North Korea Interprets President Roh’s Remarks in L.A. Positively

“With regard to President Roh Moo-hyun’s speech in Los Angeles on November 13 about the North Korean nuclear issue, the North commented that his remarks were objective, and its nuclear weapons were not for military purpose, but for self defense,” Jean Ping, president of the 59th session of the United Nation (foreign minister of Gabon), said on Thursday.

President Ping had a press conference at an annex of the government complex building in Seoul. “I had not known about President Roh’s remarks during my visit to Pyongyang (November 16 to 20) before North Korean officials told me,” he added.

President Roh delivered a speech in Los Angeles, a stopover in his visit to South America, “The North Koreans maintain that their nuclear weapons and missiles constitute a means of safeguarding their security by deterring threats from the outside.”

North Korea regarded President Roh’s remarks and the reaffirmed U.S. position of no military action against it during the Korea-U.S. summit as positive signs. He also said that North Korea thought that such favorable developments would play positive roles in holding the six-way talks.

As for the North’s reluctance to the six-way talks, President Ping said, “North Korea assumed an attitude of either negotiation or confrontation.”

Hyong-gwon Pu bookum90@donga.com