I. NAPSNet

1. DPRK on Plans for Nuclear Test

Asia Pulse (“STATEMENT BY NORTH KOREA’S FOREIGN MINISTRY ON NUCLEAR TEST”, 2006-10-05) published the DPRK statement which announced its intention to conduct a nuclear test. “The U.S. daily increasing threat of a nuclear war and its vicious sanctions and pressure have caused a grave situation on the Korean Peninsula,” it reads, “and the Korean nation stands at the crossroads of life and death. (…) Firstly, the field of scientific research of the DPRK will in the future conduct a nuclear test under the condition where safety is firmly guaranteed. (…) Secondly, the DPRK will never use nuclear weapons first but strictly prohibit any threat of nuclear weapons and nuclear transfer. (…) Thirdly, the DPRK will do its utmost to realize the denuclearization of the peninsula and give impetus to the world-wide nuclear disarmament and the ultimate elimination of nuclear weapons. (…) The ultimate goal of the DPRK is not a “denuclearization” to be followed by its unilateral disarmament but one aimed at settling the hostile relations between the DPRK and the U.S. and removing the very source of all nuclear threats from the Korean Peninsula and its vicinity.”

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2. US on DPRK Plans for Nuclear Test

Washington Post (“PYONGYANG WARNED ON WEAPON TESTING; U.S. WON’T ACCEPT NUCLEAR N. KOREA”, 2006-10-05) reported that the Bush administration delivered a secret message to the DPRK warning it to back down from a nuclear test, and said publicly that the United States would not live with a nuclear-armed Pyongyang government. The DPRK “can have a future or it can have these weapons. It cannot have both,” Assistant Secretary of State Christopher R. Hill said yesterday in remarks at Johns Hopkins University’s US-Korea Institute. It was the toughest response yet from the Bush administration. Hill did not explain how the administration would respond to a test, but he said it is willing to sit with DPR Korean officials and diplomats from the region to discuss the crisis. Bush’s top advisers held an emergency meeting to review a number of strategies under consideration but came away with little agreement.

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3. US – ROK on DPRK Plans for Nuclear Test

Donga Ilbo (“NUCLEAR TEST CONSEQUENCES IN WORKS”, 2006-10-05) reported that the ROK has issued an unusually strong warning against the DPRK because it concluded, in consultation with the US, that it is highly likely to undertake the nuclear test. The two countries have embarked on preparing prevention and response measures should the test take place. Through the statement released by the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the ROK said, “South Korea is very concerned and sorry about North Korea’s announcement to conduct a nuclear test, which is to scrap Joint Declaration of the Denuclearization of the Korean peninsula altogether.” and made it clear, “If North Korea enforces nuclear test, it will have to take full responsibility for all the results stemming from the test.” Although what measures would be included as response are as yet undefined, it is reported that stopping the Mt. Kumgang Tourism project and the Kesong Industrial Complex project are under consideration.

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4. Japan on DPRK Plans for Nuclear Test

Reuters (“JAPAN PRESSES FOR U.N. STAND ON N.KOREA NUCLEAR VOW”, 2006-10-05) reported that Japan pressed on with efforts on Thursday to secure a U.N. condemnation of DPRK’s nuclear test threat after Washington, in its starkest warning so far, said it would not live with a nuclear-armed Pyongyang. Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported from New York that Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing conveyed the warning from China’s top leadership to the DPRK Ambassador in Beijing. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said she could not confirm the report. Publicly, the foreign ministry has called only for restraint on DPRK’s part and for other countries to avoid actions that would heighten tensions. The reported hardening of Beijing’s tone came as Japan — perhaps ceding ground to China — signaled a willingness to accept a less formal UN Security Council warning than the “presidential statement” it has sought along with the United States and France. Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, Yasuhisa Shiozaki, told a news conference on Thursday that Tokyo was now ready to accept a “press statement” from the United Nations for the sake of a speedy and united condemnation.

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5. Japan on Sanctions Against the DPRK

Yomiuri Shimbun (“GOVT EYES TOUGH SANCTIONS ON DPRK”, 2006-10-05) reported that Japan will independently impose sanctions on the DPRK if it carries out a nuclear weapons test. Measures to be taken in such an event include the expansion of the current ban on port calls by the Man Gyong Bong-92, the passenger-cargo ferry, to include freighters from the DPRK and other countries. Tokyo also will work toward the adoption of a UN Security Council resolution to impose sanctions, based on Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, and call for the international community to take concerted action on sanctions against the DPRK.

