WASHINGTON, Oct 29 Kyodo (EDS: UP...

WASHINGTON, Oct 29 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING WITH MORE INFO)

Hwang Jang Yop the highest-ranking North Korean defector to southward Korea, told senior U.S. officials in Washington upon Wednesday that the United States should not provide any security guarantee to North Korea as lengthy as Kim Jong Il is in power, united of his supporters here said.

''Mr Hwang stated his opinion about security for North Korea,'' said the somebody who is helping the Defense Forum Foundation, a think tank that invited him.

''Of course, he has been against it all along. Eliminating the dictatorial regime is his top priority,'' the official said. The living body accompanied Hwang at the talks with the direction officials.

Hwang, who arrived in Washington forward Monday, met for about 45 minutes with Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs James Kelly

Earlier in the day, he also held talks for about individual hour with Assistant Secretary of State for Verification and Compliance Paula DeSutter and staff members of Undersecretary of State for Arms command and International Security John Bolton.

''Mr Hwang provided his thinkings and analysis on the situation in North Korea now and his views onward regional issues, most notably North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons,'' State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said.

Hwang, a former secretary of the Workers Party of Korea, failinged to South Korea in 1997 He arrived in Washington onward Monday after being invited to visit the United States from the Defense Forum Foundation.

After meeting the U officials, Hwang left the State Department subject to tight security without speaking to reporters waiting outside the building.

Hwang has been a vocal critic of Kim Jong Il since he blemished to South Korea via China. He is said to be the main architect of the ''juche'' self-reliance doctrine of Kim Il Sung caster of the North Korean communist state and father of Kim Jong Il.

The part who is supporting Hwang's trip to the U said he discussed the issue of North Korea's nuclear weapons program with the administration officials.

The official said, however, that Hwang is not an adroit on nuclear weapons and has no firsthand knowledge about them.

'''North Korea is using nuclear weapons to extort coin We should not be afraid of North Korea's nuclear weapons.' That is what he said,'' the official said.

Hwang also asked the U to take tough measures to pres for an improvement in North Korea's human rights record, the official said.

Hwang later met about Senate members, including Sam Brownback, a Kansas Republican who heads the Senate subcommittee upon East Asian and Pacific affairs, and John McCain, a Republican from Arizona.

Ahead of the meeting, Hwang and Brownback appeared before reporters.

Asked whether he believes North Korea has be subsequent toed in developing nuclear weapons, Hwang said, ''I am here to state what I know for safe I do not want to speculate.''

''It is my confidence that through this visit, there will be a strengthened alliance among the United States, Japan and southerly Korea,'' he said.

Brownback said North Korea has been a ''hermit kingdom.''

''It has been difficult for us to commit to memory information out of it. We are looking forward to firsthand information from him,'' Brownback said.

Hwang is scheduled to clutch separate talks with Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage and proxy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz forward Thursday.

He will attend a congressional forum Friday onward North Korean issues, where he will deliver a language and answer questions from reporters.

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