U.S. General Remains Worried by North Korea Following Nuclear Disarmament Agreement

North Korea’s agreement to eliminate its nuclear weapons program has not fully alleviated the concerns of the head of U.S. forces in South Korea, the Associated Press reported today (see GSN, March 7).

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il historically has sought to use denuclearization negotiations to benefit his nation, while limiting concrete moves toward actual disarmament, said U.S. Army Gen. B.B. Bell.  He said he backs the Feb. 13 deal at the six-party talks, but cautioned that it would not necessarily result in reductions in North Korean military spending or its efforts to rupture the alliance between South Korea and the United States.

“Kim Jong Il has the option to continue to manipulate the international community by alternating provocations and engagement overtures in an attempt to shape the political and military environment to meet his objectives,” Bell told the House Armed Services Committee.

North Korea is likely to continue to develop its nuclear arsenal and to test another weapon if the negotiations fail, Bell said (Foster Klug, Associated Press I/Yahoo!News, March 8).

U.N. sanctions issued after Pyongyang’s first nuclear test on Oct. 9 have not stopped the flow of caviar, liquor and other luxury items into North Korea, Newsday reported today. 

The restrictions were intended to hurt the high-living leaders in Pyongyang.  However, the North’s borders with China and South Korea remain largely open, said Peter Beck of the International Crisis Group.

“Inspections are, shall we say, very light,” he said.

“North Korea is not foolish,” said Seoul-based author Brent Choi.  “If they need luxury goods, they smuggle (them) in through third parties” (Brian Breuhaus, Newsday, March 8).

Meanwhile, talks between Japan and North Korea on establishment of diplomatic relations under the Feb. 13 agreement broke down again today, Reuters reported.

Diplomats met today in Vietnam after the delegation from Pyongyang canceled an afternoon session yesterday.  However, the talks ended in less than an hour as the two sides continued to disagree on long-standing issues.

Japan is demanding the return of citizens abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s.  Pyongyang says all surviving abductees have been returned, and is demanding that Tokyo address its harsh rule of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945.

No new date has been set for additional meetings (Reuters/New York Times, March 8).

Elsewhere, European Union representatives today ended two days of “detailed” and “frank” talks with officials from Pyongyang, the EU presidency said in a statement.  North Korea “expressed its determination to implement in full the 13 February agreements,” according to the statement.

Pyongyang “expressed its desire for more intensive contacts and increased dialogue with the EU,” the presidency said.  European Union officials “made it clear that, should there be positive developments, the EU would examine concrete measures aimed at a gradual improvement in relations” (Associated Press/Helena Independent Record, March 8).

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