Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)


February 2003 South Korea Special Weapons News



  • Korean Unification Bulletin ( No.52 Feb, 2003) ROK Ministry of Unification
  • Overview of Intra-Korean Exchanges & Cooperation for for Feb 2003 ROK Ministry of Unification
  • Candlelight demonstration in S. Korea KNCA 28 Feb 2003 -- The All-People Measure Committee for Sin Hyo Sun and Sim Mi Son, schoolgirls killed by a U.S. armored car reportedly held the 89th-day candlelight demonstration at Kwanghwamun in Seoul on Feb. 22.
  • KOREA/NUCLEAR VOA 28 Feb 2003 -- South Korea has confirmed North Korea's reactivation of a nuclear reactor that forms part of a possible nuclear weapons program. Seoul is expressing deep concern over the move and urging the North to comply with international non-proliferation accords.
  • KOREA'S "INAUGURATION" MISSILE VOA 27 Feb 2003 -- Often times, when neighboring nations hold presidential inaugurations, nearby nations send diplomatic delegations, or messages of support, or maybe flowers. But when South Korea swore in a new president this week, North Korea sent a missile splashing into the Sea of Japan. That got the attention of the global press
  • Envoy pledges UN's continued support for reconciliation efforts in Korean peninsula UN News Centre 27 Feb 2003 -- A top United Nations envoy is headed to China and the Russian Federation after wrapping up a visit this week to the Republic of Korea (ROK), where he met with the new President, Roh Moo-hyun, and other senior officials, a UN spokesman said today.
  • Inaugural ceremony of South Korean President held KCNA 26 Feb 2003 -- A Presidential inaugural ceremony took place in South Korea on Feb. 25, according to a news report.
  • South side's delegation leaves KCNA 26 Feb 2003 -- The south side's delegation to the north-south joint exhibition of materials on the crimes related to the Japanese imperialists' forcible drafting of Koreans led by Kang Man Gil, president of Sangji University of South Korea, left here today by air.
  • Koreas to Hold Talks on Joint Festivities Korea-net 26 Feb 2003 -- Religious leaders from South and North Korea will hold three-day talks from Tuesday at the North's Mt. Geumgang to work out details of celebrations to mark the 84th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement against Japanese colonial rule, the Yonhap News Agency reported quoting the secretary-general of a South Korean religious association.
  • South Korea visit of U.S. Secretary of State rejected in S. Korea KCNA 27 Feb 2003 -- The joint practice for peace against war consisting of over 700 civic and public organizations reportedly called a press conference in front of the U.S. embassy in Seoul on Feb. 24 to reject South Korea visit of the U.S. Secretary of State.
  • NEW SOUTH KOREA PRIME MINISTER VOA 26 Feb 2003 -- South Korea's National Assembly has approved South Korean president President Roh Moo Hyun's choice for prime minister. The new prime minister is no stranger to the job.
  • S. Korean army tank falls headlong into river KCNA 25 Feb 2003 -- A tank belonging to the South Korean Army, moving to a drill ground at the dawn of Feb. 17, fell headlong into a river from a bridge of Pochon county, Kyonggi Province, according to KBS of South Korea.
  • SOKOR INAUGURATION UPDATE VOA 25 Feb 2003 -- Roh Moo-hyun has become South Korea's ninth president, pledging to create a new era of regional prosperity that hinges on peacefully ending the dispute over North Korea's nuclear programs. However, just hours earlier, his government confirmed that North Korea had test-fired a missile into the sea, escalating the peninsula's current tensions.
  • SOKOR / INAUGURATION VOA 24 Feb 2003 -- Roh Moo-hyun becomes South Korea's new president in a few hours. Many voters expect Mr. Roh not only to reform the country's financial and business world, but also redefine its relationship with the United States.
  • Reunion of separated families and relatives here KCNA 24 Feb 2003 -- The 6th reunion of separated families and relatives took place at Kumgangsan resort on Feb. 20. Those from the north had a collective reunion with their kinsmen from the south under the agreement reached between the Red Cross organizations of both sides.
  • Anti-war declaration released in S. Korea KCNA 24 Feb 2003 -- The Students Anti-War Committee reportedly held a press conference and released an anti-war declaration in front of the U.S. embassy on Feb. 12. The committee groups the Seoul district federation of university student councils, the South Korean Christian Youth and Students Federation, the Students Committee of the Democratic Workers' Party and 10 other students organizations.
