NAPSNet Daily Report
 
monday, december 3, 2001
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CONTENTS

I. United States

II. Republic of Korea III. Japan
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I. United States


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1. DPRK Nuclear Energy

The Associated Press (Yoo Jae-suk, "KEDO SIGNS ACCORD WITH NORTH KOREA," Seoul, 12/3/01) reported that a US-led international consortium which includes Japan, the ROK and the European Union signed an agreement with the DPRK on Monday guaranteeing the quality of two nuclear reactors being built in the DPRK. Monday's agreement was signed in Pyongyang between Charles Kartment, executive director of the consortium funding the 4.6-billion-dollar project to replace the DPRK's old graphite reactors and Kim Hee Mun, a DPRK government director. When completed, the U.S.-designed light-water reactors would replace the DPRK's Soviet-designed, graphite-moderated reactors, which experts say produce greater amounts of weapons-grade plutonium. The new reactors were to be built by 2003, but delays have pushed back the finish until at least 2008. Groundbreaking on the new reactors started only two months ago. With its energy crisis worsening, the DPRK insisted the US should compensate losses caused by delays in building new reactors. US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher warned the construction of new reactors might suffer further delays if the DPRK does not allow inspectors in to verify safety and security procedures. "This has to be done before they get to a certain stage in construction otherwise it can't proceed," Boucher said. "In order to do that on time, the schedule means that they have to start now."


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2. DPRK-US Relations

The Associated Press, (Soo-jeong Lee, "NORTH KOREA CALLS U.S. 'HOSTILE'," Seoul, 12/1/01) reported that the DPRK accused the US on Saturday of increasing tensions on the Korean peninsula and said that it would resist what it called the US's hostile policy. A commentary by DPRK newspaper Rodong Sinmum said that the US was trying to "totally disarm North Korea and swallow it up with ease. This compels the DPRK to maintain its maximum vigilance against the US' undisguised hostile moves." In a separate dispatch, the Korean Central News Agency accused the United States of making 160 spy flights over the DPRK in November. The DPRK also reiterated its criticism of the US plan to build an anti- missile defense system. Earlier this week, US President Bush ordered his administration to reopen talks on July 6 with the DPRK on curbing its missile and nuclear programs and its massive deployment of troops near the ROK border. The DPRK has yet to respond to the proposal.


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3. DPRK-Japanese Relations

The Associated Press, (Choe, Sang-hun, "N. KOREA CALLS RAID ON GROUP," Seoul, 11/30/01) reported that the DPRK demanded that Japan cease its "despicable political crackdown" on the pro-DPRK organization Chongryon, a day after Japanese police raided the Chongryon's headquarters. The DPRK Foreign Ministry issued the following official statement, "The Japanese authorities should stop at once the fascist suppression of Chongryon, apologize for this and unconditionally and immediately release the unreasonably arrested people."


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4. DPRK Humanitarian Aid

Reuters, ("NORTH KOREA THANKFUL FOR U.N. FOOD AID, WANTS MORE," Seoul, 12/3/01) reported that the DPRK welcomed on Monday the UN appeal for $258 million in food aid and said it hoped the world would continue the donations which feed a third of the state's 23 million people. "The U.N.'s appeal for humanitarian aid is a manifestation of the international community's concern for the DPRK for which it feels thankful," said a North Korean Foreign Ministry statement. The ministry also said that it hoped the international community would "continue to render support and aid to the Korean people" to help them overcome what it called "temporary difficulties" brought on by natural disasters. Asia regional director of the UN World Food Program, John Powell said "the major problem facing the DPRK in food supply and food production is structural. It is not natural disasters." He stopped short of urging North Korea to reform, but said the world was challenged by the "need to engage with the authorities of the DPRK about the kind of changes that might lead to the DPRK arresting the deteriorating economic condition."


