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CNN Sunday Morning
Blair Visits South Korea
Aired July 20, 2003 - 09:59 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.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: We begin today with some unsettling new concerns about North Korea and its nuclear ambitions. "The New York Times" is reporting experts have found evidence of a second plant for producing weapons grade plutonium. The issue remains worrisome for the U.S. and its allies, dominating talks in Seoul between British Prime Minister Tony Blair and South Korea's president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I hope my being here and, indeed, making this tour of the countries in the region gives you a sense of the urgency I feel about this particular issue. I'm one of the reasons why I was so keen to come and speak to President Roh about this is precisely because I don't think this issue can be avoided. Why is it different from Iraq? Well, there is not the history of the United Nations resolutions of the use of weapons of mass destruction that there was with Saddam, but let's not be in any doubt at all, this issue does have to be dealt with.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CALLEBS: Our Seoul bureau chief, Sohn Jie-Ae, is keeping track of Minister Blair's visit to South Korea and the latest developments in the story. She is with us now on the phone from Seoul. Good day. What can you tell us at this point? Certainly some news that has garnered immediate reactions from the U.S.
SOHN JIE-AE, CNN SEOUL BUREAU CHIEF: Yes, Sean. Minister Blair just left Seoul for the last leg of his Asia tour of China. Before he left, he did have a meeting with South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun, who talked intensively about North Korea, as Mr. Blair emphasized that he believed that a peaceful resolution to the nuclear issue was possible, but he emphasized that a multilateral approach needed to be done with the United States, North Korea, and China, and then following along with Japan and South Korea. He said that these countries need to emphasize to North Korea that if North Korea did not accept the fact that they needed to stop their nuclear weapons development and they needed to stop their nuclear weapons -- nuclear technology exports, that the consequences would be severe.
He also pointed out the neighboring countries needed to point out if North Korea did give up its nuclear ambitions, that the international community was going to be willing to help North Korea come out of its isolation and to become another type of country.
So, he did lay down the laws, and the two leaders were very firm on the position towards North Korea -- Sean.
CALLEBS: Well, some information here. While the White House is not confirming that report in "The New York Times" today, they are saying -- they are confirming that sensors on North Korea's boarders have detected krypton 85, a gas that is often a byproduct of trying to enrich uranium and work with trying to build nuclear fuels. Any concern from there? What is the sense that you're getting? Is there a heightened concern among the leaders who are there now?
SOHN: Well, among officials, South Korean officials have previously just said what you mentioned about the lack of confirmation from Washington. Seoul officials also said today that they could not confirm the fact that there was a second nuclear site in North Korea.
South Korean officials are very cautious. They do not want to escalate the situation any further than they can possibly do. The South Korean people are also concerned about this escalating to a point where military conflict could be an option. Now, with south and North Korea so close and the South Korean capital so close to the border, it is of great concern to South Korean officials and to South Koreans alike that this issue be resolved peacefully without a military conflict, Sean.
CALLEBS: OK, Sohn Jie-Ae monitoring the situation for us in Seoul, thanks very much.
Now for the reaction from the White House, we turn to CNN's Chris Burns with us in Crawford, Texas, with the President. Chris?
CHRIS BURNS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Sean. President Bush came back last night from a fund raising event in Houston. He's set today to meet with the Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi. They will be mainly talking about Iraq, however, of course, the North Korean issue is very much on the White House's mind.
We were asking them about that. They are not confirming nor denying that report in "The New York Times". It is a preoccupation of the White House, how to deal with North Korea, and the fact that there are indications that there might be a second nuclear reprocessing facility is troubling to the White House. They -- the indications are, though, that it's this kryptonite gas that is coming out that they are detecting that indicates that there could be that kind of a plant somewhere. But it could be very well hidden in one of the thousands of caves where the North Koreans have been using to build weapons and other industrial products. So, it's a very mountainous, very rugged country, very difficult to nail down exactly where that is.
This is a Stalinist starving country that is demanding help from the world, and this, they see, as their main bargaining trip chip. How is the White House reacting? Scott McClellan, the White House spokesman, saying reprocessing to recover plutonium is a clear indication that North Korea is seeking to enlarge its nuclear arsenal, despite repeated calls from the international community to reverse the provocative steps it has taken in its nuclear weapons program. He goes on to say, "We will be working with our friends and allies toward a shared objective of a complete verifiable and irreversible end of North Korea's nuclear weapons program."
What is the key to that? Well, Dennis Hastert, who is the Republican speaker of the House, says China is the key.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DENNIS HASTERT (R), SPEAKER OF The HOUSE: I think we need to take very serious action with our allies, in this case the Chinese, who have very direct ties to North Korean existence and sustenance. I think we need to use those tools before we get into another altercation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNS: North Korea is insisting on direct one on one talks with the United States. China, however, is helping the United States try to pressure North Korea into agreeing to multilateral talks. Of course, this is a concern of all the countries around about a possible nuclear weapons race about, whether North Korea does come to armed conflict with the United States, that could be disastrous for the whole region. Back to you, Sean.
CALLEBS: OK, we'll certainly continue to monitor. A lot going on behind the scene at this hour. Chris Burns with the president in Crawford, Texas.
