Round-Up of North-South Exchanges: April 2006

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 SEOUL 001629 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/K AND EB/IFD COMMERCE FOR 4431/MAC/OPB/EAP/DUTTON PASS USTR FOR CUTLER, AUGEROT AND KI TREASURY FOR IA/ISA/DOHNER AND BUCKLEY HHS FOR OIRH/INTERNATIONAL AND NIH/FIC DOE FOR INTERNATIONAL/PUMPHREY USDA ALSO FOR FAS/ITP/CLAUS AND GRUNENFELDER NSC FOR CHA AND COLLINS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON EINV ENRG SOCI ETRD KS KN SUBJECT: Round-Up of North-South Exchanges: April 2006 ¶1. North-South exchanges during April included cooperative efforts to preserve historic relics in the North, as well as practical exchanges in the agricultural, cultural and athletic fields. South Korea's humanitarian assistance to the North during April appeared to be smaller than in previous months. ¶2. April's exchanges included: -- No Unified Team for Asian Games or Olympic Games -- Cultural Exchanges Promotion -- Former Unification Minister Visits KIC -- Scientific Cooperation -- Farmers Gather -- Arbor Day Activities -- Joint Excavation of Koguryo Castle Site -- Joint Survey of Ancient Tombs -- Joint Rice Farming -- Agreement on Summit Anniversary Festival -- Joint Publication of Korean Language Dictionary -- Assistance Monitoring -- Cooperative Musical Concert -------------- Government-to-Government Exchanges -------------- ¶3. Olympic Committees Fail to Form Unified Team: Kim Jung- gil, Chairman of the South Korean Olympic Committee and Sohn Kwang-ho, Vice Chairman of the North Korean Olympic Committee, met in Seoul on April 4 to discuss issues related to the plan to form a unified Korean Olympic team for the Asian Games in Doha, Qatar this year, as well as for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Game. However, they failed to reach an accord. ¶4. South Korean Legislator Promotes Cultural Exchanges: Chang Young-dal, a representative from South Korea's ruling Uri Party, visited Pyongyang April 25-May 1 to discuss issues related to sports and cultural events between South and North Korean legislators. Events involving the two Koreas' legislators might include a soccer friendly, or "baduk" matches (baduk is a Korean board game). Chang met with Kim Yong-nam, Chairman of North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly, and Rhee Jong-hyuck, Vice Chairman of the Asia Pacific Peace Committee. ¶5. Former MOU Minister Visits KIC: Chung Dong-young, the former Unification Minister and now head of the ruling Uri Party, visited the Kaesong Industrial Complex (KIC) on April 28 along with 70 party members and members of the press. Chung attended a tree-planting ceremony while visiting the KIC. -------------- Non-Governmental Organization Activities -------------- ¶6. Science Ties: A 26-member South Korean delegation led by President Park Chan-mo of the Pohang University of Science and Technology met with officials of North Korea's Federation of Science and Technology Societies in Pyongyang, April 3-8. Delegates from the two groups attended the first-ever "Inter- Korean Science and Technology Conference." About 100 North Korean scientists and more than 50 South Korean scientists residing in the United States and Japan joined the event. The scientists discussed information technology, nano- technology and biotechnology. ¶7. Farmers Meet to Discuss June 15 Anniversary: Farmers from the two Koreas gathered in Kaesong on April 4 to "implement" the June 15 Joint Declaration -- focusing on the promotion of mutual understanding, development of South-North relations, and peaceful unification. The South Korean farmers SEOUL 00001629 002 OF 003 delegation was led by Suh Jung-eui, Chairman of the South Korean Committee for the June 15 Joint Declaration Implementation. The North Korean delegation wa headed by Kang Chang-wook, Vice Chairman of the North Korean Committee. The two sides adopted a joint resolution to pursue peaceful unification of the Korean Peninsula. ¶8. Youth Plant Trees: 47 South Korean Red Cross Youth members and 70 youth volunteers from South Korea's Korea Land Corporation (KOLAND) visited Mount Geumgang on April 5 to jointly transplant pine trees to mark Arbor Day. About 40 youth members of the North Korean Red Cross also attended the joint event to promote friendship. ¶9. Two Koreas Excavate Ancient Koguryo