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5. Taiwan Legislative Elections

Reuters, ("OFFICIAL COUNT SHOWS TAIWAN'S DPP IN BIG PARLIAMENT WIN," Taipei, 12/1/01) and The Agence France-Presse, ("DPP TRIUMPHS IN TAIWAN PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION," 12/2/01) and The Agence France-Presse, ("KUOMINTANG LOSES LAST GRIP ON POWER IN TAIWAN," 12/2/01) reported that Taiwan's pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) gained control of parliament from the Nationalist Party for the first time. Final results showed the DPP had won 87 seats in the 225-member parliament, against 68 for the Nationalist Party. With no party holding an absolute majority, the struggle will be to form a workable coalition. The results also showed the DPP's fledgling pro- independence allies the Taiwan Solidarity Union won a surprising 13 seats. The Nationalist Party offshoot, the People First Party, won 46 seats. There were nine independents, one from another Nationalist Party splinter group the New Party and one from the previously unknown My Party. Following the polls, Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian called said "Whatever the results of the elections, the end of the vote should be the commencement of cooperation between the ruling and opposition parties." Nationalist Party chairman Lien Chan expressed, "We will definitely begin negotiations in parliament seeking consensus to stabilise the domestic political climate."


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6. PRC-Taiwan Relations

The Agence France-Presse, ("INDEPENDENCE FEARS SILENCE BEIJING ON TAIWAN ELECTION," 12/2/01) reported that the PRC's official Xinhua news agency did not report the election at all which effectively prevented all other Chinese newspapers from carrying the story. Only the People's Daily carried a short two paragraph story on the results of Taiwan's legislative election. The report briefly mentioned the Democratic Progressive Party's 87 to 68 edge in parliamentary seats over the rival Nationalist Party. It did not mention the end of the Nationalist Party's 52 year majority in the legislature. Online news sites carried brief reports on results, but without commentary.

Reuters, (Jeremy Page, "CHINA ALARMED BUT CAUTIOUS OVER TAIWAN ELECTION RESULT," 12/2/01) reported that PRC leaders were surprised by Taiwan's parliamentary election victory for Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party. Director of the Taiwan Research Institute at Xiamen University Fan Xizhou said "Beijing will pay greater attention to see if the DPP uses this [victory] to take a stronger stand against the mainland. I think voices calling for independence will grow louder, but I don't expect any policy change in Taiwan." Zhou Zhihuai, vice president of the Institute of Taiwan Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences stated, "The important thing is to see what Chen Shui-bian actually does after the elections -- his words are always changing." However, Zhou also stated, "There will be no change in mainland policy for the next few years, but we have always said that we can hold talks with any party that supports reunification."

Reuters, (Benjamin Kang Lim, "TAIWAN OFFERS CHINA AN OLIVE BRANCH," Taipei, 12/3/01) reported that in his first public comments since Saturday's election Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian offered the PRC an olive branch on Monday, saying the parliamentary election results has not changed his commitment to improving bilateral ties. Chen said "The mainland authorities looked down on me and the new government before the elections, but I hope they can respect the choice of the Taiwan people after the elections." Former Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui, warned that the PRC's "ambition to swallow up Taiwan would surely grow day by day."


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7. PRC Anti-Terrorism

The Deutsche Presse-Agentur, ("CHINA OPPOSES ATTACKS ON IRAQ WITHOUT 'CONCRETE EVIDENCE'," Beijing, 11/29/2001) reported that the PRC said that it opposes an expansion of the US-led war on terrorism to include attacks on Iraq without "concrete evidence" of Iraq's involvement in terrorism. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said "China supports resolutely the fight against all sorts of terrorism, but we also maintain that the fight should follow the purposes and principles of the UN charter and the relevant norms of international law, and should be based on concrete evidence. We are opposed to extending at will the scope of attack."


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8. PRC-Russia Anti-Terrorism

The Deutsche Presse-Agentur, ("'TOTAL SUPPORT' ON TERRORISM," Beijing, 12/2/2001) reported that following their first talks under a bilateral anti-terrorism working group the PRC and Russia pledged total mutual support and cooperation in fighting terrorism on Friday. The PRC's Xinhua news agency said, "The two sides expressed willingness to cooperate and support each other in combating any form of terrorism, no matter where it happens or who organizes it." Both sides emphasized the leading role of the UN in the fight against terrorism and agreed that all nations should join the fight based on the UN charter and other international laws. PRC President Jiang Zemin and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to strengthen the role of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which groups the PRC, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. In what Jiang called a "far- sighted" pact, the six nations vowed to combat the "three forces" of separatism, terrorism and religious extremism in central Asia.


