By Park Song-wu
Staff Reporter


A high-ranking diplomat in Seoul warned on Tuesday that Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s Cabinet appointment of die-hard conservatives could affect the six-party talks on North Korea’s nuclear programs.

``It could affect the denuclearization talks,’’ Song Min-soon, vice foreign minister and South Korea’s top delegate to the talks, said in a CBS radio interview.

In the large-scale reshuffle on Monday, Koizumi, who plans to step down at the end of his term next September, named Shinzo Abe as his top government spokesman and Internal Affairs Minister Taro Aso as foreign minister.

Both are known as steadfast supporters of Koizumi’s visits to a controversial war shrine in Tokyo. They also have backed conservative moves to impose sanctions against North Korea over the abductee issue.

South Korean politicians, including those in the opposition parties, criticized Koizumi’s reshuffle for ``ignoring the sentiment of neighboring Asian countries.’’

``Although these known ultra-nationalists have entered the Cabinet, they should not lock themselves up in the past, or rather they should choose a responsible forward-looking stance,’’ Song said. ``I believe such an attitude would be helpful for Japan.’’

Seoul’s relations with Tokyo hit a snag once again when Koizumi visited the Yasukuni shrine last month. The place of worship honors 2.5 million Japanese war dead, including 14 Class A war criminals including wartime Prime Minister Hideki Tojo.

The Cabinet lineup reflected the prime minister’s aims: a conservative, more assertive foreign policy, and a steady economic policy, as the country makes a firm recovery from more than a decade of sluggish performance, AP reported.

Meanwhile, Song said the next round of the six-party talks should resume prior to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum that will be held from Nov. 12 to 19 in Pusan (Busan).

The fifth round of the talks is expected to open in Beijing next week.

``The first session of the fifth round of talks should be held before the APEC summit,’’ Song said. ``It should lay the groundwork to adopt an agreement.’’

The participating countries _ two Koreas, the U.S., China, Russia and Japan _ are expected to call a recess during the APEC summit from Nov. 18 to 19.

Song said the provision of light-water reactors to North Korea is not a major topic in the next round of the talks.

``We have to focus on the North’s dismantlement of nuclear programs and corresponding matters, such as the normalization of the North’s diplomatic relations with the United States and Japan,’’ Song said. ``Talking about the light-water reactors at the moment will not be helpful in progressing the talks.’’

im@koreatimes.co.kr