N. Korea talks to resume Feb. 25
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Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer dispatched a delegation to Pyongyang.
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North Korea is offering a deal that could halt its nuclear program in return for concessions from Washington. CNN's David Ensor explains. (January 6)
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SEOUL (CNN) -- After a six-month break, talks on North Korea's secretive nuclear program are scheduled to resume later this month in Beijing.
"The DPRK (North Korea) and the U.S., the major parties concerned to the six-way talks, and China, the host country, agreed to resume the next round of the six-way talks from February 25 after having a series of discussion[s]," KCNA reported Tuesday.
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell confirmed the talks Tuesday in Washington, saying that he hoped they "will be successful."
China's Foreign Ministry confirmed that Beijing will host the talks.
"We hope to see real progress in this round of talks," said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue.
The nuclear dispute flared October 2002, when U.S. officials said North Korea admitted having a secret nuclear weapons program in violation of international agreements.
Representatives of six nations -- the United States, China, Russia, Japan and North and South Korea -- held talks in Beijing in August over Pyongyang's nuclear program, but took months to set a date for the second round of talks.
In the interim, North Korea used the pending talks to challenge Washington.
Last month, in what North Korea called "one more bold concession," it offered to stop the production of nuclear weapons to end the stalemate over Pyongynag's nuclear program.
"The DPRK is set to refrain from test and production of nuclear weapons and stop even operating nuclear power industry for a peaceful purpose as first-phase measures of the package solution," KCNA said.
In exchange for a freeze in its nuclear program, North Korea wants the United States to:
• take Pyongyang off its terrorism list
• lift political, economic and military sanctions
• supply heavy oil, power and other energy resources.
The United States has shot down similar proposals, saying it wants North Korea to begin dismantling its nuclear program, not just freeze it.
"There is no reason for the U.S. to refuse to accept the DPRK-proposed measures, the starting point and the core issue in continuing the six-way talks, if it is truly concerned for solving the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula," KCNA reported in January.
In the months since the initial talks, North Korea has indicated it could consider U.S. President George W. Bush's offer of written security guarantees to end tensions over its nuclear weapons development.
Earlier Tuesday, Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said North Korea indicated it was prepared to resume talks soon on its nuclear arms program.
An Australian delegation arrived in the North Korean capital Pyongyang on Saturday for three days of talks. Downer said it had been well received by senior North Korean officials.
North Korea's official KCNA news agency confirmed Monday talks on the nuclear issue had been held between the Australian delegation and Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Kim Yong-il, who headed the North Korean delegation at the first round of the six-way talks.
Australia is one of the few Western countries to have diplomatic relations with North Korea. Australia restored relations in May 2000 as Pyongyang began to emerge from its Cold War isolation and the North opened a mission in the Australian capital, Canberra, in 2002.
-- CNN Seoul Bureau Chief Sohn Jie-ae contributed to this report
