Korean Peninsula Today, 07 July 2009

U.S. Looks to ASEAN in Push Against N.Korea (Chosun Ilbo)

The U.S. will reportedly propose stronger sanctions against North Korea at the ASEAN Regional Forum scheduled to start on July 21 in Phuket, Thailand. The U.S. will make the North Korean nuclear issue a main agenda item at the ARF, where North Korean representatives will be present, and propose more active implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1874, according to diplomatic sources in Washington D.C.

The U.S. has dispatched Ambassador Philip Goldberg, the U.S. coordinator for implementation of UN Resolution 1874, to Malaysia to discuss issues regarding bank accounts and shell companies there suspected of belonging to North Korea, as part of its effort to draw Southeast Asian nations into its anti-North Korea diplomatic campaign. The Southeast Asian country has reportedly seen increasing North Korean bank accounts and paper companies believed to be used by the North for its illegal activities.

The North, taking ASEAN nations as its base for overseas activities, is suspected of using banks and companies there to launder money and engage in other dubious transactions with Pakistan and other countries.

The U.S. views the ARF, which brings together the 10 ASEAN countries with the six-party countries and the EU, as an effective diplomatic stage to curb North Korean activities in Southeast Asia. North Korea became a full member of the ARF in 2000. As the only Asian regional body specializing in security, the ARF is seen by the Obama administration as a useful structure for implementing the UN sanctions.

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Kim Jong Il Provides Field Guidance to Tideland Reclamation Site on Taegye Islet (KCNA)

Pyongyang -- Kim Jong Il, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission, gave field guidance to the Tideland Reclamation Site on Taegye Islet in North phyongan Province.

After being briefed on the reclamation before a huge map showing a panoramic view of the site, he went round for hours the huge breakwaters and reclamation site to acquaint himself in detail with the work done there.

He highly estimated the feats performed by the builders intensely loyal to the Party for having built one of the great structures to shine forever with the songun [military-first] era by courageously overcoming difficulties and ordeals and displaying popular heroism and unparalleled devotion.

The nature-remaking project as gigantic as the West Sea Barrage has been completed by the builders in the main, he noted, adding that this is a precious fruition of the persevering will of the Korean people to build a great prosperous powerful nation in this land with their own efforts and technology at any cost and a striking demonstration of the inexhaustible mental power of the heroic Korean people single-mindedly united around the party.

Noting that the builders in the tideland reclamation site fully determined to successfully carry out the behests of President Kim Il Sung are the brave conquerors of sea and indomitable fighters expanding the land of the country braving rough waves, he praised them as creators of the feats to be always remembered by the country and its people.

Then, he learned about the farming condition, while looking round paddy fields in the reclaimed tideland.

Feasting his eyes on a vast expanse of the fields which looks like a green carpet, he said that it was, indeed, spectacular scenery. And he expressed great satisfaction over the appearance of such huge socialist farm.

He indicated ways of doing successful farming in the reclaimed tideland, greatly pleased to hear that the grain yield was on the increase every year.

He put forward the tasks to be fulfilled to complete the reclamation project earlier than scheduled, saying that the reclamation of the tideland on Taegye Islet is one of the important undertakings for the development and prosperity of the country.

He underscored the need to take thorough-going measures for the supply of materials necessary for carrying out the project, noting that it is necessary to pay state attention to it as it is a difficult and vast one to harness nature.

Enlarging the area of the land of the country, its eternal treasure, is an important work for the happiness of the generations to come and the prosperity of the country, he said, expressing great expectation and conviction that the above-said builders would demonstrate once again the revolutionary spirit of the heroic working class of the DPRK by successfully carrying out this honorable and noble mission and duty.

He was accompanied by Kim P'yo'ng-hae, chief secretary of the North phyongan Provincial Committee of the WPK, Pak Nam-ki and Jang Song Thaek, department directors of the WPK Central Committee, Ju Kyu Chang and Ri Je Gang, first vice department directors of the WPK Central Committee.

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Report: NKorean launches maybe included new Scud (Associated Press)

SEOUL, South Korea -- A barrage of ballistic missiles that North Korea test-fired over the weekend may have included a new type of Scud missile with an extended range and improved accuracy that poses a threat to Japan, a South Korean newspaper reported Monday.

Pyongyang launched seven missiles into waters off its east coast Saturday in a show of force that defied U.N. resolutions and drew international condemnation.

On Monday, South Korea's mass-circulation Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported the launches were believed to have included three Scud-ER missiles with a range of up to 620 miles (1,000 kilometers).

The paper said the Scud-ER has a longer range and better accuracy compared with previous Scud series so is "particularly a threat to Japan."

Tokyo is about 720 miles (1,160 kilometers) from the base on North Korea's east coast from where the missiles were fired. Some other parts of Japan are closer, well within the range of a Scud-ER.

