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Northeast Asia Peace and Security Network DAILY REPORT For Tuesday, November 3, 1998, from Berkeley, California, USA |
1. Tumen River Treaty
The Associated Press ("RUSSIA, CHINA, N. KOREA SIGN PACT," Moscow,
11/03/98) reported that Russia's Interfax news agency said Tuesday that
Russia, the PRC, and the DPRK have signed an agreement that will partly
settle border disputes along the Tumen River. The agreement, which
clarifies a section of border between Russia and the PRC near the river,
was the result of six rounds of talks between the three sides.
Agreements on other segments along the river, shared by Russia and the
DPRK, will be signed soon. Genrikh Kireyev, head of the Russian
delegation to the talks, said Tuesday, "The agreement is of vital
importance," as it would lead to greater stability in the region and cut
down on misunderstandings.
2. ROK Student Movement
The Associated Press ("MILITANT S. KOREAN STUDENT ARRESTED," Seoul,
11/03/98) reported that Hwang Son, a senior at Seoul's Duksong Women's
University, was arrested on Tuesday at Panmunjom by ROK intelligence
agents after returning home from an illegal visit to the DPRK. Hwang
faced charges of violating the ROK's national security law. The ROK
Agency for National Security Planning did not allow the ROK news media to
cover Hwang's return. The DPRK's official Korean Central News Agency
said that DPRK officials "exchanged warm farewells with Hwang and hugged
her" before she crossed the border. It added that tens of thousands of
people turned out in Pyongyang to see Hwang off. Hwang visited the DPRK
in August along with a male student leader to promote national
unification. It was not known whether or when the male student would
return home.
3. PRC-Taiwan Relations
The Associated Press ("TAIWAN CALLS FOR CLOSER CHINA TIES," Taipei,
11/02/98) reported that Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui on Monday called
for closer ties with the PRC. Lee stated, "We'll keep questing for
mutual trust and increase friendly interaction." Following Lee's remark,
Taiwan Vice Foreign Minister David Lee stated, "In future, our government
will continue high-level visits to exchange views with foreign leaders
and high officials raising our international visibility and combating
China's plot to isolate us."
4. Taiwanese Theater Missile Defense
The Associated Press ("TAIWAN CHIEF OF STAFF DISCUSSES MISSILE SYSTEM
WITH COHEN," Taipei, 11/03/98) reported that the Taiwanese Defense
Ministry said Tuesday that Taiwan's Chief of the General Staff Tang Fei
discussed missile defense and other security issues in talks with US
Defense Secretary William Cohen in Washington from October 17 to 31.
Ministry spokesman General Kung Fan-ding said that US officials discussed
with Tang factors involved in including Taiwan in the Theater Missile
Defense. Kung did not say whether the discussions resulted in any
conclusions. He added that the two sides also discussed "issues of
concern to U.S. and Taiwanese defense," and that US officials reiterated
their commitment to the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act. Kung said that other
officials at the meetings included Kurt Campbell, deputy assistant
defense secretary for the Asia-Pacific region, and General Henry Shelton,
chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He said that news of Tang's visit
was suppressed to prevent protests from the PRC.
5. PRC Laser Development
The Washington Times (Bill Gertz, "CHINESE ARMY IS BUILDING LASER
WEAPONS," 11/03/98) reported that a US Defense Department report said
that the PRC's People's Liberation Army (PLA) is building lasers to
destroy satellites and already has weapons capable of damaging sensors on
space-based reconnaissance and intelligence systems. The report said
that the PLA has acquired a variety of technologies "that could be used
to develop an anti-satellite weapon." The report, which was mandated
under a provision of last year's defense bill, was released recently by
the US House of Representatives National Security Committee. It stated,
"China already may possess the capability to damage, under specific
conditions, optical sensors on satellites that are very vulnerable to
lasers. Given China's current level of interest in laser technology, it
is reasonable to assume that Beijing would develop a weapon that could
destroy satellites in the future." US intelligence officials said the
systems most vulnerable to laser attack are satellites run by the
National Reconnaissance Office, which takes photographs from space, and
the National Security Agency, which intercepts communications. Richard
Fisher, a defense specialist with the Heritage Foundation, said that the
disclosure "is an extremely important revelation." He said that the
report shows that the PRC is preparing its forces to wage not only a
regional conflict but a 21st-century high-tech war. The report also said
that the PLA is using US Global Positioning Satellite and Global
Navigation Satellite Systems (Glonass) in developing advanced weapons and
may use these satellites "to improve the accuracy of its missiles."
