CONTENTS
1. Reunion of Separated Families Postponed
2. DPRK Food Aid
3. USFK Deployments
4. US-PRC Military Sanctions Talks
5. Peres on Expanded NATO
II. ROK 1. Kim’s Diplomacy at the APEC Forum
2. ROK Government’s Reaction on Fishing Dispute
3. Delay of 4th Family Reunion by DPRK
4. ROK Politicians’ Anger toward Japan
5. DPRK Diplomatic Calculation
I. United States
1. Reunion of Separated Families Postponed
The Associated Press (Paul Shin, “N. KOREA POSTPONES FAMILY REUNIONS,” Seoul, 10/12/01) and Reuters (Paul Eckert, “N.KOREA POSTPONES FAMILY REUNIONS, CITING TENSION,” Seoul, 10/12/01) reported that ROK officials said the DPRK on Friday abruptly postponed a scheduled reunion of 200 separated family members until the ROK lifts its special alert status and creates a freer atmosphere for exchanges, citing a “warlike situation” in the ROK. In a statement broadcast on its radio, the DPRK Committee for the Peaceful Unification of the Fatherland, also called off a plan to send a taekwondo demonstration team to the DPRK. Both the reunion and the demonstration had been scheduled for next week. The statement said, however, that Cabinet-level meetings and two other inter-Korean government contacts, scheduled to be held in the DPRK this month, will be held. The statement said, “Dialogue and travels between the two sides cannot be promoted smoothly as far as South Korea remains on special alert in a warlike situation. It is difficult to travel to South Korea now, with our heart at ease.” ROK officials called an emergency meeting to review the situation. Kim Jung-roh, an ROK spokesman for the Unification Ministry, said, “We’re trying to analyze the North Korean intentions.”
2. DPRK Food Aid
Japan Economic Newswire (“WFP ASKS JAPAN TO PROVIDE FOOD AID TO N. KOREA,” Tokyo, 10/12/01) reported that Japanese officials said Thursday that the World Food Program (WFP) has been asking Japan to provide additional food aid to the DPRK, where a shortage of more than 1 million tons of grain is expected this season. On Thursday, WFP Deputy Executive Director Jean-Jacques Graisse paid a call on Japan’s SeniorVice Foreign Minister Shigeo Uetake to seek their cooperation over the group’s appeal. Currently, the US, the ROK and the PRC are reportedly considering responding to the WFP’s appeal for more food aid from the international community over the rest of the year.
3. USFK Deployments
Korea Times (“USFK REPLACES AIRCRAFT IN KOREA,” 10/12/01) reported that an ROK Defense Ministry official said on October 11 that an unknown number of the US military’s new aircraft have arrived in the ROK to fill the vacuum caused by the redeployment of a US aircraft carrier assisting in US retaliatory attacks on Afghanistan. The official said, “A squadron of aircraft from the United States has been deployed in an air base in the central part of the nation. But we cannot disclose the type and number of stationed US military aircraft for security reasons.” [Ed. note: This article appeared in the US Department of Defense’s Early Bird news service for October 12, 2001.]
4. US-PRC Military Sanctions Talks
Reuters (US, CHINA CAN’T RESOLVE DISPUTE,” 10/12/01) reported that US officials said on October 11 that the US and the PRC have failed to resolve a dispute over PRC’s alleged missile technology transfers to Pakistan, making it unlikely that US sanctions will be lifted in time for a US-PRC leaders’ meeting later this month. One official said after several days of talks concluded in Beijing, “There was basically no movement on the Chinese part.” Officials said the PRC could still act to allay US concerns about missile technology transfers when PRC President Jiang Zemin meets with US President George W. Bush in Shanghai, but that seemed increasingly unlikely. One official said the sanctions “will not be lifted without change in China’s behavior.” However, officials said the issue also remains a subject of debate within the Bush administration. [Ed. note: This article appeared in the US Department of Defense’s Early Bird news service for October 12, 2001.]