Scuds are single stage, liquid-fueled missiles, originally developed in the former Soviet Union, and generally known for poor accuracy. Ballistic missile programs in Pakistan and Iran were built on Scud technology.

The Chosun Ilbo, citing a government source it did not name, said the other four missiles were two Scud-C missiles with a range of 310 miles (500 kilometers) and two medium-range Rodong missiles that can travel up to 810 miles (1,300 kilometers).

Five of the seven missiles flew about 260 miles (420 kilometers) from an eastern coastal launch site and landed in one area, meaning their accuracy has improved, the paper said.

South Korea's Defense Ministry said it could not confirm the report, saying details of the launches were still under investigation.

One Defense Ministry official told The Associated Press on Sunday that the missiles appeared to have traveled about 250 miles (400 kilometers), meaning that key government and military facilities in South Korea were within range. The official spoke on condition of anonymity citing department policy.

North Korea has long-range missiles as well. The Taepodong-2 has a potential range of more than 4,100 miles (6,700 kilometers), putting Alaska within striking distance.

The country is believed to be developing a missile with an even longer range that could potentially put the U.S. west coast, Hawaii, Australia and eastern Europe within striking distance.

The launches on July 4 - the U.S. Independence Day holiday - also appeared to be a poke at Washington as it moves to enforce U.N. as well as its own sanctions against the isolated regime for its May 25 nuclear test.

Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, warned they were "very destabilizing, potentially."

But Vice President Joe Biden indicated the U.S. would not be baited by attacks on the day Americans celebrated their independence. On ABC, he described the flurry of rockets as "attention-seeking behavior."

He added: "I don't want to give the attention."

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he is concerned about the missile tests, which defied Security Council resolutions. He told reporters Sunday that North Korea's communist regime has closed all doors to communication and dialogue.

Officials at South Korea's unification and defense ministries said Monday that Ban appeared to be emphasizing the launches would further deepen the North's isolation. Nevertheless, the two Koreas have not severed all contact despite increasingly strained ties. They have held several rounds of talks on their joint factory park, the latest last week, and are still connected by several hot lines.

North Korean state media have not specifically mentioned the launches but boasted Sunday that the country's military could impose "merciless punishment" on those who provoke it.

"Our revolutionary forces have grown up today as the strong army that can impose merciless punishment against those who offend us," the North's main Rodong Sinmun newspaper said in a commentary, carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.

The North has engaged in a series of acts this year widely seen as provocative. It fired a long-range rocket it said was a satellite in early April, and in late May it carried out its second underground nuclear test following the first in late 2006.

Another defense official said Monday that no signs of additional North Korean launches have been detected but that the South Korean military was closely monitoring the North's military. He also spoke on condition of anonymity citing department policy.

The North has warned ships to stay away from a large area off the east coast until July 10, leading to concerns more missiles could be fired.

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UN Security Council To Discuss N Korea's Latest Missile Launches: Seoul Envoy (Yonhap)

SEOUL -- The U.N. Security Council will soon discuss how to deal with North Korea's firing of ballistic missiles over the weekend, which violated the council's existing resolutions against the communist nation, South Korea's top nuclear envoy said Monday.

"The U.N. Security Council will discuss the matter. The level of its response remains to be seen," Wi So'ng-rak [Wi Sung-lac] told reporters after meeting here with his Japanese counterpart, Akitaka Saiki.

He said the North's test-launch of the ballistic missiles, seven in all, on Saturday clearly violates U.N. Security Council resolutions adopted after Pyongyang's missile and nuclear tests in 2006 and its second nuclear experiment in May this year.

Wi said his first face-to-face consultations with Saiki in three months focused on ways to counter the North's continued provocations.

"The two sides agreed on the need to faithfully implement U.N. Security Council resolutions 1718 and 1874, as well as continue efforts to resume dialogue (with North Korea) at the same time," he said.

Wi said ongoing diplomatic consultations for five-way talks are partly aimed at restarting the stalled denuclearization process. The talks would be among South Korea, the U.S., China, Russia and Japan, Pyongyang's dialogue partners in the six-party nuclear forum that North Korea is boycotting.

In a related move, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei, who chairs the disarmament talks, is scheduled to visit Seoul from July 12-14 as part of a regional tour. Wu visited Russia and also plans to travel to the U.S. and Japan. It is unclear whether he will visit North Korea.

The South Korean negotiator, however, cautioned against expecting an immediate breakthrough.

"It is still too early to predict concrete progress. We are not in a stage yet to produce tangible results," he said.

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Japan Decides To Restrict Transfer of Assets to North Korea (Jiji Press)

Tokyo -- Japan on Monday decided to restrict the transfer of assets to North Korea to cut off financing for nuclear-, ballistic missile- and weapons of mass destruction-related programs.

