Archives

In today’s Report:

I. United States

II. Republic of Korea

III. Japan

I. United States

1. Hwang Statements, US Reactions

US State Department Spokesman Nicholas Burns (“STATE DEPT. NOON BRIEFING, JULY 11, 1997,” USIA Transcript, 7/11/97) was asked, in the context of recent statements by DPRK defector Hwang Jang-yop, whether there is “any possible attack or strategy that the North Koreans could use that would succeed in keeping the US from defending the South?” Burns replied, “We will defend South Korea and Japan, and no one is going to blackmail us. We are the greatest power in the Pacific. Little North Korea — North Korea, a failing communist regime, is not going to blackmail the United States on the question of our defensive commitments, our alliance commitments to Japan and South Korea, which have been in place for going on five decades now.” Asked if the US believes Hwang’s statements regarding the DPRK threat to the extent that many in the ROK appear to, Burns replied, “Mr. Hwang is a free man now, and thank goodness for that. He is free to say what he wishes. We have debriefed him. We have interviewed him over the course of several days, and I am not at liberty to tell you our conclusions from that, except to say that he is free to say what he wishes.”

US Defense Department Spokesman Mike Doubleday (“PENTAGON SPOKESMAN’S REGULAR,” USIA Transcript, 7/11/97), asked if the US believes Hwang’s statements regarding the DPRK threat to the extent that many in the ROK appear to, replied, “Well, I think you’re aware that the United States has had some direct access to Mr. Hwang, and we’ve also been debriefed by the government of the Republic of Korea on their discussions with him. I’m not going to get into any characterization of anything that we

  I. United States 1. New US Food Aid to DPRK Reuters (“US TO DECIDE SOON ON MORE FOOD AID FOR NORTH KOREA,” Washington, 7/10/97) reported that Lynn Rogers, acting assistant administrator of the US Agency for International Development (AID) said Thursday that the US will decide “fairly soon” whether to provide more food aid […]

In today’s Report:

I. United States

II. Republic of Korea

III. Russian Federation

I. United States

1. New US Food Aid to DPRK

Reuters (“US TO DECIDE SOON ON MORE FOOD AID FOR NORTH KOREA,” Washington, 7/10/97) reported that Lynn Rogers, acting assistant administrator of the US Agency for International Development (AID) said Thursday that the US will decide “fairly soon” whether to provide more food aid for the DPRK in response to the UN World Food Program’s latest appeal for an additional US$46 million in aid. Rogers declined to say what type of food aid the US could provide. In response to an earlier WFP appeal this year for US$96 million of food aid for the DPRK, the US donated 50,000 tons of corn valued at nearly US$15 million. The US has donated US$33.4 million over the past two years. Rogers said that although rice is a good food for children — the main target of the WFP appeal — it is more expensive than corn. “The reason we chose corn is because we wanted a bulk commodity to provide as much food as possible,” Rogers said. Rogers added that a fairly quick decision is required because of the six to eight weeks it takes to ship food to the DPRK from the US. “You’d probably need to have it there before mid-October” to have the greatest impact, Rogers said. The last shipment of US corn arrived in the DPRK at the end of June.

US State Department Spokesman Nicholas Burns (“STATE DEPT. NOON BRIEFING, JULY 10, 1997,” USIA Transcript, 7/10/97) stated that the US has made no decision on new food aid to the DPRK. “We are addressing that question urgently, but we’ve only had the information from the World Food Program for 24 hours. So we’ll need some more time to look through the request before the Secretary can make a decision.”

US State Department Sp

In today’s Report:

I. United States

II. Republic of Korea

I. United States

1. New DPRK Food Aid

Reuters (“U.N. AGENCY TO SEEK TONS OF FOOD FOR N.KOREA,” United Nations, 7/09/97) reported that, according to UN sources, the UN World Food Program (WFP) on Wednesday will appeal for 129,000 tons of food new food aid to the DPRK, worth US$45.7 million. The appeal, on behalf of hundreds of thousands of children under six years of age, is to be made in Geneva by Catherine Bertini, WFP executive director. The new program will more than double the amount of food given to children under six, from the 100 grams a day to 250 grams, sources said. The WFP earlier this year asked for 200,000 tons of food, worth about US$95 million, all of which, after a slow start, has now been raised. The US contributed US$25 million to that appeal, and the ROK contributed US$16 million. The UN sources said that the US will announce later this week its contribution to the new appeal, having waited for Bertini to issue it formally. Bertini has said previously that the country requires 1.8 million tons of food aid to avoid large-scale starvation. On Tuesday in Rome, Bertini showed films of children reduced to pitiful, skeletal figures. “The situation in North Korea is getting worse, and we are seeing children who are just skin and bone, who have had nothing to eat and who cannot even consume the ground-up corn that we have available for them,” Bertini said. “We are having to find increased amounts of special baby food that is highly nutritious to be able to feed malnourished children,” Bertini said. UNICEF, the UN Children’s Fund, has estimated that malnutrition is affecting 800,000 children under 5 years of age, or 37 percent of that age group. Ole Gronning, the Py

