NAPSNet Daily Report 22 March, 1999

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"NAPSNet Daily Report 22 March, 1999", NAPSNet Daily Report, March 22, 1999, https://nautilus.org/napsnet/napsnet-daily-report/napsnet-daily-report-22-march-1999/

IN TODAY’S REPORT:

I. United States

II. Republic of Korea

III. Russian Federation

IV. Announcements

I. United States

1. US Policy toward DPRK

The New York Times carried an editorial (“The North Korean Threat,” 03/21/99, WK14) which said that the recent US-DPRK agreement on inspection of an underground construction site has defused a dangerous crisis, but still leaves many problems in US-DPRK relations unresolved. The article argued that the US needs to change the nature of the DPRK’s bargaining by developing a more comprehensive approach. It said that when the US and the DPRK resume missile talks on March 29, “American negotiators should make clear that Washington does not want another one- issue deal.” It concluded, “The Administration should offer North Korea a plan to reduce tensions between the two countries. The Administration should make clear that it would be willing to ease economic sanctions and move toward diplomatic recognition. In return, Washington should insist that North Korea make a verifiable commitment to cease all dangerous weapons production and sales” [Ed. note: This article was included in the US Department of Defense’s Early Bird news service for March 22.]

2. ROK Policy toward DPRK

Reuters (“S.KOREA STRESSES PATIENCE IN NORTH KOREA POLICY,” Seoul, 03/22/99) reported that ROK Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Hong Soon-young said Monday that the ROK would maintain its engagement policy. Hong stated, “The government will not resort to presupposing on North Korea’s attitude but will consistently promote with confidence and patience a comprehensive approach.” He added, “If North Korea commits a serious provocation, such as another missile launch, (the ministry) will maintain the basic principle of the engagement policy and employ measures to put on diplomatic pressure.” Kwon Jong-rak, director-general in charge of North American affairs at the ROK Foreign Ministry, told a National Assembly review session that the US was expected to consider easing its economic sanctions on the DPRK following last week’s agreement. He added, however, that any easing of sanctions would still be linked to progress on other issues between the US and the DPRK, including terrorism and missile development.

3. ROK-Japan Summit

Reuters (Teruaki Ueno, “S.KOREA, JAPAN WARN OF N.KOREAN MILITARY THREAT,” Seoul, 03/20/99) and the Associated Press (Sang-Hun Choe, “JAPANESE URGES KOREAS TO MAKE PEACE,” Seoul, 03/20/99) reported that Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, during a summit meeting with ROK President Kim Dae-jung on Saturday, said that Japan would fully support Kim’s “sunshine policy” toward the DPRK. He added, “We have an intention to improve ties with North Korea. We urge North Korea to stop escalating confrontation and tension and open the door for reconciliation and exchanges.” Kim stated, “Our engagement policy is not an illusion. We send out messages of both hope and warning. We hope North Korea will take the message of hope.” He added, “We must tell the North that it would be the North which would suffer massive damage if it launched provocation. We must not let the North use nuclear weapons and missiles.” Kim also said, “North Korea is adopting a military strategy to intensively develop weapons of mass destruction, and depending on the situation North Korea is trying to use them to inflict massive damage. We must not sanction North Korea’s strategy. The most basic thing we should do is that South Korea, Japan and the United States closely cooperate with one another and build a strong defense structure to block North Korea from waging a war.” Kim described the DPRK as a “difficult partner” to deal with, saying the country’s economy was in dire straits while its 1.2 million-strong military was weakening. He stated, “The North Korean missile issue is a threat to Japan, but it is more threatening to South Korea. We always feel the threat.” Obuchi urged the DPRK to open a dialogue with Japan and the ROK to ensure peace in Asia. He added, “Together with President Kim Dae-jung, I would like to tell North Korea that we are ready to improve our relations with North Korea.” Obuchi and Kim also discussed ways to put into effect a “21st-century cooperation agreement,” signed during Kim’s October visit to Japan.

