South Korean Media Heads Interview Kim Jong Il
Young Kim
South Korean Media Heads Interview Kim Jong Il
Source: Chosun Ilbo
The delegation of the South Korean
news media heads had a luncheon meeting with Kim Jong Il at Mok-ran-gwan,
Central District, Pyongyang, from noon till 3:30 pm on August 12, 2000. At the
meeting were about 30 North Korean high-ranking officials from press, Party and
government organs and the entire South Korean delegation of 56 members.
The photo shows North Korean children presenting flowers to the delegate at the Soon-ahn air port upon their arrival.
Prior to the luncheon, Kim Jong Il granted a 20-minute interview to the delegates. Given below are the transcripts of this interview arranged by topic.
On Unification
Kim Jong Il: Both North and South made unification impossible. Both governments of the past era share the blame. Both Koreas used unification to preserve their political systems. But thanks to President Kim Dae Jung's determination, there was the June 15th summit and the situation has changed fundamentally.I see that some Southern press organs and opposition leaders criticize the 6.15 summit. The Southern government seems to be not as influential as I had thought.
When will you come to Seoul?
Kim Jong Il: I will give you the answer at an appropriate time. I would like to go there soon.If you and Kim Dae Jung are invited to attend the Sydney Olympiad, would you accept it?
Kim Jong Il: Instead of putting up an empty show at Sydney, I should to go to Seoul instead. I owe it to President Kim Dae Jung to visit Seoul.The first and the second inter-Korean ministerial meetings are basically ice-breakers but the third meeting and on should take up real issues in a more expeditious manner.
I was expecting about 100 delegates but only about 50 actually showed up. North Korea has much fewer media heads and South Korea ought to play the leading (elder brother's) role.
I have been watching South Korean TV programs since the third anniversary of Park Jung Hee's assassination. I used to read South Korean news papers until about 8 years ago when my eyesight became too poor to read them. These days I seldom read them. What is the font size of South Korean news papers? What is the Rodong sinmun font size? Are your fonts smaller than ours?
Delegates: - Oh, no. Our fonts are twice as large as Rodong fonts.
Kim Jong Il: We have had many bones to pick with KBS but we will let bygone be bygone. It used to be a government mouthpiece and such problems were expected. I have noticed that KBS has changed significantly since the 6.15 summit.
TV news should show things as they are and should not present false information. Southern TV programs said that I drank heavily when in fact I had only one glass of wine. They exaggerate things.
I heard that some Canadian and Australian TV shows talked about me and I viewed them. It mentioned that some higherups paid the reporters to write. There is certain reciprocity required between two nations but there should be no such thing among compatriot.
Is it not true that there is now freedom of press in South Korea? North Korean press ought to see the sun rise over the Hal-ra Mountain, right? North Korean press may be inferior to the Southern press in coverage, but they are no less accurate in reporting than the Southern press. In fact, we are much more accurate.
KBS is the only Southern TV I watch. I started watching it on the 3rd anniversary of Park Jung Hee's assassination. It was not in color at the time. Southern TV stations use NTSC format but Northern TV stations are in PAL format. To be honest, our TV broadcasts have poor color.
I believe it is on page 3 or 4 of Seoul Sinbun that has a serial novel I used to follow eagerly. Is it still on?
Southern TV's move faster than NHK (Japan). For example, the 6.15 summit declaration was on the air right after I signed it. There are 46 news organs from South Korea represented here and there should not be a single unified report on what you have seen in North Korea, right? You ought to take our pulse and report accordingly.
Your family ancestor's grave in Jun-ju is well preserved. We have brought a photo of Chairman Kim Il Sung's villa at Hwa-jin-po, which used to be in North Korea but now is in South Korea because of the Korean War. How about exchanging Hwa-jin-po for Kaesung?
Kim Jong Il: That is not possible. North Korea abandoned the notion of family origin at the end of the Yi dynasty. Family origin has little significance here. However, this yang-ban tradition still persists and I would like to pay homage to my ancestral grave if possible.We are developing rockets for peaceful applications but the United States continues to accuse us of war mongering. Our rocket development is for scientific purpose only. Rockets cost 200-300 million dollars each. I told Putin that I might stop our rocket development if the United States launched our satellites for us. Clinton is a lame duck and has only few more months to go. I don't know what the next Administration will be like.
I mentioned this thing about the US launching our satellites to Putin in jest as a joke. Apparently, Putin took it seriously and relayed it to Clinton. No rice will grow unless you work the fields, right? Our rockets bring in several hundreds million dollars in revenue a year and why should we stop our rocket work?
