NAPSNet Daily Report 4 August, 2010
Contents in this Issue:
1. US Sanctions on DPRK
Yonhap (“US SANCTIONS TARGET THREE N. KOREAN FINANCE OFFICIALS HANDLING LEADER’S SECRET FUNDS: SOURCE”, Seoul, 2010/08/04) reported that the United States is expected to blacklist three key DPRK finance officials believed to be taking care of leader Kim Jong-il’s secret funds, a government source said Wednesday. One of the three finance officials is Kim Tong-myong, head of Tanchon Commercial Bank, the source said. “The U.S. is paying special attention to three people, including Kim Tong-myong, who operate North Korea’s secret funds abroad,” the source said on condition of anonymity. “If they are included in the new sanctions, it could deal a blow to North Korea’s leadership.”
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2010/08/04/56/0301000000AEN20100804001200315F.HTML
2. DPRK Defense
Chosun Ilbo (“N.KOREA STATIONS ANTI-AIRCRAFT MISSILES NEAR BORDER”, Seoul, 2010/08/04) reported that the DPRK deployed long-range anti-aircraft missiles with a range of 250 km near the demilitarized zone around the time of it sank the Cheonan in March. A military source on Monday said the DPRK moved some SA-5 missiles from Hwanghae Province to areas near the DMZ. “Our fighter jets’ activity is therefore somewhat restricted. For example, our fighters have to avoid SA-5 tracer radar detection for fear of an attack when it is activated.” The move seems to be aimed at preventing ROK fighters from launching precision strikes on strategic targets in the DPRK, the source added.
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/08/04/2010080400237.html
3. ROK Energy Security
Joongang Ilbo (Lee Eun-joo, “KOREA’S SQUANDERING ELECTRICITY”, Seoul, 2010/08/04) reported that according to a report released Tuesday by the state-run Korea Development Institute, based on the latest figures from 2008, the ROK’s power consumption per one dollar’s worth of gross domestic product was 0.580 kilowatt hours, which is 1.7 times the average for Organization for Economic and Cooperation Development nations. Higher electricity usage in the ROK is attributed to low efficiency in the industrial sector, which uses more than half the power in the country. KDI said cheap electricity is another factor. The ROK’s electricity rates are lowest among the OECD countries except Canada, where nuclear and hydro power are well developed.
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2924132
4. Cross Straits Military Balance
Agence France-Presse (“TAIWAN WAR GAME HAS CHINA VICTORIOUS IN THREE DAYS: REPORT”, Taipei, 2010/08/04) reported that a computerized scenario carried out by Taiwan’s military showed that in a war with the PRC the island’s capital Taipei would be in enemy hands in just three days, a report said Wednesday. Under the scenario, assuming war in 2011, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) launched intensive air raids on Taiwan before sending in ground troops from sea and air, Next Magazine reported. The war game found that Chinese troops could march into Taipei on the third day of hostilities, seizing control of Taiwan’s top military command and the presidential office, it said, quoting unnamed sources.
http://www.mysinchew.com/node/42826
5. UNSG on Nuclear Disarmament
Jiji Press (“HIGH-LEVEL NUCLEAR TALKS SET FOR SEPT. 24: U.N. CHIEF BAN”, Tokyo, 2010/08/03) reported that U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon said Tuesday that a high-level meeting on nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation will be held in New York on September 24 while the U.N. General Assembly session is under way. Ban unveiled the plan at a joint press conference with Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada after their meeting here the same day. Ban said he hopes that a strong message will be issued from Hiroshima and Nagasaki toward the creation of a world without nuclear weapons.
http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2010080400005