Reuters carried an analytical article (Teruaki Ueno, “JAPAN SEEN DAMAGED BY U-TURN ON N.KOREA,” Tokyo, 03/22/99) which said that Japanese analysts said that Japan’s inconsistency in its policy towards the DPRK has damaged its diplomatic credibility. Akio Watanabe, professor of international politics at Aoyama Gakuin University, said he was surprised at Japan’s apparent policy shift to a softer stance following Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi’s summit with ROK President Kim Dae-jung. Watanabe stated, “I think Japan thought it could no longer stick to its hardline stance after the United States and North Korea made a progress in their nuclear talks.” Watanabe also said that US DPRK policy coordinator William Perry’s review was expected to take a harder posture toward the DPRK, making it difficult for the three allies to coordinate their policies. Terumasa Nakanishi, professor of international politics at Kyoto University, said that the ROK’s “sunshine policy consists of dialogue and deterrence, but President Kim stresses too much dialogue. It is basically an appeasement policy.” He added that he doubted appeasement was effective in dealing with the DPRK. He also said that Japan’s support for the policy could hamper US efforts to seek a “comprehensive” solution to DPRK issues. Nakanishi argued, “This is a complete reversal of Japan’s foreign policy towards North Korea. It will give the impression to other countries that Japan changes its foreign policy easily if and when it comes under pressure. This is an important question of consistency.”

4. Anti-Japanese Protests in ROK

Reuters (Teruaki Ueno, “S.KOREA, JAPAN WARN OF N.KOREAN MILITARY THREAT,” Seoul, 03/20/99) reported that about 100 ROK citizens staged a rally in downtown Seoul to call for a Japanese apology for military sexual slavery during World War II. Former “comfort woman” Hwang Keum-joo stated, “Why does the [ROK] government allow [Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi] to visit even though Japan hasn’t yet apologized at all?” Meanwhile, hundreds of students scuffled with riot police when Obuchi tried to leave Korea University after a speech.

5. US Evacuation Drill from ROK

Reuters (“U.S. PLANS MOCK S. KOREA EVACUATION – JAPAN PAPER,” Tokyo, 03/20/99) reported that the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun said Saturday that the US will fly more than 100 of its citizens from the ROK to Japan next week as part of an evacuation drill. The report cited well-placed sources as saying that about 120 US civilians, including families of US servicemen in the ROK, would be flown by military transport plane to Fukuoka international airport in south-west Japan on Friday. The DPRK’s official Korean Central News Agency stated, “The projected evacuation drill proves that the U.S. imperialists are bringing military maneuvers closer to the brink of war, making the outbreak of war on the Korean peninsula a fait accompli.”

6. DPRK Famine

The Associated Press (“N. KOREA: FOOD SITUATION STILL BAD,” Seoul, 03/22/99) reported that the DPRK’s official Korean Central News Agency said Monday that the country faces another year of acute food shortages. The report said, “The food situation this year still remains very difficult.” The report added that the DPRK economy was in trouble as a whole because of shortages of power, production equipment, and raw materials, but hardest hit was agriculture.

7. DPRK Diplomat’s Defection

The Associated Press (“NORTH KOREA, THAILAND FAIL TO RESOLVE ISSUE OVER KIDNAPPING,” Bangkok, 03/22/99) reported that Thailand and the DPRK on Monday failed to resolve their diplomatic impasse over the case of a DPRK diplomat’s kidnapped son. Thai Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan said Monday that Thailand is considering the conditions for the son’s release set forth in talks with senior DPRK diplomat Li Do-sop. Surin stated, “It will take some time before we can make our decision. Procedures are moving along, but it will not take too long.” Surin would not disclose what conditions the DPRK had set, but sources familiar with the negotiations said they involved Thailand dropping threats of criminal and diplomatic sanctions against those involved in the kidnapping. Police have already issued warrants to arrest four DPRK men believed involved in the abduction. Li said Monday, “Discussions are going on and in a very constructive way.”

8. DPRK Defectors

Reuters (“THREE N.KOREANS DEFECT TO S.KOREA-SPY AGENCY,” Seoul, 03/22/99) reported that the ROK National Intelligence Service said Monday that an aged DPRK couple, Ryu Kyung-chul and Kim Soon-hwa, and a young food factory worker, Lee Kwan-ho, had defected to the ROK through a third country. The agency said that the couple escaped from the DPRK in May 1998, while Lee fled in November 1996. An agency spokesman said, “We are investigating those North Korean defectors on their motives of defection. At the moment, detailed information of them is not available.” The agency said a total of 22 DPRK citizens had defected to the ROK so far this year. An agency official said that more than 100,000 DPRK citizens were believed to have left their home country in 1998.

