I. NAPSnet

1. US on DPRK Nuclear Program

The Korea Times (“US ENVOY URGES NK TO OBSERVE SIX-WAY ACCORD”, 2005-10-18) reported that the US Ambassador to the ROK Alexander Vershbow said on Tuesday that there was a long way to go in resolving the DPRK nuclear crisis despite the agreement reached at last month’s six party talks. According to officials, the new US envoy made the comment during a closed-door meeting with ROK Unification Minister Chung Dong-young at Chung’s office in Seoul. Vershbow was also quoted as stressing the need for Seoul and Washington to make joint efforts to have Pyongyang implement its commitments.

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2. ROK Ideological Dispute Over DPRK

Agence France Presse (“IDEOLOGICAL ROW HEATS UP OVER NORTH KOREA”, 2005-10-18) reported that the ROK’s opposition leader demanded an apology from President Roh Moo-Hyun and the immediate firing of his justice minister, amid an ideological dispute over the DPRK. Park Geun-Hye, head of the conservative Grand National Party (GNP), accused Roh’s progressive government of undermining the foundations of the ROK’s anti-communist national identity. The standoff erupted last week when Prosecutor General Kim Jong-Bin resigned in protest over Justice Minister Chun Jung-Bae’s order forbidding the detention of Kang Jeong-Koo, a sociology professor accused of supporting the DPRK in violation of the ROK’s anti-communist national security law. Roh and his progressive supporters are seeking to scrap or revise the decades-old national security law, which they dismiss as a Cold War relic.

(return to top) The Korea Times (“IDEOLOGICAL BATTLE POLARIZES SOCIETY”, 2005-10-18) reported that the justice minister’s controversial directive to prevent the prosecution from detaining a professor, who allegedly violated the anti-communist National Security Law, is polarizing ROK society. Criticizing the government as a left-leaning regime which tries to appease the DPRK too much, Grand National Party Chairwoman Park Geun-hye argued that the justice minister’s action was tantamount to denying the principles of the ROK’s democracy and the market-oriented economic system. “We will never concede or compromise because this issue relates to the country’s identity,” Park told reporters. “We will use every possible means, including street demonstrations, to keep safe the principles of the country’s ruling system.” (return to top)

3. ROK on Inter-Korean Unification

Yonhap News (“MERGER OF N. KOREA INTO S. KOREA NOT GOOD IDEA: S. KOREAN PM”, 2005-10-18) reported that the ROK’s Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan said on Tuesday that merging the DPRK into the ROK’s capitalist system is not the proper way for reunification. “We observed an economic power like Germany experiencing much difficulty in the process of reunification,” Lee said in a lecture before research fellows of the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt, an independent arms control institute.

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4. Inter-Korean Economic Cooperation

The Korea Times (“US RULE STALLS S-N PHONE LINK”, 2005-10-18) reported that telephone service between the ROK and the inter-Korean industrial complex in Kaesong is now in limbo due to deferred US approval of exported telecom equipment. US export administration regulations (EAR) restrict shipment of dual-use items such as telecom gear, which can be converted for military purposes to embargoed destinations such as the DPRK. KT, the ROK firm in charge of the project, said on Sunday that cross-border phone calls could be put off to next year should the US continue to procrastinate on the decision.

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5. Inter-Korean Relations

Yonhap News (“EXPORT BAN ON STRATEGIC GOODS TO N.K. HINDERS INTER-KOREAN TIES”, 2005-10-18) reported that a US-imposed ban on exports of strategic materials to the DPRK is thwarting the ROK’s efforts to improve ties with the DPRK, a civic organization claimed on Tuesday. The claim came as the country’s state spy agency reported that one official from an Incheon-based civic organization has been suspected of handing seven items, including a laptop computer, that are labeled strategic equipment, to a DPRK official visiting the country last month.

