|
Northeast Asia Peace and Security Network DAILY REPORT For Friday, March 27, 1998, from Berkeley, California, USA |
1. Rumors of DPRK Unrest
Reuters ("NORTH KOREAN TRADE OFFICIALS REPORTEDLY MISSING," Hong
Kong, 03/26/98) reported that Hong Kong's South China Morning
Post on Friday quoted Hong Kong and Western businessmen in
Beijing as saying that some DPRK officials who deal with
investment and foreign trade have "mysteriously vanished." The
disappearance apparently came around the same time as foreign
residents reportedly heard shooting in Pyongyang, the newspaper
said. Robert Kuok, vice-president of the Emperor Group, was
quoted as saying, "We have not been able to contact Kim Jong-u,
chairman of the Committee for the Promotion of External Economic
Cooperation, for two months. We can't get confirmation of his
whereabouts ... something is obviously going on." Another
western businessman who had just been to Pyongyang was quoted as
saying that he could find none of his contacts. He stated, "I
was told that they had had a heart attack or had gone away on a
long journey and none of them would be back for a long time."
2. ROK Policy on DPRK
The Associated Press (Sang-Hun Choe, "KOREAN INVESTMENTS MAY BE
OPENED," Seoul, 03/27/98) and Reuters ("S.KOREA TO EASE RULES ON
N.KOREA INVESTMENT-MEDIA," Seoul, 03/27/98) reported that ROK
Unification Minister Kang In-duk said Friday that, beginning in
early April, the government will allow ROK businesses to invest
freely in the DPRK except in defense and other strategic heavy
industries. Kang stated, "From now on, we will separate politics
from business when we deal with the North." ROK officials said
that the government, among other things, will lift the US$5
million ceiling on investment in the DPRK and permit heads of
major conglomerates to visit the DPRK freely to explore
investment opportunities. Also on Friday, national security
adviser Lim Dong-won said that the ROK was considering sending
addresses of its separated families to the DPRK to prepare for
possible family reunions.
3. ROK-DPRK Red Cross Talks
The Associated Press ("RIVAL KOREAS AGREE ON FOOD AID," Beijing,
03/27/98) and Reuters (Justin Jin, "NORTH, SOUTH KOREAN RED CROSS
AGREE ON FOOD AID," Beijing, 03/27/98) reported that Lee Byung-
Woong, secretary-general of the ROK Red Cross, said that the ROK
reached a deal Friday with the DPRK to distribute 50,000 tons of
donated food. Lee stated that the DPRK agreed to allow Red Cross
monitors to observe distribution of the aid in one or two areas
previously off-limits to them. The DPRK also agreed to hold
talks about reuniting separated Korean families. He added,
however, that those talks were not a criteria of food aid.
Delivery of the aid now is scheduled for May.
4. WFP Food Aid Appeal for DPRK
Reuters ("NEW APPEAL FOR NORTH KOREA FOOD AID," Geneva, 03/27/98)
reported that Catherine Bertini, executive director of the UN
World Food Program (WFP), on Friday asked Western donors to
respond urgently to an appeal for food aid for the DPRK, saying
the amount received so far fell well short of the needs. Bertini
made the appeal when she met officials of donor states in Geneva
on Thursday ahead of a week-long trip to the DPRK starting on
April 4. Bertini will go to Beijing, Tokyo, and Seoul after the
DPRK to seek support. WFP spokeswoman Christiane Berthiaume said
that only the US with 200,000 tons, the Czech Republic with
20,000 tons, and Canada with 17,000 tons, had so far responded to
the WFP's January appeal for food aid worth US$378 million. She
said that the total donations made up only 30 percent of the
658,000 tons needed. She said that the other major food donors
to the DPRK--Japan, the ROK, and the European Union--have yet to
respond to the appeal. Berthiaume stated, "The international
community must react now. The population is particularly
vulnerable." She said that the first shipment of 20,000 tons is
expected to arrive at the beginning of April, adding that it
takes between three and four months from the time a contribution
is announced and the arrival of supplies in the country.