9. PRC-Taiwan Talks

The Wall Street Journal (Yu Wong, “BEIJING’S CHIEF TAIWAN NEGOTIATOR TO MAKE FIRST VISIT TO THE ISLAND,” Taipei, 03/22/99) reported that PRC envoy Li Yafei and Taiwan’s semiofficial Straits Exchange Foundation said Sunday that Wang Daohan, head of the PRC’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits, will visit Taiwan late in the year. Lu Yali, a political-science professor at National Taiwan University, said that neither side wants to see a breakdown of PRC-Taiwan dialogue and an increase in tensions. Lu said that PRC Premier Zhu Rongji will want to avoid criticism over Taiwan during his US visit next month, while Taiwanese leaders are preparing for the 2000 presidential elections.

10. PRC-Taiwan Diplomatic Rivalry

Reuters (Philip Pullella, “VATICAN CAN ALTER TAIWAN TIES TO PLEASE BEIJING,” Vatican City, 03/22/99) reported that Vatican Foreign Minister Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran said Monday that the Holy See was willing to re-think its relations with Taiwan in order to improve ties with the PRC. Tauran stated, “We are aware that in order to normalize our relations with Beijing we will have to modify the form (of relations) with Taipei. We are willing to negotiate.” PRC government spokesman Zhu Bangzao responded, “Words are not enough. You have to follow through with deeds.” The statement came as PRC President Jiang Zemin was on an official visit to Italy. Unlike most heads of state or government who visit Italy, Jiang is not expected to have any contacts with the Vatican. Italian officials, including Prime Minister Massimo D’Alema, have promised to try to persuade Jiang that it would be in the PRC’s interests to forge links with the Vatican.

11. US Policy toward Taiwan

The Washington Post carried an opinion article (Jim Hoagland, “A STAND ON TAIWAN,” 03/21/99, B07) which said that there is a strategic conflict between the PRC and the US centered on the future of Taiwan. The author argued, “Only if you put Taiwan at its center does recent Chinese behavior toward Washington make sense. And only by recognizing Taiwan’s centrality to U.S. policy in the region can [US President Bill] Clinton get his China policy on a steady footing.” He added that, while the PRC’s alleged theft of US nuclear technology does not change the strategic balance, “upgrading its nuclear forces through espionage does fit Beijing’s objectives of intimidating Taiwan and of steadily raising the potential price to the United States of opposing the mainland’s will.” The author argued, “The administration and Congress should join in reaffirming that the United States will oppose the use of force against Taiwan and is committed to encouraging peaceful, democratic change in Chinese society as the sole basis for unification. The missile defense controversy gives the administration a chance to seek binding, verifiable commitments from Beijing not to use force to accomplish unification — thereby eliminating the need for such weapon systems on Taiwan.”

12. US-PRC Relations

Reuters (Sarah Davison, “ANTI-CHINA MOOD A THREAT TO ASIAN SECURITY – PERRY,” Hong Kong, 03/22/99) reported that former US defense secretary William Perry warned on Monday during a visit to Hong Kong that growing anti-PRC rhetoric in the US posed one of the greatest risks to security in the Asia Pacific. Perry told the Asia Society, “I cannot point to a time in recent history when I was more concerned about the U.S.-China relationship based on what is going on in Washington today.” He added, “Above all I would like to see a moderation of the rhetoric that persists in referring to China as an enemy. If we treat China as an enemy it will surely become one.” Perry argued that the US policy of engagement with the PRC has been one of the pillars of Asian stability and security over the past two decades. He stated, “One consequence of this stabilizing influence is that the region has not yet had a major arms race [and] that allows a larger share of the resources in the region to be used for economic development.” He added that if the other US pillars of stability–troop deployment in the region and security pacts with Japan, the ROK, and Australia–fell, an arms race would overtake Asia. Perry also stressed that the proposed US missile defense system had a relatively small “footprint.” He stated, “It is misleading to think of a theater-wide defense system in a theater as large as this one.”

