U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
DECEMBER 9, 1994
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
I N D E X
Friday, December 9, 1994
Briefers: Thomas Hubbard
Christine Shelly
NORTH KOREA
Opening Remarks by DAS Hubbard ................1-2
Liaison Offices with US/Communications/Travel .2-5,7-9
Missile Exports ...............................4,11
Next Experts Meeting ..........................5-8
Framework Agreement ...........................6
Peace Treaty ..................................9-10
US MIAs .......................................10
Heavy Oil Shipments ...........................10
...............
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
DPC #172
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1994, 1:41 P. M.
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)
MS. SHELLY: I'd like to introduce Thomas Hubbard, the
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and
Pacific Affairs who will brief you on the talks this week
with North Korea on issues relating to the opening of Liaison
Offices.
Mr. Hubbard's responsibility include relations with
Korea and Japan as well as with the ASEAN countries and
Burma. He has been working intensively on the North Korean
nuclear issue with Ambassador Gallucci and participated in
the Geneva talks with the DPRK.
Prior to his present assignment, for those of you who do
not know Mr. Hubbard, he served as Deputy Chief of Mission at
our Embassies in the Philippines and Malaysia and has held a
number of other positions in our missions in East Asia and in
the EAP Bureau in Washington, including Director of our Japan
Desk.
We'll follow our usual format. I'll take questions on
the non-Asian subjects following Deputy Assistant Secretary
Hubbard's remarks and questions. Without any further ado,
I turn it over to you. The microphone's yours.
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: Thank you,
Christine. As I think all of you know, the North Koreans
have been here this week for expert talks on the issues
involved in establishing Liaison Offices between our two
countries.
These have been expert-level talks, headed on our side
by Lynn Turk who works with me in the East Asia Bureau as
Coordinator for North Korean Affairs, and the head of the
North Korean delegation was Mr. Pak Sok-gyun, Deputy Director
of the American Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
in Pyongyang.
This is, of course, the first official North Korean
delegation to come to Washington for government-to-government
talks with the U.S. Government. The talks took place in
furtherance of the agreement in our Agreed Framework with the
North Koreans, agreed in October, that the two sides would
establish liaison offices in respective capitals once expert-
level talks have resolved the consular and other technical
issues involved in establishing those offices.
The talks this week have been cooperative and
constructive. The two sides have made substantial progress
on the outstanding consular and other technical issues
involved in establishing the liaison offices. The talks are
still ongoing. They will conclude later this afternoon, and
we expect to get something further out on the results at that
time.
We do expect to conclude these talks today. The next
step in the process will be a return visit by a U.S. team,
again probably headed by Lynn Turk, to Pyongyang to survey
possible sites for a Liaison Office and continue the
discussions. We would expect thereafter a North Korean team
to come back to Washington for a similar purpose.
As you know, we had a team in Pyongyang to begin these
discussions back in September. Be pleased to answer any
questions.
Q Sir, how has the tough stance by Senator Jesse
Helms and Representative Ben Gilman and the other Republicans
towards the Korea accord, demanding that they were going to
have a closer insight onto the Accord and maybe attach
conditions -- how is that going to affect the progress of
these talks? And, if they try to attach further
conditionality to the accord, will it damage the accord?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: Of course, any
conditionality attached to the accord would damage our
prospects for implementing it. There are a whole variety of
aspects in the accord. Judging from the comments I've heard
to date, the issue of liaison offices does not seem as
controversial as some of the others that have been raised.
Q What were the areas of agreement and disagreement?
And what the immediate results of the talks?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: We have reached
agreement by and large on the consular issues involved in
establishing these offices. The consular issues relate to
our ability to protect American citizens who may be visiting
North Korea or the North Korean ability to protect their
citizens that might be visiting the United States --
procedures related to what happens when someone is arrested,
what happens when someone runs into an accident, and all
that.
We by and large reached agreement on these consular
issues, so that our two liaison offices can function in those
areas. Further technical issues involve just how do you
support liaison offices? What kind of communications can
they have? What kind of facilities will they have for
sending pouches and for entry and exit, and all of that.
We've also reached agreement on most of those issues.
Property is a big remaining issue to resolve.
Q So the North Koreans have expressed a willingness
to allow American tourists to go to North Korea and vice
versa? That's been part of these talks?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: The talks really
haven't dealt with that question. The talks have dealt more
with how we would deal with them in cases where there are
tourists present. For example, Americans wishing to visit
the DPRK have to have visas. Once they get there, how would
we ensure that they are protected under all rights given to
them under North Korean law and vice versa. We haven't
really talked about expanding tourism.
