Evening Walk-Through After Dinner With Ambassador Chun Young-woo

(discussion in Korean with Ambassador Chun)

QUESTION: Are the North Koreans going to get the fuel oil even before they complete the process of shutting-down? What are the details --

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: I think at this point you’re dealing with some technical delivery schedules. I mean, we have got to get the IAEA there. They need to begin this process of shut-down. And I know the ROK, which has undertaken to do this first shipment of oil, needs to be in contact with the refineries and ships. So I think these are a matter of technical issues. The DPRK has agreed to shut-down its nuclear facility. They have been in contact with the IAEA. They’re working on a timeframe where IAEA can come and begin to negotiate the terms of reference for that. So I wouldn’t try to draw too many linkages between this at this point.

QUESTION: The IAEA has just announced that its inspectors will arrive in town next week. Do you see any reasons for the delay?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Yes, we heard they were talking about Monday. I don’t know any more details about that. That’s one week -- rather, less than one week. I cannot really respond to that. You have to ask them. We think the sooner the better.

QUESTION: If they’re going to go there next week and in a couple of days it’s going to be over, before even (inaudible), sounds like one month at most when (inaudible) --

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: I don’t know. Again, these are all technical schedules. I can’t speak to why they’re there on Monday as opposed to Sunday. I just don’t know. You have to ask them. But I think everyone has the will to try to get all this done as soon as possible, and the question is what’s possible. So it sounds like they’re talking about seven days from now rather than less than seven days.

QUESTION: You have lots and lots of time due to the BDA issue --

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: I sure do --

QUESTION: Are you still committed to establish normalization of ties with the North by the end of this year? Is this a workable timeframe you think?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: We have not talked about normalization or completing normalization of ties with the DPRK by the end of this year. That depends on their denuclearization. We are looking for some steps this year, including the full implementation of the February agreement, which involves disabling. And we have some obligations in that regard, including considerable amounts of fuel oil. That is what we have in mind by the end of this year.

QUESTION: Having said that, aren’t you worried that election campaigns -- upcoming election campaigns in the United States -- could probably somehow influence negatively on your partners?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Oh, you know, I spend a lot of time briefing people in Washington in both parties, and I really do not see our election process as interfering with this. My soundings from various politicians is that everyone wants to get this done as soon as possible.

QUESTION: When would our Prime Minister’s meeting of the six nations be possible, because we’ve got (inaudible) --

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Well again, it depends on how quickly the IAEA can get to work, how quickly the DPRK can get going on its obligations to shut-down the reactor. So, again, I think I said earlier in the day, we would like to get going early in July. But we have to see how fast this can be done. We really are dealing with technical schedules. Until this time, we had a major roadblock, which was the banking issue. We have managed to get over that roadblock, and now we are moving ahead. And I think that is very positive. Obviously, we -- I think everyone -- has a sense of trying to do it as soon as possible. So that is what we’re going to be dedicated to do.

QUESTION: Do you still think that we can reach these (inaudible) technically in this, within this year?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Yes. Within this year? Yes.

All right?

(continued discussion in Korean with Ambassador Chun)