until nuclear programs are eliminated from the Korean Peninsula. more

June 25, 2007 - North Korean Nuclear Facility Could Be Disabled Before 2008
Assistant Secretary Hill discusses timeline following talks in the region

Washington -- North Korea’s Yongbyon nuclear reactor could be disabled and a peace mechanism for resolving the decades-old Korean conflict could be in place by the end of 2007, U.S. envoy Christopher Hill says. more

June 21, 2007 - U.S. Envoy in North Korea To Urge Progress On Nuclear Arms Talks
State’s Hill is highest-level U.S. official to visit North Korea since 2002

Washington -- U.S. envoy Christopher Hill’s unexpected visit to North Korea comes at “the right time” for consultations between the United States and North Korea on implementing the February 13 agreement designed to rid the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons. more

June 18, 2007 - United States Welcomes North Korean Invitation to Nuclear Agency
U.S. envoy Hill says move is important first step in disarmament process

Washington -- The United States welcomes North Korea’s decision to invite international weapons inspectors back to Yongbyon as part of a multilateral agreement to shut down the North Korean nuclear complex there. more

May 1, 2007 - USINFO: North Korean Shutdown of Reactor "Extremely Important"

Washington -- The United States and Japan have repeated calls for North Korea to shut down its Yongbyon nuclear reactor as part of its obligations under a February 13 agreement. more

April 27, 2007 - United States, Japan Say Patience on North Korea "Not Unlimited"
Two countries to cooperate on Korean nuclear issue, Japanese abductees

Washington -- U.S. patience with North Korea to follow through on its pledge to shut down its Yongbyon nuclear reactor and other commitments as part of a February 13 agreement is “not unlimited,” President Bush says, but he adds that North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il still has time to “make the right choice.” more

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

April 14, 2007 - U.S. Will Give North Korea “A Few More Days” To Keep Nuclear Deal
Pyongyang missed deadline, citing related banking issue

Washington -- The United States is willing to give North Korea a few more days to make good on a pledge to shut down the Yongbyon nuclear reactor after having missed the April 14 deadline for doing so, a senior State Department official says. more

April 10, 2007 - Macanese Officials Unblock $25 Million in North Korean Funds
State Department urges fulfillment of February 13 Six-Party Talks commitments

Washington -- With the announcement by Macanese authorities April 10 that North Korean funds frozen at Banco Delta Asia (BDA) have been unblocked, the United States and most other members of the Six-Party Talks consider the issue of the frozen accounts “resolved.” more

April 3, 2007 - Private U.S. Delegation Traveling to North Korea
Visit will focus on return of U.S. Korean War soldiers’ remains

Washington -- New Mexico’s governor, Bill Richardson, and former Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony Principi are leading a bipartisan U.S. delegation to North Korea to facilitate the return of the remains of U.S. servicemen missing from the 1950-1953 Korean War. more

22 March 2007 - Talks on North Korean Nuclear Program “On Track,” U.S. Says
Treasury’s Glaser traveling to Beijing to help with release of BDA funds

Washington -- The Six-Party Talks concerning the elimination of nuclear programs from the Korean Peninsula remain “on track,” according to the chief U.S. negotiator. The talks recessed March 22 after four days of meetings in Beijing among delegates from North Korea, South Korea, Russia, Japan, China and the United States. more

March 19, 2007 - End of Fund Dispute Clears Way for North Korean Nuclear Talks
Frozen assets to be transferred to the Bank of China, State’s Hill says

Washington -- Negotiators from North and South Korea, Japan, Russia, China and the United States are expected to advance discussions on dismantling North Korea’s nuclear program now that certain North Korean assets held in Macau’s Banco Delta Asia (BDA) have been unfrozen. more

March 15, 2007 - Ruling on Macau Bank Unlikely To Derail North Korea Talks
Treasury finalizes ruling barring U.S. bank dealings with Banco Delta Asia

Washington – The U.S. Treasury Department’s ruling on Banco Delta Asia (BDA) in Macau is not expected to affect adversely the February 13 Six-Party Talks agreement on North Korea’s nuclear program, U.S. officials say. more

March 7, 2007 - North Korea Talks on Track, U.S. Negotiator Says

New York -- Characterizing two days of meetings as "good, comprehensive and businesslike," U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Christopher Hill says it appears that talks to end North Korea's nuclear programs are on track. more

February 22, 2007 - North Korea Nuclear Deal Hinges on 60-Day Timetable

Washington -- The six-party agreement to end North Korea’s nuclear program uses a step-by-step approach that combines a series of short deadlines with increasingly significant goals that could lead eventually to a peace treaty and normalized relations, the senior U.S. negotiator says. more

