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DATE=6/1/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-250053
TITLE=N. KOREA / S. KOREA (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=JOHN LARKIN
DATELINE=SEOUL
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:  
INTRO:   SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT KIM DAE-JUNG  SAYS THERE MAY BE A
MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH  IN RELATIONS WITH COMMUNIST NORTH KOREA, 
WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS.  BUT JOHN LARKIN REPORTS FROM  SEOUL 
THE REMARK COINCIDES WITH ANOTHER BLAST OF CRITICISM FROM  
PYONGYANG ON TUESDAY.
 TEXT:   PRESIDENT KIM REFUSED TO ELABORATE, BEYOND SAYING A 
BREAKTHROUGH AGREEMENT WITH THE NORTH COULD BE EXPECTED WITHIN 
DAYS.  WRAPPING UP A  FIVE-DAY VISIT TO RUSSIA AND MONGOLIA, 
PRESIDENT KIM SAID THERE ARE ENCOURAGING SIGNS THAT A 
BREAKTHROUGH IS IMMINENT.
 HIS REMARK COMES ON THE HEELS OF A VISIT TO PYONGYANG, BY 
WILLIAM  PERRY, WASHINGTON'S PRESIDENTIAL ENVOY TO THE RECLUSIVE 
COMMUNIST  STATE.  MR. PERRY OFFERED A PACKAGE OF INCENTIVES TO 
PYONGYANG, IN HOPES OF PERSUADING IT TO HALT SUSPECTED 
DEVELOPMENT OF NUCLEAR ARMS AND  LONG-RANGE MISSILES.
 ANALYSTS SAY THE REFERENCE BY PRESIDENT KIM TO A BREAKTHROUGH  
COULD BE  EITHER A RESPONSE TO THE PERRY PACKAGE, OR TO SOUTH 
KOREA'S ONGOING  ATTEMPTS TO RESTART OFFICIAL DIALOGUE BETWEEN 
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS OF  THE TWO KOREAS.
 BUT NORTH KOREA'S STATE-RUN MEDIA SHOWED NO SIGNS OF AN EMERGING
THAW  ON TUESDAY. THE KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY CARRIED AN 
ARTICLE URGING THE POPULATION TO GUARD AGAINST WHAT IT TERMED THE
EVILS OF CAPITALISM WHICH, IT SAID,  THE WESTERN  POWERS AND 
THEIR ASIAN ALLIES WERE TRYING TO FORCE ON THE  SELF-DESCRIBED 
SOCIALIST PARADISE.
 THE ARTICLE CHARACTERIZED WESTERN ATTEMPTS TO END THE NORTH'S  
ISOLATION AS A "TROJAN HORSE" FOR CAPITALISM.  IT URGED PYONGYANG
TO  REDOUBLE IDEOLOGICAL EDUCATION OF NORTH KOREANS TO FILTER OUT
CAPITALIST HERESY.
 NORTH KOREA HAS QUARANTINED ITSELF FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD FOR 
MORE THAN  50 YEARS.   FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS IT HAS OFTEN HAD 
STRAINED RELATIONS  EVEN WITH ITS FORMER PATRONS RUSSIA AND 
CHINA.
 ON MONDAY, PYONGYANG THREATENED AGAIN TO PULL OUT OF THE 1994 
AGREED UPON  FRAMEWORK DEAL WITH WASHINGTON WHICH FROZE ITS 
SUSPECTED NUCLEAR  WEAPONS PROGRAM.  IT ALSO INSISTED ON ITS 
SOVEREIGN RIGHT TO DEVELOP  AND DEPLOY MISSILES.  (SIGNED)
NEB/JL/FC/PLM
01-Jun-99 5:36 AM EDT (0936 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.