NAPSNET Week in Review 21 August 2000

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"NAPSNET Week in Review 21 August 2000", NAPSNet Weekly Report, August 21, 2000, https://nautilus.org/napsnet/napsnet-weekly/napsnet-week-in-review-21-august-2000/

Korean Peninsula 


1. Reunion of Separated Families

The four-day DPRK-ROK exchange of separated families ended Friday. In addition to “group meetings” on August 15, the visitors had four more family-by-family private meetings Wednesday and Thursday. ROK officials said on August 16 that the ROK and the DPRK will discuss ways to expand reunion programs for separated families at Red Cross talks scheduled for next month.
“Reunion of Separated Families” (Daily Report, August 18, US)
“Reunion of Separated Families” (Daily Report, August 17, ROK)
“Reunion of Separated Families” (Daily Report, August 16, ROK)
“Reunion of Separated Families” (Daily Report, August 16, PRC)
“ROK Media Executives in DPRK” (Daily Report, August 16, PRC)
“Reunion of Separated Families” (Daily Report, August 15, US)


2. Prisoner Repatriation

The DPRK’s official Korean Central News Agency said that the DPRK is willing to allow dozens of former prisoners in the ROK to bring their families with them when they are repatriated to the DPRK. ROK President Kim Dae-jung said on August 14 that the ROK aims to revise the National Security Law.
“Repatriation of DPRK Prisoners” (Daily Report, August 16, US)
“ROK Policy Towards DPRK” (Daily Report, August 15, US)


3. Inter-Korean RailwayNext month the ROK will begin rebuilding eight kilometers of railroad tracks on their side of the demarcation line while the DPRK rebuilds the remaining four kilometers to the industrial city of Kaesong. The process will be slowed by de-mining of the area.
“Inter-Korean Railroad” (Daily Report, August 17, US)


4. Opening of Liaison Offices

By reconnecting two telephone lines across the border, the ROK and the DPRK reactivated on August 14 their liaison offices at Panmunjom which had been shut down since November 1996. ROK President Kim Dae-jung proposed that the forthcoming inter-Korean ministerial meeting discuss the installation of a hotline between the military authorities and three inter-Korean committees, in charge of military, economic and socio-cultural cooperation and exchanges.
“Liaison Offices” (Daily Report, August 16, ROK)
“Reopening of Inter-Korean Liaison Office” (Daily Report, August 16, PRC)
“Inter-Korean Talks” (Daily Report, August 15, US)
“ROK-DPRK Liaison Office” (Daily Report, August 14, US)


5. Inter-Korean Cultural Exchange

ROK Culture and Tourism Minister Park Jie-won told reporters on August 14 that he proposed to DPRK International Olympic Committee representative Jang Woong that athletes from the ROK and the DPRK enter the opening ceremony simultaneously, wearing the same uniforms and carry a “Korean Peninsula Flag” instead of their separate national flags, in the upcoming Sydney Olympics.
“Inter-Korean Olympic Team” (Daily Report, August 16, ROK)


6. DPRK Missile Sales

DPRK leader Kim Jong-il admitted that his country has been selling missiles to Iran and Syria to earn foreign currency, and that he was not serious when he told Russian President Vladimir Putin about a possible deal to stop his country’s missile development. Los Angeles Times published an editorial that said that Kim’s dismissal of the offer deepened the uncertainties over how committed he is to pursuing detente. The Asian Wall Street Journal published an article that argued that the statement proved Kim to be as unreliable as he was thought of in the past.
“DPRK Missile Program ” (Daily Report, August 14, US)
“DPRK Missile Program” (Daily Report, August 15, US)
“US Views on DPRK” (Daily Report, August 17, US)


7. DPRK Military

DPRK leader Kim Jong-il told ROK media executives last week that his authority comes from military power and that the DPRK had no intention of slashing its military power, at least for the time being.
“DPRK Military Power” (Daily Report, August 15, US)


8. US-DPRK Relations

DPRK leader Kim Jong-il told ROK media executives that he would seek to establish ties with the US immediately if his country were removed from a US list of terrorism-sponsoring nations. The US said that the DPRK would have to take action before any such move would be contemplated.
“US-DPRK Relations” (Daily Report, August 14, US)


9. Remains of US Soldiers

The US Defense Department said on August 17 that the DPRK is preparing to turn over remains believed to be those of 14 US soldiers missing since the Korean War.
“US Remains in DPRK” (Daily Report, August 18, US)
“Recovery of US Remains in DPRK” (Daily Report, August 15, US)


10. US Military in ROK

ROK President Kim Dae-jung on August 16 reaffirmed that DPRK leader Kim Jong-il approved of the presence of the US troops in ROK during the June 13-15 summit in Pyongyang.
US Troops in ROK” (Daily Report, August 17, US)

The ROK and the US military announced Friday that they will shut down part of the Koon-Ni bombing range in response to demonstrations.
“US Military in ROK” (Daily Report, August 18, US)


