In today’s Report:

I. United States

II. Republic of Korea

I. United States

1. Four-Party Peace Talks Preliminary Meeting

Reuters (“FOUR-PARTY KOREAN PEACE TALKS OPEN IN NEW YORK,” New York, 8/5/97) reported that the four-party Korean peace talks preliminary meeting, including officials from the DPRK, the ROK, the US, and the PRC, opened Tuesday at Columbia University in New York. The immediate goal of the meeting was to agree on a specific date, time and agenda for beginning substantive negotiations intended to replace the Korean armistice from the 1950-53 Korean War with a more permanent peace, potentially in the form of a treaty. At its beginning, officials from the four states shook hands but gave no hint whether they thought the meeting would be successful. “I hope we have a good dialogue today,” Song Young-shik, the head of the ROK delegation, said at the start of the talks. US and ROK officials said they expected the talks to last several days. The DPRK agreed to the four-party preliminary meeting June 30, following protracted efforts culminating in a series of trilateral meetings involving the US, the DPRK and the ROK. Tuesday’s “talks about talks,” including the PRC for the first time, mark progress toward launching actual negotiations within the framework first proposed by the US and the ROK last year. “This is real progress. We have moved from a round table to a square table,” Kartman told the delegations in a reference to the presence of the PRC. US officials reportedly still harbor doubts about the DPRK’s real commitment to reducing tensions on the Korean peninsula, but insist that negotiations can still yield positive results. The US plans to propose new ways to ease tensions between the two Koreas, including such confidence building measures as exchanging military visits and providing advance notification of military maneuvers.

The Associated Press (“N. KOREA VOWS TO HONOR 1953 TRUCE,” New York, 8/5/97) reported that later on Tuesday officials from the DPRK, the ROK, the US, and the PRC, completed the first day of the four-party Korean peace talks preliminary meeting, agreeing to reconvene at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday. Although none of the four delegation chiefs responded when asked about progress during Tuesday’s talks, during the lunch break a beaming PRC Assistant Foreign Minister Chen Jian declared, “So far, so good,” and flashed a “V” for victory sign. Sources close to the talks said the delegations agreed to set a date for a peace conference first, to be followed by discussions on the venue and then the agenda. The last item is the stickiest due to the DPRK’s desire to include the issue of the withdrawal of US troops from the ROK. The DPRK’s head delegate, Kim Gye-gwan, said his country wanted a “fruitful conclusion” to the talks and indicated the DPRK would be willing to discuss confidence-building measures with the ROK. In Pyongyang, the DPRK’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA)

In today’s Report:

I. United States

II. Analysis

I. United States

1. DPRK Provides US POW Remains

Reuters (“N.KOREA HANDS OVER U.S. REMAINS,” Seoul, 8/4/97) and the Associated Press (“NORTH KOREA HANDS OVER MIA REMAINS,” Panmunjom, 8/4/97) reported that the DPRK on Monday handed over the remains of four US soldiers killed during the 1950-1953 Korean War to representatives of the US-led UN Command at the DMZ crossing of Panmunjom. The delivery of the remains was taken as a DPRK goodwill gesture on the eve of the four-party peace talks preliminary meeting set to begin Tuesday in New York. The remains of the four soldiers were excavated by a team of ten US experts, which has been in the DPRK since mid-July searching for remains of US soldiers missing in action from the war. Drenched by rain, US honor guards draped the caskets in UN flags after they were delivered to the southern side, while several members of the US search team watched the handover from the northern side. Alan Liotta, deputy director of the US Defense Department, said at Panmunjom that the remains, recovered in the DPRK’s Unsan County, were from soldiers of the Eighth Cavalry First Battalion who died in October of 1950. The remains will be sent to the US for identification, Liotta said, adding that the DPRK has opened its archives to the US for the first time, leading to hopes that more possible burial sites of US soldiers will be identified. Some 8,100 US soldiers remain unaccounted for from the Korean War, in which more than 50,000 US soldiers died. So far, 209 sets of remains have been returned to the US, but only seven have been positively identified.

2. DPRK Protests ROK Military Display

The AP-Dow Jones News Service (“N. KOREA ACCUSES S. KOREA OF BELLIGERENCE AT BORDER,” Tokyo, 8/4/97) reported that the DPRK’s official Radio Pyongyang, in a broadcast Sunday monitored by Japan-based Radiopress, accused the ROK of deploying tanks and firing artillery near the demilitarized zone in what it called a “serious provocation.” The broadcast said the artillery was displayed in a town about 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of the demilitarized zone, and that it fired shots toward the border for three hours last Friday morning. The broadcast said a group of tanks was deployed in another city nearby. In Seoul, the ROK Defense Ministry rejected the accusations as false. The accusations marked the DPRK’s ongoing denunciations of the ROK, and contrasted to its gestures of conciliation toward the US in the run-up to the four-party talks preliminary meeting Tuesday.