Our satellite project is for peaceful applications only and 2-3 launches a year would cost us about 900 million dollars a year. This is not cost effective for a small country like North Korea. We sell rockets to Surinam and Iran. Developing ICBMs and hitting the US homeland a few times will not win us war with the United States, right? Nevertheless, the United States is hung up on this issue. I have heard that Clinton was keen on the idea of launching our satellites as related by Putin at the Okinawa meeting. The US refuses to give us money and wants to block our scientific work. Our rocket work is a headache for the US.
Washington Post claims that you gave Putin a personal letter for Clinton. Is this true?
Kim Jong Il: No. It is false, I gave Putin no such letter.Workers' Party Platform modifications
Kim Jong Il: The Workers' Party platform is not written in cement. Changes can be made at any time. When President Kim Dae Jung was here, he asked me when the next Party convention will be held and I said it will be in this Fall. Due to the recent events, we are revising our original programme for the convention.Will you link Party platform changes to the changes in South Korea's National Security Law?
Kim Jong Il: No. The National Security Law is a Southern issue. Our Party platform was formulated in 1945 and contains excessively militant tenet. There have been some changes made over the years but the basic notes remain the same. Many of the Party cadres are Chairman Kim Il Sung's comrades and many are Party veterans. Changing the platform is not easy. If the Party platform is changed, many people present here will leave, and I will be accuse of purging the Party. The National Security Law is a Southern law and we have nothing to do with it.On Visiting Seoul
Kim Jong Il: I must go to Seoul and visit President Kim Dae Jung. You media heads have been pressing for my visit and I owe it to President Kim Dae Jung.On Hyundai
Kim Jong Il: I have approved Hyundai's proposal to develop tourism and an industrial complex in Kaesung as my gift for the June 15th declaration. We need to draw tourists from Seoul to Kaesung. I asked Jung Mong Hyon - "Isn't Kaesung better suited for an industrial complex than Haeju? Having tourism and industrial development at the same place would be more cost effective, right?" Jung was all smiles at my suggestion.Hyng-dai is the first major South Korean business to work with us. Chairman Jung Ju Young gave us 1,500 heads of cattle. We cannot ignore Hyong-dai's sincerity. I told Jung Mong Hyon to look around for a suitable site and he did. You might say we are partial to Hyon-dai and you are right. His old father was the first to break the North-South barrier and brought us the cattle.
Kaesung has many historical sites. It has Koryo Wang-gun ruins, the Sung-juk bridge and the Pak-yon Falls. It is easy to get there from Seoul. And it is the right choice.
How about exchanging 100 tourists to Mt. Paektu in North and to Mt. Hal-ra in South? A geologist at Mt. Paektu said he would love to see the Paik-rok Tower on Mt. Hal-ra.
Kim Jong Il: Ok, we will pick 99 and Minister Park Ji Won may pick one. Let's do this this year. You have watched the sun rising over Chun-ji. I would like to watch the sun rise over Mt. Hal-ra. Southern folks should see Mt. Paikdu and Northern folks should see Mt. Hal-ra. But first, our media heads must see Mt. Hal-ra. Symbolically, such visits go deep. Why wasn't this proposed at the last ministerial meeting? Secretary Kim Yong Sun, please push this exchange tour and make it happen.Delegates This was discussed at the summit.
On Separated Family Reunion
Kim Jong Il: Every one wants to visit South Korea. If we include those hiding in the closet, many South Koreans would want to visit North. There were many in North who were afraid to step forward but ever since I said that I was going, it seems every Dick and Jones wants to go.Comrade Jun Kum Jin, please bring some drinks for our media heads guests. The media must be taken good care of, because unless they are nice to us, no high-level meetings will do us any good.
Jun Kum Jin: Please be nice to us.
Kim Jong Il: Don't beg. The media must report the truth. We must not rush the family reunion without proper preparation. We don't want to repeat our past mistakes that ended in failure. It may end in more tragedies or cause other problems. Both North and South have many issues to settle. The Korean War broke out in 1950 and we need to rewrite the history. We must see humanitarian and brotherly love in the context of the whole picture. We will arrange more reunions in September and October and see how things go, and proceed next year for more reunion visits. We will allow the separated families home visits next year.
On Serving 'Donkey' Steaks
Kim Jong Il: (As beef steaks were brought out) This is called "heavenly steak", which used to be called 'donkey steak'. Chairman Kim Il Sung felt that 'Donkey' was not kosher and renamed it 'heavenly steak".President Jang Myong Su, is 'male is good and female is bad' still in vogue in South?
Delegates: Yes, it is somewhat(laughter). How is it in North?
Kim Jong Il: Quite a bit. Discussing sexual equality implies that there exists sexual inequality, man being placed over woman. Confucianism is more prevalent here than in China where it was originated.
