Voice of America 5/9/97
N. KOREA / NUCLEAR
BYLINE=DAVID PAULSON
DATELINE=SEOUL
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THE HEAD OF SOUTH KOREAN
INTELLIGENCE AGENCY HAS TOLD A NATIONAL
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE THAT HE IS CONVINCED
NORTH KOREA HAS NUCLEAR WEAPONS. DAVID
PAULSON REPORTS FROM SEOUL THE STATEMENT
IS LIKELY TO HEIGHTEN ANXIETY ABOUT HOW
TO RESPOND TO NORTH KOREA'S DEMANDS FOR
EMERGENCY AID.
TEXT: THE ASSESSMENT BY INTELLIGENCE
CHIEF KWON YONG-HAE LENDS CREDENCE TO
SIMILAR STATEMENTS BY HWANG CHANG YOP,
THE ADVISER TO NORTH KOREAN LEADER KIM
JONG IL. MR. HWANG, WHO DEFECTED IN
FEBRUARY, HAS REPORTEDLY TOLD SOUTH
KOREAN INTERROGATORS THAT NORTH KOREA
HAS HAD FIVE NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN ITS ARSENAL
SINCE 1994.
MR. HWANG IS ALSO QUOTED IN A SOUTH
KOREAN NEWSPAPER, THE CHOSUN ILBO,
AS SAYING THE NORTH KOREAN LEADERSHIP
HAS GIVEN UP ON A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION
OF ITS CURRENT ECONOMIC CRISIS AND IS
DETERMINED TO GO TO WAR. MR. HWANG
REPORTEDLY SAYS NORTH KOREA WOULD
USE CHEMICAL WEAPONS AGAINST SEOUL
AND IF THE UNITED STATES INTERVENED,
WOULD LAUNCH A NUCLEAR ATTACK
AGAINST JAPAN.
THE CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL
ASSEMBLY'S INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE IS
EXPECTED TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT
IN A FEW DAYS THAT THE GOVERNMENT
BELIEVES NORTH KOREA HAS NUCLEAR
WEAPONS. SUCH A FINDING WOULD TEND
TO SUPPORT A STRATEGY THAT AVOIDS
PROVOKING THE STALINIST STATE TO
AGGRESSION. THOUGH THE GOVERNMENT
OFFICIALLY ENDORSES THIS SO-CALLED
"SOFT-LANDING" APPROACH, LATELY
SOUTH KOREA HAS TAKEN A HARDER
LINE IN DEMANDING COOPERATIVE
GESTURES FROM NORTH KOREA IN
RETURN FOR DESPERATELY
NEEDED FAMINE RELIEF.
SOME SOURCES CLOSE TO THE NATIONAL
ASSEMBLY SAY THE INTELLIGENCE CHIEF
MAY HAVE MADE THE ALARMING STATEMENT
IN ORDER TO DISTRACT PUBLIC ATTENTION
FROM A DOMESTIC CONTROVERSY.
PROSECUTORS ARE SOON EXPECTED TO
SUMMON THE SON OF PRESIDENT KIM
YONG-SAM TO QUESTION HIM ABOUT
ALLEGATIONS HE RECEIVED ILLEGAL
KICKBACKS. RULING PARTY LAWMAKERS
ARE ALSO CALLING FOR A NATIONAL
ASSEMBLY INVESTIGATION INTO PRESIDENT
KIM'S CAMPAIGN FINANCING.
AS TO NORTH KOREA'S NUCLEAR POTENTIAL,
A WESTERN DIPLOMAT FAMILIAR WITH
MILITARY AFFAIRS SAYS THERE IS A
HUGE TECHNOLOGICAL DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN HAVING NUCLEAR BOMBS AND
BEING ABLE TO WAGE NUCLEAR WAR.
HE SAYS THAT ANY BOMBS THE NORTH
MAY HAVE WOULD BE ENTIRELY UNTESTED,
AND THAT ACCURATE DELIVERY AND
DETONATION OF A NUCLEAR WEAPON IS
VERY LIKELY BEYOND NORTH KOREA'S
CAPACITY.
(SIGNED)
NEB/DP/FC/CF
09-May-97 7:13 AM EDT (1113 UTC)
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