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They have gone the lengths of clamoring that the resumption of the talks of the heads of the delegations to the six-party talks is delayed and the tempo of the economic compensation by the five parties is reduced due to the DPRK's refusal to collect what they called "samples".
This is a very ill-boding move to falsify truth in a bid to shift the blame onto the DPRK side and thus scuttle the six-party talks.
As already known, an agreement was reached between the DPRK and the U.S. over the verification issue during the Pyongyang visit by the U.S. assistant secretary of State early in October.
They agreed to have the nuclear facilities in Nyongbyon to be finally dismantled under the February 13 agreement and the October 3 agreement, both reached in 2007, as the target of the verification. They also agreed to conduct the verification through field visit, confirmation of documents and interviews with technicians and carry out the verification after the economic compensation was completely rounded off under the October 3 agreement.
The agreement includes no paragraph referring to the collection of samples.
This notwithstanding, the assertion calling for adopting a verification document which includes the collection of samples, etc. at the six-party talks amounts to a total denial of the DPRK-U.S. Pyongyang agreement which both sides adopted after reaching a consensus of views on the peculiar situation in the DPRK as regards the verification issue.
The DPRK pulled out of the NPT and the IAEA. It carried out a nuclear test outside the NPT, thus declaring its access to nukes. And the six-party talks are now at the second phase for the implementation of the September 19 joint statement.
To talk about the collection of samples and the like in utter disregard of the peculiar situation the DPRK is facing and the fair verification procedures and methods in line with the phase of disablement is no more than sophism of those displeased with the DPRK-U.S. Pyongyang agreement and the smooth progress of the six-party talks.
The DPRK and the U.S. are still technically at war. To demand what is not mentioned in the written agreement between the two sides while refusing to take the present level of confidence between them into consideration is an infringement upon sovereignty as it is little short of seeking house search.
Some forces and media speaking for them are raising the issue of collection of samples. Lurking behind this is to drag on the six-party talks in a bid to neglect the fulfillment of their commitments to make economic compensation and justify the delay in honoring them.
The principle of "action for action" is what keeps the process of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula alive.
The points agreed at the six-party talks have not been implemented as scheduled so far mainly because parties concerned have not abided by this principle.
The DPRK has taken the measure of decreasing half the tempo of unloading spent fuel rods on the principle of "action for action". It is a natural countermeasure taken by the DPRK to cope with the delayed economic compensation by the five parties.
This is utmost magnanimity the DPRK can show under the present situation where deep-rooted mistrust and the relations of hostility have persisted between the DPRK and the U.S.
Absolutely intolerable is the behavior of some media disturbing the process of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula while turning white to black.
The economic compensation by the five parties will remain an important issue in the future progress of the six-party talks.
