S.Korea says no nuclear talks before warship probe ends

SEOUL - Efforts to restart talks on North Korea's nuclear disarmament must wait until South Korea finds out who sank its warship near their disputed border, Seoul's foreign ministry said Thursday.

Spokesman Kim Young-Sun said the United States and China, which hosts the nuclear forum, also agreed that any fresh six-party talks must await the outcome of an investigation into the naval tragedy.

President Lee Myung-Bak hinted Tuesday that North Korea was involved in the March 26 sinking of the Cheonan, which cost 46 lives. He promised a “resolute” response when the cause is established following a multinational probe.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il reportedly expressed readiness to return to the nuclear talks when he met China's President Hu Jintao in Beijing Wednesday, according to Yonhap news agency.

The North in April 2009 quit the forum, which groups the two Koreas, China, Russia, Japan and the United States. Analysts say it may resume dialogue in return for badly needed Chinese aid.

Spokesman Kim said South Korea, the United States and China agreed that “an objective and thorough investigation to determine the cause” of the sinking should be carried out first.

“Therefore, when investigation results are out, necessary measures will be considered and after that, the six-party talks will be pursued through close consultations among countries concerned.”

The spokesman said Foreign Minister Yu Myung-Hwan will host a two-day meeting this month with his Japanese and Chinese counterparts, Katsuya Okada and Yang Jiechi, for talks on regional security.

The meeting on May 15-16 in the southeastern city of Gyeongju will also prepare for a three-way summit at a date to be fixed this summer.

Presidential spokesman Park Sun-Kyoo also said it was Seoul's “firm position that there should be no six-party talks before the Cheonan incident is resolved”.

He denied any rift with China over the timing of the reclusive North Korean leader's visit, which has yet to be officially confirmed either by Pyonyang or Beijing.

Dong-A Ilbo newspaper said investigators would announce no later than mid-May their findings into the warship disaster, the deadliest peacetime naval incident for South Korea.

But the paper quoted an unidentified member of a team investigating the blast as saying that aluminium fragments from a torpedo casing had been found.

The unidentified team member was quoted as saying the explosive traces were found on a funnel that was torn off the Cheonan by the blast near the disputed border with North Korea.

“It has been confirmed that the explosive came from a torpedo,” the team member was quoted as saying.

Detailed analysis of salvaged aluminium fragments also confirmed they are from a torpedo, the individual said.

The defence ministry denied the report. “No traces of explosive have been found,” spokesman Won Tae-Jae said. “We've not reached any conclusion yet that the aluminium fragments came from a torpedo.”

The South has not publicly ruled out a military response if the North is proved to have sunk the Cheonan, but has said it would probably take the issue to the UN Security Council.

The North denies involvement.

China is the North's sole major ally and main source of fuel and food. As a permanent veto-wielding council member, its support would be crucial in any attempt to punish the North.