Preceding NAPSNet Report

I. United States

1. Russia on DPRK Nuclear Talks

Reuters (“RUSSIAN ENVOY SEES KOREA NUCLEAR TALKS IN LATE JAN”, 2004-12-06) reported that the DPRK could return to six-party talks on its nuclear programs in late January after US President George W. Bush forms his new cabinet, Russian ambassador to Japan Alexander Losyukov said on Monday. “Probably, the negotiations could be restarted sometime at the end of January,” Losyukov, Russia’s former point man on the talks, told reporters. “We think the sooner we restart the negotiations, the better.”

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2. DPRK – US Meeting

The Associated Press (“N. KOREA AND U.S. MET TWICE THIS WEEK”, 2004-12-06) reported that the DPRK on Saturday said its UN diplomats met US officials in New York twice in the past week but concluded that Pyongyang should hold off on nuclear negotiations until the US administration changes its “hostile” policy toward the country. The report, from Pyongyang’s official news agency KCNA, said officials met on Tuesday and Friday.

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3. DPRK on Nuclear Talks

Korean Central News Agency of the DPRK (“DPRK REMAINS UNCHANGED IN ITS STAND TO SEEK NEGOTIATED SOLUTION TO NUCLEAR ISSUE”, 2004-12-04) reported that we [the DPRK] remain unchanged in our stand to seek a negotiated solution to the nuclear issue between the DPRK and the US. The stalemate was attributable to the fact that the present US administration destroyed the groundwork of the talks, reneging on the agreement reached at the third round of the talks, and, furthermore, has become extremely undisguised in its hostile acts to bring down our system, completely disregarding the DPRK, its dialogue partner and the main party concerned.

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4. DPRK on Relations with the US

Reuters (“N.KOREA SAYS U.S. ‘RED LINE’ IS TRIGGER FOR WAR”, 2004-12-06) reported that the DPRK said the US had no right to unilaterally set limits on Pyongyang’s nuclear activities and these “red line” limits could spark a war. “The red line means a limit to the DPRK’s promotion of (the) nuclear program unilaterally set by the US,” Rodong Sinmun said in an article carried by the official KCNA news agency.

(return to top) Itar-Tass (“ANTI-AMERICAN SENTIMENTS ON THE RISE IN NORTH KOREA”, 2004-12-06) reported that anti-American sentiments are on the rise in the DPRK as “The Korean People’s Army and the People of the Country are angered” by the US policy designed to isolate and “strangle” the republic under the pretext of concern over the nuclear, human rights and freedom of conscience issues, the DPRK central news agencies reports on Monday. (return to top)

5. IAEA on DPRK Nuclear Program

The New York Times (“NORTH KOREA SAID TO EXPAND ARMS PROGRAM”, 2004-12-06) reported that nearly two years after international nuclear inspectors were ejected from the DPRK, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency says he is now certain that the nuclear material his agency once monitored there has been converted into fuel for four to six nuclear bombs.

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6. DPRK on Nuclear Issue

Yonhap (“N. KOREA SAYS U.S. HOLDS NO MONOPOLY ON NUCLEAR WEAPONS”, 2004-12-06) reported that the US is not entitled to a monopoly on nuclear weapons, the DPRK said on Monday, stepping up its verbal attacks on US military strategy in Northeast Asia. The Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the DPRK’s Workers Party, said in a commentary that it will be a misjudgment if the US attempts to crush the DPRK and its nuclear weapons program by means of a long-range preemptive strategy.

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7. ROK on DPRK Military

Yonhap (“SOUTH CAN REACT TO NORTH’S ARTILLERY IN 6-7 MINUTES: DEFENSE CHIEF”, 2004-12-03) reported that Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung said Friday that the ROK military is capable of engaging the DPRK’s long range artillery within 6-7 minute of hostile action being initiated. Speaking at the National Assembly’s Budget and Accounts Committee, the policymaker said the DPRK’s military capabilities posed a serious risk to the Seoul area.

