Defector: Kim Said N. Korea Has Nukes (Kim Jong-il said it in '96)

AP via Yahoo! News ^ | 07/04/03 | JAE-SUK YOO

[TigerLikesRooster]

World - AP Asia

Defector: Kim Said N. Korea Has Nukes (Kim Jong-il said it in '96)

2 hours, 16 minutes ago

By JAE-SUK YOO, Associated Press Writer

SEOUL, South Korea - North Korean leader Kim Jong Il told aides in 1996 that his country had nuclear weapons, a prominent North Korean defector said Friday.

Hwang Jang Yop, who defected to Seoul in 1997, made the remarks as the United States tries to muster international pressure on North Korea (news - web sites) to drop its suspected nuclear program. Washington believes North Korea already has one or two bombs.

"I heard from Kim Jong Il and other people in charge ... that 'we made nuclear weapons,'" the Yonhap news agency quoted Hwang as saying. "But I have not seen a nuclear weapon myself."

Hwang, a former top aide to Kim, said North Korean leaders made the claim in 1996, according to the television channel YTN. Hwang spoke at a parliamentary forum on North Korean defectors and human rights.

American officials said North Korean negotiators told them in April that North Korea had nuclear weapons and was prepared to use them, depending on U.S. actions. North Korea wants security guarantees and economic aid from the United States.

"People in many countries, without knowing the true identity of the North Korean dictatorial leadership, are pitying it as a small country, an impoverished country," said 81-year-old Hwang. He compared North Korea's leadership to that of Iraq (news - web sites)'s ousted leader, Saddam Hussein (news - web sites).

North Korea accuses the United States of inciting the nuclear standoff as an excuse to invade, and some younger South Koreans view Washington as arrogant and militaristic.

Hwang, ex-chief of North Korea's legislature, called for cooperation between the Koreas.

U.S. lawmakers have long invited Hwang to speak before a congressional hearing, but he has not been able to do so. Hwang has accused the South Korean government of restricting his movements to muzzle him, but the government says it is looking out for his safety.

Earlier Friday, 21 North Koreans defected to South Korea (news - web sites) after fleeing their hunger-stricken homeland. More than 500 North Koreans have defected to South Korea this year. Last year, 1,141 North Koreans defected to South Korea, up from 583 in 2001 and 312 in 2000.

[TigerLikesRooster]

A Korean news article in Chosun Ilbo has more details. They are as follows:

In '92, those in charge of nuclear project, told Hwang Jang-yop that they completed the underground nuclear testing facility.

In '96, N. Korea signed a contract with Pakistan for obtaining the technology for the enrichment of Uranium 235.

Kim Jong-il regime should be eliminated.

To achieve it, we have to highlight atrocious abuse of human rights in N. Korea, thereby showing that it is indeed a part of axis-of-evil in a literal sense.

This way, we can secure firm moral high ground. Military power alone will not do. By championing human right cause, we could silence anti-American or anti-war protests.

However, we must stay away from military option Instead, we should try to engineer the internal collpase.

We should push N. Korea toward limited reform and open door policy by insisting on hard equitable bargaining, not appeasement.

If Kim Jong-il regime collapses, his brother-in-law Chang Sung-taek (the first vice director of the Central Committee) is likely to take charge. (note: Mr. Chang is also a relative of Mr. Hwang.)

Song Doo-Yul, a Korean academic in Germany, is actually Kim Chol-Soo, a candidate member of the N. Korean Politburo. Kim Chol-Soo is his alias. (note: Mr. Song is suing Mr. Hwang for defamation over this claim. However, Mr. Hwang refuses to budge.)

We need to enlist Chinese help. We should try to pull China away from N. Korea. It is important to address the Chinese concern of expanding American influence up to Yalu river. A strong pressure on China will cause China to force N. Korea into the path of reform.

As a first step, we need to achieve limited reform and opening. This will create a seed of the destruction of the regime from inside.

If Chinese style reform is introduced, the regime may collapse in three years.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Ping!

