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CNN Live Sunday

Kelly Arrives in South Korea for Talks

Aired January 12, 2003 - 18:07   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.


ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: As the standoff over North Korea's nuclear program continues, a U.S. diplomat arrived in South Korea today preparing for talks with that country's president-elect.
Senior White House correspondent John King has more now on Washington's approach.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The president said the nuclear standoff with North Korea is increasingly under fire.

SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), MICHIGAN: This administration calling him a pygmy or saying that they loathe him, talking about the two wars going on at the same time, this kind of rhetoric just plays right into the paranoia of North Korea.

KING: North Korean Leader Kim Jong Il is reactivating nuclear facilities and says his country might resume missile tests.

HENRY KISSINGER, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: If the world community can not stop a real rogue regime from engaging in this sort of nuclear blackmail, we are going to head into a very desperate period.

KING: The president says he is open to talks with North Korea but will not be blackmailed into offering incentives. The only talks with North Korea so far involve New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, former Clinton administration diplomat who says he believes Pyongyang wants a peaceful resolution.

GOV. BILL RICHARDSON (D), NEW MEXICO: I think the next step after my talks is for official channels to open between the administration and North Korea. The time and place has to be negotiated by both sides.

KING: Mr. Bush has repeatedly said he has no plan to attack North Korea but some Republicans say the president should not rule out military options.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: They've tested a missile that could strike Tokyo and they're developing missiles that can strike the United States of America. The United States needs to take vigorous action with our allies, but if not on our own. KING: U.S. intelligence agencies believe North Korea had one or perhaps two nuclear warheads even before its recent decision to restart a key reactor.

SEN. RICHARD SHELBY (R), ALABAMA: If they have moved in that direction, they could probably build six or up to 15 quickly, a lot quicker than people think.

KING: For now, the administration's direct diplomacy is not with the North but with South Korea. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly is in Seoul where many officials believe the Bush White House is taking too hard a line.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KING: North Korea wants to meet with U.S. officials at the United Nations in New York and North Korea wants that meeting to happen perhaps as soon as the week ahead.

Bush administration officials say such a meeting is possible but they say nothing is scheduled and they insist there will be absolutely no concessions from Washington as part of any effort to get North Korea to abandon that nuclear weapons program -- Anderson.

COOPER: Well John, then how does one bridge the gap between what the administration is saying they are willing to do and what North Korea wants?

KING: Well, that is the mystery of the moment and the key obstacle right now to any talks at all between North Korea and the United States. Some are thinking that perhaps the administration can restate publicly that it has no hostile intentions and that if North Korea gave up its weapons program we could get back to the point we were at in October.

That is when Assistant Secretary of State Kelly went to the region in hopes of starting a new dialogue with North Korea, a dialogue that might have included talk of economic aid and other relations down the road.

The Bush administration is simply saying it will not discuss those things at the same time that it first has to get the commitment from North Korea to give up its weapons programs.

The question is if you say publicly, if we make progress here there could be progress in the future whether that will be enough for the North Koreans.

COOPER: All right, the delicate dance of diplomacy. Thanks very much John King, appreciate it.

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 - 18:07   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: As the standoff over North Korea's nuclear program continues, a U.S. diplomat arrived in South Korea today preparing for talks with that country's president-elect.
Senior White House correspondent John King has more now on Washington's approach.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The president said the nuclear standoff with North Korea is increasingly under fire.

SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), MICHIGAN: This administration calling him a pygmy or saying that they loathe him, talking about the two wars going on at the same time, this kind of rhetoric just plays right into the paranoia of North Korea.

KING: North Korean Leader Kim Jong Il is reactivating nuclear facilities and says his country might resume missile tests.

HENRY KISSINGER, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: If the world community can not stop a real rogue regime from engaging in this sort of nuclear blackmail, we are going to head into a very desperate period.

KING: The president says he is open to talks with North Korea but will not be blackmailed into offering incentives. The only talks with North Korea so far involve New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, former Clinton administration diplomat who says he believes Pyongyang wants a peaceful resolution.

GOV. BILL RICHARDSON (D), NEW MEXICO: I think the next step after my talks is for official channels to open between the administration and North Korea. The time and place has to be negotiated by both sides.

KING: Mr. Bush has repeatedly said he has no plan to attack North Korea but some Republicans say the president should not rule out military options.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: They've tested a missile that could strike Tokyo and they're developing missiles that can strike the United States of America. The United States needs to take vigorous action with our allies, but if not on our own. KING: U.S. intelligence agencies believe North Korea had one or perhaps two nuclear warheads even before its recent decision to restart a key reactor.

SEN. RICHARD SHELBY (R), ALABAMA: If they have moved in that direction, they could probably build six or up to 15 quickly, a lot quicker than people think.

KING: For now, the administration's direct diplomacy is not with the North but with South Korea. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly is in Seoul where many officials believe the Bush White House is taking too hard a line.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KING: North Korea wants to meet with U.S. officials at the United Nations in New York and North Korea wants that meeting to happen perhaps as soon as the week ahead.

Bush administration officials say such a meeting is possible but they say nothing is scheduled and they insist there will be absolutely no concessions from Washington as part of any effort to get North Korea to abandon that nuclear weapons program -- Anderson.

COOPER: Well John, then how does one bridge the gap between what the administration is saying they are willing to do and what North Korea wants?

KING: Well, that is the mystery of the moment and the key obstacle right now to any talks at all between North Korea and the United States. Some are thinking that perhaps the administration can restate publicly that it has no hostile intentions and that if North Korea gave up its weapons program we could get back to the point we were at in October.

That is when Assistant Secretary of State Kelly went to the region in hopes of starting a new dialogue with North Korea, a dialogue that might have included talk of economic aid and other relations down the road.

The Bush administration is simply saying it will not discuss those things at the same time that it first has to get the commitment from North Korea to give up its weapons programs.

The question is if you say publicly, if we make progress here there could be progress in the future whether that will be enough for the North Koreans.

COOPER: All right, the delicate dance of diplomacy. Thanks very much John King, appreciate it.

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