2. DPRK Absence at UN Millennium Summit
The DPRK's nominal head of state Kim Yong-nam, blaming a "rude search" by US airline security officials, cancelled his trip to the UN Millennium Summit. ROK officials feared that the incident might hurt the DPRK ties with the US and international community, but DPRK Vice Foreign Minister Choe Su-hon said that the incident would not affect relations between the two Koreas. ROK Foreign Minister Lee Joung-binn said that the US on Thursday sent a letter to the DPRK apologizing for the airline security checks.
"UN Millenium Summit" (Daily Report, September 7, ROK)
"DPRK Absence at UN Millennium Summit" (Daily Report, September 7, US)
"DPRK Participation in UN Summit" (Daily Report, September 5, US)
The US State Department and the White House said that they regretted the incident. US State Department confirmed on September 7 that a letter of "regret" was sent to the DPRK on September 5. The DPRK's UN ambassador, Li Hyong-chol, stated, "The U.S. should understand that as long as they continue to resort to confrontation against us with such provocative acts, it will only disclose their true color as a destroyer of peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula."
"DPRK-ROK Relations" (Daily Report, September 6, US)
"DPRK Airport Security Incident" (Daily Report, September 8, US)
"US-DPRK Relations" (Daily Report, September 8, ROK)
"DPRK Participation in UN Summit" (Daily Report, September 6, US)
"DPRK UN Summit Cancellation" (Daily Report, September 6, ROK)
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori said he was disappointed, but added that he remained willing to meet its leaders. Mori's plan to announce the holding of a meeting with a top DPRK official in New York have been thwarted after the DPRK delegates pulled out of the UN Millennium Summit at the last minute.
"Japan-DPRK Relations" (Daily Report, September 6, US)
"Japanese-DPRK Talks" (Daily Report, September 8, ROK)
American Airlines said in a statement that the DPRK delegates allowed their baggage to be inspected but objected to a "pat down" body search; when they changed their minds there was insufficient time to process the delegation before the plane would depart. The airline endorsed the group's tickets onto another carrier, but the DPRK delegates flew home instead. American Airlines had not been informed of the DPRK delegation's travel plans by either the US Federal Aviation Administration or the US State Department and that if there had been an official US request for special treatment of the delegation, it would have been granted.
"DPRK Participation in UN Summit" (Daily Report, September 6, US)