A U.S.-China summit set for later this month is unlikely to produce an agreement on resuming six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear programs as Washington is against convening talks for talks' sake, a South Korean official said Sunday.
U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao are scheduled to meet in Washington on Jan. 19. North Korea is expected to be a key topic for the summit amid Chinese calls for restarting six-party talks to discuss tensions over Pyongyang's provocations and nuclear programs.
North Korea has also signaled its willingness to negotiate after escalating tensions with the deadly shelling of a South Korean island in November, a typical behavioral pattern by a nation that has used provocations to raise tensions and maximize its negotiating power before returning to talks.
Pyongyang renewed its peace overtures to Seoul, stressing the importance of improved relations and dialogue with South Korea in its New Year's message issued on Saturday. The North also said in the message that it wants to achieve peace in the region and denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.
South Korea and the U.S., wary of the North's pattern of behavior, have urged Pyongyang to take concrete steps demonstrating its denuclearization willingness so as to prevent it from abusing the negotiations to get concessions for promises on which it ultimately backtracks.
Seoul and Washington have also said they are not interested in talking for talks' sake.
"Considering the current U.S. attitude, it appears to be difficult for the United States and China to reach agreement on resuming six-party talks," a senior South Korean official said on condition of anonymity.
The summit is not expected to be a "dramatic turning point" in the situation, he said.
The six-party talks have been deadlocked since the last session in December 2008 due to a North Korean boycott. The talks bring together the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the U.S.
Meanwhile, Washington's special envoy for North Korea affairs, Stephen Bosworth, is likely to visit South Korea as early as this week to assess the current situation and discuss ways to move forward, another government official said, also speaking on customary condition of anonymity.
2011년 1월 2일 일요일
Korean restaurant in Hong Kong added to Michelin Guide
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| (AP) |
Sorabol, a restaurant widely known in Hong Kong for providing authentic Korean cuisine, was recommended by the annual guidebook's lead-up to 2011 for the city of Hong Kong.
"A Korean restaurant, often busy with larger groups who come to share dishes and do their own barbecuing on the grills on each table," the guidebook said about the restaurant.
"Beef is obviously one of the most popular choices but it is worth considering the specials and the hotpots, including the threateningly named Genghis Khan."
It also applauded the staff working there for being "professional," saying they are "on hand to keep moving things along."
The Michelin Guide has been published by France-based tire manufacturer Michelin Corp. since the early 1900s. It is considered by many in the restaurant industry to be the ultimate authority on places to eat. The company publishes annual guidebooks listing restaurants assessed and reviewed by their inspectors in 23 countries.
Seoul cautious over N. Korea call for peace
While noting North Korea’s renewed willingness to resume the long-stalled talks with South Korea as well as regional partners, the Seoul government appears cautious not to become too optimistic about the unpredictable state’s change of attitude.
North Korea welcomed the New Year on Saturday with an editorial calling for improved ties with South Korea, in its first mention of peace since attacking a Seoul warship and a border island last year.
“The danger of war should be removed and peace safeguarded in the Korean Peninsula,” said the editorial carried by the communist state’s official media. “If a war breaks out on this land, it will bring nothing but a nuclear holocaust.”
Despite its calls for better ties, Pyongyang also maintained a tough rhetoric, warning its military is ready for “prompt, merciless action” against its enemies, the part which prompted the Seoul government to vow “continued military readiness.”
In an analysis of the editorial, South Korea’s Unification Ministry, which handles affairs with the North, said Pyongyang has shown “interest in resuming dialogue,” but also noted it “shifted blame” onto Seoul for the relations that worsened due to its own provocations.
The ministry also took note of the communist state’s emphasis on humanitarian aid, saying it may continue to create conflicts among the general South Korean public by inducing groups that oppose to their conservative government’s stern policies.
Seoul’s Defense Ministry openly suspected North Korea’s willingness to defuse tensions.
“I cannot help but doubt the authenticity of North Korea’s intentions to work on resolving tensions, especially seeing from the fact it also emphasized military readiness in the same editorial,” a senior ministry official said, asking not to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue.
Pyongyang apparently torpedoed South Korean warship Cheonan in March and bombed the Yeonpyeong Island in November.
North Korea welcomed the New Year on Saturday with an editorial calling for improved ties with South Korea, in its first mention of peace since attacking a Seoul warship and a border island last year.
“The danger of war should be removed and peace safeguarded in the Korean Peninsula,” said the editorial carried by the communist state’s official media. “If a war breaks out on this land, it will bring nothing but a nuclear holocaust.”
Despite its calls for better ties, Pyongyang also maintained a tough rhetoric, warning its military is ready for “prompt, merciless action” against its enemies, the part which prompted the Seoul government to vow “continued military readiness.”
