NAPSNet Daily Report 23 June, 2008
Contents in this Issue:
- I. Napsnet
- 1. Alleged DPRK Uranium Enrichment
- 2. DPRK Nuclear Program
- 3. Six-Party Talks
- 4. DPRK-Japan Relations
- 5. DPRK-PRC Relations
- 6. Inter-Korean Energy Cooperation
- 7. DPRK NLL Violations
- 8. US-ROK Alliance
- 9. US-ROK Trade Relations
- 10. US Military in Japan
- 11. Japanese Whaling
- 12. Cross Strait Relations
- 13. PRC Earthquake
- 14. Tibetan Unrest
- II. PRC Report
- III. ROK Report
I. Napsnet
1. Alleged DPRK Uranium Enrichment
Washington Post (Glenn Kessler, “NEW DATA FOUND ON NORTH KOREA’S NUCLEAR CAPACITY”, Washington, 2008/06/23) reported that the United States in recent weeks has discovered fresh traces of highly enriched uranium among 18,000 pages of DPRK documents, according to sources familiar with the intelligence findings. The uranium enrichment data are preliminary, though at least one source familiar with the intelligence said experts had concluded it did not come from Pakistan. Other sources, however, said there was still a dispute on that question. Analysts also do not know how the documents might have been handled and how they could have come into contact with a possible enrichment program.
2. DPRK Nuclear Program
Associated Press (Jae-soon Chang, “NORTH KOREA INVITES TV CREWS FOR NUCLEAR SHOW”, Seoul, 2008/06/22) reported that the DPRK has invited foreign television stations to broadcast its planned destruction of a key facility at the Yongbyon nuclear complex, nuclear envoy Kim Sook told reporters Sunday. Kim said CNN was chosen as U.S. broadcaster, but did not name the other four stations invited from the ROK, the PRC, Japan and Russia. The DPRK also has notified the five stations of a date for the tower’s destruction, Kim said, without elaborating.
3. Six-Party Talks
Korea Times (Na Jeong-ju, “SIX-PARTY NUCLEAR TALKS LIKELY TO RESUME NEXT WEEK”, Seoul, 2008/06/23) reported that the six-party talks are expected to resume next week with the DPRK preparing to declare its nuclear projects, while the United States is moving to remove it from its list of terrorism-sponsoring countries in return. The top nuclear envoys of the ROK and the United States met their PRC counterpart in Beijing, Monday, to discuss the resumption of the stalled six-party negotiations. U.S. envoy Christopher Hill, after meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wu Dawei in Beijing, said Saturday the six-nation talks will take place “soon.”
4. DPRK-Japan Relations
Yomiuri (“‘NO LIFTING OF SANCTIONS’ WITHOUT PROBE CHECK”, Tokyo, 2008/06/23) reported that Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura ruled out Sunday the possibility of the government lifting some of its sanctions against the DPRK unless there is a mechanism by which Japan can verify the nature of the reinvestigation into the abduction issue recently promised by Pyongyang. “We’d like to create a mechanism using a special Japanese agency by which we can check up on the conducting of the reinvestigation by the other side,” Komura said during an NHK TV program Sunday. “As long as there is no progress in this respect, there will be no partial lifting.” “I’ll tell the U.S. government that we haven’t seen enough progress on the abduction issue and, regarding the second phase, the significance of which the United States has been emphasizing, I will ask them if the content is truly satisfactory,” Komura said.
5. DPRK-PRC Relations
Donga Ilbo (“‘N. KOREAN LEADER INVITED TO OLYMPICS'”, Seoul, 2008/06/23) reported that DPRK leader Kim Jong Il has been invited by China to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Summer Olympics, the Japanese daily Asahi Shimbun said Sunday. Quoting Daku Yamasaki, former secretary general of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, the report said PRC Vice President Xi Jinping made the invitation in his recent trip to Pyongyang. Yamasaki also told reporters Saturday that if Kim accepts the invitation, he could hold talks with U.S. President George W. Bush or Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and open “a new communication channel toward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”
6. Inter-Korean Energy Cooperation
Korea Times (Na Jeong-ju, “SOLAR ENERGY PARK PLANNED IN DMZ”, Seoul, 2008/06/23) reported that Gangwon Province is seeking permission from the central government to launch an inter-Korean project to set up a large park in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that will include facilities for solar energy research and resort areas for tourists. According to the draft plan, the province will spend some 12 billion won ($11.5 million) to build the park, dubbed “Joint Sunshine Area (JSA),” which will span a 16,000-square-meter zone near an overland route connecting Goseong in Gangwon Province and the Mt. Geumgan tourism complex in the DPRK. “We are pushing for the project to promote inter-Korean cooperation in the areas of environmental protection and bio energy development,” an official said. “The JSA will include solar energy generation facilities and a sun-powered heating system. The complex will be able to provide electricity to nearby areas in the South and North.”
