Heavy Rains Hit DPRK
August 6, 2008
In July and August heavy rains hit the DPRK in areas also effected by summer 2007 flooding. According to KCNA (Torrential rains hit DPRK, August 4) it rained heavily in most parts of the country on July 20, 21, 24 and 25 and again from August 1-August 3. The August rains were particularly severe in Kangwon, North and South Phyongan and South Hwanghae provinces. KCNA reported that the "recent downpours inflicted heavy losses to various sectors of the national economy including agriculture and to the people's living in the relevant areas. In an August 5 press release ("Heavy Rains in DPR Korea"), the Food and Agriculture Organization pointed out three reasons for concern that flooding may occur including the observation that recently annual rainfall has become "heavier and more concentrated over the July and August period" and the fact that although "considerable labor has gone into rebuilding embankments, small dams, and even into dredging of major watercourses," rehabilitation from the August 2007 floods is incompete, leaving such structures vulnerable to cresting waters.
For more humanitarian news, click here.
Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing on Six Party Process
July 31, 2008
On July 31, the Senate Armed Service Committee received testimony from Christopher R. Hill, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Department of State and William H. Tobey, Deputy Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, National Nuclear Security Administration, Department of Energy. Ambassador Hill's written testimony touched on six-party cooperation, the 420,000 MT of heavy fuel oil that has been delivered out of the promised 950,000 MTs, humanitarian assistance, human rights and funding requirements. Amb. Hill also stressed that President Bush, in his June 26 notification to Congress of "his intent to rescind designation of the DPRK as a State Sponsor of Terrorism" had made clear that the United States "would use this 45-day [notification] period to assess the DPRK's cooperation, including on reaching agreement on a verification protocol, and respond accordingly." Mr. Tobey's written testimony detailed the role played by the Department of Energy to date in implementing the February 13, 2007 agreement, and went into a bit more detail about funding requirements. Mr Tobey explained that total costs "could amount to an additional $34 million in fiscal year 2008 and over $360 million in fiscal year 2009. The bulk of these costs relate to packaging and disposition of separated plutonium and spent fuel at Yongbyon, but they also cover implementation of critical measures necessary to verify North Korea's nuclear declaration and ensure our teams on the ground have adequate protective equipment and health physics support."
The Open Session of the Hearing was followed by a Closed Session at which Ambassador Joseph R. DeTrani, Mission Manager for North Korea and Mr. Vann H. Van Diepen, National Intelligence Officer for Weapons of Mass Destruction and Proliferation, both from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, also testified.
Spring/Summer 2008 Legislative Update
June 30, 2008
In an updated issue brief, NCNK reviews legislation relevant to the DPRK introduced or considered in spring/summer 2008. It includes language from the Supplemental Appropriations Act, which was signed into law by the President on June 30, 2008. Highlights include up to $53,000,000 for energy-related assistance for North Korea in support of the goals of the Six-Party Talks Agreement; the bill notes that "Prior to the obligation of assistance for North Korea, the Secretary of State is directed to report to the Committees on Appropriations that North Korea is continuing to fulfill its commitments under the Six-Party Talks Agreement." (The bill also notes that this is "in addition to the $53,000,000 appropriated in division J of Public Law 110-161, which is the same as the total amount requested.") The bill also appropriates $15,000,000 under Economic Support Fund appropriations "for critical health, economic, and security needs" and includes a waiver of the Glenn Amendment. This brief will be updated as necessary; please check the Library of Congress website for the status of any bill in the interim.
Ban Ki Moon May Visit North Korea
July 9, 2008According to The Financial Times, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon expressed willingness to travel to the DPRK and may visit before September 2008. The Secretary General commented that he intends to play the role of the facilitator between the two Koreas to help their cooperation progress. He also commented that he wants South Korea to increase its contributions to UN operations. Mr. Ban complimented the DPRK for moving forward after it abandoned its nuclear cooling tower in Yongbyon, while also expressing concern about the human rights.
DPRK Submits Nuclear Declaration; US Responds
June 26, 2008
On June 10, 2008 the DPRK issued a statement "opposing all forms of terrorism and any support of it." On June 26, President George W. Bush announced that North Korea has submitted a declaration of their nuclear programs to the Chinese government, which chairs the six-party talks. He stated that he is notifying Congress of his intent to rescind North Korea's designation as a state sponsor of terror in 45 days. He also proclaimed the termination of the exercise of the Authorities under the Trading with the Enemy Act provisions, to go into affect at 12:01 AM on June 27; the proclamation states that the exercise of TWEA authorities "is no longer in the national interest of the United States." (See the State Department Fact Sheet here.)
President Bush's full remarks touch on range of issues such as verification, nuclear proliferation and testing, human rights, and the proliferation of ballistic missiles.
