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Appendix 5: Chronology of Events Related to the U.S.-North Korean Agreed Framework
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Jan. 3:
North Korea vowed to step up its efforts to become a powerful
nation by enhancing its military, ideological, scientific and
technological capabilities. The message called for North Korea’s
22 million people to unite around leader Kim Jong-il and increase
their efforts to build a powerful nation.261
Jan. 4:
South Korean President Kim Dae Jung proposed dialogue between inter-Korean
government think tanks as part of the sunshine policy to establish
an inter-Korean economic cooperation body aimed at "systematizing"
economic exchanges pushed by private firms. Kim said in a New
Year message, "I propose that (South Korea and North Korea) state research
agencies start discussion on establishing an (inter-Korean) economic
cooperation framework."262
Jan. 5:
Italy announced it was opening diplomatic relations with North
Korea, becoming the first member of the Group of Seven industrial
nations to do so.263
Jan. 7:
North Korea demanded that the salaries of approximately 200 North Korean laborers working on the LWR project be increased from $110 to $600 per month. Sources said North Korea threatened to demobilize its laborers if the wage raise was not accepted. In response, KEDO Executive Director Desaix Anderson sent a letter to North Korean authorities refusing the raise, citing a written 1997 agreement.264
Jan. 9:
The South Korean Unification Ministry announced that North Korea spent an estimated $4.78 billion, 52 percent of the nation's total budget, on defense in 1999.265
Jan. 11:
The New York Times reported the first detailed public images of a North Korean missile base, taken by a private spy satellite. The site, known as Rodong, is North Korea's base for launching long-range missiles and is used for test flights and potentially for mounting limited missile attacks. The installation is roughly triangular, consisting of a single launch pad, a control facility and a building for assembling missiles.266
Jan. 14:
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Stanley Roth made a two-day trip to Seoul to launch discussions on issues related to North Korea, such as the upcoming Berlin talks, and bilateral issues such as the revision of the ROK-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement.267
Jan. 15:
The New York Times reported that South Korea planned within the next five years to develop a rocket capable of carrying satellites into orbit at an estimated cost of $500 million to $1 billion. South Korea emphasized the rocket technology would not be suitable for military purposes, but security experts and Western officials acknowledged that this type of technology had military applications, in particular for the development of long-range ballistic missiles.268
Jan. 16:
The JoongAng Ilbo reported that, in the future, more than half of the cash funds given to North Korea by South Korean companies, in order to facilitate social and cultural exchanges, would be substituted by commodities such as fertilizer and other necessities. The South Korean Ministry of Unification said the government planned to pressure businesses to pay their North Korean partners in goods rather than hard currency because of the difficulties in tracking the cash payments.269
Jan. 19:
Chinese Defense Minister Chi Haotian visited South Korea to meet with his counterpart Cho Sung-Tae. Chi stressed China's strong support for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and said China had been making and would continue to actively make efforts to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula. Both sides agreed to continue the defense ministers' talks and promote bilateral military exchanges and cooperation starting this year.270
Jan. 20:
South Korean President Kim Dae Jung said that, should the ruling South Korean Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) win a parliamentary majority in the April 13 elections, then he would propose an historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. Kim said, "I will use the momentum to propose to North Korea that we hold an inter-Korean summit to discuss national reconciliation, peace on the Korean peninsula, and cooperation between the two Koreas through coexistence and co-prosperity."271
Jan. 21:
South Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Lee Joung Binn told his Japanese counterpart Yohei Kono that Tokyo's improved ties with North Korea would help promote inter-Korean relations and ensure peace and stability on the Korean peninsula. Minister Kono stressed that the two countries should step up bilateral coordination in dealing with North Korean issues, in addition to the three-way coordination between Seoul, Washington, and Tokyo.272
Jan. 22-28:
The third round of Berlin talks began between North Korea and the United States were held. North Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Kim Gye Gwan formally accepted the U.S. invitation for a high-level North Korean delegation to visit Washington. Both sides agreed to meet again to finalize preparations for the visit.273
Jan. 23:
The KCNA reported that North Korea was reconsidering its declared suspension of missile testing because of U.S. missile interceptor tests that took place earlier in the week. A North Korean foreign ministry spokesman ridiculed "the US assertion that such a (testing) drive is intended to cope with a non-existent 'missile threat' from the DPRK and other countries."274
Jan. 28:
Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi announced to the Diet that Japan would seek to establish diplomatic ties with North Korea. Obuchi said: "I shall further advance the dialogue that began to develop last year, sincerely discuss the normalization of diplomatic relations and humanitarian and security issues therein."275
Jan. 29:
