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Northeast Asia Peace and Security Network DAILY REPORT For Monday, March 16, 1998, from Berkeley, California, USA |
1. Four-Party Peace Talks
Reuters (Elif Kaban, "NEW KOREA TALKS RECESS AFTER SEATING
DISPUTE," Geneva, 03/16/98) and the AP-Dow Jones News Service
("KOREAN PEACE TALKS IN GENEVA STALL OVER SEATING ARRANGEMENTS,"
Geneva, 03/16/98) reported that the latest round of Korean
peninsula peace talks were held up for over five hours on Monday
by a dispute over seating arrangements. PRC assistant foreign
affairs minister Chen Jian announced later, "The seating
arrangement has been resolved. We have all been seated." He
added that more informal consultations are set for Tuesday
morning and formal talks will resume Tuesday afternoon, lasting
for at least three more days. Chen said that all four parties
had agreed to the general agenda of replacing the 1953 armistice
with a permanent peace pact, and that under that broad agenda
"all concerns can be raised and discussed." He added, "The
discussions should proceed from easy ones to difficult ones and
lastly reach agreement. There is broad agreement that a kind of
mechanism should be set up in order to enter into substantive
discussions." DPRK deputy delegation chief Li Gun, who is also
DPRK ambassador to the UN, said Sunday, "To us, the issue of
American troop withdrawal is one of the major subjects at the
negotiations. We will repeat our demand in Geneva." Li also
alleged that ROK moves to boost forces near the Demilitarized
Zone were "keeping us alert." In Washington, State Department
spokesman James P. Rubin stated, "We hope to move the process
forward through these discussions, but our expectations are not
high for breakthroughs in what will be a slow and painstaking
effort." Meanwhile, in Seoul, ROK President Kim Dae-jung
reiterated Monday that the US military presence was vital to
peace in the region.
2. DPRK Military Exercises
The Wall Street Journal (Michael Schuman, "NORTH KOREAN WAR
EXERCISES PRECEDE HOPEFUL PEACE TALKS," Seoul, 03/16/98) reported
that many analysts have speculated that the DPRK's announcement
of large-scale war games could be an attempt by the DPRK to
demonstrate its military strength ahead of the four-party peace
talks. The report quoted Daryl Plunk of the Heritage Foundation
as saying that the exercises "may be a shot across the bow of the
new South Korean government ahead of the talks."
State Department Spokesman James Rubin ("STATE DEPT. NOON
BRIEFING," USIA Transcript, 03/13/98) downplayed the significance
of the DPRK's announcement of large-scale military exercises on
Friday. Rubin stated, "this is, as far as I can tell from the
experts, a sort of an annual ritual in this area." He added,
however, that the US "will be monitoring the situation closely,
and comparing this exercise to previous such activities." He
said that Defense Department estimates suggest that the level of
operations are lower and that the training level is down from
previous winter exercises. Regarding limits on foreigners'
travel, Rubin stated, "it's not unusual, unfortunately, in North
Korea that there are limitations put on travel inside North
Korea. But the North Korean authorities have told us that they
will continue to permit visits by foreigners to local areas
related to food assistance during the period of this exercise."
3. Aid for DPRK
The Associated Press ("REPORT: SEOUL MAY AID N. KOREA," Seoul,
03/15/98) reported that the ROK's Yonhap news agency on Sunday
quoted unidentified sources as saying that the ROK government
will convene a Cabinet meeting this week to approve the donation
of 200,000 tons of fertilizer to the DPRK. The issue is expected
to be taken up when Red Cross officials of the two Koreas meet in
Beijing next week to discuss the latest ROK offer to provide
50,000 tons of food aid to the DPRK. Meanwhile, the ROK's Korea
Sharing Movement shipped 800 tons of fertilizer worth US$190,000
to the DPRK last week.
4. DPRK Diplomacy
The Associated Press ("N.KOREA CUTS DIPLOMATIC OPERATIONS,"
Seoul, 03/14/98) reported that the DPRK announced Saturday that
it will cut by one-third the number of overseas diplomatic
operations until the food shortage and other economic conditions
improve. The Korean Central News Agency quoted a spokesman for
the DPRK Foreign Ministry as saying, "To cope with the acute
situation, we have decided to reduce and readjust missions abroad
some by 30 percent until the food and economic problems are
solved." He stated that years of disastrous weather "have
brought grave damage to the agricultural and all other economic
sectors, rendering the food problem and the country's economic
situation very difficult."
5. ROK Political Prisoners
The Associated Press (Kyong-Hwa Seok, "MORE SOUTH KOREAN AMNESTY
URGED," Seoul, 03/16/98) reported that Chung Dong-young,
spokesman for the National Congress for New Politics, said Monday
that the party will ask the government to free more political
prisoners on May 3, Buddha's birthday. Chung stated, "Our party
members agreed that we need a more generous standard for amnesty,
considering the new president is the first opposition leader to
take power in 50 years." Meanwhile, human rights activist Jin
Kwan a Buddhist monk, stated, "The number of political prisoners
released this time is only 15 percent of the total 478 political
prisoners. We cannot understand why the rest are not freed."
Jin was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in 1996 for giving information
on political prisoners in the ROK to a Korean-Canadian man, who
authorities said was a DPRK spy.
6. ROK Financial Crisis
Reuters ("S. KOREA EXTENDS DEBT ROLLOVER DEADLINE," Seoul,
03/14/98) reported that ROK media said Saturday that nearly all
of the ROK's short-term debt will be rolled over into longer-term
obligations under a deal with global creditors. An unnamed
finance ministry official said that foreign bankers and the ROK
would hold a signing ceremony for the roll-over this month.
