Morning Walk-Through With Reporters at the Six-Party Talks

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Good morning.

QUESTION: Good morning.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: It’s over. [laughter]

QUESTION: How would you describe the week? [inaudible]

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Very tiring. I think everybody is very exhausted, so I think we all need to get a little rest in the next 24 hours. But then we have so much work to do, because we have to begin the process of getting this agreement implemented. We have some very ambitious time schedules. For example, we need the Yongbyon reactor closed down and sealed and inspectors there within 60 days. So that’s not very much time. So we have a lot of work to do. But the atmosphere was very good. All the delegations worked hard, so let’s see if we can use that and get to the next level.

QUESTION: What was the compromise that got you through in the end?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: It was the energy issue, and it was our willingness to go bigger on energy in return for going deeper on denuclearization.

QUESTION: Ambassador, [inaudible] North Korea media reported that Six Party agreed to provide the energy and economic assistance up to the equivalent of the one million tons of heavy fuel in regard for the suspending of the nuclear facility. How do you --

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Sometimes the North Korean media is not as well informed as the North Korea delegation. But the delegation is very clear on what we agreed to, and it’s in black and white. So I’m not to worried about what the North Korean media said. [Inaudible]. OK.

QUESTION: Mr. Hill, what's the requirement for removing DPRK out of status quo?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Well, we have to start a process on that. We'll start the process. Some of it is legal, some of it is political, some of it is diplomatic, and some of it is just related to the basic proposition that when they get out of this nuclear business, everything will be possible. And if they don’t get out of the nuclear business, nothing’s going to be possible.

Hey, I’ve really got to get my airplane --

QUESTION: Just one!

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: All right, one.

QUESTION: During this session, did it ever cross your mind that you might come back to Washington with no good answer?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Of course. If you’re not prepared to walk away, you may not be able to get an agreement. So in any agreement, you have to be willing to walk away. That’s true of everything in life -- buying a rug, and a lot of things. You’ve got to be willing to walk away.

OK, I’ve got to go walk away and get to my plane.

OK. What?

QUESTION: Where are you flying to?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: I’m going back to Washington, D.C. [laughter] All right?

QUESTION: Are you going to stay in Tokyo?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: I’m just – I think I stop over somewhere. I don’t know where, and then I go to Washington.

All right, see you later. I gotta go.