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American Morning

North Korea Missile Test

Aired February 25, 2003 - 07:09   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Back now to the latest on North Korea. North Korea's missile tests came as Secretary of State Colin Powell arrived in neighboring Seoul, South Korea today for the inauguration of President Roh Moo-hyun.
Rebecca MacKinnon now live there with the latest on what's happening there south of the DMZ.

Rebecca -- hello. Good evening.

REBECCA MACKINNON, CNN TOKYO BUREAU CHIEF: Hello, Bill.

Well, who is provoking whom seems to -- that point of view seems to depend on which side of the demilitarized zone you're standing on. Today, North Korea accusing the United States of being provocative by sending a spy plane into its air space four days in a row from Friday to Monday, accusing the United States of a premeditative move to find an opportunity to mount a pre-emptive attack.

Now, North Korea for its part has launched a missile test on Monday, and according to the Defense Department here, that missile test was a short-range test into the eastern -- off the eastern coast of North Korea. The officials here in South Korea and U.S. officials are downplaying this test, saying that it was routine. It may have been part of a military exercise. It was expected. However, it did come just before the inauguration of President Roh Moo-hyun, and people here are wondering whether it was entirely a coincidence.

Now, as you mentioned, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell here in Seoul to attend that inauguration and to show U.S. support for South Korea and to make sure that the U.S.-South Korean relationship starts off on a good footing at a time of tensions with North Korea.

Secretary Powell was reassuring the president here that the United States does want a peaceful solution to the North Korean nuclear standoff, but it wants the solution to be on Washington's terms and not on Pyongyang.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: I believe sooner or later, there will be a dialogue involving all of the interested parties, and the United States will participate in that dialogue. And hopefully we will find a peaceful solution to this problem.

(END VIDEO CLIP) MACKINNON: Now, North Korea is calling for a non-aggression treaty, and says it will only talk directly with the United States and not in a multi-lateral forum that Powell is calling for -- Bill.

HEMMER: Rebecca, thank you -- Rebecca MacKinnon in Seoul, South Korea.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.






Aired February 25, 2003 - 07:09   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Back now to the latest on North Korea. North Korea's missile tests came as Secretary of State Colin Powell arrived in neighboring Seoul, South Korea today for the inauguration of President Roh Moo-hyun.
Rebecca MacKinnon now live there with the latest on what's happening there south of the DMZ.

Rebecca -- hello. Good evening.

REBECCA MACKINNON, CNN TOKYO BUREAU CHIEF: Hello, Bill.

Well, who is provoking whom seems to -- that point of view seems to depend on which side of the demilitarized zone you're standing on. Today, North Korea accusing the United States of being provocative by sending a spy plane into its air space four days in a row from Friday to Monday, accusing the United States of a premeditative move to find an opportunity to mount a pre-emptive attack.

Now, North Korea for its part has launched a missile test on Monday, and according to the Defense Department here, that missile test was a short-range test into the eastern -- off the eastern coast of North Korea. The officials here in South Korea and U.S. officials are downplaying this test, saying that it was routine. It may have been part of a military exercise. It was expected. However, it did come just before the inauguration of President Roh Moo-hyun, and people here are wondering whether it was entirely a coincidence.

Now, as you mentioned, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell here in Seoul to attend that inauguration and to show U.S. support for South Korea and to make sure that the U.S.-South Korean relationship starts off on a good footing at a time of tensions with North Korea.

Secretary Powell was reassuring the president here that the United States does want a peaceful solution to the North Korean nuclear standoff, but it wants the solution to be on Washington's terms and not on Pyongyang.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: I believe sooner or later, there will be a dialogue involving all of the interested parties, and the United States will participate in that dialogue. And hopefully we will find a peaceful solution to this problem.

(END VIDEO CLIP) MACKINNON: Now, North Korea is calling for a non-aggression treaty, and says it will only talk directly with the United States and not in a multi-lateral forum that Powell is calling for -- Bill.

HEMMER: Rebecca, thank you -- Rebecca MacKinnon in Seoul, South Korea.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.