NAPSNet Daily Report 11 June, 2009

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NAPSNet Daily Report 11 June, 2009

Contents in this Issue:

Preceding NAPSNet Report

MARKTWO

I. NAPSNet

1. UN Sanctions on the DPRK

Reuters (Louis Charbonneau, “U.N. POWERS AGREE TO DRAFT SANCTIONS ON NORTH KOREA”, United Nations, 2009/06/10) reported that seven key countries agreed to a draft U.N. resolution on the DPRK , ending weeks of wrangling over a plan to expand sanctions against Pyongyang for its recent nuclear test and weapons program. “If all goes well we’re expecting a vote on the resolution on Friday,” a U.N. diplomat told Reuters on condition of anonymity. The resolution “calls upon” states not to enter into new financial commitments with the DPRK except for humanitarian or development projects. The resolution also expands the partial arms embargo against Pyongyang to ban the export of all weapons by the DPRK but allows Pyongyang to continue purchasing small arms , provided such sales are reported to the United Nations.

Agence France-Presse (“KEY POINTS OF UN DRAFT RESOLUTION TO SANCTION NORTH KOREA”, United Nations, 2009/06/10) reported that the following are key points of the draft resolution. All states to inspect all cargo to and from the DPRK, in their territory, including seaports and airports when there is reason to believe the cargo contains banned items related to the DPRK’s nuclear and missile activities. If a flag state does not consent to inspection on the high seas, it decides that the flag state shall direct the vessel to proceed to an appropriate and convenient port for the required inspection by the local authorities. Calls on all states and international financial institutions not to enter into new commitments for grants, financial assistance or concessional loans to the DPRK except for humanitarian and development purposes addressing the needs of the civilian population or the promotion of denuclearization.

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2. Russia on DPRK Missile Program

RIA Novosti (“RUSSIA SAYS N.KOREA BALLISTIC MISSILE LAUNCHES FUTILE”, Balabanovo, 2009/06/10) reported that the DPRK will gain nothing from new ballistic missile launches, Russia’s deputy defense minister said. Col. Gen. Alexander Kolmakov told RIA Novosti: “North Korea’s further ballistic missile launches have no serious perspectives.” Kolmakov said he hoped the common stance of world powers on the issue would help Pyongyang “take a sober view of its actions.”

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3. US-DPRK Relations

Reuters (Claudia Parsons, “U.S. NOT SEEKING TO TOPPLE NORTH KOREA GOVERNMENT: ENVOY”, New York, 2009/06/10) reported that the United States will do what is necessary for the security of its allies but has no plans to invade the DPRK or overthrow its government by force, Washington’s special envoy, Stephen Bosworth, said. Speaking at the annual dinner of the Korea Society in New York, Bosworth said the DPRK’s recent missile and nuclear tests were provocative and undermined its own security. He said the DPRK’s actions “require that we expand our consideration of new responses, including our force posture and extended deterrence options,” but he rejected the DPRK’s assertion that it was reacting to U.S. hostility.

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4. US on DPRK Nuclear Program

Agence France-Presse (Washington, “US WON’T ACCEPT NUCLEAR NORTH KOREA: NOMINEE”, 2009/06/10) reported that the United States will not accept a nuclear DPRK and is committed to defending neighboring Japan and the ROK , the nominee to be the top US diplomat for Asia said. “If confirmed, I would use close bilateral and trilateral coordination with Tokyo and Seoul to make clear that neither the United States nor its allies will accept a nuclear North Korea,” Campbell said. “And there should be no mistake: the United States is firm in its resolve to uphold its treaty commitments regarding the defense of its allies,” he said.

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5. US on DPRK Nuclear Talks

Yonhap News (Hwang Doo-hyong, “CAMPBELL URGES N. KOREA TO RETURN TO 6-PARTY TALKS”, 2009/06/10) reported that U.S. Assistant Secretary of State-designate Kurt Campbell urged the DPRK Wednesday to return to the six-party talks on ending its nuclear ambitions, saying Washington will not accept a nuclear North Korea. “We’ve got to make clear to the North Koreans that should they decide to return to the table for negotiations in a multilateral context, we’d be prepared to do that,” Campbell, the nominee for assistant secretary for East Asia and Pacific affairs, said at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

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6. ROK on DPRK Nuclear Test

Renminnet (Jack Kim, “NORTH KOREA’S KIM FEVERISH ON SUCCESSION: SEOUL”, Seoul, 2009/06/10) reported that the ROK’s defense chief says the DPRK ‘s military grandstanding that included last month’s nuclear test was linked to leader Kim Jong-il ‘s succession plans in the “inhumane” state, an official said. “Kim Jong-il is bloodshot in the eyes trying to build a succession plan to pass on power by creating tension … while ignoring the desperate plight of his starving people and the impoverished state of the economy,” Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee said in an address to troops.

