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U.S. Department of State

Daily Press Briefing

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QUESTION: On North Korea, is the US concerned that the North Koreans may be building a new underground missile launching site base?

MR. FOLEY: Well, it's certainly well-known that North Korea is actively pursuing development of two long-range ballistic missiles, the Taepo Dong I and the Taepo Dong II. North Korea launched the Taepo Dong I with a third stage in a failed attempt to orbit a very small satellite last October. I can't go beyond that in terms of what we know about the details of North Korea's missile development activities, but they do exist and it is something that we follow and we take with the utmost seriousness.

We view North Korea's missile activities as a serious threat to the region and also to our non-proliferation interests. In past rounds of missile talks with the DPRK and in other bilateral contacts with Pyongyang, we have continued to press vigorously for restraints on North Korea's production, deployment, testing and export of missiles and missile technology. We have repeatedly made clear that further missile tests would have serious consequences for our relations with North Korea, with direct implications for the prospects for improved relations that were discussed during former Secretary Perry's visit to Pyongyang.

We continue to consult closely with our allies, Japan and the Republic of Korea, who share our serious concerns about North Korea's missile proliferation activities.

QUESTION: You're saying about the program; the question was about the tunnel. That would be part of the program - maybe they haven't gotten that far. Remember, there was a tunnel looked at and seemed to have passed the test. So the question, I think - I understand your position - but they have ongoing programs to test two missiles. Have they done anything about a tunnel?

MR. FOLEY: I can't comment any further.

QUESTION: A North Korean defector is saying that the Japanese exported the missile to North Korea. Can you comment on that?

MR. FOLEY: *Well, (legislators in) the Japanese Diet now (are reportedly looking at) export controls. What I can tell you is that we share very much the concern with our Japanese friends over North Korea's missile program, and we believe that the Japanese understand fully the importance of effectively controlling exports of sensitive items. Japan is a member of all the multilateral non-proliferation regimes, and we frequently discuss in those contacts with Japan a wide range of non-proliferation and export control issues.

*Japan also shares our serious concerns about the DPRK's missile proliferation activities. Japan has a mature export control system and, as I said, we consult on an ongoing basis regarding ways to improve the effectiveness of export controls; and we certainly support (that).

QUESTION: Is William Perry's report close to being finished?

MR. FOLEY: It's nearing completion, that's my understanding.

QUESTION: Do you know when it will be released?

MR. FOLEY: I don't have a date for you.

QUESTION: There are some reports that the North Koreans started another construction on another site which can turn out to be a nuclear site. Can you confirm that?

MR. FOLEY: I can't confirmed anything having to do with intelligence, but I can't confirm that.

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QUESTION: For about 20 days, there has been a Korean-American woman detained in North Korea and the US has asked for the North Koreans to make consulate contact. Is there any update on that; and if not, what are the consequences?

MR. FOLEY: Well, I've been asked that question every day and it's a legitimate question. Your colleague, Mr. Lee, here, asked it a few minutes ago; maybe you weren't yet in the room or maybe you didn't get it. I just simply told him that there was nothing new on the issue.

But I can repeat what I have been saying for several days, which is that the DPRK Government has not yet notified the Swedish Charge that he would be permitted to travel to Rajin in order to have consular access to the detained American citizen.

Acting on our behalf, the Swedish protecting power formally requested such consular access on June 23 and June 30. As I've indicated previously, both our bilateral interim consular agreement and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations provides and necessitates such consular access to detained nationals. We consider a consular visit critical in order to ascertain in person the American's state of health and well being, and to ensure that she has not been mistreated. So we are going to continue to press for consular access at every available opportunity. We have been in communication ourselves with the North Koreans through the New York channel.

I would note that most offices in the DPRK are closed now for, I believe, a three-day period to mark the fifth anniversary of the death of Kim Il Sung, so that may be a complicating factor in the immediate days. But that doesn't change in any way our determination to ensure that the consular access be achieved.

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