Preceding NAPSNet Report

I. Unites States

1. DPRK to Return to Six Party Talks

New York Times (“NORTH KOREANS AGREE TO RESUME NUCLEAR TALKS”, 2005-07-10) reported that according to the KCNA, the DPRK will return to the six party talks the week of July 25. The PRC has offered to be the hosts of the discussions, and “all the parties have agreed,” said a senior administration official traveling with Ms. Rice.

(return to top)

2. DPRK on Return to Six Party Talks

Xinhua (“DPRK SAYS WILL “DO ITS UTMOST” FOR PROGRESS IN NUCLEAR TALKS “, 2005-07-10) reported that the DPRK called for an in-depth discussion at the upcoming fourth round of the six-party talks and pledged full efforts to achieve progress. “The resumption of the talks itself is important, but the most essential thing is for the talks to have an in-depth discussion on ways of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula to make substantial progress in the talks,” said a spokesman of the DPRK’s Foreign Ministry. “The DPRK will do its utmost for it,” he added.

(return to top)

3. US on DPRK Return to Six Party Talks

New York Times (“RICE SAYS NUCLEAR TALKS WITH NORTH KOREANS ARE ‘ONLY A START'”, 2005-07-10) reported that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice welcomed the DPRK’s agreement to resume disarmament talks late this month but warned of difficult negotiations. “We agreed that’s only a first step. The real issue now is to make progress in these talks,” said Rice.

(return to top) Bloomberg Press (“US OFFERS CONCESSIONS TO SECURE NORTH KOREAN RETURN TO TALKS “, 2005-07-11) reported that the US is willing to be flexible about the details and sequencing of the proposal to the DPRK, a senior US official said. The official said the DPRK had expressed dissatisfaction that the proposal required the country to do too much before the US government fulfilled its promises. The US official said the DPRK agreed to present a comprehensive response to the proposal at the next round of six party talks. (return to top)

4. US-DPRK Meeting Ahead of Six Party Talks

Chosun Ilbo (“US-N.KOREA TO MEET AHEAD OF 6-PARTY NEGOTIATIONS”, 2005-07-11) reported that seeking to avoid another failure at the dialogue table, the US government is set to meet with DPRK officials in advance in a bid to fine-tune details ahead of the six party talks.

(return to top)

5. US on Possible Attack on DPRK

China Daily (“US WILL NOT ATTACK NORTH KOREA – RICE”, 2005-07-08) reported that US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice sent a clear message to the DPRK that Washington has no intention of attacking the nation. “The key here is that there were some important things to say — important to reiterate (President George W. Bush’s) pledge given back in 2002 in South Korea that the United States has no intention of attacking or invading” the DPRK, Rice said.

(return to top)

6. US on Joint Proposal to DPRK

New York Times (“RICE HAS NO PLANS TO IMPROVE OFFER TO NORTH KOREA IN ARMS TALKS”, 2005-07-08) reported that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday that she intended to rebuff a ROK request to enhance an offer that five nations made to the DPRK. “We are not talking about enhancement of the current proposal. I will listen to what people think. But I think it is important to get a response to the proposal already made,” Rice said.

(return to top)

7. ROK on DPRK Return to Six Party Talks

Reuters (“SOUTH KOREA SEES SUBSTANTIVE PROGRESS AT NUCLEAR TALKS”, 2005-07-10) reported that the ROK welcomed the DPRK decision to return to the six party talks and a senior Foreign Ministry official said on Sunday Seoul expects substantive progress at the discussions. “When the talks are held, the countries participating in the six-party talks should make substantive progress for the resolution of the North Korean nuclear problem through serious and concerted negotiations,” the Foreign Ministry said.

(return to top) Reuters (“S.KOREA URGES NORTH’S WORRIES TO BE MET AT TALKS”, 2005-07-11) reported that according to Seoul, the DPRK can only be persuaded to abandon its nuclear ambitions if partners in multilateral talks address the state’s motivations and the potential impact on its stability. “The most important thing is North Korea giving up its nuclear development, but there are motives and reasons why the North wants to have nuclear programs,” Deputy Foreign Minister Song Min-soon said. Song also said the regional powers at the talks need to take into consideration how any deal would impact the DPRK’s economic and political stability. (return to top) Chosun Ilbo (“SEOUL TO OFFER N.KOREA INT’L SECURITY GUARANTEES”, 2005-07-11) reported that the ROK plans to offer the DPRK a two-stage security guarantee when six-party talks resume. A government official on Monday said Seoul believed a phased approach was appropriate for the security guarantees the DPRK has been demanding. In the first phase Seoul would seek temporary multilateral security guarantees once the DPRK announces it is freezing its nuclear facilities and welcoming IAEA inspectors. These would become permanent if Pyongyang then abandons its nuclear program for good. As for economic aid, the first stage would involve providing urgently needed heavy oil and energy. In the second stage, the ROK would provide full-scale economic aid. (return to top)