Deputy North Korean UN representative, Yi Hyong-chul, told the U.S. Pentagon that North Korea had discovered more than 400 human remains likely to be American servicemen killed in the Korean War. North Korea offered to return the remains without conditions, but said the U.S. had to act quickly because the area where the remains were found was being converted to cropland.276
Jan. 31:
Japan signed a loan agreement between the Japan Bank for International Cooperation and KEDO to finance the LWR construction in North Korea. The signing, together with other arrangements between KEDO and South Korea, will enable primary construction of the reactors to begin by February 2000, when the agreement comes into effect.277
The TCOG met in Seoul. Discussions concentrated on the recently concluded Berlin talks between the United States and North Korea.278
Feb. 1:
Japanese State Foreign Secretary Ichita Yamamoto and KEDO Executive Director Desaix Anderson met in Tokyo and agreed to press North Korea to abide by its promise to accept full international inspections of its nuclear facilities. Anderson reiterated that KEDO would not accept North Korea's request to more than double the local labor costs for the construction work of the reactors.279
North Korea blamed the United States for the delays in the KEDO project and demanded compensation. North Korean Vice Premier Jo Chang Dok said that his country had faithfully fulfilled the 1994 Agreed Framework, but that the United States had failed to hold up its end, causing a long delay and in turn an acute power shortage in North Korea.280
The European Union agreed to extend its participation in KEDO.281
State Department deputy spokesman James Foley said the United States was ready to discuss North Korea's demand that it be removed from Washington's list of terrorist states, but stressed that the issue should not be perceived as a precondition for North Korea's dispatch of a high-ranking official.282
Feb. 3:
North and South Korean dignitaries broke ground in Nampo, North Korea for a joint-venture automobile assembly plant. The South Korea-based Unification Church invested $300 million in the Pyong Hwa ("Peace") Motors Corp. to build Italian-designed Fiat Sienas aimed at markets in China, Russia and North Korea. The project is the largest manufacturing effort undertaken in North Korea since the sunshine policy began.283
KEPCO announced that full-fledged construction at the Kumho site could begin as the turnkey contract became effective.284
Feb. 4:
North Korea tentatively agreed to meetings with American officials to discuss its disputed claim to have unearthed remains of 400 Americans killed in the Korean War. Defense Secretary William Cohen said North Korea agreed to discuss the number of remains, the conflict in the accounting, and returning the remains. The Pentagon believed North Korea has only two sets of remains.285
Feb. 5:
North Korea accused South Korea of developing long-range ballistic missiles under the disguise of a satellite-launching program. South Korea announced in December that it would have its own satellite launching station by 2005, but stated the program was purely commercial.286
Feb. 7:
South Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Lee Joung Binn reaffirmed South Korea's full support for the Perry process. Lee said, "We believe the so-called Perry report or process is based on our engagement policy toward North Korea. Therefore, we fully and firmly support the Perry process."287
Feb. 8:
South Korea and the United States met in Hawaii to discuss South Korea's desire to extend its missile range capabilities, but the two sides failed to reach an agreement. Song Min-soon and Robert Einhorn led the South Korean and United States delegations, respectively. They agreed to meet again at the earliest possible date.288
U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen cited North Korea as "the most significant near-term danger" in Asia in his 2000 annual defense report submitted to U.S. President Clinton and Congress. The report focused on the Taepo Dong-2 ballistic missile threat and the possibility that the missile could strike most parts of the United States.289
Feb. 9:
The Washington Times reported that North Korea had recently sold to Iran a dozen medium-range ballistic missile engines. According to a Pentagon intelligence report, North Korea supplied 12 engines to an Iranian government agency involved in missile production in November 1999.290
Russia and North Korea signed a new friendship pact in Pyongyang aimed at healing bilateral ties. The new treaty replaced the 1961 alliance that was declared invalid by Russia in 1995, which had made Moscow and Pyongyang political and military allies.291
At a Senate Governmental Affairs subcommittee hearing, CIA official Robert Walpole stated that even if North Korea stuck by its missile test suspension, ground testing of various components was still believed to be taking place. Walpole added that the proliferation of shorter-range ballistic missiles, "driven primarily by North Korean Nodong sales, has created an immediate, serious threat to U.S. forces, interests and allies in the Middle East and Asia."292
Feb. 10:
State Department spokesman James Rubin said the United States was prepared to take North Korea off Washington's list of terrorist states if Pyongyang took the necessary steps. Rubin stated, "If North Korea and the United States resume our dialogue on counter-terrorism and they were to take the additional steps that we think are necessary, they are a country that could be removed from the list." Washington has set four conditions for removal from the list: a written pledge that North Korea will never engage in terrorist activities; prove it has not engaged in any such activities in the past six months; join an international pact created to prevent such activities; and take action to deal with its past terrorist activities.293
Feb. 15:
