Press Release No. 130-03
31 March 2003
DPRK
SHOULD ALLOW RETURN OF INSPECTORS AND ENGAGE IN PEACEFUL DIALOGUE – OPLE
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) should not make any comparisons
with the situation in Iraq, as such comparisons will only lead to a narrowing
of positions, according to Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas F. Ople.
“There is no basis to the claim that the DPRK would have met the same fate
as Iraq if the DPRK had allowed the return of nuclear inspectors,” the Secretary
said. “In the first place, the DPRK nuclear issue is not yet a formal
matter before the UN Security Council. The International Atomic Energy
Agency has merely ‘reported’ its findings to the Security Council,” he said.
The Secretary made this statement in response to the recent announcement
by the DPRK that it will resist all international demands on it to allow
nuclear inspections or agree to disarm. In DPRK’s official party daily
Rodong Sinmun, the DPRK took the position that “The DPRK would have already
met the same miserable fate as Iraq's had it compromised its revolutionary
principle and accepted the demand raised by the imperialists and its followers
for 'nuclear inspection" and disarmament."
“I would like to reiterate the call of the Philippines for the DPRK to fully
comply with its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and
allow full inspections of its nuclear facilities. The peace, security
and stability of East Asia is seriously threatened by DPRK’s refusal to allow
these inspections,” Secretary Ople said.
The Secretary also pointed out that “the nations in East Asia believes that
the tensions in the DPRK could be properly addressed by peaceful dialogue
and that ASEAN is willing and able to do its part.”
“The situation in the Korean Peninsula concerns us all and we must all be
ready to do what we can to bring greater confidence and understanding to
bear on the issue,” he added.
End