5. Peres on Expanded NATO
Reuters (“PERES WANTS RUSSIA, CHINA, INDIA, JAPAN IN NATO,” Stockholm, 10/12/01) reported that Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said on Friday that the global defense structure should be reshaped to fight terrorism and all major world powers should join the Western defense alliance NATO. Peres said in an opinion article published in Sweden’s leading daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter that NATO’s resources should be used to combat today’s dangers instead of yesterday’s enemies. He said, “Naturally the present NATO coalition must be changed to include Russia, India, China and Japan,” noting that all these countries had voiced support for the US and Europe after the September 11 attacks. He added, “NATO must adopt a new strategy and build an appropriate coalition to combat the global terrorism.” Peres said the fight against terrorism should not be seen as a war, or an excuse for a war, against any particular religious faith or groups of people. He urged spiritual leaders to call on the meek to join the war against terror by preventing a few from committing suicidal acts in order to kill many.
II. ROK
1. Kim’s Diplomacy at the APEC Forum
Chosun Ilbo (Kim Min-bae, “PRESIDENT GEARS UP FOR APEC FORUM,” 10/12/01) reported that Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Oh Hong-keun officially announced October 11 that ROK president Kim Dae-jung will visit PRC from October 18 to 22 to attend the ninth round of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum in Shanghai. President Kim is expecting a face-to-face meeting with US president George W. Bush on October 19 on the sidelines of forum to discuss issues concerning the US-led war against terrorism, and matters pertaining to the Korea peninsula. Kim is also to hold summit talks with the presidents of PRC and Russia Jiang Zemin and Vladimir Putin, respectively. The forum will adopt the ‘Shanghai Declaration,’ which aims to forge free trade and investment between Asia-Pacific nations. Another declaration to be made at the forum will be about anti-terrorism as the forum marks the first global meeting to be held after the tragic terrorist attacks on the US.
2. ROK Government’s Reaction on Fishing Dispute
Chosun Ilbo (Heo Yong-beom, “FOREIGN MINISTRY FINALLY REACTS TO FISHING DEAL,” 10/12/01) reported that ROK Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Han Seung-soo telephoned Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Makiko Tanaka on October 11 to make an official protest over the decision by Japan and Russia to exclude third country fishing in the south Kuril islands. He is also reported to have told his counterpart that there would be “negative influence” on relations between ROK and Japan if the agreement between Japan and Russia leads ROK fishing vessels to being prohibited from fishing in the contested area. Han is also reported to have warned Tanaka that “handling the issue the wrong way prior to the visit to ROK by the Japanese Prime Minister” had the potential to “hurt relations between the two countries,” and to have expressed hope for a solution that gives consideration of ROK position. An ROK Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said on October 11 that it would bring up the issue of fishing in the south Kuril islands at the ROK-Japan summit beginning next Monday. The ministry also says it intends to call in Russia’s ambassador to the ROK Friday morning and strongly demand that Russia’s promises it would “make sure ROK fishing interests are not hurt in any way,” and in a tangible fashion.
3. Delay of 4th Family Reunion by DPRK
Joongang Ilbo (Kim Hee-sung, “DPRK TO SUSPEND 4TH FAMILY REUNION MOVEMENT, GOVERNMENT AND RED CROSS EXPRSS ‘REGRET,'” 10/12/01) reported that DPRK said it will put off the fourth family reunion event slated for October 16-18. A DPRK Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Fatherland spokesman said in a statement today that “it has become unavoidable to postpone the exchanges of delegations for family reunions between the two Koreas and the dispatch of our Taekwondo team to Seoul given the ‘current situation’ recently created in ROK. ROK has been outwardly professing its strengthening of military forces these days holding series of emergency security meetings like National Security Council and discussing countermeasures against the DPRK military, fully prepared to go into actions.” The spokesman also said that the 6th inter-Korean Cabinet meeting, second round of Inter-Korean Economic Promotion Committee meeting and the second Mt. Kumgang talks will proceed according to the schedule. Brent Choi of the Unification Research Center (URI) said, “It seems Pyongyang is having another one of its inner conflict surrounding its policy toward ROK. DPRK Military may be behind this.”
