Resuming six-party talks depends on DPRK: ROK

SEOUL - The Republic of Korea (ROK) reiterated its stance that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) should first show its sincerity toward denuclearization to resume the long-stalled six-party talks.

"The timing of resuming six-party talks depends on the DPRK," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a report to lawmakers on Monday.

The report said that the DPRK should demonstrate its genuineness toward denuclearization by complying with its international obligations and promises.

The six-way dialogue, including the two Koreas, China, the United States, Russia and Japan, has been stalled since late 2008 as Pyongyang refused to dismantle its nuclear program. The DPRK conducted its third nuclear test in February and test-fired a long- range rocket last December.

Seoul and Washington adhered to the stance that the DPRK should first prove its authenticity toward living up to past disarmament- for-aid agreements such as the 2005 Joint Statement before the six- way talks are resumed.

South Korea and the DPRK declared in 1991 to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, and it was reconfirmed in the 2005 Joint Statement unveiled after the six-party talks.

"Dialogue for the sake of dialogue will only be abused by the North to buy time to advance its nuclear weapons," the ministry said, noting that Pyongyang had sought to make its nuclear weapons a fait accompli by beefing up its nuclear capabilities by way of the vicious cycle of provocation, compensation and provocation again.

To break the vicious circle, the upcoming six-party talks should become a dialogue to cause substantive progress in denuclearizing the DPRK, the ministry said.