韓国 北朝鮮への人道支援を再開

　北朝鮮への人道支援について、韓国政府が決定した３０万トン（約１４０億円相当）の肥料支援のうち、最初の便が２７日、北朝鮮に向けて出航する。

　これは韓国政府が人道支援として実施するもので、計３０万トンの肥料が北朝鮮に送られる。２７日はそのうちの最初の貨物船が、肥料６５００トンを積んで出航することになっている。去年７月のミサイル発射以降、中断していた人道支援が再開されることになる。

　先週の６か国協議では、北朝鮮が凍結資金の返還をめぐって、核放棄に向けた議論を拒否した直後だけに、関係者からはタイミングが悪すぎるという声も上がっている。

日テレNEWS24

行く所のないＢＤＡの北朝鮮資金、ロシアが解決か

マカオの銀行「バンコ・デルタ・アジア（ＢＤＡ）」にある北朝鮮資金が送金される「第三国の銀行」はどこになるだろうか。ＢＤＡで凍結中の北朝鮮資金は、朝・米間の合意に基づき、中国銀行（ＢＯＣ）の北朝鮮口座に振り込まれる予定だった。しかし、中国銀行が受け入れを拒否し、６カ国協議は結局休会した。

北朝鮮を除いた参加国が提案した案は、協議再開までの１～２週間の間、北朝鮮資金を、ＢＯＣを経由し第三国の銀行に送って、北朝鮮に返還するとのことだった。米財務省はＢＯＣ側に不利益がないよう保証し、第三国銀行との交渉は北朝鮮が担当する、としていた。問題は、北朝鮮が果たしてどの国の銀行を選び、凍結送金の返還問題を解決するかだ。

予想できるシナリオは３つだ。ひとまず、北朝鮮と緊密な政治的関係にあるロシアの銀行を通じて資金を返還する案が考えられる。６カ国協議でロシア首席代表を務めるロシュコフ外務次官がすでにロシア・モンゴル・ベトナムの銀行を取りあげていて、北朝鮮としても実現の可能性が大きいカードだ。

リービー米財務次官が昨年７月、韓国・日本・ベトナム・シンガポールを歴訪、ＢＤＡ事件に関連した協力を要請したため、ベトナムは現実的に北朝鮮資金を受け入れがたい状況だ。モンゴルも身動きが取れなくなっている。北朝鮮は最近、ロシア側に協力を要請した模様だ。外交消息筋は「ロシアが市場経済を目ざしているものの金融取引は依然透明でない」とし「ロシアが大局的見地から動けば、意外とＢＤＡ問題が解決へ向うだろう」と期待感を示した。

ただし、北朝鮮の要請にロシア財務省が難色を示したものとされ、最後の山場を残している。もう一つの案は、開城（ケソン）工業団地に進出した韓国の銀行を利用する案や、米財務省が第三国の銀行に対し特別事例として認める書面保証を行なう案がある。政府関係者によると、韓国の銀行を経由した送金は▽その銀行に北朝鮮の口座がなく▽為替取引契約が締結されておらず不可能だ、とのこと。

米財務省が第三国の銀行まで保証する問題も、北核問題の解決が順調に進まない場合に戻ってくる政治的負担が大きいことから、現実性がないもの、と分析されている。これによって、ロシアの取り組み方に北朝鮮と残りの参加諸国が注目している。

鄭𨉷桓（チョン・ヨンファン）記者


2007.03.27 14:05:06

Japanese JoongAngIlbo

South Korea still warm to a thaw with North

A mood of optimism buoys reconciliation efforts after a deal on nuclear disarmament.
By Bruce Wallace, Times Staff Writer
March 26, 2007

SEOUL ― South Koreans watched with irritation as the North Korean delegation stormed out of nuclear talks last week. They listened patiently Sunday as the government in Pyongyang denounced annual U.S.-South Korea military exercises as a "war of aggression."

But none of the North's characteristic volatility seems about to throw South Korea off stride from a renewed push for reconciliation with its neighbor.

Since last month's six-party deal on North Korea's nuclear program, the South Korean government has been eager to reboot cross-border programs that had been put on hold by Pyongyang's missile test and underground nuclear explosion.

Food aid to the North will resume this week. Video-link reunions for about 200 North and South Korean families separated after the civil war also are scheduled to restart this week, a small relief of the pent-up demand from tens of thousands of families desperate to see their relatives at least one last time.

South Korean construction workers have gone back to their jobs at the Kaesong industrial complex just north of the demilitarized zone, the joint economic venture that is a cornerstone of Seoul's policy of engagement with the North.

And political chatter in Seoul has focused on the possibility of a summit meeting between the two nation's leaders, perhaps as early as this summer.

It is hardly surprising that South Korea's government seized upon the optimism generated by the nuclear program agreement to renew its pursuit of a detente. South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and the liberal-leaning government are committed to the engagement policy, which uses aid and investment to try to build economic and personal links to the North.

What is less certain is the degree of enthusiasm among the South Korean people for a resumption of aid and cooperation with such a mercurial partner.

Government officials say they detect renewed optimism among voters for a normalization of relations. They point to a Yonhap News poll published March 18 that showed more than three-quarters of respondents support a summit between the two leaders. More than half of those polled wanted the meeting held before the South's presidential election in December.

South Korean government officials say privately that they detect a greater degree of confidence in the North Koreans, but they continue to express caution about rushing to reestablish state-level ties. Foreign Minister Song Min-soon called the North Korean delegation "a headache and a hard-to-understand group" after its walkout from the talks last week.

Roh also said it was too early to consider holding a summit with Kim Jong Il. The South Koreans worry that the popular mood could sour if North Korea misses deadlines on commitments to dismantle its nuclear power plant and open its program up to inspection.

But the Seoul government is also eager to show results from its commitment to engagement with the North. On Friday, Unification Minister Lee Jae-joung told parliament that it was holding talks with the North to send former President Kim Dae-jung there as a special envoy to arrange a summit.

In many ways, enthusiasm for the engagement policy never really waned. Even before the six-party deal was reached in February, South Korean tourists had resumed visits to North Korea's Mt. Kumgang resort, run by a Southern firm, in the same numbers as the previous year. And although a handful of new investors in the Kaesong complex pulled out after last year's nuclear test, most companies say they are proceeding with plans for construction.

Private sports and cultural exchanges also are up and running. North Korea's highly ranked Under-17 national soccer team arrived on South Korea's temperate Jeju island amid great media curiosity last week. The team will train for a month and play a couple of friendly exhibition matches against its South Korean counterpart.

The invitation to the North Korean team was issued in January, when the outcome of the six-party talks was still uncertain.

"Successful six-party talks can help our exchanges, but we are not totally dependent on political relations," said Lee Taejeong of the Inter-Korean Sports Exchange Assn., which sponsored the North Korean team's visit. "We try to keep politics out of sports. The better political mood just gives us a brighter perspective. There's a sense of hope right now."

bruce.wallace@latimes.com

South Korea still warm to a thaw with North - Los Angeles Times