6. Russian Ratification of START II
The Associated Press ("SENIOR RUSSIAN PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL WARNS GOVT OVER
START-II," Moscow, 11/03/98) reported that Viktor Ilyukhin, chairman of
the Russian Duma's Security Commission, said Tuesday that the Duma will
not ratify the START-II nuclear treaty unless the government promises to
build a new generation of nuclear missiles. Ilyukhin said that the
government must guarantee it will replace the RS-18 and RS-20 with the
new Topol-M within two years.
7. US-Russian Nuclear Cooperation
The Washington Post (Walter Pincus, "$525 MILLION FOR RUSSIAN
NONPROLIFERATION DEALS," 11/01/98, A12) reported that the year-end
spending bill approved by the US Congress includes US$525 million to
support two nonproliferation programs designed to reduce Russian stocks
of plutonium and highly enriched uranium taken from the dismantling of
nuclear weapons. US$200 million is designed to help implement an
agreement reached last July to reduce Russian and US plutonium stocks by
50 tons. The remaining US$325 million is to pay for the US purchase of
natural uranium reprocessed from the highly enriched uranium taken from
dismantled Russian nuclear weapons. The funding is contingent, however,
on Russia arranging with a consortium of French, Canadian, and German
companies to buy the reprocessed uranium output for the following 10
years.
8. Book on Russian Nuclear Forces
Reuters (Martin Nesirky, "SCHOLARS PUSH ENVELOPE WITH NEW BOOK ON
STRATEGIC FORCES, Moscow, 11/3/98) reported that a group of Russian
academics on Tuesday published a book entitled, "Russia's Strategic
Nuclear Forces," which provides detailed information on the country's
nuclear arsenal. Pavel Podvig, the editor and one of the seven authors,
stated, "We made a special effort to ensure the information we published
did not contain any secret details. We took a long time to check
everything very carefully." Podvig noted that none of the authors had
secrets security clearance. Podvig said that two US charitable
organizations--the W. Alton Jones Foundation and the Ploughshares Fund--
had financed the book but not interfered in the authors' work. Another
of the new book's authors, Boris Zhelezov said that the book had been
completed a year and a half ago but had then gone through the difficult
process of being vetted, even though all the information was gleaned from
public sources. He stated, "It tests the limits of what it is possible
to publish."
1. Hyundai DPRK Projects
JoongAng Ilbo ("PRESIDENT KIM URGES NO MISTAKES WITH THE DPRK PROJECTS,"
Seoul, 11/03/98) reported that ROK President Kim Dae-jung urged at the
State Council (cabinet meeting) on November 3, "The Ministry of
Unification should never make any mistakes in dealing with the DPRK
projects which will be mainly carried out by Hyundai Group." President
Kim stressed, "Even if the civil sector makes a mistake, the ultimate
responsibility lies with the government. In the relationship with the
DPRK, avoiding even one mistake is more important than achieving five
successes." Kim said, "The economic cooperation between the ROK and the
DPRK has just begun, and it is rare and very important that DPRK leader
Kim Jong-il himself engaged in this cooperation. But this should be
carefully carried out without any illusions or too many expectations to
promote both DPRK and ROK interests." He also pointed out that the press
has somewhat exaggerated the results of Chung Ju-yung's recent visit to
the DPRK. He added, "It is still unclear whether the proposed oil
production in the DPRK is economically viable or not, so I gave some
advice to Mr. Chung yesterday to take good care." A government source
said that the government would not allow the oil development project
because of the slim possibilities of commercial success.
