DATE=6/23/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-250982
TITLE=KOREAN TALKS (L)
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=HONG KONG
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: NORTH KOREA HAS OPENED TALKS WITH THE UNITED STATES IN
BEIJING BUT HAS PUT A SEPARATE SET OF TALKS WITH RIVAL SOUTH
KOREA ON HOLD. V-O-A CORRESPONDENT ROGER WILKISON REPORTS ON
THE LATEST DIPLOMATIC MOVES TO DEFUSE TENSIONS ON THE COLD WAR'S
LAST FRONTIER.
TEXT: U-S OFFICIALS DESCRIBE THE SCHEDULED TWO-DAY MEETING,
THAT GOT UNDERWAY WEDNESDAY BETWEEN U-S SPECIAL ENVOY CHARLES
KARTMAN AND NORTH KOREAN VICE FOREIGN MINISTER KIM GYE-GWAN, AS
ROUTINE.
OFFICIALLY, THE AGENDA COVERS UPCOMING PEACE TALKS WITH CHINA AND
SOUTH KOREA IN GENEVA AS WELL AS LAST MONTH'S INSPECTION BY U-S
EXPERTS OF A NORTH KOREAN UNDERGROUND COMPLEX WASHINGTON
SUSPECTED OF BEING A NUCLEAR WEAPONS FACILITY.
MR. KIM -- WHO TOLD REPORTERS HE WAS READY TO TALK ABOUT
ANYTHING -- HOSTED U-S PRESIDENTIAL EMISSARY WILLIAM PERRY LAST
MONTH IN PYONGYANG. MR. PERRY IS TASKED WITH REVIEWING
WASHINGTON'S POLICY TOWARD THE RECLUSIVE COMMUNIST STATE AND
PROMISED A MAJOR EXPANSION OF U-S RELATIONS WITH NORTH KOREA IF
IT GIVES UP ITS NUCLEAR AND MISSILE PROGRAMS.
THE U-S/NORTH KOREA MEETING COMES A WEEK AFTER THE FIRST NAVAL
CLASH BETWEEN NORTH AND SOUTH KOREA SINCE THE END OF THE KOREAN
WAR 46 YEARS AGO. ONE NORTH KOREAN GUNBOAT WAS SUNK AND ABOUT 30
NORTH KOREAN SAILORS ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE DIED.
NORTH KOREAN STATE MEDIA PUBLISHED A STATEMENT DEMANDING THAT
SOUTH KOREA APOLOGIZE FOR THE GUN BATTLE AS A PRE-CONDITION FOR
CONTINUING THE FIRST OFFICIAL NORTH-SOUTH TALKS IN 14 MONTHS --
WHICH ARE ALSO BEING HELD IN BEIJING. THE TWO SIDES MET FOR 90
MINUTES ON TUESDAY, BUT SOUTH KOREAN DIPLOMATS SAID THE TALKS
BROKE DOWN WITH EACH SIDE ACCUSING THE OTHER OF RESPONSIBILITY
FOR THE CLASH. THE SOUTH KOREANS SAY THEY ARE STILL TRYING TO
ARRANGE A SECOND MEETING WITH THEIR NORTHERN COLLEAGUES BUT HAVE
NOT HEARD FROM THE NORTH KOREAN DELEGATION.
THE SOUTH KOREAN GOVERNMENT IS ANXIOUS TO SHOW ITS CITIZENS THAT
ITS POLICY OF ENGAGING NORTH KOREA CAN BRING CONCRETE RESULTS.
IT WANTS TO TALK ABOUT REUNIONS OF FAMILY MEMBERS WHO HAVE BEEN
SEPARATED FROM THEIR RELATIVES SINCE THE PARTITION OF KOREA IN
1945 AND THE KOREAN WAR IN THE EARLY 1950'S. A SIMILAR
NORTH-SOUTH MEETING LAST YEAR BROKE UP WHEN NORTH KOREA REFUSED
TO COMMIT ITSELF TO ARRANGE SUCH REUNIONS IN EXCHANGE FOR SOUTH
KOREAN AID.
NORTH-SOUTH TENSIONS HAVE BEEN EXACERBATED IN RECENT DAYS NOT
ONLY BY THE NAVAL CLASH BUT ALSO BY NORTH KOREA'S DETENTION OF A
SOUTH KOREAN TOURIST WHOM IT ACCUSED OF TEMPTING NORTH KOREANS TO
DEFECT. (SIGNED)
NEB/RW/GC/JO/PLM
23-Jun-99 5:39 AM EDT (0939 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
