BEIJING (AP) - Japan said Monday that North Korea has expressed "readiness" to abolish its nuclear program and the United States hinted at new flexibility as well, as diplomats streamed into the Chinese capital for a six-nation meeting.
The United States is considering a proposal by Seoul to encourage North Korea to freeze its nuclear weapons program, a top South Korean nuclear negotiator said. And a Japanese diplomat, after meeting with his Chinese counterpart, said the North might be willing to "completely abandon" its program.
Progress, or the appearance of it, came in a flurry of diplomacy ahead of the first six-party talks on Pyongyang's nuclear program since August, when the first round ended with little changed and only a loose commitment to meet again.
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040223/D80T3TS02.htmlcomment : Iraq, Libya, Iran, and now North Korea all disarmed. Who next?