SOUTH KOREA: AMID ANIT-U.S. PROTESTS, U.S. DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE RICHARD ARMITAGE MEETS SOUTH KOREAN DEFENCE AND FOREIGN MINISTERS TO DISCUSS THE CONTROVERSIAL U.S. MISSILE DEFENCE PROGRAMME TOWARDS NORTH KOREA

Record ID: 222901

  • Title: SOUTH KOREA: AMID ANIT-U.S. PROTESTS, U.S. DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE RICHARD ARMITAGE MEETS SOUTH KOREAN DEFENCE AND FOREIGN MINISTERS TO DISCUSS THE CONTROVERSIAL U.S. MISSILE DEFENCE PROGRAMME TOWARDS NORTH KOREA
  • Date: 10th May 2001
  • Summary: (W3) SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (MAY 10, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. LV/SV OF SCUFFLE BETWEEN ANTI-U.S. PROTESTERS AND RIOT POLICE IN FRONT OF DEFENCE MINISTRY BUILDING (2 SHOTS) 0.11 2. SV/MCU PROTESTERS CHANTING ANTI-U.S. SLOGANS (2 SHOTS) 0.19 3. SV/LV/MCU OF MEETING BETWEEN SOUTH KOREAN DEFENCE MINISTER KIM DONG-SHIN AND U.S. DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE RICHARD ARMITAGE (6 SHOTS) 0.50 4. SV/LV/MCU OF MEETING BETWEEN SOUTH KOREAN UNIFICATION MINISTER LIM DONG-WON AND ARMITAGE (6 SHOTS) 1.25 5. SLV NEWS BRIEFING BY SOUTH KOREA'S UNIFICATION MINISTRY 1.31 6. MCU (Korean) ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR UNIFICATION POLICY, RHEE BONG-JO, SAYING: "(Unification Minister Lim) emphasised the importance of mutual dependence and development between inter-Korean and U.S.-North Korean relations and delivered his hope of resumption of U.S.-North Korean dialogue." 1.47 7. LV ARMITAGE'S CAR DRIVING ALONG ROAD JUST AFTER HAVING LEFT U.S EMBASSY PAN TO CIVIC GROUP PROTESTERS LYING IN STREET TO PROTEST AGAINST U.S. POLICIES 1.56 8. SV OF RIOT POLICE DRAGGING PROTESTERS 2.09 9. LV/SLV TRAFFIC/ PROTESTER ON TREE NEAR EMBASSY WITH BANNER WITH ANTI-U.S. SLOGAN (2 SHOTS) 2.21 10. SV SCUFFLING BETWEEN PROTESTERS AND RIOT POLICE 2.32 11. SLV/SV/MCU OF MEETING BETWEEN U.S. DELEGATION AND SOUTH KOREAN DELEGATION FROM FOREIGN AND DEFENCE MINISTRIES INCLUDING SOUTH KOREA'S CHIEF DELEGATE DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER YIM SUNG-JOON AND ARMITAGE (6 SHOTS) 3.00 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 25th May 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA
  • Country: South Korea
  • Reuters ID: LVA527OS869VP54YVUYVM8FR20RE
  • Story Text: The United States, seeking support for an ambitious
    missile shield to protect itself and its allies, has told
    South Korea it would resume talks with North Korea --
    endorsing Seoul's "Sunshine Policy" towards its old foe.

    Amid anti-U.S. protests, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State
    Richard Armitage met South Korean Defence and Foreign
    Ministers to discuss the controversial U.S. missile defence
    programme and policy towards North Korea.



    South Korean protesters in Seoul continued their
    anti-U.S. demonstrations on Thursday (May 10), the second day
    of U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage's visit to
    South Korea as part of his Asian tour to explain a new U.S.

    missile defence project.

    Armitage is one of three high-level U.S. delegates touring
    the world to explain and seek support for U.S. President
    George W. Bush's vision of 21st century security based on
    smaller offensive nuclear arsenals, and defences capable of
    intercepting missiles fired by so-called "rogue states", such
    as North Korea or Iraq.

    Demonstrators who object to the missile shield plan
    tussled with police at the Defence Ministry when Armitage
    arrived there on Thursday morning.

    After the meeting South Korean Defence Minister, Kim
    Dong-shin, Armitage met South Korean Foreign Minister, Lim
    Dong-won.

    Armitage conveyed strong support for South Korea's policy
    of engagement with the erstwhile enemy in the North during a
    meeting with Unification Minister Lim dong-won, a ministry
    official said.

    South Korea said it welcomed signs that Washington is
    nearing an end to its policy review towards North Korea and
    could soon resume talks with the communist state on improving
    ties.

    Seoul's Unification Ministry director of policy, Lee
    Bong-jo, said the talks were important, because the South
    Korean side received confirmation that U.S. talks with North
    Korea would resume and Washington has shown strong support for
    South Korea's Sunshine Policy.

    "Unification Minister Lim emphasised the importance of
    mutual dependence and development between inter-Korean and
    U.S.-North Korean relations, said Rhee.

    In front of the U.S. embassy in Seoul, dozens of civic
    group members held an anti-U.S. rally, while Armitage was
    leaving for the Foreign Ministry to attend an expanded meeting
    with South Korean delegation from Foreign and Defence
    Ministries.

    Riot police dragged the protesters away from the embassy
    area, but some demonstrators continued the rally in the road.

    Contacts between North and South Korea have stalled since
    Bush said in March he had no immediate plans to resume talks
    with North Korea and expressed scepticism about Pyongyang's
    ability to honour arms agreements.

    The United States maintains 37,000 troops in the South, a
    legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War. That conflict ended in an
    armed truce that has never been replaced by a peace treaty,
    leaving the combatants technically still at war.

    The U.S. missile shield plan is a sensitive one for Seoul
    as it balances close ties with Washington and its bid for
    ending half a century of sometimes bloody confrontation with
    the North.



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