13. US-PRC Military Exchanges

The Washington Times (Bill Gertz, “GENERAL POSTPONES CHINA TRIP,” 03/22/99, 1) reported that General Henry H. Shelton, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, has postponed a scheduled weeklong visit to the PRC. A spokesman for Shelton, Navy Captain Steve Pietropaoli, said that Shelton was set to leave Sunday for a visit to Beijing and Nanjing, but was forced to delay the trip due to the situation in Kosovo. Pietropaoli said that the trip was not delayed because of the scandal involving alleged PRC espionage at US nuclear weapons laboratories, but he added that the trip has not been rescheduled. Meanwhile, US Representative Benjamin A. Gilman, R-New York, chairman of the House International Relations Committee, plans to send a letter to US Defense Secretary William S. Cohen calling for a suspension of all military contacts with the PRC. [Ed. note: This article was one of the top stories in the US Department of Defense’s Early Bird news service for March 22.]

14. Alleged PRC Nuclear Espionage

The Wall Street Journal (Matt Forney, “CHINA CONFIRMS U.S. SCIENTIST ATTENDED CONFERENCE IN BEIJING,” Beijing, 03/22/99) reported that the PRC’s state-run Xinhua news agency quoted Li Deyuan of the Institute for Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics as saying that Wen Ho Lee, a US scientist accused of passing secrets to the PRC, spoke at a conference on “hydromechanics” in Beijing in 1986. Li added, however, that the conference “was simply and totally a meeting about basic scientific matters.” Xinhua also confirmed that in 1988 Lee attended another conference organized by the same institute, without saying where the conference took place. The 1988 conference was jointly sponsored with Drexel University in Philadelphia and the National Science Foundation. Xinhua quoted the conference organizer, Zhang Tianyuan, as saying that Lee “conducted general-purpose academic talks and never touched upon the secrets of the W-88 Nuclear Warhead.” [Ed. note: This article was included in the US Department of Defense’s Early Bird news service for March 22.]

Newsweek (John Barry and Gregory L. Vistica, “‘THE PENETRATION IS TOTAL’,” 03/29/99, 30) reported that US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) analysts have found evidence that the PRC has gained a great deal of information from US nuclear weapons laboratories. An unnamed official close to the investigation stated, “The Chinese penetration is total. They are deep, deep into the labs’ black programs.” The article said that US officials believe that the PRC may have acquired design information over the last two decades about seven US nuclear warheads, including the neutron bomb. It added that the PRC may also have stolen secrets about US efforts to devise a nuclear weapon designed to create an electromagnetic pulse that would short out anything that uses electricity. [Ed. note: This article was included in the US Department of Defense’s Early Bird news service for March 22.]

15. India-Pakistan Security Conference

The Associated Press (“PAKISTAN, INDIA SECURITY EXPERTS TO DISCUSS NUCLEAR ISSUE,” Islamabad, 03/22/99) reported that Pakistani Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz said Monday that security experts from Pakistan and India plan to meet next month to develop confidence-building measures. Aziz stated, “The main purpose … is to agree on security concepts and nuclear doctrines.” Aziz said the two sides have set a schedule of meetings to “intensify” their dialogue, in keeping with a declaration signed by the prime ministers of India and Pakistan in February in Lahore. He added that the foreign secretaries of the two countries will meet in New Delhi in May to discuss Kashmir. He stated, “Any efforts to normalize relations between India and Pakistan without resolving the Kashmir issue are not likely to go very far.”

Reuters (Sarah Davison, “ANTI-CHINA MOOD A THREAT TO ASIAN SECURITY – PERRY,” Hong Kong, 03/22/99) reported that former US Defense Secretary William Perry voiced concern over nuclear development in South Asia. Perry stated, “I believe it is only a matter of time before they deploy nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles.” He added, “I believe there is a real danger some of the Indian and Pakistani weapons will be fired in anger.”

