N. Korea threatens Japan over military exercises with U.S.
SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Wednesday, August 16, 2000
TOKYO -- North Korea has threatened to shelve plans for diplomatic
talks with Tokyo unless Japan cancels military exercises with the United
States.
Japan and the United States plan to hold joint maneuvers in November.
The exercise will comprise 20,000 soldiers from both countries and include
air, sea and ground maneuvers.
The Pyongyang-based Korean Central News Agency also warned that the
exercise could affect reconciliation talks between North Korea and the
United States. Japan and North Korea -- who last met in April -- have
scheduled another session for next week.
"There is no guarantee that the joint military exercise will not have a
negative influence on the talks between the Democratic People's Republic of
Korea and the United States as well as the DPRK-Japan talks," the official
Pyongyang news agency said.
Last year, Japan and the United States agreed to cooperate in east Asian
defense. This meant that Tokyo would provide logistical support to the U.S.
military.
"This cannot but arouse high vigilance of the people and the people's
army of Korea as it is a very dangerous development which may vitiate the
hard-won atmosphere of detente and create tensions on the Korean peninsula."
North Korea. said. "Negotiations and confrontation are incompatible. The
DPRK is prepared for both negotiations and confrontation."
In a related development, South Korea is urging the United States to
remove Pyongyang from the State Department list of terrorist sponsors. Yang
Sung Chul, Seoul's ambassador to the United States, told the Tokyo-based
Kyodo news agency that U.S. accusations that Pyongyang supports terrorism
will torpedo reconciliation efforts between North Korea and Japan as well as
Washington.
Yang said South Korea has been trying to improve relations with North
Korea by first discussing issues other than terrorism.
North Korea admits missile sales.
On Monday, the United States pledged to upgrade ties with North Korea
if North Korea ends its support of terrorism.
''We hope they will be prepared to take the necessary steps to allow us
to then remove them from the list,'' State Department spokesman Philip
Reeker said. ''We are prepared to improve relations with Pyongyang as North
Korea addresses the areas of concern that we've had."
Reeker said that the U.S. and North Korea plan another round of talks on
terrorism but no date has yet been set.
On Tuesday, South Koreans met with about 100 North Koreans at a
convention centre in Seoul in an effort to reunite families after 50 years
of separation.
The orderly meeting quickly became chaotic after the relatives spotted
each other and fell on top of each other weeping and screaming.