In today’s Report:

I. United States

II. Republic of Korea

III. Announcements

I. United States

1. US-DPRK Meetings

The AP-Dow Jones News Service (“U.S., NORTH KOREA OFFICIALS MEET IN WASHINGTON,” Washington, 3/12/97) reported that US State Department Spokesman Nicholas Burns said US and DPRK officials met Tuesday to discuss technical issues related to the establishment of diplomatic liaison offices in each other’s capitals. Participants included Mark Minton, director of the State Department’s Korean Affairs office, and Li Gun, deputy director of the American Affairs bureau in the DPRK Foreign Ministry. Burns said progress on establishing diplomatic missions is linked to DPRK attitudes on other issues, including its willingness to enter the proposed four-party talks on Korean peninsula peace. Li was part of the DPRK delegation that took part in two rounds of wide-ranging talks last week in New York. [Ed. note: Burns stated March 10 that top US and DPRK officials would not meet during the DPRK delegation’s visit to Washington. See “US-DPRK Meetings” in the US section of the March 11 Daily Report.]

US State Department Spokesman Nicholas Burns (“STATE DEPT. NOON BRIEFING, MARCH 11,” USIA Transcript, 3/12/97) stated that, contrary to some media reports coming out of the ROK, the US and the DPRK have not come to an agreement to open liaison offices. “That (liaison offices) remains an objective in our relationship, but we have not yet reached that point,” Burns said. Burns added, “The ultimate agreement to establish the liaison offices

In today’s Report:

I. United States

II. Republic of Korea

III. Announcements

I. United States

1. US-DPRK Meetings

US State Department Spokesman Nicholas Burns (“STATE DEPT. NOON BRIEFING, MARCH 10,” USIA Transcript) commented on DPRK Vice Minister Kim Gye-gwan’s visit to Washington this week at the invitation of the Atlantic Council. Burns said that Kim would be meeting with “some other individuals and organizations privately this week,” but would “not be having official appointments while he’s here.” “We spent a lot of time with him last week, as you know, on Wednesday in the trilateral meeting and on Friday, in the bilateral meeting with the United States. … He had many, many hours of discussions with Chuck Kartman last week. In fact, on Friday, they spent the entire day together,” Burns said. Burns added, “This has happened before. Last year, a Vice Foreign Minister of North Korea, Kim Jong-u, visited Washington. At that time, he did have official meetings at the State Department. But since we’ve just concluded those meetings in New York, we felt no need to have them here at the Department.” Burns also said that Kim and his delegation would “certainly” be “free to scout out real estate in the Washington area” for their future liaison office, although adding, “Further work needs to be done in our relationship and on that issue before we can take the step.” Lastly, Burns said the US received a “very strong impression from the meetings in New York” that Kim must brief his superiors on the results of last week’s talks before a de

In today’s Report:

I. United States

II. Republic of Korea

I. United States

1. US-DPRK Relations

The Associated Press (“N. KOREAN INVITED TO WASHINGTON,” Washington, 3/10/97) reported that US State Department Spokesman Nicholas Burns said Monday that DPRK Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan and a few other DPRK officials who took part in talks with US diplomats last week in New York are spending this week in Washington on a private visit. The diplomats were invited to Washington by the Atlantic Council, a nonpartisan group that examines security and international economics issues, and also will meet privately with other individuals and organizations. Burns said no official meetings with Kim are planned because of the many hours he spent with US officials last Wednesday and Friday. Burns also expressed hope that after Kim returns to the DPRK to brief his superiors on last week’s meetings, Pyongyang will accept the US-ROK proposal for four-party negotiations on achieving a permanent settlement of the Korea conflict.

The USIA reported (“U.S. OFFICIAL ON BILATERAL MEETINGS WITH NORTH KOREA,” 3/10/97) that US and DPRK delegations ended 10 hours of meetings March 7. The delegations gave no details about the substance of the talks, which reportedly covered nuclear nonproliferation, the remains of US soldiers from the Korean War, and reciprocally opening liaison offices. The delegations were headed by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Charles Kartman and DPRK Vice Foreign Minister Kim G

In today’s Report:

I. United States

II. Republic of Korea

III. Russian Federation

I. United States

1. US-DPRK Relations

The Associated Press (“U.S., NORTH KOREANS HOLD TALKS,” Seoul, 3/7/97) reported that US and DPRK officials met at the US mission to the UN in New York on Friday. With the DPRK delegation led by Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan, and the US side led by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian Affairs Charles Kartman, the meeting represented the highest-level contact between the two countries in a year. US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the two sides were to discuss whether to resume negotiations on the DPRK’s missile program, the joint search for US service members missing in the Korean War, and the opening of offices in each other’s countries. The DPRK also was expected to press for more help in overcoming its critical food shortages. The talks took place two days after Wednesday’s landmark joint US/ROK briefing of the DPRK on the four-party peace talks proposal. The US-DPRK talks appeared to be an allowance to the DPRK, which itself conceded in joining the earlier talks involving direct DPRK-ROK contacts on security issues. The DPRK for years has sought diplomatic contacts with Washington to the exclusion of its rivals in Seoul, and last week the DPRK’s official media reported that its delegation would meet with the US but made no mention of the earlier talks that included the ROK.

