China, U.S., Koreas begin first substantive peace talks in decades

China, U.S., Koreas begin first substantive peace talks in decades

April 24, 1999
Web posted at: 3:25 PM EDT (1925 GMT)

GENEVA (AP) -- North and South Korea opened a new phase in their peace talks Saturday, beginning their first substantive negotiations with China and the United States after more than a year of meetings to lay the groundwork

"We actually had good, substantive discussions," said U.S. special envoy Charles Kartman. "As first days go, this was a pretty good one."

Kartman said delegates were to work Sunday in two committees: one to reduce tensions on the Korean peninsula and the other to decide how to put in place a permanent peace. He declined to go into detail on what was discussed Saturday.

A U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the negotiators examined proposals from different delegations and the Swiss hosts.

The four former combatants in the Korean War have said it is likely to take years to write a peace treaty to replace the temporary armistice that ended the 1950-53 conflict.

It already has taken four rounds, starting in December 1997, just to agree on how to proceed. The current round is expected to conclude Tuesday.

Despite the procedural agreement, there remained a key difference. North Korea continues to insist that the talks include Pyongyang's demand that the United States withdraw its 37,000 troops from South Korea.

But Park Kun-Woo, head of the South Korean delegation, told reporters Saturday, "The only thing I can tell you for sure is that the role of the U.S. troops on the Korean peninsula is not on the agenda."

Park did say, however, that "the disposition of all forces" could be discussed once "substantial progress" is made on the peace accord.

Since the last session in January, the United States and North Korea were able to resolve one dispute: North Korea agreed in New York last month to give the United States access to a site it suspects of being an underground nuclear facility.

The United States reportedly agreed to provide the famine-stricken country with 600,000 tons of food.

The United States has had less success in its efforts to curb North Korea's missile program. The United States maintains North Korea is the world's No. 1 exporter of missile equipment and technology, including sales to such countries as Pakistan and Iran.

North Korea has said it will suspend its exports if the United States compensates it in cash.

Regional tensions flared last month when North Korea sent spy ships into Japanese waters, triggering the first active deployment of Japanese warships since World War II.