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6. Inter-Korean Humanitarian Cooperation

Joongang Ilbo (“FOUNDATION FEEDS 5,000 FROM BAKERY IN THE NORTH”, 2005-10-18) reported that a bread factory established in the DPRK by the ROK’s Korea Welfare Foundation has been providing 5,000 buns, or “Unification Bread”, to children at 10 kindergartens and orphanages near the famine-stricken country’s capital Pyongyang. According to the foundation, children between the ages of four and eight, mostly orphans, have been fed the bread for the past five months. “The Unification Bread Factory” is operated by about 20 DPRK workers with equipment donated by ROK food-maker, Samlip Corporation, and ingredients given by sponsors of the foundation.

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7. DPRK-US Relations

The Associated Press (“U.S. COMMITMENT TO NUKE ACCORD QUESTIONED”, 2005-10-18) reported that the DPRK said on Tuesday that it doubted Washington’s commitment to a landmark accord reached at the last nuclear talks, criticizing a recent US allegation that the DPRK was involved in money laundering activities. On Tuesday, an unnamed spokesman for the DPRK’s Foreign Ministry said that the US allegation was “nothing but a version of the trite psychological warfare conducted by the US administration to justify its hostile policy” toward the DPRK. “If the U.S. persists in its hostile acts … the DPRK will be left with no option but to take self-defense steps to cope with those acts,” the spokesman said, without explaining what those steps would be.

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8. DPRK-PRC Bilateral Talks

Reuters (“CHINA’S HU LIKELY TO VISIT NORTH KOREA THIS MONTH-KYODO”, 2005-10-18) reported that PRC President Hu Jintao is likely to visit the DPRK at the end of this month and meet with leader Kim Jong-il for discussions on the DPRK’s nuclear weapons program. According to sources close to the PRC and DPRK, the visit, which will take place around October 24, is part of diplomatic maneuvering before the commencement of six party talks in November. Hu and Kim will discuss the process through which Pyongyang will abandon its nuclear weapons program, as well as bilateral economic cooperation, reported Japan’s Kyodo news agency. PRC Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said at a news conference on Tuesday that he had “no definite authorized information” on such a visit.

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9. DPRK Food Aid

Xinhua (“NORTH KOREA IS STILL IN NEED: OFFICER”, 2005-10-18) reported that a US-flagged ship, carrying over 8,000 tons of wheat and an equal amount of maize arrived at the DPRK’s east coast port of Hungnam last week. This is the last cargo of food aid to the DPRK expected from a US ship. However, 6,000 tons of soybeans are due to arrive in DPRK from the US in November, via a third-country vessel. Gerald Bourke, the WFP Public Affairs Officer for the DPRK, says that more than a quarter of DPR Koreans need aid. “This year, we are seeking to feed 6.5 million North Koreans; that’s more than a quarter of the population—primarily young children, pregnant and nursing women and elderly people. Our view is that a large portion of the population remains in considerable need,” Bourke said.

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10. DPRK Defections

Yonhap News (“CHINA DEPORTED FOUR N. KOREAN DEFECTORS IN AUGUST: ACTIVIST”, 2005-10-17) reported that the PRC sent back several DPRK defectors in August who sought asylum at a Japanese school, a ROK activist claimed on Monday. The revelation, if confirmed, adds to the controversial record of the PRC’s policy on DPRK defectors. The ROK expressed regret after it became known that PRC deported seven DPR Koreans on September 29 who had entered a ROK school in Yentai.

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11. DPRK Tourism

Chosun Ilbo (“N. KOREA OPENS MT. BAEKDU SKI RESORT”, 2005-10-18) reported that RO Koreans and foreign ski enthusiasts may soon have the opportunity to hit the slopes near the DPRK’s Mt. Baekdu. According to the Yonhap news agency, the DPRK has finished renovations at a massive sports complex in the Yanggang Province bordering the PRC. Yonhap quotes a DPRK official as saying he expected many foreigners and Korean expats would come and enjoy various winter sports activities there.

