S. Korea, Russia agree to support 5-way talks on N. Korea

By Sam Kim
SEOUL, July 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea said Tuesday its defense minister agreed
with his Russian counterpart to push for five-way talks aimed at bringing North
Korea back to denuclearization talks.

South Korean Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee is in Moscow on an overseas trip from
Sunday through Friday that also includes a stop in Ulan Bator for talks with his
counterpart there.
The trip comes as part of his effort to carve out a security channel that links
his country with Russia, Japan, China and the United States in dealing with North
Korea, which conducted its second nuclear test May 25, the Ministry of National
Defense here said.
"The two ministers agreed to make joint efforts to support the five-way dialogue
in order to bring North Korea back to the six-nation talks," the ministry said in
a statement released to reporters here.
The six-nation talks have been stalled since North Korea declared them useless in
protest of a U.N. statement condemning the communist country for its April 5
rocket launch.
The launch was seen by the U.S. and its allies as a disguised test of a
long-range ballistic missile, while North Korea claimed it succeeded in putting a
communications satellite in orbit.
Lee and Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov agreed that North Korea
"should not be rewarded for wrong behavior," the ministry said, referring to what
experts call the North Korean penchant for concessions through provocation.
The two sides discussed ways to boost security ties between the countries,
including exchanges in military technology and exercises, the ministry added.
North Korea conducted its first nuclear test in October 2006.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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