II. Republic of Korea

1. ROK-Japan Summit

Chosun Ilbo (“JAPAN, KOREA REAFFIRM COMMON NK POLICY,” Seoul, 03/21/99) reported that ROK President Kim Dae-jung and Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi held summit talks on Saturday at the presidential office, where they agreed that the ROK and Japan would make concerted efforts to reinforce bilateral policy coordination toward the DPRK based upon the principle of a medium- and long-term engagement policy. At a press conference afterwards, the two issued a 9-item joint statement on the progress of a previously formulated action plan and a joint communique on the ROK-Japan partnership in relation to the 5-item “Agenda 21 for ROK- Japan Economic Cooperation” agreed to during president Kim’s visit to Japan earlier this year. Kim said that he had explained to Obuchi the principles involved in the ROK’s policy of engagement toward the DPRK, which aims at achieving a number of breakthroughs for various pending issues, including the DPRK’s nuclear and missile development programs. Kim also told reporters that he had emphasized to Obuchi that the Japanese and US governments need to move positively ahead with efforts to improve their diplomatic ties with the DPRK.

JoongAng Ilbo (“SUMMIT MEETING TO STRENGTHEN COOPERATION ON NK MATTERS,” Seoul, 03/21/99) reported that ROK President Kim Dae-jung and Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi met on March 20 and agreed to take a variety of measures to improve DPRK-Japan relations, on the condition that the DPRK demonstrates a progressive attitude on resolving its development of missiles and nuclear weapons. Japan, especially, made it clear that it would first require a sincere and constructive dialogue with the DPRK as a prerequisite for offering food aid or any other assistance. The two leaders held interviews with reporters after they concluded their exclusive and extensive summit meeting. They announced that the ROK and Japan will establish stronger cooperative policies towards the DPRK. Obuchi said that he supports President Kim’s comprehensive policy towards the DPRK, and he added that Japan would reexamine measures it has taken, including for the establishment of foreign relations with the DPRK, if the DPRK shows good faith.

2. Defection of DPRK Diplomat

Chosun Ilbo (“THAILAND CORDONS OFF NK EMBASSY,” Seoul, 03/21/99) reported that Thai police in Bangkok have cordoned off the DPRK embassy there to prevent four diplomats involved in the attempted kidnapping of Hong Soon- kyong and his family from sneaking out of the country. A high-ranking Thai police official added Sunday that security at the Bangkok port had also been tightened as two DPRK freighters were currently moored there. The DPRK is scheduled to make an official statement on Monday concerning Thai demands for an apology and the release of Hong’s son, who is also thought to be held in the embassy.

3. ROK-DPRK Economic Cooperation

Chosun Ilbo (“SOUTH-NORTH PROJECTS EFFECTIVELY SUSPENDED,” Seoul, 03/21/99) reported that, despite the continuation of the government’s engagement policy with the DPRK, inter-Korea economic cooperation projects are in danger of ending. The overall involvement of the ROK private sector in various investment projects has been shrinking, with the notable exceptions of Hyundai’s Mt. Kumkang tour development project and Daewoo’s Nampo industrial park project. Several ROK enterprises, for instance, have stepped back from their announced participation in the DPRK’s Rajin-Sonbong free trade zone. Although the ROK has been introducing various measures designed to activate private-sector investment in the DPRK, such as eliminating unnecessary red tape and paperwork, applications for economic cooperation projects have been on the decline since last October, when Kim Jong-il officially took over as the head of the DPRK government.

III. Russian Federation

1. ROK-US Psychological Warfare Plans

Novosti razvedki i kontrrazvedki (“SPECIAL PROPAGANDA,” Moscow, 2, #5- 6(129)/99) reported that a decision to create a joint special unit to wage psychological warfare in case of a war on the Korean Peninsula was among the results of a meeting between the chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US and the ROK. General Kim Chong-ho and General Henry Shelton agreed that the “CPOTF” unit is to be engaged at a so-called Defcon-3 stage; that is, when both countries’ armed forces detect signs of an imminent invasion of DPRK troops. An ROK general will be the commander of the unit, which is to be subordinated to the Joint US-ROK Command on the Peninsula.

2. Recovery of Sunken DPRK Submarine

Segodnya (“THE INCIDENT INVESTIGATED IN SOUTH KOREA,” Moscow, 3, 3/18/99) reported that on Wednesday ROK Naval investigators lifted from the sea bottom the DPRK submarine that sunk near the ROK coast last December. It was expected that 6-8 bodies of DPRK sailors would be found on board, but only two corpses were found. The DPRK authorities deny that the submarine is theirs and claim that the ROK made up the whole case in order to aggravate the situation on the Peninsula.

