Chinese Premier Li Peng has expressed sympathy and friendship for N Korea and reaffirmed China's special "lips to teeth" relationship with N Korea. Representatives of China and N Korea signed an agreement on economic and technological cooperation and an exchange of notes on the provision of 20,000 tons of Chinese grain to North Korea. China's Vice Premier Li Lanqing told N Korea's Vice Premier Hong Song Nam - "China will continue to develop its friendship with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, a friendship that was forged by leaders of the older generation."
A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of the DPRK answered a question put by KCNA today concerning the rumors circulating worldwide about the DPRK's position toward the US-proposed four way talks. He told KCNA:
We have already declared we would study the purpose and feasibility of the 4-Talks proposed by US President Bill Clinton on April 16 to begin a peace process on the Korean peninsula. This is motivated by our sincere consideration to make most use of all possibilities for preserving peace and security on the Korean peninsula under the prevailing situation.
It is a stark fact that a touch-and-go situation predicating war has been created on the Korean peninsula due to the unprecedented military exercises of the South Korean authorities against the North and the zealous backing of the US. bellicose elements.
Our People's Army could not but take a positive countermeasure to defend the security of the country and the gains of the revolution under this situation. The decisive self-defensive measure meant that the People's Army would no longer observe the provisions of the Armistice agreement concerning the demilitarized zone (DMZ) along the military demarcation line because the southern portion of the DMZ has lost its character as a buffer zone and turned into a new attack-starting position against the North.
The United States proposed four-way talks against the background of this situation. In order to clearly understand the intent and purpose of the US. proposal and learn if any other intention is lurking behind it and enable us to determine if the proposal is feasible, we have asked the United States to give a detailed explanation of its proposal.
If the proposal for four-way talks is really aimed at preserving peace on the Korean peninsula and sets no precondition, there will be no particular reason or ground to be reluctant to give an understandable explanation of the proposal to meet our demand.
Regrettably, however, we have not received any official explanation about the proposal and, accordingly, we are increasingly doubtful about it with the passage of time. As we have consistently maintained, it is reasonable that the issue of preserving peace on the Korean peninsula should be discussed and decided on between the DPRK and the United States, the real parties to the Armistice agreement.
Moreover, the establishment of a new peace mechanism has become a pressing issue because the worn-out armistice agreement cannot control the present touch-and-go situation on the Korean peninsula.
In the proposal for four-way talks there is no explanation as to how all these problems we are concerned about will be dealt with. Under this situation, we are going to wait a little more with utmost patience and self-control for the US side to give a necessary explanation, although a long time has so far passed meaninglessly.
Now, some countries express support for the proposed four-way talks and say this and that, asking the DPRK to accept it. This will, however, add to the complexity of the situation. It is up to the DPRK, the responsible party, whether to support or oppose the proposed four-way talks.
Deputy Premier and National Unification Minister Kwon O-kie said the government is quietly pushing for realization of the Four-Party Meeting in a long-term plan.
He made the remarks in an apparent reaction to North Korea's delay in making a formal response to the proposal of the four-way talks President Kim Young Sam and U.S. President Bill Clinton made
to China and North Korea more than two weeks ago.
"The ball is now in Pyongyang's court, and there is no need to be impatient about it," one official was quoted as saying. Two days after the proposal was announced, North Korea's foreign ministry spokesman commented laconically that the proposal was being examined to see if it was realizable, while senior North Korean officials visiting the United States such as Kim Jung-u and Ri Jong-hyok said they are inquiring about the details of the proposal.
North Korea seems to be trying to revive the unofficial Beijing talks to obtain additional rice aid from Seoul, as Chon Gum-chol was found to have made an appearance in Beijing, although Seoul has made it clear that any future talks must be held on the Korean Peninsula between the responsible authorities of the two sides.
Vice Minister of National Unification Song Young-dae commented that North Korea appears to be trying to use the Four-Party-Meeting card for various purposes. Presidential Senior Secretary for Foreign Affairs and National Security Yoo Chong-ha is said to have argued against taking any "appeasement" measure to induce North Korea into accepting the Four-Party-Meeting proposal.
