N. Korea reaffirms end of nuclear talks at regional forum: chairman's statement

By Lee Chi-dong
PHUKET, Thailand, July 23 (Yonhap) -- North Korea reaffirmed Thursday that it
would not rejoin the six-way talks on its nuclear program in response to the
international community's condemnation of its recent nuclear test and missile
launches, according to a two-page document summing up the results of this week's
ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).

"The DPRK briefed the Meeting of the fact that the ongoing aggravated situation
on the Korean Peninsula is the product of the hostile policy of the United States
against her, and stated that the Six-Party Talks have already come to an end,"
the chairman's statement issued by Thailand read. DPRK stands for North Korea's
official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The North's position came as the several other members of the ARF including the
U.S. and South Korea called for the resumption of the disarmament talks also
involving China, Russia, and Japan.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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