DATE=11/21/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-241983
TITLE=CLINTON / KOREA (L)
BYLINE=DEBORAH TATE
DATELINE=SEOUL
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: PRESIDENT CLINTON AND SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT KIM DAE JUNG
SAY THEY WILL NOT TOLERATE ANY MOVES BY NORTH KOREA THAT WOULD
FURTHER NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS INVOLVING
NORTH KOREA DOMINATED THEIR SUMMIT MEETING IN SEOUL ON SATURDAY.
V-O-A'S DEBORAH TATE REPORTS.
TEXT: AT A JOINT NEWS CONFERENCE, MR. KIM -- SPEAKING THROUGH A
TRANSLATOR -- AND MR. CLINTON MADE CLEAR THEY ARE TROUBLED BY
PYONGYANG'S RECENT DECISION TO BAR INSPECTION OF A SUSPECTED
UNDERGROUND NUCLEAR SITE AND ITS LAUNCH OF A MISSILE OVER JAPAN
LAST AUGUST.
// KIM ACTUALITY //
WE, THE TWO HEADS OF STATE, WE MADE IT CLEAR THAT WE
WILL NOT TOLERATE ANY POSSIBLE ATTEMPT OF NORTH KOREA TO
PROLIFERATE NUCLEAR WEAPONS, MISSILES AN OTHER WEAPONS
OF MASS DESTRUCTION.
// CLINTON ACTUALITY //
NORTH KOREA'S RECENT ACTIONS, INCLUDING THE TAEPODONG
MISSILE LAUNCH AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF A SUSPECT
UNDERGROUND FACILITY, ARE CAUSE FOR DEEP CONCERN. WE
HAVE MADE IT CLEAR TO PYONGYANG THAT IT MUST SATISFY
OUR CONCERNS AND THAT FURTHER PROVOCATIONS WILL THREATEN
THE PROGRESS WE HAVE MADE.
// END ACTS //
PYONGYANG -- WHICH SAYS THE UNDERGROUND FACILITY IS FOR CIVILIAN,
NON-NUCLEAR PURPOSES -- HAS OFFERED TO ALLOW ACCESS TO THE SITE
ONLY IF IT IS PAID SOME 300 MILLION DOLLARS, A CONDITION U-S
OFFICIALS HAVE REJECTED.
THE UNITED STATES AND SOUTH KOREA FEAR THE NORTH MAY BE RESUMING
A NUCLEAR PROGRAM IN VIOLATION OF A 1994 AGREEMENT. UNDER THE
PACT, NORTH KOREA HAS AGREED TO FREEZE ITS NUCLEAR ACTIVITIES IN
EXCHANGE FOR FREE FUEL AND TWO NUCLEAR REACTORS SUPPLIED BY A
GLOBAL CONSORTIUM.
MR. CLINTON WARNS PYONGYANG THE DISPUTE OVER THE UNDERGROUND SITE
RISKS BETTER RELATIONS WITH WASHINGTON, AND MAY PROMPT THE U-S
CONGRESS TO WITHHOLD FURTHER FUNDING TO SUPPORT THE 1994
AGREEMENT.
BUT WHILE STANDING FIRM IN THEIR APPEALS TO NORTH KOREA TO ABIDE
BY ITS COMMITMENTS, MR. CLINTON AND MR. KIM ALSO NOTED POSITIVE
STEPS MADE BY PYONGYANG -- INCLUDING PROGRESS MADE IN FOUR-PARTY
PEACE TALKS AND ALLOWING SOUTH KOREAN TOURISTS TO VISIT THE
NORTH.
THEY AGREED THAT THE BEST POLICY TOWARD NORTH KOREA WAS ONE OF
ENGAGEMENT.
THE TWO LEADERS ALSO SPENT SOME TIME DISCUSSING THE ASIAN
FINANCIAL CRISIS. MR. CLINTON PRAISED SEOUL'S ECONOMIC REFORM
PROGRAM, WHILE NOTING THAT MANY KOREANS HAVE ENDURED HARDSHIP
UNDER THE PLAN. HE URGED SOUTH KOREA TO CONTINUE ON THE PATH OF
REFORM AND TO OPEN MORE OF ITS MARKETS TO FOREIGN COMPETITION.
(SIGNED)
NEB/DAT/PLM
21-Nov-98 6:37 AM EST (1137 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