In an analysis of the editorial, South Korea’s Unification Ministry, which handles affairs with the North, said Pyongyang has shown “interest in resuming dialogue,” but also noted it “shifted blame” onto Seoul for the relations that worsened due to its own provocations.
The ministry also took note of the communist state’s emphasis on humanitarian aid, saying it may continue to create conflicts among the general South Korean public by inducing groups that oppose to their conservative government’s stern policies.
Seoul’s Defense Ministry openly suspected North Korea’s willingness to defuse tensions.
“I cannot help but doubt the authenticity of North Korea’s intentions to work on resolving tensions, especially seeing from the fact it also emphasized military readiness in the same editorial,” a senior ministry official said, asking not to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue.
Pyongyang apparently torpedoed South Korean warship Cheonan in March and bombed the Yeonpyeong Island in November.
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Koreas strive to win over Russia amid tension
Although they are unlikely to encounter each other during their stay in Moscow, two key foreign affairs officials of the two Koreas will separately be meeting with Russian counterparts this week, in an apparent effort to secure the regional power’s support amid high tensions.
Wi Sung-lac, the chief nuclear envoy of Seoul, will head for Russia on Tuesday to discuss pending issues following North Korea’s Nov. 23 artillery attack on a civilian-inhabited South Korean island, the Foreign Ministry here said.
Wi’s trip comes as North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui-chun is also in Moscow, apparently hoping to persuade Russia to defend it from international condemnation for the attack that left four South Koreans dead.
He will meet with his Russian counterpart Alexei Borodavkin and return to Seoul on Thursday, according to the Foreign Ministry.
The two officials “will discuss how to deal with North Korea’s growing provocations, its apparent uranium enrichment programs and the conditions under which the stalled six-party denuclearization talks can resume,” a ministry official said on the condition of customary anonymity.
North Korea and its main ally China want to resume the aid-for-denuclearization talks, also involving Seoul, Washington, Tokyo and Moscow, stalled since the end of 2008.
Wi is unlikely to encounter Pyongyang’s foreign minister during his stay in Moscow, the official added.
The flurry of diplomacy among regional powers takes place following North Korea’s artillery shelling last month near the tense inter-Korean maritime border, which ratcheted up military tensions to the highest level in decades.
Angered and concerned by the increasingly provocative Pyongyang, which also recently unveiled a new uranium enrichment facility to outside experts, the U.S. and its main Asian allies South Korea and Japan have been vowing unified deterrence against the unpredictable state.
Beijing, which has so far refused to join the international move to condemn Pyongyang, has been under growing pressure to help rein in the nuclear-armed nation’s belligerence.
Unlike the situation earlier this year over Pyongyang’s apparent torpedoing of a South Korean warship, Russia, meanwhile, has already officially blamed Pyongyang for the deadly assault.
Still, North Korea continues to defend its artillery attack, showing little sign of change to help defuse tensions.
In an interview with Russia’s Interfax news agency, Pyongyang’s Foreign Minister Pak accused Seoul and Washington of pursuing a policy of hostility and confrontation, claiming his country had “made the right choice by strengthening defense with a nuclear deterrent.”
Talks among other dialogue partners are expected to continue this week as a U.S. delegation, led by Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, is scheduled to visit Beijing from Tuesday.
The senior delegation from Washington is expected to again request cooperation from China in controlling North Korea, according to U.S. officials.
Also members of the delegation, Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Special Envoy on North Korea Sung Kim are scheduled to separately visit Tokyo and Seoul, respectively, to share with partners the result of talks with Beijing.
Wi Sung-lac, the chief nuclear envoy of Seoul, will head for Russia on Tuesday to discuss pending issues following North Korea’s Nov. 23 artillery attack on a civilian-inhabited South Korean island, the Foreign Ministry here said.
Wi’s trip comes as North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui-chun is also in Moscow, apparently hoping to persuade Russia to defend it from international condemnation for the attack that left four South Koreans dead.
He will meet with his Russian counterpart Alexei Borodavkin and return to Seoul on Thursday, according to the Foreign Ministry.
The two officials “will discuss how to deal with North Korea’s growing provocations, its apparent uranium enrichment programs and the conditions under which the stalled six-party denuclearization talks can resume,” a ministry official said on the condition of customary anonymity.
North Korea and its main ally China want to resume the aid-for-denuclearization talks, also involving Seoul, Washington, Tokyo and Moscow, stalled since the end of 2008.
Wi is unlikely to encounter Pyongyang’s foreign minister during his stay in Moscow, the official added.
The flurry of diplomacy among regional powers takes place following North Korea’s artillery shelling last month near the tense inter-Korean maritime border, which ratcheted up military tensions to the highest level in decades.
Angered and concerned by the increasingly provocative Pyongyang, which also recently unveiled a new uranium enrichment facility to outside experts, the U.S. and its main Asian allies South Korea and Japan have been vowing unified deterrence against the unpredictable state.
