George W. Bush's Six Party Talks

When George W. Bush became president in 2001, his administration decided to postpone negotiations with North Korea and displayed doubt about Pyongyang sticking to the Agreed Framework (2). In 2002, Bush’s administration claimed that North Korea was secretly improving their uranium, but Pyongyang denied this claim (2). In that same year, the fuel oil shipments that were accepted to while President Clinton was in office were suspended. By the end of 2002, the Agreed Framework had been ended (2). By January 2003, the relationship between the U.S. and North Korea was at its worst point when North Korea’s official removed from the Non Proliferation Treaty (2). Four months later, U.S. officials conveyed that North Korea admitted to having at least one nuclear weapon

In 2005, a comment was made by the Six Party Talks in which North Korea decided to abandon its nuclear weapons program, accept IAEA inspections, and rejoin the Non Proliferation Treaty while maintaining the right to peaceful nuclear energy (2). The other countries decided to provide energy assistance and discuss giving North Korea light water reactors. In July 2006, the development was stopped when North Korea was irritated by the U.S. targeting its financial assets and pace of the light water reactor project (2). In October 2006, North Korea performed its first nuclear test and the U.S. answered by requiring North Korea to end testing its nuclear weapons and to abandon its missile program. A spokesperson from North Korea’s government stated that the test was “entirely attributable to United States threats, sanctions and pressure.” (2). The spokesperson also accused the Bush administration of replying to North Korea’s “patient and sincere efforts with sanctions and blockades” (2). In July 2007, North Korea closed its nuclear facilities at Yongbyon in return for fuel oil and separation from the U.S list of state sponsors of terrorism