North Korea Nuclear Talks Break Down

BEIJING -- Negotiations on halting North Korea's nuclear program broke down abruptly Thursday, with the country's chief envoy to the talks flying home after a dispute over money frozen in a Macau bank could not be resolved.

Kim Kye Gwan left Beijing after refusing to take part in six-party talks to push forward a February agreement calling for North Korea to begin winding down its nuclear programs in return for energy aid and political considerations.

Kim waved to reporters at the airport but did not say anything.

China issued a statement saying the talks would take a recess but did not give a restart date.

"The parties agreed to recess and will resume the talks at the earliest opportunity to continue to discuss and formulate an action plan for the next phase," it said.

The breakdown raises doubts over meeting a deadline in the Feb. 13 denuclearization agreement that calls for U.N. inspectors to verify the closure of North Korea's main nuclear reactor at Yongbyon by April 14.

But the top U.S. nuclear envoy said he was still optimistic that disarmament deadlines can be met despite the breakdown.

"It is our strong view that we are still on schedule," Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said, referring to the April deadline that calls for U.N. inspectors to verify the closure of North Korea's main nuclear reactor at Yongbyon.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters in Washington that envoys were expected to meet again within the next week or two.

In Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe criticized North Korea for not being constructive.

"It's clear there is nothing for North Korea to gain from this kind of move," Abe said. "This kind of attitude is meaningless."

Abe said North Korea only will be accepted by the international society if it takes concrete steps toward complying with its commitment to dismantle its nuclear programs.