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8. US on ROK Policy Toward the DPRK

Joongang Ilbo (“SEOUL’S AID TO NORTH QUESTIONED”, 2004-12-06) reported that in a speech prepared for delivery in Seoul, a senior US official expressed strong skepticism that the ROK’s effort to engage the DPRK politically and economically has in fact paid any dividends. Mr. Reiss made pointed reference to the DPRK’s failure to respond to a series of initiatives undertaken by the ROK government, which has sought to encourage more moderate behavior from Pyeongyang.

(return to top) The Associated Press (“US ENVOY ON NUCLEAR TALKS TO VISIT S KOREA THIS WEEK”, 2004-12-06) reported that the US envoy to six-nation talks on the DPRK’s nuclear weapons programs will visit the ROK this week in efforts to revive the stalled negotiations, officials said Monday. The visit “is part of active cooperation that the two countries have been devoting following the South Korea-U.S. summit for the resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. (return to top)

9. ROK on DPRK Nuclear Issue

Chosun Ilbo (“ROH SAYS DEMANDS FOR N.K. REGIME CHANGE ALIENATE ALLIES”, 2004-12-06) reported that President Roh Moo-hyun said Monday during a state visit to France that, “Because the US and some Western nations are thinking the North Korean regime must eventually collapse, Pyongyang feels a greater sense of insecurity and crisis.” “As long as the regime itself is questioned due to the North Korean nuclear issue, those countries that do not want it to collapse, like China and South Korea, and those countries and individuals that think regime change is necessary will not be able to coordinate,” he said.

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10. Sino – ROK Meeting on DPRK Issue

Reuters (“TOP SOUTH KOREA AIDE TO VISIT CHINA FOR TALKS ON NORTH”, 2004-12-06) reported that a top ROK official will visit the PRC later this month for talks on restarting stalled negotiations over the DPRK’s nuclear programs, a Seoul official said on Monday. Unification Minister Chung Dong-young will meet PRC Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, and may also hold talks with President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, the official said.

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11. US – ROK Military Alliance

Joongang Ilbo (“U.S. OFFICIAL FRETS ON LEAKED SECRET PAPERS”, 2004-12-06) reported that a US Defense Department official has expressed deep concern over the recent leak by a left-wing legislator of classified documents related to the US-ROK Alliance. The US official said Washington and Seoul have concluded a treaty that forbids public exposure of confidential documents without permission, so the recent revelations could be a violation of the US-ROK Mutual Defense Treaty.

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12. ROK and France on DPRK Nuclear Issue

Yonhap (“S. KOREA, FRANCE AGREE ON PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF N.K. NUKE ISSUE”, 2004-12-06) reported that the ROK and France agreed Monday to peacefully resolve the global standoff over the DPRK’s nuclear weapons program through six-party talks. Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions were a key topic when ROK President Roh Moo-hyun and his French counterpart Jacques Chirac held summit talks at the Elysee palace in Paris.

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13. Japan on DPRK Nuclear Talks

Korea Herald (“‘TOKYO SUPPORTS HARD-LINE U.S. PROPOSAL ON N.K.'”, 2004-12-06) reported that Japan fully supports the US proposal for disarmament made to the DPRK during the last round of the six-party talks, a former top Japanese diplomat said. “On the basic strategy, because of our policy objective we agreed with the United States, we support the American proposal,” Takakazu Kuriyama, adviser to Japan’s foreign minister, said in an interview with The Korea Herald.

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14. Japan on DPRK Sanctions

The Associated Press (“JAPAN CAUTIOUS OVER N. KOREA SANCTIONS”, 2004-12-05) reported that Japan’s foreign minister said Sunday Tokyo remains cautious about imposing economic sanctions on the DPRK because the DPRK could use it as an excuse to pull out of bilateral talks. Japan’s Parliament passed a law in February that lets Tokyo ban trade or impose economic sanctions on countries, including the DPRK. But Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura said Tokyo wants to exhaust talks with the DPRK before resorting to such measures.

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15. Japan on DPRK Infiltration

AFX European Focus (“JAPAN PLANS MASSIVE RESPONSE TO ANY POTENTIAL N KOREAN INFILTRATION – REPORT”, 2004-12-06) reported that Japan plans a massive response to any infiltration by the DPRK, with simulations saying Tokyo should mobilize 6,000 soldiers to confront around a dozen agents, Jiji Press news agency reported. A simulation by the Defense Agency showed that 5 pct of DPRK commandos would be able to reach inland areas of Japan in a theoretical attack, even if Japanese forces tried to repel them.

