US open to diplomacy with N. Korea's new leadership

The US is "open to diplomacy" with North Korea's new leadership since the death of Kim Jong-il, but stresses the North must improve ties with South Korea to have better relations with the US, a senior American diplomat said Wednesday, the Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency reported. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, Washington's top diplomat for Asia, also said North Korea should take the necessary steps before any resumption of stalled six-party talks to end the North's nuclear weapons program in exchange for aid. "We are open to diplomacy with North Korea," Campbell told reporters in Seoul after meeting with senior South Korean officials, including Lim Sung-nam, Seoul's chief envoy to the six-party talks. "But there is a very clear set of steps that we think are necessary. The steps have been closely coordinated with Japan and particularly with South Korea and we are still waiting to see whether the new government in North Korea is prepared to take the necessary steps," Campbell said. During Campbell's talks with South Korean officials, the two sides reaffirmed that "a path is open to North Korea towards the resumption of talks and improved relations with the US and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) through dialogue." Campbell arrived in Seoul Tuesday for a two-day visit as the first leg of an Asia tour. Kim Jong-un, believed to be in his late 20s, took over Pyongyang's communist regime after his father died of a heart attack in December. Last year, diplomatic efforts to restart the six-party talks gained momentum, but the death of Kim has left prospects for resumption of the talks more uncertain. The talks, which involve the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the US, have been dormant since late 2008. China, the North's key ally, has reportedly decided to provide 500,000 tons of food and 250,000 tons of crude oil to North Korea following the death of Kim. Asked about the reported Chinese move, Campbell replied, "Frankly, it's an evolving situation, we're watching it closely and we want to continue a close dialogue with China, we want them to share with us more of their perspectives and their plans