South Korean media expressed both hope and frustration on Sunday to the recess of the fourth round of six-party talks aimed at ending the Korean Peninsula nuclear crisis.  

Yonhap, a leading South Korean news agency, quoted South Korean officials as saying that the recess is disappointing, but adding it would be premature to call the negotiations a failure.

The US and North Korea have made great efforts to narrow their differences on a range of issues, although they remain apart on the scope of nuclear activities. Pyongyang would have to halt in return for political and economic rewards, said Yonhap.

It said the two countries have held nine bilateral meetings since the fourth round of six-party talks, which also involves China, South Korea, Russia and Japan, started on July 26 in Beijing.

Meanwhile, other South Korean media and experts hailed the progress achieved in the talks and believed the talks have laid a foundation for progress in future consultations.

During the talks, Chosun Daily, which has the largest circulation in South Korea, praised the flexibility of North Korea and the US.

The daily noted US chief nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill used " chairman" in referring to the North Korean top leader Kim Jong-il, saying it marks "an improvement."

It also praised North Korean chief negotiator Kim Kye-gwan for his "firmness" and "flexibility."

Meanwhile, some media also noted that the latest round of six-party talks still failed to come up with a highly anticipated joint document before a three-week recess was announced.

The Korea Times, a South Korean English newspaper, said in an article on its website that the six nations' decision to recess was aimed to prevent "the worst by keeping the talks alive."

"The recess is better than a breakup.... The next 21 days should be a period to make strategic decisions by participants," said the Korean oldest English newspaper.

However, some local observer expressed pessimism over the prospect of the six-party nuclear talks.

"Even if the talks will resume after a break, it would not be easy to bridge the wide gap that exists between North Korea and the US," Kim Tae-hyo, an international relations professor at Sung Kyunkwan University, was quoted as saying by Yonhap.

An article carried by Chosun Daily's website version on Sunday attributed the failure to issue a common document to the differences over North Korea's request of right on peaceful utilization of nuclear power.

North Korea insisted that it should have the right to use nuclear power peacefully while the US reiterated that it would never accept Pyongyang using light water nuclear reactors in its pursuit of energy.

According to the Chairman's Statement issued by China, the second stage of the fourth round of six-party talks will be resumed in the week beginning August 29, with the exact date to be set through consultations among the six parties.

(Xinhua News Agency August 8, 2005)