Castle: Kim Jung-bae, Chairman of the Koguryo Research Foundation (KRF) said April 5 that the two Koreas agreed to jointly excavate Anhak Palace. The groups will work to find relics in the palace, which is the site of an ancient fortress built during the Koguryo Dynasty. A group of 19 South Korean researchers visited North Korea on April 8 and were joined by 15 North Korean researchers at the site. The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to provide USD 3 million in financial support for this project. ¶10. Joint Survey of Koguryo Tombs in North Korea: The Cultural Heritage Administration of South Korea said April 4 that researchers from South and North Korea would conduct a joint survey of tombs of the Koguryo Kingdom in North Korea. The proposed sites were registered on UNESCO's World Heritage List last year. The surveys, supported by the South Korean government and the Cultural Preservation Guidance Bureau of North Korea, were to be conducted from April 19 to May 2. ¶11. Cooperative Rice Cultivation: The Korea Welfare Foundation (KWF),chaired by Kim Hyung-seok, said April 17 that a group of KWF members would visit Yakjeonri Sookchun County in South Pyongyan Province to plant rice seedlings. Six thousand North Korean farmers belonging to a cooperative farm in the area were to join in planting the seedlings in a 2.4 million pyong (1,944-acre) rice paddy. KWF plans to send 10 South Korean agricultural specialists once or twice a month to provide advanced technology for the project. KWF also sent four rice planting machines, worth USD 10,000, to the North. They planted spring barley seedlings at the farm in March of this year. ¶12. Festival Will Mark Summit Anniversary: A South Korean civic group for the Realization of the Summit Declaration between the two Koreas said April 27 that the two Koreas agreed to hold a joint festival marking the sixth anniversary of the Inter-Korean Summit, which took place on June 15, ¶2000. The festival will take place in Kwangju, South Korea. Baik Nak-chung, head of the South Korean delegation and An Kyung-ho, head of North Korean delegation met on April 27 in Kaesong to discuss the joint festival. The two sides' working level officials had met earlier on the same issue but could not reach accord. The planned joint event will be held on June 14-17 and 150 respective delegates from both Koreas and more than 100 overseas Koreans are expected to attend. ¶13. Joint Publication of Korean Language Dictionary: Chung Do-sang and Lee Jae-kyu, the Vice Spokespersons of the Realization of the Summit Declaration group, met with North Korea's Hur Il-yong, Director of the National Reconciliation Committee on April 27 in Kaesong to discuss issues concerning joint publication of a new "Gyeryemal" (Korean language dictionary). Prior to the meeting, the South Korean delegation visited Nampo, North Korea on April 9-15 to deliver a vehicle to be used by North Korea to conduct a survey on North Korean dialects. The "Gyeryemal" will contain all dialects of the two Koreas, including Seoul standard dialect and Pyongyang dialect. The South Korean side plans to provide USD 3-4 million per year until 2009 for SEOUL 00001629 003 OF 003 the joint publication. ¶14. Catholic Group Tours North Korea for Aid Monitoring: A 61-member delegation of the National Reconciliation Committee of the Seoul Archdiocese, headed by Monsignor Choi Chang-hwa, visited Pyongyang April 26-29. The purpose of the trip was to tour regions in the North that the group has provided with humanitarian assistance. Since its foundation in 1995, the Committee has provided USD 11 million worth of goods and facilities to the North. The Committee is also jointly operating wheat flour factories in Nampo and Shinchon, North Korea. ¶15. Joint Concert at Mount Geumgang: The Seoul-based Yun I- sang Foundation held a ceremony marking its first anniversary on April 29 at Mount Geumgang. South Korean Unification Minister Lee Jong-seok made his first visit to Mount Geumgang to mark the anniversary. Some 40 North Korean officials, including 20 musicians, and 230 South Koreans, including Hyun Jeong-eun, Chairwoman of the Hyundai Group and former Unification Minister Park Jae-kyu, attended the musical event. Yun I-sang was a Korean-born German composer, and was a well-known musician in both Koreas before his death. MINTON