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DoD News Briefing

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Q: A question about South Korea, the Korean Peninsula. The South Korean President today said that North Korea has adopted a strategy of rapid preemptive military strikes using weapons of mass destruction against South Korea. Does the Pentagon share that view of the North Korean strategy? And also, did Secretary Cohen discuss U.S. use of nuclear weapons in response to that kind of a threat during his trip to South Korea?

A: I haven't seen the statement by President Kim and I think I'd rather wait to see it before I comment on it.

Just let me say in general that we know that North Korea maintains a formidable military capability. It has nearly a million soldiers under arms close to the demilitarized zone. The North Korean side is very heavily armed with artillery and SCUD missiles and other types of attack weapons.

We believe that we have a very substantial, well trained, and well equipped counterforce of American and Republic of Korea soldiers and weapons, and we would prevail in any military engagement on the Korean Peninsula. We're very clear about that.

Obviously there are talks going on today in Geneva. I believe they're still going on, the Four Party Talks. They have been recent. We have launched a process initiated by President Clinton several years ago to engage the two Koreas, China, and the United States in an effort to try to reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Those Four Party Talks have set up two subcommittees that have been dealing with...one is reducing tensions on the peninsula -- that's directly related to the question you asked. This process will continue.

Q: In terms of the nuclear question, would the U.S. nuclear umbrella for South Korea apply in the event of a North Korean...

A: Suffice it to say that we have at our command an extremely large and lethal force and we believe that we and our South Korean allies would prevail decisively and quickly in any battle on the Korean Peninsula.

Q: Are there any indications at the moment that North Korea is preparing for the test of another Taipo Dong missile?

A: Not that I'm aware of.

Press: Thank you.

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jan1999/t01211999_t121asd_.html