(12 Jun 2007)
1. Wide of South Korean envoy Chun Yung-Woo walking through Washington Dulles Airport
2. SOUNDBITE: (English) Chun Yung-Woo, South Korea's Chief Nuclear Envoy:
"We'll talk about how to make up for the lost time and to speed up the process of denuclearisation after the BDA (Banco Delta Asia) is resolved. We will of course talk about BDA, as well."
(Reporter: Are you optimistic?)
"Well, we will have to listen to what Chris Hill has to say."
3. Chun Yung-Woo walking through Dulles Airport
4. Wide of Sean McCormack walking into US State Department briefing room
5. Cutaway of reporter asking question about Korea talks
6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sean McCormack, US State Department Spokesman:
"Well, the framework is the six-party talks, so we'll talk about where we are - and BDA figures into that at this point - talk a little bit about, well, if this does work out, how might the process unfold, what would the next steps be. We're not there yet, but we want to be prudent and make sure that, if it does happen, we are properly positioned, as a group of five parties, to resume the discussions, and also to encourage the North Koreans to live up to their end of the bargain and see what else might be done, in terms of sending messages to them driving home that point."
7. Cutaway of reporters
STORYLINE:
Chun Yung-woo, South Korea's chief nuclear envoy, arrived at Washington's Dulles airport on Monday for talks with his US counterpart, Christopher Hill, aimed at trying to resolve a financial dispute and end the standoff over North Korea's nuclear programme.
Chun participated in recent talks with the foreign ministers of South Korea and Russia and Russia's chief nuclear envoy in an effort to reach a breakthrough.
He told Associated Press Television he and Hill would discuss the Banco Delta Asia situation, and said they'll "talk about how to make up for the lost time and to speed up the process of denuclearisation after the BDA is resolved."
At the US State Department, spokesman Sean McCormack said the US and South Korean negotiators would discuss "how might the process unfold, what would the next steps be."
McCormack added, "We're not there yet, but we want to be prudent and make sure that, if it does happen, we are properly positioned to resume the discussions, and also to encourage the North Koreans to live up to their end of the bargain."
The United States and Russia are working on a plan to transfer 25 million (m) US dollars in once-frozen North Korean funds held at Banco Delta Asia, a move aimed at reviving stalled nuclear disarmament efforts.
North Korea has refused to move on its pledge to shut down its nuclear reactor until it receives the money, which is sitting in accounts at Banco Delta Asia in Macau, a Chinese territory.
The money has been freed for release, but there have been problems in arranging the transfer of the North Korean funds, which the United States has alleged were tied to money laundering, counterfeiting and other illicit activities.
A US Treasury Department spokesperson said on Monday, that the United States is working with Russian and Macau authorities to facilitate the transfer of North Korean funds previously frozen at Banco Delta Asia.
Given the United States' allegations that the North Korean money was tainted, some banks have been reluctant to get involved in the transfer of the funds to Pyongyang.
The US first took action against Banco Delta Asia in 2005, putting it on a money-laundering blacklist for what the Treasury Department determined were lax money-laundering controls.
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