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7. Inter-Korean Relations

Yonhap News (Kim Hyun, “SOUTH KOREA TO PRESS NORTH ON DETAINED WORKER’S CASE”, Seoul, 2009/06/10) reported that the ROK will raise the issue of a detained worker in upcoming talks with the DPRK, a spokesperson here said, although expectations for a breakthrough remained low as tension mounted on the peninsula. “For our government, the prolonged detention is an important agenda item that should be discussed at the talks,” Unification Ministry spokeswoman Lee Jong-joo said.

Yonhap News (Tony Chang, “UNIFICATION MINISTER TO SKIP INTER-KOREAN SUMMIT ANNIVERSARY EVENT”, 2009/06/10) reported that the ROK’s unification minister will not participate in an annual event commemorating the first inter-Korean summit, a ministry spokesperson said, citing government talks with the DPRK planned for the same day. “We notified the organizers that it would be difficult for the minister to participate in the event,” spokesperson Lee Jong-joo said at a daily press briefing.

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8. Inter-Korean Economic Cooperation

Agence France-Presse (“S.KOREAN FIRMS IN KAESONG SEEK EMERGENCY FUNDS”, Seoul, 2009/06/10) reported that the ROK firms at a jointly-run industrial estate in the DPRK will ask Seoul for emergency funds as business slumps amid tensions between the two governments, an official has said. Lee Im-Dong, a senior official of the council that represents more than 100 companies at Kaesong, said they would hold an emergency meeting this week to discuss their appeal to the Seoul government.

Associated Press (Kwang-tae Kim, “NKOREA DEMANDS 4-FOLD RAISE IN WAGES FROM SOUTH”, Seoul , 2009/06/12) reported that the DPRK demanded Thursday a four-fold increase in wages for its workers employed by ROK-owned companies at the Kaesong industrial park. Pyongyang demanded that the ROK raise the monthly wages of the workers at the complex to $300 in the first year, Unification Ministry spokeswoman Lee Jong-joo said. She said the DPRK also wanted a 10 to 20 percent wage increase in subsequent years and a rent of $500 million for the 35 million-square- feet (3.3 million-square-meter) site. Under an agreement between the two countries, the DPRK has already received $16 million as rent for 50 years.

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9. DPRK Military

IFES NK Brief (“DPRK MILITARY STRENGTHENS HOLD ON ECONOMIC INTERESTS”, 2009/06/10) reported that the DPRK military, which has recently taken a hard-line position internationally with rocket launches, a nuclear test and inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch preparation, appears to be strengthening its position domestically, as well. It has reportedly taken charge of coal exports, previously the responsibility of the Cabinet, and other key economic interests. According to sources inside the DPRK, authority to export anthracite, the DPRK’s most valuable export item, was transferred from a trading company under the control of the Cabinet to a military trading company earlier this year.

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10. DPRK on Suicide of Former ROK President

KCNA (“CPRK SECRETARIAT RELEASES DETAILED REPORT ON TRUTH ABOUT DEATH OF ROH MOO HYUN”, 2009/06/10) reported that the Secretariat of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea Tuesday released a detailed report on the truth about the death of Roh Moo Hyun, former “president” of the ROK. According to the detailed report, Roh’s death was not a suicide but a politically motivated, premeditated and deliberate terror and murder orchestrated by the United States and the pro-American conservative forces of the ROK. The Lee Myung Bak group was so keen on the extreme political revenge that it pressurized Roh to pay for the past decade when the “power” was in the hands of the progressive forces.

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11. Japan on Cluster Bombs

Kyodo News (“TREATY TO OUTLAW CLUSTER BOMBS GETS FINAL DIET APPROVAL”, Tokyo, 2009/06/10) reported that the Japanese parliament gave final endorsement Wednesday to the country’s signing of an international treaty to ban the use and stockpiling of cluster bombs, paving the way for Tokyo to ratify the treaty. The Convention on Cluster Munitions will enter into force six months after the 30th state has submitted its instrument of ratification. So far, eight countries, including Ireland and Norway, have ratified the treaty, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

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12. Japan Swine Flu Outbreak

Kyodo News (“NEW-FLU INFECTIONS IN JAPAN SURPASS 500”, Tokyo, 2009/06/10) reported that the number of people infected with the new strain of influenza A in Japan surpassed 500 on Wednesday with eight prefectures across the country reporting new cases. Tottori and Miyagi prefectures each reported their first case, while a total of 28 people were newly found infected in Tokyo, Fukuoka, Kyoto, Hyogo, Kanagawa and Chiba prefectures, bringing the nation’s total to 516 as of Wednesday evening.