February 20, 2007 - North Korea Nuclear Deal Seen Strengthening U.S.-China Ties

Washington -- The six-party agreement to end North Korea’s nuclear program was the result of multilateral cooperation and has strengthened the diplomatic relationship between the United States and China, the top U.S. negotiator says. more

February 13, 2007 - Evening Walkthrough With Reporters at the Six-Party Talks

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Hi, good evening. Well I’m glad we could do this early, because I’ve been worried whether you’re getting enough sleep. As you all know, we reached agreement. It’s agreement on initial actions. Obviously we have a long way to go, but we’re very pleased with this agreement. We feel it’s a very, very solid step forward. The agreement really is the first implementation of the September ’05 statement. more

February 13, 2007 - Statement by President Bush on Six Party Talks

PRESIDENT BUSH: I am pleased with the agreements reached today at the Six Party Talks in Beijing. These talks represent the best opportunity to use diplomacy to address North Korea's nuclear programs. They reflect the common commitment of the participants to a Korean Peninsula that is free of nuclear weapons. more

February 13, 2007 - Briefing on the Agreement Reached at the Six Party Talks in Beijing
Secretary Condoleezza Rice

SECRETARY RICE: Good morning. Is it morning? Good morning, yes. The six-party agreement reached in Beijing is an important initial step toward the goals of a denuclearized Korean Peninsula and a more stable and secure Northeast Asia. more

February 9, 2007 - U.S. Envoy Cautiously Optimistic About Six-Party Progress

Washington -- Negotiations to convince North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons development program in exchange for aid and security guarantees remain tough going, but U.S. envoy Christopher Hill says he is “cautiously optimistic” about the latest round of Six-Party Talks, which began February 8. more

February 5, 2007 - Purpose of Six-Party Talks Is Nuclear-Free Korea, U.S. Envoy Says
State’s Hill also seeks dialogue on issue of Japanese abducted by Pyongyang

Washington -- The most important point for the Six-Party Talks "is to get the North Koreans to begin to denuclearize,” says the lead U.S. envoy for multilateral discussions among North Korea, South Korea, China, Japan, Russia and the United States set to resume February 8 in Beijing. more

February 1, 2007 - “Substantial Start” Sought Toward Nuclear-Free Korean Peninsula
State’s Hill says there is basis for progress at February 8 Six-Party Talks

Washington -- The United States believes there is a “basis for making progress” in the upcoming round of Six-Party Talks among North Korea, South Korea, China, Japan, Russia and the United States, but its chief negotiator in the discussions also cautioned that there had been similar hopes preceding the previous round in December 2006 – a round that did not “fully meet our expectations.” more

February 1, 2007 - Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and
Pacific Affairs and Head of the U.S. Delegation to the Six-Party Talks
Christopher R. Hill On Upcoming Trip to the Region and the Six-Party Talks in Beijing

MR. CASEY:  Morning, everybody.  I'm always amazed how empty this room is when Chris is here.  Pleased to have with us Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Chris Hill.  As you know, he will once again be leading our delegation to the next round of six-party talks that will be taking place in Beijing next week.  I wanted to give him an opportunity to come talk to you a little bit about those discussions and about how we view things with North Korea.  more

January 20, 2007 - Meetings with North Korean Official "Positive," Says U.S. Envoy

Washington – U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill arrived in Seoul, South Korea, January 19 saying his recent discussions in Berlin with his North Korean counterpart were "very useful" and "positive."  Hill told reporters that he had the opportunity to meet with Kim Kye Gwan, vice foreign minister for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), three times over the course of three days while Hill was in Berlin to brief German officials on the situation in East Asia. Based on these meetings, Hill said, "I feel we are going to be able to make some progress at the next session" of the Six-Party Talks.  more

January 17, 2007 - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice With Andrea Mitchell of NBC News

QUESTION:  Madame Secretary, thank you very much for giving us this time.  You've just gotten some support from the Arab leaders, but Americans and, in fact, Iraqis who are suffering so much in this war would really like to know what tangibly are the Arab neighbors going to do.  more

January 17, 2007 - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice And German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier

FOREIGN MINISTER STEINMEIER:  (Via interpreter) Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to be able to welcome here today the American Secretary of State.  It's actually not her first visit to Berlin and we're very happy to have her here with us again.  And I'm quite aware of the fact that this is indeed a burden on her at the -- because it comes at the end of a visit that she paid to six countries in the Middle East and now she's dropping in on -- giving us the opportunity to share with us her impressions and the results of her trip to the region.  more

Archives

back to top ^

Page Tools:

Printer_icon.gif Print this article



 

    This site is managed by the U.S. Department of State.
    External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.


Embassy of the United States