Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Sunday Morning

North Korea Denies Admitting Having Nuclear Program

Aired January 12, 2003 - 08:05   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.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: North Korea is now denying that it ever admitted having a secret nuclear weapons program. For more on that, we go to Senior White House Correspondent John King -- John.
JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Heidi, good morning to you. White House officials say there is no question that North Korea acknowledged just a few months back -- when Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly who you just saw there, already back in the region now -- when he was over to talk to the North Koreans, U.S. officials say they did acknowledged a program to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons.

The issue now is, of course, reopening a nuclear facility that could use plutonium for more nuclear weapons. The big question now is, where do we go from here? The Bush administration says it is willing to talk, but it also says it is not willing to negotiate. One effort to bring a break breakthrough there began in recent days, including over the weekend in New Mexico. Now the Governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson, he was the United Nation's ambassador during the Clinton administration, more than two days of talks with diplomats.

These not considered direct conversations, of course, between the United States and North Korea, because Mr. Richardson is not affiliated with the Bush administration. But he says he found the North Koreans willing to reach compromises, willing to talk with the United States, but he also says there is a great deal of distrust. And in Governor Richardson's view, the best thing that can happen right now is for senior Bush administration officials, either at the United Nations or Secretary of State Colin Powell, Governor Richardson says they need to sit down with the North Koreans and build the dialogue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. BILL RICHARDSON (D), NEW MEXICO: I think that there needs to be some trust built, both sides, the administration and the North Koreans. I mean, I think it's pretty clear to everybody that there's deep mistrust. But the way you build trust is through talks. I don't think there's ever going to be a perfect relationship. But at least I believe talking to each other is not going to be harmful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Now senior Bush administration officials say they simply do not know the question as to what will come next. The most important thing right now are those consultations now under way in Seoul by assistant secretary of state Kelly. The question then is, will the United States, will the Bush administration, have direct conversations with North Korean diplomats?

You heard Rebecca MacKinnon say the north is rejecting that so far because the administration says it will talk, but not negotiate. What the Bush White House says is North Korea must first say, never mind, we will not have a nuclear weapons program, we will allow inspectors in to verify that the nuclear weapons program is being dismantled. Only then, the Bush administration says, is it willing to discuss other things like economic aid, like security assurances. But also, the White House saying it believes the north is engaging in escalating confrontational rhetoric in hope of bringing about some sort of negotiation.

You heard the ambassador in Rebecca MacKinnon's speech saying he thought the United States was threatening a nuclear attack on North Korea. Bush administration officials say nothing could be further from the truth -- Heidi.

COLLINS: So John, with those developments and what we did just hear from Rebecca MacKinnon, it seems like there is a roadblock. I mean, just bipolar sides are of the issue right now.

KING: And the question is, how can you break that? One set of conversations here in Washington is, can you convince the North Koreans to sit down for direct talks with the United States if it is sort of viewed off to the side, as a sort of side agreement? But, yes, if North Korea agrees to set aside its nuclear weapons program, at that point, and immediately at that point, the United States would offer firm security assurances. Put it clear in writing, in negotiations that it has no intentions at all of attacking North Korea and then move on from there to a separate set of conversations about going back to agreements negotiated during the Clinton administration, under which the United States would resume shipments of fuel oil and put on the table the possibility of expanded relationships down the road.

The Bush administration simply says, though, it cannot be blackmailed here. It cannot be seen as weak. You cannot have North Korea say it is going back to a nuclear weapons program and then get concessions from the United States. The Bush administration says that would set an incredibly dangerous precedent if it gave in to what it considers to be blackmail.

COLLINS: All right. John King, thank you.

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 - 08:05   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: North Korea is now denying that it ever admitted having a secret nuclear weapons program. For more on that, we go to Senior White House Correspondent John King -- John.
JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Heidi, good morning to you. White House officials say there is no question that North Korea acknowledged just a few months back -- when Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly who you just saw there, already back in the region now -- when he was over to talk to the North Koreans, U.S. officials say they did acknowledged a program to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons.

The issue now is, of course, reopening a nuclear facility that could use plutonium for more nuclear weapons. The big question now is, where do we go from here? The Bush administration says it is willing to talk, but it also says it is not willing to negotiate. One effort to bring a break breakthrough there began in recent days, including over the weekend in New Mexico. Now the Governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson, he was the United Nation's ambassador during the Clinton administration, more than two days of talks with diplomats.

These not considered direct conversations, of course, between the United States and North Korea, because Mr. Richardson is not affiliated with the Bush administration. But he says he found the North Koreans willing to reach compromises, willing to talk with the United States, but he also says there is a great deal of distrust. And in Governor Richardson's view, the best thing that can happen right now is for senior Bush administration officials, either at the United Nations or Secretary of State Colin Powell, Governor Richardson says they need to sit down with the North Koreans and build the dialogue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. BILL RICHARDSON (D), NEW MEXICO: I think that there needs to be some trust built, both sides, the administration and the North Koreans. I mean, I think it's pretty clear to everybody that there's deep mistrust. But the way you build trust is through talks. I don't think there's ever going to be a perfect relationship. But at least I believe talking to each other is not going to be harmful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Now senior Bush administration officials say they simply do not know the question as to what will come next. The most important thing right now are those consultations now under way in Seoul by assistant secretary of state Kelly. The question then is, will the United States, will the Bush administration, have direct conversations with North Korean diplomats?

You heard Rebecca MacKinnon say the north is rejecting that so far because the administration says it will talk, but not negotiate. What the Bush White House says is North Korea must first say, never mind, we will not have a nuclear weapons program, we will allow inspectors in to verify that the nuclear weapons program is being dismantled. Only then, the Bush administration says, is it willing to discuss other things like economic aid, like security assurances. But also, the White House saying it believes the north is engaging in escalating confrontational rhetoric in hope of bringing about some sort of negotiation.

You heard the ambassador in Rebecca MacKinnon's speech saying he thought the United States was threatening a nuclear attack on North Korea. Bush administration officials say nothing could be further from the truth -- Heidi.

COLLINS: So John, with those developments and what we did just hear from Rebecca MacKinnon, it seems like there is a roadblock. I mean, just bipolar sides are of the issue right now.

KING: And the question is, how can you break that? One set of conversations here in Washington is, can you convince the North Koreans to sit down for direct talks with the United States if it is sort of viewed off to the side, as a sort of side agreement? But, yes, if North Korea agrees to set aside its nuclear weapons program, at that point, and immediately at that point, the United States would offer firm security assurances. Put it clear in writing, in negotiations that it has no intentions at all of attacking North Korea and then move on from there to a separate set of conversations about going back to agreements negotiated during the Clinton administration, under which the United States would resume shipments of fuel oil and put on the table the possibility of expanded relationships down the road.

The Bush administration simply says, though, it cannot be blackmailed here. It cannot be seen as weak. You cannot have North Korea say it is going back to a nuclear weapons program and then get concessions from the United States. The Bush administration says that would set an incredibly dangerous precedent if it gave in to what it considers to be blackmail.

COLLINS: All right. John King, thank you.

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