2. Hwang Defection

Reuters (“CHINA CALLS FOR COOL HEADS I

In today’s Report:

I. United States

II. Republic of Korea

III. People’s Republic of China.

IV. Japan

I. United States

1. US and ROK Cancel Joint Military Exercise

US State Department Spokesman Nicholas Burns (“STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT, THURSDAY, MARCH 6,” USIA Report, 2/6/97) confirmed media reports that the US and the ROK have decided to cancel “Team Spirit” joint military exercises for 1997. “We made this decision taking into account the overall security situation on the Korean peninsula,” Burns said. “This cancellation will have no impact on the readiness of our military forces — American and South Korean — to defend South Korea.” Burns said the cancellation is part of an effort to build confidence and “to create an atmosphere to reduce tensions on the Korean peninsula.”

Reuters (“UNITED STATES, SOUTH KOREA SCRAP WAR GAMES,” Seoul, 3/6/97) reported that the US and the ROK canceled this year’s Team Spirit military exercises as a goodwill gesture to encourage the DPRK to join Korean peninsula peace talks. The announcement comes after the Wednesday’s landmark meeting among US, ROK and DPRK officials in New York to brief the DPRK on the joint US/ROK four-party peace talks proposal. Pyongyang has bitterly denounced past Team Spirit exercises, which involve tens of thousands of troops from all branches of both countries militaries, as preparation for an invasion. The once-annual Team Spirit exercises have not been held since 1993, although a decision on whether to resume them is taken each year. A ROK defense ministry statement said the cancellatio

In today’s Report:

I. United States

II. Republic of Korea

III. Announcement

I. United States

1. Briefing Session on Four-Party Talks

The Associated Press (George Gedda, “US HOPES KOREA TALKS PROGRESS,” Washington, 3/4/97) reported that all arrangements are in place for the upcoming US-ROK briefing of the DPRK on the proposed four-party Korean peace talks. Although the modest agenda calls only for the US, the ROK, and the DPRK to talk about the proposed talks, officials see the meeting as something of a breakthrough, considering the impasse between Pyongyang and Seoul less than 10 weeks ago. In addition, the DPRK’s agreement to engage in talks in the presence of the ROK represents another breakthrough, given the past DPRK insistence on dealing exclusively with the US. The main message the US will be taking to the Wednesday meeting is that it is attaching no conditions on the part of the DPRK to attend the formal negotiations, a senior official said. Leading the respective delegations will be US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Charles Kartman, DPRK Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan and ROK Assistant Foreign Minister Song Young-shik. The report noted that the briefing will be held around three tables joined together as a triangle. The DPRK twice canceled the briefing session earlier this year, and agreed to the current date only after the US and the ROK pledged US$16 million in food relief.

US State Department Spokesman Nicholas Burns (“STATE DEPT. BRIEFING, MARCH 3,” USIA Transcript, 3/4/97) said that the US “is looking

In today’s Report:

I. United States

II. Republic of Korea

I. United States

1. Assessment of Korean Situation

The Associated Press (George Gedda, “KOREA PEACE PROCESS ASSESSED,” Washington, 3/1/97) reported that US officials said Monday that the Clinton administration believes the DPRK will not be prepared to enter into formal peace talks with the ROK at least until this summer, even if the preliminary “briefing” this week in New York on the US-ROK proposal for four-party peace talks goes well. US State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns told reporters that at the briefing US and ROK officials “intend to explain our ideas concerning the goals of the four-party talks, and we want to propose arrangements for the negotiating process options for the negotiating process itself. We hope it does provide the North Koreans with sufficient information that they will want to accept this proposal nearly one year after it was made.” Later, a senior official speaking on the condition of anonymity said that the DPRK crossed a major political hurdle by agreeing to sit at the same table with the ROK, the first time that will happen since the Korean armistice was signed 44 years ago. But the senior official expressed doubt that the DPRK will be ready to move quickly to the peace table. Even if the DPRK commits itself to peace talks, Pyongyang probably will not agree to begin negotiations until after July when important party meetings are scheduled and the country will observe the third anniversary of the death of their longti