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9. PRC Aid to Vietnam

The Agence France-Presse, ("CHINA PROVIDES FINANCIAL HELP TO VIETNAM," Beijing, 12/1/01) reported that the PRC's media reported that head of Vietnam's Communist Party Nong Duc Manht on his first official visit to China since being appointed in April met with PRC President Jiang Zemin on Friday on a goodwill visit that has brought Hanoi new financial help. On Saturday, he met the PRC's other top leaders, holding talks with the Chinese premier, Zhu Rongji, and the head of Parliament, Li Peng. Zhu said that the PRC was willing to explore new forms of economic cooperation with Vietnam. Li said the PRC hoped to enhance exchanges and cooperation with the Vietnamese National Assembly. After their meeting on Friday, Jiang and Manh signed an economic and technological pact and an agreement on a PRC preferential loan to Vietnam. Under the agreement, the PRC would provide a soft loan of $40.5 million to Vietnam for the completion of a copper mining project in the northern mountains. The PRC also agreed to provide $3.6 million in nonrefundable aid to Vietnam. The amount was substantially less than the $300 million in credits extended last year. Vietnam News reported that the two sides also promised on Friday not to let their dispute over the Spratly and Paracel archipelagos in the South China Sea sour their relationship. The two countries agreed to continue efforts through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, known as ASEAN, to agree on a formal code of conduct for the disputed area.


II. Republic of Korea


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1. DPRK Protests

The Korea Herald ("N. KOREA CALLS POLICE RAID ON PRO-PYONGYANG GROUP'S OFFICE IN JAPAN POLITICAL SUPPRESSION," Seoul, 12/03/01) reported that the DPRK demanded that Japan immediately stop and apologize for a "despicable political crackdown" of a pro-DPRK organization in Tokyo, which is under police investigation for alleged fraud. The statement from the DPRK's Foreign Ministry, carried by the Korean Central News Agency, late Friday, came a day after Japanese police raided the headquarters of Chongryon, the General Association of Korean Residents, in Japan to look for evidence of embezzlement. "This was a high-handed criminal act and a despicable political crackdown upon Chongryon and our compatriots in Japan and furthermore a flagrant infringement upon the sovereignty of the Democratic People's Republic of (North) Korea," said the statement.


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2. DPRK Nuclear Inspection

The Korea Herald ("N.K. TO ALLOW NUCLEAR LAB INSPECTION," Seoul, 12/03/01) reported that the DPRK is ready to permit foreign inspections of its nuclear laboratory despite threats to revive its suspected nuclear program. The DPRK's isotope production laboratory in its Yongbyon nuclear complex will be open to inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency, Yonhap news agency said. The agency quoted an ROK government source as saying: "The North offered to open its laboratory to inspection at talks with IAEA officials in early November." The report followed the arrival of Charles Kartman, executive director of the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO), in Pyongyang on Saturday. Kartman leads a consortium funding the $4.6-billion project to replace the DPRK's old graphite reactors.


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3. KEDO DPRK Visit

The Korea Herald ("KEDO CHIEF VISITS NORTH KOREA," Seoul, 12/03/01) reported that the head of an international consortium building nuclear reactors in the DPRK arrived in Pyongyang on Saturday for a four-day visit, Seoul officials said. Charles Kartman, executive director of the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO), will discuss the delayed project to construct light-water nuclear reactors, the electricity supply and the wages of DPRK workers. Kartman will also inspect the construction site in Sinpo, South Hamgyeong Province. He will fly to Seoul to attend a two-day meeting of KEDO's executive board beginning next Thursday and brief Seoul officials on his trip to the DPRK.


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4. ROK Anti-terror Envoy

The Korea Herald ("ANTI-TERROR ENVOY TO BE NAMED," Seoul, 12/03/01) reported that the ROK Foreign Ministry said Sunday that the ROK will install a new ambassador post to represent the country in international cooperation on anti-terrorism measures as soon as possible. The new ambassador will represent the ROK in international terrorism-related conferences and coordinate anti-terrorism efforts with foreign countries. The envoy will publicize overseas ROK's efforts to ensure security at the 2002 World Cup soccer finals, which the nation will co- host with Japan. The ministry will also create a task force to assist the ambassador.