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16. DPRK – Mongolian Relations

Yonhap (“N. KOREA BUILDS ‘FRIENDSHIP’ HOSPITAL IN MONGOLIA”, 2004-12-04) reported that the portraits of DPRK leader Kim Jong-il and his late father Kim Il-sung are prominently displayed at a recently opened joint venture hospital in Mongolia, the DPRK’s media reported Saturday. The North’s Central Broadcasting Station said that a ceremony was held last Sunday to celebrate the portraits at the “friendship” hospital in Mongolia’s capital, Ulan Bator.

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17. DPRK – Thailand Trade Relations

The Associated Press (“N KOREA, THAILAND TRADE EXPECTED UP MORE THAN 20% THIS YR”, 2004-12-06) reported that trade between the DPRK and Thailand jumped more than 20% to $256 million from January to October, and was expected to exceed $300 million this year, ROK officials said Monday. Thailand exports computers and computer parts, rice, crude oil and chemical products to the DPRK while importing chemicals, fabrics and paper from the DPRK.

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18. Inter – Korean Economic Cooperation

Korea Times (“UNIFICATION MINISTER PLANS TO VISIT KAESONG”, 2004-12-06) reported that Unification Minister Chung Dong-young plans to attend a ceremony on Dec. 15 to mark the first production of goods by a ROK company at a pilot zone in Kaesong Industrial Complex, just beyond the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone, ministry officials said Monday. But he added that Pyongyang has not yet reacted to Seoul’s proposal, saying, “The whole process has not yet been completed. So it’s difficult to confirm whether or not he will actually visit the North at the moment.”

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19. Inter-Korean Maritime Border Violation

The Associated Press (“S. KOREA RETURNS CREW FROM N. KOREAN BOAT”, 2004-12-06) reported that the ROK returned two DPRK crewmen to the DPRK Monday after their wooden boat drifted into southern waters, military officials said. The half-ton boat was pulled by strong tides, and the ROK’s military decided to send them back to the DPRK out of “humanitarian concern” after the crewmen told investigators they wanted to return home, the ROK’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

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20. IAEA on ROK Nuclear Issue

The Associated Press (“UN TEAM PROBES S KOREA’S PAST SECRET NUCLEAR EXPERIMENTS”, 2004-12-05) reported taht four inspectors from the UN nuclear watchdog began additional investigations Monday into the ROK’s past secret nuclear experiments, officials said. The inspection team, which arrived Sunday, also plans to take part in a joint review meeting this week between the ROK and the IAEA to discuss ways to generally enhance inspections, an official at the ROK’s Science and Technology Ministry said on condition of anonymity.

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21. DPRK on ROK Nuclear Issue

Yonhap (“PYONGYANG CALLS FOR MORE PROBES INTO SEOUL’S PAST NUCLEAR ACTIVITY”, 2004-12-06) reported that the DPRK resumed its criticism of the ROK’s past nuclear activities Monday, according to Pyongyang’s state-run media, monitored here. The report by the Korean Central News Agency claimed there will be no further improvement in the inter-Korean relationship unless the ROK comes clean on the issue.

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22. DPRK on Human Rights

Korean Central News Agency of the DPRK (“KCNA DISMISSES STORY SPREAD BY “THE WASHINGTON POST” AS SHEER LIE”, 2004-12-04) reported that a recent issue of “The Washington Post” released misinformation that “north Korea conducted a test of poisonous gas on human bodies,” claiming that it was based on “testimonies made by north Korean defectors . . . .” We would like to make it clear once again that the fiction about the above-said test hyped by the US again is part of its malicious psychological operation to defame the dignified DPRK’s international authority and force it to change its regime.

