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U.S. Department of State

Daily Press Briefing

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QUESTION: Korea. Specifically, what is your reaction to the good news coming from Seoul from Tony Hall's visit to North Korea? Tony says he talked to Kim Gye Gwan -- said, "I urged him in the strongest terms not to jeopardize the progress our countries have made by launching another missile and he agreed that there was a good chance that this problem might be resolved," to quote Mr. Hall.

Is that good news to the State Department?

MR. FOLEY: I think it's hopeful, that report. I don't if we've had an opportunity to discuss with Representative Hall his meetings in North Korea, so I couldn't comment on that press report. I'm sure we'll have an opportunity to discuss that with him. But as we've said in the last few weeks, some of the public statements issued by the North Koreans have given us hope that North Korea is - is taking seriously the path to better relations with the US and the international community that former Secretary Perry laid out in his visit to Pyongyang.

So we are hopeful and indeed when Ambassador Kartman meets with Vice Foreign Minister Kim Gye Gwan in Berlin, as we've said before, he's going to use those talks to stress the advantages to North Korea of taking steps to improve its relations with the US and the international community based on the ideas that former Secretary Perry conveyed in his visit to Pyongyang in May.

QUESTION: Do you have any evidence that the North Koreans - in spite of what's been said previously - did in fact successfully launch a communications satellite six months ago or whenever it was?

MR. FOLEY: It was a year ago, about a year ago today, I think. I'd have to take that question.

QUESTION: They're claiming today that they do have their satellite up there and their program was successful - kind of maybe indicating they don't need to really try it again and that it's broadcasting patriotic songs today.

MR. FOLEY: I'll have to take that question in terms of what we know about that launch that occurred a year ago. On the matter of their testing or of a second test, we've made it very clear - I don't think I need to bore you by reiterating it -- but it is important that we strongly urge the DPRK not to engage in another test and indeed there's another pathway for a different, better kind of relationship between North Korea and the United States and the international community that Dr. Perry laid out. And so we're going to be emphasizing that prospect for improved relations in our ongoing contacts with our North Korean counterparts.

QUESTION: When is the Berlin meeting?

MR. FOLEY: I think it's September 7-11.

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(The briefing concluded at 2:02 P.M.)

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