  • 100 More South Koreans Reunited With NK Kin Korea-net 24 Feb 2003 -- Another group of 100 elderly South Koreans made a three-day trip to Mt. Geumgang in North Korea Sunday for a reunion of their long-lost kin.
  • Roh Wants to Boost Seoul-Tokyo Relations Korea-net 24 Feb 2003 -- President-elect Roh Moo-hyun spoke with new Japanese ambassador to Seoul, Toshiyuki Takano, by telephone over the weekend, asking for Japan's contribution to promoting bilateral relations and bringing a peaceful end to the North Korean nuclear issue, his spokesman said.
  • Roh to Confer With Koizumi, Powell on NK Nukes Korea-net 24 Feb 2003 -- Upon his inauguration as the nation's 16th president, Roh Moo-hyun will hold his first summit talks with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Tuesday (Feb. 25) afternoon.
  • Kim Says Farewell to Nation Korea-net 24 Feb 2003 -- In a nationally televised speech marking the end of his five-year term, President Kim Dae-jung on Monday (Feb. 24) called for direct talks between the United States and North Korea to resolve the standoff over the North's nuclear program peacefully.
  • Agreement at the Third inter-korean Economic cooperation Promotion Committee - Pyongyang ( November 09, 2002 ) Korea-net 24 Feb 2003 -- The third meeting of the Inter-Korean Economic Cooperation Promotion Committee took place from November 6 to 9, 2002 in Pyongyang.
  • Joint Press Release of Inter-Korean Economic Promotion Committee - Seoul ( February 14, 2003 ) Korea-net 24 Feb 2003 -- Following is an unofficial translation of the text of a joint press release following an inter-Korean economic cooperation promotion committee meeting
  • Promoting Peace and Cooperation Korea-net 24 Feb 2003
  • SOUTH KOREA / BUSINESS FEARS VOA 24 Feb 2003 -- Politicians and business leaders in South Korea fear global concerns about Pyongyang's nuclear programs could damage the South's economy. Some foreign businesses already are rethinking plans to invest in South Korea.
  • SOUTH KOREA U-S RELATIONS VOA 24 Feb 2003 -- As U-S Secretary of State Colin Powell arrives in Seoul, many South Koreans are saying he needs to listen closely to their government's views on the crisis with North Korea and the presence of U-S troops. Many people say their country should change its relationship with the United States.
  • SOKOR/ROH'S CHALLENGES VOA 24 Feb 2003 -- President-elect Roh Moo-hyun will take the helm as South Korea's next president Tuesday, amid global concerns about the North Korean nuclear crisis. He has pledged to play a key role in resolving the stand-off, but in a way that could dramatically alter Seoul's relationship with its main ally, Washington.
  • KIM DAE-JUNG FAREWELL VOA 24 Feb 2003 -- Outgoing South Korean President Kim Dae-jung urged the United States Monday to hold direct talks with North Korea to resolve the Korean Peninsula's mounting nuclear crisis. U-S Secretary of State Colin Powell is bringing a very different message to Mr. Kim's successor.
  • SOKOR SUBWAY ARRESTS VOA 24 Feb 2003 -- Police in South Korea (Monday) have arrested at least seven people in connection with last week's fatal subway fire. Most of those arrested work for the subway company.
  • KIM DAE-JUNG LEGACY VOA 23 Feb 2003 -- South Korean President Kim Dae-jung steps down Tuesday after a five-year term in which he experienced powerful triumphs as well as bitter disappointments. Mr. Kim is credited for bringing the country back from the brink of an economic crisis, but leaves office with his Nobel-winning policy of engaging North Korea in serious question and shadowed by corruption scandals.
  • Japan's formal apology for its past wrongs urged in S. Korea KCNA 22 Feb 2003 -- Members of the South Korean council for the solution of the issue of the volunteers corps reportedly staged the Wednesday demonstration in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul on February 12. Three female members of the house of councillors of Japan joined in the demonstration.
  • ROH/KOREAN PEACE VOA 22 Feb 2003 -- The incoming president of South Korea says one of his top goals is to sign a peace treaty with North Korea, replacing the armistice that ended the Korean War 50 years ago. The new South Korean leader thinks the first step to a treaty will be a peaceful end to the current dispute over Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.
  • Powell to Meet Roh on Nuke Issue Korea-net 21 Feb 2003 -- United States Secretary of State Colin Powell will visit Seoul Feb. 24-25 to attend the inauguration of President-elect Roh Moo-hyun, the Foreign Affairs-Trade Ministry said on Thursday (Feb. 20).