On Mak-kul-li
Kim Jong Il: Our troops marched as far south as Nakdong-gang during the Korean War. Every house had pots of mak-kul-li. Our troops drank 2-3 bowls of this stuff and they were more or less incapacitated for combats.The elder Jung Ju Yung sent me 30 different brands of Mak-kul-li and I got to taste them. I found a brand particularly tasty and asked him which brand it was. He said it was Po-chun mak-kul-li and surprised that I knew the difference. My doctor advised me to cut back on drinking hard liqour and so I drink wine only. I think French wine is still the best. (At this point, Kim got up and went around the room clinking his wine glass with every delegate from South).
On Seoul-Shinuiju Rail Line
Kim Jong Il: South should start the reconnection project first and we follow right after. Please set the start date as soon as possible at the next ministerial meeting. As I have told President Kim Dae Jung and Director Im Dong Won at the summit, as soon as the start date is set, we will free two divisions - 35,000 men - from border duties and put them on the project.(At 2 pm, an official walked in and informed Kim Jong Il that he was to attend another meeting at this hour.) This meeting here is more important and the other meeting must wait until I am done here.
Will you come to Seoul before the end of this year? (a repeat question)
Kim Jong Il: Aha! You media chiefs are trying to get a headline scoop! I am scheduled to visit Russia this Fall. Putin begged me to do so. Also, the governor of Vladivostok asked me to join Putin and Jang Jemin there for a 3-nation summit and give a speech. I have agreed to do so.The governor asked Putin to make a speech critical of Japan. I asked him how Putin can be nasty to Japan just prior to his scheduled visit to Tokyo in September? Putin's invitation is more important than the governor's invitation.
I have an IOU to President Kim Dae Jung and I am obliged to visit Seoul. The National Defence Council and the Foreign ministry have been studying this issue and they have not come with the final decision yet. Once the fiber optic cables are connected to South, you will be notified of the decision within a second.
We came to Pyongyang via Beijing. Why should we spend more money and time coming here via China? Can direct air routes be established?
Kim Jong Il: Direct air routes are no problem for our government, but the military has some problems with direct air routes. I have to approve direct routes. Large groups may come directly from Seoul to Pyongyang. Both North and South have to import oil and why should we waste our gas and spend our money in China?Some military commanders fear that direct air routes would allow South Koreans to photograph sensitive military sites, but I have told them that spy satellites have been taking pictures of every square inch for some time now and worrying about airplanes taking pictures is non-sensical.
From now on, you may use direct routes. Korea is energy-poor and North and South alike must buy gasoline. Why should we waste gas flying over the West Sea to travel between Seoul and Pyongyang?
(Turning to Minister Park Ji Won) Next time, please bring singers Lee Mi Ja, Kim Young Ja and other entertainers. I am somewhat shy in front of famous artists and I will need your help to break the ice. When South Korean singers come here, I will audition them here in this hall (Mongnangwan Guest House) and write a review, after which they will perform for our people.
Please invite the South Korean media chief editors and editorial writers.
Kim Jong Il: Now that the North-South media chiefs have signed an agreement, there is no need for special permission. They are free to come and go.How do you stay so healthy?
Kim Jong Il: I don't live sitting in an office brooding. I go out and mingle with the people. I live among the people singing and enjoying life together with them. My meetings with Party cadres are tense. The cadres give me headaches. They are set in their ways and resist changes.I spend most of my time in the country with the people. I swim and ride horses about once or twice a week at speeds of up to 60 km per hour. I began horse-back riding when I was 11. I rode about 8 km daily at speeds of 40-60 km per hour. If you send South Korean horse-back riders, I will ride with them. I am too heavy for common horses and I may break their legs. I like the Ollov breed of horses from Russia. These horses have large hooves. They say English horses are superior but their hooves are too thin for me and their legs bend when I mount them.
I sleep about four hours a day. I was Party administrator for twenty years. I received work reports until 3 am, sent out responses and wrote a summary report to Chairman Kim Il Sung. It would be 4 am by then. After twenty years of this, it became a habit for me.
We have brought four movies, including Chun-hyang-jun and Bi-jung-mu.
Kim Jong Il: What is Bi-jung-mu? Was it shot in China? I will send you my review of Bi-jung-mu via the optical cables in a week. If I have not become a politician, I would have become a movie fan or a critic or a producer.Delegates: We will publish your review in "Cine 21".
When will Korea be reunited?
Kim Jong Il: I have to evade giving a direct answer. I can only say that it will happen in due course. People in high positions use such vague words.On Jung Mong Hun and Hyundai
Kim Jong Il: I meet people at different places. I meet them on planes and I meet them on ships. When Chairman Jung Mong Hun came to Wonsan by ship, I met him on the ship. We broiled steaks onboard and he liked it. He said that South Korean steaks are good, too, but it will take about 40 days to pass meat inspection. I told him we should try the Southern steaks in September.I came to Pyongyang at 1 am this morning in order to meet you the media chiefs of South Korea.
