White House: DPRK's behavior 'contradict' its pledge
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White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said on Monday that claims by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on new uranium enrichment facility contradict its "pledges and commitments" to the international community.
"Our representatives are traveling in the region right now to brief our partners and our allies and coordinating a policy response to their actions," Gibbs told reporters at a regular briefing, referring to the trip to Asia by U.S. envoy on DPRK issue, Steve Bosworth.
DPRK showed an American nuclear scientist a plant near Yongbyong where he saw "hundreds and hundreds" of centrifuges, the New York Times said on Sunday.
Siegfried Hecker, a scientist from Stanford University, said the DPRK claimed 2,000 centrifuges were already installed and running, and he was "stunned" by the sophistication of the new plant, according to the report.
Gibbs said the Obama administration believed the six-party process can play an important role "if and when" the DPRK takes the process toward denuclearization seriously.
"We do not wish to talk simply for the sake of talking. The ( North) Koreans have to be serious about living up to their obligations. And not having done so has put a sanctions regime in place that is the strongest that the country has ever faced and has greatly increased the price of their noncompliance," he said, reinforcing the U.S. longtime stance that blames DPRK for stalling six-party talks.
In the U.S. State Department, spokesman Philip Crowley expressed similar hardline views.
"We will not be drawn into rewarding (DPRK) for bad behavior. They frequently anticipate doing something outrageous or provocative and forcing us to jump through hoops as a result," said Crowley. "We're not going to buy into this cycle."
However, a DPRK newspaper said in a recent commentary that the country is ready for the resumption of the six-party talks, blaming the United States and South Korea have effectively blocked it by setting preconditions.
DPRK's leading official newspaper Rodong Sinmun argued that the six-party talks are aimed at achieving the denuclearization of the whole Korean peninsula, instead of asking a certain party to shoulder all responsibilities.
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