NAPSNet Daily Report Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Recommended Citation

"NAPSNet Daily Report Tuesday, January 16, 2007", NAPSNet Daily Report, January 16, 2007, https://nautilus.org/napsnet/napsnet-daily-report/napsnet-daily-report-tuesday-january-16-2007/

NAPSNet Daily Report Tuesday, January 16, 2007

NAPSNet Daily Report Tuesday, January 16, 2007

I. NAPSNet

II. CanKor

Preceding NAPSNet Report

I. NAPSNet

1. 2nd DPRK Nuclear Test

Stratfor (“NORTH KOREA: SECOND NUKE TEST DEPENDS ON U.S.”, 2007-01-13) Reported that the DPRK says its decision whether to carry out a second nuclear test depends upon the actions of the United States. Taku Yamasaki, a former deputy leader of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said the comments came from Song Il Ho, the North Korean ambassador overseeing negotiations towards normalization of diplomatic relations with Japan.Jan. Yamasaki has just returned from a five-day visit to the DPRK.

(return to top)

2. US-DPRK Talks

Reuters (“U.S., NORTH KOREAN NEGOTIATORS MEET IN BERLIN”, 2007-01-16) reported that the State Department said senior U.S. and DPR Korean officials met in Berlin on Tuesday to discuss how to pave the way for a resumption of six-party talks. No further information has yet been released.

(return to top)

3. US on DPRK Sanctions

Associated Press (“U.S. PUSHING FOR MORE N. KOREA SANCTIONS”, 2007-01-13) reported that the United States expressed concern Thursday that the U.N. committee monitoring sanctions against the DPRK has not adopted amendments proposed by the U.S. and others that would add new equipment, goods and technology to a list of banned items. The U.S.-sponsored resolution ordered all countries to prevent the DPRK from importing or exporting material for weapons of mass destruction or ballistic missiles specified on lists. It also orders nations to freeze assets of people or businesses connected to these programs, and ban the individuals from traveling.

(return to top)

4. US Envoy on Six Party Talks

Agence France-Presse (“NORTH KOREA NUCLEAR TALKS SLOW BUT PROGRESSING: US ENVOY”, 2007-01-14) reported that US envoy Christopher Hill said International talks aimed at ending the DPRK’s nuclear weapons programme are slow but progressing. “It requires a lot of patience,” Hill said in a New Year message put up Thursday for Koreans on the “Cafe USA” website run by the US embassy in Seoul. “It offers no refuge for those in need of instant gratification, but I do believe that we are making progress on denuclearizing the Korean peninsula.”

(return to top)

5. ASEAN on DPRK Nukes

Chosun Ilbo (“EAST ASIAN LEADERS CALL FOR N. KOREA TO ABANDON NUCLEAR PROGRAM”, 2007-01-16) reported that the leaders of the 16 Asia-Pacific (ASEAN) countries have pledged to speed up economic integration, and have called on the DPRK to abandon its nuclear weapons programs. ASEAN wants to create a common market for its 10 members by 2015, and eventually expand that to include its six major regional trading partners: Japan, China, RO Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand. Such a bloc would include almost half the world’s population, and a fifth of its current world trade. Agreement on a wide range of issues has been reached here over the past week, from trade and investments, to migrant workers’ rights, to cooperation on counterterrorism. The DPRK’s nuclear ambitions featured prominently in the talks. “We urge North Korea to take concrete and effective steps toward the full implementation of the Joint statement of September 19 of 2005,” Philippine President Gloria Arroyo said.

(return to top)

6. KEDO Bill

Reuters (“NORTH KOREA BILLED $2 BLN FOR SCRAPPED NUCLEAR DEAL”, 2007-01-16) reported that KEDO has demanded the DPRK pay almost $2 billion in compensation for a project to build two nuclear reactors that was scrapped after the United States accused Pyongyang of cheating on the deal. “The KEDO board calculated the amount of $1.89 billion and has made the demand to North Korea,” a diplomatic source said by telephone on Tuesday on condition of anonymity. KEDO said the project was suspended because of the DPRK’s failure to meet its commitments under the agreement, while the DPRK blames the United States for breaking the deal. The RO Korea had spent $1.1 billion on the project, the largest portion of the bill.

