The six-party talks aimed to find a peaceful resolution to the security concerns as a result of the North Korean nuclear weapons program. There was a series of meetings with six participating states in Beijing: These talks were a result of North Korea withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 2003. Apparent gains following the fourth and fifth rounds were reversed by outside events. Five rounds of talks from 2003 to 2007 produced little net progress until the third phase of the fifth round of talks, when North Korea agreed to shut down its nuclear facilities in exchange for fuel aid and steps towards the normalization of relations with the United States and Japan. Responding angrily to the United Nations Security Council's Presidential Statement issued on April 13, 2009, that condemned the North Korean failed satellite launch, the DPRK declared on April 14, 2009, that it would pull out of Six Party Talks and that it would resume its nuclear enrichment program in order to boost its nuclear deterrent. North Korea also expelled all nuclear inspectors from the country.

Content of the six-party talks

The main points of contention were:

1st round (27–29 August 2003)

Outcomes See "Why the 6-party talks will fail" (in Korean), the Dong-A Ilbo, 27 August 2003, by Pierre Chabal

2nd round (25–28 February 2004)

Representatives: 🇰🇷: Lee Soo-hyuck, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade 🇰🇵: Kim Kye-gwan, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs 🇺🇸: James Kelly, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs 🇯🇵: Mitoji Yabunaka, Director-General of Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau 🇷🇺: Alexander Losyukov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Outcomes

3rd round (23–26 June 2004)

Representatives 🇰🇷: Lee Soo-hyuck, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade 🇰🇵: Kim Kye-gwan, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs 🇺🇸: James Kelly, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs 🇯🇵: Mitoji Yabunaka, Director-General of Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau 🇷🇺: Alexander Alexeyev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Outcomes

4th round

1st phase (26 July – 7 August 2005)

Representatives 🇰🇷: Song Min-soon, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade 🇰🇵: Kim Kye-gwan, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs 🇺🇸: Christopher Hill, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs 🇯🇵: Sasae Kenichiro, Deputy Director-General of Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau 🇷🇺: Alexander Alexeyev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Outcomes

2nd phase (13–19 September 2005)

Representatives 🇰🇷: Song Min-soon, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade 🇰🇵: Kim Kye-gwan, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs 🇺🇸: Christopher Hill, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs 🇯🇵: Sasae Kenichiro, Deputy Director-General of Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau 🇷🇺: Alexander Alexeyev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Outcomes

5th round

1st phase (9–11 November 2005)

Representatives 🇰🇷: Song Min-soon, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade 🇰🇵: Kim Kye-gwan, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs 🇺🇸: Christopher Hill, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs 🇯🇵: Sasae Kenichiro, Deputy Director-General of Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau 🇷🇺: Alexander Alexeyev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Outcomes

Events between phases 1 and 2

2nd phase (18–22 December 2006)

Representatives 🇰🇷: Chun Yung-woo, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade 🇰🇵: Kim Kye-gwan, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs 🇺🇸: Christopher Hill, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs 🇯🇵: Sasae Kenichiro, Deputy Director-General of Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau 🇷🇺: Sergey Razov, Russian Ambassador to China Objectives achieved

Events between phases 2 and 3

3rd phase (8–13 February 2007)

** Representatives** 🇰🇷: Chun Yung-woo, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade 🇰🇵: Kim Kye-gwan, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs 🇺🇸: Christopher Hill, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs 🇯🇵: Sasae Kenichiro, Deputy Director-General of Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau 🇷🇺: Alexander Losyukov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Objectives achieved Events during the 5th round, 3rd phase of talks

6th round

1st phase (19–22 March 2007)

Representatives 🇰🇷: Chun Yung-woo, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade 🇰🇵: Kim Kye-gwan, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs 🇺🇸: Christopher Hill, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs 🇯🇵: Sasae Kenichiro, Director-General for Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau 🇷🇺: Alexander Losyukov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Objectives achieved Events taking place between halt and resumption of 1st phase of the 6th round of talks

Resumption of 1st phase (18–20 July 2007)

