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미국 국무부 6자회담 특사인 시드니 사일러 가 조만간 물러날 것으로 알려졌다.
사일러 특사는 30일(현지시간) 자신의 사퇴설과 관련한 연합뉴스의 확인 이메일 질문에 대한 자동응답 메일을 통해 "지금 사무실에 없다. 곧 다른 자리로 옮길 예정 "이라고 밝혔다.
외교 소식통도 "그런 얘기(사일러 특사 사퇴)를 들었다"고 간접 확인했다.
성 김 국무부 대북정책 특별대표 밑에서 대북 관련 업무를 맡아 온 사일러 특사 는 한국에서 오래 살아 한국말에 유창하고 북한도 여러 차례 비밀리에 다녀온 대표 적인 한반도 전문가로 통한다.
2011년 5월부터 3년 넘게 백악관에서 한반도담당 보좌관을 지내다가 지난해 9월 6자회담 특사에 기용됐다.
사일러 특사의 다음 자리는 구체적으로 확인되지 않았지만 일단 소속 부서인 국 가정보국(DNI)으로 복귀할 것으로 알려졌다.
사일러 특사의 후임 역시 확인되지 않았으나 임명하지 않고 공석으로 둘 가능성 도 있는 것으로 전해졌다. 후임이 임명되지 않을 경우 버락 오바마 대통령 임기 내 에는 미국의 대북정책에 큰 변화를 기대하기는 어려울 것으로 보인다. (연합)
<관련 영문 기사>
Sydney Seiler expected to step down as special envoy for six-party talks
Sydney Seiler, U.S. special envoy for the six-party talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear program, is expected to step down from the State Department position, a diplomatic source said Sunday.
Seiler, who took the job a year ago, is expected to return to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the source said, adding that Seiler has been in the State Department as a loan from the DNI and such a status cannot last more than a year.
Seiler was not immediately available for comment, but an email to him was returned with the message, "I am out of the office and will be moving on to my next assignment."
A fluent Korean speaker, Seiler is considered one of the top Korea specialists in the administration of President Barack Obama.
Before joining the State Department, he also served as Korea director at the National Security Council from April 2011 to August 2014 and advised Obama and senior White House officials on issues related to South and North Korea.
As special envoy, Seiler coordinated U.S. efforts on denuclearization of North Korea through the six-party talks framework and led day-to-day engagements with other members of the negotiations.
The six-party talks have been stalled since the last session in late 2008.
North Korea has called for the unconditional resumption of negotiations, but the U.S. and South Korea have demanded that the communist nation first take concrete steps demonstrating its commitment to denuclearization. (Yonhap)
