10/24/11 U.S. and North Korea Begin Groundwork for Talks (New York TImes)

U.S. and North Korea Begin Groundwork for Talks

By NICK CUMMING-BRUCE and CHOE SANG-HUN

Published: October 24, 2011

In Geneva, the United States start two-days talks. American officials have said that they will test the ground for a possible resumption of wider discussion of the nuclear program of North Korea. 

At the end of the first day, in a statement, Mr. Bosworth said:

"I think we are moving in a positive direction. We have narrowed some differences, but we still have differences that we have to resolve.

He described the discussion as 'very positive,' and added: 

"I am neither optimistic nor pessimistic but as I said, we have made some progress. But we have issues still to resolve, ans we will work hard to do that."

 Last week, American officials said that the discussion is to determine whether North Korea is serious about the problem.


In September 2005, North Korea agreed to abandon its nuclear programs in exchange for economic support and diplomatic incentives from other parties to the six-party talks, including China, Japan, Russia, and South Korea as well as North Korea and the United States.
-----terrible levels of malnutrition children
-----6,000,000 North Koreans needing food aid


"Nearly half of North Korean children were chronically malnourished and the situation has been getting worse." (New York Times)