A year has passed since the six-party talks concluded an agreement in February 2007 on a deal that would end North Korea's nuclear-weapons programs in stages. But the denuclearization process has failed to progress as expected. In October 2007, North Korea agreed to "disable" its facilities at its Yongbyon nuclear complex and "provide a complete and correct declaration of all nuclear programs" by the end of the year in exchange for fuel aid and efforts by the United States and Japan to thaw diplomatic ties. But disablement of the facilities has not been fully carried out and no progress has been made in the declaration of nuclear programs.

In a late January meeting in Pyongyang with Chinese envoy Wang Jiarui, North Korean leader Kim Jong Il said that North Korea's position is that the six-party accord should be implemented. He added that his country's stance on the deal has not changed. If Mr. Kim is serious, he should carry out his country's commitment to denuclearize in a manner that will leave no doubts about its sincerity. Doing so will allow all parties to the talks to act under the principle of "action for action."

Toward the end of last year, Washington flatly rejected North Korea's contention that it had already provided the list of its nuclear programs. In early February, Mr. Sung Kim, a U.S. State Department official in charge of Korean affairs, visited Pyongyang but later said that the North failed to present the list.