In today’s Report:

I. United States

II. Republic of Korea

III. Japan

I. United States

1. DPRK Defense Official Dies

The Associated Press (“N. KOREA DEFENSE OFFICIAL DIES,” Seoul, 2/28/97) and United Press International (“N.KOREA DEFENSE LEADER CANDIDATE DIES,” Seoul, 2/28/97) reported that DPRK radio monitored in the ROK and Japan said on Friday that Army Vice-Marshall Kim Kwang-jin, 78, vice minister of the People’s Armed Forces and a leading candidate for the vacant post of defense minister, has died from an undisclosed illness. The defense ministry leadership opened less than a week ago with the February 21 death of Defense Minister Choe Kwang, who was considered to be the DPRK’s second ranking military official. Like the late defense minister, the 69-year-old Kim was part of the so-called “revolution generation” of old guard leaders who rose to power under DPRK founder Kim Il-sung. ROK analysts have said that Choe’s death provides Kim Jong-il the opportunity to shore up his power base by naming younger replacements loyal to him. The funeral arrangements for Choe, particularly the decisions to include some officials on the planning committee and not others, have suggested that just such a shake-up is in progress.

2. Implications of DPRK Defense Officials Deaths

The Associated Press (“N.KOREA MILITARY LEADERS CHANGE,” Seoul, 2/28/97) reported that the deaths of the DPRK’s two top army generals in less than a week are expected to accelerate a generational change in the country’s aging m

In today’s Report:

I. United States

II. Republic of Korea

III. People’s Republic of China

I. United States

1. Hwang Defection: ROK-PRC Talks

Reuters (“S. KOREA-CHINA TALKS ON DEFECTOR BOGGED DOWN,” Beijing, 2/27/97) reported that ROK-PRC discussions Thursday over the fate of DPRK defector Hwang Jang-yop produced no progress. “It’s still going on,” ROK Embassy spokesman Chang Moon-ik said. When asked when Hwang might be able to leave the PRC, Chang said, “Not this month.” Chang declined to say what issues, if any, were holding up negotiations on Hwang. “It’s very hard to say when this case will be over,” he said. PRC Foreign Ministry spokesman Tang Guoqiang called for calm and said Beijing did not wish to see new tension on the Korean peninsula. “We hope that all sides concerned seek with a calm and objective attitude a solution to appropriately resolve the matter to maintain peace and stability in the Korean peninsula,” Tang told a news briefing. “We do not wish to see this matter giving rise to new tensions in the Korean peninsula. Whether the problem is resolved fast or slow hinges completely on when and under what circumstances (the) concerned sides find a way to appropriately resolve it,” he said.

2. DPRK Woman Defects to ROK

The Associated Press (“N.KOREAN WOMAN WALKS ACROSS DMZ,” Seoul, 2/27/97) reported that the ROK Defense Ministry said that on Thursday a DPRK woman walked across the Korean Demilitarized Zone to defect to the ROK. Lee Kyu Sun, 25, was spotted by ROK border guards near the east coast, t

In today’s Report:

I. United States

II. Republic of Korea

III. US Official Statements to US Congress on Korean Policy

I. United States

1. Four Part Talks Briefing

US State Department Spokesman Nicholas Burns (“STATE DEPT. NOON BRIEFING, FEB. 26,” USIA Transcript, 2/26/97) stated: “Next week, as you know, the Secretary announced in Seoul that we will be having the first briefing on the Four-Party Talks among the South Koreans and the North Koreans, including with the United States. That will be followed by a bilateral meeting with the South Koreans and the United States, and a bilateral meeting with the North Koreans. The briefing, among the three, will be on March 5. There is going to be photo opportunity for those of you who would like to cover it. There won’t be a speaking part to this. But for the first time, you’ll be able to record a meeting on camera with the North Koreans and the South Koreans and the United States.” Burns later added: “What the North Koreans should know is that the United States has a fundamental commitment to the security of South Korea; that our 37,000 troops in the Republic of Korea are dedicated to defending South Korea. That’s why we want to go to the Four-Party Talks: to reduce this climate of suspicion and distrust, to reduce the level of military tension along the 151 miles of the Demilitarized Zone, and to try to point towards eventually a peace treaty that would end effectively, after 46 excuse me, 43 years, the Korean War.” In response to a question noting that the DPRK agreed to attend the briefing after the US promised food aid, Burns said: “The