The New York Times reported that since North Korea opened Mt. Kumgang to South Korean tourists, approximately 150,000 people have visited.294
Feb. 16:
Secretary of State Albright testified before the House International Relations Committee. Albright stated the United States fully supported President Kim's policy of engagement with North Korea and said the Agreed Framework was making a vital contribution to stability. She also expressed a willingness to improve U.S.-North Korea relations as long "as it [North Korea] addresses our concerns about its missile and nuclear weapons programs."295
Feb. 18:
President Kim Dae Jung instructed the military to be fully alert to any possible North Korean retaliatory military action off the West Coast in the upcoming year. President Kim noted that North Korea's navy might wage an armed provocation at the Northern Limit Line to offset its defeat in the June 1999 clash.296
Feb. 21:
KCNA reported that the Rodong Sinmun criticized South Korea for its stand on replacing the armistice agreement. North Korea said South Korea had "neither political sovereignty nor independence" to make these decisions. South Korean authorities said it could not accommodate the conclusion of a peace agreement between North Korea and the United States and that the replacement of the armistice agreement with a peace agreement was a matter to be handled between North and South Korea.297
Feb. 22-26:
A four-member Australian delegation, headed by First Assistant Secretary Colin Heseltine, visited North Korea to discuss promoting mutual relations. The visit by Australian officials was the first visit since 1975. North Korea and Australia reached basic agreement to normalize diplomatic ties and agreed to hold a further round of high-level talks in Australia in the second half of 2000.298
Feb. 22:
KEDO and North Korea opened a four-day, high-level expert meeting in North Korea on the LWR project. During the meeting, the two sides agreed on the division of work and the preparation schedule for the Preliminary Safety Analysis Report/Environmental Report and the procedures for use of wire public announcement, satellite TV receiving, radio receiving and audio systems.299
In testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Assistant Secretary of State Stanley Roth identified North Korean nuclear and missile proliferation as being among the greatest challenges to security in East Asia.300
Feb. 23:
North Korea reported a serious power shortage in the country and condemned the United States for being solely responsible. North Korea said the freeze of its nuclear-power program had brought enormous losses, estimated at billions of dollars in lost production, for which it claimed the United States had not sufficiently compensated with its commitment of heavy fuel oil.301
Japanese lawmakers launched a nonpartisan group, the Japanese-North Korean Friendship Association of Politicians, aimed at improving Japan's ties with North Korea. One hundred sixty-nine Diet members took part in the inauguration meeting of the group and selected former Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama as its president.302
Feb. 24:
South Korean Korea Tobacco & Ginseng Corp. (KT&G) and North Korea's Kwang Myong Song General Corp. formally dedicated their joint venture of manufacturing and marketing a new cigarette brand called "Hanmaum" ("One Mind"). The $2.4 million deal is the first of its kind, with a product being both manufactured and marketed jointly by South and North Korea.303
March 1:
President Kim Dae Jung said talk about reunification of the Korean peninsula at this time was premature because the country did not have enough economic resources to support unification and people could not overcome the expected psychological conflicts in such a short time. Kim said South Korea's immediate objective remained an end to tension on the peninsula through the sunshine policy. He stressed the policy promised North Korea security, economic recovery and access to various international resources on the conditions that Pyongyang renounce armed provocation against the South and renounce its ambition to develop nuclear weapons.304
March 2:
A North Korean delegation visited Ottawa, Canada for five days to reciprocate Canada's visit to North Korea in December 1999. The goal was to form friendly relations, but Canada clearly stated that this may only be reached after gradual steps have been taken to promote credibility.306
March 3:
The U.S. State Department reiterated that if North Korea wanted to be removed from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, then it must expel members of the Japanese Red Army and make a public denunciation of terrorism. Ambassador Michael Sheehan said that sheltering guerrilla groups remained a serious offence, even if they have not carried out acts of violence for years. Sheehan said, "We expect North Korea to proclaim that it is opposed to terrorism anywhere and everywhere, and to make a pretty convincing case that they really have had a change of policy. Secondly, we are going to have to have discussions in some detail about ensuring that North Korea is not supporting or giving succor to terrorists."307
March 6:
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il visited the Chinese embassy in Pyongyang at the request of Chinese Ambassador Wan Yongxiang. It is believed to be the first time that Kim met with official representatives from a foreign country.308
March 7-15:
The United States and North Korea met in New York to finalize preparations for the North Korean high-level visit to Washington. On the margins of these discussions, Ambassador Michael Sheehan, Coordinator for Counter-terrorism, met with North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Gye Gwan to discuss North Korea's removal from the U.S. terrorism list.309 The two sides agreed to schedule further talks to prepare for a high-level visit through the New York channel, and additional talks related to U.S. concerns on North Korea's missile program and Agreed Framework implementation. North Korea also reconfirmed its agreement for another U.S. visit to Kumchang-ni.310
