U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Office of the Spokesman

Joint Press Availability by
Secretary of State Colin L. Powell
And Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Han Seung-Soo
Consolidated Government House
Seoul, Korea
July 27, 2001

FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the joint press conference. Now, we start with the statement by the Korean Foreign Minister, Han Seung-Soo.

FOREIGN MINISTER HAN: In the ROK-U.S. foreign ministers' meeting today, Secretary Powell and I agreed to further develop the friendship between the two countries, as the close security allies and economic partners that we have been, and as the mature partners sharing in the universal values of democracy, human rights and freedom. In particular, in the meeting, I explained to the Secretary about the current situation and expected direction of inter-Korean dialogue. And Secretary Powell reaffirmed U.S. support for our government's policy of reconciliation and cooperation toward North Korea, a policy we have been pursuing with consistency. He also expressed his expectations for an early holding of the second South-North Korean summit.

In addition, Secretary Powell said that the United States is willing to pursue improved ties with North Korea. And toward that end, is prepared to resume dialogue with North Korea without any preconditions, and is expecting a positive response from North Korea in this regard. In this connection, Secretary Powell and I reaffirmed that the strengthening of the close ROK-U.S. coordination is vital to the successful implementation of our North Korea policies.

Finally, Secretary Powell and I have agreed to resolve the pending trade issues between the two countries through close dialogue and cooperation based on the principles of free trade and in accordance with WTO rules. As well as to strengthen the bilateral cooperation for the early launching of the WTO new round and the resolution of other regional and global economic and trade issues. Thank you.

SECRETARY POWELL: Thank you very much, Mr. Minister. It's a pleasure to be back in South Korea. I had good meetings this afternoon with the Minister, Minister Lim, the Minister of the Unification, and with President Kim Dae Jung.

The minister, as he just noted, and I had a very good conversation about ways to strengthen our very important alliance, an alliance that helps to ensure peace and stability in northeast Asia. Moreover, we discussed ways we can enhance the prospects for permanent peace and stability on the Korean peninsula. In this regard, we talked about our approach to North Korea, both in the North-South channel and in the U.S.-DPRK channel. I emphasized President Bush's strong support for President Kim's engagement of the North. I hope very much that Chairman Kim Jong-il will visit Seoul this year.

I also reiterated the U.S. administration's readiness to move toward a comprehensive dialogue without preconditions with the DPRK. I told the foreign minister that we are prepared to undertake serious discussions on a broad agenda including improved implementation of the Agreed Framework, reduction of the North Korea missile threat, movement on military confidence-building measures and humanitarian concerns. We are prepared to respond to North Korea's broad agenda as well.

I assured him that we will consult with the Republic of Korea all along the way, and with our Japanese allies, and he assured me that his government will do the same. Now we are waiting for the North Koreans to respond to our overtures. We can meet at a time and a place of the DPRK's choice and we have no preconditions. We look forward to exchanging views on how we can expand our efforts to help North Koreans take the political steps to improve our relations.

The foreign minister and I also discussed the global economic situation and what it might portend for the economies over the next six to twelve months and over the longer term. And we talked about how we can work more closely together on this important matter.

I want to thank the minister for his hospitality, and once again, it is a great pleasure to be back in South Korea. Thank you very much.

FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN: Now we will take the questions from the floor. I would like to designate a Korean reporter first, and then to be followed by the Americans. Any volunteers to ask questions?

QUESTION: Question from Mr. Oak Yung Dae with Saegae Ilbo. A question to Minister Han. Some have pointed out that there is a difference of views between the United States and Republic of Korea regarding the coordination on North Korea policy. In today's meeting, have you detected such a difference? If so, what was that difference?

MINISTER HAN: Yes, as was made clear in my opening statement, as well as in the Secretary's opening statement, there has not been such a discrepancy between the two governments on North Korea policy. In fact, since the inauguration of the Bush Administration, there has been a summit, and there have been three foreign ministers' meeting including the one today. Through these meetings, we have closely coordinated on our North Korea policies with close dialogue and cooperation. And this close coordination will continue.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, George Gedda of AP. There are reports today that the United States believes that China is in violation of the November 2000 non-proliferation agreement, and perhaps has lodged a protest with the Chinese. You'll be going to China tomorrow - do you have any comment?

SECRETARY POWELL: I haven't seen that specific report, George. As I may have noted previously, the compliance with the November 2000 agreement, I think, has been mixed - some success and some areas that need improvement. I will be taking this up with Chinese authorities in due course, as will other members of my staff.

QUESTION: Two questions to the Secretary from the Chosun Ilbo - one regarding the U.S. MD plan, which is clearly linked to security issues here in northeast Asia. The Russians and the Chinese have expressed clear opposition to the plans. Even South Korea and Japan, close allies, have expressed rather reserved positions on the issues so far. How are you going to persuade the allies on the MD plans? What are your future actions along these lines?

And the second question is regarding Mr. Hwang Jang Yup and the invitation for Mr. Hwang Jang Yup to visit the United States. Of course he is the highest authority to have defected from North Korea, but he is also a free citizen. What is the position of the U.S. State Department on Mr. Hwang Jang Yup's visit to the United States?