Representatives 🇰🇷: Chun Yung-woo, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade 🇰🇵: Kim Kye-gwan, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs 🇺🇸: Christopher Hill, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs 🇯🇵: Sasae Kenichiro, Deputy Director-General of Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau 🇷🇺: Vladimir Rakhmanin, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Objectives achieved Events taking place between 1st and 2nd phase of the 6th round of talks

2nd phase (27–30 September 2007)

Representatives 🇰🇷: Chun Yung-woo, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade 🇰🇵: Kim Kye-gwan, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs 🇺🇸: Christopher Hill, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs 🇯🇵: Sasae Kenichiro, Deputy Director-General of Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau 🇷🇺: Alexander Losyukov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Objectives achieved

Discontinuation of talks in 2009

On April 5, 2009, North Korea proceeded with its announced satellite launch, despite international pressure not to do so. The pressure was due to international belief that the satellite launch was in fact a test of ICBM technology. The launch was a failure, and it landed in the Pacific Ocean. Despite the failure, U.S. President Barack Obama responded that "violations must be punished." South Korea urged heavier sanctions against North Korea. On April 13, the United Nations Security Council agreed unanimously to a Presidential Statement that condemned North Korea for the launch and stated the council's intention to expand sanctions on North Korea. The following day, North Korea, responding angrily to the UN Security Council's resolution, said that it "will never again take part in such [six party] talks and will not be bound by any agreement reached at the talks." North Korea expelled nuclear inspectors from the country and also informed the International Atomic Energy Agency that they would resume their nuclear weapons program. On May 25, 2009, North Korea detonated a nuclear device underground. The test was condemned by the United Nations, NATO, the other five members of the Six-party talks, and many other countries worldwide. On October 11, 2011, South Korea appointed a new envoy to the Six-party talks; Lim Sung-Nam, who worked for the Ministry of Tourism and Sport beforehand. On November 10, 2009, the Daecheong incident took place. On this date North and South Korean ships exchanged fire. The Southern vessel was almost unharmed while the North reportedly sustained heavy casualties.

North Korean attacks in 2010

Cheonan, a South Korean patrol vessel with 104 people aboard, sank after an unexplained explosion tore through its hull while conducting a normal mission in the vicinity of Baengnyeong Island at 9:22 p.m. on March 26, 2010. An investigation conducted by an international team of experts from South Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Sweden concluded that Cheonan was sunk by a torpedo launched by a North Korean Yeono class miniature submarine. This incident caused rising tension and antagonism between North and South Korea. On October 26, 2010, Red Cross officials of North Korea and South Korea held meetings to discuss ways of further family reunions, but failed to reach agreement. So did UNC and North Korea, failing to arrange higher-level meeting. On November 23, 2010, North Korea shelled South Korea's Yeonpyeong Island. Two South Korean soldiers were killed and a dozen injured after North Korea fired dozens of artillery shells onto a South Korean island setting more than 60 houses ablaze and sending civilians fleeing. These two incidents stood in the way of holding six-party talks during this period.

Proposed resumptions

On 29 February 2012, the United States and North Korea announced a "leap day" agreement that the U.S. would provide substantial food aid in return for the North agreeing to a moratorium on uranium enrichment and missile testing and a return of IAEA inspectors to Yongbyon, leading to a resumption of the six-party talks. On 16 March 2012, North Korea announced it was planning to launch a satellite to commemorate the late founder Kim il-Sung's 100th birthday, drawing condemnation by the other five participants in the Six-Party Talks, casting doubt on the "leap day" agreement. On 6 April 2012, North Korea's satellite failed to enter into orbit, and was declared a failure by the United States and South Korea. In addition, the launch was described as a provocative test of missile technology, and the United States subsequently announced the suspension of food aid to North Korea. On 29January 2014, the official Chinese Xinhua News Agency announced on Twitter that the DPRK ambassador to China had received DPRK agreement on resumption of the six-party talks and called on the United States to fulfill its related obligations. On April 5, 2018, China's paramount leader Xi Jinping announced that after a meeting with North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong-un that Kim is willing to resume talks. Further updates are pending. On April 25, 2019, after his first meeting with Kim Jong-un, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he believed any U.S. guarantees might need to be supported by the other nations involved in previous six-way talks on the nuclear issue. Putin promised to brief the Chinese and U.S. leadership about his talks.

Notes and references