|
Northeast Asia Peace and Security Network DAILY REPORT For Tuesday, June 23, 1998, from Berkeley, California, USA |
1. Capture of DPRK Submarine
Reuters (Nick Yon, "S.KOREA SAYS SUB FROM NORTH SINKS," Seoul, 06/23/98)
and the Associated Press (Sang-Hun Choe, "CAPTURED N. KOREAN SUBMARINE
SINKS," Donghae, 06/23/98) reported that the DPRK submarine captured by
the ROK sank Tuesday while being towed into an ROK naval base. ROK naval
salvage crews were attempting to raise the vessel. Hwang Dong-kyu, a
spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said, "We still do not know if
there are any crew in the sub or whether they are still alive." He
added, "For the sake of extra security our forces did not open the hatch
of the submarine while escorting it to shore." Navy Captain Bang Kuk-
joon stated, "It will take quite awhile to bring it back to the surface
... then things will become clearer." Li Gwang-su, the only sailor
captured alive from the DPRK submarine that ran aground off the ROK in
1996, stated, "I believe the North Koreans have already killed
themselves." The ROK Defense Ministry called the incursion "a clear
armed provocation." However, an unnamed analyst in Seoul stated, "This
was not a provocation. Certainly, North Korea did not want this sub to
be discovered, just as they didn't want that sub to be found in 1996.
It's just business as usual." An anonymous aide to President Kim Dae-
jung was quoted as saying, "The submarine incident will not shake our ...
policy. The government will try even harder to embrace the North to
prevent the repetition of similar incidents.... We will deal with the
North with patience." The Joong Ang daily newspaper said that Kim's
handling of the situation would be a "litmus test" of his DPRK policy.
It stated, "Today, we realized again how difficult it is to deal with
North Korean threats and seek economic cooperation at the same time."
The DPRK's official Korean Central News Agency on Tuesday reported that
one of its submarines was missing on a training mission after
experiencing mechanical problems. The UN Command on Tuesday questioned
the DPRK about the intrusion during the first armistice meeting in seven
years.
Dow Jones Newswires ("SCANS OF NORTH KOREAN SUB SHOW NO SIGN OF LIFE -
YONHAP," Donghae, 06/23/98) reported that the ROK's national Yonhap news
agency reported that sonar scans of the hull of the captured DPRK
submarine showed no signs of life inside. Major General Lim Jong-chun,
operations officer for the ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff, noted that the ship
was listing about 60 degrees while being towed. He stated, "It probably
means that the inside is filled with water and that the crew perhaps
drowned or suffocated due to lack of oxygen." He added, "However, it
cannot be excluded that the crew may have escaped before the navy was
called to the scene."
Reuters (Yoo Choon-sik, "S.KOREA SAYS N.KOREA SUBMARINE VIOLATES TRUCE,"
Seoul, 06/22/98) reported that ROK Colonel Park In-yong of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff said on Tuesday that the ROK had confirmed that the
submarine captured on Monday belonged to the DPRK. Park stated, "It was
confirmed the submarine was North Korean and we believe it's a clear
violation of the armistice agreement." An unnamed presidential spokesman
said that ROK President Kim Dae-jung told Defense Minister Cheon Yong-
taek and the government to "react calmly" to the incident. He added,
"The president said he would come out with an overall assessment
following the general officers meeting scheduled for today in Panmunjom."
2. Hyundai Founder's Trip to DPRK
Reuters ("KOREAN TYCOON RETURNS FROM MERCY TRIP TO NORTH," Seoul,
06/23/98) and Dow Jones Newswires (Park Kyung-hee, "S. KOREA HYUNDAI
CHMN: TO MEET N. KOREAN LEADER KIM IN SEP," Seoul, 06/23/98) reported
that Chung Ju-yung, honorary chairman and founder of the Hyundai Group,
returned to the ROK across the Demilitarized Zone on Tuesday following
his trip to the DPRK. Chung announced, "I have reached an agreement with
North Korea after having talks about allowing travels to Mount Kumkang."
He said that during his visit, "I couldn't meet Kim Jong-il because he
was very busy and [DPRK officials] assured me I would be able to meet him
if I visited again in September." Hyundai Group Chairman Chung Mong-hun
said Tuesday, "The honorary chairman will visit the north again at the
invitation of Kim Jong Il and the two are expected to discuss specifics
on economic cooperation." Chung Mong-hun also said that Hyundai Group
expects to launch five tourist ships to the DPRK's Mt. Kumkang before
October. He added, "Around $120 million to $150 million is expected to
be needed for the tour project in the North which includes purchase of
ships." He said that Hyundai Group is also planning to set up hotels and
other facilities at the mountain. Hyundai Group also agreed to discuss
further details with the DPRK on other projects such as car assembly, a
70,000 ton-steel wire plant, and joint construction projects in third
countries. Chung stated, "Hyundai Group plans to join hands with other
local and overseas companies who are interested in the North Korean
business projects, including the development of the mountain."