Bush had already issued an Executive Order maintaining some restrictions. The order states that "the current existence and risk of the proliferation of weapons-usable fissile material on the Korean Peninsula constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. . . [therefore] it is necessary to continue certain restrictions with respect to North Korea that would otherwise be lifted pursuant to a forthcoming proclamation that will terminate the exercise of authorities under the Trading With the Enemy Act." The order maintains previously existing laws, such as the block "on all property and interests in property of North Korea or a North Korean national" existing prior to June 16, 2000 (this block was also maintained by President Clinton when he partially lifted sanctions in June 2000; see Federal Register June 19, Volume 65, Number 118 Pages 38147-38164) and the April 2006 Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)/Department of Treasury regulation banning U.S. persons from owning or leasing North Korean-flagged vessels.
In "Diplomacy is Working," a Wall Street Journal Op-Ed, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice provides further information regarding the administration's actions.
DPRK Taekwon-Do 2007 USA Good Will Tour
June 12, 2008
Last October the DPRK's Taekwon-Do Demonstration Team performed in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Cedar Rapids, Louisville and Atlanta. If you missed the tour last year, now is your chance to read about it in NCNK's fourth Newsletter: Breaking Boards and Eating Barbeque. To read earlier copies of the newsletter, click here.
Key Accusations against UNDP Without Merit
June 3, 2008
On June 1 an Independent Investigative Review Panel, headed by former Hungarian Prime Minister Miklos Nemeth, released its report of its investigation into allegations of the diversion of UNDP resources in the DPRK, among other accusations. Although the Panel made recommendations to the UNDP, such as suggesting the UNDP explore ways to imrove its application of complex "dual use" export control laws, it exonarated the UNDP of mismangement or diversion of funds.
Op-Eds on Negotiations with North Korea
May 20, 2008
Three recent opinion pieces stress the importance of continuing the negotiation process with the DPRK. Most recently, in "US Must Fulfill its Commitment to Diplomacy with North Korea," (Boston Globe, May 17) John Lewis applauds the delivery of over 18,000 pages of North Korea's nuclear records, stating that this "begins a verification process previously impossible." Lewis argues that the United States must fulfill its own commitments: "If diplomacy is to succeed, Washington needs to begin delivering on some of the promises it has made as part of the Six-Party agreements. It must move toward normalizing relations with Pyongyang: That means beginning 'the process of removing the designation of the DPRK as a state-sponsor of terrorism' and starting to 'advance the process of terminating the application of the Trading with the Enemy Act with respect to the DPRK.'"
Earlier this month, in "The Right Path on North Korea," (The Washington Post, May 13), Dr. Siegfried Hecker and Dr. William Perry argue "We do not advocate letting Pyongyang off the hook, but a "confession" regarding Syria is not the critical issue. We have good knowledge of what the North Koreans supplied to Syria.What we really need is information from North Korea that will help us deal with potential threats. For example, was North Korea acting alone, or was it part of a more sophisticated proliferation ring involving Pyongyang's trading partners and suppliers? North Korea's leadership must resolve all three declaration issues fully, and these will take time to verify. . . North Korea's reluctance to provide full declarations and the Syria revelations have moved us in the wrong direction. Nevertheless, walking away from the talks or slowing them at this point would be counterproductive. Instead, in its remaining months, the Bush administration should focus on limiting North Korea's nuclear capabilities by concluding the elimination of plutonium production. If it can also get answers on the Syrian operation and resolve the question of uranium enrichment, it will put the next administration in a stronger position to finally end the nuclear threat from North Korea."
And in Newsweek, Ambassador Morton Abramowitz and Ambassador Stephen Bosworth conclude that "The next U.S. president will have to decide how to deal with North Korea in a larger sense, not just on the nuclear question. We think the best approach would be to forge ahead with the denuclearization process while also working with the other members of the Six-Party Process to begin to build a web of connections tying North Korea to the regional and global economies." ("Reaching out to Pyongyang" (Newsweek, May 12)).
North Korean Nuclear Records Released
May 10, 2008
On May 9, the State Department issued a press release announcing that the DPRK had furnished approximately 18,000 pages of documents on its plutonium program. According to the release, "The DPRK has stated that the documentation provided May 8 consists of operating records for the five-megawatt reactor [5-MW(e)] and fuel reprocessing plant at the Yongbyon nuclear complex, where the DPRK had produced its stock of weapons-grade plutonium."
Bridges Built of Books
April 22, 2008
In the third issue of the NCNK newsletter, Dr. Edward Reed provides a glimpse of the Grand People's Study House in Pyongyang with his article abou the Asia Foundaton's Books in Asia program in the DPRK. For earlier copies of the NCNK newsletter, click here.
