Chronologies
US - Korea
Chronology from Oct 2003 to Dec 2003
: North Korea confirms to a Chinese diplomat that it was willing to enter into a second round of six-party talks early in 2004.
: U.S. announces that it will send 60,000 metric tons of humanitarian food aid to North Korea.
: The ROK Cabinet approves dispatch of 3,000 troops to the northern oil town of Kirkuk, Iraq as early as April.
: President Bush thanks President Roh for South Korea’s decision to dispatch troops.
: President Roh announces that the ROK will send 3,000 troops, including 1,400 combat soldiers, to assist coalition forces in Iraq.
: Foreign Minister Yoon says six-party talks are not likely in December.
: North Korea formally rejects U.S., Japanese, and South Korean proposal for ending its nuclear program.
: President Bush rejects North Korea’s proposal.
: North Korea says it will freeze its nuclear program in exchange for removal from U.S. terrorism list, end of U.S. sanctions, and energy assistance.
: U.S., Japan, and South Korea reportedly reach agreement on joint statement for ending North Korean nuclear program.
: U.S. lifts safeguard tariffs on South Korean and other steel imports.
: Two South Korean civilian contractors are killed in Iraq.
: Ambassador Hubbard says U.S. will move its command and UN Forces Command out of Seoul, while denying any diversion of South Korea-based troops to Iraq.
: North Korean patrol boat briefly crosses NLL.
: KEDO’s executive board officially declares one-year suspension of $4.6 billion nuclear power plant project in DPRK beginning Dec. 1.
: Assistant Secretary James Kelly meets with South Korean officials to discuss six-party talks.
: Defense Secretaries Rumsfeld and Cho complete 35th Annual U.S.-ROK Security Consultative Meeting in Seoul.
: North Korea says it is willing to give up “in practice” its nuclear program if the U.S. drops its “hostile policy.”
: Ambassador Hubbard says U.S. will not revive KEDO project even if North Korea dismantles its nuclear program. President Roh says South Korean government “is in middle of decision-making process” on dispatching troops to Iraq and may send more than 5,000.
: Presidential Spokesman Yoon Tae-young says Korea will send no more than 3,000 troops to Iraq to assist the U.S.
: State Department spokesman expresses confidence in early resumption of six-party talks with North Korea.
: South Korea’s Unification Minister Jeong says KEDO light-water reactor project will resume in a year, following suspension.
: KEDO decides to suspend light-water reactor project for one year.
: Ambassador Hubbard reaffirms that U.S. will give written multilateral security assurances to North Korea and may accept package deal regarding nuclear issue.
: South Korean navy patrol boat fires shots at North Korean fishing boat that crossed Northern Limit Line (NLL).
: North Korea says it is willing to accept President Bush’s offer of security assurances if they are based on the “intention to coexist” and the U.S. offers “simultaneous actions.”
: North Korea rejects U.S. offer of written multilateral security assurances, calling it “laughable”; North Korea test fires another short-range missile.
: President Bush and President Roh meet at APEC summit. North Korea test fires a short-range missile.
: Ambassador Hubbard expresses U.S. gratitude to South Korean government for decision to dispatch troops to Iraq.
: North Korean announces it is ready to demonstrate its nuclear capability.
: North Korea strongly criticizes U.S. for efforts to impose international sanctions and maritime monitoring of North Korean shipments; U.S., Japan, and South Korea meet to discuss future of KEDO project.
: North Korea demands that Japan be excluded from future rounds of six-party talks; U.S. rejects the North Korean demand.
: DPRK claims to have successfully finished the reprocessing of some 8,000 spent fuel rods, states “We (have) no intention of transferring any means of that nuclear deterrence to other countries.”