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12. South Africa on DPRK

Chosun Ilbo (“S. AFRICA DENIES DARK CONTINENT REVERES KIM IL-SUNG”, 2005-10-18) reported that the South African Embassy in Seoul dismissed an article titled “Kim Il-sung, a Great Modern Leader” by Professor Jang Shi-ki of Dongguk University that claimed the former DPRK leader was revered as a hero throughout Africa. “Such an incorrect remark by a person with wrong ideas can mislead Koreans,” an embassy official said. “We are concerned that if we don’t respond to a false remark by a person who is not in a position to make that remark, it could mean we acknowledge it is true, so we discussed the matter with our home country and decided to issue a press release.”

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13. Japan-US Missile Defense

Asahi Shimbun (“JAPAN EYEING RADAR SYSTEM TO DEFEND U.S. FROM MISSILES”, 2005-10-18) reported that Japanese officials are leaning toward allowing Washington to deploy an early-warning radar system here as part of a defense system against intercontinental ballistic missiles aimed at the US. The new radar system will be included in plans to improve joint response capability and the sharing of information in a missile defense system set up as part of the realignment of US military forces in Japan.

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14. US-ROK Military Alliance

Yonhap News (“RUMSFELD TO VISIT SEOUL FOR TALKS ON RESHAPING ALLIANCE BY KIM HYUNG”, 2005-10-18) reported that US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld will fly to Seoul this week for talks on the ROK’s moves to assume a greater role in defending itself from the DPRK, Seoul officials said Tuesday. High on the agenda for the one-day meeting will be the ROK’s moves to regain full operational control of its troops from the US military and take over major security roles from the American forces.

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15. Yasukuni Shrine Issue

The Los Angeles Times (“LAWMAKERS PRAY AT CONTROVERSIAL SHRINE”, 2005-10-18) reported that nearly 200 Japanese lawmakers and aides prayed at a shrine honoring the nation’s war dead the day after a visit by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi triggered protests from the PRC and the ROK, which say the shrine glorifies Japan’s past militarism. The group, including leaders of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and a handful of opposition legislators, visited Yasukuni Shrine to pay their respects.

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16. PRC on Yasukuni Shrine Issue

BBC News (“CHINA CALLS OFF JAPANESE VISIT “, 2005-10-18) reported that the PRC has called off a visit by Japan’s foreign minister in apparent protest at Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s attending a controversial war shrine. Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura was due in Beijing this month, but a PRC spokesman said his country was “not in a position to receive him”.

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17. PRC-ROK Textbook Dispute

Chosun Ilbo (“CHINA CONTINUES TO ERASE KOREAN HISTORY”, 2005-10-18) reported that ever-vigilant over what it sees as Japan’s distortions of history, the PRC is pushing ahead with some rewriting of its own to suppress mention of a separate Korean identity in its textbooks. The PRC Foreign Ministry in August last year erased reference to some pre-1948 Korean history on its website, and now all accounts of pre-modern Korean history, including the Koguryo kingdom, are gone from a world history textbook for ethnic Korean- students in Yanbian, Jilin Province.

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18. PRC on Cross Strait Relations

Xinhua (“CHINA FIRMLY OPPOSES ALL US-TAIWAN MILITARY EXCHANGES “, 2005-10-18) reported that PRC Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said Tuesday that the PRC is firmly opposed to all kinds of military exchanges between the US and Taiwan. The PRC government is also firmly opposed to any form of US-Taiwan military cooperation including US arms sales to Taiwan, Kong said.

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19. US on PRC Military

The Associated Press (“RUMSFELD: CHINA SOWING SUSPICION OVER ARMY “, 2005-10-18) reported that Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on Tuesday accused PRC of understating the scope of its defense spending, and he said this is sowing suspicion about how the PRC intends to use its growing military might.

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20. PRC Bird Flu Risk

The New York Times (“POULTRY POWER: CHINA, WITH HUGE FLOCKS, IS AT BIG FLU RISK”, 2005-10-18) reported that as governments in North America and Europe grow increasingly worried about the possibility of a global epidemic of bird flu, one crucial player is the PRC. Yet for now, much of what the PRC is doing to manage a possible epidemic is a mystery.