11. Korean War Massacre

ROK investigators determined that US troops killed a large number of refugees at the hamlet of No Gun Ri during the early days of the Korean War. A one-page government report on the No Gun Ri probe, submitted by ROK’s Defense Ministry to the National Assembly on June 22, said that a list of at least 175 victims has been compiled based on information provided by relatives.
“No Gun Ri Investigation” (Daily Report, August 17, US)


China


1. PRC View of US Missile Defense

PRC military experts warned against including Taiwan in a proposed US antimissile system. Shen Dingli, Deputy Director of the Center for American Studies of Fudan University, wrote that the US$60 billion US National Missile Defense (NMD) program amounts to 1 to 2 percent of US military spending over more than 10 years, and that the capability design of the NMD is most suitable against the PRC.
“Cross-Strait Relations” (Daily Report, August 18, US)
“PRC View on US Missile Defense” (Daily Report, August 16, US)
“PRC View of US National Missile Defense” (Daily Report, August 16, PRC)


2. PRC Threat to Taiwan

Military officials in Taiwan warned on August 15 that the PRC’s M class short-range missiles would be the weapon most likely used against Taiwan in the event of an attack. Navy captain Chang Ching said that theoretically the PRC’s ballistic missiles could also threaten the island, and that Taiwan would need to spend more to strengthen its defenses.
“PRC Missile Threat” (Daily Report, August 16, US)


3. Cross-Straits Relations

Taiwan’s military said on August 13 that it would not incite tensions with the PRC after the report of a near confrontation last month between their air forces when several Taiwanese fighters crossed the middle of the Taiwan Strait in mid-July.
“Taiwan Military Policy Toward PRC” (Daily Report, August 14, US)


4. Taiwan President’s US Visit

The US State Department on August 12 reminded Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian that he can make brief stops in the US only if they are totally private. Chen canceled a meeting with several members of the US Congress, but US Representative Dana Rohrabacher, California Republican, called on Chen at his hotel on August 13.
“Taiwan President’s US Visit” (Daily Report, August 15, US)
“Taiwan President’s US Visit” (Daily Report, August 14, US)


5. Millennium Summit

PRC officials said Friday that PRC parliamentary head Li Peng will visit the US to attend the UN Millennium Conference for Presiding Officers of Parliaments from August 30 to September 1. PRC President Jiang Zemin is also expected to be in the US for three days beginning September 6 for the UN’s Millennium Head of State Summit.
“US-PRC Relations” (Daily Report, August 18, US)


Japan


1. DPRK-Japan Talks

The DPRK on Friday repeated its demand that Japan pay reparations for its colonial rule of the Korean peninsula. A DPRK delegation will arrive in Tokyo on August 21 for a second round of talks aimed at establishing diplomatic ties.
“DPRK-Japan Relations” (Daily Report, August 18, US)


2. Japanese Aid for DPRK

Masaharu Kono, deputy director general of the Japanese Foreign Ministry’s Asian Affairs Bureau, said that he believes that the DPRK is distributing Japanese rice aid to all sections of the population.
“Japanese Food Aid to DPRK” (Daily Report, August 14, US)


3. Japan-PRC Relations

The PRC called off a planned visit by Japan’s transport minister Hajime Morita reportedly because of Morita’s visit to the Yasukuni Shrine.
Japanese Minister Visit to PRC” (Daily Report, August 17, US)


4. Japan-Russia Relations

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori said that the Japanese government will stick to its long-standing policy that the settlement of territorial disputes should be the precondition of bilateral peace treaty with Russia.
“Russian-Japanese Relations” (Daily Report, August 16, PRC)


5. US-Japan Alliance

Jin Xide, in World Economics and Politics, wrote that the US was driven by the “enemy seeking” mentality, the need to establish US-dominated hegemonic system in East Asia, and the need to strengthen the multiple functions of US-Japan Alliance. Japan’s motives lie in the maintenance of good US-Japan relations, keeping strategic advantage over the PRC, and increasing its security coefficient. He concluded that the bilateral alliance will continue to be maintained in the long term and will be strengthened in the near- and mid-term.
“US-Japanese Relations” (Daily Report, August 16, PRC)


South Asia


1. Kashmir

The Hizbul Majahideen withdrew its offer of a unilateral ceasefire and accused India of not responding positively to a demand for trilateral peace talks, but denied it had received any pressure from Pakistan to do so. Hizbul supreme commander Syed Salahuddin called for Pakistani troops to enter the Kashmir region. Editorials laid blame for the breakdown differentially on India, Pakistan, and militant groups, but argued that despite its being withdrawn, the ceasefire offer opened the way for dialogue.
“Hizbul Mujahideen Ceasefire” (SANDNet Weekly Update, V.1 #31: Aug 21)
“Split in Hizbul Leadership” (SANDNet Weekly Update, V.1 #31: Aug 21)
“Editorials Related to the Ceasefire Offer” (SANDNet Weekly Update, V.1 #31: Aug 21)

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