US says DPRK's assets issue can be discussed at resumed six-party talks

The United States said on Wednesday that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will have a chance to seek access to its frozen overseas bank accounts when six-party talks are resumed.

"We will seek to address the issue in the context of the six- party talks," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told a news briefing.

However, the spokesman noted that the best way to deal with the issue is to get at the root causes, which he said were Pyongyang's "illicit behavior."

The United States has imposed financial sanctions on the DPRK in retaliation for alleged U.S. dollar counterfeiting and money laundering by Pyongyang.

The DPRK said on Wednesday that it had decided to return to the six-party talks on the premise that the issue of lifting financial sanctions will be discussed and settled between the DPRK and the U. S. within the framework of the six-party talks.

Prior to the statement, Pyongyang vowed that so long as it is under U.S. sanctions, it will not return to the six-party talks which are aimed at ending its nuclear weapons drive.

The U.S. negotiator, Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, said the six-party talks could resume as early as November or December.

In addition to the U.S. and the DPRK, the six-party talks also involve South Korea, China, Japan and Russia.

The six-party talks on Korean nuclear issue have remained stalled since the last round meeting in Beijing in November 2005.

Source: Xinhua