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23. US on DPRK Stability

Reuters (“POWELL WARY OF RUMORS OF CHANGE IN N. KOREA”, 2004-12-03) reported that the US has no reason to believe that a flurry of rumors about the DPRK reflects any fundamental change in that secretive country, Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Friday. “I think you just have to see them as reports. I don’t know that they represent anything fundamental that’s taking place inside of North Korea,” Powell told Reuters in an interview as he prepares to leave office.

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24. DPRK Technology Transfer

Yonhap (“N. KOREA SEEKS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFERS FROM OVERSEAS”, 2004-12-03) reported that the DPRK is making efforts to expand technology exchanges with other countries as a way to revive its ailing economy, but the exchanges are at a low level because of political restrictions, government officials here said Friday. The DPRK had training programs or signed treaties with 21 countries so far this year in the fields of information technology, agriculture and mining, officials of the Ministry of Unification said.

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25. DPRK Trafficking

Donga Ilbo (“LARGE QUANTITY OF NORTH KOREAN DRUGS FOUND IN CHINA”, 2004-12-03) reported that a large quantity of drugs was found last month in Dandung, Liaoning, PRC, which seems to be from the DPRK. The Yalu River Evening Post, a paper printed around this area, reported at the end of November that the Dandung remote regions’ border security forces confiscated 13,375 tablets of smuggled foreign drugs at the border.

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26. DPRK Food Aid

Yonhap (“U.S. GROUP TO DELIVER CANNED FOOD TO N. KOREA IN HUMANITARIAN AID”, 2004-12-04) reported that an American relief group plans to send more than US$500,000 worth of food and supplies to impoverished DPRK next year, the US-based broadcaster Radio Free Asia reported Saturday. The planned shipment by Pennsylvania-based Mennonite will include more than 135 tons of canned meats and other supplies of hygiene and utensil for children, the radio report said.

(return to top) Chosun Ilbo (“WFP TELLS NORTH KOREA “NO ACCESS, NO FOOD””, 2004-12-06) reported that the World Food Program (WFP) has suspended food shipments to the DPRK’s Jagang Province in response to the regime’s lack of cooperation and transparency. According to the weekly relief report published by the WFP Friday, the DPRK’s continued refusal to grant access to a factory that was established to produce baby food in Heuichon, Jagang Province, led the organization to inform local authorities on Dec. 1 that it was suspending food supplies there for three months. (return to top)

27. DPRK Religious Freedom

Donga Ilbo (“DEEP INTEREST IN RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION IN NORTH KOREA”, 2004-12-06) reported that National Association of Evangelicals’ (NAE) Vice Chairman Rich Cizik stated that the conservative and evangelical American Christians are deeply interested in the DPRK’s religious persecution. He said, “It is a pressing need to solve the DPRK’s religious persecution.”

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28. ROK – US Submarine Hunt

Joongang Ilbo (“SOUTH KOREA ASKS U.S. TO AID IN HUNT FOR SUBS “, 2004-12-06) reported that the ROK has requested help from the US Seventh Fleet in searching for submarines that have frequently been detected in the East Sea (Sea of Japan), a Navy official said. The request for support follows a failed attempt on Oct. 10 by the ROK Navy to find an unidentified vessel, presumed to be a DPRK submarine, that showed up in the northern-most area of the East Sea.

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29. DPRK on Defector/Spy

Yonhap (“N. KOREA REJECTS SOUTH’S ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT DEFECTOR-TURNED-SPY”, 2004-12-05) reported that the DPRK on Sunday rejected the ROK’s recent announcement that the DPRK kidnapped one of its former nationals, trained him as a spy and sent him to the ROK on an espionage mission. Radio Pyongyang called Seoul’s announcement a “complete concoction” aimed at disparaging the DPRK.

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30. DPRK: Honecker Defection Attempt

Donga Ilbo (“TOKYO NEWSPAPER: “KIM JONG IL ALLOWED HONECKER TO DEFECT IN 1989″”, 2004-12-05) reported that the Tokyo Newspaper reported on December 5 that Kang Seok-ju, author of “Kim Jong Il fever,” is assumed to be Kang Seok Ju, known as the top deputy foreign minister of the DPRK. The book is about behind-the-scenes stories of former secretary of East German Communist Party Erich Honecker, who attempted to defect to the DPRK. Kim Jong Il is reported to have ordered a plane to wait for Honecker in East Germany to fly him to the DPRK, a move against the advice of his close aides that Honecker’s defection would seriously damage the DPRK’s foreign relations.

