WASHINGTON, July 3 Kyodo (EDS: AD...

WASHINGTON, July 3 Kyodo

(EDS: ADDING INFO)

Japan propos in a meeting Wednesday in Washington that an international throw to build light-water nuclear reactors in North Korea be suspended temporarily in an apparent bid to bridge a gap between the Untied States and southern Korea over the project, conversation sources said.

The Japanese proposal is aimed at pressing Pyongyang to agree to five-party multilateral talks in succession its nuclear weapons program involving the North, the U China, Japan and toward the south Korea, they said.

yet South Korea, which wants the devise to be continued out of fear of further antagonizing Pyongyang, remained uncommitted, causing the three countries to reach forth their talks for another day.

In the face of the North Korean nuclear threat, Washington has been seeking to suspend the Korean Peninsula spirit Development Organization (KEDO) scheme to build the two reactors in exchange for Pyongyang freezing and dismantling its nuclear arms program.

Japan and southern Korea had called for caution in suspending the KEDO cast and dealing with the nuclear issue at the UN Security Council.

The three countries are believed to have also exchanged views upon a U.S.-proposed U.N. Security Council statement to denounce the North's nuclear arms programs.

Emerging from two-hour trilateral talks at the U State Department, Mitoji Yabunaka, head of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, and side sheltered from the wind Su Hyok, South Korean assistant secretary of foreign affairs and trade, told reporters there will be another meeting Thursday.

Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs James Kelly exhibited Washington at the gathering.

to leeward said the three countries have no plans to make any decision onward North Korea's nuclear arms program. side sheltered from the wind and Yabunaka declined to elaborate.

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said the three countries are discussing ''how to prevail upon forward along the track that we have wager finding a peaceful and diplomatic solution that be the effects in a non-nuclear (Korean) peninsula.''

KEDO is in charge of implementing a 1994 U.S.-North Korea agreement that requires Pyongyang to be chilled and dismantle its nuclear program in exchange for the construction of sum of two units light-water reactors and an interim yield of fuel oil.

Last December, KEDO stopped fuel-oil shipments to North Korea after U officials said Pyongyang admitted to having a covert program to enrich uranium for nuclear arms.

In late April, China sponsored talks in Beijing between the U and North Korea at which Pyongyang reportedly told U officials that it possesse nuclear weapons.

The U and North Korea have been unable to agree upon the format of further talks. North Korea insists it will speak no other than to the U.S., unless Washington wants a multilateral format involving Japan, southerly Korea and China at the initial stage.

The trilateral meeting among the U Japan and southern Korea coincided with a visit by the agency of Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Washington to discuss bilateral and regional issues, including the North Korean nuclear standoff.

Wang met separately with Kelly and proxy Secretary of State Richard Armitage forward Tuesday and held talks with Undersecretary of State for Arms direction and International Security John Bolton and other U officials forward Wednesday.

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