Dr. Siegfried Hecker Article in the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists
April 25, 2008
In the May/June Issue of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, Prof. Siegfried S. Hecker, the Co-director of the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University, provides a more technically detailed analysis of his February 12-18 trip to North Korea, as well as new photos. His trip report prepared for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is also still available. (An NCNK chart, drawn from Dr. Hecker's report and created by Michael Yo, lists the disablement actions.)
Dark Horse
March 24, 2008
In the second issue of the NCNK Newsletter, Dr. Stuart Thorson, Professor of Political Science at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University and Fredrick F. Carriere, Vice President and Executive Director of The Korea Society, describe how college students from the DPRK began competing in the annual International Collegiate Programming Contest, known as the "Battle of the Brains."
Trip Report to the DPRK: Keith Luse, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Staff
March 24, 2008In this memo Keith Luse, Senior Professional Staff Member (Minority), to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, provides a report on his February 12-16 2008 trip to the DPRK. Mr. Luse explored topics such as the delay in the declaration, the extent of the disablement process, and security of nuclear materials at Yongbyon, and the conditions under which the DPRK military would consent to complete nuclear disarmament." He also reports that
"North Korean officials were informed that Members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee were deeply concerned regarding the missed December deadline to submit a complete and clear declaration. Given Member concerns, the North Koreans were asked for a message to convey to the Committee. In response, they offered three points for conveyance to Capitol Hill.
1) Both the U.S. and the DPRK negotiators understood each other very well.
2) The delays (with the declaration), are caused by technical reasons.
3) Both sides are working hard to resolve those technical issues."
Fuel Oil Shipments to the DPRK
March 21, 2008This new NCNK resource, prepared by Michael Yo, tracks fuel oil shipments to the DPRK provided under the February 13 Agreement. It is available in pdf and excel formats. It will be updated as necessary.
NY Philharmonic In Pyongyang
March 11, 2008
A new Japan Focus article, The New York Philharmonic in North Korea: A New Page in US-DPRK Relations?, examines the western media's response to the concert.
Until March 14, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra Website will have the radio broadcast of their Pyongyang performance available on-line. The 120 minute DVD of the concert and PBS program will be available at the Channel 13 on-line store beginning March 28.
The first NCNK Newsletter on exchanges discusses other musical performances in Pyongyang, including the twice Platinum GRAMMY Award Winning band Casting Crowns.
NGOs in DPRK
March 9, 2008
In Giving Until it Hurts, a Washington Post Sunday Magazine story, journalist Stephen Glain describes the work of Stephen Linton, the Eugene Bell Foundation, and North Korean doctors battling TB in North Korea.U.S. Presidential Candidates Views on U.S. Policy Toward North Korea
February 26, 2008
For a collection of quotations about or by the U.S. presidential candidates regarding U.S. toward North Korea, click here.
North Korea and the US FY 2009 Budget
February 5, 2008
Although details on the new fiscal year budget request are still incomplete, the Department of Energy has already posted its full budget justification, inculding several references to continuing work with the DPRK on disablement, dismantlement and verification of nuclear programs in North Korea. The State Department has also posted budget request highlights. See the new issue brief here. For other NCNK Issue Briefs, click here.
David Kang NCNK-AAAS Report Released
January 24, 2008
Looking ahead at the potential long-term opportunities and issues that the United States may face as it moves forward with its relationship with the DPRK, in late October 2007 the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the National Committee on North Korea convened a workshop looking at "the next nuclear agreement with North Korea." Participants focused on three areas of concern: the political issues involved; the costs and actual problems in decommissioning nuclear facilities; and potential congressional hurdles involved in removing sanctions from the DPRK. All three issues will likely be far more difficult to achieve than many observers expect. The workshop considered how best to implement an agreement and what the actual details and costs will entail. The report is available here.
The preliminary report on the conference, which includes more about Congressional opinion is available here; for the AAAS announcement, click here.
New NCNK Economic Sanctions Report Released
January 23, 2008
This updated version of the NCNK report, North Korea: Economic Sanctions and U.S. Treasury Department Actions, 1955-September 2007 provides an understanding of the background and the context of the current sanctions on the DPRK. The report includes a chart of current US economic sanctions as well as a sanctions timeline. This version incorporates an analysis of the removal of the DPRK from the State Sponsors of Terrorism List and incorporates information on "The Glenn Amendment" not included in the November 2007 version.
The DPRK and Fiscal Year 2008 Appropriations
January 10, 2007
An NCNK Issue Brief contains the provisions mentioning the DPRK in the Omnibus Appropriations Act (signed into law at the end of December) and the Defense Authorization Act for FY 2008.
