SEOUL -- A senior South Korean official told reporters on Tuesday that it is difficult to get North Korea to completely dismantle its nuclear weapons first and then offer compensation, showing a certain level of understanding toward North Korea's position regarding denuclearization.
Beijing had announced that North Korean leader and chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea Kim Jong Un, in his meeting on March 26 with Chinese President Xi Jinping, urged Washington and Seoul to take "periodical and synchronous measures" as a condition for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
The South Korean official drew on the example of Libya, which announced in December 2003 its pledge to give up weapons of mass destruction including nuclear weapons. The official mentioned that the United States had provided compensation at each phase of the disarmament process by the North African country, suggesting that such proportionate measures will also be required for North Korea, including easing sanctions, as its denuclearization process evolves.
Libya after its pledge to dismantle its WMDs is sometimes said to have provided a model case for prioritizing nuclear arms dismantlement, as it took Tripoli a long time to win in 2006 the normalization of its diplomatic relations with Washington and the rescinding by the United States of its designation of Libya as a state sponsor of terrorism.
And yet, Washington also implemented rapprochement measures -- such as establishing a U.S. interests section and easing economic sanctions -- on a step-by-step basis.
In light of these circumstances, the South Korean government aims to get North Korea to clearly show its willingness for denuclearization at the summit meeting between the two Koreas on April 27.
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