Earlier this year North Korea reneged on the 13 February agreement when it chose to miss the first deadline to shutdown its reactor by 14 April. This was followed by more manufactured excuses, to which the U.S. eventually caved.

Now Pyongyang is reportedly reinterpreting what its obligations are:

A Japanese newspaper on Saturday said North Korea insisted in disarmament talks this month that it would only declare and disable three nuclear facilities - none of them with atomic weapons.

[. . .]

According to the paper, when they were asked to discuss other programmes, the North Koreans responded, ‘We will bring that back home for further discussions’. (emphasis added)

The 13 February agreement (DOC), however, is clear on this point:

2. The DPRK will discuss with other parties a list of all its nuclear programs as described in the Joint Statement, including plutonium extracted from used fuel rods, that would be abandoned pursuant to the Joint Statement. (emphasis added)

The Joint Statement (DOC) refers to, “abandoning all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs.” There is no gray area, no question in what is required by the agreement, and as North Korea has loudly and repeatedly claimed to have tested a nuclear weapon, the agreement obviously includes any and all nuclear weapons North Korea may have.

The AFP article does have an error:

North Korea has never admitted to having a highly enriched uranium programme.

They in fact did – in October 2002. Unless you think James Kelly and Tong Kim are liars, and you trust the track record North Korea has in telling the truth.

As far as negotiating with North Korea, I think Kevin Kim nails it:

But I say, screw negotiations. I think the US needs to stop pussyfooting and just barge into the conference room from a position of power, acting arrogant and confirming every stereotype the world has of our government.

[. . .]

Dynastic Kimism is all about preserving a very specific power structure and little else. I see no utility in continuing to treat US-NK negotiations as somehow similar to other negotiations. What significant, material concessions has NK made? It’s better just to ignore them and let SK deal with them.

Though I would take it further and opt for a complete blockade – physical and financial – until the regime collapse, and use America’s influence to see that it happens.

Also see Joshua’s post at OneFreeKorea.