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CNN Saturday Morning News
North Korea Increases Nuclear Tensions With U.S.
Aired January 11, 2003 - 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.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Now let's go and get more on our top story. A new threat from North Korea will likely increase nuclear tensions with the U.S.
CNN's Rebecca MacKinnon joins us now live from Seoul -- good morning, Rebecca.
REBECCA MACKINNON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
Well, we have two press conferences, one in Vienna, one in Beijing. In Vienna, a North Korean diplomat saying that it's only a matter of weeks now before the Yongbyon nuclear power facility is back in operation, generating, he said, electricity. This is the facility that had been sealed since 1994 and from which the IAEA nuclear inspectors had been kicked out just recently.
Now, in Beijing there was this other press conference from the North Korean ambassador to China in which he accused the United States of not living up to its side of agreements with North Korea and as a result North Korea no longer will feel bound to the moratorium on long range missile testing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHOE JON SU, NORTH KOREAN AMBASSADOR TO CHINA: However, the moratorium on missile test firing will be of no exception now that the U.S. has made all agreements invalid.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACKINNON: Now, North Korea had frozen its missile testing, its testing of long range missiles, in 1999. Now, a year before that, in '98, North Korea had test fired a missile over Japan, causing great concern in the region. North Korea had recently committed to maintain that freeze on missile testing until 2004. So this latest reversal is likely to cause great concern to people in the region and in Washington.
Experts in Washington do believe that North Korea, if it continues testing, could possibly be capable of firing a missile at the United States by 2015.
Now, meanwhile in Pyongyang, there was a massive rally of what authorities said was one million people who were brought out in the middle of the city to express their support for North Korea's withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Listening to speeches, the rhetoric very, very defiant in Pyongyang, saying that if any forces attempt to encroach on North Korea's sovereignty and dignity, North Korea will, as necessary, "wipe out the aggressors."
Now, meanwhile here in South Korea, there is growing concern in the public, despite criticism of the United States lately here, there is growing concern among the public about North Korea's moves, concerns that this is upping tensions too far. And there was a protest here today of 30,000 people approximately against North Korea, against North Korea's moves to withdraw from the Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty and supporting the need for U.S. troops here in South Korea -- back to you.
COLLINS: Rebecca, let me ask you about the people in the region. As you mentioned, obviously tensions are escalated there, clearly. What do the South Koreans think of these millions of people that are in the streets, this bold, open approval of pulling out of the Non- Proliferation agreement?
MACKINNON: Well, everyone here does know that nothing in Pyongyang, nothing in North Korea happens spontaneously. All rallies, all demonstrations in North Korea are orchestrated by the government. Nothing is said publicly, no act is made publicly without the government's full approval. So it's hard to know exactly what people in North Korea feel privately.
However, clearly what the authorities are doing is trying to send a message that their nation is unified and is defiant towards the United States and towards anybody who is criticizing North Korea for what it's doing.
COLLINS: All right, Rebecca MacKinnon live from Seoul.
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 11, 2003 - 07:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Now let's go and get more on our top story. A new threat from North Korea will likely increase nuclear tensions with the U.S.
CNN's Rebecca MacKinnon joins us now live from Seoul -- good morning, Rebecca.
REBECCA MACKINNON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
Well, we have two press conferences, one in Vienna, one in Beijing. In Vienna, a North Korean diplomat saying that it's only a matter of weeks now before the Yongbyon nuclear power facility is back in operation, generating, he said, electricity. This is the facility that had been sealed since 1994 and from which the IAEA nuclear inspectors had been kicked out just recently.
Now, in Beijing there was this other press conference from the North Korean ambassador to China in which he accused the United States of not living up to its side of agreements with North Korea and as a result North Korea no longer will feel bound to the moratorium on long range missile testing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHOE JON SU, NORTH KOREAN AMBASSADOR TO CHINA: However, the moratorium on missile test firing will be of no exception now that the U.S. has made all agreements invalid.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACKINNON: Now, North Korea had frozen its missile testing, its testing of long range missiles, in 1999. Now, a year before that, in '98, North Korea had test fired a missile over Japan, causing great concern in the region. North Korea had recently committed to maintain that freeze on missile testing until 2004. So this latest reversal is likely to cause great concern to people in the region and in Washington.
Experts in Washington do believe that North Korea, if it continues testing, could possibly be capable of firing a missile at the United States by 2015.
Now, meanwhile in Pyongyang, there was a massive rally of what authorities said was one million people who were brought out in the middle of the city to express their support for North Korea's withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Listening to speeches, the rhetoric very, very defiant in Pyongyang, saying that if any forces attempt to encroach on North Korea's sovereignty and dignity, North Korea will, as necessary, "wipe out the aggressors."
Now, meanwhile here in South Korea, there is growing concern in the public, despite criticism of the United States lately here, there is growing concern among the public about North Korea's moves, concerns that this is upping tensions too far. And there was a protest here today of 30,000 people approximately against North Korea, against North Korea's moves to withdraw from the Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty and supporting the need for U.S. troops here in South Korea -- back to you.
COLLINS: Rebecca, let me ask you about the people in the region. As you mentioned, obviously tensions are escalated there, clearly. What do the South Koreans think of these millions of people that are in the streets, this bold, open approval of pulling out of the Non- Proliferation agreement?
MACKINNON: Well, everyone here does know that nothing in Pyongyang, nothing in North Korea happens spontaneously. All rallies, all demonstrations in North Korea are orchestrated by the government. Nothing is said publicly, no act is made publicly without the government's full approval. So it's hard to know exactly what people in North Korea feel privately.
However, clearly what the authorities are doing is trying to send a message that their nation is unified and is defiant towards the United States and towards anybody who is criticizing North Korea for what it's doing.
COLLINS: All right, Rebecca MacKinnon live from Seoul.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