  • Message of condolence to President of S. Korean Red Cross KCNA 21 Feb 2003 -- Jang Jae On, chairman of the Central Committee of the DPRK Red Cross Society, sent a message of condolence to So Yong Hun, president of the South Korean Red Cross, through Panmunjom on Feb. 20 in connection with a fire in the Taegu subway, South Korea.
  • Fire in Taegu subway KCNA 21 Feb 2003 -- At least 130 people were killed in a fire in Taegu subway, South Korea on the morning of February 18, according to South Korean KBS. The fire started on an electric engine when pulling in Jungangro station before spreading to another engine passing by the former, thus causing big casualties.
  • Separated Families Reunite at Mt. Geumgang Korea-net 21 Feb 2003 -- A group of separated family members from South Korea were reunited on Thursday (Feb. 20) with their long-lost North Korean kin who were dispersed by the 1950-53 Korean War.
  • Southern Businessmen Enter NK Via Road Korea-net 21 Feb 2003 -- An inspection team from Hyundai Asan Co. and Korea Land Corp. (KOLAND) visited the North Korean city of Gaesong, the site for a planned industrial complex for South Korean businesses, early Friday morning, via a makeshift cross-frontier road along the west coast.
  • Roh to Seek Inter-Korean Peace Treaty Korea-net 21 Feb 2003 -- President-elect Roh Moo-hyun's administration aims to ensure the long-term security of the Korean peninsula by forming a peace treaty with North Korea within its five-year tenure, according to a policy report released by the incoming government Friday (Feb. 21).
  • SOKOR - US DIFFERENCES VOA 21 Feb 2003 -- As U-S Secretary of State Colin Powell heads for Asia to discuss the North Korean crisis, some experts are saying he needs to work on improving communications with America's ally, South Korea. These analysts say the North Korea problem cannot be solved unless Washington and Seoul speak with a firm and united voice.
  • Rallies of participants in anti-war and peace march held in S. Korea KCNA 20 Feb 2003 -- Members of civic and social organizations and people in Seoul, Pusan and other cities in South Korea reportedly held "February 15 rallies of participants in the international joint anti-war and peace march to oppose the attack on Iraq and the threat of a war on the Korean Peninsula" on Feb. 15. A rally took place in Maroni park, Seoul, with at least 3,000 representatives of civic and social organizations and people attending.
  • S. Korea and U.S. to stage joint war exercises KCNA 20 Feb 2003 -- The South Korea-U.S. combined forces command announced on Feb. 17 that it would stage two joint military exercises from March 4 to April 2, according to South Korean KBS. They are the "reception, staging, onward movement and integration" exercise, a combined commanding exercise, and "Foal Eagle" exercise, a large-scale field mobile exercise.
  • POWELL-ASIA VOA 20 Feb 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell interrupts intensive diplomacy on the Iraq later today (Eds: Friday) as he begins a five-day mission to Asia where the focus will be on North Korea and its recent nuclear moves. He'll visit Japan and then China and complete the trip by representing the United States at the inauguration of incoming South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun.
  • KOREA REUNIONS VOA 20 Feb 2003 -- Hundreds of Korean family members separated on the two sides of the Korean divide for decades are meeting at a mountain resort inside North Korea.
  • SOKOR / SUBWAY FIRE VOA 20 Feb 2003 -- Grieving families are demanding that the South Korean government speed up identification of their relatives killed in a massive subway fire. President-elect Roh Moo-hyun is pledging more will be done.
  • U.S. Welcomes Talks With South Korea to 'Rebalance' Forces AFPS 19 Feb 2003 -- The United States welcomes South Korean President-elect Roh Moo-hyun's proposal to discuss "rebalancing" the relationship between the two countries, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said today.
  • Text: Powell To Visit Korea, Japan and China February 21-25 Washington File 19 Feb 2003 -- Following is the text of a February 19 State Department press release concerning Secretary of State Colin Powell's planned trip to Asia, February 21-25
  • POWELL / ASIA VOA 19 Feb 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell flies to Asia later this week for a three-nation trip ending with a stop in Seoul for the February 25th inauguration of incoming South Korean president Roh Moo-Hyun. His talks in Japan, China and South Korea will be dominated by the North Korean nuclear issue.
  • Family Reunions Due at Mt. Geumgang Korea-net 19 Feb 2003 -- South Koreans who were separated from family members by the 1950-53 Korean War will meet their long-lost kin from the North at the scenic Mt. Geumgang on Thursday.