The Japanese government formally announced it would resume food aid to North Korea, setting the stage for full-fledged talks on normalizing diplomatic relations. Japan and North Korea agreed to hold the first round of the normalization talks in Pyongyang, the second round in Tokyo, and the third in Beijing or another country. Japan decided to offer 100,000 tonnes of rice to North Korea to improve ties.311
French President Jacques Chirac met with President Kim Dae Jung and pledged to support Kim's engagement policy toward North Korea. France said it would not establish diplomatic relations with North Korea until North Korea made progress on respecting human rights and supporting nuclear nonproliferation.312
March 9:
President Kim Dae Jung issued a four-point declaration, dubbed the Berlin Declaration, at the Berlin Free University in Germany. The four points included: Seoul's willingness to help North Korea in its economic difficulties; ending the Cold War confrontation on the peninsula; exchanging special envoys aimed at realizing government-level talks; and the reunion of separated family members.313
March 13:
Japanese and North Korean Red Cross societies held talks in Beijing to discuss humanitarian issues, including investigations into the missing Japanese alleged to have been kidnapped by North Korean agents. The Japanese delegation officially notified North Korea of the Japanese offer of 100,000 tonnes of food in relief aid.314
Secretary of State Albright met with Korean Foreign Minister Lee Joung Binn in Washington to consult on North Korea policy coordination and other matters of bilateral concern.315
March 16:
The House Committee on International Relations conducted a hearing entitled "North Korea: Leveraging Uncertainty." State Department Ambassador Wendy Sherman briefed the committee on the progress of implementing the Perry Report's recommendations. Sherman noted that there were increasing signs that other members of the international community were prepared to increase their contacts with North Korea. Sherman stated the United States fully recognized the centrality of the North-South role in resolving issues of peace and stability on the peninsula.316
March 17:
Secretary of Defense William Cohen visited South Korea for two days to confer with his Korean counterpart, Chief of National Defense Cho Song-tae, on the state of affairs in North Korea. Cohen said, "We must always remain vigilant and prepared and have a strong deterrent, as we do, and to send a signal to the North that it would be contrary to their interests other than to pursue the path of peace."317
March 22:
Japanese Foreign Minister Yohei Kono made a two-day visit to Seoul to exchange views with his counterpart Lee Joung Binn on how to increase cooperation in dealing with North Korea.318
According to the New York Times, South Korea sent a secret envoy to Beijing and Shanghai to meet with North Korean officials. Seoul made an official proposal for a summit meeting between the leaders of the two Koreas.319
March 23:
North Korea threatened military action against South Korean ships if they violated new restrictions in a disputed area of the Yellow Sea. In a KCNA report, the North Korean navy said: "Our revolution armed forces solemnly declare they will retaliate against the U.S. forces side without warning if it dares challenge our sincere efforts to prevent conflicts in the West Sea."320
March 24:
President Kim Dae Jung ordered the military to be fully prepared to deter any military provocation from North Korea in the wake of renewed tensions over disputed waters in the Yellow Sea. Kim also ordered measures be taken to protect South Korean fishing operations in the disputed waters.321
The U.S. Department of Defense released its annual "Chemical and Biological Defense Program" report to Congress. The report said North Korea is believed to possess a sizable stockpile of chemical weapons, including bulk quantities of nerve, blister, choking, and blood chemical weapons, which could be employed in offensive military operations against South Korea.322
March 26:
The New York Times reported that Iraq and North Korea may be working together to build a ballistic missile plant near Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. According to an unidentified source, the arrangement involves Iraq financing $475 million for the plant, which would be built by the North Koreans.323
March 27:
The JoongAng Ilbo reported that KEDO and North Korean officials would meet for four days of talks in early April to discuss the training of North Korean employees who will work on the LWR project in Sinpo. Reportedly, KEDO thinks it is important that the workers are trained in South Korea to insure safe operation, but North Korea and the United States want the training to be held in a third country.324
March 28:
North Korea threatened to cancel the visit of a high-level delegation to the United States unless it was removed from the U.S. list of countries that sponsor terrorism. North Korean Ambassador to China, Chu Chang Jun said, "The talks should be held with an equal position for both sides. We cannot visit the United States with the cap of a terrorist."325
March 30:
The TCOG met in Tokyo.326
March 31:
President Kim Dae Jung appealed to APEC countries to engage North Korea in order to help the nation overcome its isolation and current economic hardships. In his address, Kim said: "I hope that North Korea will be able to participate in APEC activities as a guest if it so wishes, upon consultation with APEC members. I would also like to see the establishment of a formal channel for active support by APEC member economies in the event of a request for assistance by North Korea.327