In today’s Report:

I. United States

II. Republic of Korea

I. United States

1. DPRK Formal Leadership Succession

The Associated Press (“NORTH KOREA ENDS MOURNING PERIOD,” Tokyo, 7/08/97) and Reuters (“N.KOREA ENDS MOURNING FOR KIM IL-SUNG,” Seoul, 7/08/97) reported that the three-year official mourning for the DPRK’s founding leader Kim Il-sung ended Tuesday with no indication of when his son, Kim Jong-il, would formally assume his late father’s titles of president and head of the ruling Workers Party. The 55-year-old Kim Jong-il has ruled as supreme military commander since his father died on July 8, 1994, at age 82. “The mourning is over,” announced Foreign Minister Kim Yong-nam at a one-hour ceremony on a vast Pyongyang plaza to honor the DPRK’s founding father. The DPRK’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said that the country’s military, government and social leaders swore loyalty Tuesday to the younger Kim at a meeting marking the anniversary of his father’s death. Vice Marshal Jo Myong-rok, speaking on behalf of the powerful military, swore to defend Kim Jong-il with “the spirit of human bombs and the spirit of suicidal attack,” KCNA said. Observers speculate that Kim Jong-il’s formal assumption of the leadership titles has been delayed due to the country’s worsening economic problems and encroaching famine. “The curtain is raised for Kim Jong-il but he is in a dilemma,” said Park Sung-hoon, a DPRK expert at Seoul’s unification ministry. Official DPRK TV footage of Tuesday’s anniversary showed paintings of waving fields of grain, and well-fed farmers handing the fruit of bumper crops to the elder Kim. At the ceremony before the Kumsusam memorial palace in Pyongyang, where the elder Kim’s body is kept, thousands of pe

In today’s Report:

I. United States

II. Republic of Korea

III. Russian Federation

I. United States

1. DPRK Formal Leadership Succession

The Associated Press (“N.KOREA LEADER MAY DELAY POWER PLAN,” Seoul, 7/07/97) reported that a ROK government report said Monday that deepening economic woes and diplomatic concerns may prompt DPRK leader Kim Jong-il to delay plans to assume formal leadership titles. The Seoul report said the most likely date for Kim Jong-il to assume those titles would be the October 10 anniversary of the founding of DPRK’s ruling Workers’ Party. DPRK officials have said Kim Jong-il would take full power soon after the third anniversary Tuesday of the death of his father, Kim Il-sung. Kim Jong-il has ruled as supreme military commander since his father’s death, but has not assumed the titles of president and party chief.

US State Department Spokesman Nicholas Burns (“STATE DEPT. NOON BRIEFING, JULY 7,” USIA Transcript, 7/07/97) responded to questions concerning whether the US expected that DPRK leader Kim Jong-il would assume the formal title of president on the third anniversary of the death of his father, Kim Il-sung. Burns stated: “Well, in Secretary Christopher’s famous words, ‘North Korea is an opaque society.’ Far be it from me to venture a guess as to what will happen within the leadership and who will assume which titles. We have seen all the press reporting on this, but I think we will have to wait until Kim Jong Il decides what to do. I don’t want to predict what’s going to happen there. We just hope that North Korea will continue to abide by the international agreements that are so important to us in our relationship with North Korea.” Asked if the disposition of the title of presidency was an indication of the stability o

In today’s Report:

I. United States

II. Republic of Korea

III. Japan

IV. People’s Republic of China

I. United States

1. US-DPRK Bilateral Meeting

US State Department Spokesman Nicholas Burns (“STATE DEPT. NOON BRIEFING, JULY 2,” USIA Transcript, 7/02/97) said that on Wednesday that US and DPRK officials were holding a bilateral meeting in New York. Issues under discussion included missile nonproliferation, POW-MIAs, and the exchange of liaison offices. Burns provided no additional information about the meeting, which was at the time still ongoing.

US State Department Spokesman Nicholas Burns (“STATE DEPT. NOON BRIEFING, JULY 3,” USIA Transcript, 7/03/97) discussed the previous day’s US-DPRK bilateral meeting at greater length. Burns stated, “It was a broad gauged meeting that talked about all the issues that are of interest between the United States and North Korea, including the agreed framework, the four-party talks, the issue of food aid. As I said, the bilateral meeting was attended on our side by Chuck Kartman, our acting assistant secretary of state; on the North Korean side by Vice Foreign Minister Kim Gye Gwan. It’s part of our ongoing dialogue. In addition to the issues that I raised, we also discussed missile proliferation; the establishment of liaison offices; and obviously the uncovering of the fate of the more than 8,100 American missing in action from the Korean Conflict.” Burns would not confirm reports that another US-DPRK bilateral meeting has been scheduled in August. Burns also stated that the US had no plans to change the economic sanctions against the DPRK. “American policy remains constant in that,” Burns said.

