SWB
FE/7818/A3/7
5 Dec 84
defection of a Soviet, and asked if the incident would affect Red Cross and sports talks, Minister Son said: "I foresee that North Korea will come to the table of talks shortly and I think that continuing North-South dialogue will also be beneficial for the North side."
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Other questions asked of Minister Son and his answers follow:
Why do you think the North side conveyed its wish to hold Vice-Premier-level talks and higher-level talks at the 15th November economic talks.
"Such a wish cannot be viewed merely as the wish of the North Korean delegation. The remarks of the delegation are important utterances which cannot be made without direction of a group of top leaders. Its remarks can be viewed as hints at North Korea's wish to hold North-South Premier-level talks or talks between the persons in highest authority in the North and the South."
- Does the progress of talks between the persons concerned in the North and the South mean the recognition of the fact that the two substantive state-like bodies co-exist in reality and the "system of two states within one nation" exists temporarily?
"Relations between the North and the South are, in essence, different from relations between states in terms of international law, and should be viewed as special relations within a divided nation. Such relations can only be transitional and temporary until a unified state is established. On the basis of this basic perception, our government understands the existence of North Korea. In reality, there exists in the North of the Korean peninsula a de facto regime in authority as an object of unification and as a counterpart in dialogue for unification. No matter what the course of the formation of the North Korean regime, its nature, and its legitimacy may be, the 'communist regime' has lasted for 39 years.
division?
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Do you think that national homogeneity still remains now, 39 years after
"I cannot deny that several phenomena of heterogeneity have appeared. The opening of the North and South Korean societies and the carrying out of vigorous exchange and co-operation are a basic way to prevent any deepening heterogeneity and to restore homogeneity.'
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What do you think of neighbouring countries' views of North-South dialogue?
"There is no neighbouring country which opposes dialogue. The USA and Japan greatly welcome it and Red China appraises it very affirmatively.'
- Do you predict any change in the North's policy following the full succession of power of Kim Chong-Il?
"North Korea will try to maintain its existing policy. One cannot rule out the possibility that it could resort to a harder line should the foundation of power be shaken and unstable. In the long term, I think that its policy must change and it will have to seek an open-door policy."
Pakistan and Nepal Agree to Broader Economic Co-operation
Karachi home service in Urdu 1500 gmt 29 Nov 84
Text of report:
Pakistan and Nepal have signed an agreement at the conclusion of a two-day meeting of the Joint Ministerial Commission of the two countries. The agreement was signed by the Finance Ministers of the two countries - Dr P. S. Lohani and Ghulam Ishaq Khan in Islamabad today [29th November]. It was also decided to have regular and more
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