NORTH KOREA and the US
Ronald Hilton - 7/28/03
The US said it was unwilling to rule out military action to resolve an impasse over North Korea's nuclear
ambitions but was considering new talks as it pursued a peaceful solution. The US was discussing with
China the possibility of a new round of three-way talks with North Korea, after which Japan and South
Korea would join the discussions in line with US aims. TheWhite House denied a report in The Washington
Post that the United Sates was considering offering a formal guarantee that North Korea would not face a
US invasion. The administration of US President George Bush has repeatedly said it has no intention of
attacking North Korea. The US is seeking to reverse steps taken by Pyongyang - branded by Bush as a
member of an "axis of evil" threatening international security - to revive its nuclear program. North Korea
first demanded a non-aggression pact in October, days after US officials said the North had acknowledged
it had a covert atomic program, sparking the latest crisis. The US and North Korea participated in a round
of three-way talks hosted by China on the nuclear issue in April. Washington would not give in to
"blackmail" but North Korea could expect "benefits" from greater acceptance internationally if it ended its
nuclear program. (Reuters 7/23/03)
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