Kim Jong-Il says missiles will stay

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il finally commented on speculations that North Korea agreed to give up its missile program under certain conditions during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Pyongyang on July 19.

Chairman Kim conceded in a press conference luncheon Saturday that he had told Putin that a single rocket costs US$200-300 million, so if the U.S. is willing to launch a satellite for North Korea, he would be happy to give up the missile program. However, the North Korean leader said that his remark was meant as a joke, and Pyongyang¡¯s basic stance on its missile program remains unchanged.

Chairman Kim commented that North Korea¡¯s missile research is comparable to growing rice to feed the nation`s people as it can sell the advanced technology to other nations for millions of dollars. He pointed out that North Korea cannot give up its missile program when the economic benefits are so large, implicitly suggesting that economic aid be given in exchange for Pyongyang`s pledge to end missile research. Chairman Kim added that it costs US$900 million to launch two or three missiles every year.

The North Korean leader also pointed out the impossibility of North Korea winning a war against the U.S. by developing and shooting a couple of intercontinental ballistic missiles and claimed Washington was using the Communist nation as an excuse to develop a National Missile Defense (NMD) program.