4. ROK Politicians’ Anger toward Japan
Korea herald (Kang Seok-jae, “POLITICIANS VOICE OPPOSITION TO P.M. KOIZUMI’S VISIT TO SEOUL,” 10/12/01) reported that ROK politicians voiced yesterday their opposition to Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s planned visit to Seoul early next week because of anger over a new row over fishing rights. Three lawmakers of the ruling ROK Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) left for Tokyo to protest Japan’s move to block ROK fishing boats from waters off the Kuril islands. ROK House Speaker Lee Man-sup expressed his concern over Koizumi’s planned visit to Seoul scheduled for October 15, saying, “It would be meaningless if his visit is of no help in loosening the tangled knots and establishing new bilateral relations.” In a statement, ROK Representative Park Myung-hwan of the opposition Grand National Party (GNP) said “If Tokyo really wants to improve ties with Seoul, then Koizumi should first apologize for his controversial action over a history textbook, an August visit to Yasukuni Shrine and the latest fishing row.” ROK Representative Jeon Kap-kil of the ruling Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) expressed concern over a planned summit between President Kim Dae-jung and Koizumi at this time. He called on Japan to “make sincere efforts first to mend bilateral ties.”
5. DPRK Diplomatic Calculation
Korea Herald (Kim Ji-ho, “DPRK SEEKS TO IMPROVE RELATIONS WITH U.S., MAINTAIN TIES WITH ISLAMIC NATIONS: ANALYSTS,” 10/12/01) reported that DPRK brief comments on the ongoing U.S. war against terrorism carried by its official media reflect the isolationist country’s desire to improve relations with United States while preserving its ties with Islamic nations. On October 9, a DPRK Foreign Ministry spokesman made a statement in Pyongyang’s first reaction on the U.S.-led air strikes in Afghanistan, condemning both the acts of terrorism and ensuing retaliatory action. Professor Ahn Young-sup of Myongji University said “This shows that DPRK believes that improving relations with the United States is vital to the DPRK survival.” It would have been impossible, however, for Pyongyang to throw a full support to Washington, with which it still has to negotiate over a number of pending issues, Ahn said. At the same time, DPRK watchers said that the statements reflect the influence Islamic countries have on the DPRK foreign relations. Paik Hak-soon, a researcher of Sejong Institute said that “DPRK will inevitably seek to maintain its diplomatic status in the Arab nations.”
The NAPSNet Daily Report aims to serve as a forum for dialogue and exchange among peace and security specialists. Conventions for readers and a list of acronyms and abbreviations are available to all recipients. For descriptions of the world wide web sites used to gather information for this report, or for more information on web sites with related information, see the collection of other NAPSNet resources.
We invite you to reply to today’s report, and we welcome commentary or papers for distribution to the network.
Produced by the Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainable Development in partnership with:
International Policy Studies Institute Seoul, Republic of Korea
Center for American Studies,
Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
International Peace Research Institute (PRIME),
Meiji Gakuin University, Tokyo, Japan
Monash Asia Institute,
Monash University, Clayton, Australia
Gee Gee Wong: napsnet@nautilus.org
Berkeley, California, United States
Timothy L. Savage: napsnet@nautilus.org
Berkeley, California, United States
Kim Hee-sun: khs688@hotmail.com
Seoul, Republic of Korea
Hibiki Yamaguchi: hibikiy@dh.mbn.or.jp
Tokyo, Japan
Rumiko Seya: rumiko-seya@geocities.co.jp
Tokyo, Japan
Hiroya Takagi: hiroya_takagi@hotmail.com
Tokyo, Japan
Peter Razvin: icipu@glas.apc.org
Moscow, Russian Federation
Yunxia Cao: yunxiac@yahoo.com
Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Dingli Shen: dlshen@fudan.ac.cn
Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
John McKay: John.McKay@adm.monash.edu.au
Clayton, Australia