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U.S. Department of State

Daily Press Briefing

QUESTION: A couple of quick questions. One, you can confirm, I guess, that the United States is not willing to make a $300 million cash payment in return for the right to visit a suspect nuclear weapons site in North Korea?

MR. RUBIN: That was what we call a leading question. Let me say that we have been in discussions with North Korea about getting to the bottom of the site in Kumchang-ni that we are concerned about, which, if we do not get to the bottom of it, would affect the viability of the agreed framework we negotiated with North Korea in 1994.

The North Koreans have obviously, at various times, put out different versions of what it would take to allow us multiple site access. We will not pay compensation to be permitted to ensure that an agreement is being properly implemented. That is our principled position.

QUESTION: Jamie, a related question -- a congressional office today has put out a report claiming that the North Korean Government, as a matter of state policy, is involved in extensive illegal drug trafficking. There are several members who are saying that the State Department is basically turning a blind eye to this for fear of rocking the boat, I guess.

MR. RUBIN: Let me assure any member of Congress who throws the blind eye quote around, which I think is pretty much used on every subject by a member of Congress. I remember writing it myself, when I was a congressional staffer. That's your basic criticism --turning a blind eye. We take very seriously the issue of drug smuggling, and drug efforts receive a very high priority in this building. As far as a specific response to this North Korea drug report, I prefer to wait until we've had a chance to fully review the report. But I can assure anyone concerned that we take any subject of drug smuggling very seriously and with both eyes open.

QUESTION: Can you confirm or clarify how Charles Kartman has been discussing food assistance or grain assistance with his talks in South Korea?

MR. RUBIN: Well, as you know, for those of you who cover this issue regularly, the North Koreans always raise different things related to food. What position what we've been taking is that we have been the largest contributor to the World Food Program support for North Korea because we believe there are real needs. The World Food program is able to ensure those needs are met without significant diversion of any of this food assistance. So we take that very seriously. We're looking seriously at the latest World Food program appeal. That is our public position; that is also our private position.

(The briefing concluded at 1:55 P.M.)

[end of document]