S. Korea, U.S. have lots of "options" on N. Korea: Steinberg

By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, June 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States have a range of
"options" to deal with North Korea, which is threatening additional provocative
steps and is said to be on course for another hereditary power succession, a top
U.S. government official said Wednesday.
"I think we have a common view that we need to take steps to make clear to the
North that the path it's on is the wrong one," Deputy Secretary of State James
Steinberg told reporters after an hour-long meeting with South Korea's Vice
Foreign Minister Kwon Jong-rak.
Steinberg is leading a high-profile U.S. delegation that also includes Treasury
Undersecretary Stuart Levey, in charge of cracking down on terrorism-related
funds, Wallace Gregson, assistant secretary of defense for Asian Pacific affairs,
Jeffrey Bader, senior director for Asian Affairs at the National Security
Council, and Stephen Bosworth, special representative on North Korea policy.
Other members are Joseph DeTrani, who manages the North Korea mission for the
White House Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and Vice Admiral
James Winnefeld of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
"It's a delegation that reflects the strong commitment we have to our common
security with the Republic of Korea and to working together on this very
important challenge," Steinberg said.
Kwon agreed that the composition of the team itself sends an important signal to
the recalcitrant communist regime.
"We discussed a range of options," the deputy secretary said in response to
questions over whether the issue of financial sanctions on the North was raised
during the talks.
"We agreed we need to work closely together and deal with any future actions by
North Korea to make clear that now is the time for North Korea, rather than
continuing to take more dangerous and provocative actions, to recognize the
better course is to reengage and to get back on the path of negotiations toward
denuclearization," he said.
He added that Washington and its allies are "focused less on specific actions
that can be taken and more on our long-term strategy on how to proceed."
On the issue of the North's reported preparations for another father-to-son
transfer of power, Kwon said, "What we focus on is how we can continue to work
together to make sure, no matter what happens in North Korea, that we have a
common approach, that we have a shared assessment, and a common strategy."
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has appointed his third and last son, Jong-un, as
his successor, according to South Korean intelligence authorities.
The U.S. group separately had a luncheon meeting with Foreign Minister Yu
Myung-hwan, who is scheduled to head to the U.S. later in the day for talks with
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
The U.S. officials plan to pay a courtesy call on President Lee Myung-bak on
Thursday, a day before flying to Beijing.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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