Remarks Upon Arrival in South Korea
Stephen W. Bosworth
Special Representative for North Korea Policy
Arrival at Incheon Airport
Seoul, DC, South Korea
March 7, 2009
AMBASSADOR BOSWORTH: I’m very, very pleased to be back in Seoul. I’m looking forward to good conversations here. I will be prepared to say more at the time of my departure. But I don’t really have any other substantive comment to make now. [I’m] in the process of introducing myself to our partners in the Six-Party process. Thank you.
QUESTION: Ambassador Bosworth, is there any possibility that you will travel to North Korea this time? If not, what’s the precondition for that?
AMBASSADOR BOSWORTH: Well, I don’t really want to get into preconditions. I don’t at this point have plans to travel to North Korea on this trip. I was just in North Korea as a private citizen about a month ago.
QUESTION: Are you making any contact - new contacts - with North Korea these days?
AMBASSADOR BOSWORTH: Well, not today. But I will be and have been, so --
QUESTION: When do you plan to reach out to the North Koreans?
AMBASSADOR BOSWORTH: We’re reaching out now. We want dialogue.
QUESTION: Via new channels you mean?
AMBASSADOR BOSWORTH: No, no, no. I’m not going to get into channels.
QUESTION: Any concerns about your flight in this region with Thursday’s warning from North Korea?
AMBASSADOR BOSWORTH: No, I don’t think the warning was very helpful. And I think that everyone would be much happier if they would drop that line of rhetoric.
QUESTION: Are you going to visit DPRK, or meet DPRK officials, even though they [may be planning to] launch long-range missiles?
AMBASSADOR BOSWORTH: Well, that’s a complicated subject. We’ve indicated our position to them on the question of a missile launch or a satellite launch, or whatever they call it. We think it’s very ill-advised.
QUESTION: Is it too early to talk about a date for the next Six-Party --
AMBASSADOR BOSWORTH: It’s a little early. We’re talking to people about that. But anyway, I’ll be willing to say more to you when I’m -- just before I leave. But I’m just getting ready now for my talks here. Okay?
QUESTION: Ambassador Bosworth, is there any possibility that you will travel to North Korea this time? If not, what’s the precondition for that?
AMBASSADOR BOSWORTH: Well, I don’t really want to get into preconditions. I don’t at this point have plans to travel to North Korea on this trip. I was just in North Korea as a private citizen about a month ago.
QUESTION: Are you making any contact - new contacts - with North Korea these days?
AMBASSADOR BOSWORTH: Well, not today. But I will be and have been, so --
QUESTION: When do you plan to reach out to the North Koreans?
AMBASSADOR BOSWORTH: We’re reaching out now. We want dialogue.
QUESTION: Via new channels you mean?
AMBASSADOR BOSWORTH: No, no, no. I’m not going to get into channels.
QUESTION: Any concerns about your flight in this region with Thursday’s warning from North Korea?
AMBASSADOR BOSWORTH: No, I don’t think the warning was very helpful. And I think that everyone would be much happier if they would drop that line of rhetoric.
QUESTION: Are you going to visit DPRK, or meet DPRK officials, even though they [may be planning to] launch long-range missiles?
AMBASSADOR BOSWORTH: Well, that’s a complicated subject. We’ve indicated our position to them on the question of a missile launch or a satellite launch, or whatever they call it. We think it’s very ill-advised.
QUESTION: Is it too early to talk about a date for the next Six-Party --
AMBASSADOR BOSWORTH: It’s a little early. We’re talking to people about that. But anyway, I’ll be willing to say more to you when I’m -- just before I leave. But I’m just getting ready now for my talks here. Okay?
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