DATE=5/26/99 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-249804 TITLE=N. KOREA / U-S (L-ONLY) BYLINE=JOHN LARKIN DATELINE=SEOUL CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: WASHINGTON'S TOP ADVISOR ON NORTH KOREA WAS SCHEDULED TO MEET WEDNESDAY WITH LEADERS IN PYONGYANG. JOHN LARKIN REPORTS FROM SEOUL THAT WILLIAM PERRY ALSO HOPES TO MEET NORTH KOREA'S TOP OFFICIAL -- KIM JONG IL. TEXT: MR. PERRY IS THE MOST SENIOR U-S OFFICIAL TO VISIT THE NORTH SINCE THE KOREAN WAR ENDED IN A TRUCE 46 YEARS AGO. HE IS SAID TO BE CARRYING A PERSONAL LETTER FROM PRESIDENT CLINTON TO KIM JONG IL. SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT KIM DAE JUNG SAID IN AN INTERVIEW LAST WEEK, MR. PERRY WILL PROPOSE A PACKAGE OF INCENTIVES TO PERSUADE THE NORTH TO ABANDON ITS MISSILE DEVELOPMENT AND SUSPECTED NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAMS. THE VISIT IS VIEWED AS A CRUCIAL ATTEMPT TO REDUCE THE THREAT POSED BY NORTH KOREA'S WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION AND TO ENTICE THE RECLUSIVE STATE INTO THE OUTSIDE WORLD. PRESIDENT KIM SAYS MR. PERRY'S PROPOSAL WILL INCLUDE GUARANTEES THAT NORTH KOREA WILL NOT BE ATTACKED BY THE UNITED STATES OR SOUTH KOREA AND THAT A TRADE EMBARGO IMPOSED BY THE UNITED STATES WILL BE SCRAPPED. PYONGYANG WOULD BE PERMITTED TO OPEN DIPLOMATIC TIES WITH THE UNITED STATES AND JAPAN -- GOING SOME WAY TOWARD ENDING ITS SELF-IMPOSED ISOLATION. SOUTH KOREA'S NEW UNIFICATION MINISTER, LIM DONG WON, HAS CALLED THE VISIT AN HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY TO END THE COLD WAR FREEZE WHICH FOR MORE THAN FOUR DECADES HAS THREATENED PEACE IN NORTH EAST ASIA. RECENTLY THOSE THREATS HAVE GROWN WITH NORTH KOREA'S TESTING LAST AUGUST OF A LONG-RANGE ROCKET OVER JAPAN. IT IS BELIEVED THAT, IF MODIFIED, THE MISSILE COULD REACH THE U-S WEST COAST. PYONGYANG IS ALSO SUSPECTED OF DEVELOPING NUCLEAR WEAPONS, DESPITE A 1994 DEAL, UNDER WHICH NORTH KOREA WAS TO MOTHBALL AN OLD SOVIET-ERA NUCLEAR REACTOR WHICH WASHINGTON SUSPECTED WAS BEING USED TO REPROCESS PLUTONIUM. A MEETING BETWEEN MR. PERRY AND KIM JONG IL, WHILE NOT GUARANTEED, WOULD BE VIEWED HERE AS A HUGE STEP FORWARD IN FRACTIOUS RELATIONS BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND PYONGYANG. THE U-S ARMY HAS 37-THOUSAND TROOPS STATIONED IN SOUTH KOREA, AND PYONGYANG ROUTINELY DEMANDS THEY BE SENT HOME. KIM JONG IL RARELY TRAVELS ABROAD, AND IT IS MORE RARE STILL FOR HIM TO RECEIVE FOREIGN VISITORS -- PARTICULARLY AMERICANS. THE U-S PRESIDENTIAL ENVOY'S TRIP FOLLOWS THE VISIT OF A 14-MEMBER U-S INSPECTION TEAM THAT LOOKED AT A SUSPECTED NUCLEAR SITE NORTH OF PYONGYANG. U-S STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN JAMES RUBIN SAID MONDAY NORTH KOREAN OFFICIALS HAD BEEN COOPERATIVE. (SIGNED) NEB/JL/FC/PLM 26-May-99 3:22 AM EDT (0722 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