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13. Japan Nuclear Power

Kyodo News (“NUCLEAR POWER A KEY TO ACHIEVING JAPAN’S NEW EMISSIONS GOAL: MINISTER”, Tokyo, 2009/06/10) reported that industry minister Toshihiro Nikai said Wednesday that promoting the use of nuclear power in Japan will be a key way to achieve the country’s new target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions unveiled earlier in the day. ”It’s important for us to stably increase the number of nuclear power stations and boost the operating capacity rate of reactors,” Nikai, minister of economy, trade and industry, said at a news conference.

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14. Japan Climate Change

Agence France-Presse (“JAPAN TARGETS 15% EMISSIONS CUT BY 2020: PM”, Tokyo, 2009/06/10) reported that Japan ‘s Prime Minister Taro Aso said the Asian economic powerhouse was aiming to cut its emissions of greenhouse gases by 15 percent from 2005 levels by 2020. “I have decided to aim at a 15 percent reduction from 2005,” Aso told a news conference — setting a target that translates to an eight percent reduction on 1990 levels, the benchmark year used in United Nations talks . Aso said ” Japan must take the initiative in spearheading a global trend,” arguing that the target surpasses US and European goals because unlike theirs it does not factor in carbon trading or sequestration through forestry.

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15. Japan Space Program

The Associated Press (Mari Yamaguchi, “JAPANESE LUNAR PROBE TO CRASH-LAND ON MOON”, 2009/06/10) reported that a Japanese probe will end more than a year of orbiting the moon with a controlled crash-landing on the lunar surface, officials said Wednesday. The Kaguya probe will hit the moon at about 1800 GMT Wednesday, Japan’s space agency, JAXA, said in a statement. The probe was launched in September 2007 and has completed its scheduled observations.

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16. Sino-Indian Relations

Agence France-Presse (“INDIAN MILITARY PLANE MISSING AT CHINA BORDER”, Guwahati, 2009/06/10) reported that an Indian military plane with 12 personnel on board was reported missing Tuesday along India’s disputed borders with the PRC, the air force here said. “The aircraft went missing after it took off from Mechuka air base, said Indian air force spokesman Ranjit Sahu in Guwahati, the largest city in northeast India. Others said the aircraft may have crashed because of heavy rains in Arunachal Pradesh, a massive swathe of Indian territory which is claimed by adjoining PRC.

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17. Cross Strait Relations

DPA (“TAIWAN AND CHINA’S RULING PARTIES HOLD ANOTHER CROSS-STRAIT FORUM “, 2009/06/10) reported that the ruling parties of Taiwan and the PRC will hold their fifth forum in China next month to try to expand ties across the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan’s ruling party KMT said Wednesday. The fifth Cross-Strait Economic, Trade and Cultural Forum will be held July 11-12 in Changsha, PRC.   The focus is on promoting cultural and educational exchanges and cooperation, the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang or KMT) said in a statement. Some 200 experts and scholars from Taiwan and the PRC would attend.

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18. Uighur Detainee Issue

The New (Mark Landler, “PALAU TO TAKE CHINESE GUANTÁNAMO DETAINEES”, Washington, 2009/06/10) reported that the United States has won an agreement to transfer up to 17 PRC Muslims from the prison camp at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, to Palau, a sparsely populated archipelago in the North Pacific, according to a statement released by Palau to The Associated Pres. The president of Palau, Johnson Toribiong, said his government had “agreed to accommodate the United States of America’s request” to “temporarily resettle” the detainees, members of the Uighur ethnic group, “subject to periodic review.” Palau, the president said, would be “honored and proud” to take them in a “humanitarian gesture.”

Associated Press (“CHINA REJECTS MOVE TO SEND DETAINEES TO PALAU”, Beijing, 2009/06/12) reported that Beijing said Thursday that the 17 PRC Muslims the United States is sending to Pacific island nation of Palau are terrorists and should be handed back to it instead. Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said the United States should “stop handing over terrorist suspects to any third country, so as to expatriate them to China at an early date.” “China also opposes any country taking any of these terrorist suspects,” Qin said.

