-Caveat Lector- Print this article | Close this window Japan ready to evacuate 30,000 from South Korea By Shane Green, Herald Correspondent in Seoul January 23 2003
Japan has been reported as drawing up plans to evacuate more than 30,000 of its nationals from Seoul if war breaks out, as North Korea gave renewed assurances that it does not intend to develop nuclear weapons. The evacuation plans, reported by Japan's biggest-selling newspaper, Yomiuri, are being considered despite heightened diplomatic efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis peacefully. Tokyo held off full-scale discussions with the United States over the evacuation proposal, fearing that news of it would further provoke Pyongyang. Word of the plans coincided with a renewed commitment from North Korea that it does not intend to develop nuclear weapons, although it is only weeks away from reactivating a nuclear plant capable of producing plutonium. The head of the North Korean delegation at a ministerial-level meeting in Seoul, Kim Ryong-song, told the South Koreans yesterday that Pyongyang "had no intention to produce nuclear weapons at this stage" and repeated that his country's nuclear program was for peaceful purposes only. The crisis began in October when Pyongyang told a United States envoy, James Kelly, that it had a nuclear arms program. More recently it announced it was withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. North Korea wants direct negotiations with the Bush Administration, and is seeking a guarantee it will not be attacked by the US, plus a package of economic aid. In yesterday's talks in Seoul, Mr Kim said the US was using the nuclear issue to put North and South Korea under Washington's control. His rhetoric is consistent with Pyongyang's theme that North and South Korea should unite to face the common enemy in Washington. South Korea, home to 37,000 US troops, opened yesterday's talks by urging North Korea to end its nuclear program. "We made it clear that if the nuclear issue is not settled, relations between the South and the North will face difficulties," a South Korean official, Rhee Bong-jo, said. As the talks began, North Korea's Energy Minister, Sin Yong-song, told a North Korean newspaper based in Japan that a nuclear plant capable of producing plutonium was "within weeks" of being able to produce electricity. Diplomatic activity to resolve the crisis has continued, with Australian officials continuing their briefings of allies on Canberra's mission to North Korea last week. Another member of the Australian mission, John Carlson, has travelled to Tokyo to brief Japanese officials after meeting members of the South Korean Government in Seoul on Tuesday. A US undersecretary of state, John Bolton, was in Seoul to try to persuade South Korea to accept the involvement of the UN Security Council in the crisis. This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/01/22/1042911438523.html Forwarded for your information. The text and intent of the article have to stand on their own merits. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without charge or profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this type of information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe simply because it has been handed down for many genera- tions. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumoured by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is written in Holy Scriptures. 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