| Home page To receive this publication via e-mail, click here. THE NORTHERN KOREA REPORT: SEPTEMBER 28, 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. A note on labels: As many of you have probably noticed, we never refer to Communist China as �China�, lest one be confused that we would give any legitimacy to the Chinese Communist Party. We use People�s Republic (mostly for the convenience of being able to use PRC) or Beijing from time to time, but never China. We�ve been a little less diligent on northern Korea. For the past two and a half years, �North Korea� has been a frequently used moniker (title included) in part due to the seeming lack of a well-known substitute term. However, calling the Kim Jong-Il regime �North Korea� can still be seen, and probably is seen, by many as granting the regime legitimacy in northern Korea. This is not something we wish to do. As such, from this point forward, this newsletter will be known as the Northern Korea Report, rather than North Korea Report. Additionally, we will create our own term for the regime and the area it controls � Stalinist-controlled northern Korea, or SCNK. Likewise, �South Korea� will also vanish, to be replaced by Republic of Korea (ROK) or democratic Korea. Thus, readers and members will know to what we refer, while the regime receives all the legitimacy it deserves � namely none. D.J. McGuire P.S. As with �China�, this policy will not apply to cited quotes. TOP STORY: STALINIST-CONTROLLED NORTHERN KOREA CLAIMS TO HAVE NUKES SAYS ALL PLUTONIUM CONVERTED INTO �SELF-DEFENSE� WEAPONS, RULES OUT TALKS Stalinist-controlled northern Korea (SCNK) explicitly stated that its 8,000 plutonium rods from the Yongbyon nuclear power plant have been �transformed . . . into arms� (BBC). The rods would make up to eight nuclear bombs, according to democratic Korea (a.k.a. South Korea). It is the first time SCNK has specifically said the bombs were made. Meanwhile, the Stalinist regime ruled out any new six-way talks on its nuclear weapons program �until the Bush administration ends its �hostile policy� against Pyongyang and South Korea publishes complete details of its secret efforts to produce nuclear-weapons-grade fuel� (Washington Post). The news came days after ROK President Roh Moo-hyun and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin �agreed during talks here that six-party talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear programs should continue� (Cybercast News 9/22). The two �gave no details of how their two governments intend to woo Pyongyang back to the negotiating table.� There have been so far three rounds of the talks, which include SCNK, Russia, the ROK, the U.S., Communist China, and Japan. The previous rounds have led only to American concessions (see 12/8/03, 12/22/03, 6/7, 6/28, and last NKRs). Communist China � host of the talks and SCNK�s closest ally � is still �remains hopeful six-party talks on the North Korean nuclear program can resolve the crisis on the peninsula� (United Press International via Washington Times), which is no real surprise given the aforementioned softening of the Bush Administration�s position during these talks. For what its worth, the International Atomic Energy Agency � the folks who missed SCNK�s uranium weapons program for years � �called on North Korea to scrap its nuclear weapons ambitions and give inspectors entry visas so they can supervise a return to peaceful activities� (Voice of America via Epoch Times). Return to peaceful activities?! Ugh! TALKS LIKELY ON HOLD UNTIL PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION . . . Speculation is that the talks will go nowhere until after the U.S. election. Roh himself agreed with �and help fuel � the speculation with this comment: �the U.S. totally changed its North Korean policy after the last presidential election, although they had nearly reached a conclusion over the problem under the Clinton administration� (Cybercast News 9/23). Roh � who is not only a supporter of his predecessor�s $un$hine policy on SCNK but the inspiration behind the dovish Uri Party, which has a slim majority in the ROK National Assembly � did not mention the fact that said �conclusion� was �nearly reached� while the Stalinists were secretly weaponizing uranium (see 