3. Four-Party Peace Talks Preliminary Meeting

The Associated Press (“KOREAN PEACE TALKS TO BEGIN,” New York, 8/4/97) reported that the four-party peace talks preliminary meeting was set to begin on Tuesday with hopes that direct negotiations to bring a formal peace treaty to the Korean peninsula could soon r

In today’s Report:

I. United States

II. Republic of Korea

III. Japan

I. United States

1. US Secretary of State on ASEAN and Korea

US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, in a July 29 press briefing in Singapore following the ASEAN meetings in Kuala Lumpur (“ALBRIGHT 7/29 ASEAN OVERVIEW BRIEFING IN SINGAPORE,” USIA Transcript, 7/31/97), discussed the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and its relationship to security issues on the Korean peninsula. Albright praised the ARF for providing a focus for “the importance of the strategic underpinning to the economic and political relationships” in the region, and for providing the US with an opportunity to engage its members “as a group, but also individually.” Albright said that in her recent meetings with ARF members, the situation on the Korean peninsula was “number one on the list” of subjects discussed. “People really focused a lot on the fact that the major strategic disruptions that could come to the region could come from Korea,” she said, adding that “there is a lot of support for the four-party approach and a lot of recognition of the fact that this is a remaining problem, the one really serious strategic problem in the region.” Albright also said that ASEAN members expressed support for the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO), adding that she expects that “there will be greater support for KEDO financially than previously” from ASEAN countries.

2. US Secretary of State on Four-Party Talks

US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright (“ALBRIGHT 7/29 ASEAN OVERVIEW BRIEFING IN SINGAPORE,” USIA Transcript, 7/31/97) also commented directly on the four-party peace talks preliminary meeting set to take place August 5 in New York. Albright stated: “The talks are going to set the agenda and the venue, and I think we will have to see how quickly we could move to the next round. But the feeling that we have now is that the North Koreans are now more willing to engage in a North-South dialogue. The Chinese are definitely supportive of that approach. The South Koreans also — at least in the discussions that I had with Foreign Minister Yoo — are really prepared to be quite forthcoming. … I think they are interested in making the North-South dialogue work also in terms of their willingness to talk about food aid and basically interested in moving the process forward.”

3. US Congressional Trips to DPRK

The AP-Dow Jones News Service (“TWO U.S. CONGRESSIONAL TRIPS TO N. KOREA PLANNED FOR AUGUST,” Washington, 7/31/97) reported that two US congressional trips to the DPRK are being planned for the August recess. Rep. Tony Hall, D-Ohio, who visited the DPRK in April to examine the famine there, has asked for permissio

I. United States 1. ROK Support for KEDO Nuclear Project The AP-Dow Jones News Service (“S. KOREA PROVIDES $45 MLN FOR N. KOREAN NUCLEAR PROJECT,” Seoul, 7/31/97) reported that the ROK said Thursday it will provide US$45 million to the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO) to enable construction to start on the two light-water […]

In today’s Report:

I. United States

II. Republic of Korea

I. United States

1. ROK Support for KEDO Nuclear Project

The AP-Dow Jones News Service (“S. KOREA PROVIDES $45 MLN FOR N. KOREAN NUCLEAR PROJECT,” Seoul, 7/31/97) reported that the ROK said Thursday it will provide US$45 million to the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO) to enable construction to start on the two light-water nuclear reactors in the DPRK called for in the 1994 US-DPRK Agreed Framework. The ROK has promised to pay most of the US$5 billion bill for the nuclear plants, which are being built in exchange for the DPRK’s promise to freeze its nuclear program suspected of developing nuclear weapons. The new reactors are safer and produce far less weapons-grade plutonium than the North’s outdated Soviet-designed system. The ROK payment to KEDO will enable it to break ground for the reactors in August. Final decisions on allocating the reactors’ cost has yet to be decided among KEDO’s three main members — the US, the ROK and Japan. The reactors will be built at an 887-hectare plot in Sinpo, a remote fishing village on the DPRK’s east coast, some 400 kilometers from Pyongyang.

2. DPRK Famine

Reuters (“U.N. ASKS FOR MORE BILATERAL AID TO N.KOREA,” Washington, 7/31/97) reported that Catherine Bertini, executive director of the UN World Food Program (WFP), at a news conference on Thursday appealed to Western countries to give more aid to the DPRK to meet a shortfall of up to 800,000 tons of food needed to ease a severe famine. “The World Food Program is pleading with donors to make bilateral donations,” Bertini said. “There are still millions and millions of people who have no food. … The whole country is in famine.” Bertini said starving North Koreans were harvesting seaweed and several factories were being used to bake cakes from tree parts that have no nutritional value but fill a person’s stomach. “If [the cakes] look brown, they are made of tree bark, if they are green they are made of tree leaves,” Bertini said. Earlier this month, the WFP launched a new appeal for US$46 million to ease the plight of about 2.6 million children under 6 years old who are already suffering from critical malnutrition. The US$46 million would cover about 130,000 metric tons of food. Bertini said donor response has been very generous and about 75 percent of this money has been raised. Bertini said, however, that the WFP estimated there is still a need for between 700,000 and 800,000 metric tons of food, and that direct bilateral donations are needed because the WFP is already stretched ensuring that current donations reach the hungry. [Ed. note: See also “DPRK Famine Seen Widening” in the July 29 Daily Report.]