3. Taiwan Issue in US-PRC Relations
The Associated Press (Elaine Kurtenbach, "CHINA WANTS STATEMENT FROM
CLINTON," Beijing, 06/23/98) and Reuters (Benjamin Kang Lim, "CHINA HAILS
TIES, WARNS US AGAINST TAIWAN," Beijing, 06/22/98) reported that PRC
Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan said Tuesday that the PRC wants US
President Bill Clinton to reaffirm publicly that the US will abide by
commitments not to sell Taiwan advanced weapons. Tang stated, "The
president should, at an appropriate occasion, make a public statement
reiterating what the U.S. has already promised on the Taiwan question.
The U.S. side should also indicate it will take concrete actions to match
the commitment it has made with deeds." He added, "The United States
should not sell advanced weapons or equipment to Taiwan and it should
gradually reduce and eventually phase out arms sales to Taiwan." He said
that the PRC also would like to see the US lift sanctions imposed after
the 1989 Tiananmen Square incident, arguing that attempts by the US and
other Western countries to penalize the PRC had not influenced its
policies. Tang said, "Sanctions are not a good thing. They merely are a
reflection of power politics." Tang stated, "On the whole, despite
twists and turns in recent years, Sino-U.S. relations have improved and
are moving in a positive direction." He warned, however, "History tells
us that properly handling the Taiwan question will ensure the relatively
smooth development of Sino-U.S. relations. On the other hand, improperly
handling the question will lead to setbacks and quite possibly
retrogression in bilateral relations."
4. Pending Congressional Action on PRC
The Associated Press (Tom Raum, "DEMOCRATS BLOCK ANTI-CHINA BILL,"
Washington, 06/23/98) reported that Democrats in the US Senate on Tuesday
shut down debate on a defense bill as a way of blocking votes on US
President Bill Clinton's PRC policy. Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle,
D-S.D., stated, "I'm not going to allow one single vote on China this
week. We're not going to embarrass this president." He threatened to
continue to tie up the Senate until Clinton returns from his 10-day visit
to the PRC. Daschle was reacting to a package of defense bill amendments
by Senator Tim Hutchinson, R-Ark., that would deny travel visa to PRC
officials involved in religious persecution or forced-abortion policies,
ban further US-backed loans to the PRC, and modify US policy on satellite
exports.
5. Commemoration of Okinawa Battle
Agence France Presse ("THOUSANDS OF JAPANESE COMMEMORATE OKINAWA BATTLE,"
Tokyo, 06/23/98) reported that 5,000 people held a memorial in Okinawa
Tuesday for the 53rd anniversary of the World War II battle for the
island. Organizers said that some 15 people from the ROK participated in
the memorial service, the first time relatives of Koreans who died in the
battle have attended. The Okinawa government announced the carving of
663 new names on stone monuments for those confirmed to have died from
the battle, bringing the total to 237,318 people. The battle claimed an
estimated 12,500 US lives, 37,000 US wounded, and about one third of
Okinawa's population, along with soldiers from the former Japanese
colonies of Korea and Taiwan. Okinawa Governor Masahide Ota stated, "We
want to renew our endless effort to achieve the creation of peace." He
added, "Our wish for the return of the [US military] bases is still
unfulfilled." He called on the Japanese government to cancel the new
Japan-US defense guidelines announced earlier this year.
6. PRC Reaction to South Asian Nuclear Tests
Reuters ("CHINA URGES INDIA, PAKISTAN TO STOP NUKE PROGRAMME," Beijing,
06/22/98) reported that the PRC's Xinhua news agency said on Monday that
President Jiang Zemin has urged India and Pakistan to give up their
nuclear weapons programs and unconditionally sign the Nuclear Non-
proliferation Treaty and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Jiang
stated, "I wish to point out that nuclear testing is against
international trends, no matter whether the test is conducted by India or
Pakistan." However, he added, "We must not fail to note that it was
India who started the South Asia crisis."
US State Department Spokesman James Rubin ("STATE DEPARTMENT NOON
BRIEFING, JUNE 22, 1998," Washington, USIA Transcript, 06/23/98) said
that the US is seeking greater cooperation from the PRC in accepting
international norms for missile nonproliferation. Rubin stated, "China
has been constructive and has worked with us and has been a part of our
process to send a very strong signal to India and Pakistan that its
decisions to test were a mistake." He added, "China has played a
responsible role since these tests, and that is better for the security
of the United States than being in a position where we don't talk to the
Chinese because people somehow think that sticking our head in the sand
is a better way to advance the national interests of the United States."
