The nation’s chief delegate to the six-party talks says North Korea had not specifically demanded light water reactors, but instead had requested the right to use nuclear power peacefully.

When asked to respond to U.S. President Bush’s remark that Pyongyang should dismantle any and all non-military nuclear programs, the delegate, Deputy Foreign Minister Song Min-soon, only said that the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons is a global issue with regional ramifications.

Song said trust is the most important factor for resolving the North Korean nuclear issue and uncertainty the biggest stumbling block.