Preceding NAPSNet Report

I. NAPSnet

1. Russia on DRPK Nuclear Program

Bloomberg.com (“NORTH KOREA’S KIM JONG IL CONFIRMS NUCLEAR PACT, INTERFAX SAYS “, 2005-10-13) reported that DPRK leader Kim Jong-il confirmed he will abide by an agreement reached last month to end the country’s nuclear arms program, Russia’s Interfax news agency reported, citing a Russian official. “I met Kim Jong-il and the North Korean leader clearly confirmed his country’s renunciation of the development of nuclear weapons,” Presidential Envoy to Russia’s Far Eastern federal district, Konstantin Pulikovsky, was quoted saying on his return from celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea in Pyongyang.

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2. US on DPRK Counterfeiting

Chosun Ilbo (“NORTH’S COUNTERFEITING NOT HELPING U.S.-NORTH KOREA RELATIONS “, 2005-10-13) reported that according to the State Department, the DPRK’s continued involvement in counterfeiting is not helping its relations with the US. Spokesman Adam Ereli told reporters his government was seeking the extradition of Northern Ireland’s Worker’s Party chief Sean Garland, who has been indicted on suspicion of circulating counterfeit US banknotes of DPRK origin. The way US-DPRK relations progress is highly contingent on the DPRK’s implication in illegal activities, the human rights situation and its nuclear weapons programs, Ereli said. However, he stressed the counterfeiting issue was not a topic for discussion at six party talks.

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3. Inter-Korean Economic Cooperation

The Korea Times (“2 KOREAS TO DISCUSS AGENDA FOR TALKS “, 2005-10-13) reported that the ROK and the DPRK have agreed for the first time to discuss the agenda for the upcoming inter-Korean economic cooperation talks ahead of the opening of the talks, a senior Unification Ministry official said Thursday. Vice Unification Minister Rhee Bong-jo said the ROK and the DPRK Korean delegates will meet in Kaesong next week for preparatory talks aimed at setting the agenda. The 11th round of inter-Korean talks on economic cooperation is scheduled to open on Oct. 25.

(return to top) Yonhap News (“S. KOREA BEGINS WORK ON COMPREHENSIVE AID PACKAGE FOR PYONGYANG”, 2005-10-13) reported that ROK has suggested building a second joint industrial complex in the DPRK in addition to the one in progress but the DPRK has yet to respond to it, a government official said Thursday. Vice Unification Minister Rhee Bong-jo said the proposal is part of ROK’s long-term drive to foster more comprehensive inter-Korean economic cooperation. (return to top) The International Herald Tribune (“INTER-KOREA TRADE TO REACH $1 BILLION “, 2005-10-13) reported that according to an ROK official, trade between the ROK and the DPRK is expected to reach a record $1 billion this year. From January to September, this trade totaled $789 million, and the previous high for annual DPRK-ROK trade was $724 million, in 2003. (return to top)

4. Inter-Korean Relations

Joongang Ilbo (“NORTH KICKS SEGMENT OFF ITS ARIRANG SHOW “, 2005-10-14) reported that after an ROK media complained about a segment in the DPRK’s Arirang Festival performance, the DPRK cut the offending part from the 80-minute performance, an ROK official said yesterday. In one segment of the show, three DPR Korean martial arts specialists kicked, punched and subdued 30 unnamed enemies. The “enemies” were dressed in uniforms identical to those worn by the RO Korean military before 1990. Unification Ministry and intelligence sources said the DPRK leader Kim Jong-il watched the show Sunday and that his “on-the-scene inspection” may have triggered the cut.

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5. Inter-Korean Athletic Cooperation

Yonhap News (“KOREAN ATHLETES TO MARCH AS ONE AT EAST ASIAN GAMES “, 2005-10-13) reported that athletes from the DPRK and the ROK will jointly enter the opening and closing ceremonies in an Asian regional tournament, the Korea Olympic Committee (KOC) said Thursday. “We have agreed with our North Korean counterpart to march together at both the opening and closing ceremonies of the East Asian Games,” the KOC said in a press release.

