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Northeast Asia Peace and Security Network DAILY REPORT For Friday, August 14, 1998, from Berkeley, California, USA |
1. US-DPRK Relations
US State Department Deputy Spokesman James Foley ("SPECIAL STATE
DEPARTMENT BRIEFING AUGUST 13," USIA Transcript, 08/14/98) said, in
response to threats by DPRK officials to end the 1994 nuclear agreement
unless the US lifted economic sanctions, that the US does not acknowledge
that the framework agreement is contingent on "extraneous issues." Foley
stated, "This is an agreement that was entered into on all sides
seriously; it's something that the United States takes seriously; we take
compliance with its terms seriously. The range of bilateral issues
between the United States and North Korea are a separate matter." He
also confirmed reports that US-DPRK bilateral talks are scheduled for
August 21 in New York, to be headed by US Ambassador Charles Kartman and
DPRK Vice Foreign Minister Kim Gye-gwan. Foley stated, "As in previous
meetings, the full range of bilateral issues will be discussed, including
implementation of the 1994 US-DPRK agreed framework to which we remain
resolutely committed. But we're hopeful that in this session and in
others that we'll be able to make progress in the bilateral
relationship."
2. US-ROK Talks
Reuters ("S. KOREA PROPOSES NEW DIALOGUE WITH N. KOREA," Seoul, 08/14/98)
reported that ROK President Kim Dae-jung, in a speech he is to deliver on
Saturday, will propose sending a special envoy to Pyongyang to discuss a
new channel for talks with the DPRK, according to an advance copies of
the speech. The speech calls on the two sides to establish "a standing
dialogue mechanism at the ministerial or vice-ministerial level, which
will serve as a useful channel for inter-Korean dialogue." Kim will
argue that the two Koreas "should open a new chapter of reconciliation,
exchanges and cooperation," and take steps to arrange reunions of
separated families.
3. ROK Political Prisoners
The Associated Press (Paul Shin, "SOUTH KOREA PARDONS 7,000," Seoul,
08/14/98) and Reuters ("S. KOREA AMNESTY NEGLECTS MANY POLITICAL
PRISONERS," Seoul, 08/13/98) reported that the ROK on Friday granted
special amnesty to 7,007 people to commemorate the 50th anniversary of
the establishment of the republic on August 15. ROK Justice Minister
Park Sang-cheon stated, "The amnesty was granted to create harmony among
the Korean people to overcome a national crisis." Park said that 2,174
of those granted amnesty would be released on parole on Saturday and the
rest would either have their civil rights restored or sentences reduced.
He added that 94 prisoners of conscience would be freed as they had
signed an oath to obey the law as a condition of their release, but 17
long-term political prisoners would remain in jail after refusing to
sign. Park also said, "Those responsible for the financial crisis were
excluded in this amnesty as public opinion stands firmly against it."
The human rights group Amnesty International urged ROK President Kim Dae-
jung to waive the oath to include 17 sick and elderly long-term prisoners
who have been held in solitary confinement for between 28 and 40 years in
the amnesty. Amnesty International said in a statement, "These elderly
political prisoners pose no threat to state security." A statement from
the ROK Minkahyup Human Rights Group stated, "We are outraged by the
August 15 amnesty announcement that left most prisoners of conscience in
prison." It added, "The oath requiring prisoners to respect the National
Security Law is inhumane."
4. ROK Restructuring
Reuters ("S. KOREA PROPOSES NEW DIALOGUE WITH N. KOREA," Seoul, 08/14/98)
and the Associated Press ("S. KOREAN PRESIDENT OUTLINES NATION-BUILDING
PROGRAM," Seoul, 08/14/98) reported that ROK President Kim Dae-jung will
call on Saturday for more democracy, market-oriented reforms, and
deregulation in a "second nation-building" process to pull the ROK out of
its current financial crisis. According to advance copies of the speech
Kim will deliver, he will argue that the country must "establish a new
value system based on universalism and globalism, shedding self-righteous
nationalism and other anachronistic ideas." Kim will also promise that
the 10 trillion won (US$7.5 billion) unemployment fund would be larger
next year, and that all regular employees that have lost their jobs would
receive benefits without exception. The speech stated, "I assure you
that all unemployed will be guaranteed the minimum requirements of food,
clothes, medical care and school tuition." He also will pledge to
introduce "a German-type proportional representation system" in which
political parties would be awarded cabinet posts based on their strength
in parliament. The speech concludes, "More than anything else, the
government is firmly committed to eradicating the corruption and
injustice that have discouraged people's desire to participate in the
national administration and policy making."
5. ROK Labor Unrest
The Associated Press ("SOUTH KOREA WARNS HYUNDAI WORKERS," Seoul,
08/14/98) reported that the ROK government on Friday gave Hyundai Motor
Co. workers until next week to end their month-long strike or be forcibly
removed from the company's plants. Almost simultaneously, Hyundai's
management announced an indefinite shutdown of its main plants in a move
seen as signaling a government intervention. Kim Soo-min, a senior
prosecutor in charge of public security, stated, "We can not let this
illegal work stoppage drag down the economy forever. A police raid is
inevitable."
6. Japanese Forced Labor During WWII
The Associated Press (Mari Yamaguchi, "FORMER CHINESE SLAVES SUE JAPAN,"
Tokyo, 08/14/98) reported that Kyodo News said that six Chinese men
forced into slave labor at a Japanese factory during World War II sued
the government and a stainless steel maker on Friday, demanding
US$137,000 each in compensation. They also demand that an apology be
published in Japanese newspapers. The plaintiffs claim they were coerced
or kidnapped by Chinese sympathizers of the Japanese military in 1944 and
sent to Kyoto as slave laborers at Nippon Yakin Kogyo Co. nickel factory.
