Chronologies
US - Korea
Chronology from Oct 2004 to Dec 2004
: North Korea says it will not return to Six-Party Talks unless Japan is excluded, based on Japan’s threat of` economic sanctions.
: Kaesong industrial complex opens and one company begins production.
: Deputy National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley says a goal of U.S. policy is the “transformation” of North Korea. Ministry of Foreign Affairs says working level talks with the U.S. on a proposed free trade agreement will begin in early February.
: Deputy U.S. Representative to the Six-Party Talks, DeTrani and ROK officials, meeting in Seoul, agree to push North Korea to accept a new round of negotiations.
: State Department spokesman says the U.S. is ready to join a new round of Six-Party Talks with North Korea, without preconditions; the U.S. and South Korea open two days of talks on burden-sharing in financing U.S. military presence; the U.S. and South Korea conduct visa talks in Seoul.
: In Paris, President Roh rejects calls for “regime change” or the collapse of North Korea’s government.
: In Warsaw, President Roh says North Korea will not collapse suddenly.
: U.S. representative DeTrani meets again with North Korean officials in New York.
: Unification Minister Chung says South Korea is willing to explain its reported nuclear experiments to North Korea at the next round of Six-Party Talks.
: At ASEAN Plus Three summit, Japan, China, and ROK call for greater trilateral cooperation to obtain a peaceful solution to the North Korea nuclear issue.
: IAEA criticizes South Korean government for keeping nuclear experiments secret but does not refer the matter to the UN Security Council; KEDO announces its nuclear reactor construction project will be extended until Dec. 1, 2005.
: At the APEC summit in Santiago, President Bush and President Roh agree to cooperate to hold the next round of Six-Party Talks at an early date.
: In a Los Angeles speech, President Roh rules out a military option for dealing with North Korea.
: Japanese newspaper reports U.S. sets a “red line” against North Korean export of nuclear materials whose violation could result in military action; the U.S. and South Korea begin quarterly trade talks in Seoul.
: Meeting North Korean officials in New York, U.S. representative Joseph DeTrani says the U.S. seeks a new round of Six-Party Talks “without preconditions.”
: U.S. and South Korean negotiators meet to discuss South Korea’s financial contribution to stationing U.S. troops in the country.
: North Korean ambassador to the UN protests Proliferation Security Initiative naval exercise as a violation of the UN Charter.
: At trilateral talks in Seoul, South Korea, Japan, and the U.S. agree on the need to hold a new round of Six-Party Talks by the end of the year.
: Secretary of State Colin Powell visits Seoul for consultations; U.S. and South Korean military officials sign agreement for relocation of Yongsan Army Base.
: North says it will attend a new round of Six-Party Talks if the U.S. drops its “hostile policy,” agrees to compensate Pyongyang for shutting down nuclear activities and if South Korea agrees to fully disclose the nature of its nuclear experiments; the U.S. and South Korea begin annual defense consultation in Washington.
: President Bush signs the North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004 into law.
: South Korean Ministry of Culture proposes to end the screen quota.
: U.S. agrees to delay withdrawal of 12,500 troops until 2008.
: U.S. Ambassador Chris Hill says if South Korea scraps its film quota, it could lead to a free trade agreement.