5. US Weapons Sales to ROK
United Press International ("PENTAGON TO SELL WEAPONS TO ALLIES,"
Washington, 03/27/98) reported that the US Defense Department
said Friday that it wants to sell the ROK 112 multiple rocket
launchers at a total cost of about US$840 million. The sales
must be approved by Congress.
6. ROK Financial Crisis
Reuters ("WORLD BANK OFFERS S.KOREA $2 BLN TO BOOST REFORMS,"
Washington, 03/26/98) reported that World Bank President James
Wolfensohn said in a statement Thursday that the bank had
approved a US$2 billion loan for the ROK. Wolfensohn stated, "We
are impressed by Korea's willingness to do everything it can to
revive its economy and get things back on track. This loan is a
further signal of our confidence in the country's direction,
drive and determination." The new loan brings World Bank funding
for the ROK to US$5 billion since last December. The World Bank
said efforts to improve the flexibility of the ROK labor market
would form one important element of programs funded by its latest
loan. It added that the money would also help the government
improve its social safety net, strengthen the regulatory
framework of the banking sector, and reduce the risks facing
domestic banks. A bank statement said, "The World Bank's program
is designed to support Korea's strategic priorities in the wake
of the crisis ... through a program of structural reforms that
would lay the basis for Korea's eventual return to high and
sustainable growth."
The Wall Street Journal (Michael Schuman and Darren Mcdermott,
"SOUTH KOREA MAKES GLOBAL PITCH WITH ITS $3 BILLION BOND
OFFERING," Seoul, 03/27/98) reported that the ROK government on
Thursday launched a US$3 billion international bond issue. ROK
policymakers believe the success of the bond issue will determine
the ability of ROK banks and corporations to raise money abroad
in the coming months.
7. US Scientist Sentenced for Espionage
The Los Angeles Times (Daniel Yi, "SCIENTIST SENTENCED TO HALFWAY
HOUSE IN CHINESE ESPIONAGE CASE," 03/27/98) and Reuters
("CHINESE-BORN NUCLEAR SPY JAILED IN CALIFORNIA," Los Angeles,
03/27/98) reported that Peter H. Lee, a scientist convicted of
passing classified US nuclear information to the PRC, was
sentenced Thursday to 12 months in a halfway house and three
years' probation. Lee was also ordered to pay US$20,000 in fines
and perform 3,000 hours of community service. In suspending
Lee's five-year prison term, US District Judge Terry J. Hatter
said he believed Lee did not act out of malice, but felt a
message needed to be sent that, "You cannot leave to a scientist
the discretion of what should be classified." In a pre-
sentencing report, the government said Lee was a pawn in a shrewd
effort by the PRC government to gather information in the US.
The FBI said that the PRC has been inviting prominent US
scientists to give lectures and then inducing them to disclose
information. In pleading for leniency, Lee told Hatter that he
did not think he had been aiding the PRC government and was
deeply sorry.
1. ROK Policy on DPRK
ROK Unification Minister Kang In-duk told the Cabinet on March 26
that the government is willing to help the DPRK increase
cooperation with the US, Japan, and international organizations.
Kang made the remarks in a report to a Cabinet meeting with a
view to improve the Cabinet members' understanding of the
President's basic DPRK policies and step up coordination with
relevant government branches. (Korea Times, Son Key-young,
"GOV'T TO HELP NK IMPROVE TIES WITH US, JAPAN," 03/27/98)
Unification Minister Kang In-duk, expressing his reservations
about the so-called "internationalization" of Korean issues,
called for direct "state-to-state" dialogue between the ROK and
the DPRK to achieve peaceful coexistence. Kang made the remarks
as a guest speaker at a meeting of senior journalists hosted by
the Korea News Editors Association on March 27. It is unusual
for a ranking ROK government official to define the DPRK as a
"state." By referring to inter-Korean relations as a "state-to-
state," the new unification minister apparently wanted to stress
the importance of peaceful coexistence between the two Koreas.
However, the definition of the inter-Korean relationship on a
"state-to-state" basis can be most controversial because,
according to the ROK Constitution, the sovereignty of the
Republic of Korea extends throughout the whole Korean peninsula.
