Envoys hit bumps on timeframe for N. Korean nuclear disablement

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Negotiators at North Korean nuclear disarmament talks were to continue hammering out details Saturday on how the North should fulfill its pledge to close down its facilities, but a Japanese envoy said chances of reaching a deal were slim. North Korea has agreed to declare its nuclear programs and disable them, but has not been able to agree with the five other countries involved in the talks on how to define those terms. "On the whole, North Korea and the other parties, including the US, have big differences in their opinions and demands, so the situation is not looking very optimistic," Japanese envoy Kenichiro Sasae told reporters Friday. "The chances of reaching an agreement are quite slim."