[Sen Jack S. Fogbound]

The timing makes sense. Nuclear devices deterioate in around 7 years. They need to be re-enriched or rebuilt. That would explain why they restarted the reactor.

[Camel Joe]

This of course would mean trusting the Chi-Coms, I am not sure we can leave it up to them alone. I think instead we must include the Japanese, Russians, and naturally the South Koreans. It may also be wise to include the British and Ausssies both of whom can no doubt provide some influence.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Re #4

Actually, his suggestion is to do a serious arm-twisting with the nuclear card of America's own, that is, threatening to allow Japan and Tawain to go nuclear.

[squidly]

All good points, but don't kid yourself. China and Russia are more on NK's side than they are on our side. I'm just hoping the KJL regime can collapse before open hostilities break out. I think there's a chance of that.

[squidly]

Forgot to add, I'll believe they have nukes when they test one. Everybody seems to agree that they've got enough plutonium, but whether or not they've actually built a bomb seems to be somewhat in question.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Re #6

Did you see my reply #5? China would rather not do it. We should leave them no choice. We play China as N. Korea tries to play America, giving China two stark choices, open hostility at her border or regime change.

[Carry_Okie]

Actually, his suggestion is to do a serious arm-twisting with the nuclear card of America's own, that is, threatening to allow Japan and Tawain to go nuclear.

Threaten Japan. Keep Taiwan in the holster. We'll need it later and shouldn't commit the Taiwanese to the inability to defend themselves.

[anglian]

7/2/03 North/South Korea Ministerial Talks to Be Held Next Week:
South and North Korea will hold a new round of ministerial talks in Seoul next week, despite the tension over the North¡¯s nuclear weapons program.

The two sides yesterday confirmed an agreement to hold the high-level meetings July 9-12 through liaison officials working at the border village of Panmunjom, a Unification Ministry official said.

Ministerial talks are the highest-level channel of dialogue between the two Koreas. They are supposed to handle inter-Korean affairs but the nuclear issue has been discussed at past meetings.

In yesterday¡¯s border contact, South Korea informed North Korea that the protocol for next week¡¯s meeting will be simplified, ministry officials said.

``We notified the North that the South will not mobilize many vehicles and will curtail some events, an official said. Seoul will not invite dignitaries for a dinner it plans to host in honor of the North Korean delegation. Hundreds of local political, social and religious leaders were invited to such dinners in the past.

Meanwhile, a South Korean delegation yesterday started three-day shuttle talks going to and from Kaesong for discussions on restoring inter-Korean railroads.
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200307/kt2003070218061111950.htm

[ChadGore]

But I thought the "Clinton Cash for Communists" deal was supose to keep these socialist dictators in line ?

Where is clinton today to give away more of *my* money to communist dictators ?

[OahuBreeze]

Hwang's usually pretty much on the money. It is refreshing reading.

ROK Pres Noh makes his way up to China this week. China and Russia just shot down our Presidential Statement against NK in the Security Council. Headline in Moscow Rossiyskaya Gazeta is: "Yankees' Proposal Not Passed. Russian and China Block 'Anti-Pyongyang' Resolution" Further into article: "Pyongyang is not averse to holding direct talks with the United States but the United States insists that discussion of the DPRK's nuclear program cannot be restricted to bilateral talks as this affects the leading Asia-Pacific states' interests."

The Russians and Chinese are playing cheap politics with the wild card of a wacko regime which has killed one tenth of its population in the last ten years, threatens global security by missile proliferation and likely WMD proliferations, and has been caught numerous times dealing in narcotics, counterfeiting, and smuggling. Now ask yourself, exactly how low will the Russians or Chinese stoop to make a political gain. I really hope President Noh takes account of this before he steps on the short-term political bandwagon game with his friends in China -- he will have to live with these new "allies," the Heros of Tienammen, etc..... America the Beautiful! -- hope everyone had a good 4th!

[Monty22]

I'm not optimistic on this whatsoever.

The only solution, seriously, is a bolt from the blue attack from the USA using strategic nuclear weapons. Anything less, and Tokyo, Seoul, and possibly some US cities are going to get fried.. Soon.