3. PRC-DPRK Alleged Missile Dispute

Segodnya (“PYONGYANG SAW BEIJING’S DEMANDS AS ‘AN OBVIOUS CASE OF BETRAYAL’,” Moscow, 3, 3/29/99) reported that the PRC allegedly demanded the removal of two DPRK missile bases close to the two countries’ border. It happened at the time of preparations for DPRK leader Kim Jong-il’s official visit planned to take place soon. The fact was made known in a joint report published by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Center in Monterey and the Center of Contemporary International Studies Center of the RF Diplomatic Academy. The report said that the DPRK considered PRC demands as “an obvious case of betrayal of an ally threatened by a powerful enemy.” [Ed. note: The report in question was issued by NAPSNet as DPRK Report #16 on March 12.]

4. Taiwan Position on TMD

Izvestia’s Vladimir Mikheyev (“TAIWAN GOT INTERESTED IN STAR-SPANGLED UMBRELLA,” Moscow, 4, 3/20/99) reported that Izvestia received a document prepared by the Taiwanese governmental Council on Relations between Taiwan and the PRC. Facts and analysis in the document are followed by a question: “Will the Republic of China participate in development and deployment of theater missile defense?” The answer is not clear. In the document itself, “Taipei’s arguments that requirements of ‘self-defense’ … are balanced by an actual commitment not to make a first step. Only a dramatic aggravation of military confrontation between the Republic of China and the PRC will force it to turn to security guarantees that Taipei sees in the American TMD system…. Taiwan reserves a freedom of choice for itself.”

5. PRC-US Spy Scandal

Segodnya’s Alaksandr Chudodeyev (“IN WASHINGTON THEY LIKE HORROR FAIRY TALES ABOUT CHINESE SPIES,” Moscow, 3, 3/18/99) reported that on Wednesday the US Congress held special hearings and considered a 700-page report on technologies leaked from the US to the PRC. Some Congressmen talked about “a spy guerrilla action of China against America.” The hearing, however, resulted in “a rather soft resolution” just to conduct an independent investigation and then to resort to sanctions only in case the accusations are proven. The PRC has already been accusing the US of arranging yet another “anti-Chinese campaign.” Many observers, though, believe the developments to be just a traditional “political game.” They argue that, considering the PRC’s negative attitude to US plans for a theater missile defense system in East Asia, the US obviously decided to launch a counterattack, as if telling the PRC, “you say you are not a threat to anybody, but meanwhile you steal our military secrets.”

6. PRC Navy

Novosti razvedki i kontrrazvedki (“PANORAMA: WEAPONS,” Moscow, 2, #5- 6(129)/99) reported that, according to the Japanese newspaper Sankei Shimbun, the most powerful 6000 ton destroyer ever-made by the PRC, called “Lyuihai,” successfully underwent tests last autumn and was deployed in the PRC Navy three months ago. The ship is armed with 16 missiles with a range of 160 kilometers.

7. RF-Japanese Relations

Izvestia’s Vasily Golovnin (“MASLYUKOV RETURNED FROM TOKYO WITHOUT GIFTS,” Tokyo, 4, 3/18/99) reported that on March 14-17, RF First Deputy Premier Yury Maslyukov paid an official visit to Japan. He had a 20- minute talk with Japanese Premier Keizo Obuchi and met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Trade and Industry and some bankers and businessmen. Izvestia’s author argued that particular results were poor, as only an agreement signed on youth exchanges to be “financed by Japanese money” was signed. The visit took place against a background of decreasing bilateral trade and slowed joint economic projects. As concerns the disputed islands, the positions of Japan and the RF are “are diametrically opposite,” and that fact discourages Japan from “making new gifts.” On the eve of the visit, Japan declined Maslyukov’s request for a US$2 billion soft loan to modernize the RF energy sector. Japan replied to the effect that although the RF economic situation was difficult, it still was not entitled to the type of loans extended to Rwanda or Bangladesh. Yet Japan is ready to loan the money under harder terms, and already 12 energy facilities in the RF have been selected for modernization. Izvestia’s author added also that in the past “due to some mystical reasons” many RF political figures lost their positions very soon after their trips to Japan.

