Deleted User
06-23-1999, 05:16 PM
<b><font size=5>Seoul to cut fertilizer aid unless North frees tourist</b></font>
<p>
<b>The Korea Herald</b><p>
Amid scant progress in the talks for the release of a South Korean tourist
detained in North Korea, officials hinted yesterday that Seoul would cut all aid,
including fertilizer, if a solution is not reached.
<p>
On the fourth day of the detention, the Hyundai Group, tour organizer, and its
North Korean counterparts made little headway in their negotiations for the release
of Min Young-mi, Hyundai officials said.
<p>
"The North just keeps saying the investigations were still under way," said a
Unification Ministry Official. "It may take more time than expected for Pyongyang
to set the tourist free."
<p>
On Sunday, North Korea detained the 36-year-old mother of two, while on a
cruise tour to North Korea's Mt. Kumgang, accusing her of spy. Min was believed
to have told a North Korean guard that defectors from the North are living a
comfortable live in the South.
<p>
Expressing his disappointment with the stalled talks as well as the suspended
inter-Korean vice ministerial talks, a senior ministry official said, "It may not be too
early to say that we would move toward the opposition direction of the engagement
policy, but we may have to revise our direction considerably if the North behaves
like this."
<p>
A senior delegate to the governmental talks in Beijing also reportedly said that
the fertilizer aid for famine-stricken North Korea could be stopped if the
Communist state does not release Min soon.
<p>
"If the Mt. Kumgang issue is not resolved, there is a possibility that the shipment
of remaining fertilizer can be halted," the official was quoted as saying.
<p>
Seoul offered 200,000 tons of fertilizer aid in return for Pyongyang to attend the
first inter-Korean governmental talks in 14 months. The first 100,000 tons have
already arrived in North Korea.
<p>
As for the North's refusal to release Min, however, government officials here
said Pyongyang might be just waiting for a turning point. "Pyongyang may be
seeking a justifiable pretext to reverse the situation, therefore, Min will be freed
sometime soon" another official said.
<p>
The pretext, he said, could be Min's signing a statement admitting she did
something like a spy's job as alleged by North Korea, he added. "Maybe North
Koreans do not want to deteriorate the South Korean public sentiments because
they still need aids from here."
<p>
<p>
<i>Updated: 06/24/1999<br> by <b>Kim Ji-ho Staff reporter </b></i>
<p>
<hr>
<p>
<b><font size=5>Rival parties call for tourist's return, split over 'sunshine policy'</b></font>
<p>
<b>The Korea Herald</b><p>
The rival political parties yesterday unanimously called for the release of a South
Korean tourist detained by North Korea, but remained bitterly divided over the
efficacy of the government's engagement policy towards the North.
<p>
Members of the Assembly's Unification Committee urged Pyongyang to
immediately return the South Korean detainee.
<p>
Min Young-mi, 36, has been held in the Communist state for four days. The
North accused Min of luring a North Korean environmental inspector to defect to
the South by saying defectors lead a good life in South Korea.
<p>
The opposition lawmakers reiterated their call for the suspension of all aide to
the North, including fertilizer.
<p>
They blamed the government's engagement policy for the recent inter-Korean
naval clash on the West Sea as well as the detention of South Korean tourist at Mt.
Kumgang.
<p>
"Confinement of tourists could have been predicted even long before the
incident," said Rep. Lee Sei-kee of the GNP. "This is the result of the government
using the Mt. Kumgang tour as an experiment of the 'sunshine policy.'" The
opposition lawmakers lambasted Unification Minister Lim Dong-won for
maintaining the tour despite the heightening tensions on the West Sea, while pushing
ahead with an "ill-conceived" policy. "The minister must step down, taking
responsibility for the grave occurrence," the lawmakers asserted.
<p>
GNP members maintained that the sunshine policy is a total failure and should be
dropped right away.
<p>
Contrary to the opposition legislators, members of the ruling National Congress
for New Politics (NCNP) said the incident reflects the need for a more mutual
engagement policy, stressing that the mishap should be used as a turning point in
inter-Korean relationship.
<p>
"A mechanism to insure the safety of the tourists must be established between
Seoul and Pyongyang, not Hyundai and Pyongyang," said NCNP lawmaker Yang
Sung-chul.
<p>
The United Liberal Democrats, junior coalition partner of the ruling NCNP, also
supported the sunshine policy, but called for modifying it.
<p>
Rep. Lee Kun-kae said it must be reevaluated until Pyongyang changes its
attitude. They said the pace of engagement should be regulated.