Nearly 40,000 Chinese were brought to Japan as slave laborers between
April 1943 and shortly before Japan's defeat in August, 1945, according
to Japan's wartime documents.
7. US Military in Philippines
The Associated Press ("FILIPINOS PROTEST MILITARY PACT BY HURLING EGGS AT
U.S. EMBASSY," Manila, 08/13/98) reported that demonstrators pelted the
US Embassy in Manila with eggs Thursday to protest a pact that would
allow US troops to train in the Philippines. The Visiting Forces
Agreement has already been signed by the two sides, but must still be
approved by the Philippine Senate. Philippine Foreign Secretary Domingo
Siazon said that under the agreement, Filipino troops who commit crimes
while on duty in the US will be subject to local prosecution, while the
US will have automatic jurisdiction over US troops who commit crimes
while taking part in exercises in the Philippines.
8. Indian Nuclear Tests
Reuters ("INDIA'S PRESIDENT SAYS N-TESTS A 'SALUTARY SHOCK'," New Delhi,
08/14/98) reported that Indian President Kocheril Raman Narayanan said in
an interview broadcast on Friday that last May's nuclear tests were a
"salutary shock" to the complacency of the world's recognized nuclear
powers. Narayanan asserted that nuclear arms must be abolished by all
nations. He argued that the world seemed to have forgotten that the five
nuclear powers had vast nuclear arsenals, "but when we conducted the
tests, then suddenly everybody has woken up and feels that there is such
a threat [of nuclear war]." Narayanan said that people talked about the
danger of India and Pakistan possessing nuclear arms, but in time the two
countries would settle down to the status quo and realize the
"inescapable need" for a peaceful settlement of their disputes. He added
that India's problems with its neighbors, including the PRC, were
temporary and the result of a misunderstanding of India's regional
objectives.
1. DPRK Tourism
The Yomiuri Shimbun (Akihiro Ito, "UNIFICATION CHURCH ALSO PARTICIPATES
IN DPRK TOURISM," Seoul, 08/14/98) and the Asahi Shimbun ("DPRK AIMS TO
EARN FOREIGN CURRENCY THROUGH TOURISM," Seoul, 08/14/98) reported that
Kumgangsan International announced on August 13 that the company will
launch a one-day-trip program in the DPRK in September. According to the
reports, Pak Po-hi, president of the company, visited the DPRK this month
to sign a contract with the government. A high-speed boat will be used
as transportation from the ROK eastern coast to Mt. Kumgang. The company
will also ask for the ROK government's approval of the project. The
Yomiuri article added that the development project of Mt. Kumgang has
already been approved by the ROK government, and the Hyundai Group is
promoting the project. The company, according to the reports, is part of
the Unification Church, led by Moon Sun-myong.
2. DPRK Defectors
The Asahi Shimbun ("MOST DPRK DEFECTORS ARE LISTENERS OF ROK RADIO
BROADCASTING," 08/13/98) reported that the ROK's national radio
broadcasting station KBS announced the results of the survey it conducted
on the 120 DPRK people who have defected to the ROK since 1990.
According to the results, 68 (57.6 percent) of them had listened to the
ROK's radio programs while they were still in the DPRK, and most of them
are either highly-educated or came from Hanghwe Province and Pyongan
Province, which are close to the ROK. The report pointed out that,
although in the DPRK the radio sets are originally set to receive only
DPRK programs, the survey results indicate that ordinary radio sets are
also secretly increasing in the DPRK. The defectors were able to access
information through the ROK programs regarding Japanese, US and ROK
culture, songs, and political affairs. In response to the question of
whether the ROK radio programs influenced their decision to defect from
the DPRK to the ROK, 80 percent of the 68 respondents answered
positively. The most popular program was the KBS midnight social
education program, which was originally directed at the DPRK.
3. Japan's TMD Policy
The Yomiuri Shimbun ("FOREIGN MINISTRY AND DEFENSE AGENCY ARE AT ODDS
WITH EACH OTHER OVER TMD BUDGET," 08/14/98) reported that the Japanese
Foreign Ministry and Defense Agency are at odds with each other over
whether to include the US-led Theater Missile Defense (TMD) program in
the budget for fiscal year 1999. According to the report, while the
Foreign Ministry does not want to provoke the PRC by including the
program in the budget before PRC President Jiang Zemin's visit to Japan
slated for September 6, the Defense Agency strongly insists on including
the program. The report added that the TMD program aims to deal with the
DPRK's Nodong I, that the Japanese government already launched the
program's cost-benefit analysis in 1995, and that the cost is estimated
to reach approximately 20 billion yen over five years. It also said that
the PRC has been criticizing the program because it may fuel military
competition. According to a defense agency source, the PRC is also
concerned that if the US TMD technology is transferred to Taiwan, this
may nullify PRC ballistic missiles more than the New Guidelines for
Japan-US Defense Cooperation may do.
4. Russian Nuclear Fuel
The Yomiuri Shimbun ("RUSSIA TO ELIMINATE NUCLEAR FUEL FROM RETIRED
NUCLEAR SUBS," Moscow, 08/14/98) reported that, according to a Itar-Tass
News Agency report, the Russian Energy Department announced on August 12
that Russia will eliminate all the remaining spent fuel from its 400
retired nuclear submarines by 2005. The article pointed out that the
spent fuel remaining in the decommissioned nuclear subs has flowed into
the Far Eastern and Northern Sea coastal regions, raising grave concern.
The article also quoted a Russian high-ranking official as saying, "So
far, there has been no present danger of nuclear contamination, but if
the spent fuel remains untreated, radioactive materials may flow into the
sea."
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