reporting beijing , washington -- north korea’s willingness readmit nuclear weapons inspectors , suspend key parts of weapons program linked condition u.s. has long-insisted should not part of nuclear talks: providing north koreans desperately needed food aid.
part of deal announced wednesday, north korea receive 240,000 metric tons of aid, , possibly more. in past, washington has insisted food aid humanitarian issue should not tied nuclear negotiations.
deal appeared ease fears in washington north korea might carry out nuclear test in coming months demonstrate commitment nuclear program.
comes 2 months after death of leader kim jong il , suggested observers son , successor, kim jong un, may eager shed pariah status has dogged north korea , hindered economy.
younger kim, in late 20s , educated several years in switzerland, under pressure domestically raise living standards of 1 of poorest countries in world. american officials cautioned new leader’s long-term nuclear intentions remained unknown.
in last decade, nuclear talks north korea have occurred on off-again, on-again basis pyongyang ratcheted weapons program , international community sought cajole or threaten older kim.
in 2003, president george w. bush said might consider food , fuel aid if north korea gave nuclear weapons program. then, in winter 2007, bush administration agreed nuclear deal under north korea said begin disabling nuclear facilities in exchange $400 million in energy assistance , other incentives.
new deal apparently hammered out during 2 days of talks last week in beijing between u.s. negotiator glyn davies , north korea’s vice foreign minister, kim kye gwan.
"the mere fact that, relatively after political change, dprk [north korea] willing sit down , go on issues @ depth, think, in , of itself, positive , demonstrates great progress," davies told reporters friday in beijing.
north korea released statement wednesday attributed unidentified spokesman foreign ministry saying nuclear moratorium , weapons inspections had been accepted “with view maintaining positive atmosphere” future u.s.-north korea talks.
state department said in exchange halt north korean uranium enrichment , testing of nuclear , long-range missiles, u.s. “prepared take steps improve our bilateral relationship in spirit of mutual respect sovereignty , equality.”
department’s statement said nutritional teams 2 countries meet finalize details on distributing food aid.
"the united states still has profound concerns regarding north korean behavior across wide range of areas, today's announcement reflects important, if limited, progress in addressing of these," state department spokeswoman victoria nuland said.
kim jong il’s death heart attack @ age 69 announced dec. 19. kim, son of north korea’s founder, kim il sung, spent of last 2 decades developing country’s weapons of mass destruction, claimed needed protection against united states.
subject of north korea raised in discussions in mid-february between president obama , chinese vice president xi jinping, in line become president next year, unclear if role beijing played in brokering deal.
“beijing’s role, far know, has been pushing contacts , negotiations on bilateral level, while opposing provocations," said zhu feng, leading north korea expert @ peking university.
zhu cautioned communist country should not presumed have entirely abandoned old habit of agreeing deals , later wriggling out of them.
“the question how far pyongyang go live international demands change behavior" zhu said. “the deal small step toward more regular official contacts between u.s. , dprk , signals return of negotiations on extremely thorny issue of denuclearization.”
inspectors u.n. international atomic energy agency kicked out of north korea in late 2002 during dispute between pyongyang , washington. north korea restarted main nuclear reactor @ yongbyon @ time. since has conducted 2 nuclear tests, in 2006 , 2009.
details of when u.n. inspectors return have yet finalized.
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