Stephen Bosworth '61 is likely to be named special envoy to North Korea by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, according to multiple media reports. If appointed, Bosworth will represent the United States in the ongoing six-party talks with North Korea, South Korea, China, Russia and Japan.
Bosworth was the chairman of Dartmouth's Board of Trustees from 1996 to 1999 and has previously served on the Board of the Dickey Center for International Understanding.
Currently the dean of Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Bosworth served as U.S. ambassador to South Korea from 1997 to 2000 and also was "deeply involved" in previous unsuccessful nuclear negotiations with North Korea, according to The Boston Globe.
Clinton, who left Sunday for her first international trip to East Asia as secretary of state, has not yet announced her selection for the envoy position because the details of the selection were still being finalized, but unnamed sources told the Associated Press that Bosworth has already been offered the job.
Boswoth declined to comment in an e-mail to The Dartmouth on Saturday. The State Department also declined comment.
Representatives from the six countries involved in the talks will meet in Moscow on Feb. 19 and 20. U.S. officials have said they hope the negotiations will result in a plan to confirm North Korea's denuclearization.
North Korea's denuclearization has become an increasingly urgent concern in light of the country's 2006 test of a nuclear reactor, despite its agreement to end its nuclear program in 2005.
The U.S. delegation to Moscow this week will be led by Alexander Arvizu, deputy assistant secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific affairs, Reuters reported. Whether or not Bosworth will participate in the conference has not been made clear.
Bosworth traveled to Pyongyang, North Korea two weeks ago during a five-day, private trip to meet with officials about the ongoing disarmament negotiations, the AP reported. Other unnamed foreign affairs, defense and economics officials traveled with him, according to the AP.
North Korean officials told Bosworth during the trip that they were willing to talk to members of President Barack Obama's administration about advancing steps toward disarmament, Bosworth told reporters in Beijing.
"They understand the Obama administration will need some time to sort itself through the policy review, and they expressed patience. There is no sense of alarm or urgency," Bosworth said, according to the AP.
Bosworth said North Korean officials would neither confirm nor deny plans to test fire its longest range Taepodong-2 missile, Reuters reported.
"They said we should all wait and see," he said about the country's use of the missiles. "There was no threat, no indication that they were concerned. They treated the missile issue as just another run-of-the-mill issue."
In a Feb. 13 speech before her trip to Asia, Clinton outlined the Obama administration's foreign policy for the Asian continent. She emphasized the importance of continuing steps toward North Korea's disarmament and monitoring its relations with South Korea.
Bosworth previously served as ambassador to the Philippines from 1984 to 1987 and ambassador to Tunisia from 1979 to 1981.
"I think that's an outstanding appointment," government professor and associate dean of social sciences Michael Mastanduno said. "He's been involved for a long enough time that he's been able to see cycles of negotiations, so I think that he'll be a very good choice to deal with this critical problem now."
Mastanduno, who was director of the Dickey Center for International Understanding when Bosworth was a member of the center's board, said Bosworth's personality and professionalism also make him a wise choice.
"He's the consummate diplomat," Mastandunu said. "He's always well informed, reasonable, very thoughtful, carefully prepared. He's just a really good diplomat."
Tufts University's Fletcher School could not be reached for comment by press time.