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6. DPRK-ROK Opposition Party Relations

Chosun Ilbo (“URI CHIEF WANTS DIALOGUE WITH N.KOREA’S RULING PARTY”, 2005-10-13) reported that Ruling Uri Party chairman Moon Hee-sang proposed cooperation and exchanges between his party and DPRK’s Workers’ Party. In an address at the National Assembly, Moon said, “Through exchanges with the North Korean party, the ruling party should promote trust between the two Koreas and lay the foundation for peace and prosperity.” This is the first time an ROK political party has advocated closer ties with the DPRK’s ruling party.

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7. DPRK-Japanese Relations

ITAR-TASS (“NORTH KOREA READY TO WELCOME JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER “, 2005-10-13) reported that according to deputy head of the Asian department in the DPR Korean Foreign Ministry Song Il Ho, the DPRK is ready to welcome the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to the country. He also said the DPRK is ready to soften its stance on the settlement of the problem of Japanese citizens that had been kidnapped by the DPRK’s intelligence in the 1970s-1980s. Some analysts believe the softening of Pyongyang’s policy towards Tokyo is linked to the fact that the DPRK seeks to use Japan, which is the US main ally, for getting concessions from Washington as regards the nuclear problem settlement.

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8. ROK-US Relations

The Korea Times (“HYDE CONCERNED OVER ANTI-AMERICANISM IN KOREA “, 2005-10-12) reported that Rep. Henry Hyde, chairman of the House Committee on International Relations, raised concerns with the State Department last week over what he sees as alarming anti-Americanism in ROK. The congressman specifically referred to polls released by major ROK dailies that indicate more youths there would take sides with the DPRK than with the US in the event of a war.

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9. Annual DPRK Crop and Food Supply Assessment

AG Report (“NORTH KOREA ASKS END OF HUMANITARIAN AID “, 2005-10-13) reported that FAO and WFP annual Crop and Food Supply Assessment Missions to the DPRK has not been requested by the DPRK Government in 2005.

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10. DPRK Human Rights

Yonhap News (“OPPOSITION LAWMAKERS PRESS PASSAGE OF N. KOREAN HUMAN RIGHTS ACT “, 2005-10-13) reported that a group of opposition legislators and civic organization leaders are to hold a conference this week, calling for the passage of a bill that seeks to improve human rights conditions in the DPRK and provide protection as well as financial aid for DPRK refugees. Spearheaded by Rep. Kim Moon-soo of the main opposition Grand National Party, eight GNP legislators, civic leaders and former DPRK defectors will hold a two-hour conference at the National Assembly Friday, an aide to the GNP legislator said.

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11. DPRK-Indonesian Relations

The Jakarta Post (“FORMER INDONESIAN PRESIDENT MEGAWATI ARRIVES IN NORTH KOREA “, 2005-10-13) reported that former Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri arrived Thursday in the DPRK to participate in celebrations honoring the 60th anniversary of the founding of the nation’s ruling party, the DPRK’s official media reported. Megawati was met by DPRK officials upon her arrival, the country’s state-run Korean Central News Agency said in a brief report. She was scheduled to meet leader Kim Jong-il during the trip, Megawati’s spokesman Ari Junaidi said. The visit is Megawati’s second this year to the DPRK. The DPRK has received numerous foreign visitors including high-ranking delegations from the PRC and Russia around the anniversary Monday of its ruling Workers’ Party.

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12. Japan & Yauskuni

The Japan Times (“TAIWANESE LET RULING ON YASUKUNI LAWSUIT STAND”, 2005-10-13) reported that Taiwanese who sued the Japanese government over Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s visits to Yasukuni Shrine will not appeal to a higher court.