2. Separated Korean Families
Korea Herald ("GOVERNMENT TO DEFRAY COSTS OF SEARCH FOR RELATIVES IN
DPRK," Seoul, 11/03/98) reported that the ROK government plans to
underwrite some of the costs incurred in confirming the whereabouts of
ROK's family members in the DPRK. "The government is trying to do so
because it is a matter to be desired," an official at the Ministry of
Unification said Monday. But the official said beneficiaries would be
limited to those aged 60 years or older among the so-called "first-
generation" separated families. "First generation" refers to those who
were born in the DPRK and have their spouse or other relatives still
there. They number some 1.25 million. Confirmation of whether or not a
family member in the DPRK is still alive has been a key demand of
families in the ROK, but the DPRK has always refused to make such
confirmations. Postal services and telephone links between the ROK and
the DPRK have been banned since the division of the two Koreas in 1945.
Some divided families in the ROK, however, have taken advantage of
private agencies, based mainly in the PRC, which can confirm the
whereabouts of the separated family member. The price of this service is
about 400,000 won per case. The Unification Ministry is planning to
increase its budget allocation for exchanges of separated families from
120 million won to about 300 million won next year to support the effort.
The ministry is also considering tapping into the inter-Korean
cooperation fund if the budget fails to meet the demand. The fund, which
was created by the government in 1991 with the aim of helping inter-
Korean exchanges and cooperation, amounts to about 350 billion won.
3. UN Censure of DPRK
Chosun Ilbo ("UN CENSURES DPRK FOR NUCLEAR ACTIVITES," Seoul, 11/03/98)
reported that the UN General Assembly passed a resolution Tuesday by a
vote of 113 to 1 with 8 abstentions, expressing its deep concern over the
DPRK's repeated violations of the nuclear non-proliferation agreement of
the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The UN urged the DPRK,
which cast the only vote against the resolution, to live up to its
obligations under the treaty.
4. ROK Spy Satellite
Chosun Ilbo ("ADD TO DEVELOP SPY SATELLITE," Seoul, 11/03/98) reported
that it was disclosed Tuesday that the Agency for Defense Development is
working on the development of a highly specialized surveillance satellite
by the year 2005. Agency director Bae Moon-han admitted the existence of
the project during questioning before the National Defense Committee
(NDC) of the National Assembly. This is the first time an ROK government
official has openly discussed the development of a surveillance
satellite, and is especially noteworthy in light of the DPRK's attempt to
launch a satellite and Japan's admission that it too is developing
similar technology. According to Bae, who emphasized at length that the
satellite technology will also be able to be used in the launching of ROK
made satellites for non-military use as well, the surveillance satellite
currently being developed will be capable of monitoring DPRK military
activity from 680 kilometers in orbit and will have a lifespan of five
years.
5. The Controversial Views of Professor Choi
Chosun Ilbo ("PROGRESSIVE GROUPS ATTACK CHOSUN ILBO," Seoul, 11/03/98)
reported that thirty members of the People's Victory 21 Committee for a
New Progressive Party, led by former presidential candidate Kwon Young-
kil, held a demonstration in front of the Chosun Ilbo building in Seoul
on Tuesday in response to the "Editor's Message" in the November edition
of The Monthly Chosun. Demonstrators carried placards demanding that the
Chosun Ilbo apologize for allegedly libeling progressive forces in ROK
society and those involved in the June Struggle of 1987. Some shouted
slogans accusing the media group of commercializing anti-communism as
they demonstrated for approximately fifty minutes. According to the
demonstrators, the "Editor's Message" libels democratic organizations and
citizens' movements, because it said that "the democratization movement
of the last ten years brought much freedom to those in the press and
politics, but especially to unions, farmers, citizens groups, and other
interest groups. However, these groups used this 'freedom' for their own
partisan, regional, and group interest instead of for the advancement of
the interests of the state." In a related story, a forum was held by the
Citizen's Solidarity for Media Reform, the National Professors
Association, the Academic Groups Association and the Solidarity for
Participatory Democracy groups, to condemn the newspaper and also call
for an apology. In contrast to these protests, the 300 for Freedom of
Intellectuals issued a statement calling for Professor Choi Jang-jip to
resign his post at Chongwadae.
