THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
______________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release June 16, 1994
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
IN PRESS AVAILABILITY
The Briefing Room
5:45 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon.
In recent weeks, we have been consulting with our allies
and friends on the imposition of sanctions against North Korea
because of its refusal to permit full inspections of its nuclear
program. Today there are reports that the North Koreans, in
discussions with President Carter, may have offered new steps to
resolve the international community's concerns, saying that
International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors and monitoring
equipment would be left in place and that North Korea desires to
replace its present nuclear program with a new light water reactor
technology that is more resistent to nuclear proliferation.
If North Korea means by this, also, that it is willing
to freeze its nuclear program while talks take place, this could be a
promising development. As we review these reports today and in the
days ahead, I want to take a moment to explain the extent of our
interests and the steps we are taking to protect them.
Our nation clearly has vital interests on the Korean
Peninsula. Four decades after the conflict there that claimed
hundreds of thousand of South Korean and American lives, South Korea
continues to face a threat of a million troops, most of them massed
near its border.
America's commitment to South Korea, our treaty ally,
our trading partner, our fellow democracy, is unshakable. We have
some 37,000 American troops in Korea to maintain that commitment, and
their safety is of vital importance to us.
We also have an interest in preserving the stability of
the Asian-Pacific region. And we have a compelling interest in
preserving the integrity of the Nonproliferation Treaty, and to
prevent the spread of global nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.
Therefore, in response to North Korea's nuclear
activities, we have consistently pursued two goals: a non-nuclear
Korean Peninsula and a strong international nonproliferation regime.
We've made serious and extensive efforts to resolve the North Korean
issue through negotiations, and have given North Korea many
opportunities to return to compliance with its own nonproliferation
commitments, made first nine years ago when North Korea signed the
Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty; and in 1991, when North Korea signed
-- agreed with South Korea to pursue a non-nuclear Korean Peninsula.
We've made clear that these negotiations could continue,
but only if North Korea cooperated with the International Atomic
Energy Agency, and did not deepen its violation of international
nuclear safeguards. If today's developments mean that North Korea is
genuinely and verifiably prepared to freeze its nuclear program while
talks go on -- and we hope that is the case -- then we would be
willing to resume high-level talks. In the meantime, we will pursue
our consultations on sanctions at the United Nations.
In recent weeks I've consulted -- or days, in recent
days I've consulted with President Kim of South Korea, Prime Minister
Hata of Japan, President Yeltsin of Russia and others. I will
continue to consult closely with them on this matter, with other
international leaders and, of course, with members of Congress of
both parties.
Through all appropriate means, I will keep working to
ensure the security of South Korea, the safety of our troops, the
stability of the Asian Pacific, and the protection of our nation, our
friends and our allies from the spread of nuclear weapons.
There is a great deal at stake. We are pursuing our
interests with resolve and steadiness. We are hopeful that this
development today will be positive, and we are awaiting further
evidence.
Q Is it possible, or probable, that you could know
with full confidence that North Korea has frozen its program? Is
time a factor? Are you worried about the clock ticking if they
really are bent on a nuclear program?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, the answer to the second question
is, yes, time is a factor. The answer to the first question is, yes,
we believe we would be able to know, based on the representations
that were apparently made today whether they have, in fact, frozen
their program while talks continue.
Q How long might that take, sir?
Q Mr. President, are you concerned that they might be
playing for time and trying to weaken your hand with the Chinese and
perhaps the Russians and others who might be worried about sanctions?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, we'll just have to see. These
discussions occurred today; there will be more discussions tomorrow,
tomorrow Korean time, which is there now. And we will just have to
see. But it depends on what the Koreans actually meant by what they
said today, and we will have to see.
So Ambassador Albright continued today pursuing our
consultations on sanctions with the non-permanent members of the
Security Council of the United Nations, and we are proceeding and
we're just going to watch developments.
Q But there were some concerns about appearing weak
in their eyes.
THE PRESIDENT: No. It depends on what they mean.
That's why we're being very clear today to say that we want to know
what they meant by their representation and whether it represents a
change of position. If it is a different position on which we can
honorably resume negotiations, knowing, in fact, that there will be
no development of the nuclear program while we are having discussions
with them, then it is not an inappropriate delay. Then it is a
genuine effort to resolve disputes which could lead to a safer world
at a much lower cost. It simply depends on what their intentions and
actions are.
Q Mr. President, why have you put so much distance
between the White House and President Carter's visit? Your aides
have always stressed that, no, this is private; no, the President has
not talked to President Carter. Why don't you talk to him? I mean,
why don't you try to find out what's really going on, and why would
you not debrief him when he comes back?
THE PRESIDENT: Oh, I intend to debrief him when he
comes back. I absolutely do. And I talked to him before he went,
personally.
Q You did?
THE PRESIDENT: Absolutely. So --
Q Well, there seems to be some sense that he's not
representing us, and --
THE PRESIDENT: No. Well, I think it's been important
in this whole development for the way it's unfolded, that he was
invited there as a citizen, as a representative of the Carter Center,
to have a dialogue not as a representative of the government, but as
someone who could see Kim Il Sung and could have a detailed
conversation with him. And I think that the way this has unfolded
proves that, at least that some -- we have gotten some information
there that might not have otherwise been the case. So I don't have
any problem with it.
But I think it is important that the United States, and
its interests, can only be stated by people who are ultimately in
charge with doing that. And I think President Carter fully agreed
with the characterization of his role in his mission. That is the
way he wanted it as well as the way we wanted it, and we think that
that gives us some possibility that something will come out of this.
Whether it will or not, we still don't know.
Q Mr. President, two things, sir. Will this
inevitably take the steam out of your effort to build support for
possible sanctions, and second, the Senate today passed by a quite
overwhelming vote a sense of the Senate resolution calling on you to
bolster force, your forces in South Korea. Your reaction to both of
those matters.
THE PRESIDENT: First, we will do whatever is necessary
to protect our own forces there and to fulfill our commitments to the
South Koreans.
I met recently with all the commanders-in-chief,
including General Luck, our commander in South Korea. I met today,
again, with the Secretary of Defense and General Shalikashvili to
discuss this and other issues. And we will take appropriate steps as
we should, as we must. So there is nothing to be concerned about.
Now, on the other issue, what happens here depends upon
whether this is, in fact, a new development. That is really what is
at stake. Can -- will it take the steam out of sanctions? Not if
there is nothing new here. If there is a genuine prospect for not
only leaving the IAEA monitors and equipment in place and moving away
from the present nuclear technology, which is very susceptible to
proliferation, to a light water technology which is less susceptible,
in an environment in which -- and I stress -- in an environment in
which there is freeze on any nuclear activities, then the
international community will be able to pursue its objectives of
adherence by North Korea to the NPT, thwarting the proliferation of
nuclear weapons, achieving the agreement North Korea made for a non-
nuclear Korean Peninsula in an appropriate way.
It depends on the facts. It all depends on the facts,
and that is what we will attempt to determine over the next several
hours.
Thank you very much.
END 5:53 P.M. EDT
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