WARSAW -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak urged North Korea Tuesday to stop its provocative missile tests and return to a dialogue with the international community, noting that the North's military threats are hindering South Korea's efforts to overcome the global economic crisis. "South Korea is moving forward despite the global crisis by thoroughly planning every step for the future," Lee said in a meeting with a group of South Korean nationals living in Poland. The South Korean president arrived here earlier Tuesday as part of a three-nation trip that will take him to Italy and Sweden later in the week.
"But we are not without any difficulties," he said. "Because North Korea conducted a nuclear test and fired long-range missiles, many countries throughout the world had to gather and discuss challenges posed by North Korea."
North Korea launched a long-range rocket in April in what was believed to be a ballistic missile test disguised as a space launch. The isolated communist country also conducted its second atomic test on May 25, prompting a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning the test and imposing various sanctions.
At a summit in Washington last month, Lee and U.S. President Barack Obama noted such provocative actions by North Korea were aimed at winning concessions or economic aid from the international community.
The South Korean president on Tuesday renewed his pledge to break what he and his U.S. counterpart called a "pattern" of concessions or aid following North Korean provocations, saying North Korea needs to realize that it can live off handouts only for so long.
"What will they do when the food aid stops? I believe it is important for us to help North Korea support itself. I believe that is how we can truly look out for North Korea," Lee said at the meeting. Seoul has
nearly suspended all its economic and humanitarian assistance to the impoverished North since Lee was inaugurated early last year, but the president says his government is more than willing to work with the communist nation and even resume its assistance if Pyongyang will take Seoul more seriously.
North Korea has declared all its past agreements with the South void while it continues to hold in custody a South Korean worker detained at a joint industrial park in the North in March on allegations of trying to incite defections by North Korean workers there.
"What we want is for North Korea to give up nuclear weapons, come out to the international community and become a self-reliant nation," Lee said.
Pyongyang has fired a number of short- and medium-range missiles over the past week in its latest military provocation aimed at South Korea and other neighbors in Northeast Asia.
South and North Korea are technically at war as the 1950-53 Korean War ended only with a cease-fire, not a peace treaty.
WARSAW -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak called on Poland and other European nations to use their close relationship with North Korea to help bring the communist state back to the dialogue table, saying a peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear standoff will not only benefit his country but the entire world.
The visiting South Korean head of state also expressed hope his country and the European Union would be able to conclude their negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) in the near future. President Lee noted the former Eastern bloc countries in Europe still maintained a close relationship with North Korea, but said that should not prevent a close, or even closer relationship between his country and the European countries.
"The world is ever changing. The eastern European nations, too, are now moving toward the free market economy and that change has allowed our countries to be close, which would have been unthinkable during the Cold War era," Lee said in an interview with EuroNews, the most watched television network in Europe.
The South Korean leader arrived here Tuesday on a two-day visit for talks with his Polish counterpart Lech Kaczynski. He is currently on a three-nation trip that will take him to Italy later Wednesday for the G-8 Summit and the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate. His trip will end in Sweden.
"Europe has traditionally maintained a dialogue relationship with North Korea, so I hope it will pay close attention to the North Korean issue and exercise its influence on the country," Lee said, according to excerpts of the interview released by his presidential office Cheong Wa Dae. The interview was expected to be broadcast Thursday.
North Korea began its latest provocation with the launch of a long-range rocket in April in a claimed satellite launch but believed to have been a disguise for a missile test. Pyongyang conducted its second nuclear explosion test on May 25, prompting strong condemnation and sanctions from the United Nations Security Council.
Lee said the North's recent provocations, as well as its other behaviors, "did not make any sense." "While all the other countries are developing by opening up and through international cooperation, North Korea is completely closed off and is the only nation on the face of the earth that we find hard to understand," he said.
He also criticized his South Korean predecessors, saying some of the money they had provided to North Korea in assistance is now believed to have been diverted to the North's nuclear weapons program.
