朝鲜政府7月9日宣布，由于美国宣布承认朝鲜的主权，并承诺不会进行军事入侵，朝鲜将于本月25日开始的那周重返朝核问题六方会谈，这意味着陷入僵局一年多的六方会谈出现了重大转机。外电报道如下：North Korea said Saturday it will abandon its yearlong boycott¹ of nuclear disarmament talks and resume negotiations² this month with the U.S. and four other nations, a breakthrough reached just as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice began a mission to end the impasse³.

North Korean Vice⁴ Foreign Minister Kim Gye Gwan informed U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill that his country is prepared to return to the talks during the week of July 25.

Word of the North Korean decision came as Rice arrived in Beijing, the first stop on a four-country tour devoted⁵ primarily to the North Korea situation.

Disarmament表示“裁军，缴械，解除武装”，尤指减少或取消国家的军事力量和武装，例如：general and complete disarmament（全面彻底的裁减军备）；regional disarmament（区域性裁军）。

此外，朝鲜政府宣布重返六方会谈和美国国务卿赖斯访问亚洲四国几乎在同一时间，显得颇为微妙。应中国外交部长李肇星的邀请，赖斯9日抵京访问，开始了为期5天的中、韩、日、泰亚洲四国之行。