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CNN Sunday Morning

Kelly Arrives in Seoul

Aired January 12, 2003 - 08:01   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.


MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Now back to the nuclear standoff with North Korea. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly is in Seoul today to seek a way to diffuse the situation with North Korea; a situation the White House still refuses to call a crisis. CNN's Rebecca MacKinnon is in Seoul with the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REBECCA MACKINNON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly arrived in Seoul, North Korean media called on the people of South Korea to unite against the Yankees. But Kelly hopes to unite with officials here on a strategy for dealing with Pyongyang.

Despite the defiant rhetoric coming out of Pyongyang about a holy war, joint U.S. and South Korean forces of the demilitarized zone dividing north and south have seen no change in troop movements or deployments on the northern side. But North Korea, looking out from over the divide, still believes the U.S. may launch a military attack.

PAK GIL YON, NORTH KOREAN AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: If the United States continues to have a nuclear threat against the (UNINTELLIGIBLE), at that time, my country will have no other choice but to (UNINTELLIGIBLE) such a means of defense against such a nuclear attempt on the part of the United States.

MACKINNON: South Korean president-elect Roh Moo-hyun has condemned North Korea's decision to withdraw from the nuclear nonproliferation treaty, but his advisers say he is not surprised by North Korea's latest move and is not changing his policy of engaging the north because of it. In fact, Seoul's view is that Washington should do more to reassure Pyongyang.

PARK JAE-KYU, FMR. MIN. OF UNIFICATION (through translator): I have held many discussions with North Korean officials at the senior and junior level and they all say the same thing: they cannot trust the United States will not attack them.

SCOTT SNYDER, ASIA FOUNDATION: Although the United States and South Korea are allies, they have come to see the costs and benefits of particular approaches to North Korea in different ways.

MACKINNON: As the U.S. military buildup in the Persian Gulf intensifies, a senior South Korean official says he thinks Pyongyang's latest actions are part of an attempt to force Washington to talk to it now and not wait until after it has dealt with Iraq. (END VIDEOTAPE)

MACKINNON: South Korea's leaders are also hoping that Washington won't put North Korea on the back burner as it moves towards a possible show down with Iraq. One reason in particular is that a prolonged crisis could hurt South Korea's economy and scare away investors -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Well, Rebecca, it seems that every effort by Washington to put this crisis on the back burner is thwarted by Pyongyang. And how much of this is a desire to get something concrete, to get a carrot for all the sticks?

MACKINNON: Well, definitely the view here is that North Korea's trying to force the issue, trying to get Washington to come to the table quickly before the Iraq situation intensifies any further. And the officials here in South Korea are hoping that Washington will be willing to meet North Korea, if not halfway, then at least a little bit further. It's clear from the statements made by North Korean officials in the past couple of days that North Korea has rejected Washington's offer of dialogue.

Washington said they would talk to North Korea, but not negotiate. The North Korean officials saying that this is insincere. Seoul is expected to push Washington to go a bit further -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Rebecca MacKinnon in Seoul, thanks very much. We will be checking in with you later -- Heidi.

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 January 12, 2003 - 08:01   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Now back to the nuclear standoff with North Korea. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly is in Seoul today to seek a way to diffuse the situation with North Korea; a situation the White House still refuses to call a crisis. CNN's Rebecca MacKinnon is in Seoul with the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REBECCA MACKINNON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly arrived in Seoul, North Korean media called on the people of South Korea to unite against the Yankees. But Kelly hopes to unite with officials here on a strategy for dealing with Pyongyang.

Despite the defiant rhetoric coming out of Pyongyang about a holy war, joint U.S. and South Korean forces of the demilitarized zone dividing north and south have seen no change in troop movements or deployments on the northern side. But North Korea, looking out from over the divide, still believes the U.S. may launch a military attack.

PAK GIL YON, NORTH KOREAN AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: If the United States continues to have a nuclear threat against the (UNINTELLIGIBLE), at that time, my country will have no other choice but to (UNINTELLIGIBLE) such a means of defense against such a nuclear attempt on the part of the United States.

MACKINNON: South Korean president-elect Roh Moo-hyun has condemned North Korea's decision to withdraw from the nuclear nonproliferation treaty, but his advisers say he is not surprised by North Korea's latest move and is not changing his policy of engaging the north because of it. In fact, Seoul's view is that Washington should do more to reassure Pyongyang.

PARK JAE-KYU, FMR. MIN. OF UNIFICATION (through translator): I have held many discussions with North Korean officials at the senior and junior level and they all say the same thing: they cannot trust the United States will not attack them.

SCOTT SNYDER, ASIA FOUNDATION: Although the United States and South Korea are allies, they have come to see the costs and benefits of particular approaches to North Korea in different ways.

MACKINNON: As the U.S. military buildup in the Persian Gulf intensifies, a senior South Korean official says he thinks Pyongyang's latest actions are part of an attempt to force Washington to talk to it now and not wait until after it has dealt with Iraq. (END VIDEOTAPE)

MACKINNON: South Korea's leaders are also hoping that Washington won't put North Korea on the back burner as it moves towards a possible show down with Iraq. One reason in particular is that a prolonged crisis could hurt South Korea's economy and scare away investors -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Well, Rebecca, it seems that every effort by Washington to put this crisis on the back burner is thwarted by Pyongyang. And how much of this is a desire to get something concrete, to get a carrot for all the sticks?

MACKINNON: Well, definitely the view here is that North Korea's trying to force the issue, trying to get Washington to come to the table quickly before the Iraq situation intensifies any further. And the officials here in South Korea are hoping that Washington will be willing to meet North Korea, if not halfway, then at least a little bit further. It's clear from the statements made by North Korean officials in the past couple of days that North Korea has rejected Washington's offer of dialogue.

Washington said they would talk to North Korea, but not negotiate. The North Korean officials saying that this is insincere. Seoul is expected to push Washington to go a bit further -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Rebecca MacKinnon in Seoul, thanks very much. We will be checking in with you later -- Heidi.

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