8. PRC on DPRK Return to Six Party Talks

Xinhua (“CHINA WELCOMES DPRK AGREEMENT”, 2005-07-11) reported that Beijing has welcomed Pyongyang’s announcement that it will return to the Six-Party Talks, hoping the involved parties will continue to seek common ground. “China is willing to work with other parties concerned, including the United States, to play a constructive role in pushing forward the next round of talks,” said President Hu Jintao during a meeting with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

(return to top)

9. Rice on PRC Role in DPRK Return to Six Party Talks

Xinhua (“RICE SPEAKS HIGHLY OF CHINA’S ROLE IN RELAUNCHING SIX PARTY TALKS “, 2005-07-10) reported that according to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice the PRC has been playing a “very active” role in relaunching the six-party talks. “There have been tremendous flurry of diplomatic activities from all the parties of the six-party talks,” Rice said, adding that there were efforts of the US, Russia, the ROK and especially the PRC. “I think Chinese have played a very active role to show North Korea what path ahead might look like,” Rice said.

(return to top)

10. Japan on DPRK Return to Six Party Talks

Bloomberg Press (“N. KOREA’S RETURN TO TALKS MARKS GOOD PROGRESS “, 2005-07-11) reported that according to Hiroyuki Hosoda, Japan’s top government spokesman, the DPRK’s decision to return to six-party talks marks good progress. “There have been efforts made particularly from the host of the talks, China. North Korea’s response marks good progress.” Still, Japan needs confirmation that the DPRK’s goal is to denuclearize the country, he said.

(return to top)

11. Japan on Abductees at Six Party Talks

Voice of America (“JAPAN SAYS ABDUCTED JAPANESE MUST BE ON KOREA TALKS AGENDA “, 2005-07-11) reported that Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura says Japan will use the six-party talks to raise issues besides the DPRK’s nuclear weapons development. Mr. Machimura says the resumption of the talks will be the first step in dealing with a variety of issues, including the DPRK’s missile development and the missing Japanese.

(return to top)

12. Russia on DPRK Return to Six Party Talks

Russian Information Agency Novosti (“MOSCOW WELCOMES NORTH KOREA-U.S. AGREEMENT TO RESUME NEGOTIATIONS”, 2005-07-10) reported that according to an official spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Moscow welcomes an agreement between the DPRK and the US to resume six-party talks.

(return to top)

13. Analysts on DPRK Return to DPRK

Reuters (“N.KOREA MAY DIVERT FOCUS OF TALKS – S.KOREA MEDIA”, 2005-07-11) reported that the DPRK may try to steer six party talks away from its nuclear arms programmes by focusing negotiations instead on general disarmament, ROK newspapers said. Some analysts have said immediate progress was unlikely at the talks.

(return to top)

14. Inter-Korean Economic Cooperation

Korea Times (“KAESONG BECOMES CROSS-BORDER BUSINESS CENTER”, 2005-07-11) reported that the two Koreas agreed to establish an office in the DPRK’s border city of Kaesong in September to discuss measures for economic cooperation, said a 12-point joint communiqué that was released after the end of a three-day meeting in Seoul. The Kaesong office will function as a business center for companies from the two Koreas, ROK officials said.

(return to top)

15. New York Times Chairman, Journalist to Visit DPRK

Joongang Ilbo (“NEW YORK TIMES CHAIRMAN, COLUMNIST TO VISIT NORTH “, 2005-07-09) reported that Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr., chairman of The New York Times Company and publisher of The New York Times, began a four-day visit to the DPRK on Saturday accompanied by one of the paper’s columnists, Nicholas D. Kristof. A diplomatic source in Washington said that Mr. Sulzberger and Mr. Kristof will stay in Pyongyang through July 12 and meet with high-level officials, including Foreign Minister Paek Nam-sun and Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan.

(return to top)

16. Landslide in DPRK

Mainichi Daily (“LANDSLIDES IN NORTH KOREA LEAVE 88 DEAD, 105 MISSING”, 2005-07-09) reported that landslides caused by heavy rain in the DPRK last month killed 88 people and injured 205, an international relief agency said. Some 105 people remain missing after the June 30 landslides that also left 3,105 families homeless in South Pyongan Province in western DPRK, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said in a statement Friday.

