SOUTH KOREA/KOREA DMZ: LAWMAKERS IN SEOUL MEET TO DISCUSS NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAMME/ INTER KOREAN RAILWAYS PROJECT NEARS COMPLETION.

Record ID: 645837

  • Title: SOUTH KOREA/KOREA DMZ: LAWMAKERS IN SEOUL MEET TO DISCUSS NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAMME/ INTER KOREAN RAILWAYS PROJECT NEARS COMPLETION.
  • Date: 27th December 2002
  • Summary: (W3) SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (DECEMBER 27, 2002) (REUTERS) GV/MV: NATIONAL ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE FOR UNIFICATION AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS (3 SHOTS) MCU: SOUTH KOREAN FOREIGN MINISTER CHOI SUNG-HONG MCU: UNIFICATION MINISTER JEONG SE-HYUN MCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) FOREIGN MINISTER CHOI SUNG-HONG SAYING: "To keep the peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, and on the basis of international community's mutual understanding of denuclearisation on the Korean Peninsula, we are searching a way to peacefully solve the North Korea's nuclear issue through close international cooperation." MV/CU: MORE OF MEETING (2 SHOTS) MCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) UNIFICATION MINISTER JEONG SE-HYUN SAYING: "(If we see) the aspect that (we can) create certain conditions to solve this issue (North Korean nuclear issue) through dialogue or exchanges between the North and South Korea, the inter-Korean projects should be proceeded as agreed (between the two Koreas), I judge that it can contribute to making chances to solve this issue." MV/GV: VARIOUS OF MEETING (2 SHOTS) MCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) UNIFICATION MINISTER JEONG SAYING: "There have been international discussions on the case if (North Korea) crosses a red line. It is not proper for the government to disclose the counteract to North's crossing red line when North Korea has not crossed the line." GV: SEOUL STREET MCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) 27-YEAR-OLD LEE SAHNG-YEB SAYING: "At present, North Korea's nuclear issue doesn't seem to damage my country. There's been no damage." MCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) 48-YEAR-OLD SOHN KAHNG-WON SAYING: "If one side has a nuclear weapon, people in the South will be very worried." GV: MORE OF SEOUL STREETS
  • Embargoed: 11th January 2003 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA/ DMZ, KOREAN PENINSULA
  • Country: South Korea
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA1ABDHT7PSE7V5GWVCA6VUT9DU
  • Story Text: South Korean lawmakers have held a meeting to discuss the North Korean nuclear issue while the inter-Korean project to relink the railways is almost completed.
    South Korea's foreign and unification ministers briefed members of South Korean parliament on Friday (December 27) on North Korea's nuclear issue.
    At the committee of foreign affairs policy and unification, Foreign Minister Choi Sung-hong (pronounced as CHOE SEONG-HOHNG) stressed that international cooperation is needed to solve the issue.
    "To keep the peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, and on the basis of international community's mutual understanding of denuclearisation on the Korean Peninsula, we are searching a way to peacefully solve the North Korea's nuclear issue through close international cooperation," he said.
    When law makers asked about the effectiveness of inter-Korean projects and aids to North Korea in the wake of North's nuclear suspicion, Unification Minister Minister Jeong Se-hyun (pronounced as JEONG SE-HYEON) reiterated the government would continue the inter-Korean engagements.
    "(If we see) the aspect that (we can) create certain conditions to solve this issue (North Korean nuclear issue) through dialogue or exchanges between the North and South Korea, the inter-Korean projects should be proceeded as agreed (between the two Koreas), I judge that it can contribute to making chances to solve this issue," he said.
    And when asked what would the government do if North Korea is proved to possess nuclear weapon, the minister answered;
    "There have been international discussions on the case if (North Korea) crosses a red line. It is not proper for the government to disclose the counteract to North's crossing red line when North Korea has not crossed the line," said Minister Jeong.
    The United Nations said on Thursday (December 26) that North Korea planned to restart within two months a nuclear reactor that could produce plutonium for nuclear weapons.
    Pyongyang had already disabled U.N. monitoring equipment at facilities idled since 1994.
    But South Koreans remain divided about the impact of the North's nuclear policy.
    "At present, North Korea's nuclear issue doesn't seem to damage my country. There's been no damage," said 27-year-old Lee Sahng-yeob.
    "If one side has a nuclear weapon, people in the South will be worried a lot," said 48-year-old Sohn Kahng-won.
    Despite the nuclear dispute, a railway project between the two Koreas, which still remains technically at war the Korean War ended in an armed truce, was going on as scheduled.
    South Korea's Defence Ministry opened the railway and road construction site inside southern part of Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), 200-metre wide area to the border line with the northern part.
    An officer told the reporters that the construction of the southern and northern parts were completed and only the connection of the completed sections across the border is left.
    "We have successfully completed the operation to remove land mines without a single accident. All soldiers who participated in this historic project, have high morale," said Lieutenant Colonel Lee Joon-cheol.
    North and South Korea began work last September to relink railways and roads in a landmark event symbolically piercing the world's last Cold War frontier.
    The DMZ is a no man's land littered with landmines during the 1950-53 Korean War and afterwards. The troops from the two Koreas marched into the DMZ to clear a path through the minefields.
    The railway and road projects are one of many humanitarian and economic engagements between the two Koreas after South Korean President Kim Dae-jung flew to Pyongyang and met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in June 2000.
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