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CNN Sunday Morning
South Korea Reacts to Russian Plan of Ending North Korea Standoff
Aired January 19, 2003 - 11:02 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, ANCHOR: Our top story now, the diplomatic push to defuse North Korea's nuclear standoff.
Moscow has joined the efforts with a proposal it is calling "the package plan." A top Russian envoy presented the idea today in Pyongyang.
What's the reaction in the south? For that we go live to Seoul and CNN's Tom Mintier.
TOM MINTIER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Heidi.
The reaction so far is very positive. Incoming President Roh Moo-hyun saying, the President Roh saying that this is a very good sign, a very positive sign.
And it should be pointed out that this plan is being proposed, a so-called package plan by Russia has been turned over to North Korea by the Russian deputy foreign minister in Pyongyang.
Now, this plan has been in the works for several weeks. As you said, it does include non-nuclear status of the Korean Peninsula being maintained, in other words, having North Korea give up their nuclear weapons.
Also, that North Korea would abide by the NPT, the Non- Proliferation Treaty that they pulled out of just a week ago. They would also freeze their nuclear program and strictly adhere to the provisions of the NPT.
In exchange, they would receive economic and humanitarian aid and some type of guarantee, to be discussed in the future, on their security.
As I said, a very positive response so far from South Korea to this.
There was a demonstration, as you said, here in South Korea today, where thousands of people turned out into the streets. It was a very noisy, loud demonstration but very peaceful and unlike demonstrations in the past here, this one was pro-American. Pro- support of U.S. military troops remaining in Korea.
It was anti-North Korean. There were North Korean flags that were burned, pictures of Kim Jong-Il. This was a demonstration that was mostly about song. There were a lot of songs and hymns that were sung.
The entire area in front of the city hall in Seoul was filled from street to street. There were a lot of people out here. There was a lot of police presence. But once it was over after about three hours, the police allowed the people to move away and there was no confrontation.
Everyone is looking towards, on Tuesday, meetings here in Seoul between North and South Korea, the so-called inter-Korea dialogue. This will be the ninth time at a cabinet level the two sides have sat down. The unification ministry in Seoul already saying that they're going to put the nuclear issue on the table -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Tom, let me just ask you quickly. We've seen demonstrations in North Korea and we talked before about how those are forced demonstrations, if you will. In Seoul, South Korea, were they there because they wanted to be there, all of those people?
MINTIER: Well, I think a lot of these people were coming out to show their support for the U.S. military here.
In the last few days, the president-elect has been very supportive of the U.S. military. Nearly a week ago he went and visited U.S. troops here in Seoul and has made no mincing of words about the way he feels, that U.S. troops must and should remain in South Korea, even if this nuclear issue is resolved, saying that they will be needed to maintain the balance of power in the region.
Now, there have been some anti-American demonstrations, the so- called candlelight vigils that were going on related to the deaths of two young girls that were struck by a military vehicle. Those, the numbers have really dwindled. On Friday night there were maybe 20, 25 people.
But there were thousands of people out on the street against the U.S., against U.S. troops being in Korea but those numbers have dwindled. This today, a show of support with several thousand people turning up in downtown Seoul.
COLLINS: Tom Mintier, live from Seoul. Thank you, Tom.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Standoff>
Aired January 19, 2003 - 11:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, ANCHOR: Our top story now, the diplomatic push to defuse North Korea's nuclear standoff.
Moscow has joined the efforts with a proposal it is calling "the package plan." A top Russian envoy presented the idea today in Pyongyang.
What's the reaction in the south? For that we go live to Seoul and CNN's Tom Mintier.
TOM MINTIER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Heidi.
The reaction so far is very positive. Incoming President Roh Moo-hyun saying, the President Roh saying that this is a very good sign, a very positive sign.
And it should be pointed out that this plan is being proposed, a so-called package plan by Russia has been turned over to North Korea by the Russian deputy foreign minister in Pyongyang.
Now, this plan has been in the works for several weeks. As you said, it does include non-nuclear status of the Korean Peninsula being maintained, in other words, having North Korea give up their nuclear weapons.
Also, that North Korea would abide by the NPT, the Non- Proliferation Treaty that they pulled out of just a week ago. They would also freeze their nuclear program and strictly adhere to the provisions of the NPT.
In exchange, they would receive economic and humanitarian aid and some type of guarantee, to be discussed in the future, on their security.
As I said, a very positive response so far from South Korea to this.
There was a demonstration, as you said, here in South Korea today, where thousands of people turned out into the streets. It was a very noisy, loud demonstration but very peaceful and unlike demonstrations in the past here, this one was pro-American. Pro- support of U.S. military troops remaining in Korea.
It was anti-North Korean. There were North Korean flags that were burned, pictures of Kim Jong-Il. This was a demonstration that was mostly about song. There were a lot of songs and hymns that were sung.
The entire area in front of the city hall in Seoul was filled from street to street. There were a lot of people out here. There was a lot of police presence. But once it was over after about three hours, the police allowed the people to move away and there was no confrontation.
Everyone is looking towards, on Tuesday, meetings here in Seoul between North and South Korea, the so-called inter-Korea dialogue. This will be the ninth time at a cabinet level the two sides have sat down. The unification ministry in Seoul already saying that they're going to put the nuclear issue on the table -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Tom, let me just ask you quickly. We've seen demonstrations in North Korea and we talked before about how those are forced demonstrations, if you will. In Seoul, South Korea, were they there because they wanted to be there, all of those people?
MINTIER: Well, I think a lot of these people were coming out to show their support for the U.S. military here.
In the last few days, the president-elect has been very supportive of the U.S. military. Nearly a week ago he went and visited U.S. troops here in Seoul and has made no mincing of words about the way he feels, that U.S. troops must and should remain in South Korea, even if this nuclear issue is resolved, saying that they will be needed to maintain the balance of power in the region.
Now, there have been some anti-American demonstrations, the so- called candlelight vigils that were going on related to the deaths of two young girls that were struck by a military vehicle. Those, the numbers have really dwindled. On Friday night there were maybe 20, 25 people.
But there were thousands of people out on the street against the U.S., against U.S. troops being in Korea but those numbers have dwindled. This today, a show of support with several thousand people turning up in downtown Seoul.
COLLINS: Tom Mintier, live from Seoul. Thank you, Tom.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Standoff>
