in nuclear impasse

By Jae-Soon Chang, Associated Press Writer

SEOUL, South Korea - The top U.S. envoy in South Korea said today that Washington was “running out of patience” with the impasse over North Korea's nuclear program.

The comments by U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Alexander Vershbow came as Seoul's chief official for North Korean relations urged the communist state to end its boycott of international talks on the issue.

North Korea has refused to resume nuclear disarmament talks with the United States, China, Japan, Russia and South Korea, demanding that Washington first lift financial restrictions on a Macau bank and North Korean companies accused of involvement in the North's alleged currency counterfeiting and other illicit activities.

The United States has rebuffed the North's demand, saying the sanctions are a separate issue from the nuclear talks.

“All U.S. government officials hope this problem will be resolved through negotiation,” Vershbow said during an online chat Wednesday with South Koreans. “At the same time, it's also true that many officials are running out of patience.”

The comments were contained in a Korean-language transcript of the chat posted on a Web page maintained by the embassy but separate from its official Web site.

South Korean Unification Minister Lee Jong-seok said the North's policy of linking its return to the negotiating table to the financial dispute was ill-advised and would only prompt Washington to take a harder line.

“I see there is a considerable problem in North Korea's judgment,” Lee told a unification forum, according to his ministry. “It has to give serious thought to whether that's a wise decision.”

The United States and the North met in Beijing in January and again in New York in March, but no breakthrough was achieved.

Another meeting between the two nations could occur next week when officials from the six countries assemble in Japan at a privately sponsored security conference. The participants reportedly include the top U.S. and North Korean nuclear negotiators.

South Korea has confirmed its nuclear envoy will attend.

“If North Korea shows a positive attitude after coming back to the six-party talks, it will give rise to some room for other countries to tell the U.S.” not to push the North too hard, said Lee, the unification minister.

“If it sticks to what it's doing now, however ... it would undermine pro-dialogue officials in the U.S.”

Lee also said he does not believe the United States has shifted its North Korea policy toward seeking the communist regime's overthrow.

North Korea has claimed that the United States maintains a hostile policy toward it that is reflected in the financial restrictions. The United States has said repeatedly it has no intention of attacking the North.

In other diplomatic efforts, South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon is visiting Moscow to discuss the nuclear issue during a 10-day European trip beginning Thursday.

In September, North Korea agreed in principle to give up its nuclear program in exchange for aid and security assurances. Talks on implementing the agreement stumbled as North Korea made demands that included calling for the lifting of U.S. financial restrictions.