  • SOKOR SUBWAY VOA 19 Feb 2003 -- South Koreans are mourning the deaths of more than 120-people Tuesday in a deadly subway arson attack. The families of the victims are growing angry at the pace of identifying their relatives.
  • KOREAS NUKES VOA 19 Feb 2003 -- South Korea's president-elect says he opposes military action to force North Korea give up its nuclear programs.
  • SOKOR SUBWAY FIRE VOA 18 Feb 2003 -- More than 130 people are believed to have died, some 136 were injured and 99 were still missing in an arson attack on a subway train in Daegu, South Korea's third largest city. The tragedy is being blamed on a man armed with a Molotov cocktail, whose motive is still a mystery.
  • U-S/KOREA EXERCISES VOA 17 Feb 2003 -- The United States and South Korea are going ahead with annual military exercises, despite tensions over North Korea's nuclear programs. The news comes as Pyongyang declares it is ready to take on the United States in a nuclear war.
  • Koreas Fail to Agree on Size of Reunion Center Korea-net 17 Feb 2003 -- South and North Korea failed to make progress on the construction plan for the center for separated families during working level talks at Mt. Geumgang over the weekend.
  • S. KOREA SCANDAL VOA 16 Feb 2003 -- The head of a South Korean conglomerate has acknowledged giving North Korea millions of dollars to help entice Pyongyang to attend an inter-Korean summit nearly three years ago. The revelation is the latest chapter in a saga that has sullied the reputation of South Korea's president in his waning days in office.
  • Koreas End Economic Talks Without Agreement Korea-net 15 Feb 2003 -- North Korean economic delegates flied back home on Friday (Feb. 14) with their hands empty, after four days of much troubled talks with their southern counterparts.
  • S. Korean navy stages war exercise KCNA 14 Feb 2003 -- A special war brigade under the operation command of the South Korean navy staged war drills in the east sea on Feb. 10 and 11, according to South Korean KBS. The exercise involved swimming and entering into operation in the water and intrusion into coastal waters by use of rubber boats, etc. it was allegedly aimed to increase the capability of the brigade's marine special operations in the winter season.
  • Statement to the Nation by President Kim Dae-jung Korea-net 14 Feb 2003 -- "What I have wanted most was to leave office at the end of my tenure on a happy note. Lots of people expressed such an expectation. However, the latest controversial debate over the issue of remittance to North Korea by the Hyundai Merchant Marine Co. has unnerved the people. I am extremely sorry. For my part, too, I feel wretched and am in pain."
  • Kim Explains Cash Remittance to NK by Hyundai Korea-net 14 Feb 2003 -- President Kim Dae-jung Friday (Feb. 14) apologized for the controversy surrounding the remittance of $200 million to poverty-stricken North Korea by Hyundai Merchant Marine a week before the landmark inter-Korean summit in June 2000 in Pyongyang.
  • Roh Stresses Efforts to Prevent War Korea-net 14 Feb 2003 -- President-elect Roh Moo-hyun said Thursday (Feb. 13) the government should make efforts to prevent the North Korean nuclear standoff from degenerating into a war on the Korean peninsula.
  • Pilot Overland Tour to North Korea Starts Korea-net 14 Feb 2003 -- A pilot overland tour to Mt. Geumgang in North Korea started Friday (Feb. 14) as some 500 South Korean tourists left via a newly-built temporary road running through the heavily fortified demilitarized zone (DMZ) that divides the two Koreas.
  • SOUTH KOREA / KIM APOLOGY VOA 14 Feb 2003 -- South Korean President Kim Dae-jung has apologized to the nation for a financial scandal involving millions of dollars in secret money transfers to North Korea. The money was transferred just before a North South summit that became a major factor in Mr. Kim winning the Nobel Peace Prize.
  • KOREAS WRAP VOA 14 Feb 2003 -- The heavily-fortified border between North and South Korea was opened to ordinary tourists Friday for the first time in half a century. It was one small positive sign amid continuing tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
  • Talks on Reunion Center Construction to Begin Korea-net 13 Feb 2003 -- South and North Korea are to begin three days of working-level talks today(Feb. 13) to settle details of a reunion center for families separated during the 1950-1953 Korean War.
  • Pres. Kim Proud of His Sunshine Policy Korea-net 13 Feb 2003 -- President Kim Dae-jung said Thursday his "sunshine policy" of engaging North Korea had contributed to developing inter-Korean relations during his five-year term in office.