1. Alleged DPRK Smuggling from RF
Izvestia's Boris Reznik ("HOW A COMBAT SQUADRON WAS STOLEN," Khabarovsk
Area, 1, 2, 10/30/98) published a half page long investigation report
concerning a recent failed attempt to smuggle 5 Mi-8T combat helicopters
from the RF to the DPRK and DPRK representatives' illegal activities in
the RF Far East. Izvestia's author described some details of the affair
as "a vivid example ... of how crudely and primitively the rascals act."
He pointed out that many relevant high-ranking military actively avoided
meetings and interviews with him. He learned, in particular, that a year
ago two DPRK specialists were brought to a regiment stationed in a
village of Garovka near Khabarovsk by a Deputy Commander, Army Aviation,
Far Eastern Military District. Those two "without a watch authorization
thoroughly inspected the equipment and liked the helicopters that were
later sold." Prior to the sale, extensive repair work was done, with no
documents filled. RF pilots "cannot even dream about having their own
helicopters repaired in such way." Although the DPRK economic
representative office personnel in Khabarovsk are not allowed to engage
in any personal business, its staff officers have been implicated in
deals ranging from wholesale drug traffic to "American vodka" smuggling
to other fishy "commercial deals." "The soldiers of the North Korean
invisible front, working under the cover of those representative offices,
find partners exclusively among crime oriented groups." Recently the RF
police detained Han Il, a cook of the DPRK representative office in
Khabarovsk, known to them as a DPRK security servicemen, who tried to
sell 5 kilograms of opium. He is the 14th person from the representative
office caught on drug trafficking. Over 40 kilograms of industrially
made opium and heroin were confiscated.
2. Hyundai Founder's Trip to DPRK
Segodnya ("SOUTH KOREAN OLIGARCHES HELP COMMUNIST NORTH," Moscow, 3,
10/28/98) reported that Chung Ju-yung, founder of the Hyundai industrial
group, brought another herd of cows from the ROK to the DPRK across the
Demarcation Line. In June he had brought 500 cows along the same route.
Chung hoped to have a meeting with DPRK leader Kim Jong-il to argue in
favor of bilateral economic contacts and development of tourism in the
DPRK.
3. RF-ROK Military Sales
Kommersant-Daily's Ilya Bulavinov ("RUSSIAN FIGHTERS WON'T FLY OVER
KOREA," Moscow, 7, 11/3/98) reported that, despite very favorable
arrangements made by the hosts of Seoul Aeroshow 98, the RF Sukhoi
Aviation Military Industrial Complex (AMIC) did not allow Su-35 heavy
fighters to be displayed there, thus destroying any chances for the RF to
sell some of those aircraft to the ROK. According to some ROK military
officials, "Russia has undermined its authority as a reliable partner."
In Moscow, the decision not to send Su-35s to the aeroshow was explained
by a power struggle going on within the AMIC, which incorporates Sukhoi
Engineering Bureau and a number of industrial plants. Mikhail Pogosyan,
appointed the AMIC Director in March, has been trying to put all foreign
business activities of RF fighter-makers under his control. In
particular, AMIC was to represent them in the Seoul Aeroshow 98, but they
declined to comply. As a countermeasure, Pogosyan sent a letter to
Yevgeniy Ananyev, General Director of "Rosvo'oruzhenie," arguing that the
participation was unfeasible due to allegedly low chances of winning the
future tender in the ROK. The letter went through the relevant
governmental channels, and though Pogosyan possibly wished just to
intimidate Su-35-makers, the "bureaucratic machine" had already blocked
the fighters from going to the aeroshow. It is estimated that the RF
possibly lost US$500 million.
4. Hijacking of PRC Plane
Segodnya's ("SMALL SALARY AS A PRETEXT TO HIJACK A PLANE," Moscow, 3,
10/19/98) reported that Captain Yuan Bin, the pilot of a Boeing 737 in
the PRC's Air China company, hijacked the plane to Taiwan. He was
immediately arrested and taken to an unknown destination. Later,
Taiwanese officials said that the act took place "not from political
motives," but due to the hijacker's dissatisfaction with the company's
policies and his small salary. The peak in hijacking was reached in the
early 1990s, but now the time when hijackers from the PRC were welcome as
heroes in Taiwan is past. Last year, Taiwan returned 2 hijackers to the
PRC. In reciprocity, the PRC returned to Taiwan a Taiwanese journalist
who hijacked a Boeing 757 of Far Eastern Airlines. The recently hijacked
Boeing 737 has already been returned to the PRC and its captain is
evidently to follow some time later. Strange as it may seem, such
incidents work for PRC-Taiwan rapprochement, as they provide
opportunities for contacts between the relevant authorities, so far
impossible officially.