Q You are preparing for tourist visits -- reciprocal
tourist visits, clearly?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: Certainly, those
would be contemplated. I'm not aware of a whole lot of North
Korean tourism in the world, and I'm also not aware of a
whole lot of Americans wishing to visit North Korea as
tourists. But certainly we're putting in place a framework
under which that could occur.
Q Do you have a date for when the U.S. team would go
to Pyongyang on site survey? And related to that, is there a
time frame for opening up the liaison offices?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: No. Again, in the
Agreed Framework, we undertook to establish those offices
when we have resolved the consular and other technical mattes
involved. I expect the team to go out some time in the first
quarter of next year to Pyongyang. I would expect we would
also have a North Korean team here sometime in that time
frame if they succeed in resolving the issues. And finding
property to set up shop and the actual establishment would
follow.
Q Mr. Hubbard, what was the -- how would you
describe the tone, the relations between the two expert
groups? How would you describe this step as proceeding and
progressing to fulfill the agreement from October? And then
finally did you have any discussions at all or any insight as
to the relations between North Korea and their talks with the
South that might be an adjunct to this?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: As I say, the talks
have been cooperative and constructive. These have been
expert talks, by and large. The talks have dealt with rather
technical issues, but both sides have addressed those issues
with a will to get the job done and move forward with their
task, and to implement the Agreed Framework.
We have taken the occasion of the presence of the North
Korean representatives to raise some of the other issues that
are of concern to us, and one very large issue for us is the
fate of North-South discussions between the two Koreas. We
took the occasion of this visit to underscore to the North
Koreans the importance of North-South dialogue if we're to
succeed in implementing this overall framework. Of course,
the Framework calls for North-South dialogue.
Q Are there any other -- while you're on that
subject, are there any other issues that you did bring up
that you'd like to tell us about?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: I think we
exchanged our mutual interest in implementing the entire
range of issues involved in the Agreed Framework. We assured
the North Koreans that we expect to fulfill that Framework,
and that we expect them to do also.
We took the occasion also to begin to raise some other
issues of difficulty to us -- to flag such things as their
missile exports as problems that will loom as our
relationship moves forward.
Q There are two issues that Mr. Gallucci wanted to
address. One of them was to ensure that U.S. diplomats have
the same freedom there as Korean diplomats would have here.
Did you resolve that? And the other was, would they come
directly through South Korea, perhaps by way of car, up to
North Korea, or would they have to go through Beijing? Did
you resolve those two issues?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: On the first issue,
of course, our whole principle in all of our bilateral
relations is reciprocity, so that we would expect to grant to
the North Koreans privileges and access here that are
equivalent to those that they grant us in Pyongyang.
We would, of course, like to expand the scope of those
privileges and access, and I think that will be a continuing
subject of discussion. But there will be reciprocity.
I don't want to get into all of the details of exactly
what was agreed. As Mr. Gallucci said, we would like over
time to be in a position to actually transit the DMZ -- have
our people go in that way and come out that way. The North
Koreans pointed out that they don't grant that right to any
other country in North Korea; that they'd have to consider
that very carefully. So that will go forward as an issue
that is not resolved.
Q What will be the initial level of representation
in the liaison offices?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: The level of
representation will be the lowest allowed under the Vienna
Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The head of each office
will be known as Head of Liaison Office rather than by any
other title.
Q Since you raised the issue of missile exports, did
you also raise the other issues that have been listed as of
U.S. concern but not part of the nuclear agreement, which
would be terrorism, troops along the DMZ and human rights?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: These have not been
issues for the formal discussions over the consular issues,
but indeed in our various social events and side talks we've
raised all of these issues.
Q I'd like to confirm if you said the Liaison Office
between -- two countries will open within March next year?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: No, I didn't say
that. I said I expected that in the first quarter of next
year, by the end of March, that we will have sent another
team to look at sites in Pyongyang; that the North Koreans
will probably have sent another team to Washington to look at
sites, and that at some point thereafter, assuming all issues
are resolved and once we find property and are able to set
them up, then we would actually establish the offices. But
I'm not making any prediction as to when that would occur.
Q When do you think the next expert meeting will
resume?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: In Pyongyang,
sometime in the early part of next year.
Q Is all of this contingent upon the entire
framework agreement coming together, or is this on a separate
track? In other words, if Senator Helms and others raise
objections to the nuclear agreement, would that put all this
in jeopardy?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: We are determined
to implement the entire Agreed Framework, and we believe we
have very good answers to the questions that Senator Helms
and others might ask, and that the overall agreement is in
our interests and is in the interest of peace and security in
the region.