  • S. Korean visiting group leaves VOA 12 Feb 2003 -- A visiting group of the "Movement of Koreans for Helping Each Other," a non-governmental organization of South Korea, co-led by permanent representative of the movement Song Hyon Sop, chairman of the central council of the New Community Movement Kang Mun Gyu and representative director of the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation of South Korea Song Sok U left Pyongyang today
  • N. Korea Wishes for Continued Aid From South Korea-net 12 Feb 2003 -- A North Korean delegation tried to draw a line between the recent nuclear crisis and inter-Korean economic cooperation after their arrival in Seoul Tuesday for a four-day economic talks with their southern counterparts.
  • S. Korea Calls on North to Resolve Nuclear Row Korea-net 12 Feb 2003 -- South Korean officials brought up the North's nuclear program as the first item on the agenda during inter-Korean economic talks in Seoul that started Tuesday.
  • ROK, US to Set Up Consultative Body on Nukes Korea-net 11 Feb 2003 -- South Korea and the United States will set up an inter-governmental consultative body on the North Korean nuclear issue and establish a special civilian-government committee to promote the 50-year-old alliance between the two countries, an official at the presidential transition committee said on Monday (Feb. 10).
  • Kim Solicits EU Support on NK Nuke Row Korea-net 11 Feb 2003 -- President Kim Dae-jung on Tuesday (Feb. 11) called for the European Union's support in resolving the North Korean nuclear issue peacefully through dialogue.
  • SOKOR/CREDIT RATING VOA 11 Feb 2003 -- The dispute over North Korea's nuclear ambitions has hit the South Korean economy as Moody's credit ratings agency downgraded its outlook for the country's economy from "positive" to "negative". The move could make it harder for South Korean companies to borrow money.
  • Koreas Exchange Results on 6th Family Reunion Korea-net 10 Feb 2003 -- The two Koreas on Sunday (Feb. 9) exchanged search results for elderly men and women who will take part in the sixth inter-Korean family reunion to be held in Mt. Geumgang from Feb. 20-25.
  • S-N Economic Talks to Open Tuesday Korea-net 10 Feb 2003 -- South and North Korea are expected to put the sensitive nuclear issue on a backburner for a while this week.
  • Koreas to Talk on Reunion Center Project Korea-net 06 Feb 2003 -- The Koreas will hold the first meeting of a joint committee for building a reunion center for separated families Feb. 13-15 at Mt. Geumgang in North Korea.
  • Farmers, Doctors to Visit NK Saturday Korea-net 07 Feb 2003 -- A 106-member South Korean delegation is to fly direct to North Korea Saturday (Feb. 8) to discuss inter-Koreabn cooperation programs.
  • Gov't to Boost Transparency in NK Policy Korea-net 05 Feb 2003 -- Prime Minister Kim Suk-soo said Wednesday the government would step up efforts to achieve national consensus on North Korea policy by enhancing transparency of inter-Korean cooperation projects.
  • Overland Route to Mt. Geumgang Opens Korea-net 05 Feb 2003 -- For the first time since the Korean War in 1950-1953, a group of South Korean civilians on Wednesday (Feb. 5) toured Mt. Geumgang in North Korea via the land route on the east coast through the demilitarized zone (DMZ) both sides have constructed for the tourism project.
  • Roh's Envoy Meets Rumsfeld at Pentagon Korea-net 05 Feb 2003 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Monday agreed on the need to redress the balance of the South Korea-U.S. alliance in a meeting with President-elect Roh Moo-hyun's envoy, Chyung Dai-chul, Yonhap reported.
  • Red Cross Talks Proposed Feb. 13-15 Korea-net 04 Feb 2003 -- South Korea's Red Cross on Tuesday (Feb. 4) proposed to its North Korean counterpart a Feb. 13-15 meeting at the North's Mt. Geumgang resort on the construction of a reunion center for separated families.
  • Roh's Envoy Embarks on Trip to US, Japan Korea-net 03 Feb 2003 -- President-elect Roh Moo-hyun's special envoy Chyung Dai-chul embarked on an eight-day trip Sunday to the United States and Japan for talks with the leaders of the two countries on the North Korean nuclear issue.
  • KOREAS/SCANDAL VOA 3 Feb 2003 -- South Korean President-elect Roh Moo-hyun is calling for the current government to address allegations that it bribed North Korea to hold the first-ever inter-Korean summit in 2000. But Mr. Roh says while the truth needs to be aired, any inquiry should be careful not to damage fragile ties with the communist North.
  • SOUTH KOREA / ENVOY VOA 02 Feb 2003 -- South Korean envoy left Sunday for Washington and Tokyo to push for a peaceful settlement of the row over North Korea's nuclear weapons program