7. Russian-Indian Nuclear Cooperation
US State Department Spokesman James Rubin ("STATE DEPARTMENT NOON
BRIEFING, JUNE 22, 1998," Washington, USIA Transcript, 06/23/98) said
that Russia's decision to proceed with a planned reactor sale to India is
"not consistent" with its obligations as a member of the Nuclear
Supplier's Group not to sell reactors to countries that lack safeguards
on all nuclear facilities. Rubin stated, "The most recent Russian
announcement sends precisely the wrong signal at the wrong time. It
undercuts the good work we have done together in the Permanent Five and
the G-8 to get India to understand that nuclear testing does not bring
rewards." He said that the US view is "that you should not cooperate
with a facility in a country where every facility is not under
safeguards. The Russian view is that this particular program is not
cooperating with an unsafeguarded facility; it's cooperating with
safeguarded facilities, even though there are unsafeguarded facilities in
India."
1. Capture of DPRK Submarine
The ROK Ministry of National Defense (MOND) confirmed late Monday that an
unidentified submarine had been spotted off the East Sea port of Sokcho.
The vessel, apparently a seventy-ton class submarine, was seen on the
surface at 4:33 p.m. entangled in fishing nets, 18 kilometers off the
coast and well within ROK territorial waters. The MOND have yet to
confirm whether the sub is a DPRK vessel or not, but most analysts
believe that due to its small size, the DPRK is the only possible country
of origin. The crew from an ROK fishing boat said that three people came
out of the submarine to try to free it from the nets, but it immediately
became entangled in more squid nets. ROK naval units had taken the
submarine under tow after firing warning shots, and were expected to
berth it at Sokcho. (Chosun Ilbo, "UNIDENTIFIED SUBMARINE SPOTTED IN
EAST SEA," 06/23/98)
2. ROK Tycoon Returns from DPRK
Hyundai Business Group founder Chung Ju-yung will return home Tuesday
afternoon, wrapping up an eight-visit to the DPRK amid expectations that
his visit will help realize the reunion of separated family members and
open a tour route to Mt. Kumgang. Chung is expected to hold a press
conference after crossing the Military Demarcation Line via the truce
village of Panmunjom. So far, the outcome of business consultations
between Chung and DPRK officials remains undisclosed. It is also unknown
whether he met Kim Jong-il, general secretary of the Workers' Party.
Observers here are skeptical over the possibility that such a meeting
took place. Originally, Chung was expected to arrive in Panmunjom in the
morning, but his arrival was postponed to 2 p.m. because of an Army
general-level meeting between the UN Command (UNC) and the DPRK's Korean
People's Army (KPA), slated at the truce village at 10 a.m. Tuesday. ROK
Unification Minister Kang In-duk is also scheduled to give a lecture for
foreign investors, organized by The Economist Group, at the Swiss
compound in Panmunjom at 5 p.m. Tuesday to explain the ROK's positions on
foreign companies' possible investment in the DPRK. (Korea Times, "CHUNG
TO RETURN FROM NK," 06/23/98)
Business tycoon Chung Ju-yung is planning to send a second batch of
cattle to the DPRK through Panmunjom by the end of this month, an ROK
government official said Monday. Chung said he would add one more cow to
the 1,000 he had promised, which a government official said is a message
that he could send more cattle in the future. The exact date of the
second cattle delivery will be decided when ROK and DPRK liaison officers
meet in Panmunjom after Chung's return, the official said. (Korea
Herald, "CHUNG PLANS TO SEND 501 MORE COWS," 06/23/98)
3. ROK National Security Strategy
The ROK government is drawing up a "National Security Strategy" to set
guidelines for the nation's security, unification, and foreign policies,
a top ROK presidential official said Monday. The security blueprint will
be adopted at a National Security Council (NSC) meeting to be held late
next month or early August, said Lim Dong-won, President Kim Dae-jung's
top security and foreign policy advisor. Lim said that President Kim
would preside over the planned NSC meeting. The Kim government has been
trying to activate the NSC, which, unlike its US counterpart, existed
only on paper and played only a small role in the formulation and
execution of security and foreign affairs policies during the past
governments. The Kim administration has already established a standing
committee under the NSC. The panel consists of foreign policy and
security-related ministers, Lim, and the chief of the Agency for National
Security Planning (NSP). Lim heads the recently launched secretariat of
the standing committee, which meets once a week to discuss the
government's dealings with the DPRK, as well as security and foreign
policies. (Korea Herald, "GOVERNMENT SET TO ADOPT 'NATIONAL SECURITY
STRATEGY'," 06/23/98)
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][Contents][Credits]
We invite you to reply to today's report, and we welcome
commentary or papers for distribution to the network.
The Center for International Studies,
Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
The Center for Global Communications, Tokyo, Japan
Center for American Studies,
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