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Senior US and South Korean officials have began debating a strategy for progress in upcoming talks on North Korea's nuclear programme, as well as ways to keep up the pressure on the communist regime.
Undersecretaries of State Nicholas Burns and Robert Joseph arrived from Japan and will go on to China to stress the importance of a united front when six-nation talks resume after a year-long break.
Joseph was also discussing ways to enforce UN sanctions imposed on the North after its October 9 nuclear test.
South Korea, like other UN member states, must submit a list of its own measures against Pyongyang by early next week. But it has stopped short of supporting tough action proposed by Japan and the United States.
Just three weeks after the test, North Korea announced it would end a year-long boycott and return to the nuclear disarmament talks.
But both Japan and the United States have called for “concrete” action by North Korea to end its nuclear program when talks resume, possibly this month or next.
The forum, which began meeting in 2003, groups the two Koreas, Japan, China, the United States and Russia.
“It's clear that the United States and Japan see eye to eye on the question of North Korea,” Burns said in Tokyo on Monday after meeting Foreign Minister Taro Aso.
Joseph added: “We are in agreement that the (sanctions) resolution must be fully and effectively implemented until North Korea meets all of the demands of the Security Council.”
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said last week that Washington wants “concrete action” when the talks resume, based on an agreement signed in September 2005.
Under that deal the North agreed in principle to scrap its nuclear programmes in exchange for energy and economic aid and security guarentees. But it boycotted the forum two months later in protest at US-inspired curbs on its overseas bank accounts.
Washington has agreed to hold talks on those financial restrictions.
“We had a very good, successful trip to Japan,” Burns said Tuesday before meeting South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Yu Myung-Hwan. “It was very, very supportive and very good. I know it's going to be equally good here.”
Joseph held separate talks with Deputy Foreign Minister Park In-Kook.
“We had a very useful and very productive discussion today,” he said afterwards.
“All issues on our agenda are related to the importance of full implementation of UN Security Council (Sanctions) Resolution 1718,” Joseph added, declining further comment.
South Korea refuses to drop its “sunshine” engagement policy with North Korea despite the nuclear test. It says two joint projects which have earned the North almost one billion dollars since 1998 will continue.
Seoul is also resisting US pressure to play a full part in an international initiative to inspect cargos to and from North Korea, as provided for under the sanctions.
It fears this could spark bloody naval clashes with its neighbour.