10/21/02 NKR). . . . AS ROK INTELLIGENCE OFFICIAL RAISED MONEY FOR JOHN KERRY Meanwhile, Chung Byung-Man, an operative for democratic Korean intelligence, helped raise funds for Democratic Presidential nominee John Kerry (New York Sun). Given the dovish position Roh Moo-hyun, and the fact that Kerry is somewhat more dovish than President Bush on the SCNK (see 6/7 and 8/23 NKRs), this more than raised a few eyebrows. OTHER WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION NEWS REGIME GOT TOXIC CHEMICAL FROM ROK FIRM VIA COMMUNIST CHINA Stalinist-controlled northern Korea acquired sodium cyanide, �one component needed to make the nerve agents sarin� (BBC), from a firm in the Republic of Korea. Communist China was the intermediary for the export, which earned the head of the ROK firm �a suspended prison sentence for violating the country's export laws.� A suspended sentence?! IS ANOTHER STALINIST MISSILE LAUNCH IN THE WORKS? Japan and democratic Korea believe the Stalinists �might be preparing to launch a ballistic missile� (VOA via Epoch Times). The U.S. warned the regime �against carrying out any new missile tests� (Agence France Presse); Japan will likely follow suit this week (UPI via Washington Times). SCNK, of course, called the reports �only rumor and guess� (CNN). IAEA ASKS SCNK TO LET THEM EXAMINE BLAST SITE International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Mohamed ElBaradei called on SCNK to let his inspectors view the mysterious site of an explosion many thought at first could have been a nuclear test (Voice of America via Epoch Times). The regime has only allowed diplomats to view what it called the site of the explosion. The regime has claimed the explosion was for a hydroelectric dam. However, a defector told the Republic of Korea�s Chosun Ilbo that the area SCNK claimed to be the blast site could not support such a dam. Meanwhile, ROK intelligence said the site the diplomats saw was actually sixty miles away from the actual explosion (see 9/14 and last NKRs). Stop the North Korean Nuclear Power Plants: Are the plants dead or aren�t they? You can make sure they don�t come back! Use this China e-Lobby fact sheet and tell the President to kill the power plants from the 1994 agreement that North Korea broke. ABDUCTION NEWS JAPAN TALKING ABDUCTEES WITH SCNK Japanese negotiators met their counterparts from the Stalinist regime for talks �on the fate of Japanese nationals kidnapped by North Korean agents decades ago� (VOA via Epoch Times). In particular, the talks focused �on the citizens North Korea claims are dead.� SCNK admitted to kidnapping thirteen Japanese citizens between 1978 and 1983, but insists that eight of them died, without any hard evidence to back up that claim. The other five are in Japan � their children joined them after being held in SCNK for over a year (see 9/23/02, 9/30/02, 10/7/02, 10/14/02, 10/21/02, 10/28/02, 11/18/02, 12/19/02, and 5/24 NKRs). THE OTHER ADBUCTION STORY: KOREANS GET NO SYMPATHY FROM SEOUL The families of 486 Koreans abducted by the Stalinists are faced with no answers from SCNK, and shocking neglect by the government of President Roh Moo-hyun, who is so dovish that better relations with SCNK are more important than these kidnap victims. As the Washington Post finds, Roh�s supporters are just as sickeningly callous. COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS FROM THE WASHINGTON POST The editors call for the Senate Democrats to follow the House and support the North Korea Human Rights Act (see 7/27 NKR � Senate Republicans have already said they support it). Meanwhile, Edward Cody examines the historical Koguryo/Goguryeo flap, and what it could mean for the future (see also 1/26, 6/1, 8/16, and 8/23 NKRs). ON THE U.S. TROOP REDUCTION IN THE ROK Jane Roh, Fox News, examines the continuing reaction in the ROK to plans for reducing America�s military presence there (see 6/1, 6/7, 6/14, and 8/23 NKRs). ON COMMUNIST CHINA�S ROLE David Frum, National Review Online, makes this excellent point in discussing SCNK�s nuclear ambitions: �only China could have prevented it � and China chose not to.� 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 Northern Korea Report? Find it via our home page. 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