DATE=3/4/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-246224
TITLE=U-S / KOREAS (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=JOHN LARKIN
DATELINE=SEOUL
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  WILLIAM PERRY, A KEY WASHINGTON POLICY-MAKER ON NORTH 
KOREA, BEGAN A WEEK-LONG VISIT TO ASIAN CAPITALS TODAY.  AS JOHN 
LARKIN REPORTS FROM SEOUL, THE RESULT OF THE TRIP WILL LARGELY 
DETERMINE THE SHAPE OF FUTURE AMERICAN POLICY TOWARD THE ROGUE 
COMMUNIST STATE.

TEXT:  MR. PERRY'S VISIT COMES AS THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION 
STRUGGLES TO DEFUSE A LOOMING NUCLEAR CRISIS WITH NORTH KOREA.

MR. PERRY WILL USE HIS TRIP TO GAUGE THE OPINIONS OF KEY 
POLICY-MAKERS IN TOKYO, SEOUL AND BEIJING, TOWARD NORTH KOREA'S 
SUSPECTED MISSILE AND NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAMS.  LEE JONG-HOON, 
AN EXPERT ON NORTH KOREA AT SEOUL'S YONSEI UNIVERSITY, BELIEVES 
THE TOUR COULD PROVIDE HINTS TO WASHINGTON'S NEW POSTURE ON THE 
STALINIST STATE.

                        //LEE ACT ONE //

 WE BELIEVE THAT THE UNITED STATES IS UNDERGOING A REASSESSMENT 
OF THE U-S POLICY TOWARD NORTH KOREA.  THAT WILL BE SPEAR-HEADED 
BY PERRY'S VISIT TO  NORTH KOREA WHEN IT DOES OCCUR, SO IT COULD 
VERY WELL SIGNIFY A TURNING  POINT OR NEW APPROACH TOWARD THE 
DEALINGS OR RELATIONSHIP WITH NORTH  KOREA.

                        //END ACT ONE //

THE PERRY VISIT COMES AMID SLOW PROGRESS IN TALKS IN NEW YORK 
BETWEEN NORTH KOREAN AND AMERICAN OFFICIALS ON ACCESS TO AN 
UNDERGROUND CONSTRUCTION SITE WASHINGTON SUSPECTS MAY BE A 
NUCLEAR PLANT IN THE MAKING. 

THOUGH UNCONFIRMED NEWS REPORTS IN SEOUL SAY SEOUL AND PYONGYANG 
ARE NEARING AGREEMENT ON SWAPPING FOOD AID FOR INSPECTIONS, 
ANALYSTS SAY SUCH A DEAL WOULD  NOT  PREVENT NORTH KOREA FROM 
USING THE SAME TACTICS TO EXTRACT MORE CONCESSIONS ON NUCLEAR 
ISSUES. 

BUT THE ANALYSTS SAY ANY MOVE BY PYONGYANG TO RESTART ITS NUCLEAR
WEAPONS PROGRAM AT THE SUSPECT SITE WOULD SCUTTLE A 1994 
ANTI-NUCLEAR PACT, RAISING THE THREAT OF A NUCLEAR-CAPABLE NORTH 
KOREA.

THE LIMITATIONS OF THE 1994 PACT HAVE BEEN SHOWN UP BY NORTH 
KOREAN BRINKMANSHIP, ACCORDING THE ANALYSTS.  THEY SAY IT IS 
WILLIAM PERRY'S JOB TO REPLACE THE CURRENT U-S APPROACH WITH A 
MORE COMPREHENSIVE POLICY THAT MEETS PYONGYANG'S LEGITIMATE NEEDS
WITHOUT CAVING IN TO ITS DEMANDS.

ADDING A NOTE OF URGENCY TO THE PERRY TRIP IS THAT THE U-S 
CONGRESS HAS IMPOSED A JUNE DEADLINE ON CONTINUED FUNDING FOR A 
KEY PART OF THE 1994 DEAL IF PYONGYANG REFUSES TO COOPERATE.  
SUCCESS OF THE TALKS IN NEW YORK IS CRUCIAL TO ENSURING THAT 
FUNDING CONTINUES.

WHILE WASHINGTON GRAPPLES WITH PYONGYANG, SEOUL HAS EMBARKED ON A
POLICY OF ENGAGING THE NORTH THAT IS BEARING FRUIT. PYONGYANG 
RECENTLY PROPOSED THE FIRST GOVERNMENT-LEVEL TALKS WITH THE SOUTH
IN SEVERAL YEARS AND LAST YEAR ALLOWED THE FIRST SOUTH KOREAN 
TOURISTS INTO THE COUNTRY.  THE FIRST TIME SUCH PERMISSION HAS 
BEEN GRANTED IN MORE THAN  HALF A CENTURY.

PROFESSOR LEE SAYS THE CONTRAST IN POSITIONS BETWEEN SOUTH KOREA 
AND THE UNITED STATES HAS CAUSED SOME TENSION, THOUGH PUBLICLY 
THE TWO SIDES DENY A SPLIT.

                         //LEE ACT 2 //

 SO I THINK THAT AT THE RANK AND FILE LEVEL UNDERNEATH THE 
VENEERS,  THERE'S SOME ADJUSTMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON AND 
WILL CONTINUE TO GO  ON. BUT I DON'T THINK IT WILL ERUPT IN THE 
OPEN AS A MAJOR PROBLEM  CHIPPING AWAY AT THE U-S-SOUTH KOREA 
ALLIANCE BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE  AGAINST THE NATIONAL INTERESTS OF
BOTH COUNTRIES.

                         //END ACT 2 //

PROFESSOR LEE BELIEVES THE ALLIES SHARE THE SAME GOAL -- BRINGING
PEACE TO THE KOREAN PENINSULA. THEY DIFFER ONLY ON THE BEST 
APPROACH TO ACHIEVING THAT GOAL. (SIGNED)

NEB/JL/GC/KL

04-Mar-99 7:55 AM EST (1255 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.