"Therefore, we are now working through international means, such as U.N. sanctions, to make North Korea engage in serious dialogue. The purpose of such sanctions is to make North Korea come to the dialogue table with the international community," the president said.
Lee said one way to bring South Korea and Europe closer together, not only on the North Korean issue but also other economic or diplomatic issues, was to quickly sign the FTA.
"I believe the FTA in overall will benefit both the South Korean and the European sides," he said, adding he expects the sides to conclude their negotiations and sign the deal by next month.
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Seoul's aid fed N.K. nuke ambition (Korea Herald)
Seoul's massive assistance into North Korea is suspected of having fed its nuclear programs, President Lee Myung-bak said on Wednesday.
In an interview, he described Pyongyang as the world's only regime which is completely closed and beyond understanding.
"It is suspected that the massive assistance for the past 10 years (extended by previous administrations) was not used to help open up North Korea, but for its nuclear armament," Lee told EuroNews, a leading European TV channel, according an excerpt released by Cheong Wa Dae. He said Seoul is trying to pressure the North to dialogue through internationally coordinated sanctions.
"While all countries are developing themselves through open-door policies and international cooperation, North Korea is the only nation in the world which is completely closed and hard for us to understand," he said.
The purpose of sanctions is to make North Korea come to the dialogue table with the international community, he added.
Regarding a long-delayed free trade agreement between Korea and Europe, he said he expects the two sides to conclude the deal in July or August.
"We have discussed it for a long time and roughly agreed on the substance. There remains work to put together opinions of some individual countries," Lee said.
"I expect a final agreement to be made in July or August," he said.
Korea and the 27-member EU began FTA negotiations two years ago and in late March reached a provisional accord, under which they would eliminate tariffs on goods within five years.
But the deal has been stalled, mainly over Korea's duty drawback scheme for exporters.
"It is Thailand's duty to organise an informal meeting of the six-party talks here but it depends on North Korea's decision to accept it or not," Mr Panich said.
The six-party meeting on Pyongyang's nuclear programme involves the US, South Korea, North Korea, China, Japan and Russia. All are ARF member countries.
Other members are the10 Asean countries, Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, East Timor, India, Mongolia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka and the European Union.
Singapore, as the Asean chair last year, hosted an informal meeting of foreign ministers of the six countries on the sidelines of the ARF.
Mr Panich said Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Mr Kasit would like North Korea to take part in the meeting because of the sensitive nuclear issue.
"Thailand, as the host of Asean, wants either the North Korean foreign minister or his deputy to come to Thailand to exchange views and discuss the problem of the Korean peninsula," Mr Panich said.
"I will try to send him a message that it will be a good chance for Pyongyang to clarify its reason to launch missile tests and use the stage of ARF to explain [its position] for the first time to the international community."
Mr Panich quoted the North Korea foreign minister as saying the missiles were launched for reasons of self-defence and the country had the right because it had not joined the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
North Korea was not required to abide by IAEA regulations, he said.
Kim Jong-il appears at memorial (BBC)
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has made a rare public appearance for commemorations of the 15th anniversary of his father's death.
Observers said he looked gaunt and limped slightly while entering the crammed auditorium where the ceremony was held in the capital
It was the second major state event the 67-year-old has attended since suffering a suspected stroke in August.
His poor health has led to concerns of a power struggle if he dies suddenly.
The North's deputy leader, Kim Yong
"We will sternly smash the
Kim Jong-il was joined by military commanders as he paid respects to his father at the
It has been widely reported that Kim Jong-il's third and youngest son, Kim Jong-un, is being groomed as his heir, although the regime has made no official announcement.
Kim Il-sung - the communist state's founding leader and object of an intense personality cult - died of heart failure on 8 July 1994 at the age of 82.
