U.S. - demands CVID of HEU (highly-enriched uranium) program as well as nuclear materials/ facilities for peaceful use

The U.S. responds affirmatively to North Korea request concerning regime security, raising the possibility of a future working group meeting to discuss that end.

However, it also expands the previous CVID objectives to include not only the plutonium-based nuclear weapons program but also the alleged HEU nuclear weapons program and nuclear materials/ facilities for peaceful use.

U.S.-NK - failure to arrive at agreement

North Korea denies possession of HEU

North Korea is in a difficult position to abandon the peaceful use of nuclear energy (i.e., power generation) owing to its economic depression and limited capacity to meet electricity demands

Failure to reach working-level agreements due to continued U.S.-NK disagreement on the scope of CVID objectives

South Korea - proposes 3-stage process to resolve Crisis

South Korea proposes a 3-stage process within a cooperative framework between the U.S., Japan, and South Korea, which would later form the basis of future six-party talks.

South Korea also demonstrates initiative by presenting energy-aid plans for North Korea's abandonment of its nuclear program, receiving support from China/Russia and consent from the U.S. and Japan.

Progress in working-level discussions / introduction of an institutional device to continue the six-party talks

Intensive and concrete negotiations on the requirements and concessions for each stage of the 3-stage process / improved working-level efforts by the U.S. and North Korea (in comparison with the 1st round)

General agreement to hold 3rd round of talks / agreement to introduce an institutional device (i.e., practical group meetings) to ensure the permanent continuation of the talks

New North Korea Foreign Vice-Minister Kim Gye-gwan negotiates with a more flexible stance

North Korea replaces the head of its delegation to the 2nd round of talks with a higher-ranking Vice-Minister, Kim Gye-gwan, who participates in the negotiations with an 'anything is negotiable' attitude.

U.S. - distrust toward North Korea, maintains fundamental position

The U.S. continues to state that all North Korea issues, including its nuclear program, missiles, conventional weapons, biological/ chemical weapons, and human rights violations, must be resolved before any moves to normalize U.S.-NK relations.
※ The U.S. repeatedly stresses that the occasions of bilateral U.S.-NK contact during the talks were 'unofficial contacts, not negotiations'.

Differences in opinion persist between a ‘desperate North Korea’ and 'fundamentalist U.S.‘
During revisions to the final draft of the 2nd round's Statement, North Korea replaces "a closer understanding of the other's position" with "some differences, that may be adjusted later on" in order to clearly stress the unacceptability of key U.S. demands (scope of CVID, etc.).

Time and place: May 12~14, 2004 (Beijing, China)

The U.S. states willingness to provide "a broad array of concessions including North Korea's declassification as a terror-sponsoring state, on the condition that North Korea completely gives up its nuclear program"; North Korea retorts that "the CVID objectives demanded by the U.S. are humiliating and fit only for nations that have lost a war".