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13. Japan & the UN

The Japan Times (“U.N. RESOLUTION STRESSES NPT”, 2005-10-13) reported that Japan submitted a revised nuclear disarmament draft resolution that underscores the importance of an effective framework for the NPT and declares a renewed determination to call on all nuclear powers to reduce their nuclear arms in an irreversible, verifiable and transparent manner and eventually completely eliminate such weapons.

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14. Japan & Nuclear Proliferation

Japan Today (“JAPAN URGES IRAN TO COMPLY WITH IAEA RESOLUTION”, 2005-10-12) reported that Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura urged Iran on Tuesday to comply with a resolution by the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors seeking Tehran to freeze its uranium enrichment activities.

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15. Japan & US Military Bases

The Asahi Shimbun (“JAPAN TO BACK U.S. OFFSHORE HELIPORT”, 2005-10-13) reported that Japan has effectively abandoned its preferred plan and is now willing to discuss a U.S.-backed proposal to relocate a Marine Corps base to a reef off the coast of Nago in Okinawa Prefecture, sources said.

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16. Japan-Russia Space Cooperation

ITAR-TASS (“TOKYO SHORTLY TO DECIDE ON PARTICIPATION IN RUS “CLIPPER” PROJECT”, 2005-10-13) reported that Tokyo intends to decide already this year on its participation in the Russian project to build a non-expendable manned spacecraft, which will be called “Clipper” to replace US space shuttles.

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17. Japanese-US Relations

The Los Angeles Times (“TOKYO, WASHINGTON IN STALEMATE OVER BASES”, 2005-10-13) reported that talks between Japan and the US failed Thursday to resolve their disagreement over the relocation of Marine Corps Air Station, Futenma, from the crowded city of Ginowan in Okinawa.

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18. Cross Straits Relations

Xinhua (“11 SHORTLISTED GIANT PANDAS TO BE SENT TO TAIWAN”, 2005-10-13) reported that the happiest couple of the 11 nominated finalists of giant pandas will be sent to Taiwan, said a panda expert at a regular news briefing given by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council Thursday morning.

(return to top) Xinhua (“BEIJING OPPOSES LEE TENG-HUI’S US TOUR”, 2005-10-13) reported that the PRC Thursday expressed strong opposition to former Taiwan leader Lee Teng-hui’s visit to the United States and have lodged solemn representations to the US. (return to top)

19. PRC New Growth Plan

The New York Times (“CHINA HOPES ECONOMY PLAN WILL BRIDGE INCOME GAP”, 2005-10-11) reported that Hu Jintao, president and Communist Party chief, put his oratorical stamp on the PRC’s forthcoming five-year economic plan, his first since becoming the party’s top boss in 2002.

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20. PRC Emerging Democracy

Kyodo News (“HUNDREDS OF PETITIONERS DETAINED AT COMMUNIST PARTY SESSION”, 2005-10-13) reported that as many as 1,000 people with complaints against the PRC government were detained as they approached the annual Communist Party plenum site in Beijing to express their concerns earlier this week and last week.

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21. PRC Space Program

The New York Times (“CHINESE ASTRONAUTS BEGIN 5 DAYS IN LOW ORBIT”, 2005-10-12) reported that the PRC’s second piloted spacecraft, the Shenzhou VI, blasted off Wednesday morning from the space center in the country’s northwest beginning a five-day mission orbiting the earth. In a break from the highly secretive past launches, the PRC broadcast the launching live on state television.

(return to top) International Herald Tribune (“COSMIC COOPERATION”, 2005-10-13) reported that the PRC over the last two years have made it amply clear that they would welcome inclusion in US-driven space efforts like the construction of the International Space Station – and presumably NASA’s new moon missions as well. (return to top)

22. PRC-US Relations

BBC News (“SNOW KEEPS UP PRESSURE OVER YUAN “, 2005-10-12) reported that US Treasury Secretary John Snow has begun his tour of the PRC with a visit to Shanghai’s financial centre to begin trade talks on the PRC’s currency policies. Washington says that the yuan is still undervalued against the US dollar, making Chinese goods artificially cheap.

