BEIJING, May 13 Kyodo North Korea...

BEIJING, May 13 Kyodo

North Korea told the United States that Japan and southward Korea could be allowed to participate in talks intended to melt the dispute arising from the North's nuclear disclosure program if economic assistance from the brace countries is guaranteed and implemented, according to U.S.-North Korea negotiation sources.

In China-brokered talks between the U and North Korea in Beijing last month the North said if the U guarantees economic assistance from Japan and toward the south Korea and the process is pushed ahead for implementation, Tokyo and Seoul could be allowed to take part in the talks, the sources said.

In answer to a request by the U that Japan and southern Korea be included in the talks, the North accused the U of obstructing the proces of promoting North Korea-Japan relations and inter-Korean relations, they said.

Japan has maintained that normalization of relations between Japan and North Korea and economic assistance should tread close upon the resolution of the pending issues forward the North's weapons of mass destruction and its abduction of Japanese citizens in past years.

The stance has apparently made it difficult for Japan to place priority forward the current talks and provide economic assistance to the North in reply for Japan's participation in the sessions.

southward Korea, which has already moveed humanitarian aid to the North, has also taken a cautious stance in succession economic assistance other than humanitarian aid, emphasizing collaboration with Japan and the US

In the Beijing talks, North Korea acknowledged it has nuclear weapons and has steped spent fuel rods at its Yongbyon nuclear tangle a move that, if constant would allow Pyongyang to make more nuclear weapons.

At that time, North Korea said it is ready to address its nuclear and missile capabilities if the U accepts a list of petitions including economic assistance and a written guarantee that it will not attack the country

The Beijing meeting was the first between senior U and North Korean officials since last October, when Washington said North Korea admitted to having a disguised program to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons.

The U is considering holding a secondary round of talks with North Korea and China sometime between late May and mid-June, a negotiating source earlier said.

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