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21. Sino-Russian Space Program Cooperation

Interfax (“RUSSIA, CHINA MAY MOUNT SPACE COOPERATION, CHINESE COULD CATCH UP – EXPERT”, 2005-10-18) reported that Russian and the PRC may boost space exploration ties in the future, and some experts think the PRC’s space program could eventually equal those of the US and Russia. The PRC will move from individual space projects to broad international cooperation in the future, with Russia playing a large role, Deputy General Director of the Energia Aerospace Corporation Yury Grigoryev said.

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II. CanKor

22. #223

CanKor (“DPRK RULING PARTY MARKS 60TH YEAR”, 2005-10-10) The DPRK Workers’ Party celebrates the 60th anniversary of its founding with a military parade attended by leader Kim Jong Il. The country’s No. 2 leader, Kim Yong Nam addresses the crowd, underlining the importance of pursuing the Party’s “military first” policies. In a televised address to the masses, Vice Marshal Kim Il Chol promises that the DPRK military will “mercilessly crush the agressors” if the USA or Japan start a war. No mention is made during the festivities of the statement issued following recent Six-Party Talks.

(return to top) CanKor (“DPRK CONFIRMS RENUNCIATION OF NUKE PROGRAM “, 2005-10-12) While attending the festivities, Russian presidential envoy Konstantin Pulikovsky, meets Kim Jong-il and is given “clear confirmation” of Pyongyang’s renunciation of nuclear weapons and continued support of the Six-Party process. (return to top) (“KOREAS TO DISCUSS AGENDA FOR TALKS “, 2005-10-13) For the first time since inter-Korean economic cooperation talks began, the DPRK agrees to discuss in advance the agenda for the 11th director-level talks, due to begin 25 October. One day after the conclusion of the last round of Six-Party Talks, ROK President Roh Moo-hyun ordered the creation of a comprehensive plan for the DPRK’s economic recovery. Inter-Korean trade is expected to reach a record high of one billion dollars this year if the current momentum is maintained. (return to top) CanKor (“KOREAS TO DISCUSS AGENDA FOR TALKS “, 2005-10-13) For the first time since inter-Korean economic cooperation talks began, the DPRK agrees to discuss in advance the agenda for the 11th director-level talks, due to begin 25 October. One day after the conclusion of the last round of Six-Party Talks, ROK President Roh Moo-hyun ordered the creation of a comprehensive plan for the DPRK’s economic recovery. Inter-Korean trade is expected to reach a record high of one billion dollars this year if the current momentum is maintained. (return to top) CanKor (“ECONOMIC COOPERATION TOPS AGENDA OF WU YI’S DPRK TOUR”, ) Economic cooperation and trade top the agenda of Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi’s visit to the DPRK. PRC Foreign Ministry spokesman described the visit as “successful and satisfactory” on furthering bilateral relations. (return to top) CanKor (“RO KOREAN GIRL BORN IN DPR KOREA “, 2005-10-13) A visiting expectant mother has become the first South Korean citizen to give birth in Pyongyang. (return to top) CanKor (“RESOURCES: Book Reviews”, 2005-10-18) This week’s CanKor RESOURCES features reviews of the following four books: UNDER THE LOVING CARE OF THE FATHERLY LEADER by journalist Bradley Martin FROM STALIN TO KIM IL SUNG: The Formation of North Korea, 1945-1960 and CRISIS IN NORTH KOREA: The Failure of De-Stalinization, 1956 – both by Australian National University lecturer Andrei Lankov GREAT LEADER, DEAR LEADER: Demystifying North Korea Under the Kim Clan by journalist Bertil Lintner. The reviews are reproduced with kind permission from Korean Quarterly, a non-profit/volunteer publication created by and for the Korean American community. (return to top)