7. US Ambassador to ROK
The New York Times (Nicholas D. Kristof, "KOREA DEFLATED, BUT A
DIPLOMAT'S HOPES ARE HIGH," Seoul, 03/16/98) carried an article
profiling US Ambassador to the ROK Stephen Bosworth. Bosworth
was quoted as saying, "Because of the nature of the relationship,
you have the opportunity to have an influence that is not often
true elsewhere. This is one of the three or four embassies in
the world where you really have an opportunity to make a
difference." The article pointed out that Bosworth, as the
former head of the Korean Peninsula Energy Development
Organization, is the first US ambassador to the ROK with
experience visiting and dealing with the DPRK. Former US
ambassador to the ROK Donald Gregg stated, "The fact that he's
been to North Korea, that he's dealt with the North Koreans,
gives him a whole new dimension which is going to stand him in
good stead." You Jong-keun, economic adviser to ROK President
Kim Dae-jung, said that Bosworth's background as a former
economics officer "is a great plus" at a time when the ROK is
facing a financial crisis. You added, "He's very well
respected." The article said that some US government officials
felt that, before Bosworth's appointment, the US embassy was
doing an inadequate job of reporting on economic developments in
the ROK. Bosworth was quoted as saying, "I think it's a
justifiable criticism, though I don't know quite what you do
about it, that the State Department does not have enough first-
rate economic talent."
8. PRC Military Development
Agence France-Presse ("HIGH-TECH ARMS STRESSED FOR CHINA'S ARMY,"
Beijing, 03/16/98) reported that Fu Quanyou, chief of the PRC
army's general staff, said in the official magazine Seeking Truth
on Monday that the PRC must develop its own high-tech weapons to
replace out-of-date technology. Fu stated, "Future wars will be
fought with technology in weapons and command." He praised the
Government's recent plan to cut the number of troops by 500,000
while increasing spending to upgrade technology and weapons, but
warned that the plan still faced opposition in the military from
those with "old concepts" who are "hindering the reforms."
9. US-PRC Nuclear Cooperation
State Department Spokesman James Rubin ("STATE DEPT. NOON
BRIEFING," USIA Transcript, 03/13/98) said that recent US-PRC
discussions on PRC nuclear shipments to Iran demonstrate the
effectiveness of US non-proliferation methods. Rubin stated, "We
raised with Chinese authorities a possible - and let me emphasize
the word 'possible' -- transaction between a Chinese entity and
an Iranian organization involving a chemical that is not on any
international nuclear control list, but could be used in the
processing of nuclear materials. The Chinese authorities
investigated the matter and promptly informed us that a
transaction like that had not been agreed to, and that China had
no intention of making such a transaction; nor do we have any
evidence that a shipment of the chemical occurred, or that such a
transaction is proceeding." He added that the US believes that
there has been a "sea change" in PRC policies and practices on
non-proliferation. He stated that the US does not "have an
indication that the transaction would have gone forward if we
hadn't contacted the Chinese." He added that the chemical in
question, anhydrous hydrogen fluoride (AHF), "is not used to
enrich uranium to weapons grade. AHF is used in the conversion
process, which takes uranium from its basic form to a gaseous
form suitable for beginning an entirely new process called
uranium enrichment.... In addition, AHF has other uses."
1. Four-party Peace Talks
Delegates of the two Koreas, the US, and the PRC held a
preparatory meeting for the four-party peace talks on March 14.
No official statement was issued at the end of the session, which
lasted approximately four hours. Diplomats said the meeting laid
the groundwork for the full plenary session to be chaired by the
PRC. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Stanley Roth will head
the US delegation during the full session of the talks. PRC
assistant foreign minister Chen Jian, deputy foreign minister Kim
Kye-gwan of the DPRK, and deputy foreign minister Song Young-shik
of the ROK will also represent their corresponding delegation.
(Korea Times, "PREPARATORY SESSION OF KOREA PEACE TALKS HELD IN
GENEVA," 03/16/98)
2. DPRK Diplomacy
A spokesman for the DPRK foreign ministry announced on March 14
that over 30 percent of the DPRK's diplomatic missions are to be
closed down. The official, during an interview with the DPRK's
Central News Agency, emphasized the economic difficulties that
the DPRK has been experiencing over the past few years as the
main reason for the closures. (Hankyoreh Shinmun, "DPRK TO CLOSE
DOWN DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS," 03/15/98)
3. US-DPRK Missile Talks
The US and the DPRK will resume their missile-talks in the near
future as agreed during their March 13 meeting, sources reported
on March 14. Accordingly, the two parties will be able to
continue their negotiations over the suspension of the DPRK's
missile development programs, although specific dates have not
been agreed upon. Furthermore, the US was urged to ease its
economic embargo against the DPRK. However, the US responded to
the DPRK's request by saying that such a decision can only be
made when various conditions such as supportive US domestic law,
approval by the Congress, and ease of inter-Korean tension are
accomplished. (Chosun Ilbo, Kim Kwang-il, "US-DPRK TO RESUME
MISSILE TALKS," Geneva, 03/15/98)
4. Russia-Japan Naval Exercise
Russia has proposed to the Japanese marine force that Japan,
Russia, and the US stage joint search and rescue drills in the
East Sea (Sea of Japan), according to the Sankei Shimbun on March
15. Russia made the proposal when Masahiro Akiyama, deputy head
of the Japanese defense agency, visited Russia in late January,
the newspaper quoted military sources as saying. Accordingly,
Japanese and Russian naval forces reportedly plan to stage joint
drills in the East Sea in 1998, the first full-scale joint
exercises between the defense forces. Russia wants to expand the
drills to incorporate the US in a confidence-building exercise,
the paper said. (Korea Times, "RUSSIA PROPOSES JOINT NAVAL
RESCUE DRILLS WITH JAPAN, US," 03/16/98)
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