Click Here to See BBC and Capital Radio video footage of Kim Jong-il’s appearance at the national memorial service central report meeting in commemoration of the 15th anniversary of Kim Il-sung’s death: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8139991.stm; http://www.capitalradio.co.uk/news-travel/world/gaunt-north-korean-leader-in-rare-tv-clips/
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Young Mystery General Spotted Trailing Kim Jong Il (Chosun Ilbo)
South Korean intelligence services have spotted a young-looking one-star general walking behind North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in images taken during on-the-spot guidance tours this year, but it was unclear whether that was the elusive heir apparent Jong-un.
An intelligence officer said, "In the process of closely scrutinizing photos and video images... we twice or three times spotted a young man in his mid- or late 20s in a one-star general's uniform escorting Kim, but it's unclear who he is because their definition is poor and the images are small."
He added the young man "could be" Kim Jong-un, who is mentioned as the heir apparent, or a son of another senior official. But he added it was "most unlikely" that a mere bodyguard would wear a general's insignia.
A senior government official said Kim junior is believed to be working at the Administrative Department of the National Defense Commission,
A
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North Korean Cargo Ship Returns to Port (Global Security Newswire)
A North Korean vessel suspected of carrying small arms or other weapons in violation of a U.N. Security Council ban has apparently returned to port in its home nation without dropping off any material, the Associated Press reported today (see GSN, July 1).
A South Korean defense official said the Kang Nam 1, which was thought to be heading toward
The U.N. Security Council last month expanded earlier trade sanctions against P
"I think that's an indication of the way the international community came together," said Adm. Gary Roughead, head of
Roughead said the
"As circumstances arise in the future, we will continue to support the resolution and we will conduct operations in support of that," Roughead said.
"I think what recently happened with the Kang Nam is also a very effective way of stopping that proliferation," he said, "and so we saw that ship go back" (Agence France-Presse/MorningStar.com, July 6).
Philip Goldberg, the
North Korean leader Kim Jong Il "will have a hard time collecting his money," the source said Saturday, prior to confirmation that the North's ship was heading home (Yonhap News Agency, July 4).
"If
Meanwhile, the Japanese government yesterday submitted legislation clarifying its own strategy for enforcing the
The bill, still in draft form, assigns the coast guard to stop and inspect any ships sailing in international or Japanese territorial waters that authorities believe might be violating the U.N. resolution. Customs officials would handle inspections occurring at Japanese airport and seaports. If necessary, the military would provide protection to the inspectors.
While a ship's captain would need to assent to any search on the high seas, coast guard officials would respond to a refusal by ordering the vessel to call at a Japanese port, where customs officials would carry out an inspection. Authorities would confiscate any contraband.
It is not certain whether the bill will pass the legislature (Kyodo News, July 7).
The top nuclear negotiators for
"We agreed that we need to restart talks with (
On the notion of the the two countries joining Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States for a round of five-party talks to address the North Korea issue, "Japan seemed to be positive," the official said (Kim Ji-hyun, Korea Herald, July 7).
"The parties are convinced that the six-party talks have no alternative and remain an efficient tool of regulating the nuclear problem of the
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Koreas Set For Diplomatic Battle in Cairo Next Week (Yonhap)
SEOUL -- South Korea's ambassador to the United Nations will attend the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit to be held next week in Cairo to lobby for Seoul's position on inter-Korean affairs to be reflected in the final document of the meeting, diplomatic sources here said Wednesday.
"Ambassador to the
In the Ministerial Meeting of NAM's Coordination Bureau held in
At that time, the North sought to include references to inter-Korean summit deals in the statement.
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, however, wants to implement the existing inter-Korean summit agreements on a selective and reciprocal basis in tandem with the North's denuclearization efforts.
