| THE NORTH KOREA REPORT: FEBRUARY 3, 2003 Our statement on why North Korea must be liberated, and how it can happen, can be found here. TOP STORY: PROSECUTORS STOP SUMMIT PAYOFF PROBE SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT KIM DAE-JUNG�S ASKS FOR HALT TO INVESTIGATION AFTER AUDITOR FOUND NORTH KOREA GOT $200 MILLION FROM SOUTH BEFORE 2000 SUMMIT WITH STALINIST KIM JONG-IL; SOUTH KOREAN OPPOSITION WANTED PROBE TO GO ON In a stunning move, South Korea�s prosecutors, citing �national interest� (BBC), stopped investigating the motive behind a $200 million payment from South Korea to North Korea, through Hyundai corporation, which has a history of pushing �links between North and South Korea.� The move came after �a plea from South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung, who asked prosecutors to drop the case to allow the matter to be settled in parliament.� Earlier, a South Korean auditor found that a South Korean state-run bank had loaned $200 million to Hyundai, which immediately sent it to North Korea just a week before the 2000 summit between top Stalinist Kim Jong-il and Kim Dae-jung. The opposition Grand National Party insists the money �bought� the summit, which won the South�s Kim the Nobel Peace Prize that year. Kim himself all but acknowledged the truth of the GNP�s charge, calling it one of �numerous tough decisions as the head of state.� President-elect Roh Moo-hyun, who is from Kim Dae-jung�s dovish Millennium Democratic Party, backed the decision. The GNP, which first accused Kim of having bought the summit last fall (see 10/14/02 and last North Korea Reports), �has said it will push for a formal investigation.� Given that the GNP controls the South Korean Parliament this is likely not the last we�ve heard of this scandal. NUCLEAR NEWS U.S. HAD INFORMATION ON NORTH KOREA�S URANIUM PROGRAM IN 2001 The Washington Post reported that the U.S. knew of North Korea�s uranium-based nuclear weapons program as far back as November of 2001, months before it confronted the Stalinist regime with the information. The news was the latest thing to earn the ire of anti-Stalinists such as Rep. Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts), who has called for the liberation of North Korea (see 11/4/02 North Korea Report). STALINIST REGIME MOVING NUCLEAR RODS FROM YONGBYON U.S. satellite reconnaissance has picked up movement of nuclear rods from the Yongbyon nuclear power plant, possibly to be reprocessed into plutonium for nuclear weapons. The U.S. strongly urged the Stalinists not to reprocess the rods. It is the closest thing to confirmation of ex-Defense Secretary William Perry�s insistence that the reprocessing had begun (see last North Korea Report). The Yongbyon plant had been shut down under the 1994 nuclear power deal and then slated for restart as the North admitted to a uranium-based nuclear weapons program, a violation of the deal, and the U.S. cut off fuel shipments to the Stalinist regime. The two nuclear power plants to be built by the U.S. in North Korea have still not been cancelled. Reports: BBC, CNN, Washington Post, Washington Times KIM JONG-IL SNUBS SOUTH KOREAN ENVOY, WILL �CONSIDER� PLEA TO FORSWEAR NUKES North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il refused to see South Korean envoy Lim Dong-won, as was previously planned, leading one major South Korean newspaper (Chosun Ilbo) to call the incident �an appalling disgrace� (Cybercast News), and another (JoongAng Ilbo) to say that the South had been �humiliated.� After the snub, Stalinist North Korea, in the midst of accusing the U.S. of �blackmailing� (CNN) the world, said it would �consider� a written plea by South Korea for an end to the North�s nuclear weapons program. The plea was in a letter presented by Lim, the envoy (see last North Korea Report). IAEA RESCHEDULES MEETING ON NORTH KOREA FOR NEXT WEDNESDAY After indefinitely postponed a meeting planned for today (see last North Korea Report), the International Atomic Energy Agency has scheduled a meeting on North Korea�s nuclear ambitions for next Wednesday. The IAEA could send the matter to the UN Security Council. Report: BBC There is, however, less to that than meets the eye. For starters, no one is talking about imposing sanctions on the Stalinist regime for its violation of the 1994 agreement to �freeze� its nuclear weapons programs. Moreover, Communist China � North Korea�s five-decade ally � has veto power on the Security Council, making any punitive action highly unlikely. Stop the North Korean Nuclear Power Plants: North Korea announced that it would restart the pre-1994 plutonium power plants. Despite this, talk of negotiations continues, and the two nuclear power plants that were part of the deal have still not been canceled. Use this China e-Lobby fact sheet and tell the President to stand firm against the Stalinist regime, and not to build the power plants. AMERICAN-RELATED NEWS U.S. PACIFIC COMMANDER WANTS MORE TROOPS IN SOUTH KOREA Admiral Thomas Fargo, commander of United States forces in the Pacific, has asked the Pentagon for more American troops in South Korea �to be sure that the North Koreans don't launch any adventure to take advantage of what they might see as preoccupation with Iraq,� according to an unnamed official cited by the BBC. No decision has come down on the admiral�s request. BUSH�S SOFTNESS IN STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS NOT ENOUGH FOR STALINISTS North Korea called the U.S. a �serpent� (Cybercast News) in its reaction to President Bush�s short mention of the Stalinist regime during his State of the Union address. South Korea praised what it called �considerably toned down� remarks. Bush never once discussed liberating the North during his speech, instead offering �in the world and revival for its people� if it ended its nuclear weapons program. Ugh! NORTH KOREA REPEATS DEMAND FOR NON-AGRESSION PACT As it was ripping the President, North Korea once again demanded a non-aggression pact with the U.S. � one of the few things the Bush Administration hasn�t yet dangled before the Stalinist regime � calling its �the only way out� (CNN 1/31) of the current standoff. The North also said it was �ready in case of an attack by the United States� (CNN 2/3), which the U.S. has already ruled out. Also Reporting: BBC ENVOY OF SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT-ELECT VISITS WASHINGTON As first reported in the last North Korea Report, Chyung Dai-chul � member of South Korea�s parliament and representative of President-elect Roh Moo-hyun � has flown to Washington to meet with President Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell. They will hold talks on the North�s nuclear ambitions. Chyung reflects Roh�s dovishness on the matter, to which the U.S. is rapidly warming. Report: BBC OTHER NEWS LONE FERRY BETWEEN NORTH KOREA AND JAPAN USED FOR STALINIST ESPIONAGE The only ferry traveling between North Korea and Japan �has been used for spying purposes, according to Japanese police and intelligence sources� (BBC). The captain of the ferry, �relayed espionage orders to a 72-year-old North Korean who was living in Japan, Japanese intelligence said.� It is yet another example of North Korean espionage in Japan (see 9/16/02 and 10/7/02 North Korea Report). COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS ON THOSE WHO WOULD TRADE WITH NORTH KOREA Doug Struck, Washington Post, examines the numerous trade links between Stalinist North Korea and its neighbors, including narcotic sales to Japan, other trade with some in Japan�s Korean ethnic community, and, of course, its trade with its oldest ally � Communist China. Check out the latest on Communist China and the Terrorist War. Sign the petition for an American boycott of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. 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