Notes
Notes for January 2000
261 Kim Ji-ho, "North Korea Pledges to Enhance Military Power in the Year 2000," Korea Herald, January 3, 2000.
262 "Seoul to pursue pragmatism over politics in talks with Pyongyang," Korea Herald, January 4, 2000.
263 Alessandra Stanley, "Italy Opens North Korea Ties, First by a Big Western Nation," New York Times, January 5, 2000.
264 Kim In-gu,"NK Demands Wage Hike For Nuclear Workers," Chosun Ilbo, January 7, 2000.
265 "NK Spends Estimated $4.78 Billion on National Defense Last Year," JoongAng Ilbo, January 10, 2000.
266 William J. Broad, "Spy Photos of Korea Missile Site Bring Dispute," New York Times, January 11, 2000.
267 Son Key-young, "Roth to Visit Seoul to Discuss NK, Bilateral Issues," Korea Times, January 10, 2000.
268 Calvin Sims, "South Korea Plans to Begin Rocket Program," New York Times, January 15, 2000.
269 Lee Young-jong, "Commodities Instead of Money for NK," JoongAng Ilbo, January 16, 2000.
270 "S. Korea, China Vow to Push for End to Nuclear, Missile Threats," Agence France Presse, January 20, 2000.
271 Kyong-hwa Seok, "S. Korean Seeks Summit With North," Associated Press, January 20, 2000.
272 "Improved NK-Japan ties to Help Inter-Korean relations," Korea Times, January 21, 2000.
273 "U.S., Democratic People's Republic of Korea Agree to High-Level Visit," Department of State Press Statement, Office of the Spokesman, January 31, 2000.
274 Jon Herskovitz, "N.Korea threatens to resume missile tests," Reuters, January 22, 2000.
275 "Japan Vows to Repair Ties with North Korea," Agence France Presse, January 28, 2000.
276 "North Korea offers to return remains of 400 U.S. soldiers," Washington Times, January 29, 2000.
277 "Japan signs pact for North Korea reactors," Japan Times, January 31, 2000.
278 Kim Ji-ho, "3 Way Meet to discuss S-N ties in wake of Berlin breakthrough," Korea Herald, January 31, 2000.
Notes for February 2000
279 Kohei Murayama, "Japan, KEDO to urge N. Korea over promised nuke inspections," Associated Press, February 1, 2000.
280 "N.Korea Demands Nuke Compensation," Associated Press, February 2, 2000.
281 "EU to say committed to N. Korea nuclear project," Reuters, February 2, 2000.
282 "U.S. ready to discuss N. Korea's removal from terrorism list," Associated Press, February 2, 2000.
283 David W. Jones, "N.Korea, Unification Church join in auto assembly venture," Washington Times, February 7, 2000.
284 "Full-fledged construction of N.Korean reactors began," Associated Press, February 14, 2000.
285 Robert Burns, "U.S.-North Korea," Associated Press, February 4, 2000.
286 "Koreas-Missile," Associated Press, February 5, 2000.
287 Son Key-young, "Seoul Firmly Backs 'Perry Process'," Korea Times, February 7, 2000.
288 Kim Ji-ho, "South Korea, U.S. fail to come to terms on Seoul's missile range extension," Korea Herald, February 12, 2000.
