In the lecture, Hill recalled how frustrating it was that North Korean officials never moved quickly to the next stage. He compared it to a coach called a timeout whenever one of his players is about to jump and shoot the ball. He complained that Pyongyang delayed further talks by equivocating about nuclear sampling as a way of verifying its declaration of programs and stockpiles even after it was removed from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism. Christopher R. Hill, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs and former U.S. ambassador to South Korea, served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Cameroon.
Hill Reminisces About 'Momentum Killer' N.Korea
Hill Reminisces About 'Momentum Killer' N.Korea
"The North Koreans were complete momentum killers," calling a timeout whenever progress seemed within reach, recalls the outgoing chief U.S. nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill.
Hill was recounting his experiences of negotiating with North Koreans in a farewell lecture at the Asia Society in New York on Tuesday.
Hill has been involved in North Korea issues for the last five years as ambassador to Seoul and assistant secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, in which capacity he was chief U.S. negotiator in six-party talks. Despite earlier speculation, Hill will not keep the job under the new U.S. administration. Instead, there were press reports Wednesday that he had been tipped as the next ambassador to Iraq.
In the lecture, Hill recalled how frustrating it was that North Korean officials never moved quickly to the next stage. He compared it to a coach called a timeout whenever one of his players is about to jump and shoot the ball.
He complained that Pyongyang delayed further talks by equivocating about nuclear sampling as a way of verifying its declaration of programs and stockpiles even after it was removed from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism.
But Hill expressed confidence that the Obama administration will continue the six-party talks. Asked if he had a message for his successor, Hill said patience was of the essence to find solutions in bilateral or trilateral talks. He added he always tried to see the positive side.
He will reportedly accompany U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on her tour of East Asia in mid-February, where his visit to Seoul will be his last in his current capacity.