7. DPRK NLL Violations
Chosun Ilbo (“ANOTHER N.KOREAN PATROL BOAT VIOLATES SEA BORDER”, Seoul, 2008/06/23) reported that a DPRK patrol boat crossed the Northern Limit Line north of Baengnyeong Island in the West Sea on Sunday. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said that the vessel crossed at 11:27 a.m. on Sunday, remaining in ROK waters for some 30 minutes before returning upon receiving a warning from the ROK Navy.
8. US-ROK Alliance
Korea Times (Kang Hyun-kyung, “SEOUL NEEDS DEEPER INTERDEPENDENCY WITH US”, Seoul, 2008/06/23) reported that Prof. Hong Kyu-deuk of the College of Political Science and International Relations at Sookmyung Women’s University said Monday that Seoul should work together with Washington to build so-called strategic interdependency to respond to the rise of China and militant Japan. Hong said the two governments should join hands particularly in three areas ? threats to human security such as terrorism and natural disasters, collaboration projects to facilitate free mobility of goods across Asia, and regional peace. “The Korea-U.S. alliance has been considered for a long time as a crucial instrument that can help tackle the security threat posed by Pyongyang over the past decades. But it is time for the two sides to look beyond the North Korea factor when it comes to the goals of the alliance,” said Hong.
9. US-ROK Trade Relations
Associated Press (Burt Herman, “S. KOREA, US AGREE ON BEEF DEAL; PROTESTS CONTINUE”, Seoul, 2008/06/22) reported that the ROK said it will resume imports of U.S. beef after American and ROK suppliers agreed to block meat from older cattle. Still, protest leaders argued the plan doesn’t go far enough and staged the latest of their daily candlelight rallies on Saturday. The rally caused the main intersection in downtown Seoul to be blocked as thousands of riot police prevented demonstrators from marching to the presidential Blue House. Procedures to put the new import agreement into effect were to start Monday, Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon said.
Yonhap (Lee Joon-seung, “SEOUL NOT TO RUSH IMPLEMENTATION OF BEEF ACCORD WITH US”, Seoul, 2008/06/22) reported that the ROK ruling party and the government said Sunday that they will postpone implementing new U.S. beef import rules for the time being as the public remains concerned over the safety of the American product. “The details of the additional high-level talks will be fully explained to the public before any attempt is made to post the new U.S. import rules on the government gazette,” Grand National Party (GNP) spokeswoman Cho Yoon-sun said after a ruling party-government consultative meeting.
10. US Military in Japan
Kyodo (“FUKUDA VOWS TO LESSEN OKINAWA BURDEN ON 63RD ANNIVERSARY OF BATTLE”, Naha, 2008/06/23) reported that Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on Monday renewed his pledge to make efforts to lessen the burden Okinawa Prefecture in hosting U.S. military forces at a ceremony to mark the 63rd anniversary of the end of the Battle of Okinawa in World War II. During a memorial ceremony held at the Peace Memorial Park in the city of Itoman, Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima urged the Japanese and U.S. governments to reduce and consolidate U.S. bases in Okinawa and lessen Okinawa’s burden in a ”visible” manner. House of Representatives Speaker Yohei Kono said, ”We should establish a peaceful diplomatic environment in East Asia, improve security conditions there, and make, at least, a large U.S. military presence at the current level unnecessary.”
11. Japanese Whaling
Agence France-Presse (“GREENPEACE SAYS JAPANESE MEMBERS IN CUSTODY”, Tokyo, 2008/06/22) reported that a Japanese court decided on Sunday to keep two Greenpeace members in custody for stealing whale meat in a bid to uncover corruption in Japan’s whaling programme, the environmental group said. The Aomori District Court made the decision after prosecutors requested a 10-day extension of a detention period for Junichi Sato, 31, and Toru Suzuki. Greenpeace said it intercepted one box of meat and handed it to prosecutors in Tokyo as evidence, seeking action against 12 crew members on the whaling ship.
12. Cross Strait Relations
Associated Press (“NO GAMBLING FOR CHINESE GOING TO TAIWAN”, Beijing, 2008/06/22) reported that visitors to Taiwan will not be allowed to gamble or engage in “pornographic activities,” Xinhua News Agency said. The warning was issued by the Cross-Strait Tourism Association. “Travel agencies are not allowed to arrange gambling, pornographic and drug-related activities, and other activities harming cross-strait relations,” Xinhua said.
13. PRC Earthquake
Associated Press (“PREMIER: 2 YEARS TO REBUILD CHINESE PROVINCES “, Beijing, 2008/06/22) reported that rebuilding in two PRC provinces hit by last month’s earthquake should be complete by 2010, Premier Wen Jiabao said Sunday. “I hope that life of the quake-affected people in Shaanxi and Gansu can be basically restored in two months from now, while reconstruction in the two provinces can be completed in two years,” Wen was quoted as saying after a three-day visit to the provinces to inspect rebuilding work.
14. Tibetan Unrest
Associated Press (Ken Teh, “OLYMPIC TORCH PARADED THROUGH TIBET”, Lhasa, 2008/06/22) reported that Hundreds of police and paramilitary troops stood watch and hand-picked onlookers cheered as the Olympic torch passed through the Tibetan capital on Saturday. No disruptions were reported, although the mood overall was far more subdued than at the torch’s earlier stops in cities in the PRC.
