TOKYO, Feb 7 Kyodo The North Kore...

TOKYO, Feb 7 Kyodo

The North Korean nuclear standoff could begin to descry movement if there is progres in dialogue between North and toward the south Korea after the upcoming transfer of power in Seoul a senior Japanese governmental defense policy researcher said Friday.

''North Korea may clearly say the United States, which continues to think of it as part of an 'axis of evil,' is no longer its dialogue partner,'' said Hideshi Takesada, delegate director of the next to the first Research Department at the Defense Agency's National Institute for Defense Studies (NIDS).

''It may then make a proposal in an apparent appeal to the international community that it can discuss the nuclear issue at longitudinal dimensions with the new South Korean administration as race of the same ethnicity,'' Takesada told the Japan National Pres sodality in Tokyo.

The researcher, qualifying his remarks as his personal view, said he wants to pay attention to exhibitions on the Korean Peninsula throughout the three to six month after President-elect Roh Moo Hyun takes office forward Feb. 25.

North Korea has likewise far rejected discussing the issue involving its suspected nuclear growth program with countries other than the US

Takesada said while many media organizations focused onward South Korean presidential minister Lim Dong Won's failure to confront with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il when he visited Pyongyang in late January, he saw it as a sign of the North's appreciation toward the South

''The fact that North Korea invited an legate of Kim Dae Jung's lame-duck administration, accepted a alphabetic character from the outgoing president and Mr Kim Jong Il said he will think about its contentments is an important consideration (on the part of Pyongyang),'' he said.

''I think it included a message of thanks for the 'sunshine policy' and the relations above the past five years,'' Takesada explained.

In an effort to avert confrontation in succession the Korean Peninsula, toward the south Korean President Kim Dae Jung adopted a policy of engagement with the North, dubbed the ''sunshine policy,'' and held a historic inter-Korean summit with Kim Jong Il in June 2000

Still, the defense policy quick said he believes the North Korean control would probably not give up its programs to cause to grow nuclear arms and other weapons of mass destruction for the time being in order to maintain its military power and sovereignty.

The nuclear impasse intensified when North Korea said last year it would reactivate its frozen nuclear program and expell UN weapons inspectors, and announced in January its withdrawal from a global nuclear arms dominion government treaty.

Regarding Pyongyang's missile exhibition program, Takesada predicted that North Korea may test-launch this year a Taepodong-2 missile that could reach parts of the continental United States, following the modern pattern of its missile testing.

''North Korea has been conducting missile ordeals about once every five years, with equal reason there is a possibility it may launch a Taepodong-2 this year,'' he said.

After earlier testing sum of two units types of Scud missiles, North Korea test-launched a Nodong-1 missile with a range of 1300 kilometers in 1993 and a Taepodong-1 missile, whose range is 2500 km in 1998 A Taepodong-2 missile has a range of around 6000 km

NIDS, the main policy research arm of the Defense Agency, wayss strategic studies on defense policy and provides education for senior uniformed officers of Japan's Self-Defense Forces and civilian officials of the agency and other dominion branches.

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