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American Morning
Nuclear Stakes: North Korea Expels Two Nuclear Inspectors
Aired December 31, 2002 - 07:03 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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Back to the issue of North Korea, where the nuclear program there is now unmonitored by the outside world. Two nuclear inspectors who were kicked out of the country have arrived in China. The inspectors not saying much to reporters, other than happy New Year.
With no one keeping an eye on North Korea's nuclear program, South Korean President-elect Roh Moo-hyun warns that current U.S. policy towards the north may fall short.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROH MOO-HYUN, S. KOREAN PRESIDENT-ELECT (through translator): In fact, I'm doubtful of the tailored containment, whether it is generally an efficient method to control North Korea or to make them submit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZAHN: The president-elect is also urging the U.S. to consult with South Korea before formulating a new approach to the north.
Dana Bash is standing by at the White House.
Dana, I guess my question to you this morning is how much is the White House working with South Korea right now?
DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
Well, the United States government says that they intend to work very closely with South Korea. As a matter of fact, the State Department is sending an envoy, Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly, to the region really in the next few weeks to talk to officials there to try to explain what the United States' position is, what the United States' strategy is, and hoping that South Korea and other allies in the region will really help the United States in putting the squeeze on North Korea and trying to cut ties and trying to get them to use their leverage to convince North Korea to stop its nuclear program.
And it's important to note that some U.S. officials -- administration officials believe that part of the strategy here on North Korea's part is to drive a wedge between South Korea and the United States, because they say that it's no coincidence that North Korea started ramping up its nuclear program and started making these moves very shortly after President-elect Moo, who you just saw, was elected. And he was elected on a platform of reaching out to North Korea and a platform of saying that he is not going to work as closely with the United States as his predecessors have.
But President Bush, shortly after the president-elect was elected, called him, said that he congratulated him and invited him to the capital, said that that he hoped that they could have very close relations.
So, the United States certainly is relying on South Korea, and again, other neighbors in the region to help push their strategy on dealing with North Korea -- Paula.
ZAHN: And, Dana, at this point, does it appear as though all of the members of the administration are on the same page as far as how to approach this problem?
BASH: At this point, it seems as though they are, that they really want to kind of take a low-key approach to what's going on in North Korea. They want to take it slow, again work diplomatically through Russia, through China, through South Korea, and also through the international agencies like the IAEA, in the hopes that they can really get a global policy towards North Korea.
But as you heard with President-elect Moo's comments, it's not going to be easy -- Paula.
ZAHN: Thanks so much, Dana Bash reporting live from the White House this morning.
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 December 31, 2002 - 07:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Back to the issue of North Korea, where the nuclear program there is now unmonitored by the outside world. Two nuclear inspectors who were kicked out of the country have arrived in China. The inspectors not saying much to reporters, other than happy New Year.
With no one keeping an eye on North Korea's nuclear program, South Korean President-elect Roh Moo-hyun warns that current U.S. policy towards the north may fall short.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROH MOO-HYUN, S. KOREAN PRESIDENT-ELECT (through translator): In fact, I'm doubtful of the tailored containment, whether it is generally an efficient method to control North Korea or to make them submit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZAHN: The president-elect is also urging the U.S. to consult with South Korea before formulating a new approach to the north.
Dana Bash is standing by at the White House.
Dana, I guess my question to you this morning is how much is the White House working with South Korea right now?
DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
Well, the United States government says that they intend to work very closely with South Korea. As a matter of fact, the State Department is sending an envoy, Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly, to the region really in the next few weeks to talk to officials there to try to explain what the United States' position is, what the United States' strategy is, and hoping that South Korea and other allies in the region will really help the United States in putting the squeeze on North Korea and trying to cut ties and trying to get them to use their leverage to convince North Korea to stop its nuclear program.
And it's important to note that some U.S. officials -- administration officials believe that part of the strategy here on North Korea's part is to drive a wedge between South Korea and the United States, because they say that it's no coincidence that North Korea started ramping up its nuclear program and started making these moves very shortly after President-elect Moo, who you just saw, was elected. And he was elected on a platform of reaching out to North Korea and a platform of saying that he is not going to work as closely with the United States as his predecessors have.
But President Bush, shortly after the president-elect was elected, called him, said that he congratulated him and invited him to the capital, said that that he hoped that they could have very close relations.
So, the United States certainly is relying on South Korea, and again, other neighbors in the region to help push their strategy on dealing with North Korea -- Paula.
ZAHN: And, Dana, at this point, does it appear as though all of the members of the administration are on the same page as far as how to approach this problem?
BASH: At this point, it seems as though they are, that they really want to kind of take a low-key approach to what's going on in North Korea. They want to take it slow, again work diplomatically through Russia, through China, through South Korea, and also through the international agencies like the IAEA, in the hopes that they can really get a global policy towards North Korea.
But as you heard with President-elect Moo's comments, it's not going to be easy -- Paula.
ZAHN: Thanks so much, Dana Bash reporting live from the White House this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