In the end, all mention of the
"
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S.Korea: N. Korea believed behind cyber attacks (Associated Press)
The sites of 11 South Korean organizations including the presidential Blue House and the Defense Ministry went down or had access problems since late Tuesday, according to the state-run Korea Information Security Agency. Agency spokeswoman Ahn Jeong-eun said 11
On Wednesday, the National Intelligence Service told a group of South Korean lawmakers it believes that
The aide spoke on condition of anonymity citing the sensitivity of the information. He refused to allow the name of the lawmaker he works for to be published.
The National Intelligence Service —
Earlier Wednesday, the agency said in a statement that 12,000 computers in
The agency said it believed the attack was "thoroughly" prepared and committed by hackers "at the level of a certain organization or state." It said it was cooperating with the American investigative authorities to examine the case.
South Korean media reported in May that
An initial investigation in
In the
Others familiar with the
Yonhap said that prosecutors have found some of the cyber attacks on the South Korean sites were accessed from overseas. Yonhap, citing an unnamed prosecution official, said the cyber attack used a method common to Chinese hackers.
Prosecutors were not immediately available for comment.
Shin, the Information Security Agency official, said the initial probe had not yet uncovered evidence about where the cyber outages originated. Police also said they had not discovered where the outages originated. Police officer Jeong Seok-hwa said that could take several days.
Some of the South Korean sites remained unstable or inaccessible on Wednesday. The site of the presidential Blue House could be accessed, but those for the Defense Ministry, the ruling Grand National Party and the National Assembly could not.
Ahn said there were no immediate reports of financial damage or leaking of confidential national information. The alleged attacks appeared aimed only at paralyzing websites, she said.
The paralysis took place because of denial of service attacks, in which floods of computers all try to connect to a single site at the same time, overwhelming the server that handles the traffic, the South Korean agency said in a statement.
The agency is investigating the case with police and prosecutors, said spokeswoman Ahn.
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Hackers Make New Attacks on Seven Additional Targets (Yonhap)
An official at the Broadcasting and Communications Committee said 23 sites --excluding the ministries of defense and foreign affairs and the Chosun Ilbo newspaper -- were running smoothly as of Wednesday evening. However, seven other sites, including NAVER PC Green, Paran.com and two commercial banks, were having difficulties due to attacks of the "Zombie PC" virus.
The official Web site of the South Korean presidential office was inaccessible Wednesday morning due to attacks by hackers who also cracked into government agencies and private firms, officials said.
As of 10:00 a.m., the Web site of Cheong Wa Dae remained down as unidentified hackers continued their attacks that started Tuesday evening, said the government-run Korea Information Security Agency (KISA).
After an initial attack that began around 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, the Web site returned to normal, but renewed attacks shut it down again, the agency said.
The so-called distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks hit 25 Internet sites, including 11 domestic ones, shutting them down for hours, KISA said. Other government agencies attacked include the National Assembly and the Ministry of Defense, with the Web sites of major lenders Shinhan Bank and Korea Exchange Bank brought down by the attack as well.
The cyber attacks also affected the country's No. 1 portal Naver's e-mail service and online auctioneer eBay's South Korean site Auction.com, the agency said.
A DDoS attack involves sending large amounts of data that renders Web servers unusable by obstructing communication between the intended server and the target. The attacks generally use multiple personal computers infected by a hacker, allowing the individual to drive more traffic to the target.
KISA officials said most sites returned to normal as of 10:00 p.m. on Tuesday, though some sites remained unable to get access.
No major damage has been reported so far and police said they have begun an investigation into who might have been behind the attacks.
Meanwhile, the telecom regulator Korea Communications Commission (KCC) issued a warning against the DDoS attack early Wednesday.
The KCC said that it is harder to track down and halt DDoS attacks as they involve multiple machines at the same time.
"The most urgent issue is to remove the virus from each individual personal computer exposed to hacker attacks," said an official at the KCC. "We have requested that internet service providers distribute a vaccine program to those users whose computers are infected."
Meanwhile, some U.S. Web sites, such as the U.S. Nasdaq market, were inaccessible from
Web sites of the Voice of America radio station and the
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