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5. DPRK Missile Development

The Agence France-Presse, ("NORTH KOREA HINTS AT CONTINUING MISSILE DEVELOPMENT," 12/2/01) reported that DPRK daily newspaper Rodong Sinmun published a signed commentary that said, "The DPRK's missile development is one of the most reliable self-defensive measures to smash the imperialists' moves to stifle the DPRK by force of arms and defend socialism." The commentary also accused the US of stepping up its "hardline" policy toward the DPRK, escalating tension, and increasing the danger of war on the Korean peninsula. The DPRK's Korean Central News Agency said separately that US "imperialist warmongers" carried out 160 espionage flights over the DPRK in November alone and staged aerial war exercises against it. "All this fully reveals the heinous attempt of the US imperialists to render the situation on the Korean peninsula extremely tense and ignite a new war of aggression," the news agency said.


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6. Russia Envoy DPRK Visit

Joongang Ilbo ("RUSSIA TO SEND MILITARY DELEGATION TO NORTH," Seoul, 11/30/01) reported that an informed source in Seoul said on Friday that a Russian military delegation will visit the DPRK on Saturday for a four-day stay to discuss bilateral defense industry cooperation. "The scale of the delegation is not known but they are believed to be coming for the second working-level military technology cooperation meeting," the source said. Chairman Kim Jong-il during the Moscow summit is known to have expressed the desire to purchase short-term air-defense system that cover S-300 ground-to-air missile and brand new T-90 tanks from his Russian counterpart President Vladimir Putin. He also bared hopes to establish an MIG-27 fighter jet-assembling factory in the DPRK.


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7. Inter-Korean Working-Level Meeting

The Korea Times (Won-ki Choi, "NK PROPOSES WORKING-LEVEL MEETING WITH SOUTH'S CIVILIAN GROUPS," Seoul, 12/02/01) reported civic group officials said Saturday that the DPRK's Council for National Reconciliation has proposed a working-level meeting with ROK non- governmental organizations to discuss a series of joint events to celebrate the advent of the new year. The ROK's civic groups have yet to determine whether or not to take part in the proposed events that the DPRK says should be held near its scenic Mt. Kumgang resort.


III. Japan


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1. Japanese Logistic Support for US

The Asahi Shimbun ("AFTER DISPATCH, POLITICAL WARS," Tokyo, 12/01-2/01) reported that formal approval from the Upper House for the dispatch of the Self-Defense Forces to the Indian Ocean to support the US-led battle against terrorism was gained on Friday. However, sanction of the troop dispatch was marked by a feud among opposition parties involving disgruntled members of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) who did not follow the party line. Mieko Kamimoto and Kyosen Ohashi voted against acceptance of the government's basic plan on troop dispatch, and five other DPJ members avoided the plenary session altogether. The rift within DPJ could widen if DPJ leader Yukio Hatoyama decides to roust Takahiro Yokomichi from his post as deputy head of the party. Takako Doi, who heads the Social Democratic Party, has approached Yokomichi about the prospect of returning. Yokomichi also consulted Ichiro Ozawa, leader of the Liberal Party, who wants to reorganize the opposition political parties. Conservatives within DPJ want Yokomichi and others who opposed the basic plan on SDF dispatch to be punished. They are incensed because they earlier had to vote against the anti-terrorism special measures law to follow the party line, even though they personally favored it.


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2. Japanese Defense Policy

The Japan Times ("LAWMAKERS TEAM UP ON DEFENSE ISSUE," Tokyo, 11/29/01) reported that conservative lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties joined hands to form a nonpartisan group aimed at legislating a security law that would allow Japan to exercise the right of collective defense. The group consists of 101 younger-generation Diet members from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), New Komeito, the New Conservative Party, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) and the Liberal Party. Thirty of them attended Wednesday's gathering. "We have keenly realized that the world is facing a new threat in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the US," LDP lawmaker Kenzo Yoneda said. The group will also aim at revising the Japanese Constitution. The presence of some 30 DPJ members in the group underlined the division within the largest opposition party over the security agenda.


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