Beijing, which has so far refused to join the international move to condemn Pyongyang, has been under growing pressure to help rein in the nuclear-armed nation’s belligerence.
Unlike the situation earlier this year over Pyongyang’s apparent torpedoing of a South Korean warship, Russia, meanwhile, has already officially blamed Pyongyang for the deadly assault.
Still, North Korea continues to defend its artillery attack, showing little sign of change to help defuse tensions.
In an interview with Russia’s Interfax news agency, Pyongyang’s Foreign Minister Pak accused Seoul and Washington of pursuing a policy of hostility and confrontation, claiming his country had “made the right choice by strengthening defense with a nuclear deterrent.”
Talks among other dialogue partners are expected to continue this week as a U.S. delegation, led by Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, is scheduled to visit Beijing from Tuesday.
The senior delegation from Washington is expected to again request cooperation from China in controlling North Korea, according to U.S. officials.
Also members of the delegation, Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Special Envoy on North Korea Sung Kim are scheduled to separately visit Tokyo and Seoul, respectively, to share with partners the result of talks with Beijing.
Forecasters keep eye on looming 'Solar Max'
PARIS__The coming year will be an important one for space weather as the Sun pulls out of a trough of low activity and heads into a long-awaited and possibly destructive period of turbulence.
Many people may be surprised to learn that the Sun, rather than burn with faultless consistency, goes through moments of calm and tempest.
But two centuries of observing sunspots -- dark, relatively cool marks on the solar face linked to mighty magnetic forces -- have revealed that our star follows a roughly 11-year cycle of behavior.
The latest cycle began in 1996 and for reasons which are unclear has taken longer than expected to end.
Many people may be surprised to learn that the Sun, rather than burn with faultless consistency, goes through moments of calm and tempest.
But two centuries of observing sunspots -- dark, relatively cool marks on the solar face linked to mighty magnetic forces -- have revealed that our star follows a roughly 11-year cycle of behavior.
The latest cycle began in 1996 and for reasons which are unclear has taken longer than expected to end.
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Soompi.com shows Hallyu where to go
Soompi.com is the world’s biggest English-language online community dedicated to Korean pop culture. It boasts some 1.4 million visitors daily. More importantly, 90 percent of its members are non-Koreans.
The website is widely regarded as a promising social network venture that has secured a solid user base on the strength of Korean cultural content. Softbank of Japan has already invested in Soompi.com and other investors are lining up amid the outlook that the website will emerge as a key gateway to Asian pop culture for English-speaking audiences.
Soompi.com CEO Joyce Kim, who lives in San Francisco, said in an interview that Hallyu is still in the early stages of growth internationally and the website would help foster its development online as “the central online activity hub for all fans of Hallyu and Asian pop.”
The website is widely regarded as a promising social network venture that has secured a solid user base on the strength of Korean cultural content. Softbank of Japan has already invested in Soompi.com and other investors are lining up amid the outlook that the website will emerge as a key gateway to Asian pop culture for English-speaking audiences.
Soompi.com CEO Joyce Kim, who lives in San Francisco, said in an interview that Hallyu is still in the early stages of growth internationally and the website would help foster its development online as “the central online activity hub for all fans of Hallyu and Asian pop.”
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| Joyce Kim |
Lee says door for inter-Korean dialogue still open
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak said Monday that the door for inter-Korean dialogue remains open but North Korea should first show its seriousness about the talks.
"I remind the North that the path toward peace is yet open. The door for dialogue is still open," Lee said in his New Year's address broadcast live.
Lee reiterated that should the North show sincerity, the South has "both the will and the plan to drastically enhance economic cooperation" in partnership with other nations.
He also called for the international community to make joint efforts to coax Pyongyang into giving up its nuclear program.
"It is imperative now more than ever for countries concerned to play a fair and responsible role," he said, apparently referring to the participating countries in the long-stalled six-way nuclear talks -- China, the U.S., Japan, Russia and the two Koreas.
The president stressed that unity is the best tool for national security.
"We should stand together as one on the issue of national security. We must not forget that the best possible security measure is a people united," he said.
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| President Lee Myung-bak makes a New Year's address on Monday. (Yonhap News) |
"I remind the North that the path toward peace is yet open. The door for dialogue is still open," Lee said in his New Year's address broadcast live.
Lee reiterated that should the North show sincerity, the South has "both the will and the plan to drastically enhance economic cooperation" in partnership with other nations.
He also called for the international community to make joint efforts to coax Pyongyang into giving up its nuclear program.
"It is imperative now more than ever for countries concerned to play a fair and responsible role," he said, apparently referring to the participating countries in the long-stalled six-way nuclear talks -- China, the U.S., Japan, Russia and the two Koreas.
The president stressed that unity is the best tool for national security.
"We should stand together as one on the issue of national security. We must not forget that the best possible security measure is a people united," he said.
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