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31. Jenkins Case

The Associated Press (“JENKINS: N. KOREA WANTED DAUGHTERS TO SPY”, 2004-12-06) reported that US Army deserter Charles Jenkins, who was kept by the DPRK government for nearly four decades, said he feared the DPRK wanted his two daughters to become spies. “They wanted us to have children,” Jenkins told Time magazine in an issue on newsstands Monday, “so they could use them later.”

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32. Kim Jong Nam E-mail

Asahi Shimbun (“KIM JONG IL’S `SON’ E-MAILS YEAR-END NOTE”, 2004-12-06) reported that getting a season’s greeting by e-mail is nothing new, but one this reporter received late Friday was something special, if the sender is really who he claims to be-the eldest son of the DPRK’s leader. “Hello, this is Kim Jong Nam,” read the Hangul message. “The year-end and New Year are approaching. I wish you good health and happiness,” it read.

(return to top) Chosun Ilbo (“HOW DID N.K. FIGUREHEAD ILLEGALLY REGISTER EMAIL ACCOUNT?”, 2004-12-06) reported that after Japanese media reported that Kim Jong-nam, the eldest son of DPRK’s Dear Leader Kim Jong-il, sent an email to Japanese journalists in early December using the ROK portal site Yahoo! Korea, speculation has mounted over how he registered with the service that requires members to input a ROK citizen number. Officials at Yahoo! Korea said Monday, “As of now, we are not accepting foreigners’ registrations… It’s highly possible that Kim Jong-nam registered for his email before last December when we began to require registrants to enter their citizen numbers, or that he stole the citizen number of another person and registered.” (return to top)

33. Japan on US Currency

Washington Post (“TRYING TO CATCH A FALLING CURRENCY”, 2004-12-06) reported that Hiroshi Watanabe, Japan’s vice minister of finance for international affairs, hinted that Japanese officials have been discussing an initiative with their European counterparts to buy massive amounts of dollars, thereby propping up the US currency. “It is possible for us to take joint action,” Watanabe warned.

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34. Japan on Iraq Dispatch

The Associated Press (“JAPAN’S IRAQ PRESENCE TO DEPEND ON REPORT”, 2004-12-06) reported that Japan won’t decide whether to extend its military’s humanitarian mission in Iraq until after the defense chief reports on his weekend visit to the war-ravaged country, a government spokesman said Monday. Their mandate expires Dec. 14, and the government hasn’t said whether the troops will stay.

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35. Russian Nuclear Development

Los Angeles Times (“RUSSIA SEEKS SAFETY IN NUCLEAR ARMS”, 2004-12-06) reported that it was near the end of President Vladimir V. Putin’s reelection campaign early this year, and two days of high-profile military exercises highlighting his role as Russia’s commander in chief had been marred by failed tests of submarine-launched missiles. But with a few cryptic words, Putin dispelled the gloom. The exercises, he said at a news conference, confirmed that Russia would soon possess intercontinental nuclear weapons capable of maneuvering in flight to evade antimissile defenses.

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36. PRC Communist Party Reform

Washington Post (“CHINESE OFFICIALS SEEK TO PUMP UP THE PARTY”, 2004-12-02) reported that as the PRC moves ever more deeply into a free-market economy, the ruling Communist Party has decided to launch an 18-month campaign to reinvigorate socialist ideology and strengthen the party’s leading role in society. The campaign, scheduled to begin in January, reflects concern among the senior leadership that more than two decades of market reforms have dulled the party’s appeal, caused official corruption and raised questions about the relevancy of communism even among some party members, party sources said.

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37. Cross Strait Relations

The Associated Press (“TAIWAN REMOVING ‘CHINA’ FROM COMPANY NAMES”, 2004-12-06) reported that Taiwan’s leader said that state-run companies will drop any references to China in their names to avoid being confused with mainland firms – a move the PRC will likely view as another dangerous step toward formal independence.