SECRETARY POWELL: On the second issue, if he were to visit the United States, he would be provided whatever courtesies that would be needed or security that might be needed; but, as to whether or not he will or will not visit, that is a decision for the Korean government to make, and I will yield to the Minister on that.

With respect to your first question on missile defense and my discussions with our allies, I have made the point that America is interested in a new strategic framework that moves away from the old framework of mutually assured destruction where nations protected themselves from other nations simply by having the ability to overwhelm them and destroy them with nuclear weapons. With the new framework we are trying to put together, we would reduce the number of such strategic offensive weapons, and at the same time build defensive weapons that could defend us against those very irresponsible nations that are pursuing weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to put such weapons on. It would be a limited defense that would threaten none of the major nuclear powers - China and Russia specifically - and I think we can persuade the international community that it is wise to move in this direction, and that it will add to strategic stability. But to move in this direction, it is necessary to get beyond the constraints of the 1972 ABM treaty.

We are in very, very intense conversations with our Russian colleagues about getting out of the constraints of the ABM treaty. National Security Advisor, Dr. Condi Rice was there yesterday to set up a work plan and a plan of meetings between the two sides in order to pursue this strategic framework and to come up with ways of getting beyond the constraints of the ABM treaty.

QUESTION: Barbara Slaven of USA Today. Minister Han, I have a question for you. What have the Russians told you about the reasons why they invited Kim Jong-il? This was originally an invitation for March, it's now taking place some months later. Did the Russians say they would try to persuade Kim to make the return visit to Seoul? And for Secretary Powell, what are your expectations and when were you informed by the Russians that Kim was on his way? Thank you.

MINISTER HAN: The Chairman's visit to Moscow this time is a return visit that he is making - in return for President Putin's visit to North Korea last year. Rumors about the visit have been circulating since months ago - now it has been realized. So it's basically a return visit. The Chairman has been to China twice, and now he is in Russia, and we believe that this is an indication of the North Koreans' willingness to open up. And so we evaluate it very positively.

SECRETARY POWELL: I've been on the road, and I learned about this through press reports, but that doesn't surprise me. Chairman Kim travels rather secretively, and I wouldn't have expected us to have received advance notice - although perhaps somewhere in the State Department someone knew about it. But I learned about it from press reports.

QUESTION: A quick follow-up (inaudible) you didn't say whether you expect it to lead to a return visit to Seoul by Kim Jong-il (inaudible).

MINISTER HAN: Well, I certainly hope that that would be the case. In fact, the Russian government has been consistently supportive of our policy of reconciliation and cooperation toward North Korea, and they have been supportive of a second South-North Korean summit, which we very much hope will be realized in the near future.

SECRETARY POWELL: I don't have any expectations, but I think it would be very useful if the Russians were to encourage Chairman Kim to come to Seoul for the second inter-Korean summit. I think it would be very useful. And I think it would also be very useful if President Putin and the other Russian leaders would point out to Chairman Kim the importance of resuming discussions with the United States; that his economy is in a very terrible state, and he has a variety of problems. Those problems can only be dealt with as he reaches out and begins a dialogue both by accepting the invitation to come to the South and responding to the U.S. willingness to begin discussions.

I would also hope that President Putin and the others would point out to Chairman Kim the dangers inherent in some of the actions that the North Korean regime have taken over the years with respect to the development of weapons of mass destruction and the proliferation of such equipment; the dangers associated with their missile development programs. And so I hope that they would point out that all of this is not in the interest of the North Korean people.

FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN: It's about time for the foreign ministers to leave, so I'll take only two more questions - one for each.

QUESTION: A question to the Secretary from YTN concerning your repeated comments today of your offer of the resumption of dialogue with North Korea without any preconditions. We understand that the New York channel between Mr. Pritchard and the U.N. Ambassador of North Korea in New York, Mr. Li Hyong Chul, has been activated. But still you do not have any official response from North Korea. Why do you think that is the case? Why do you think the North Koreans have not offered you an official response yet? And what do you think you can be doing to win such a response? Do you have any dramatic measure up your sleeve?

SECRETARY POWELL: I don't have any dramatic measure in mind. We've made it clear to them in two meetings that we are ready to begin a dialogue. We've finished our policy review and we've given them the outlines of our policy review. And I think they are acting in a very deliberate way, as they tend to. They are studying very carefully and making their own judgment about what they want to put on the table. And so, we will be patient and wait for their response.

QUESTION: For both ministers - I'd like to ask your response to a comment from Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesman in the last couple of hours saying that Russia has not changed its position of opposition to amending the ABM treaty following Condoleeza Rice's visit to Moscow. And also, for Secretary Powell, is there any truth to the reports that the United States is preparing strikes against Iraq?

SECRETARY POWELL: I haven't seen the statements you refer to over the last few hours, but if that's what the Foreign Ministry spokesman said, it doesn't surprise me. That has been their consistent position over time - that they support the continuation of the ABM treaty as signed in 1972. We are discussing with them the problems we have with that treaty with respect to the new strategic framework and with respect to missile defense, so I'm not surprised by the statement. It's consistent.

With respect to your question about a strike against Iraq, I would never discuss in public any operational matter.

Thank you very much.

END