| THE NORTH KOREA REPORT: JULY 8, 2002 NEWS NORTH KOREA BLAMES U.S. FOR NAVAL GUN BATTLE SOUTH KOREA SAYS ATTACK WAS �PREMEDITATED,� DEMANDS APOLOGY The Stalinist regime said last week�s naval gun battle with the South (see last NK Report) is America�s fault (CNN 1). U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell responded in support of South Korea, upon whose ships the North Korean navy fired after crossing the armistice line in place since 1953. South Korean President Kim Dae-jung demanded an apology; the U.S. also wants an explanation (BBC). This morning, the democratic South revealed that the North Korean attack was �premeditated,� and also noted that, contrary to earlier reports, no North Korean fishing boats were anywhere in the vicinity (Washington Post). The U.S. will also increase surveillance of the North�s military forces (Washington Times). North Korea also admitted that it has lost an unspecified number of crewmen during the battle. U.S. PULLS OFFER FOR TALKS WITH NORTH KOREA The U.S. withdrew its offer for talks with North Korea, citing a lack of response from the Stalinist regime, although the gun battle did �poison the atmosphere� (Washington Post). The Stalinist regime had the audacity to claim it would still try to �promote dialogue and cooperation� with the South (CNN). SOUTH KOREA CALLS NORTH KOREAN CLAIM OF INCURSION �GROUNDLESS� North Korea accused South Korea of invading its territory with two ship yesterday, a charge the democratic South labelled �fabricated and groundless.� The charge by the Stalinist regime was apparently in reference to a South Korean naval exercise, but the South insists it never came near the armistice line, and warned the North against any more violations of the border. Report: CNN, BBC FLOOD OF NORTH KOREAN REFUGEES INTO COMMUNIST CHINA STILL COMING Communist China is still taking in � much to its chagrin � waves of refugees from Stalinist North Korea. Professor W. W. Lee told the Hudson Institute that the Communist policy of returning any refugee it finds leads to horrifying treatment of the escapees, which number roughly 300,000 every year. The North is suffering from a massive, Communist-induced famine. Report: Cybercast News ANTI-COMMUNIST GOVERNOR OF TOKYO MAY FORM NEW PARTY CNN reports that Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara, a fiery nationalist who is easily the most anti-Communist politician in Japan, may break from the governing Liberal Democratic Party and form his own party. The widely popular Ishihara, considered in some circles as a possible Prime Minister, has well-known �hard-line stance towards China and North Korea.� No Commentary/Analysis this week Stop the Nuclear Power Deal: The United States is building two nuclear power plants in North Korea while the Stalinist regime refuses to let us inspect their nuclear weapons program to verify they have halted it as required in the deal. Use the China e-Lobby fact sheet to tell the President to end the deal. Sign the Boycott Petition: In reaction to the 2008 Olympic Games being awarded to Beijing, the China e-Lobby has begun a petition for an American boycott of those games. Miss an Update, Weekly Links, or a North Korea Report? Find it on our web site. Check out the latest on Communist China and the Terrorist War. There�s still time to contact the President and tell him not to appoint pro-PRC Doug Paal as de facto ambassador to Taiwan. See Follow-Up for more on Paal. Feel free to forward this to anyone you think might be interested in receiving it. Anyone who wishes to join can send his/her name and e-mail address to [email protected]. Please feel free to send any news on Communist China or North Korea you happen to find to the same address. |