New Six Party Agreement Reached
October 3, 2007
On October 3, 2007, the Chinese government released the Full Text of the Second-Phase Actions for the Implementation of the Joint Statement. The text reflects the agreements made by the six parties in the Second Phase of the Sixth Session of the Six Party Talks, which took place from 27 to 30 September 2007The DPRK has agreed to "disable all existing nuclear facilities subject to abandonment under the September 2005 Joint Statement and the February 13 agreement," to "provide a complete and correct declaration of all its nuclear programs in accordance with the February 13 agreement by 31 December 2007, and "reaffirmed its commitment not to transfer nuclear materials, technology, or know-how.On the normalization of relations between "relevant countries," the text reads that "Recalling the commitments to begin the process of removing the designation of the DPRK as a state sponsor of terrorism and advance the process of terminating the application of the Trading with the Enemy Act with respect to the DPRK, the United States will fulfill its commitments to the DPRK in parallel with the DPRK's actions based on consensus reached at the meetings of the Working Group on Normalization of DPRK-U.S. Relations." The DPRK and Japan will also "make sincere efforts to normalize their relations expeditiously in accordance with the Pyongyang Declaration." The equivalent of one million tons of HFO (including 100,000 tons of HFO already delivered) will be provided to the DPRK as part of the implementation of the February 13 Agreement.
Recent Developments
October 22, 2007
In its October 22, 2007 war funding request for fiscal year 2008, the administration proposes "$106 million to provide Heavy Fuel Oil or an equivalent value of other assistance to North Korea on an 'action-for-action' basis in support of the Six Party Talks in return for actions taken by North Korea on denuclearization." House Appropriations Chair David Obey, referring to the funds requested for the Iraq war, indicated that the funds might not be appropriated before Congress adjourns, saying "I have absolutely no intention of reporting out of committee anytime this session, any such request that simply serves to continue the status quo."
October 18, 2007
In an October 18 memo to Secretary Rice, President Bush took the first steps toward making it possible for the U.S. government to fund educational and cultural exchange programs. His memo states that "funding for educational and cultural exchange programs described in . . . [Public Law 106 386] that are aimed at improving U.S.-DPRK relations would promote the purposes of the Act or is otherwise in the national interest of the United States." See the full memo for more information.
September 28, 2007
On September 28, 2007, the President issued a memorandum which allowed for the allocation of $25 million to provide energy assistance to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. This allocation coincides with recent developments in the Six Party Talks.
NCNK Resource Page on Sanctions and UN Resolution 1718
Materials associated with UN Resolution 1718 are highlighted here.
Most recent news: September 26, 2007
On September 26, 2007, the US government announced sanctions against North Korea, its state-owned Korea Mining and Development Corporation (KOMID) and its subsidiaries. According to South Korea's Yonhap News, US officials believe KOMID conducted missile transfers more than one year ago. KOMID had been previously identified as possible trading partner as early as 1998, and was designated in a 2005 US executive order for supporting weapons of mass destruction proliferation.
Six Party Agreement Reached February 13, 2007
February 13, 2007
On February 13, 2007, the six parties concluded the fifth round of six party talks and agreed to "Initial Actions for the Implementation of the Joint Statement," a reference to the September 19, 2005 joint statement. Agreements for the next sixty days include shutting down and sealing Yongbyon, the provision of 50,000 tons of fuel oil, the provision by the DPRK of a list of nuclear programs to be covered by the September 19 statement and an agreement to hold DPRK-US bilateral talks and DPRK-Japan bilateral talks on bilateral issue. Five working groups will be formed to discuss denuclearization of the Korean peninsula; normalization of DPRK-US relations; normalization of DPRK-Japan relations; economic and energy cooperation and a Northeast Asia peace and security mechanism. A sixth round of talks has been scheduled for March 19, 2007 at which working groups will report on their work and next steps will be discussed.
Who We Are
The National Committee is a non-partisan coalition of individuals with extensive and complementary knowledge of and direct experience related to the society, economy, government, and history of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
We are a diverse group. A number of members served as diplomats in some of the landmark U.S.-DPRK negotiations. Some have authored major books on the history, society, and security of the Korean Peninsula. Other members have worked in virtually all parts of North Korea, and on issues related to the country's current economic, humanitarian, refugee, and medical crises. Some of our experience reaches back to the era of the Korean War. Most have extensive contacts in the Republic of Korea, China, Japan, and Russia related to the Korean Peninsula. While the National Committee on North Korea is non-governmental, several of the members have worked in official positions and have ongoing ties with current or past administrations and with the United States Congress.
The idea to form a National Committee on North Korea originated during The Musgrove III Conference held in mid-May 2004, which was attended by many of the founding committee members. The first NCNK meeting was held on November 4, 2004.