(return to top)

17. Japan on UNSC Expansion

Agence France-Presse (“KOIZUMI FAILS TO BOOST UN SECURITY COUNCIL BID DURING G8 SUMMIT”, 2005-07-11) reported that Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi failed to win full support from his Group of Eight partners here for Tokyo’s bid to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council. In bilateral meetings with Koizumi, US President George W. Bush repeated his backing for the bid, while Russian President Vladimir Putin offered conditional support. Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin reportedly voiced mild opposition.

(return to top)

18. ROK on UNSC Expansion

Chosun Ilbo (“SEOUL FACES UP TO JAPAN’S LOOMING UN SUCCESS”, 2005-07-11) reported that not so long ago, the ROK government believed Japan’s bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council was Quixotic at best. But reality looks ready to stump Korean expectations. Now, a Foreign Ministry official says, “When I made a couple of trips to persuade other nations of our position, there were many countries that said that while Korea was right, it was more important to eat and live well.” When nations like Japan and Germany go about armed with millions in development aid trying to win support, most countries find themselves convinced. African states are reportedly particularly receptive.

(return to top)

19. Russia on Energy Supply

Interfax (“RUSSIA READY TO GUARANTEE STABLE ENERGY SUPPLIES TO WORLD – OFFICIAL”, 2005-07-10) reported that Russia is ready to guarantee stable energy supplies to the world market, said Russian President’s Aide Igor Shuvalov. “We will be able to guarantee that the world economy will feel no lack of energy resources,” Shuvalov said in a television interview with the Russian Channel Two’s Vesti Nedeli.

(return to top)

20. Japan Military Reform

The Asahi Shimbun (“LDP PANEL APPROVES `SELF-DEFENSE MILITARY'”, 2005-07-09) reported that a Liberal Democratic Party commission approved a set of outlines Thursday that include revising pacifist Article 9 of the Constitution to stipulate Japan’s right to possess a “self-defense military,” lawmakers said. The word “military” has never been officially used to describe the Self-Defense Forces, mainly out of consideration to Japan’s neighbors.

(return to top)

21. Sino-Japanese Territorial Dispute

The New York Times (“JAPAN AND CHINA DISPUTE A PACIFIC ISLET”, 2005-07-11) reported that the Japanese government has already spent $600 million to keep two barren islets in the western Pacific above water. Collectively called Okinotori and located 1,082 miles south of here, the islets have long allowed Tokyo to claim exclusive economic control over an ocean area larger than all of Japan. But a threat potentially bigger than typhoons or global warming emerged last year when the PRC challenged Japan’s exclusive rights to the economically and militarily important waters, describing Okinotori as just a “rock.”

(return to top)

22. PRC Economic Reform

The Los Angeles Times (“DRIVEN TO BE MADE IN CHINA”, 2005-07-11) reported that across PRC society, signs of stress and restless energy are everywhere. Experts say the very forces that provide unprecedented opportunity for young people in the new PRC are also delivering unprecedented stress, particularly though not exclusively in urban areas. Common among young Chinese is a feeling that they’re living in a once-in-a-few-centuries era when dynasties topple and individual fortunes are made — and that they’re missing out.

(return to top)

23. Sino-US Relations

Agence France-Presse (“RICE RAISES HUMAN RIGHTS, RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, CURRENCY ISSUES WITH CHINA”, 2005-07-11) reported that US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice raised with PRC leaders human rights, religious freedom and copyright piracy concerns and pressed for a more flexible currency regime for the world’s most populous nation. Without elaborating, she listed these concerns to reporters after talks with her PRC counterpart, Li Zhaoxing, and ahead of meetings with PRC President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao.

(return to top)

24. PRC Property Rights

Xinhua news (“PUBLIC OPINIONS SOLICITED ON PROPERTY LAW”, 2005-07-11) reported that the PRC legislature on Sunday released its draft law on property rights in full text to general public for soliciting revision opinions. The draft law on property rights, with five chapters and 268 items, had been deliberated for three times by lawmakers by the end of June. According to the draft law, property owners shall be given reasonable compensation when their properties are taken over for public use. Those who refuse to make the compensation will bear legal responsibilities.

(return to top)

25. PRC AIDS Issue

BBC News (“HIV RATES RISE IN CHINESE WOMEN”, 2005-07-11) reported that the PRC is planning to increase its focus on women in the fight against HIV/Aids, due to a sharp rise in the rate of female infection, state media has said. In the 1990s the male to female ratio of HIV/Aids infection was 5:1, but the figure is now closer to 2:1. In some areas, there are now a similar number of women as men infected, the China Daily said.

(return to top)