[EXCERPTS] TRANSCRIPT: STATE DEPT. PRESS BRIEFING
BY NICHOLAS BURNS IN TOKYO, JAPAN
FEBRUARY 23, 1997
... ... ...
Q: On North Korea, as you know, besides the defection of Hwang Jang Yop, the prime minister has been fired and there were several changes in the hierarchy in the funeral list for the defense minister. Is there any sense on your side or on the Japanese side that this is not a transition of generations, but a more turbulent power struggle in North Korea? And secondly, on Burma -- who raised Burma in the meeting and was there any criticism of the Japanese policy on Burma?
A: On the first issue, what runs through the conversations that we had yesterday with the South Korean leadership, as well as today's conversations with the Japanese leadership, is that it's very difficult to know exactly what is motivating the leadership in Pyongyang. We of course have seen these remarkable events -- the defection, the death of the defense minister, the resignation of the prime minister. It's difficult, on the basis of a few events over a few days, assess what it all means for the long-term future of North Korea. It's a fairly complex and fairly difficult society to read.
What we do know, however, is that we all -- Japan, the Republic of Korea and the United States -- have common interests. The first and foremost is making sure that the nuclear freeze is maintained -- and it is. You saw yesterday a recommitment, reaffirmation of a commitment by the South Korean Government to continue work on the agreed framework, including conducting site surveys beginning next week for the two light-water reactors that are going to be discussed. There is a very serious food deficit, food shortage situation in North Korea which the governments of the Republic of Korea and the United States are trying to help meet through the World Food Program.
And, of course, we do want to proceed with the four-party talks, because that is the surest way to get to a longer-term peace agreement, which we think is the best way to ensure peace on the Korean Peninsula. So these are all important interests and I think there's a uniformity of views in the three capitals -- in Washington, in Tokyo and Seoul -- about how we should be proceeding working with the North Koreans. But I'll leave it to the political scientists and the professors to give you a snapshot or instant analysis of why all this is happening in North Korea today.
... ... ...
Q: Did the Secretary say anything to Japan about, or urge Japan to give, a new round of food aid to the North Koreans, and did the issue of an anti-missile defense system come up at all?
A: The Secretary did. She described the United States' proposal of a 10 million dollar contribution that we're are making to contribute to the World Food Program. The Japanese government gave its own position on that issue. I would let the Japanese government characterize its own position and I'm not going to do that for you. And on the second question, I don't believe that -- the issue was not raised.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