2. DPRK Food Aid

US State Department Spokesman Nicholas Burns (“STATE DEPT. NOON BRIEFING, JULY 3,” USIA Transcript, 7/03/97) stated that the second and last US shipment of food aid to the DPRK, worth US$25 million, is now being delivered. Burns said a US flag vessel unloaded 17,000 tons

In today’s Report:

I. United States

II. Republic of Korea

I. United States

1. Four-Party Peace Talks Agreement

US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, in Hong Kong to attend the transition of sovereignty from Britain to the PRC, on Monday issued a press release welcoming the DPRK’s commitment to participate in the proposed four-party peace talks. Following is the official text of the Secretary Albright’s statement (“ALBRIGHT 6/30 STATEMENT ON FOUR-PARTY KOREA PEACE TALKS,” USIA Transcript, 7/01/97): “STATEMENT BY SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE K. ALBRIGHT. NORTH KOREA: FOUR PARTY TALKS. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea today accepted the proposal by the United States and the Republic of Korea for Four Party peace negotiations. We welcome the DPRK’s commitment to participate in this historic process. Presidents Clinton and Kim Young Sam first proposed these peace negotiations at their summit on Cheju Island in the Republic of Korea on April 16, 1996. The purpose of the Four Party talks is to reduce tensions and build confidence on the Korean Peninsula with the aim of putting a formal end to the hostilities of the Korean War. The successful conclusion of a peace agreement would bring lasting peace and stability to the Korean Peninsula and contribute greatly to the peace and stability of the entire region. The three delegations agreed that the four parties involved — the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Republic of Korea, the People’s Republic of China, and the United States — will meet for preparatory talks on August 5 in New York. At that meeting, the four parties will decide the date, venue, agenda, and procedures for the formal start of Four Party peace talks.”

Reuters (“U.S., S.KOREA BRACE FOR LONG PEACE PROCESS,” Seoul, 7/01/97) reported that on Tuesday the US and the ROK, while welcoming the DPRK’s acceptance of the proposed four-party peace talks, began bracing themselves for long negotiations. On Monday, the DPRK formally agreed to a meeting on August 5 of se

In today’s Report:

I. United States

II. Republic of Korea

I. United States

1. Four-Party Talks Agreement

The Associated Press (“N. KOREA AGREES TO PEACE TALKS,” New York, 6/30/97) and Reuters (“DATE SET TO DECIDE DETAILS OF KOREA TALKS,” New York, 6/30/97) reported that the DPRK on Monday agreed to join the US, the ROK and the PRC in talks to prepare for the commencement of the proposed four-party talks aimed at formally ending the Korean War. The preliminary meeting of the four nations was set to be held in New York on August 5, according to the joint statement issued following the meeting of US, ROK and DPRK high-level officials in New York on Monday. According to a statement by US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, the preliminary meeting will determine the date, venue, agenda and procedures in preparation for the formal start of peace talks. While Monday’s agreement falls short of an explicit DPRK commitment to the four-party peace talks themselves, all sides expressed confidence that such talks would eventually take place. Kim Gye-gwan, the DPRK’s vice foreign minister and the head of its delegation, told reporters as he left Monday’s meeting that his country believes that the four-party talks “are very conducive to peace and security on the Korean Peninsula.” A senior US official close to Monday’s bargaining session, who spoke on condition he not be identified, said, “We take this as North Korea’s commitment to the four-party peace process.” However, the official also cautioned that the talks were not a done deal. An unnamed ROK official said that Monday’s talks opened with the DPRK seeking commitments for additional food aid. Previous high-level trilateral talks in April collapsed when the US and the ROK resisted such de

In today’s Report:

I. United States

II. Republic of Korea

III. People’s Republic of China

I. United States

1. US Prepares for DPRK Collapse

The Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition (Thomas E. Ricks and Steve Glain, “U.S. PLANS FOR FALL OF PYONGYANG; MILITARY DISCUSSES RELIEF EFFORT,” 6/26/97) reported that the US military, increasingly convinced that the DPRK ruling regime is likely to collapse, has begun long-term planning for a massive international relief effort. Planners now regard a “soft landing” as improbable, the report said. An unnamed US Defense Department official was quoted as saying that preliminary talks already have been held with the ROK and Japan, and some “very general discussions” have been held with the PRC, on how best to get large amounts of food and medicine into DPRK quickly and what to do if large numbers of hungry refugees begin leaving. A top US priority is to limit the involvement of the US military on the ground in the DPRK, in part from fear of being seen as an imperial force, the report said. The US would concentrate on long-range transportation, large-scale communications and international coordination, and leave relief operations to one or more international organizations supported by military personnel from the ROK and other countries. Nonetheless, planners still fear disastrous misunderstandings, such as uninformed DPRK troops firing on US relief aircraft, and the presence of throughout the population of saboteurs or others not reconciled to the regime’s demise. Military officials also emphasize that huge questions remain, with many parts of the potential relief operation essentially undecided.

2. Japan-DPRK Relations

Reuters (“JAPAN TO UPGRADE CONTACTS WITH NORTH KOREA,” Bergen, Norway, 6/2