南北結ぶ貨物鉄道、ほとんど荷物なし

　韓国と北朝鮮を結ぶ貨物鉄道の定期運行が、去年１２月、鳴り物入りで始まりました。しかし、列車はほとんど空の状態で運行されている事が分かりました。

　貨物鉄道は対北朝鮮融和政策のシンボルとして、韓国側のムンサン駅から北朝鮮のハンモン駅までの１６キロを１日１往復しています。北朝鮮から石炭などの地下資源も運ばれるとされ、大きな経済効果が期待されました。

　しかし、開通後、輸送されたのは大半が韓国からの小麦粉や粉ミルクなど、人道的な支援物資です。北朝鮮に運ばれる貨物は、この日も全くありません。コンテナが詰まれない台車は、このような形で放置されています

　近代的な駅舎はがらんとして人気はほとんどありません。軍事境界線の目と鼻の先にあるために、付近は民間人立ち入り禁止区域になっており、完全に軍の管理下にあります。

　撮影も制限され、輸送の実態に関しては、インタビューも一切認められませんでした。南北はついに、貨物がゼロでも機関車だけを運行する事で合意しました。

　有力紙も「列車を運行する必要があるのか」と任期切れ寸前のノ・ムヒョン政権を激しく非難しています。いずれにせよ、大統領選直前、融和ムードを国民にアピールしたかった政府が、需要を度外視して性急に事を運んだ事が原因である事は間違いなさそうです。（05日09:23）

/n「南北結ぶ貨物鉄道、ほとんど荷物なし」　News i - TBSの動画ニュースサイト

拉致問題で韓国新政権と協力

拉致問題を担当する中山総理大臣補佐官は４日、ソウルを訪れて、今月発足するイ・ミョンバク新政権の関係者と会談し、拉致問題の解決に向けて、韓国の新政権と協力していくことで一致しました。

中山総理大臣補佐官は４日、日帰りでソウルを訪問し、今月２５日に韓国で発足するイ・ミョンバク新政権への移行準備を行っている「引き継ぎ委員会」の外交政策の担当者や、韓国外交通商省の高官と相次いで会談しました。一連の会談のあと、中山補佐官は記者団に対し、「北朝鮮が拉致被害者の解放を決断するよう説得するためには、いろいろなルートが必要だ。韓国からも、北朝鮮に十分説明してほしいと伝えた」と述べ、韓国の新政権に協力を要請したことを明らかにしました。これに対し、韓国側は「韓国も、北朝鮮との間に拉致問題という人道問題を抱えている。日本の拉致問題も、同じように解決に向けて力を注ぎたい」と述べ、日本と協力していく姿勢を示したということです。さらに、中山補佐官は「拉致被害者の解放が、北朝鮮にとっても利益になることであり、北朝鮮は誠実に対応すべきだという認識で、韓国側と一致した」と述べ、人道問題に積極的に取り組む姿勢を示している、イ・ミョンバク新政権の役割に期待を示しました。

/nNHKニュース

Elusive Web Site Offers N. Korean Goods

By KELLY OLSEN, AP Business Writer

Sunday, February 3, 2008

(02-03) 21:16 PST SEOUL, South Korea (AP) --

Fancy a sleek made-in-North Korea SUV? How about a pair of boxing gloves from the famously pugnacious communist country?

They're potentially just a click away.

North Korea, known more for nuclear saber-rattling than its consumer products, is offering overseas shoppers the chance to buy hundreds of its goods via the Internet.

Those who keep a close eye on North Korea say the move is likely a bid by the perpetually impoverished country to earn cash and also raise awareness about what it has to offer.

The Web site ― available in Korean, English, Chinese, Russian and Japanese ― also sells bicycles, commemorative stamps, roller skates and uniforms for Taekwondo, a Korean martial art. It includes a shopping cart icon and says credit cards are acceptable.

But, much like the North Korean economy, the site doesn't work very well.

It has not been accessible since last Monday. And even when it was up, clicking some of the 14 product categories brought no response.

The electronic shopping mall ― www.dprk-economy.com/en/Shop/index.php ― is part of Web site that provides information about the North Korean economy as well as legal advice for prospective foreign investors. "DPRK" stands for Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"The (shopping) section appears to be targeting foreigners and it appears to be aimed at getting the world to know about its economy," an official at South Korea's Unification Ministry handling North Korean economic affairs said on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to journalists. He said it opened on Dec. 31.

A man who answered the phone in the office of the Web site's administrator in the northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang, said it was North Korean and run in cooperation with a company in China, though he would not give the name of the firm.

Asked about access difficulties, he said the site was being offered on a "trial basis" for now but full service would come "very soon." He said officials were unavailable.

North Korea's Embassy in Beijing, China's capital, would only say it was aware of the Web site.

The existence of the site ― which calls itself Chollima after a mythical winged horse ― was written about on Jan. 28 by the Chosun Ilbo, South Korea's largest newspaper. Some speculate it has had trouble since because it may not have been able to handle a surge of curious visitors.

North Korea, fiercely nationalistic and proud of its policy of self reliance, nevertheless has taken steps in recent years to raise living standards, such as introducing limited free market reforms.

But despite having carried out a nuclear test blast, its economy remains a backwater, stymied by years of mismanagement and isolation. The country has a domestic version of the Internet, though access is strictly limited.

The U.S. government, which does not prohibit trade with North Korea but requires anyone importing its products to the United States to report them prior to doing so, has accused Pyongyang of various financial wrongdoing, including counterfeiting dollars and cigarettes.

The Chollima site says it sells North Korean products "including machinery, building materials, vehicles, industrial art objects, foodstuffs, daily necessities, stamps, artworks, films and software."

Last Monday, three cars produced by Pyeonghwa Motors Corp. were on offer, including the Ppokkugi II, or Cuckoo II, which judging by the attached photo looks like a sport utility vehicle.

A click on the "order" button, however, sends the user to the Web site's administrator, where contact information, such as name and e-mail address, is requested. No price was given.

The e-Shop also sells boxing gloves and three types of bicycle, including battery-powered and folding models.

It wasn't clear how the products would be shipped to buyers.

Experts said North Korea wants to attract foreign investment and also earn much needed hard currency to prop up its economy.

Andrei Lankov, a Russian expert on the country, said that the Web site being located in Shenyang, a city of 7 million people, is significant as it is the "de facto foreign trade capital of North Korea."

The challenge for the country in peddling its wares, however, is quality.

"They have nothing serious to sell," said Lankov, who teaches at Seoul's Kookmin University and studied in North Korea. "Nobody wants the products. Everything is bad."

People looking for something exotic, however, might be interested, he said.

Elusive Web Site Offers N. Korean Goods