The government has just approved three investment projects in North Korea totaling US$19.2 million, but disallowed the planned visit to North Korea by a number of business leaders to launch further economic cooperation with the North.
Davies said more than half of the work needed to establish liaison offices in each other's capitals is finished but other technical and consular issues remain unresolved -- "I can't predict when we might reach closure with North Korea and get to a stage where we can actually open offices.. I assume the problem is with the North Koreans because we're very eager to go forward here."
"When South and North Korea signed the 1992 basic inter-Korean agreement, they promised to work together to replace the Armistice Agreement with a peace agreement. Despite the agreement, however, North Korea, claiming the actual parties involved in the Korean War are the United States and itself, has insisted on concluding a peace agreement with the United States alone."
"On April 16, President Clinton and I issued a joint announcement, making it clear that the United States will not hold separate negotiations with North Korea on the question of a peace agreement. Under these conditions, we are hoping that North Korea makes a positive response, and I expect it to accept the four-party meeting eventually."
QUESTION: For a long time, North Korea has been denouncing South Korea's National Security Law that controls direct contacts between the South and North Korean people. Germany has facilitated the early realization of unification by intentionally encouraging exchanges between the peoples of East and West Germany. Do you believe that it is necessary for the South to continue to maintain the National Security Law?
"The Republic of Korea is encouraging normal exchanges of personnel and goods, and such exchanges have been increasing year after year. Basically, the National Security Law is the minimum legal mechanism to protect the democratic constitutional order in South Korea. It is aimed at protecting South Korean citizens who make contact with North Korea or visit the North. The protection is necessary because North Korea abuses them politically."
"This law will become useless if North Korea abandons its policy of communizing the South after overthrowing the liberal democratic system by fomenting social chaos in South Korea and comes forward in the spirit of reconciliation and cooperation. "
"The Republic of Korea Government has already adopted "the Special Act Governing Inter-Korean Exchanges and Cooperation" in order to help improve inter-Korean relations. Accordingly, the Government has been allowing many businessmen and religious personnel to visit North Korea. Exchanges and contacts between people of South and North Korea are expected to increase in the future."
N Korea wants to extract as much mileage from US prior to agreeing to the 4-party talk. Among the shopping list: lifting or easing of US economic sanctions against N Korea and more economic aids.
Meanwhile, US and N Korea are to hold bilateral talks on:
N Korea claims that Kim Young Sam really believes North Korea is about to fold and so prefers to apply maximum pressure on N Korea - economic, political, diplomatic and military - to accelerate Kim Jong Il's "inevitable and imminent" demise. Why negotiate peace if the other side is about to fall? The warring Koreas did sign a "peace" treat several years back but neither side has adhered to the terms of the treaty. N Korea states that without the American guarantee of impartial enforcement, any inter-Korean agreements will be worthless.
The US military intervention in the Strait of Taiwan, CIA's ongoing covert actions against China and the renewal of US-Japan Security Pact have resurrected the old anti-American sentiment among the Chinese both in China and abroad. The distant echoes of the Mother of All Wars (the Biblical Yellow Peril) are being heard loud and clear. China has assured N Korea of their ever-lasting "lips and teeth" relationship and China is expected to help N Korea's deployment of ICBM's which can reach the American heartland laden with nuclear/chemical bombs. China is in no mood to cooperate with US. Clinton apparently realizes the gravity of his anti-China policy and has sent former President George Bush and Senator Craig Thomas, chairman of East Asia and Pacific Affairs Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee to China to smooth things over.
Now what about Russia? Isn't Communism dead in Mother Russia? It turns out that Communism is not only alive and well but also it has a good chance of regaining its glory and power. Russia is courting his old allies - the same ones she had deserted so willingly not so long ago! It is strange that Yeltsin, who so gleefully sold the secret letters between Kim Il Sung and Stalin to S Korea for money, expects N Korea to become a Russian ally and join the peace conference (on whose side?)!