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6. Russia on DPRK Plans for Nuclear Test

Eitb24 (“RUSSIA SAYS NORTH KOREA’S NUCLEAR TEST “UNACCEPTABLE””, 2006-10-04) reported that Russia’s foreign minister denounced as “unacceptable” the DPRK’s plan to conduct a nuclear test. A Russian foreign ministry statement said Russia’s Sergei Lavrov and the ROK’s Ban Ki-moon discussed the situation in a telephone conversation. The previous Russian foreign ministry statement said Moscow was “concerned” about the North Korean plan and urged Pyongyang to exercise “restraint”.

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7. EU on DPRK Plans for Nuclear Test

Associated Press (“SOLANA SAYS EUROPE “REGRETS” NORTH KOREA’S ANNOUNCEMENT THAT IT WILL CONDUCT NUCLEAR TEST”, 2006-10-05) reported that EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said Thursday that the European Union “regrets” the DPRK’s announcement that it will conduct nuclear test, and will support any action by the United Nations.

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8. Pakistan on DPRK Plans for Nuclear Test

Associated Press (“PAKISTAN URGES NORTH KOREA NOT TO CARRY OUT NUCLEAR TEST”, 2006-10-04) reported that Pakistan urged the DPRK to abandon plans to carry out a nuclear test, saying introducing atomic weapons to the Korean Peninsula would destabilize the region. Pakistan and the DPRK have long been suspected of missile cooperation and in 2004 a top Pakistani scientist confessed to leaking sensitive nuclear technology to the DPRK. “We urge the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to desist from introducing nuclear weapons in the Korean Peninsula which would be highly destabilizing for the region,” said a Foreign Ministry statement. Islamabad urged Pyongyang to “seriously engage” in efforts aimed at keeping the Korean Peninsula region free of nuclear weapons.

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9. Market Reaction to DPRK Plans for Nuclear Test

Business Times (“NORTH KOREA PLAN JOLTS MARKETS”, 2006-10-05) reported that Asian stocks closed mostly lower yesterday after the DPRK announced its plan for a nuclear test, eroding early confidence which followed a record performance by Wall Street overnight. Of the markets likely to be most affected by a nuclear crisis Seoul slumped 1.62 per cent, Taipei was down 1.18 per cent and Tokyo was 0.98 per cent lower.

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10. DPRK – PRC Border Relations

Donga Ilbo (“N. KOREA, CHINA EASE BORDER CONTROLS”, 2006-10-03) reported that the DPRK and PRC newly opened a “Green Passage” with a streamlined process to relieve customs clearance congestion in the border area. The PRC’s state-run Xinhua News Agency reported on October 1 that Beijing and Pyongyang agreed to open the Green Passage linking Ssanhur Jin of Jilin Province in China to Hwereoung City of North Hamkyong Province in the DPRK. This paves the way for developing industrial complex in northeastern China. The pathway will be used to facilitate the transportation of the PRC’s manufactured goods and DPRK mine resources, increasing bilateral trade.

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11. US-ROK Security Alliance

The New York Times (“U.S. DISCUSSES GIVING SEOUL COMMAND OF COMBINED FORCES”, 2006-10-05) reported that ROK and US officials are expected to decide in October on a date when Seoul will regain wartime command of its military from Washington. The ROK government has proposed 2012 as the date for the turnover, while the US has said it will be ready to surrender the command as early as 2009. The transfer is also occurring even as the US is decreasing its troops in the ROK as part of a worldwide realignment of its forces and a plan to make its troops here more flexible.

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12. ROK Diplomacy

Joongang Ilbo (“ROH PLANS PRIVATE TALKS WITH BOTH ABE AND HU”, 2006-10-05) reported that President Roh Moo-hyun is scheduled to meet one-on-one with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday in Seoul and with PRC President Hu Jintao on Friday in Beijing, the Blue House officially announced. The Blue House chief security advisor, Song Min-soon, said that the peaceful resolution of the DPRK nuclear issue would be a significant item on the table.

