Word: pyongyang
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...Moon received word last week that North Korea might be planning to test a nuclear device, he had reason to be anxious. As South Korea's Foreign Minister, Ban is a key player in the six-party talks aimed at finding a diplomatic solution to the dispute over Pyongyang's nuclear program. A test would scuttle those talks and likely lead to a renewed U.S. push for sanctions against North Korea. And so in the middle of Chuseok, the Korean Thanksgiving, Ban, 62, was on the phone to his counterparts in Moscow, Beijing, Washington and Tokyo, building a response...
...preferred either Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga or former Afghan Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani, but both were vetoed by other permanent Security Council members. Washington's reluctance was due in part to South Korea's growing coziness with China and by Seoul's "sunshine policy" of engagement with Pyongyang, which some Administration officials say has hindered efforts to get tough with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. The U.S. is skeptical that Ban, long careful to avoid stepping on toes, would really be willing to challenge the entrenched interests inside the U.N. that are opposed to reform...
...dismisses the notion that the U.S. and South Korea have drifted apart: "We are going through a very important transformation period, but our relationship is very sound and healthy." So far, reaction to Pyongyang's announcement of a planned nuclear test has been unified, with even China, the closest country North Korea has to an ally, warning Pyongyang that a test would bring "serious consequences." Ban is so intent on resolving the North Korean dispute that he says he might visit Pyongyang himself as Secretary-General--something Annan never did. "I've gained a deeper experience and understanding into this...
...feel about North Korea's recent nuclear pledge? Do you think it will affect your candidacy or your ability as Secretary General to deal with Pyongyang? Officially and personally, I am very troubled by North Korea's announcement that they would go ahead with a nuclear test. I hope this situation will not cause any problems to my current candidacy and I hope that member states of the United Nations will understand the situation. There are two possibilities: [that the tests are] a negotiating ploy, or a real attempt at nuclear testing. We are taking the necessary measures on both...
...will you respond as South Korea's Foreign Minister to Pyongyang's latest provocation? We've already made strong statements that North Korea should stop these provocative activities and they should abide by Security Council resolution 1695. This is a total breach of the commitment they made in the joint declaration for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula adopted in 1992, a declaration I helped negotiate. This is a total breach of that commitment - a commitment to the whole nation and the whole international community. Should they go ahead, despite our appeals, North Korea should be entirely responsible...