DATE=7/29/1999 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT TITLE=KOREA MISSILE TALKS L-UPDATE NUMBER=2-252282 BYLINE=JIM RANDLE DATELINE=SEOUL INTERNET=YES CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: South Korean President Kim Dae-jung says North Korea should be offered incentives to persuade the reclusive communist state to abandon plans for a controversial missile test. President Kim's comments follow a meeting Thursday with visiting U-S Defense Secretary William Cohen. V-O-A's Jim Randle reports, Mr. Cohen's meetings ended with Seoul and Washington arguing over South Korea's request to improve its own ballistic missile capabilities. TEXT: South Korea has some ballistic missiles, but they will not fly far enough to hit targets in northern North Korea. The weapons were developed with U-S help and came with the condition that Seoul not try to boost their range. But in light of North Korea's missile test last year and its threat to try out another one soon, Seoul officials say they need weapons with longer reach. At a Thursday news conference, South Korean Defense Minister Cho Seong Tae said he hopes to work out an agreement on the issue soon, but made it clear there were disagreements during the talks he held with the American Defense Secretary. /// Cho act /// We exchanged frank views on(South) Korea's voluntary missile restraint, and fully understood the positions of each other. In principal, our two sides shared the view that the current voluntary restraint should be adjusted. /// end act /// Minister Cho spoke through an interpreter and said the two sides agreed to continue talks between lower level officials. Mr. Cohen said the United States strongly supports South Korea, but must weigh the support due a close friend against the need to slow the spread of ballistic missile technology. U-S officials appear worried that that giving a close ally like South Korea better missile technology will make it harder to persuade other nations to forgo the weapons. Arms control advocates say once one nation in a region gets missile technology, neighboring governments feel great pressure to acquire similar weapons. // OPT // Washington argues ballistic missiles make it possible for clashes between neighbors to escalate quickly to catastrophic levels of destruction. // END OPT // Defense Minister Cho says North Korea is still working on its missile launch site. President Kim did not say what benefits should be offered to North Korea if it stops preparations for another ballistic missile test. Mr. Kim has long advocated a policy of engagement designed to decrease confrontation and increase dialogue between the two Koreas. Mr. Kim has encouraged the United States and Japan to open diplomatic relations with the North and send economic aid. But Thursday, President Kim joined Secretary Cohen in warning Pyongyang might suffer further economic and diplomatic sanctions if it goes ahead with the missile launch. Korea is the second stop on Mr. Cohen's five nation journey to consult with Asian and European defense officials. He heads for Ukraine and Georgia later in the week. (signed) Neb/jr/jo 29-Jul-1999 09:28 AM LOC (29-Jul-1999 1328 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .
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