289 Akinori Uchida, "Cohen cites North Korea as threat," Yomiuri Shimbun, February 10, 2000.
290 Bill Gertz, "N.Korea sells Iran missile engines," Washington Times, February 9, 2000.
291 "Russia signs friendship pact with North Korea," Reuters, February 9, 2000.
292 Tom Raum, "Korea-Missiles," Associated Press, February 10, 2000.
293 "U.S. open to removing N.Korea from terrorist list," Associated Press, February 10, 2000.
294 Calvin Sims, "North and South Koreans Meet on a Mountain Path," New York Times, February 15, 2000.
295 Statement of Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, "America and the World in the Twenty-first Century," Hearing before the House International Relations Committee, U.S. House of Representatives, 106th Cong., 2nd sess., February 16, 2000.
296 Lee Chang-sup, "Navy Asked to Be Fully Alert to NK Action Off West Cost," Korea Times, February 18, 2000.
297 "To bar conclusion of DPRK-U.S. peace agreement," KCNA, February 21, 2000.
298 "N.Korea, Australia agree in principle to normalize ties," Kyodo News, February 28, 2000.
299 "Light-Water Reactor Project Proceeding under the TKC," The Quarterly Bulletin of the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization, Second Quarter 2000.
300 Statement of Stanley O. Roth, "East Asia in 2000: Problems and Prospects in the Year of the Dragon," Hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, U.S. Senate, 106th Cong., 2nd sess., February 22, 2000.
301 "N.Korea blames U.S. for serious power shortage," Associated Press, February 23, 2000.
302 "Lawmakers launch group to improve ties with N.Korea," Associated Press, February 23, 2000.
303 "A model for S-N joint ventures," Korea Herald, March 6, 2000.
Notes for March 2000
304 Paul Shin, "Koreas-Unification," Associated Press, March 1, 2000.
305 Son Key-young, "Italy to Pass Along Messages of Opennes to N.Korea," Korea Times, March 1, 2000.
306 Park Du-sik, "Canada Starts Official Negotiations with NK," Chosun Ilbo, March 9, 2000.
307 Jonathan Wright, "U.S. says North Korea must expel guerrillas," Reuters, March 3, 2000.
308 Kim Ji-ho, "North Korea steps up efforts to cement ties with Beijing," Korea Herald, March 6, 2000.
309 "U.S., DPRK To Resume Talks for High-Level Visit," Department of State Press Statement, Office of the Spokesman, March 1, 2000.
310 "U.S.-D.P.R.K. Bilateral Talks Adjourn," Department of State Press Statement, Office of the Spokesman, March 15, 2000.
311 Naoko Aoki, "Japan to resume talks with N.Korea," Associated Press, March 7, 2000.
312 "France not ready for ties with N.Korea," Reuters, March 9, 2000.
313 "President Kim Suggests Exchange of Special Envoys with North," JoongAng Ilbo, March 9, 2000.
314 Oh Young-hwan, "North Korean and Japanese Red Cross Delegations Meet in Beijing," JoongAng Ilbo, March 13, 2000.
315 "Republic of Korea: Visit of Foreign Minister," Department of State Press Statement, Office of the Spokesman, March 6, 2000.
316 Statement of Ambassador Wendy Sherman, Hearing before the House International Relations Committee, U.S. House of Representatives, 106 Cong., 2nd sess., March 16, 2000.
317 Charles Aldinger, "FOCUS-US urges N.Korea to keep to path of engagement," Reuters, March 18, 2000.
318 Son Key-young, "Kono to Visit Seoul," Korea Times, March 22, 2000.
319 Howard French, "Two Koreas Agree to First Meeting of their Leaders," New York Times, April 10, 2000.
320 "Two Koreas in war of words over sea border," Reuters, March 23, 2000.
321 "Kim orders 'thorough' defense against N.Korean threat," Associated Press, March 24, 2000.
322 "N.Korea maintaining chemical arms program," Associated Press, March 24, 2000.
323 "Sen. Lott says Iraq missile plant report alarming," Reuters, March 26, 2000.
324 Lee Young-jong, "Talks Start on Training North Korean Workers," JoongAng Ilbo, March 27, 2000.
325 John Pomfret, "N.Korea Threatens to Skip Talks," Washington Post, March 29, 2000.
326 "U.S. R.O.K., Japan to Meet March 30," Department of State Press Statement, Office of the Spokesman, March 27, 2000.
327 Chon Shi-yong, "Kim calls on APEC to engage North Korea by granting 'guest' status: Also proposes regional social safety net, hedge-fund monitoring," Korea Herald, March 31, 2000.