Remarks Following Dinner With Republic of Korea Director General Hwang
Ambassador Sung Kim, Special Envoy for the Six-Party Talks
Seoul Plaza Hotel
Seoul, Republic of Korea
November 24, 2008
AMBASSADOR KIM: Good evening. It’s great to be here. I had a good discussion with Director General Hwang on the issues he just
mentioned including the verification protocol, and the timeline for disablement and energy assistance. I am here to
attend a conference co-organized by the UN and the Korean Government. But I appreciate this opportunity to consult with
Director General Hwang. I'm looking forward to continuing our consultation and coordination in the lead up to the next
round of the Six-Party Talks.
QUESTION: Are there any plans for U.S. and North Korean officials to meet before the main round of the Six-Party Talks, next
month even?
AMBASSADOR KIM: No plans at the moment.
QUESTION: Ambassador Kim, is there any difference between the U.S. and North Korea on the verification issue? There is some
report that there is some difference between the two countries on how to verify North Korea’s nuclear program.
AMBASSADOR KIM: No, we don’t think there’s any difference. There’s no confusion between Washington and Pyongyang on what was agreed to.
I think the task now is to bring that bilateral agreement and understanding into the Six-Party process and to finalize
and adopt it at the next round of the Six-Party Talks.
QUESTION: Are you confident about making progress at the next round of talks?
AMBASSADOR KIM: I am confident that we will work very hard to make progress. In fact, I think all of the parties are committed to
making progress at the next round of talks.
ENDS