Assembly Argues 'Main Enemy' Tag

Legislators grilled government officials Monday at the National Assembly over a news report that North Korea has formally asked the South to drop its military's categorization of the North as the "main enemy."

Rep. Lee Jai-chang of the opposition and Rep. Chung Jin-suk of the United Liberal Democrats asked "What is the background and intent and our countermeasure?" to the North's demand.

Defense Minister Cho Seong-tae replied that "North Korea is a clear and present military threat, and without clear evidence of its having revised its military strategy toward South Korea, we will not amend the term."

But he added that should a real measure at reducing tension and building trust occur between the South and North, "the government plans to review the term describing the North as the 'main enemy.'"

The ruling party did not raise the issue formally as only its Rep. Lee Chang-bok proposed to reduce Pyongyang's status.

Two newspapers in Seoul reported Monday that Ryu Yong-chol, the chief North Korean delegate at the fifth working-level military talks at Panmunjom last week, demanded that Seoul remove the "main enemy" clause or face breakdown of the second inter-Korean defense ministerial talks.

Pyongyang was described as the main enemy in the Defense White Paper 2000 published at the end of last year. Accordingly, the white paper said, Seoul will maintain "perfect" military readiness until Pyongyang abandons its policy of communizing the Korean Peninsula.

Government officials and North Korean watchers construed the North's move as an attempt to gain leverage in negotiations with Seoul before the second meeting between defense ministers and the scheduled visit to Seoul this spring by the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il.

"The North, by merely reiterating its long-held stance, aims to earn economic gains and buy time without losing its legitimacy as a state," said Koh Yu-hwan, professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University in Seoul.

The second defense ministers' meeting, scheduled for late February or early March, is expected to focus on participation at each other's exercises, notification of training and the start of a hotline.

The inter-Korean defense ministerial talks aims to reduce military tension between the two Koreas. President Kim Dae-jung has said that he wants to establish a Korean peace system during his tenure, which ends in February 2003.

by Kim Ji-soo