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WASHINGTON: The US sees no possibility of progress with North Korea until there is a reconciliation between the North and South.
US Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said Washington officials are in "deep consultation" with their regional counterparts as they watched for signs of political change in North Korea.
Reports suggested that a Workers Party gathering may lead to one of leader Kim Jong Il's sons being approved as his successor.
As North Korea celebrates the 62nd anniversary of its founding and prepares for the first major political gathering of party officials for thirty years, Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said the US is monitoring the situation carefully to see if there are signs of a leadership succession plan.
"It would be fair to say that we are in the process of deep consultation not just with our allies but also with others in the surrounding region about next steps associated with North Korea," said Campbell.
Special Representative for North Korea policy Ambassador Stephen Bosworth and Special Envoy for the Six-Party Talks Sung Kim are heading to Seoul, Tokyo and Beijing next week to discuss on North Korea.
Rumours in Washington are suggesting that South Korea may be preparing to publicly release the results of the investigation into the sinking of the Cheonan. The US has indicated that progress with the North internationally will only be possible if this issue is dealt with by the two nations.
Campbell said, "We believe it would be critical for there to be some element of reconciliation between the North and South for any process to move forward, we've communicated that very clearly to all parties involved."
Richard Allen, former National Security Advisor to President Reagan, said the US is standing back to see how the situation unfolds before initiating any new policies.
"It doesn't have a settled North Korea policy because it is waiting. Any hope that this so-called summit meeting of the Korean Workers Party is going to do anything other than endorse Kim Jong Un the second son, a 26-year-old who will be a front man for a new military group, any more than that is ridiculous to hope for," said Allen, who is the Co-Chairman of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea.
North Korea left the six-party talks in April last year after receiving a reprimand from the United Nations for carrying out a long-range missile test.
US officials have no intentions to restart formal talks as they observe, wait and consult with other members of the stalled six-party talks. - CNA/fa
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