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In today's Report:
The Associated Press-Dow Jones News Service ("IRAQ, N KOREA COME
UNDER FIRE FROM U.N.'S ATOMIC AGENCY" Vienna, 10/3/97) reported
that the ROK delegate to the 41st annual conference of the
International Atomic Energy Agency, Sook Il-Kwun, called on the
conference to take a firm stance against the DPRK for withholding
information on its nuclear program. Delegates were reportedly
particularly concerned that the DPRK might be destroying
documents about its program, without which an initial report on
the country's nuclear materials cannot be verified.
The New York Times carried an opinion article (Thomas L.
Friedman, "MISSILE MYOPIA," 10/2/97) regarding Iran's attempt to
acquire long-range missiles. The article said that in 1993 the
DPRK provided Iran with blueprints, and possibly a single copy,
of the No-dong class of Scud missile. However DPRK aid to Iran
has since tailed off.
The Associated Press (Robert H. Reid, "N. KOREA: KIM JONG [sic]
WILL HEAD PARTY," United Nations, 10/3/97) reported that DPRK
Vice Foreign Minister Choe Su-hon told the U.N. General Assembly
on Thursday that "the nomination process is going on in my
country to elect the great leader Comrade Kim Jong Il as general
secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea." Choe said that Kim's
elevation would demonstrate "the firm will and conviction of our
people" to carry on the policies of his late father, Kim Il-sung.
The vice foreign minister said the DPRK people were able to
overcome their grief over the founder's death "because they hold
in high esteem another great leader, General Kim Jong Il, an
iron-willed brilliant commander."
Reuters ("NORTH KOREA SAYS WAR POSSIBLE 'AT ANY MOMENT'," United
Nations, 10/2/97) reported that DPRK Vice Foreign Minister Choe
Su-hon told the UN General Assembly Thursday the situation on the
Korean peninsula was tense, and "a war could break out at any
moment due to the attempts of the U.S., Japan and South Korean
authorities against our socialist republic." He said that "In
recent years alone, the United States introduced over $3 billion
worth of war equipment into South Korea," The US has also been
conducting joint military exercises more frequently than ever
before and "even directing the gunpoints of the U.S. forces in
Japan and the Pacific Fleet" towards the DPRK, he added. To ease
the tension and avert the danger of war, the US should "abandon
its hostile policy against our republic and sign a peace
agreement" with the DPRK, he said.
5. Land Mines on Korean Peninsula
The Washington Times (Willis Witter, "KOREA PREFERS LAND MINES TO
INVASION BY NORTH," Yonchon, ROK, 10/3/97) carried an article
which said that US and ROK military commanders in the ROK
consider the danger of civilian casualties from land-mine
explosions minimal, and that the devices are necessary to protect
against a possible DPRK invasion. Lieutenant Colonel Robert
Sweeney, who commands the 4th Squadron, 7th Cavalry, argued,
"Land mines buy you time. Right now, we don't have anything to
replace them." The mines used today in the ROK are placed well
away from civilians and in marked areas, and include "smart
bombs" which deactivate after a certain period, he said. In the
early 1980s, ROK troops cleared some fields as they turned areas
over to farmers for the first time since the Korean war, and
numerous casualties were caused by buried mines that were missed.
However Jim Coles, a spokesman for the UN Command in Seoul, said
that the only civilian casualty this decade occurred four years
ago when a woman wandered into an area of Korean War-era mines
outside Taesongdong.
Associated Press ("NAVY CHIEF TO VISIT CHINA FOR MILITARY TALKS,"
Washington 10/3/97) reported that Admiral Jay L. Johnson, the
chief of US naval operations, left Thursday for a five-day visit
to the PRC, where he will meet with top PRC military leaders and
observe naval training at sea. Johnson plans to meet with General
Chi Haotian, minister of defense; General Fu Quanyou, the chief
of the general staff; and top People's Liberation Army naval
commanders.
7. US Sales of Nuclear Material to the PRC
The Associated Press (Martin Crutsinger, "US MAY SELL CHINA NUKE
TECHNOLOGY," Washington, 10/3/97) quoted US Commerce Secretary
William Daley as saying that the possible sale of US nuclear
power technology is on the agenda for upcoming meetings with PRC
officials. "Our companies are at the cutting edge of technology
in nuclear energy," he said. "We fully understand the need to
check the proliferation of (nuclear) material, but at the same
time, we would like to be in a position of advocating on behalf
of U.S. businesses." Daley will be the third top administration
official to visit the PRC in preparation for the visit of PRC
President Jiang Zemin to Washington later this month. Daley said
the administration has made no final decision on the sale of
nuclear technology to the PRC. But congressional sources, who
spoke on condition of anonymity, said there was a growing
likelihood that Clinton will make a favorable announcement during
Jiang's visit. Daley said one of the issues he would raise in
his meetings was what further assurances the PRC government might
be willing to provide that it is implementing proper safeguards
against nuclear proliferation. [Ed. Note: See also Los Angeles
Times, Jim Mann, "U.S. LIKELY TO OK NUCLEAR POWER DEALS WITH
CHINA TRADE," Washington, 10/3/97]
The New York Times carried an editorial ("TOO SOON TO SELL
REACTORS TO CHINA," 10/3/97) arguing that "Despite recent
promises to exercise restraint, China remains the only nuclear-
weapons state selling material and technology to countries that
close some of their nuclear installations to international
inspectors." Therefore the Times said that "President Clinton
should resist the pleas of diplomats eager to improve relations
with Beijing and of exporters . . . looking to tap the $2 billion
Chinese nuclear market" and "should keep current restrictions in
place until China shows responsibility on its own nuclear
exports." The Times argued that the PRC's desire to expand its
nuclear power program provides the US with leverage to induce the
PRC to tighten its export restraints. "That leverage can be
deftly used by promising an early lifting of the American export
restrictions once tighter Chinese controls are established and
verifiably in place," the editorial said.