(Korea Times, Son Key-young, "UNIFICATION MINISTER KANG CALLS FOR
'STATE-TO-STATE' DIALOGUE BETWEEN TWO KOREAS," 03/27/98)
The following are the highlights of the ROK's new principles
toward the DPRK, which were decided upon Thursday night in a
meeting of the executive council of national security advisors to
President Kim Dae-jung. The principles are: Separation of
politics from business; Businessmen and the aged will be free to
visit the DPRK; Unrestricted relocation of machinery to the DPRK;
ROK citizens can invest in all types of areas in the DPRK; Free
exchange of letters and communications through the Demilitarized
Zone; Establishing places of meeting and postal exchanges near
Panmumjom; Laws hampering ROK-DPRK contact and exchange will be
revised; and the elderly poor will get state subsidies for family
reunions. These measures will be implemented next month upon
formal endorsement by President Kim when he returns from his
five-day trip to London after attending the second Asia-Europe
Meeting. (Korea Times, "HIGHLIGHTS OF INTER-KOREAN EXCHANGES,"
03/28/98)
2. US-DPRK Relations
The Rodong Shinmun of the DPRK said on March 26 that the US
policy of nuclear deterrence is paradoxical and called for an
immediate dismantling of the US nuclear arsenal. "It's like a
robber telling other innocent people not to steal," said the
newspaper, referring to the US reasons for maintaining its
nuclear weapons. (Joongang Ilbo, "DPRK URGES US TO DIMANTLE
NUCLEAR ARSENAL," 03/27/98)
Chosun Shinbo, a mouthpiece for the Chochongryun, reported that
the DPRK and the US had agreed to resume high-level military
talks during their meeting in Berlin on March 13. If the report
were true, a common US-DPRK military dialogue, originally
proposed by the DPRK in February 1996, would be operated without
the participation of the ROK. (Joongang Ilbo, "US-DPRK WILL
RESUME MILITARY TALKS; DPRK REPORT," 03/27/98)
1. Rumors of DPRK Unrest
The Sankei Shimbun ("HONG KONG PAPER REPORTS THAT DPRK MAY BE
UNDER MARTIAL LAW," Hong Kong, 03/27/98) reported that, according
to the South China Morning Post on March 26, the DPRK has
proclaimed martial law. The Chinese paper said, based on sources
from Beijing, that the DPRK has been carrying out military
exercises since March 12, but that the reason for the martial law
is a power struggle among the DPRK leaders, providing as evidence
the arrests of Kim Jong-u, who was in charge of the Rajing-
Sonbong Free Trade Zone, and other high-ranking officials in
charge of ROK-related affairs. According to the sources, the
unproductive Four Party Peace Talks in Geneva also resulted from
the power struggle. The ongoing military exercises may be aimed
at purging the political enemies of Kim Jong-il, and some
governmental agencies are under military surveillance. In
addition, the Chinese paper said that foreigners in Pyongyang
were put under curfew soon after the alleged exchange of fire
between the military and the police on March 5, which was
reported earlier as a coup d'etat.
2. Japanese-ROK Relations
The Asahi Shimbun ("JAPAN-ROK FOREIGN MINISTERIAL MEETING: FIRST
STEP TO IMPROVEMENT OF RELATIONS," Seoul, 03/23/98) reported that
the first foreign ministerial meeting since the inauguration of
the Kim Dae-jung Administration agreed on March 22 on early
resumption of Japan-ROK fishery talks, indicating the first step
to improvement of Japanese-ROK relations. ROK Minister of
Foreign Affairs and Trade Park Chung-su said, "We are not only
foreign ministers, but lawmakers as well. We can solve any
difficult problem through dialogue." In response, Japanese
Foreign Minister Keizo Obuchi said, "As lawmakers, we spoke the
same language." With regard to the fishery talks, the report
pointed out that Obuchi's use of "regret" about Japan's decision
to terminate the talks during his speech may have been taken as
"Japan's regret" by the ROK side. With regard to the issue of
comfort women, the report cited an ROK spokesman for the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs and Trade as only saying, "The ROK sees the
issue as a long-term one," and added that the spokesman seemingly
avoided any clear statement on the issue for the reason of
"political consideration" between the two countries.