(return to top)

7. DPRK Mystery Disease

Ohmynews (“MYSTERIOUS DISEASE REPORTEDLY LEAVES VICTIMS LOOKING LIKE ‘SLICED MEAT'”, 2007-01-15) reported a possible increase in a mysterious disease which frightened residents of the Yanggang region. Defector-refugees report the spread of a “rotten flesh disease” throughout the Northern provinces. The story was first reported by the NK Daily (July 27, 2006) which described the disease as an epidemic, but no one knows just how many victims it has claimed. Many DPRK residents believed that the disease originated from contaminated beef, sold in the Jangmadang markets. Apparently there was some truth to their suspicions. According to the NK Daily, the sale of beef and the movement of cattle in the region was banned or tightly controlled. Several veterinarian experts contacted suggested that it was anthrax, a naturally occurring disease among cattle and other hoofed mammals. But not all of the experts agreed. Both doctors were again in agreement when they observed that defectors and refugees “have a poor record of reliability in what they say and write. Exaggeration is the commonest characteristic.” But not all possibly contaminated meat originated in DPRK or the PRC. In 2001 during the height of the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease) scare in Europe, famine-stricken DPRK agreed to accept some of the possibly contaminated beef from Germany and Switzerland.

(return to top)

8. Political Video Game Released in the DPRK

Inquirer (“POLITICAL COMPUTER GAME RELEASED IN NORTH KOREA”, 2007-01-16) Oh where, oh where has little Kim gone By Nick Farrell: Tuesday 16 January 2007, 09:57 reported that a computer game which addresses the nuclear standoff has been released in the DPRK for the first time. ‘Sting’ was made in the RO Korea and tells the story of how Kim Jong Il goes missing after a coup. According to the International Herald Tribune, the DPRK has confirmed that “Sting” is in production and will go on sale in the country sometime in the first half of this year. The game’s goal is to find the missing Kim and prevent nuclear proliferation.

(return to top)

9. US-ROK Trade Relations

The New York Times (“WITH NEW URGENCY, U.S. AND SOUTH KOREA SEEK FREE-TRADE DEAL”, 2007-01-16) reported that the US and ROK officials resumed free-trade talks Monday amid growing skepticism that the two governments can narrow their differences before President Bush’s authority to move an agreement quickly through Congress expires. The talks stalled over US requests for greater access for American cars, rice and drugs, and over the ROK’s demand that the US change antidumping rules applied to ROK steel, cars, computer chips and textiles. Seoul also wants goods produced by ROK factories in the DPRK included in the agreement.

(return to top) Chosun Ilbo (“U.S. ‘OPTIMISTIC’ ABOUT FREE-TRADE TALKS WITH KOREA”, 2007-01-16) reported that the top US negotiator in free trade talks with the ROK voiced optimism that the two countries can complete a free trade pact on schedule. Speaking at the start of the sixth round of bilateral FTA talks in Seoul, Wendy Cutler said, “I remain encouraged and optimistic that we can do this under the TPA deadline.” But in a press conference at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul, Cutler also demanded a full opening of the ROK’s beef market. (return to top) The Associated Press (“SOUTH KOREANS PROTEST U.S. TRADE TALKS “, 2007-01-16) reported that protesters slamming free trade negotiations between the ROK and the US took to the streets Tuesday as officials pushed for breakthroughs on contentious issues that threaten to torpedo a deal. The talks have drawn sometimes fierce resistance from farmers, laborers and even filmmakers who say free trade threatens their livelihoods. (return to top)

10. ROK Lebanon Dispatch

Joongang Ilbo (“SOUTH KOREA TO FIELD TROOPS FOR UN IN LEBANON”, 2007-01-16) reported that about 350 ROK soldiers will be deployed to Lebanon as early as March, following a recent United Nations decision giving the move a green light, a Foreign Ministry official said yesterday. The government said the troops, which will assist the UN command there, will consist mostly of special forces.

