2007年VOA标准英语-South Korea Says Summit With North May Speed Up

By Kurt Achin
Seoul
09 August 2007

South Korea's top official in charge of North Korea policy says a planned summit will boost multinational¹ efforts to end North Korea's nuclear weapons programs. VOA's Kurt Achin reports from Seoul.

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Lee Jae-joung, center, presides over meeting to prepare for South and North Korea summit meeting at Unification Ministry in Seoul, 09 Aug 2007

South Korean Unification Minister Lee Jae-joung said Thursday that Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programs will be a top agenda item for this month's North-South summit.

He says the summit will be an important occasion for North and South Korea to resolve the issue of the North's nuclear programs.

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun is to travel to the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, for meetings with leader Kim Jong Il from August 28 to 30. The event is a repeat of the first summit seven years ago, which began a thaw³ in relations.

Both countries have participated in four years of multinational talks aimed at ending the North's nuclear programs in exchange for aid and diplomatic rewards. China, Russia, Japan, and the United States have also taken part.

U.S. officials say those six-nation talks remain the "center of gravity" of nuclear diplomacy⁴, but they support the summit.

Some experts have expressed concern the one-on-one meeting could dilute⁵ or even undermine the multinational process.

Rhee Bong-jo is president of the South Korean government-funded Korean Institute for National Unification. He rejects those concerns.

He says it was progress in the six-party nuclear diplomacy that made the summit possible in the first place.

North Korea promised the other five nations in February it would shut down its main nuclear reactor⁶ at Yongbyon in exchange for energy assistance. United Nations inspectors⁷ confirmed last month the shutdown had been carried out.

North Korea still has to fulfill⁸ the far more ambitious second phase of the February agreement. It requires a full declaration of all of its nuclear programs, including uranium-based activities that Pyongyang has never publicly admitted having. Technical working groups are sorting out the details of the second phase, and the six-party delegates are expected to meet again next month in Beijing.

Many North Korea experts and political analysts⁹ in South Korea say politics may be driving the summit. South Korean elections will be held in December to replace President Roh, and his party may hope the summit will increase the popularity of its candidates.

1 multinational   

adj.多国的，多种国籍的；n.多国籍公司，跨国公司

参考例句：

• The firm was taken over by a multinational consulting firm.这家公司被一个跨国咨询公司收购。
• He analyzed the relationship between multinational corporations and under-developed countries.他分析了跨国公司和不发达国家之间的关系。

2 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

3 thaw   

v.（使）融化，（使）变得友善；n.融化，缓和

参考例句：

• The snow is beginning to thaw.雪已开始融化。
• The spring thaw caused heavy flooding.春天解冻引起了洪水泛滥。

4 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

5 dilute   

vt.稀释，冲淡；adj.稀释的，冲淡的

参考例句：

• The water will dilute the wine.水能使酒变淡。
• Zinc displaces the hydrogen of dilute acids.锌置换了稀酸中的氢。

6 reactor   

n.反应器；反应堆

参考例句：

• The atomic reactor generates enormous amounts of thermal energy.原子反应堆发出大量的热能。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules.在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。

7 inspectors   

n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官

参考例句：

• They got into the school in the guise of inspectors. 他们假装成视察员进了学校。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Inspectors checked that there was adequate ventilation. 检查员已检查过，通风良好。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

9 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。