3. Japanese-Russian Relations
The Nikkei Shimbun ("JAPAN AND RUSSIA CONFIRM RUSSIAN PRESIDENT'S
VISIT TO JAPAN," 03/27/98) reported that the Japanese and Russian
governments confirmed on March 26 that Russian President Boris
Yeltsin will visit Japan in April despite "any political
circumstances." President Yeltsin will visit Kawana, Shizuoka
for three days starting April 11. Both governments agreed to
discuss, based on the Tokyo Declaration of November, 1997, the
contents of a peace treaty, the Northern Territory issue, and
other concerns between the two countries.
4. Japanese Defense Policy
The Asahi Shimbun ("GOVERNMENT DECIDES TO MAKE DECISIONS AT
MINISTERIAL MEETING ON MARITIME SCOPE OF JAPAN'S AID TO US FORCES
IN SITUATIONS IN AREAS SURROUNDING JAPAN," 03/26/98) reported
that the Japanese government decided on March 25, in an effort to
make new laws for the New Guidelines for Japan-US Defense
Cooperation, to make decisions at a ministerial meeting on the
maritime scope within which Japan would provide aid to US forces,
including export supply and search and rescue of US soldiers.
The decision is based on the government's conclusion that on-site
decision of such a scope might lead to unconstitutional
collective self-defense. The Asahi Shimbun expressed concern,
however, that this decision allows the government to avoid the
Diet's approval of the government's decisions in certain
situations and that the scope may change according to the scope
of US military activities.
5. US Conducts Nuclear Test
The Yomiuri Shimbun ("US CONDUCTS THIRD SUBCRITICAL NUCLEAR
TEST," Washington, 03/26/98) reported that the US Department of
Energy (DOE) on March 25 conducted its third subcritical nuclear
test in Nevada, using approximately one kilogram of plutonium.
An anti-nuclear group of about twenty people gathered at the site
of the test to protest the test. DOE claimed that the test aims
to collect data on the deterioration of weapon-grade materials
and emphasized that the test is not inconsistent with the
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty because it was not accompanied by
any explosion. DOE is planning three more tests, according to
the report.
The NAPSNet Daily Report aims to serve as a forum for dialogue
and exchange among peace and security specialists.
Conventions for readers and a list of acronyms and
abbreviations are available to all recipients.
For descriptions of the world wide web sites used to gather
information for this report, or for more information on web
sites with related information, see the collection of
other NAPSNet resources.
Produced by the Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainable Development in partnership with:
Wade L. Huntley: napsnet@nautilus.org
Timothy L. Savage: napsnet@nautilus.org
Shin Dong-bom: dongbom_shin@wisenet.co.kr
Choi Chung-moon: cily@star.elim.co.kr
Hiroyasu Akutsu: akutsu@glocomnet.or.jp
Peter Razvin: icipu@glas.apc.org
Chunsi Wu: dlshen@fudan.ac.cn
Dingli Shen: dlshen@fudan.ac.cn
Return to the Top of this Daily Report
[Next Item][Contents]
[Prev. Item][Next Item][Contents]
[Prev. Item][Next Item][Contents]
[Prev. Item][Next Item][Contents]
[Prev. Item][Next Item][Contents]
[Prev. Item][Next Item][Contents]
[Prev. Item][Next Item][Contents]
[Prev. Item][Next Item][Contents]
[Prev. Item][Next Item][Contents]
[Prev. Item][Next Item][Contents]
[Prev. Item][Next Item][Contents]
[Prev. Item][Next Item][Contents]
[Prev. Item][Next Item][Contents]
[Prev. Item][Contents][Credits]
We invite you to reply to today's report, and we welcome
commentary or papers for distribution to the network.
Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
The Center for Global Communications, Tokyo, Japan
Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
Berkeley, California, United States
Berkeley, California, United States
Seoul, Republic of Korea
Seoul, Republic of Korea
Tokyo, Japan
Moscow, Russian Federation
Shanghai, People's Republic of China
Shanghai, People's Republic of China