In today’s Report:

I. United States

II. Republic of Korea

III. Corrections

I. United States

1. Four Party Talks Preliminary Meeting

The US State Department issued a press release July 29 on the four-party preparatory meeting in New York on August 5 to discuss and decide procedural matters to begin the four-party Korean peace talks (“STATE DEPT. 7/29 ON KOREA FOUR PARTY PREPARATORY MEETING,” USIA Transcript, 7/29/97). The press release, titled “Statement By James B. Foley/Deputy Spokesman Korea — Four Party Preparatory Meeting,” read as follows: “A Four Party preparatory meeting for peace talks among the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Republic of Korea, the United States, and the People’s Republic of China will be held in New York City on August 5, 1997. The preparatory meeting will discuss and decide procedural matters for the Four Party plenary session, including the earliest agreeable date, venue, and agenda. The U.S. delegation at the August 5 Four Party preparatory meeting will be led by Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Charles Kartman. Other delegation heads are: ROK Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Song Young Shik, DPRK Vice Foreign Minister Kim Gye Gwan, and PRC Assistant Foreign Minister Chen Jian. The August 5 meeting will be held at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. We wish to express our appreciation to Columbia University for its generosity in making these facilities available.”

2. US Secretary of State on ASEAN Role in KEDO

Reuters (“ALBRIGHT SEES JAPAN HELPING NORTH KOREA,” Singapore, 7/29/97) reported that US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said Tuesday that she expected that ASEAN countries will help fund the US$4.5 billion Korean Energy Development Organization (KEDO) project to construct light-water nuclear reactors in the DPRK. Although US officials said foreign ministers at the ASEAN regional meeting this week gave no specific commitment on her appeal for millions of dollars in funds to help underwrite the project, Albright told reporters she expected “more support for KEDO financially than previously … I thought there was quite a lot of receptivity but we’ll see if the check’s in the mail.” “People really focused a lot on the fact that the major strategic disruption that could come from the region could come from Korea, so there was a lot of focus on it,” she added, noting that a result of the extensive discussion of the DPRK at the ASEAN meeting was a greater understanding of KEDO’s financial difficulties and how support for this body is integral to stability on the Korean peninsula. US State Department officials said Albright asked ASEAN to make a one-time contribution in the range of US$10 million and then provide smaller contributions on an annual basis thereafter, but refused to specify the exact amount of the US request, saying it would be

In today’s Report:

I. United States

II. Republic of Korea

I. United States

1. US Secretary of State on ARF Role in Korea

US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, in July 27 remarks at the fourth annual meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (“ALBRIGHT 7/27 REMARKS AT THE ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM,” USIA Transcript, 7/28/97), said that the US appreciates the support of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in efforts to reach a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. Albright stated, “Achieved with the help of our allies and partners, the US-DPRK Agreed Framework has frozen and will eventually dismantle North Korea’s nuclear program, thereby eliminating one of the most serious threats to regional security. Its implementation has reduced tensions, promoted North-South contact, and created a positive atmosphere for Four Party talks. At a preparatory session on August 5, the United States, South Korea, North Korea and China will determine the date, venue, agenda and procedures for the formal start of the negotiations. Our immediate goal will be to lower tensions and build confidence on the Korean Peninsula. The conclusion of an agreement would put a formal end to the Korean War and free the Korean people from the constant fear with which they lived with for the last half century.” Albright added, “The Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization — established to implement the Framework — is facing great difficulties in funding its delivery of heavy fuel oil to North Korea. The oil is crucial, because it substitutes a safe energy source for the nuclear fuel with weapons potential North Korea was developing. I urge those of you that are not yet assisting KEDO to begin doing so in a significant and sustained manner.” Albright also stated, “The members of the ARF also must work together to advance the cause of arms control and non-proliferation in this region and around the world. A top priority is the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, and I urge all ARF members to work for its entry into force as soon as possible. I urge you to support the opening of negotiations on a Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty at the Conference on Disarmament, and I hope those states that have not already done so will ratify the Chemical Weapons Convention. To prevent the spread of missiles and related technology, I encourage all ARF members to adhere to the guidelines of the Missile Technology Control Regime. President Clinton believes that in the next century nuclear arsenals can be cut even further, and perhaps ultimately eliminated. To that end, the United States will continue to work with the ASEAN countries on the treaty for a Southeast Asian Nuclear Weapons Free Zone, and we hope to resolve soon the remaining issues that stand in the way of our full ag