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23. PRC-Japan Relations

Xinhua (“SINO-JAPANESE DIALOGUE TO COVER WIDE RANGE OF TOPICS”, 2005-10-13) reported that the third round of PRC-Japan Strategic Dialogue will cover a wide range of topics concerning all areas of ties, i.e. handling of abandoned wartime chemical weapons.

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24. PRC & Hong Kong Political Developments

BBC News (“HK CHIEF VAGUE ON POLITICAL SHIFT “, 2005-10-12) reported that Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Donald Tsang has made his first major policy address to parliament since being appointed earlier this year. He put off giving details of how the territory would move towards democracy.

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25. PRC Army

International Herald Tribune (“CHINA’S BIG GUNS TRAINED ON THE ART MARKET”, 2005-10-13) reported that the world’s largest standing army is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to bring back PRC art treasures such as those now in the homes of private collectors.

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II. CanKor

26. #222

CanKor (“US NEGOTIATOR HILL: TIME FOR ‘REAL ACTION’ ON DPRK “, 2005-10-06) Christopher Hill, US Envoy to the Six-Party Talks, testifies to the House Committee on International Relations. The 19 September joint statement, he says, gives a vision of the end-point of the process, the verifiable denuclearization of the DPRK. Although the statement also takes note of the DPRK’s assertion that is has the right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy, Hill made “crystal clear” that discussion of the provision of a light water nuclear reactor would take place only after credible verification that the DPRK has eliminated all its nuclear weapons and all nuclear programs. Hill urges the termination of KEDO, and the creation of “new, more secure, arrangements to carry out denuclearization.”

(return to top) CanKor (“TWO FILMS OPEN IN USA, REFLECT SHIFT IN KOREAN ATTITUDES “, 2005-10-05) Two Korean films make their debut in New York. Empress Chung, an animated film, which opened in several cinemas in the South and six in the North, was produced employing animators from the DPRK. The President’s Last Bang is an irreverent portrayal of the presidency of ROK General Park Chung Hee. (return to top) CanKor (“FOCUS: TURBULENCE IN DPRK TOURISM”, 2005-10-13) This week’s CanKor FOCUS reviews the progress of DPRK tourism, the industry that blazed a trail in inter-Korean commercial engagement across the DMZ, albeit fraught with scandal and controversy. Hyundai Asan, operator of the first tourism venture in the DPRK, is once again embroiled in controversy. The Hyundai Group weathered allegations of bribing the Kim Jong Il regime into the 2000 inter-Korean summit. It suffered the loss of chairman Chung Mong-hun to suicide as he faced charges for his involvement. Now Vice-chairman Kim Yoon-kyu is accused of misappropriating South-North cooperation funds. Current chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun dismisses Kim Yoon-kyu and welcomes an investigation, eager for more transparency in the Hyundai Group’s business with the DPRK. In protest, Pyongyang slashes the tourist quota to the Kumgang Resort and suspends additional projects in Kaesong and Mt. Paektu that were at the trial stage. This provides opportunities for the competition. ROK’s powerful Lotte Tourism is poised to sign a deal to operate tours to Kaesong. (return to top) CanKor (“REBUILDING A TEMPLE, NARROWING A GAP “, 2005-09-29) Other inter-Korean projects that will benefit the tourism industry on the Peninsula include the richly symbolic restoration of the Holy Valley Temple, a Buddhist historic site bombed during the Korean War. (return to top) CanKor (“DPRK ALLOWING US VISITORS FOR ARIRANG”, 2005-10-02) American passport holders interested in a rare tourism opportunity are welcomed to Pyongyang this month to experience the breathtaking mass Arirang gymnastics festival. (return to top) CanKor (“OPINION: WHITHER ECONOMIC REFORMS IN DPRK?”, 2005-10-08) In this week’s CanKor OPINION, economist Ruediger Frank discusses the implications for DPRK economic reforms if, as reported, the DPRK prohibits the sale of grain in the markets in favour of rations via its public distribution system. (return to top)