The Agreed Framework itself has various time phasing for
doing different things, and one of the things we said we
would do was that if we can resolve the consular and other
technical matters, we would move forward and establish
liaison offices. So long as both sides are faithfully
implementing all aspects of the Agreed Framework, I think
that will take place.
Q Did they raise questions with you along the
margins or in any way about this new political climate in
Washington and what it would mean for the framework?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: They have expressed
-- they have obviously read the newspapers. They've heard
some of the questions. They, as you can imagine, are
interested observers of the American political scene as it
affects this Framework, we all made it very clear to them
that the U.S. Government intends to fulfill the Framework and
expects them to do the same.
If I could just take this opportunity. Various elements
of the Agreed Framework will be implemented as they come up.
But a first important aspect of that was for the DPRK to
reach agreement with the IAEA on the means and methods by
which they would monitor the freeze on the nuclear facilities
that the DPRK agreed to freeze.
You may have noted in the wire services today that
Director General Blix of the IAEA has indicated substantial
satisfaction with the way the talks have gone between North
Korea and the IAEA. He has indicated that they have resolved
most of the issues involved in setting up their system for
monitoring the freeze. They expect to have further talks in
January to resolve remaining issues. I think that's very
good news.
Q Has the Administration already started trying to
reassure the Hill about all these issues?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: Yes, indeed. As
you know, Bob Gallucci was up on the Hill for hearings the
other day. We've been briefing staff, and then we're ready
to talk to those on the Hill as soon as we have an
opportunity.
Q If I could follow up on that. Another part of the
agreement that was supposed to be implemented soon is, the
U.S. is supposed to take actions on telecommunications and
banking in the first three months. Did you discuss that with
the North Koreans? And what can we expect on that?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: What we said
actually in the Agreed Framework was that we would reduce the
various economic, financial, and communications restrictions
that have been placed on North Korea. We will do that. We
haven't decided exactly which restrictions will be lifted
exactly when. But, indeed, we will fulfill our commitment to
reduce restrictions within three months of the agreement.
Q Have you agreed on just what limits there will be
on the movement of diplomats in both countries?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: That's one of the
issues that is coming up right now that will be discussed
later this afternoon.
The North Koreans do restrict travel by all diplomats in
the DPRK. We've indicated that we would like to have the
ability to travel both to -- accept our responsibilities to
implement this framework agreement as well as to be able to
take care of Americans who might be visiting.
As I said earlier, we'll give them reciprocal access.
It will not be entirely free. There will be some
restrictions on it.
Q To follow. This particular visit to Washington,
are there limitations? What is their reaction to being in
Washington?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: I think they have
found a warm welcome here. We have tried to give them a warm
welcome. We've had good cooperative talks. We've had a
number of opportunities to talk at social events. I will be
hosting a farewell dinner for them this evening. They will
be leaving tomorrow.
We've given them a chance to sightsee a bit. They've
had a chance to look at some properties. We hope they will
go back to Pyongyang with a good appreciation of American
society.
Q How did they travel here physically? By plane, by
car?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: They flew here, of
course, from Pyongyang via New York. We have been giving
them transportation here in Washington.
Q These are not New York-based diplomats?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: No. These are
diplomats -- one New York-based diplomat is here, but the
leader of their delegation and three of the other members
came here from Pyongyang.
Q You said that this is the first North Korean
delegation that came here for official government-to-
government talks?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: That's correct. Of
course, they have their mission in New York at the U.N.
We've had a lot of talks with them up there. Members of
their mission at the U.N. occasionally have come to
Washington for things like the National Prayer Breakfast and
other academic events.
There have been visitors from Pyongyang for academic
events as well as part of international delegations. But
this is the first time we've actually had a government-to-
government group.
Q What kind of funding is needed to establish the
Liaison Office? Will extra funding be requested or needed
for it? And is it therefore subject to freezing if the
Senate wants to block it?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: I really don't have
a good answer for you on that. I don't believe we will need
to go to Congress for extra funds to establish the Liaison
Office. Certainly, Congress can block whatever it wishes.
We think it would be tremendous mistake to block this. The
liaison offices are an integral part of this Framework we
have with North Korea that addresses some very serious
problems.
The liaison offices themselves will give us
opportunities to press issues of concern to us, as we've
said, like missiles and terrorism and human rights. We think
it will be good. It will serve U.S. interest to have those
offices. So both in terms of the overall Framework and for
the good that these offices can bring us, we think it would
be a big mistake to block it.