Please send your newspapers to our liaison office in Panmunjom daily. Why should we get your papers via Japan? We are of the same blood. It will be really nice to get newspapers directly. If this is not possible, send them in official dispatches to Panmunjom. We don't have the dollars to pay for your newspapers. If you can't give us free papers, then send us your copy after you are done reading them. We don't mind reading second-hand newspapers.
South Korean television commercials
Kim Jong Il: I like KBS TV because it has no commercials. I also like NHK because it, too, has no commercials and also it covers international political news well. Its presentation format is proper and conservative. China's CCTV and Russian TVs show commercials and it is hard to recognize them as being state organs. Nations should have official TV broadcasts with no commercials. I value NHK and BBC.Bum-min-ryon and Han-chong-ryon
Kim Jong Il: I told them that we must work together as one people and stop talking gibberish. All of us have to work together in order to realize the June 15th declaration. We should not favor some organizations as if they were our blood children and other as if they were other people's offspring. Unification will not come in that way. I told them that we must work together and stop divisive actions.On Southern press
Kim Jong Il: The Dong-A Ilbo published a nice report on your trip here. Please report what you see. There is no need for you to butter us and likewise, there is no need for you to slander us. If you want unification, you must work for it.The news media heads saw for the first time clear stars at Chun-ji. Stars look bleary in Seoul.
Kim Jong Il: That is because of air pollution from industry. It is caused by economic development during the last fifty years.On Panmunjom
Kim Jong Il: Panmunjom is about 50 years old. If the Kaesung projects go well, we will have to build new roads. Panmunjom represents 50 years of conflicts and it should be left as is and new roads should be built along the Kyong-gi rail line. I mentioned this to Jung Mong Hun and it was sweet music to his ears.We must work together as brothers and build new roads together. There is much symbolism to building new roads along the Kyong-gi line and I would like the press to help out. The 50-year old Panmumjom must be isolated and tours to Mt. Kumgang and Mt. Suhrak will be joined by 2005.
Cartoon movies and computer online games in North are world-class. We will make much money in China if we worked together
Kim Jong Il: If North and South work together to produce movies and other products, South will have 50% and all of the money will be Korean. Why should we involve other nations?On Panel Commentators
Kim Jong Il: I have watched some discussion panels on KBS. KBS sometimes have commentators evaluating current events in North. These so-called experts on North seem to know little about North. They seem to get their 'facts' from some books and talk a bunch of nonsense about North. Please, bring these 'experts' here and let them be educated. There is no horned devils here and they are welcome to come and look around.On Mt. Kumgang and Hyon-dai
Kim Jong Il: All of the temples at Mt. Kumgans are in ruins. Jung Mong Hun asked for tour rights to the Inner Kumgang and I told him that he can have the Inner, if he rebuild the temples.On Park Jung Hee
Kim Jong Il: Park Jung Hee should be judged by future generations. People of his generation should not pass judgment on him. Under the circumstance he was in, he had no choice but to implement Yushin and other policies. Democracy must be orderly and anarchism should be prevented.When will you normalize relations with the US?
Kim Jong Il: It will be done as soon as I say so. The United States labels us a terrorist nation and this label is the only thing stopping us from going further. If this label is lifted, we will normalize relations with the US.In contrast, our relation with Japan is more complicated. There are problems of the past and the issue of compensation. Japan makes unjust demands on us. We have to go back to the Meiji era and trace our problems. Japan must pay us for her 36-year occupation of Korea. I will not normalize relations at the expense of my self-esteem. The smaller a nation, the stronger its pride should be.
On Missile Development
Kim Jong Il: The Soviet Union is the father of rockets. Russia is the originator of modern rockets and yet the US wants other nations to stop rocket development claiming NMD and so on. They want to become the sole rocket developer. This is a nonsense. Putin rightly opposes this. Putin is scheduled to visit Seoul and you should ask him about rocket development.Southern press have called me a crazy moron. I am responsible for the missile crisis. The smaller a country, the stronger it must face up to larger nations. We are, both North and South combined, less than 100 million in population and we must uphold our honor more so than other nations. We should not cater to or bend over for larger nations. If we combine the economic power and technology of South with our determination, we will become a strong nation. We will overcome Japan and force her to pay us compensation for her 36-year plunder of Korea.
Some people scream ouch when pricked by a needle while others remain silent. Why should I pay visits to large nations, when they come to see me in Pyongyang? Putin does not accept US policies. Russia invented modern rockets and it is not right for the US to stop Russia from developing new rockets. The US got rocket technology from the USSR and now they want Russia to stop rocket development.