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Northeast Asia Peace and Security Network DAILY REPORT For Tuesday, May 5, 1998, from Berkeley, California, USA |
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IN TODAY'S REPORT: |
1. Compensation for ROK Comfort Women
The Associated Press ("EX-SEX SLAVE REJECTS JAPAN'S OFFER," Seoul, 04/05/98) reported that Lee
Yong-soo, an ROK woman who was enslaved in a Japanese military brothel during World War II, on
Tuesday refused to accept the ROK government's compensation offer unless the ROK recovers the money
from the Japanese government. Lee was the first former "comfort woman" to publicly state that she would
not accept the government compensation.
2. PRC Lifts Travel Restrictions to ROK
The Associated Press ("CHINA TO LET CITIZENS TRAVEL FREELY TO S. KOREA - REPORT,"
Seoul, 04/05/98) reported that the ROK's state-run KBS-TV said Tuesday that the PRC Foreign Ministry
informed the ROK Embassy on Tuesday that it has decided to allow PRC citizens to travel to the ROK
without restrictions, and it proposed talks to work out details of implementing the new policy. While ROK
government officials were unavailable to confirm the report due to a national holiday on Tuesday, the
move comes after PRC Vice President Hu Jintao said last week that the PRC would positively consider a
request by ROK President Kim Dae-jung to designate the ROK as a free-travel country. Kim made the
request in the hope that increasing Chinese tourists would help ease the ROK's financial difficulties.
3. ROK Labor Unrest
The Wall Street Journal (Karen Elliott House and Michael Schuman, "KIM SAYS UNEMPLOYMENT
POSES BIGGEST THREAT TO KOREA'S REFORM," Seoul, 04/05/98) reported that ROK President
Kim Dae-jung said Monday that rising unemployment poses the greatest threat to economic reform in the
ROK. Unemployment in March reached 6.5 percent, or 1.38 million people, more than double the level at
the end of last year. Kim said that he "can't exclude" the possibility of further labor unrest, but pledged to
take strong action against labor when workers "interfere with management and go against the law." He
warned that labor unrest could scare away foreign investment. He also promised that the government
would build a welfare system to help the jobless, and would increase the size of an unemployment-
insurance fund to 7.9 trillion won (US$5.9 billion) from the current five trillion won. He called on
corporations to share the pain with labor by decreasing their debt levels and focusing on core industries.
He also said that the government will conduct hearings on the causes of the economic crisis after local
elections next month, but that the investigation will probably not implicate former President Kim Young-
sam. Meanwhile Lee Kyu-sung, the minister of finance and economy, said Monday that "without social
stability, we couldn't accomplish our reform program." He added that without strong reform efforts, "the
economy will drop into longtime sluggishness."
4. PRC-US Military Cooperation
The Associated Press ("CHINA OFFERS MILITARY COOPERATION," Beijing, 04/05/98) reported that
the PRC's state-run Xinhua News Agency said that General Zhang Wannian, in a meeting with US
Assistant Defense Secretary Franklin Kramer, said that the PRC "is ready to make concerted efforts" on
military cooperation with the US. He added that the PRC is willing "to actively consult and discuss with its
U.S. counterpart the possibilities of cooperation in various fields." Kramer said that he hoped Zhang
would visit the US after President Clinton comes to the PRC in June to "keep the momentum going
between the two countries and their armed forces." Zhang replied that he expected to go to the US this
year.
5. PRC-Japanese Military Cooperation
Reuters ("JAPAN MAKES OVERTURE TO CHINA DEFENSE AGENCY," Beijing, 04/05/98) reported
that the PRC's official Xinhua news agency said on Tuesday that Japanese Defense Agency chief Fumio
Kyuma offered to expand defense cooperation with the PRC. Kyuma was quoted as saying in a speech at
the PRC's University of National Defense that exchanges between the PRC and Japan would contribute to
regional peace and stability. He said that the university would conduct exchanges with Japan's National
Institute for Defense Studies, adding that he hoped that PRC and Japanese warships could exchange visits
in the coming year. He reiterated that Japan fully recognizes the PRC as the sole legal government of
China and understands that Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory.
6. PRC-Russian Hot Line
The Associated Press ("CHINA, RUSSIA OPEN COMMUNICATIONS," Beijing, 04/05/98) reported that
PRC Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao announced Tuesday that the PRC and Russia have opened
a direct presidential hot line to improve understanding between the two countries. Zhu said that the secure
telecommunications link, the PRC's first with a foreign capital, will allow presidents Jiang Zemin and Boris
Yeltsin to "exchange views on bilateral relations and international issues at any time." Zhu also said that
he did not know when the PRC-US hot line agreed to last week would open.
7. Taiwanese War Games
The Associated Press ("TAIWAN TO HOLD ANNUAL WAR GAMES," Taipei, 04/05/98) reported that
Taiwan Defense Ministry spokesman Kung Fan-ting said Tuesday that the Taiwanese armed forces will
stage annual war games in southeastern Taiwan next week to practice repelling an invasion from the PRC.
He stated that the four-day exercise, which begins Monday, will target "the most threatening and most
probable moves the Communist army might take to invade Taiwan."
8. Taiwanese Diplomacy
Reuters (Lawrence Chung, "TAIWAN MOVES TO IMPROVE CENTRAL AMERICAN RELATIONS,"
Taipei, 04/05/98) reported that Taiwan Vice President Lien Chan on Tuesday vowed to strengthen ties with
Central America through his state visit to attend the inauguration of Costa Rican president-elect Miguel
Angel Rodriguez. Lien stated, "I believe my visit will be helpful in strengthening our ties and cooperation
with Costa Rica and other Caribbean nations." He said he would also visit the east Caribbean nation of
Grenada on May 9 to meet the prime minister of that country, as well as those of Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Belize and Dominica. Lien will be accompanied by Foreign
Minister Jason Hu. Hu on Sunday accused the PRC of using its economic aid and trade interests to woo
away Taiwanese allies in Africa.
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The Center for International Studies,
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The Center for Global Communications, Tokyo,
Japan
Center for American
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Fudan University, Shanghai, People's
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Berkeley, California, United States
Berkeley, California, United States
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Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Moscow, Russian Federation
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