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19. PRC Security

Agence France-Presse (“CHINA PLANS HARSH SECURITY FOR 60TH ANNIVERSARY”, 2009/06/10) reported that the PRC will impose even tougher security measures for the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic in October than it did for last year’s Olympic Games , state media has said. Thousands of elite police and soldiers are staging drills this week to prepare for a range of scenarios, with teams defusing a mock low-grade nuclear bomb and preventing a chemical plant explosion , the China Daily reported. The “Great Wall” security exercises ahead of National Day on October 1 cover a large swathe of northern PRC, from Inner Mongolia north and west of Beijing to Hebei province which surrounds the capital, it said.

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20. PRC Environment

Agence France Press (“CHINA EYES 20 PCT RENEWABLE ENERGY BY 2020: REPORT”, 2009/06/10) reported that the PRC plans to dramatically increase its use of wind and solar power , aiming to generate up to one fifth of its energy from renewable sources by 2020, a senior official told Britain’s Guardian newspaper. “We are now formulating a plan for development of renewable energy ,” Zhang Xiaoqiang, vice-chairman of China’s national development and reform commission, said in an interview. “We can be sure we will exceed the 15 percent target. We will at least reach 18 percent. Personally I think we could reach the target of having renewables provide 20 percent of total energy consumption .”

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21. PRC Swine Flu Outbreak

Agence France-Presse (“CHINA HAS 100 CASES OF SWINE FLU: STATE MEDIA”, Beijing , 2009/06/10) reported that the PRC has 100 confirmed cases of swine flu, state media said Tuesday, as data from the World Health Organization showed the disease had spread to 73 countries. “The health ministry has reported… that so far, China has 100 confirmed cases of A(H1N1) flu,” said a news report on state television CCTV.

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22. Shanghai Cooperation Organization

Xinhua Net (“SCO COOPERATION CHALKS UP SECURITY ACHIEVEMENTS: KAZAKH AMBASSADOR “, Beijing , 2009/06/10) reported that Kazakhstan’s ambassador to the PRC claimed the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) had achieved successes in resolving border disputes and building political and military trust among member states. Ikram Adyrbekov said a series of agreements had been signed since 2007 to tackle issues like terrorism, separatism, extremism and drug trafficking. The SCO, a regional organization founded in 2001 in Shanghai, comprises the PRC, Russia and the central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

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II. PRC Report

23. PRC Energy Use

China Youth Online (“CHINA OFFERS 600 MILLION RMB FOR ENERGY-SAVING LIGHT BULBS”, 2009/06/10) reported that the National Development and Reform Commission unveiled a plan Wednesday to promote the use of 120 million compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) this year, an effort aimed to boost consumption while saving energy. The Ministry of Finance has allocated 600 million yen for the project.

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24. PRC Development

Jinghua Times (“CHINA STEEL ASSOCIATION OPPOSES RIO-BHP JOINT VENTURE”, 2009/06/10) reported that the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA) Tuesday said it “resolutely opposes” the iron ore joint venture between mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton. The joint venture has a direct bearing on the interests of PRC steel plants as the PRC is the biggest buyer of Australian iron ore, said the association. The PRC should have a say in the iron ore trade, especially in Asia, according to the statement.

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III. ROK Report

25. DPRK Nuclear Weapons

Kookmin Ilbo (“SANCTIONS ON DPRK SHOULD NOT BE ‘PAPER TIGER'”, 2009/06/11) reported that UN Security Council’s resolution about sanctions on the DPRK came to an agreement during the P5+2’s negotiation. The problem is how to implement it. The PRC and Russia, who have stood by the DPRK’s side, should be more considerate. Implementing the resolution as the way it was agreed upon is one of their most important responsibilities.

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26. Inter-Korea Relations

PRESSian (“SMALL COMPENSATION AND SANCTIONS CANNOT RESTRAIN DPRK’S ACTIONS”, 2009/06/11) reported that Jung Chang-hyun, the representative of <People21>, a journal dealing with DPRK issues, said that the ROK and US’s current DPRK policy is too passive.  The DPRK’s continuous development of nuclear weapons means that they cannot “manage” the DPRK any more, he added. He also predicted that concerning the past 15 years of US-DPRK negotiation history, the US and the DPRK are likely to be the center of the issue around September. 

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27. DPRK Internal Situation

Goodfriends (“DPRK UNIV STUDENTS GIVING AID IN COUNTRYSIDE, NO FOOD”, 2009/06/09) reported that DPRK university students who are giving aid in the countryside cannot stay in the village and instead commute from their school dorms. That is because they cannot be provided with food in the countryside. This makes it difficult for the students to stay on course.