| Home page To receive this publication via e-mail, click here. THE NORTH KOREA REPORT: MAY 10, 2004 Dragon in the Dark: How and Why Communist China Helps Our Enemies in the War on Terror is now available: here, at Amazon, or at 1-888-280-7715. Our statement on why northern Korea must be liberated can be found here. TOP STORY: NEW NORTH KOREAN MISSILE COULD REACH HAWAII SEOUL AND WASHINGTON HAD HOPED TO KEEP NEWS UNDER WRAPS North Korea is about to deploy �a newly developed intermediate-range ballistic missile that has a range sufficient to reach U.S. bases in Guam and possibly Hawaii� (Los Angeles Times via Houston Chronicle). The missile would be the first of its kind that would be able to hit the United States. For various reasons, neither South Korea nor the U.S. wanted news of the missile to get out. South Korea has been following a dovish policy on the Stalinist regime for seven years, while concerns in the U.S. focused on possible election fallout. Stop the North Korean Nuclear Power Plants: Construction on the nuclear power plants from the 1994 agreement has been suspended for one year, but the plants have not been cancelled. Use this China e-Lobby fact sheet and tell the President to kill the power plants from the 1994 agreement that North Korea broke. OTHER AMERICAN-RELATED NEWS NORTH KOREA TAKES U.S. TRAIN CRASH MONEY North Korea �accepted a US offer of aid for victims of last month's deadly train blast� (BBC). The Stalinist representative to the United Nations said the money �could help improve bilateral relations.� See the 4/26 and last NKRs for more on this story. INTERNATIONAL NEWS JAPAN, CITING PRC AND NK, LOOKS TO AID MILITARY ACTION TO CONSTITUTION Japan�s ruling Liberal Democrats are �on the most audacious effort ever to recast the country's constitution� (Washington Times). The LDP is hoping to nix the clauses in the document that bans military deployments beyond self-defense and war. The move is spurred by threats from North Korea and Communist China. ABDUCTION NEWS JAPANESE DELEGATION VISITS NORTH KOREA FOR ABDUCTION TALKS A Japanese delegation visited North Korea for talks on �the abduction of Japanese citizens decades ago by North Korean spies� (Washington Post, second item). North Korea has admitted to kidnapping thirteen Japanese citizens between 1978 and 1983. Five have returned to Japan; the North claims the eight others died. No evidence has been presented to back up the claim of death for those eight. Meanwhile, the children of the five who have returned are still being held in North Korea (see 9/23/02, 9/30/02, 10/7/02, 10/14/02, 10/21/02, 10/28/02, and 11/18/02 NKRs). OTHER SOUTH KOREA NEWS NORTH AND SOUTH KOREA TO HOLD DEFENSE TALKS After Cabinet-level talks between Stalinist North Korea and democratic South Korea came to an end, the two �agreed to hold high-level defense talks� (Voice of America via Epoch Times, HK). The talks do not yet have a start date. Also reporting: BBC NORTH SENDS YOUNGER NEGOTIATING TEAM During the aforementioned Cabinet-level talks, North Korea sent �a new set of younger faces� (United Press International via Washington Times). The members of the delegation �have been engaged in economic affairs, which raised hopes in Seoul that they would adopt a pragmatic view in negotiations.� Na�vet� springs eternal. COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS SOUTH KOREA, JAPAN, AND NORTH KOREA Anthony Faiola, Washington Post, examines the Japan-North Korea talks and South Korea-North Korea talks, and the reasons for them. SOUTH KOREANS SPREADING THE FAITH Charles Scanlon, BBC, examines the faith and fervor of South Korean missionaries in Muslim-dominated areas. Check out the Communist China and the Terrorist War page. Sign the petition for an American boycott of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Miss an Update, Week's Links, or a North Korea Report? Find it via our home page. Feel free to forward this to anyone you think would be interested in receiving it. Anyone who wishes to join (or unsubscribe or change their address) can send his/her name to [email protected]. Please feel free to send any news on Communist China or North Korea that you find to the same address. |