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38. Vanuata and Cross Strait Relations

Agence France Presse (“VANUATU PM ASSAULTED ME IN ROW OVER TAIWAN, SAYS CHINESE AMBASSADOR”, 2004-12-06) reported that Vanuatu’s Prime Minister Serge Vohor was accused here of assaulting the PRC ambassador during an increasingly acrimonious row over Vohor’s unilateral recognition of Taiwan, for which he is facing a no-confidence vote. Beijing’s newly installed envoy to Port Vila, Bao Shusheng, said he was punched on the shoulder by Vohor when he sought to complain that the flag of Taiwan was still flying in the capital after it was supposed to have been taken down after a ruling by the council of ministers.

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39. Germany on PRC Arms Ban

The Associated Press (“GERMANY SEEKS TO END EU’S CHINA ARMS BAN”, 2004-12-06) reported that German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder on Monday called for an end to a 15-year-old European arms embargo on the PRC imposed after the bloody crackdown on the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests, as the two countries signed contracts worth $2.1 billion for Airbus jets and other industrial goods.

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40. PRC Military

The Associated Press (“CHINA LAUNCHES NEW CLASS OF NUCLEAR SUB”, 2004-12-06) reported that the PRC has launched the first submarine in a new class of nuclear subs designed to fire intercontinental ballistic missiles, US defense officials said Friday.

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41. PRC Economy

The Associated Press (“CHINA LEADERS VOW TO KEEP ECONOMY ON TRACK”, 2004-12-06) reported that the PRC’s leaders pledged at a key policy meeting to keep the economy on track next year while raising farm incomes, promoting energy conservation and holding down investment in overheated industries, state media said Monday. The government “will continue to put macroeconomic control on top of the agenda for next year’s plan in order to maintain a steady and comparatively fast economic development and basically stable prices,” the reports said.

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42. PRC Population Growth

Los Angeles Times (“CHINA FEARS A BABY BUST”, 2004-12-06) reported that for the last quarter-century, the PRC’s one-child decree has been criticized by citizens and outsiders alike as draconian. But as the nation takes steps to ease its policy, with some cities encouraging certain families to have a second child, people like Zhang illustrate how difficult it will be for the government to root out ingrained attitudes. Having only one child is now widely accepted, especially among urban residents. In Shanghai, the PRC’s largest city, a recent government survey of about 20,000 young people found that more than 80% preferred to have just one child. Another 5% said they wanted no children at all.

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43. PRC Historical Revisionism

The New York Times (“CHINA’S TEXTBOOKS TWIST AND OMIT HISTORY”, 2004-12-05) reported that a visit to a PRC high school classroom and an examination of several of the most widely used history textbooks here reveal a mishmash of historical details that many PRC educational experts themselves say are highly selective and often provide a deeply distorted view of the recent past.

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II. CanKor

44. DPRK Human Rights

(“US TO APPOINT ENVOY OF DPRK HUMAN RIGHTS SOON”, 2004-12-06) The United States is likely to name a “special envoy” to monitor human rights in the DPRK. The envoy will be independent of the US State Department and have a rank equivalent to that of an ambassador. The United States Congress allocates US$3 million from its upcoming budget to the North Korea Human Rights Act.

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45. US on DPRK Human Rights

(“US CONGRESS OFFERS US$3 MILLION FOR DPRK HUMAN RIGHTS”, 2004-12-06) China asks the DPRK to curb the flow of its citizens crossing the border, but a senior official denies that his government has seen signs of political instability. Sources in Washington say satellite surveillance photos indicate that the 10,000-man Chinese army division is making preparations for a prolonged deployment along the Chinese-North Korean border.

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46. Canada and the DPRK

(“CANADA CAN DO ANALYTICAL WORK ON DPRK, SAYS EXPERT”, 2004-12-06) Canada may not be a front line player in the six-party talks, acting director of the Liu Institute for Global Issues at the University of British Columbia Paul Evans tells an Ottawa audience, but it can do the analytical work needed to answer a series of down-the-road questions, such as how to deal with the DPRK economy, how to provide development assistance, and how to deal with North Korean migrants.

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