5. Japanese Poaching near Kurils
Izvestia's Yuriy Golotyuk (Moscow, 2, 11/3/98) reported that last weekend
RF sea border guards of the Pacific Regional Directorate of the RF
Federal Border Guard Service (FBGS) "had to repel two massive 'attacks'
of Japanese poachers at once" in the vicinity of the South Kurils. On
Saturday, 3 Japanese schooners intruded into RF territorial waters there
and started fishing. All three were captured, brought to the RF coast,
fined US$15,000 each, and expelled. On Monday night, 8 Japanese
schooners used new tactics and intruded barely an hour before 20 "legal"
Japanese fishing vessels were to come there under an RF-Japanese official
agreement. As a result, confused RF border guards realized their mistake
only after both the "legal" vessels and the poachers left the area. RF
guards did not open fire. Their superiors at the FBGS HQ felt "the
provocations ... possess not just an economic shade, but a political one
as well." Right before the RF-Japanese summit in Kawana in April, the
area was intruded by 12 poaching Japanese vessels, and now the pattern is
repeated, as another summit is to take place in Moscow on November 12.
6. RF Far Eastern Problems
Segodnya's Oleg Kryuchek and Aleksandr Koretskiy ("SOUTH KURILS DECIDED
TO GIVE THEMSELVES UP ... FOR A RENT," Khabarovsk-Moscow, 1, 2, 10/29/98)
reported that South Kuril residents have started to gather signatures for
a petition in favor of a long-term rent of the islands to the Japanese
government and other Japanese investors. South Kuril District
Administration Head Vladimir Zema said the action was prompted by the
"total indifference of federal authorities to the problems of this
province and unwillingness of domestic investors to invest in development
of the South Kurils." As a result, he said, "everybody who is not lazy"
makes profit from exploitation of local bioresources, while the
population has been put "on the verge of survival." The islanders in the
past already made an attempt to give themselves up for a rent, and in
1994 and 1996 about 70 percent of them voted in favor of seceding to
Japan, according to the local administration's estimates. Neither the RF
Presidential Administration nor the RF Ministry of Justice have commented
on the events so far, although RF Foreign Ministry sources voiced an
opinion that it might make the preparations for the forthcoming RF-Japan
summit in Moscow more difficult. Meanwhile in the RF Far East, the
Regional Council of Kamchatka adopted a resolution to appeal to the UN
for humanitarian fuel assistance, obviously expecting none from RF
federal authorities.
7. Former Japanese Residents of South Kurils
Nezavisimaia gazeta's Dmitriy Kosyrev ("A VIEW OF THE NORTHERN
TERRITORIES FROM THE SOUTH," Nemuro-Tokyo-Moscow, 6, 10/31/98) published
an over half-page long article describing life in Nemuro, Northeastern
Hokkaido, "the epicenter of what in Japan they call 'the problem of
Northern territories'; that is, the South Kurils occupied by Soviet
troops in 1945." While for the majority of Japanese the problem is a
national issue, for many Nemuro residents it is a very private thing, as
the majority of Japanese relocated from the South Kurils settled in
Nemuro.
8. RF Strategic Missiles
Segodnya ("'TOPOL-M' MISSILES GIVEN TO MISSILE FORCES," Moscow, 2,
10/30/98) reported that 5 "Topol-M" Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles
were brought to Saratov Region on Volga River and put into silos of the
RF Strategic Purpose Missile Forces. 2 such missiles were brought there
in December 1997, and put on test-combat duty. Despite financial
difficulties, 5 more will be brought by this year's end and the first
"Topol-M" regiment consisting of 10 missiles is to be deployed.
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