(return to top)

11. Japan Defense Policy

Agence France-Presse (“JAPAN MULLS EXPANDED WEAPONS USE FOR OVERSEAS TROOPS”, 2007-01-16) reported that the UN Peacekeeping Activities Cooperation Law currently allows Japan’s Self-Defense Forces to use weapons only for protecting themselves and others when facing immediate danger. The government is contemplating a revision of that law, which would permit troops to pre-emptively use their weapons to protect UN facilities and prevent captured people from escaping, the Yomiuri Shimbun said.

(return to top) Agence France-Presse (“ABE SAYS ASSERTIVE JAPAN NO THREAT TO NEIGHBOURS “, 2007-01-16) reported that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said other nations had nothing to fear from Japan’s new “assertive diplomacy,” after his return from an ice-breaking summit with the PRC and ROK. Japan would actively engage with its partners and allies to maintain international security, he said, playing down concerns in the region about the creation of the country’s first full-fledged defence ministry since World War II. (return to top)

12. Japan on US-India Nuclear Agreement

Kyodo (“JAPAN SEEKS INFO FROM INDIA ON NUCLEAR ENERGY TALKS WITH U.S.”, 2007-01-16) reported that Foreign Minister Taro Aso told India’s special envoy for negotiations with the US on their civilian nuclear energy deal that Japan hopes to receive information from India on the bilateral talks, Japanese officials said. Shyam Saran, former foreign secretary of India, responded that his country will report to Japan in an appropriate manner about the progress of the situation involving the agreement with the US on civilian nuclear cooperation, the officials said.

(return to top)

13. Sino-Japanese Trade Relations

Kyodo (“CHINA-JAPAN TRADE TOPS $200 BIL. FOR 1ST TIME IN 2006, CHINA SAYS”, 2007-01-16) reported that trade between the PRC and Japan reached $207.36 billion in 2006, up 12.5 percent from a year earlier and topping the $200 billion mark for the first time, the PRC Commerce Ministry said. Japan remained the PRC’s third-largest trading partner, the ministry said in a statement posted on its website. Japan’s foreign direct investment in the PRC at the end of November, meanwhile, reached $57.45 billion, making the country the second-largest investor in the PRC, according to the statement.

(return to top)

14. Sino-Indian Territorial Dispute

Xinhua (“CHINA, INDIA TO HOLD 9TH BOUNDARY TALKS IN NEW DELHI”, 2007-01-16) reported that the PRC and India will hold their ninth round of talks on the boundary issue from Wednesday to Thursday in New Delhi, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao. The two sides will continue to discuss a framework on solving the boundary issue according to consensus reached by leaders of the two neighboring countries, said Liu.

(return to top)

15. PRC Journalist Murdered

BBC News (“CHINA MINE PROBE REPORTER KILLED”, 2007-01-16) reported that a PRC journalist has been beaten to death while investigating the country’s notoriously dangerous coal mining industry, his newspaper has said. Lan Chengzhang was set upon by a “group of mining thugs” near a mine in Huiyuan county, Shanxi province, the Beijing-based China Trade News said. Another newspaper quoted a journalist with Mr Lan as saying the attack had been ordered by a local coal mine boss.

(return to top)

II. CanKor

16. Report #269

CanKor (“Current Events”, 2007-01-16) The latest country director of the World Food Programme in Pyongyang is Canadian Jean-Pierre de Margerie from Sherbrooke, Quebec. He says dealing with the DPRK government is “probably one of the most difficult, if not the most difficult, of any country where the WFP works.” The Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO) signs a final agreement to liquidate its 10-year project to build two light-water reactors in the DPRK. Six-Party Talks end inconclusively in late December, with the DPRK promising to bolster its nuclear deterrent until the USA lifts financial sanctions, and the USA accusing the DPRK of stalling by raising issues that are not relevant to the subject of the talks. ROK chief delegate Chun Yung-woo says the USA offered to remove the DPRK from Washington’s list of states sponsoring terrorism if the DPRK dismantles its nuclear weapons programme. This was only one of numerous incentives on offer, including security guarantees, a peace treaty and normalization of relations. In response, according to Chun, DPRK chief delegate Kim Gye Gwan promised to study the proposals and bring a response to the next round of negotiations. According to reports, the DPRK sold 1.3 tons of gold to Thailand shortly before UN sanctions went into effect in October. The DPRK is also planning to sell gold through the London Bullion Market Association.

(return to top)