<p>
<i> Updated: 06/24/1999
<br> by <b>Yoo Jae-suk Staff reporter </b></i>
<p>
<b>The Korea Herald</b><p>
Amid scant progress in the talks for the release of a South Korean tourist
detained in North Korea, officials hinted yesterday that Seoul would cut all aid,
including fertilizer, if a solution is not reached.
<p>
On the fourth day of the detention, the Hyundai Group, tour organizer, and its
North Korean counterparts made little headway in their negotiations for the release
of Min Young-mi, Hyundai officials said.
<p>
"The North just keeps saying the investigations were still under way," said a
Unification Ministry Official. "It may take more time than expected for Pyongyang
to set the tourist free."
<p>
On Sunday, North Korea detained the 36-year-old mother of two, while on a
cruise tour to North Korea's Mt. Kumgang, accusing her of spy. Min was believed
to have told a North Korean guard that defectors from the North are living a
comfortable live in the South.
<p>
Expressing his disappointment with the stalled talks as well as the suspended
inter-Korean vice ministerial talks, a senior ministry official said, "It may not be too
early to say that we would move toward the opposition direction of the engagement
policy, but we may have to revise our direction considerably if the North behaves
like this."
<p>
A senior delegate to the governmental talks in Beijing also reportedly said that
the fertilizer aid for famine-stricken North Korea could be stopped if the
Communist state does not release Min soon.
<p>
"If the Mt. Kumgang issue is not resolved, there is a possibility that the shipment
of remaining fertilizer can be halted," the official was quoted as saying.
<p>
Seoul offered 200,000 tons of fertilizer aid in return for Pyongyang to attend the
first inter-Korean governmental talks in 14 months. The first 100,000 tons have
already arrived in North Korea.
<p>
As for the North's refusal to release Min, however, government officials here
said Pyongyang might be just waiting for a turning point. "Pyongyang may be
seeking a justifiable pretext to reverse the situation, therefore, Min will be freed
sometime soon" another official said.
<p>
The pretext, he said, could be Min's signing a statement admitting she did
something like a spy's job as alleged by North Korea, he added. "Maybe North
Koreans do not want to deteriorate the South Korean public sentiments because
they still need aids from here."
<p>
<p>
<i>Updated: 06/24/1999<br> by <b>Kim Ji-ho Staff reporter </b></i>
<p>
<hr>
<p>
<b><font size=5>Rival parties call for tourist's return, split over 'sunshine policy'</b></font>
<p>
<b>The Korea Herald</b><p>
The rival political parties yesterday unanimously called for the release of a South
Korean tourist detained by North Korea, but remained bitterly divided over the
efficacy of the government's engagement policy towards the North.
<p>
Members of the Assembly's Unification Committee urged Pyongyang to
immediately return the South Korean detainee.
<p>
Min Young-mi, 36, has been held in the Communist state for four days. The
North accused Min of luring a North Korean environmental inspector to defect to
the South by saying defectors lead a good life in South Korea.
<p>
The opposition lawmakers reiterated their call for the suspension of all aide to
the North, including fertilizer.
<p>
They blamed the government's engagement policy for the recent inter-Korean
naval clash on the West Sea as well as the detention of South Korean tourist at Mt.
Kumgang.
<p>
"Confinement of tourists could have been predicted even long before the
incident," said Rep. Lee Sei-kee of the GNP. "This is the result of the government
using the Mt. Kumgang tour as an experiment of the 'sunshine policy.'" The
opposition lawmakers lambasted Unification Minister Lim Dong-won for
maintaining the tour despite the heightening tensions on the West Sea, while pushing
ahead with an "ill-conceived" policy. "The minister must step down, taking
responsibility for the grave occurrence," the lawmakers asserted.
<p>
GNP members maintained that the sunshine policy is a total failure and should be
dropped right away.
<p>
Contrary to the opposition legislators, members of the ruling National Congress
for New Politics (NCNP) said the incident reflects the need for a more mutual
engagement policy, stressing that the mishap should be used as a turning point in
inter-Korean relationship.
<p>
"A mechanism to insure the safety of the tourists must be established between
Seoul and Pyongyang, not Hyundai and Pyongyang," said NCNP lawmaker Yang
Sung-chul.
<p>
The United Liberal Democrats, junior coalition partner of the ruling NCNP, also
supported the sunshine policy, but called for modifying it.
<p>
Rep. Lee Kun-kae said it must be reevaluated until Pyongyang changes its
attitude. They said the pace of engagement should be regulated.
<p>
<i> Updated: 06/24/1999
<br> by <b>Yoo Jae-suk Staff reporter </b></i>