• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

DATE=12/14/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-242943
TITLE=NORTH KOREA / NUCLEAR (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=JENNIFER VEALE
DATELINE=SEOUL
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:  
INTRO:  SOUTH KOREAN NEWS MEDIA ARE REPORTING THAT NORTH KOREA 
HAS DROPPED  ITS DEMAND FOR CASH FOR U-S INSPECTIONS OF A 
SUSPECTED NUCLEAR WEAPONS SITE.  AS  JENNIFER VEALE REPORTS FROM 
SEOUL THE REPORTS SAY PYONGYANG HAS AGREED TO INSPECTIONS IN 
RETURN FOR  MORE FOOD AID FROM THE UNITED STATES .
TEXT: THE NEWS REPORTS SAY OFFICIALS IN PYONGYANG  HAVE DROPPED 
THEIR THREE HUNDRED MILLION  DOLLAR PRICE TAG FOR SITE 
INSPECTIONS.  INSTEAD,  NORTH KOREA, WHICH IS BESET BY AN 
ECONOMIC CRISIS, IS  SEEKING  FOOD AID AND OTHER BENEFITS .
THE REPORTS IN THE SOUTH KOREAN MEDIA SAY A BREAKTHROUGH ON THE 
MATTER CAME DURING LAST  WEEK'S NEGOTIATIONS IN NEW YORK AND 
WASHINGTON, ON THE NUCLEAR ISSUE.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE UNITED STATES EMBASSY IN SEOUL SAID HE COULD 
NOT  CONFIRM  THE UNITED STATES HAS AGREED TO PROVIDE FURTHER 
FOOD AID IN RETURN FOR A SITE INSPECTION, BUT DID ACKNOWLEDGE 
PROGRESS WAS MADE DURING LAST WEEK'S  TALKS.
ALSO LAST WEEK, SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT KIM DAE-JUNG PROPOSED A 
PACKAGE DEAL IN WHICH THE UNITED STATES  WOULD PROVIDE  ECONOMIC 
AND POLITICAL BENEFITS TO THE NORTH, IN EXCHANGE FOR ITS 
COOPERATION IN SITE INSPECTIONS.  PRESIDENT KIM MADE THE 
SUGGESTION IN A MEETING WITH FORMER U-S DEFENSE SECRETARY WILLLAM
PERRY,  WHO IS PRESIDENT CLINTON'S NORTH KOREA POLICY 
COORDINATOR.
THE UNITED STATES HAS BEEN DEMANDING UNCONDITIONAL ACCESS TO A 
SUSPECTED NUCLEAR FACILITY IN THE NORTH, WHICH IT SAYS COULD BE 
IN VIOLATION OF A  NUCLEAR PACT REACHED BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES
FOUR YEARS AGO.
UNDER THAT PACT -- KNOWN AS THE 1994 AGREED FRAMEWORK -- 
WASHINGTON AGREED TO FURNISH PYONGYANG WITH TWO LIGHTWATER 
REACTORS AND INTERIM FUEL SUPPLIES.  IN RETURN, THE NORTH AGREED 
TO FREEZE ITS SUSPECTED NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM.
MONDAY'S NEWS REPORTS FROM SEOUL SAY THE TWO SIDES HAVE AGREED TO
HOLD FURTHER DISCUSSIONS IN GENEVA NEXT MONTH,  IN ADVANCE OF THE
FOURTH ROUND OF FOUR-PARTY TALKS DESIGNED TO FORMALLY END THE 
1950 TO 1953  KOREAN WAR.  (SIGNED)
NEB/AB/FC 
14-Dec-98 6:57 AM EST (1157 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.