Voice of America 5/9/97
N. KOREA / NUCLEAR
BYLINE=DAVID PAULSON DATELINE=SEOUL CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: THE HEAD OF SOUTH KOREAN INTELLIGENCE AGENCY HAS TOLD A NATIONAL ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE THAT HE IS CONVINCED NORTH KOREA HAS NUCLEAR WEAPONS. DAVID PAULSON REPORTS FROM SEOUL THE STATEMENT IS LIKELY TO HEIGHTEN ANXIETY ABOUT HOW TO RESPOND TO NORTH KOREA'S DEMANDS FOR EMERGENCY AID. TEXT: THE ASSESSMENT BY INTELLIGENCE CHIEF KWON YONG-HAE LENDS CREDENCE TO SIMILAR STATEMENTS BY HWANG CHANG YOP, THE ADVISER TO NORTH KOREAN LEADER KIM JONG IL. MR. HWANG, WHO DEFECTED IN FEBRUARY, HAS REPORTEDLY TOLD SOUTH KOREAN INTERROGATORS THAT NORTH KOREA HAS HAD FIVE NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN ITS ARSENAL SINCE 1994. MR. HWANG IS ALSO QUOTED IN A SOUTH KOREAN NEWSPAPER, THE CHOSUN ILBO, AS SAYING THE NORTH KOREAN LEADERSHIP HAS GIVEN UP ON A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION OF ITS CURRENT ECONOMIC CRISIS AND IS DETERMINED TO GO TO WAR. MR. HWANG REPORTEDLY SAYS NORTH KOREA WOULD USE CHEMICAL WEAPONS AGAINST SEOUL AND IF THE UNITED STATES INTERVENED, WOULD LAUNCH A NUCLEAR ATTACK AGAINST JAPAN. THE CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY'S INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE IS EXPECTED TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT IN A FEW DAYS THAT THE GOVERNMENT BELIEVES NORTH KOREA HAS NUCLEAR WEAPONS. SUCH A FINDING WOULD TEND TO SUPPORT A STRATEGY THAT AVOIDS PROVOKING THE STALINIST STATE TO AGGRESSION. THOUGH THE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALLY ENDORSES THIS SO-CALLED "SOFT-LANDING" APPROACH, LATELY SOUTH KOREA HAS TAKEN A HARDER LINE IN DEMANDING COOPERATIVE GESTURES FROM NORTH KOREA IN RETURN FOR DESPERATELY NEEDED FAMINE RELIEF. SOME SOURCES CLOSE TO THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SAY THE INTELLIGENCE CHIEF MAY HAVE MADE THE ALARMING STATEMENT IN ORDER TO DISTRACT PUBLIC ATTENTION FROM A DOMESTIC CONTROVERSY. PROSECUTORS ARE SOON EXPECTED TO SUMMON THE SON OF PRESIDENT KIM YONG-SAM TO QUESTION HIM ABOUT ALLEGATIONS HE RECEIVED ILLEGAL KICKBACKS. RULING PARTY LAWMAKERS ARE ALSO CALLING FOR A NATIONAL ASSEMBLY INVESTIGATION INTO PRESIDENT KIM'S CAMPAIGN FINANCING. AS TO NORTH KOREA'S NUCLEAR POTENTIAL, A WESTERN DIPLOMAT FAMILIAR WITH MILITARY AFFAIRS SAYS THERE IS A HUGE TECHNOLOGICAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAVING NUCLEAR BOMBS AND BEING ABLE TO WAGE NUCLEAR WAR. HE SAYS THAT ANY BOMBS THE NORTH MAY HAVE WOULD BE ENTIRELY UNTESTED, AND THAT ACCURATE DELIVERY AND DETONATION OF A NUCLEAR WEAPON IS VERY LIKELY BEYOND NORTH KOREA'S CAPACITY. (SIGNED) NEB/DP/FC/CF 09-May-97 7:13 AM EDT (1113 UTC) NNNN