II. PRC Report
15. PRC Environment
Beijing Daily (Zeng Yun, “EXPERTS HELP MONITOR BEIJING AIR QUALITY”, 2008/06/20) <!– /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:SimSun; panose-1:2 1 6 0 3 1 1 1 1 1; mso-font-alt:??; mso-font-charset:134; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 135135232 16 0 262145 0;} @font-face {font-family:”@SimSun”; panose-1:2 1 6 0 3 1 1 1 1 1; mso-font-charset:134; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 135135232 16 0 262145 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:””; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:justify; text-justify:inter-ideograph; mso-pagination:none; font-size:10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:SimSun; mso-font-kerning:1.0pt; mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} –> reported that 12 world-class environmental experts of atmospheric chemistry, physics, meteorology, environmental health impact, pollution monitoring, and other aspects, will carry out an air quality monitoring for the Beijing Olympic Games to be held in 50 days. The 12 experts have participated in relevant work of improving Beijing air quality for a long time before, and are familiar with Beijing’s weather conditions, features of pollutants, and specific state of sources of pollution. Regional environmental quality monitoring, regional air quality numerical prediction, environmental impact assessment of Olympic security measures will be the three main tasks of the Group.
16. PRC Energy
China Energy Information Online, http://www.nengyuan.net (“HENAN STARTS UP NEW ENERGY STRATEGY”, 2008/06/19) <!– /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:SimSun; panose-1:2 1 6 0 3 1 1 1 1 1; mso-font-alt:??; mso-font-charset:134; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 135135232 16 0 262145 0;} @font-face {font-family:”@SimSun”; panose-1:2 1 6 0 3 1 1 1 1 1; mso-font-charset:134; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 135135232 16 0 262145 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:””; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:justify; text-justify:inter-ideograph; mso-pagination:none; font-size:10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:SimSun; mso-font-kerning:1.0pt; mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} –> reported that over the past few years, Henan Province has been actively exploring and developing new energy paths especially on bio-energy. PRC pistaches abound in Henan, which have been made into the clean, efficient, and safe bio-diesel. Henan is also a major agricultural province, with 70 million tons of crop stalks produced each year. The large number of burning straw seriously polluted the environment. Therefore, Henan takes full advantage of the rich resources of straw, using straw power generation technology in the technological transformation of small thermal power to solve the heating power supply problem.
17. PRC 512 Earthquake
China Machinery Industry Federation (“CHINA MACHINERY INDUSTRY FEDERATION AFTER THE 512 EARTHQUAKE”, 2008/06/19) <!– /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:SimSun; panose-1:2 1 6 0 3 1 1 1 1 1; mso-font-alt:??; mso-font-charset:134; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 135135232 16 0 262145 0;} @font-face {font-family:”@SimSun”; panose-1:2 1 6 0 3 1 1 1 1 1; mso-font-charset:134; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 135135232 16 0 262145 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:””; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:justify; text-justify:inter-ideograph; mso-pagination:none; font-size:10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:SimSun; mso-font-kerning:1.0pt; mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} –> reported that after the 512 Earthquake, China Machinery Industry Federation and Machinery Associations joined into an immediate relief action. Machine Tool Association, Automobile Association, Engineering Machinery Association contacted with their local enterprises and units that very night. When told that the Oriental Turbine Factory was seriously damaged, the Federation timely reported it to the National Development and Reform Commission calling for specialized assistance. Then the Federation held a secretary meeting, carefully arranging the disaster relief work. It appealed to the leaders and the party members to play an exemplary role by contributing to the disaster areas by practical action, such as money and material donation.
III. ROK Report
18. DPRK Nuclear Program
Kukmin Ilbo (“DPRK NUCLEAR AGREEMENT SHOULD BE DONE COMPREHENSIVELY “, ) wrote that while the DPRK is about to submit the nuclear report, it is reported that evidence showing that the DPRK pursued a Uranium Enrichment Program (UEP) was found. It is also reported that the DPRK, Iran and Syria have been cooperating in the nuclear program. There should be measures to deal with the DPRK nuclear activity after the removal of the DPRK from state sponsor of terrorism. The DPRK nuclear treaty should be done comprehensively. A negligent treaty will make bigger problems.
Yonhap (“DPRK SHOULD FURTHER CONTINUE DENUCLEARIZATION”, 2008/06/23) wrote that the DPRK is planning to destroy its cooling towers which had been symbols of the nuclear crisis, and this means a lot. The DPRK is planning to show the dismantlement of cooling towers worldwide and seems to emphasize its will to denuclearize. On the other hand, it seems to demand considerable trade off for this ‘show’. Dismantlement of the cooling towers does not mean completion of DPRK denuclearization and the ROK government should strongly demand the DPRK’s further process of denuclearization.
19. DPRK internal situation
Goodfriends (“Goodfriends”, 2008/06/23) reported that the DPRK has prohibited making long distance calls, except in Pyongyang, at home. This national level regulation is attributed to information security. The DPRK believes long-distance calls made it possible to reveal immediately its starvation and food shortage to international society.