Q You mentioned about reciprocity, the way the
diplomats will be treated. If the North Koreans want to put
restrictions on our diplomats, how would you go about doing
that on theirs here?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: Again, I wouldn't
want to try to get into the technical aspects of that. We
have an Office of Foreign Missions. We across-the-board
insist on reciprocity. For example, if country "X" applies
travel restrictions or applies restrictions on the ability of
our dependents to work overseas, we apply similar
restrictions here. We have mechanisms for doing that.
Q A couple of technical questions. You talk about
the minimum level under the Geneva Protocols. Could you tell
us, what's that level? Also, about the restriction for
physical travel in each country, what is the present
limitation applied by North Korea? If that's the case of 40
kilometers, does it mean every time a U.S. diplomats want to
go to Yongbyon, they will have to apply for permission to go
there?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: I don't want to get
into all of the details on exactly what kind of restrictions
are applied. Suffice it to say that we are asking for the
kind of access we believe we need to carry out the Agreed
Framework as well as to protect our citizens.
In saying that, we are establishing relations at the
lowest level allowed by the 1961 Vienna Convention. A key
point to focus on is the fact that we will not have an
ambassador. We will have a Head of Liaison Office. These
will be diplomatic officials but now at full ambassadorial
level.
The chiefs of the liaison offices will not be accredited
by the respective heads of state as is the case with full
diplomatic relations, but by the Secretary of State, in our
case, and by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the DPRK.
Q What's the number of people involved?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: We haven't worked
out precisely the number, but it will be very small.
Q Have the North Koreans raised the issue of signing
a peace treaty with the United States? Or if they have, what
was your reaction to it?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: The North Koreans
often raise that issue with us. Our answer every time they
raise is that they should talk to the ROK about that; that
they agreed in 1992 that the North and South would discuss
replacing the current armistice with a peace treaty. They
agreed that the armistice would remain in place until a peace
treaty is negotiated.
Our position is that the North should, in the first
instance, talk to the South. That's one more reason why it
is so important that a North-South dialogue be started.
We're prepared to be supportive but the main actors are the
two Koreas.
Q Did the North Koreans ask for any special
financing to purchase this mission? Or are they going to
lease it, and did the U.S. say they would consider it?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: They haven't asked
for it. I think it's natural that each country pay for its
own diplomatic missions abroad.
Q Did the North Koreans raise any concerns or
suspicions that the liaison office would be used for
intelligence-gathering?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: No, I have not
heard that subject at all.
Q After opening the liaison office, did the North
Koreans agree that United States diplomats could cross the
military demarcation line to go to Seoul?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: That is an issue
that is still under discussion. That is a request that we
have made. I do not expect that to be resolved at this time.
Q Republican Senators have asked about the fate of
8,000 missing servicemen from the Korean war. Was this
brought up at all during the period of these talks?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: Yes. We have noted
to them our concern over that issue and our wish to find
effective mechanisms for resolving it.
Q Was their response sympathetic?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: The officials who
were here this time, I don't think were well briefed on the
subject; were not competent to address it, but they realize
how important it is to us.
Q Mr. Secretary, can you share with us any updated
information on the provision of the heavy oil? When is the
first shipment to North Korea?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: We agreed that the
first shipment would be made by January 21, 1995.
Q Specifically, before the end of this year or early
next year?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: We agreed that it
would be provided within three months of the signing of the
Agreed Framework. That's January 21. I think it will be
next year.
Q What was their response regarding the missile
issue that you raised? Did they come back with a response?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: They did not.
Again, I think the official who is here is not responsible
for those matters. But I do expect that we will have on-
going discussions of that subject.
Q What was (inaudible) question?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: Fifty thousand
tons.
Q Is that the shipment on U.S. ships?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: I'm not sure.
Q Do you have an guarantees of their activities in
Pyongyang?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HUBBARD: They will have the
standard diplomatic privileges and immunities that flow from
the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
Thank you.
(Following the above briefing, Deputy Spokesman
Christine Shelly continued with the Daily briefing,
commencing at 2:05 p.m.)
MS. SHELLY: Questions on other subjects.
Q The KEDO talks that were scheduled to resume in --
MS. SHELLY: I'm not doing any Korea questions. You
just had your opportunity to get our guest speaker, so,
sorry, I can't help you on Korea.
............
(The briefing concluded at 2:32 p.m.)
(###)
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