IV. Announcements

1. House of Representatives Meeting on DPRK

The Committee on International Relations of the US House of Representatives will hold an open meeting in Room 2172 Rayburn on Wednesday, March 24, 1999 at 10:00 A.M., on the subject “US Policy Towards North Korea and the Pending Perry Review.” Witnesses will include Dr. Paul Wolfowitz, Dean of the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University; Ambassador James Lilley, Resident Fellow at American Enterprise Institute; and Richard J. Garon, Chief of Staff. Additional witnesses may be announced.

2. Internet Appeal for DPRK Flood Victims

The Internet Appeal for North Korean Flood Victims (“KIM DAE JUNG BACKS INTERNET APPEAL TO IMMUNIZE A MILLION NORTH KOREAN DISEASE-THREATENED CHILDREN,” 03/23/99) reported that ROK President Kim Dae-jung endorsed an Internet donation campaign to provide emergency immunizations of malnourished DPRK children. In a message to Bernard Krisher, chairman of the Web page campaign, Kim stated, “I wish to highly commend you for your continued humanitarian efforts to provide food and medical supplies to the people in North Korea and I support your campaign through the Internet to assist the UNICEF-run immunization program.” Krisher is seeking US$2.8 million in donations for a UNICEF immunization program aimed at protecting over 2 million children under the age of 5, many of whom were no longer being immunized. According to a UNICEF survey, nowadays less than half of DPRK children are fully immunized against all the major preventable diseases, when once nearly 99 percent were. Since UNICEF-Pyongyang issued its report and proposal to immunize all children last month, US$450,000 was received from its headquarters but the branch still remains short of about US$2 million to achieve its universal immunization goal. The full text of the UNICEF appeal, a detailed study of DPRK health problems and UNICEF’s planned provision of immunizations may be accessed via the Internet Appeal for North Korean Flood Victims website. One hundred percent of donations will be wired to UNICEF in Pyongyang. Krisher stated, “This is the most transparent program providing help to the suffering population in North Korea. Donors will know and be able to track exactly where their money is going. There is no way it could be diverted for any purpose than for which it is intended.” In the US, checks may be issued to “North Korea Famine Relief” and mailed to: Internet Appeal for North Korean Flood Victims (Attn: Bernard Krisher), 4-1-7-605 Hiroo Shibuya-ku, Tokyo. This donation may be tax deductible by stating “UNICEF project” in the memo column. Funds may also be wired to the account: North Korea Famine Relief, at the Cambridge Savings Bank, Cambridge, MA 02138. Account number: 535559208. Bank tracking number: 211371120. In the ROK, funds may be wired to Hope Worldwide Korea, Shinhan Bank account no. 335-05- 004481, or contact Yu Hae-keun, Hope Worldwide Korea 11F., Woosung Bldg., 907-4, Mok-dong,Yangchun-gu, Seoul, Tel: 642-8075. In Japan, funds may be wired in Yen to Kitachosen Suigai Kyuen, Sumitomo Ginko, Hiroo Garden Hills Shiten, Futsu Yokin # 748838; or in US dollars to North Korea Flood Relief, Sumitomo Bank, Hiroo Garden Hills Branch, Futsu Yokin # 748849; or contact Bernard or Akiko Krisher at the above address; Tel: 81-3-3486- 4337, Fax: 81-3-3486-6789, or by e-mail. For credit cards donations, mail the card type, card number, expiration date, card holder’s name, amount of contribution, and signature.

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.
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Produced by the Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainable Development in partnership with:
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Timothy L. Savage: napsnet@nautilus.org
Berkeley, California, United States

Wade L. Huntley: napsnet@nautilus.org
Berkeley, California, United States

Lee Dong-young: UNPOL@netsgo.com
Seoul, Republic of Korea

Hiroyasu Akutsu: akutsu@glocomnet.or.jp
Tokyo, Japan

Peter Razvin: icipu@glas.apc.org
Moscow, Russian Federation

Chunsi Wu: dlshen@fudan.ac.cn
Shanghai, People’s Republic of China

Dingli Shen: dlshen@fudan.ac.cn
Shanghai, People’s Republic of China


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