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 July 20, 2003 - 09:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: We begin today with some unsettling new concerns about North Korea and its nuclear ambitions. "The New York Times" is reporting experts have found evidence of a second plant for producing weapons grade plutonium. The issue remains worrisome for the U.S. and its allies, dominating talks in Seoul between British Prime Minister Tony Blair and South Korea's president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I hope my being here and, indeed, making this tour of the countries in the region gives you a sense of the urgency I feel about this particular issue. I'm one of the reasons why I was so keen to come and speak to President Roh about this is precisely because I don't think this issue can be avoided. Why is it different from Iraq? Well, there is not the history of the United Nations resolutions of the use of weapons of mass destruction that there was with Saddam, but let's not be in any doubt at all, this issue does have to be dealt with.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CALLEBS: Our Seoul bureau chief, Sohn Jie-Ae, is keeping track of Minister Blair's visit to South Korea and the latest developments in the story. She is with us now on the phone from Seoul. Good day. What can you tell us at this point? Certainly some news that has garnered immediate reactions from the U.S.
SOHN JIE-AE, CNN SEOUL BUREAU CHIEF: Yes, Sean. Minister Blair just left Seoul for the last leg of his Asia tour of China. Before he left, he did have a meeting with South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun, who talked intensively about North Korea, as Mr. Blair emphasized that he believed that a peaceful resolution to the nuclear issue was possible, but he emphasized that a multilateral approach needed to be done with the United States, North Korea, and China, and then following along with Japan and South Korea. He said that these countries need to emphasize to North Korea that if North Korea did not accept the fact that they needed to stop their nuclear weapons development and they needed to stop their nuclear weapons -- nuclear technology exports, that the consequences would be severe.
He also pointed out the neighboring countries needed to point out if North Korea did give up its nuclear ambitions, that the international community was going to be willing to help North Korea come out of its isolation and to become another type of country.
So, he did lay down the laws, and the two leaders were very firm on the position towards North Korea -- Sean.
CALLEBS: Well, some information here. While the White House is not confirming that report in "The New York Times" today, they are saying -- they are confirming that sensors on North Korea's boarders have detected krypton 85, a gas that is often a byproduct of trying to enrich uranium and work with trying to build nuclear fuels. Any concern from there? What is the sense that you're getting? Is there a heightened concern among the leaders who are there now?
SOHN: Well, among officials, South Korean officials have previously just said what you mentioned about the lack of confirmation from Washington. Seoul officials also said today that they could not confirm the fact that there was a second nuclear site in North Korea.
South Korean officials are very cautious. They do not want to escalate the situation any further than they can possibly do. The South Korean people are also concerned about this escalating to a point where military conflict could be an option. Now, with south and North Korea so close and the South Korean capital so close to the border, it is of great concern to South Korean officials and to South Koreans alike that this issue be resolved peacefully without a military conflict, Sean.
CALLEBS: OK, Sohn Jie-Ae monitoring the situation for us in Seoul, thanks very much.
Now for the reaction from the White House, we turn to CNN's Chris Burns with us in Crawford, Texas, with the President. Chris?
CHRIS BURNS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Sean. President Bush came back last night from a fund raising event in Houston. He's set today to meet with the Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi. They will be mainly talking about Iraq, however, of course, the North Korean issue is very much on the White House's mind.
We were asking them about that. They are not confirming nor denying that report in "The New York Times". It is a preoccupation of the White House, how to deal with North Korea, and the fact that there are indications that there might be a second nuclear reprocessing facility is troubling to the White House. They -- the indications are, though, that it's this kryptonite gas that is coming out that they are detecting that indicates that there could be that kind of a plant somewhere. But it could be very well hidden in one of the thousands of caves where the North Koreans have been using to build weapons and other industrial products. So, it's a very mountainous, very rugged country, very difficult to nail down exactly where that is.
This is a Stalinist starving country that is demanding help from the world, and this, they see, as their main bargaining trip chip. How is the White House reacting? Scott McClellan, the White House spokesman, saying reprocessing to recover plutonium is a clear indication that North Korea is seeking to enlarge its nuclear arsenal, despite repeated calls from the international community to reverse the provocative steps it has taken in its nuclear weapons program. He goes on to say, "We will be working with our friends and allies toward a shared objective of a complete verifiable and irreversible end of North Korea's nuclear weapons program."
What is the key to that? Well, Dennis Hastert, who is the Republican speaker of the House, says China is the key.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DENNIS HASTERT (R), SPEAKER OF The HOUSE: I think we need to take very serious action with our allies, in this case the Chinese, who have very direct ties to North Korean existence and sustenance. I think we need to use those tools before we get into another altercation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNS: North Korea is insisting on direct one on one talks with the United States. China, however, is helping the United States try to pressure North Korea into agreeing to multilateral talks. Of course, this is a concern of all the countries around about a possible nuclear weapons race about, whether North Korea does come to armed conflict with the United States, that could be disastrous for the whole region. Back to you, Sean.
CALLEBS: OK, we'll certainly continue to monitor. A lot going on behind the scene at this hour. Chris Burns with the president in Crawford, Texas.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