What's in it for Japan? Japan wants to get involved in the talks because she will be directly affected by war in Korea. If six-party talks (Japan, Russia, China, US, North and South) can formulate a good-faith response to N Korea's demand for a peace treaty, regional security in North East Asia will be ensured and a large reduction in U.S. forces on Okinawa and Japan in general, and in South Korea, would become possible.
Clinton must realize that N Korea, contrary to Kim Young Sam's claim, will be around for a while and may even cause nasty problems for him during the election year. Imagine a South Korean or an American militarist staging a Gulf of Tonkin and jump-start Korean War II? One scenario - a North Korean squad moves into the DMZ and S Koreans open fire on them - and the whole peninsula goes up in smoke! Nuclear/chemical missiles fall on Japan and major American cities. All of sudden, the Korean issue has become a crisis.
Meanwhile, N Korea is flexing its muscles. S Korea reports that two of a flotilla of seven N Korean gunboats entered South Korean waters in the Yellow Sea around 11:50 a.m. (0250 GMT) on Friday and left around 13:20 p.m. (0420 GMT) after facing warnings from South Korean navy patrol boats. It said there was no clash. The limit line was set by the United Nations Command after the 1950-53 Korean War, but has never been officially acknowledged by Pyongyang.
US is not sitting around twiddling its thumbs. S Korea is buying advanced weapons from US (should help Clinton's reelection.) Tens of thousands of land mines are being buried along the border. US Defense Secretary William Perry said Thursday that anti-personnel mines kill and maim large numbers of innocent civilians around the world, but they also would continue to serve a military purpose until they are replaced by some other weapon. "Our war plans today, our contingency plans today, in particular our contingency plan which involves the defense of South Korea, has land mines used in a fundamental way,"' Perry said.
We have no clear notion of why the U.S. side, which knows this fact better than anyone else, abruptly proposed 'quadrilateral talks'. Now that the Korean Peninsula is in a situation strikingly similar to the state of war, it is urgently required that the outdated Armistice Agreement should be replaced by a peace agreement.
Proceeding from this stark reality, we have long since proposed it as a major issue to conclude a peace agreement between the DPRK and the United States. We are not yet certain whether the 'proposal for quadrilateral talks' is aimed at concluding a genuine peace agreement between the signatories to the Korean Armistice Agreement. As is known to all, the north and the south of Korea have already agreed on non-aggression, reconciliation and cooperation and a document on the agreement has been published all over the world.
The point at issue is that the document has not been carried into practice. It is entirely because the north-south dialogue has been suspended due to the South Korean authorities. We are not certain, either, whether the 'proposal for quadrilateral talks' is related to this issue. We are now examining the proposal of the U.S. side to see whether it seeks another purpose and whether it is feasible. At this moment, we can comment no more
2. President Clinton pledged steadfast U.S. commitment to the security of the Republic of Korea and reaffirmed the strength of the U.S.-Korea security alliance. Both Presidents agreed that the present Armistice arrangement should be maintained until it is succeeded by a permanent peace agreement.
3. The two Presidents expressed their shared desire to foster a stable, permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula, where tensions remain high. They agreed to work positively and with an open mind to encourage a process for reconciliation and peace on the Korean Peninsula.
4. The two Presidents confirmed the fundamental principle that establishment of a stable, permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula is the task of the Korean people. Both Presidents agreed that South and North Korea should take the lead in a renewed search for a permanent peace arrangement, and that separate negotiations between the United States and North Korea on peace-related issues cannot be considered.
5. President Kim affirmed the Republic of Korea is willing to meet without preconditions at the governmental level with representatives of the DPRK. President Clinton affirmed that the U.S. is prepared to play an active and cooperative role in support of this effort. Both Presidents agreed that China's cooperation would be extremely helpful.
6. Accordingly, the two Presidents proposed to convene a Four-Party Meeting of representatives of the Republic of Korea, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the People's Republic of China and the United States, as soon as possible and without preconditions. The purpose would be to initiate a process aimed at achieving a permanent peace agreement.
7. The two Presidents agreed that this peace process also should address a wide range of tension reduction measures.
8. President Clinton praised the Republic of Korea initiative as a positive and important step in easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula. President Kim acknowledged the importance of continued American support.