At a cabinet meeting, the government adopted punitive measures against North Korea in accordance with the U.N. Security Council resolution adopted last month in response to the reclusive country's nuclear test in May.

To prevent the transfer of assets that may contribute to North Korea's weapons development programs, Japan will restrict funds remittance and other transactions involving North Koreans and related people.

The Japanese government will also request financial institutions to use additional caution to identify the users of remittance services. Japan will implement stricter immigration control over people with North Korean nationality. Universities and research institutes will be requested not to provide education or training on nuclear-related subjects to North Koreans.

The measures will be put into force with official announcements by the Finance and Foreign Ministries on Tuesday.

At a news conference, Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said North Korea's nuclear issue poses a threat to Japan's security and disrupts the peace and stability in Northeast Asia and the entire international community.

Kawamura also condemned North Korea's launches of seven ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan on Saturday.

Tokyo demands North Korea comply with U.N. resolutions and take concrete action toward a comprehensive resolution to nuclear, missile and abduction issues, Kawamura said.

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Defiant N Korea's nuclear test budget (AFP)

Seoul - Impoverished North Korea has spent an estimated $700-million (about R5,4-billion) this year on nuclear and missile tests, enough to solve its food shortage for at least two years, South Korean news reports said on Monday.

The figure includes the estimated $43-million cost of test-firing five Scud and two Rodong missiles on Saturday, according to unidentified government officials quoted by Chosun Ilbo newspaper.

The latest tests, staged on the US Independence Day holiday, were seen as a show of defiance to Washington as it seeks tough enforcement of UN sanctions aimed at shutting down the communist state's nuclear and missile programmes.

Officials quoted by Chosun estimated it cost $300-million to launch a long-range Taepodong-2 missile on April 5, and another 10-million to launch 10 short-range missiles in recent weeks.

In addition, they estimated the May 25 underground nuclear test - the country's second since 2006 - cost between $300-400-million.

JoongAng Ilbo gave similar figures. Neither paper gave the methodology for the cost calculation.

Chosun quoted an unidentified official as saying the North could have bought one million tonnes of rice on the international market for $300-million.

"This amount of rice could have solved the North's food shortage for about a year," the official was quoted as saying.

The United Nations World Food Programme has said that according to a study last year, nearly nine million North Koreans - more than a third of the country's 24 million people - are estimated to need food aid.

Saturday's launches were the biggest salvo of ballistic weaponry since the North fired a Taepodong-2 and six smaller missiles in 2006, also on July 4 US time.

US Vice President Joseph Biden on Sunday dismissed the launches as "like almost attention-seeking behaviour" and said the focus was on further isolating Pyongyang.

"We have succeeded in uniting the most important and critical countries to North Korea on a common path of further isolating North Korea," he told ABC television, referring to Russia and China.

These have been traditionally resistant to tough sanctions on Pyongyang but backed the latest measures approved on June 12.

US and South Korean officials believe ailing leader Kim Jong-Il, 67, is staging a show of strength to bolster his authority as he tries to put in place a succession plan involving his youngest son Jong-Un.

Speaking on CBS television Sunday, the top US military commander fretted about the "unpredictability" of the regime.

"I'm very comfortable with our defensive posture, that we can protect our interests, our people and our territories," Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mike Mullen said.

"What I am increasingly concerned about is just the belligerence and the unpredictability of the North Korean leadership," Admiral Mullen said.

The chief nuclear negotiators from Japan and South Korea held talks in Seoul Monday on the North Korean nuclear issue and the weekend missile tests.

Wi Sung-Lac and Japan's Akitaka Saiki "had in-depth discussions on the North Korean nuclear issue including the implementation of the UN Security Council resolution and the next step", said foreign ministry spokesman Moon Tae-Young.

The North quit six-nation nuclear disarmament talks in April in protest at the Security Council's decision to censure its rocket launch earlier that month.

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Malaysia to investigate reports of North Korean bank accounts (Earth Times)

Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia pledged Monday to cooperate fully with the United States on allegations that North Korea was using its banks to channel financial transactions for weapons deals. US envoy Philip Goldberg met with Malaysian bank officials Monday, following a similar trip to China. Goldberg is due to return to Washington Wednesday.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said the government "does not condone that kind of thing," and pledged to share any information it had with the US.

Over the weekend, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported that North Korea sought payment through a bank in Malaysia for a suspected shipment of weapons to Myanmar.

Anifah did not confirm or comment on the report, but urged all parties to view the evidence before acting on possible "rumours."

"If the United States has any information available to them, they should give us that information so that we can act on it," he said. "If they have evidence, we would be most willing to work together with them."

Goldberg's visit to China and Malaysia followed a UN Security Council resolution adopted last month to ban the export of all weapons to North Korea, as well as all financial transactions that could contribute to its nuclear weapons program.