I. NAPSNet

1. US on Six Party Talks Agreement

Agence France-Presse (“NKOREA WILL HAVE TO PERFORM OVER NUCLEAR DEAL: WHITE HOUSE”, 2007-02-19) reported that the White House defended a ground-breaking nuclear deal with the DPRK from criticism that it failed to go far enough, saying the onus was on Pyongyang to perform. It is “the first step in a long series that includes the complete renunciation of nuclear weaponry and facilities within North Korea,” White House spokesman Tony Snow said. “If they are going to get the benefits down the road including ultimately as much as a million tons of heavy oil, they’ve got to perform.”

(return to top) Kyodo News (“U.S. GAVE IN TO N. KOREA OVER URANIUM ENRICHMENT PLAN: SOURCE”, 2007-02-19) reported that the US initially sought at the six-party talks to include the DPRK’s abandonment of uranium enrichment in a draft agreement the PRC proposed on denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, but agreed to drop it after the DPRK rejected the idea, a source at the talks said. The latest revelation highlighted the US stance of putting priority on reaching an agreement at the six-party talks even through making concessions on the key issue that surfaced in 2002 and prompted the convening of the multilateral talks. (return to top)

2. ROK on Six Party Talks Agreement

Yonhap (“SEOUL HOPES 6-WAY PROCESS WILL EVENTUALLY ADDRESS NUCLEAR ARSENAL, HEU PROJECT: CHUN”, 2007-02-19) reported that the ROK hopes that the six-party nuclear talks will eventually address the DPRK’s nuclear arsenal and even the highly enriched uranium (HEU) project the DPRK has vehemently denied, the ROK’s top nuclear envoy said. The remarks by Chun Young-woo come against the backdrop of criticism that the agreement signed at the end of the six-day multinational nuclear talks in Beijing aims at dismantling the DPRK’s plutonium-producing nuclear reactor alone.

(return to top) Yonhap (“S.K. WAS READY TO OFFER AS MUCH AID AS NORTH KOREA DEMANDED: ROH”, 2007-02-19) reported that ROK President Roh Moo-hyun said that his government was ready to offer whatever aid the DPRK demanded to persuade the DPRK to abandon its nuclear weapons programs. Roh said he had thought that “We should be ready to meet whatever demands are imposed by North Korea (at the six-nation nuclear talks) in order to settle its nuclear problem, because it will still prove to be a profitable business.” (return to top)

3. DPRK Nuclear Issue

Joongang Ilbo (“PYONGYANG HOLDS KEY FOR NUCLEAR INSPECTION ACCESS”, 2007-02-19) reported that the International Atomic Energy Agency hopes to announce its broad plan to begin inspecting the DPRK’s nuclear facilities this week. There is just one thing unclear, government officials said: how much Pyongyang will cooperate. In the past, officials from the IAEA have stressed that any declaration by Pyongyang would have to be matched by unimpeded access for inspectors. Letting foreigners roam around in their country is a foreign idea to the DPRK and, even if granted, how they can search a country riddled with underground tunnels and facilities like a subway system remains to be seen.

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4. Inter-Korean Relations

Joongang Ilbo (“SEOUL TO ASK NORTH TO RESUME REUNIONS”, 2007-02-19) reported that Unification Minister Lee Jae-joung said over the weekend that in upcoming inter-Korean ministerial talks Seoul would address the issue of resuming reunions of separated families. Speaking at an event sponsored by people who were separated from family at the end of the Korean War, he said that the ROK will raise the issue when it discusses resuming humanitarian aid to the DPRK.

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5. DPRK Defense Posture

Yonhap (“N. KOREA TO STRENGTHEN DEFENSE POSTURE AGAINST U.S. ATTACK: NK MEDIA”, 2007-02-19) reported that the DPRK vowed to maintain its defense posture against possible US attacks and build a powerful, socialist country on the occasion of its leader’s 65th birthday. In a joint congratulatory letter to Kim Jong-Il, the DPRK’s Cabinet, ruling party, military and parliament said they will mobilize all efforts and resources to defend the country, the DPRK’s official media reported.

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6. DPRK on ROK Elections

Yonhap (“N. KOREA ACCUSES U.S. OF INTERFERING WITH SOUTH’S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION PROCESS”, 2007-02-19) reported that the DPRK accused the US of trying to interfere with the ROK’s presidential election this year, citing a proposed forum in Washington where presidential contenders were invited to express their views. “The United States is already holding out its evil hand ahead of the presidential election” of the ROK, said the Rodong Shinmun, the official newspaper of Pyongyang’s ruling Workers’ Party, in a commentary.

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7. DPRK-Japan Relations

The Associated Press (“‘EXPATRIATE CRACKDOWN’ IN JAPAN BLASTED “, 2007-02-19) reported that the DPRK condemned the Japanese government for what it called a crackdown on expatriate North Koreans amid concerns the group may have a role in the DPRK’s nuclear and chemical weapons program. The condemnation of the Chongryon — the residents’ group of North Koreans living in Japan — comes amid a Japanese crackdown on illegal trade with the DPRK, following the DPRK’s missile launches in July and its nuclear test in October.

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8. US-ROK Security Alliance

Chosun Ilbo (“DEFENSE COMMITTEE TO URGE HALT TO TROOP CONTROL HANDOVER”, 2007-02-19) reported that the National Assembly’s Defense Committee will apparently adopt a resolution against the ROK’s “withdrawal” of wartime operational control of its troops on Feb. 21. The resolution urges a halt to the transfer of full troop control to Seoul before the DPRK nuclear crisis is completely settled. A parliamentary resolution is not legally binding but would put considerable pressure on the government as it pursues the handover by 2012.

(return to top) Korea Herald (“U.S. EYES WARTIME CONTROL TRANSFER WITHIN 3 YEARS”, 2007-02-19) reported that the US is determined to hand over wartime command of ROK troops here by 2010, a Defense Ministry source said yesterday. “The United States has passed on its position at the Security Proliferation Initiative meeting between Seoul and Washington earlier this month that three years from now will be enough to transfer the wartime command,” the source, who asked to remain anonymous, was quoted as saying. (return to top)

9. Japan on US Comfort Women Bill

Agence France-Presse (“JAPAN BLASTS US BILL ON ‘COMFORT WOMEN'”, 2007-02-19) reported that Japan’s foreign minister Taro Aso has denounced a resolution before the US Congress demanding that Tokyo make amends for forcing foreign women into sexual slavery during World War II. The bill, seen as more likely to pass since the Democrats took control of Congress last month, calls on Japan to “formally and unambiguously apologise and acknowledge the tragedy.” But Aso said that Japan had already said and done enough on the issue of “comfort women” and that Tokyo was working to persuade US lawmakers to accept its position.

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10. Japan Iraq Role

Agence France-Presse (“CHENEY MAY SEEK MORE IRAQ HELP FROM JAPAN, AUSTRALIA”, 2007-02-19) reported that US Vice President Dick Cheney was heading to Japan and Australia, where he will discuss their roles in Iraq and Afghanistan and common challenges like the PRC’s rise and the DPRK’s nuclear programs. The vice president will take pains to thank Japan and Australia for their help in Iraq and Afghanistan and may urge them to consider ways to beef up their presence in both war-torn countries, a senior US official said Friday.

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11. PRC Energy Supply

United Press International (“CHINA ENERGY INVESTMENTS UP”, 2007-02-19) reported that the PRC state-run oil companies invested $52.05 billion in energy project, beating estimates by almost 19 percent, government data show. The Xinhua news agency on Monday quoted statistics from the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission as saying electric power enterprises invested $56.74 billion, 2.7 percent above expected.

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