It cannot be a coincidence that North Korea has said it is willing to return to multilateral talks about its nuclear weapons program just after neighboring South Korea announced a massive new aid program.

Still, in this delicate and dangerous part of the world, one takes good news where one gets it.

North Korea says it is willing to sit down again in the so-called six-party talks involving the United States, the two Koreas, Japan, China and Russia.

But nothing in this latest statement suggests that North Korea has backed off its fundamental demand for a security guarantee from the United States and substantial economic aid.

Which is precisely what the United States should offer. It goes without saying that the regime of Kim Jong Il is repressive, erratic and brutal. President Bush has correctly identified North Korea as, in effect, a criminal state on the international stage.

If the talks go forward later this month as scheduled, the United States must come prepared to talk seriously about the security guarantees and aid requests North Korea has put on the table.

It is odious to negotiate under these conditions, surely. But consider the alternatives, in terms of regional security and, indeed, the security of the United States itself.

It is in the best interests of all to have these talks and to have the talks succeed.