8. US Plans Laser Test on Satellite
The New York Times (William J. Broad, "LASER TO BE TEST FIRED AT
WORKING U.S. SATELLITE," Washington, 10/3/97) reported that the
US Defense Department said Thursday that Secretary of Defense
William S. Cohen has approved firing the nation's most powerful
military laser at a US$60 million Air Force satellite to test the
laser's destructive power. The test is expected to take place in
New Mexico in the next few days, weather permitting. Military
officials say it will be the first time that a laser beam has
been fired through space to test its potential for destruction.
The officials said the experiment's aim was to learn the extent
to which enemy lasers on the ground could blind or destroy US
satellites in orbit, in hope that the knowledge thus gained can
then be used to reduce their vulnerability. Lieutenant Col. Bob
Potter of the Air Force, a Pentagon spokesman, said, "There's
absolutely no intention to use the laser for offensive purposes.
. . . The purpose of this experiment is to collect data that will
help improve computer models used for planning the protection of
U.S. satellites." However, Senator Tom Harkin said, "This laser
test is both unnecessary and provocative," arguing that the
demonstration of advances in anti-satellite capabilities "would
seriously harm our nation's international arms-control interests
and could well encourage such developments by other countries."
[See also "US Plans Laser Test on Satellite" in the US Section of
the September 1 Daily Report]
ROK Deputy Prime Minister Kwon O-kie told the ROK National
Assembly Wednesday that the ROK will not bear alone the estimated
US$5 billion burden of building nuclear reactors in the DPRK. In
an inspection of the Ministry of National Unification, lawmakers
on the National Assembly's Reunification and Foreign Affairs
Committee took issue with the ongoing reactor construction by the
US-led Korea Energy Development Organization (KEDO). Opposition
party lawmakers argued that the US should share the burden,
pointing to the fact that the provision of nuclear reactors is in
exchange for the freezing of DPRK nuclear arsenal developments.
(Korea Herald, Nam In-soo, "KOREA THREATENS TO ABANDON REACTOR
PROJECT," 10/02/97)
2. ROK President Warns against DPRK "Crisis"
President Kim Young-sam, in a speech at a ceremony marking the
49th Armed Forces Day on Wednesday, called the current DPRK
situation a "crisis" and warned against possible armed
provocation by the DPRK. Kim said that the serious DPRK food
shortage and continuing defections by DPRK citizens show that the
contradictions in the DPRK regime are extreme. "There is no way
of knowing when and what kind of provocation the DPRK will
perpetrate in order to escape from such a crisis," the President
said. (Korea Herald, "KIM BLASTS NORTH KOREA FOR CONTINUED
MILITARY BUILDUP," 10/02/97) [Ed. note: See also "ROK PRESIDENT
CALLS FOR STRONG DEFENSE" in the US Section of the October 2
Daily Report]
3. No Amnesty for Ex-Presidents
ROK President Kim Young-sam is not considering granting amnesty
to former senior officials and politicians who have been
convicted since the inauguration of the his government in early
1993, a top Chong Wa Dae official said yesterday. The official
made the comments in response to news reports speculating that
President Kim, who is expected to pardon 23 businessmen on
National Foundation Day (Friday), may grant another amnesty to
convicted former government officials and politicians, including
the former Presidents Chun Doo Hwan and Roh Tae-woo. Lee Hoi-
chang, presidential candidate of the New Korea Party (NKP), had
suggested last month that President Kim pardon Chun and Roh at an
early date, a move aimed at wooing votes from supporters of the
two former Presidents. However, President Kim, while offering
veiled agreement on the need to free the ex-Presidents, rejected
the suggestion, saying that the time still is not right. (Korea
Herald, "CHONG WA DAE DENIES SPECULATION ON SWEEPING AMNESTIES,"
10/02/97)
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Return to the top of this Daily Report
1. DPRK Nuclear Program
II. Republic of Korea
2. DPRK Missile Sales to Iran
3. Kim Jong-il's Accession
4. DPRK Warns of Possible War
5. Land Mines on Korean Peninsula
6. US Navy Head to Visit PRC
7. US Sales of Nuclear Material to the PRC
8. US Plans Laser Test on Satellite
1. Funding for DPRK Reactors
2. ROK President Warns against DPRK "Crisis"
3. No Amnesty for Ex-Presidents
I. United States
II. Republic of Korea
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