IN THE NEWS - APEC Meeting and North Korea

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IN THE NEWS - October 26, 2002: APEC Meeting and North Korea

By Caty Weaver¹

This is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English program In The News.

Leaders from many nations are attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference in the holiday area
of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

APEC was established in nineteen-eighty-nine as a trade group for the nations of
Asia and the Americas. It was formed in reaction to the growing dependency among
economies of countries that border the Pacific Ocean. Its goal was to support
economic growth among those countries and to create a sense of community. APEC
has twenty-one member economies. The combined population of APEC countries is
about two-and-one-half-thousand-million people. The countries are responsible for
almost half of all world trade.

APEC foreign and trade ministers started talks earlier this week. On Thursday, the foreign ministers approved a
joint² statement that promised to suppress the financing of terrorism. The statement also promised to strengthen
security for air travel and shipping³ of goods.

President Bush and leaders of other APEC countries are meeting this weekend. Reports say Mister Bush will be
trying to gain support for his campaigns against terrorism and its supporters and against Iraq. APEC leaders also
are expected to discuss the latest situation involving North Korea.

Earlier this month, the United States announced that North Korea had admitted it is secretly developing nuclear
weapons. The admission reportedly came during talks between a high level North Korean official and an
American special diplomat⁴. The diplomat reportedly had presented the official with American intelligence
evidence about the suspected weapons program.

A North Korean nuclear weapons program would violate an agreement between the two countries. In nineteen-
ninety-four, North Korea agreed to halt its suspected weapons program. In exchange, the United States said it
would provide North Korea with nuclear power reactors⁵ and supplies of heating fuel.

North Korea says it does not believe the United States has honored the agreement. Experts say North Korea
considered the agreement a promise by the United States to end hostile relations and establish normal relations.
And, experts say that the relationship between the two countries has worsened in the last two years.

North Korea says it wants new talks with the United States about the agreement. On Tuesday, North Korean
officials threatened to take strong action if the United States would not agree to negotiations⁶. However, North
Korea did not say what form such action would take.

The Bush administration has suggested that the issue can be settled through diplomatic action. But,
administration officials have not answered the call for talks. They say the United States will decide what steps to
take after APEC leaders discuss the issue.

This VOA Special English program In The News was written by Caty Weaver. This is Steve Ember.

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