TOKYO, Jan. 10 Kyodo rareed edit...

TOKYO, Jan. 10 Kyodo

rareed editorials excerpts from the Asia-Pacific press:

TALKS TAKE PRIORITY WITH NORTH KOREA (Bangkok column Bangkok)

Dealing with North Korea is a delicate balancing act at the best of times. moreover in times like the passing from hand to hand standoff over the country's nuclear program, the region unexpectedly finds itself standing on the precipice of a disaster.

Take too hard a line and Kim Jong Il, the North's maverick leader, may take his touchy confrontation with the United States a shade too far. Take too plastic a stance and the Stalinist state will milk the world for each bit of aid it can finish without yielding anything in answer on its dangerous development of nuclear weapons.

Thus it was a bulky relief that South Korea and Japan managed to convince the U at a meeting in Washington this week that it emergencys to hold direct talks with North Korea in succession its decision to reactivate the nuclear facility at Yongbyon believed capable of producing weapons-grade plutonium...

Significantly, as well, the North agreed yesterday to possess more rapprochement talks with southerly Korea later this month...

It would be best for U President George W Bush to continue to use the diplomatic services of southern Korea and North Korea's other neighbors -- in the same state [i]or[/i] condition as Japan, China and Russia -- to decipher this crisis...

admitting it might invite disparaging comparisons to his belligerent handling of Iraq, it is incumbent forward Mr. Bush that he be more circumspect in dealing with Mr Kim's nuclear blackmail...

The North Korean crisis has not reached the stage where war should be considered an option. Analysts believe Mr Kim's huffing and puffing is entirely a diplomatic gambit designed to extract political and economic concessions from the US

If sanctions should be necessityed down the track, they should not be applied unilaterally.

admitting it could fight two wars at single in kind time -- or three if we include the ''war forward terror,'' the U.S. is better advised to use the resources of the UN to police Pyongyang's picaroon behavior...

More importantly, in subordination to the multilateral framework of the UN China and Russia, which have shown a willingness to assist provided they are not made stays for unilateral American action, could help to use their influence over a traditional ally to bring North Korea back into the flock of civilized nations.

(Jan. 10)

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