N.Korea must 'get out of the nuclear business'

Mark Mullen Correspondent

BEIJING — In a major diplomatic breakthrough, North Korea agreed Tuesday to shut down its main nuclear reactor and eventually dismantle its atomic weapons program. The agreement marked the first concrete plan for disarmament in more than three years of six-party talks.

Ambassador Christopher Hill, the chief U.S. envoy to the six-nation talks, spoke with NBC News’ Mark Mullen about how the agreement was reached and what it means for U.S.- North Korea relations.

NBC News’ Mark Mullen:  How does it feel?
Ambassador Hill: It’s been a long five days, but I think it’s a good first step. So the real significance of it would be to see how we go in further stages, because we’re aiming at complete denuclearization. We’re not looking to just shut down their reactor.  We’re aiming eventually to dismantle that reactor and see that North Korea gets out of the nuclear business entirely.

How big a deal is this first step?
We are working through a multilateral process, so of course it’s important what we do with North Korea. But, what you know is also very important, is the fact that we’re working really hand-in-glove with the Chinese. The Chinese absolutely share our objectives. So getting everyone to work together to get North Korea first of all to accept in a declaratory way that they’re going to get rid of their program, and then finally to get them to do something on the ground, I think is significant and certainly well worth pursuing.

How much do you think the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] will actually hold up its end of the bargain?
Well it’s a six-party process so if they want to cheat or walk away from this, that’s not just walking away from the U.S. They’d be walking away from a number of other countries, including all of their neighbors.

Do you think they have more to lose at this point?
There’s no question these nuclear programs for North Korea have been quite an albatross. They have really helped to impoverish that country and to deepen its isolation. So if North Korea wants to improve its lot and join the world, it’s gotta get out of this nuclear business.

I heard a high-level diplomat say, “We’re not worried about North Korea blowing things up, we’re worried about them selling their technology?”
Well actually we’re worried about a number of things. First of all, if North Korea is allowed to develop nuclear weapons, what does that say to other states?  Moreover, if North Korea were allowed to develop its nuclear weapons, what would happen in this region, this rather combustible region in Northeast Asia? Which is why I think it’s important to have this six-party process work together and to begin to develop a sense of community in this region.

What do you say to the hawks back in the U.S. that say you should not have yielded in this regard?
People are entitled to their opinion. There’ll be a lot of criticism, but I tend to look at these things from the point of results. Can we get something done here with diplomacy?  If I thought we could do something without diplomacy, sure, I’d be more interested in that, but I think diplomacy is very necessary. And what to me is very key, is to work with our partners. And we’re working very closely with the Japanese on this, the South Koreans, the Chinese, and the Russians. So I think that’s the way to go.

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