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13. Japan Relations with PRC, ROK

Kyodo (“ABE ACKNOWLEDGES RESPONSIBILITY OF KISHI, OTHER WARTIME LEADERS”, 2006-10-05) reported that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe acknowledged the war responsibility of his grandfather, the late former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi, and Japan’s other wartime leaders ahead of his fence-mending talks with the leaders of the PRC and ROK. Abe, known for his conservative views on history, also committed himself to accept earlier government statements apologizing for Japanese colonial rule and aggression before and during World War II, and acknowledging that the former Japanese army forced women to accompany soldiers as sex slaves.

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14. Japan Relations with PRC, ROK

Agence France-Presse (“JAPANESE PM’S AMBIGUITY PAYS OFF — FOR NOW “, 2006-10-05) reported that Japan’s new prime minister has scored a quick success with his upcoming trip to patch up regional ties but his ambiguity on emotive historical issues is a risky strategy, analysts said. Abe, a noted hawk, has studiously avoided saying whether he will visit the Yasukuni shrine, which honors war dead and war criminals alike. “If Abe visits the shrine later, efforts to mend ties with Asia will just collapse,” said Yoshikazu Sakamoto, a professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo.

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15. US – Japan Missile Defense Cooperation

United Press International (“BMD FOCUS: ABE’S BMD BOOST FOR BUSH”, 2006-10-05) reported that Shinzo Abe’s smooth accession as prime minister of Japan will give an enormous boost to the US missile defense program. That is because Abe has made very clear he intends not only to stick with his predecessor’s groundbreaking programs on ballistic missile defense cooperation with the US but even to accelerate them.

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16. PRC Jams US Satellite

Reuters (“CHINA JAMMING TEST SPARKS U.S. SATELLITE CONCERNS”, 2006-10-05) reported that the PRC has beamed a ground-based laser at US spy satellites over its territory, a US agency said, in an action that exposed the potential vulnerability of space systems that provide crucial data to US troops and consumers around the world. The Defense Department remains tight-lipped about details, including which satellite was involved or when it occurred.

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17. PRC Party Plenum

Reuters (“CHINA’S COMMUNIST RULERS TO MEET, CHART CHANGE”, 2006-10-05) reported that the PRC’s Central Committee will meet on Sunday to spell out the country’s political agenda in tightly guarded secrecy. The plenum of some 350 senior officials will mark a big step in party General Secretary Hu Jintao’s campaign to cement his power and policies at a critical party congress next year. The Plenum, or full assembly, of the PRC’s ruling council is set to elevate Hu’s doctrine of a “harmonious society” in which conflict over mounting inequality and official corruption gives way to obedient unity, state media have said.

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II. CanKor

18. Report #262

CanKor (“Current Events”, 2006-10-05) In his address to the UN General Assembly, DPRK Deputy Foreign Minister Choe Su Hon accuses the USA of torpedoing Six-Party Talks and Japan’s new right-wing government of seeking to overhaul its pacifist constitution in order to aggressively rearm its military. Selig S. Harrison, a longtime Korea specialist based in Washington, says top North Korean officials he met in Pyongyang told him they intended to unload fuel rods at their Yongbyong reactor to extract more plutonium for nuclear bombs earlier than had been expected, in order to push the USA to drop financial sanctions and return to nuclear negotiations. Accepting fiction as fact, the three largest South Korean newspapers misread an exercise in understanding the Pyongyang perspective by Bob Carlin, a former US State Department intelligence official who made a career of studying the DPRK. The Nautilus Institute published an imaginary speech by a prominent DPRK official that was in fact written by Carlin as an attempt to give a US audience at the Brookings Institute an imaginative perspective on how North Koreans view US-DPRK relations over the last few years. The deputy permanent representative to the UN in New York, Ambassador Han Song Ryol, is to be replaced by Kim Myong Kil, a researcher from an institute of the DPRK Foreign Ministry on arms reduction and peace, according to sources. During his five-year tenure, Ambassador Han has been the main contact between Pyongyang and Washington, the so-called “New York channel”.

(return to top) CanKor (“Resources”, 2006-10-05) In the RESOURCES section of this issue of the CanKor Report, we reproduce the full text of the statement by H.E. Mr. Choe Su Hon, Chairman of the Delegation of the DPRK presented at the general debate of the sixty-first session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on 26 September 2006. (return to top)