BEIJING, September 15 (RIA Novosti, Alexei Yefimov) - A diplomat representing North Korea at the six-nation talks on the Korean nuclear issue in Beijing said Thursday that a stalemate between North Korea and the United States over a light water reactor had blocked any major progress. Hyun Hak-bong said North Korea needed light water reactors so that it could dismantle its experimental graphite reactors.
However, the U.S. has refused to comply North Korea's request for a reactor, and has not given any explanation for its refusal, even though "the other sides at the talks are showing understanding over this issue," he said.
North Korea has made the provision of a light water reactor a condition for renouncing its nuclear program.
"The key to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is building trust," the diplomat said. "And the key to building trust is a light water reactor."
The diplomat said that Pyongyang would judge the seriousness of America's intention to coexist peacefully with North Korea on the basis of how it responded to this demand.
A representative of the Chinese delegation, Liu Jianchao, said that although there had been serious disagreements between various sides at the talks, negotiations would resume Friday.
The fourth round of talks, involving North Korea, China, the United States, Russia, South Korea, and Japan, began in Beijing on July 26, but were suspended on August 7, and resumed on September 13.
