U.S. Warms To N. Korea Ties

The Clinton administration, responding to a bid from North Korea's leader, says it would be prepared to consider ties with the long-reclusive Asian country if it ended its support for terrorism.

North Korea is one of seven countries branded by the U.S. State Department as a sponsor of terrorism. The department last week described talks in Pyongyang between Michael Sheehan, U.S. coordinator for counterterrorism, and Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Gye Gwan as productive.

"They focused on what steps North Korea must take to end its support for terrorism," department spokesman Richard Boucher said.

Under U.S. law, all but humanitarian aid to a branded country is prohibited but that does not bar diplomatic relations. The United States has ties to Syria, for instance, and President Clinton met with the late President Hafez Assad to try to generate a peace agreement with Israel.

Further talks with North Korea on terrorism are planned, but no date has been set, State Department deputy spokesman Philip Reeker said Monday.

U.S. officials reportedly are demanding that North Korea publicly renounce terrorism and expel all terrorism suspects before it can be considered for removal from their list.

North Korea has normalized ties with Italy, Australia and the Philippines this year in gestures apparently aimed at easing international concerns over the country and facilitating outside economic aid.

While pursuing better relations with the United States and Japan, North Korean leader Kim Jong Il held an unprecedented summit in June with South Korean President Kim Dae-jung.

On Sunday, South Korea's state media reported Kim Jong Il would establish ties with the United States right away if it removed North Korea from the State Department's terrorism list.

"The U.S. is putting a cap of a terrorist nation on us," the Yonhap news agency quoted Kim Jong Il as saying. "As soon as they remove it, we would open ties with the U.S. -- even tomorrow."

In response, Reeker said: "We are prepared to improve relations with Pyongyang as North Korea addresses the areas of concern that we've had."

After the next meeting, Reeker said, "We hope they will be prepared to take the necessary steps to allow us to then remove them from the list."