US State Department - Currents - policy toward North Korea - Brief Article

New Internationalist, Oct, 2002

North Korea

ALTHOUGH President Bush identified North Korea -- China's neighbour to north -- as a member of an 'axis of evil' in January this year, the North Korean Government has been on the US State Department's list of nations that sponsor terrorism since 1988 when North Koreans allegedly blew up a South Korean Airliner killing 115 civilians. Inclusion on this list has prevented North Korea's bankrupt economy from obtaining monetary support from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The toll of North Koreans who have starved to death as a result of famine and drought is conservatively estimated at a million. Despite this, the 'war on terror' has meant cutbacks in the food relief entering the country from Japan and the US.

In the aftermath of 11 September the North Korean Government joined worldwide condemnations of terrorism and has subsequently pledged to sign two UN-sponsored anti-terrorism treaties. However, the US says this is not enough, and that its war on terror will prevent regimes like North Korea from threatening the US and its allies with weapons of mass destruction such as the Taepodong-2. This ballistic missile -- currently being developed by the North Korean Government -- will be capable of carrying a nuclear warhead an estimated 6,000 kilometres, putting it within striking distance of Alaska and Hawaii.

Sources: www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/east/11/28/aid.shortage/index.html

www.spot.com/spotglobal/North_Korea_Missile_Site.htm

www.munuc.org/updates/WFP-B.htm

www.heritage.org/library/backgrounder/bg1503.html

www.stimson.org/china/pfd/krepon.pdf

www.house.gov/burton/RSC/USAidTerroristNs1.PDF