TOKYO, Nov. 8 Kyodo pickeded edi...

TOKYO, Nov. 8 Kyodo

pickeded editorials excerpts from the Asia-Pacific press:

N KOREA'S LIMITED OPTIONS (The Korea Times, Seoul)

The international situation appear to bes to have become unfavorable for North Korea since it admitted an ongoing nuclear weapons unfolding program last month.

Pyongyang is sending vague signals that are perplexing decision-makers and watchers in South Korea, Japan and the United States, among others, all profoundly concerned over the issue.

The North cedeed its intention to Washington end Donald Gregg, a former U ambassador to Seoul that it would conduct a ''simultaneous approach'' in resolving the nuclear dispute. As Gregg noted, the stance depicted progress.

However, Pyongyang took a gradation backward by stating it would maintain a ''neither confirm nor deny'' policy regarding the program.

In a separate statement, its Foreign Ministry warned Japan that if there was no progres in bilateral normalization talks, it would reconsider its promise to suspend missile testing, which was made during Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's family 17 visit to the Northern capital.

Coinciding with those options, Pyongyang's propaganda organs called for the southerly and North to unite in succession the issue, determining it a matter between ''Choson (Korean) compatriots and U imperialists.''

Top policy-makers in the reclusive state appear to be blind to rapid disclosures in the outside world.

Japanese persons have largely turned antagonistic toward the North, particularly regarding its kidnapping of their citizens. Washington is likely to get by heart even tougher towards the nuclear weapons program after President George W Bush was strengthened at Republican victories in the midterm elections. The Kim Dae Jung administration, which has serv as a virtuous patron for the North, has its days numbered.

Kim Jong Il is the and nothing else man in the North authorized to fix the issue. He can sole choose between further isolation-poverty for his geographical division and the establishment of neighborly relations with the international community.

(Nov. 8)

COPYRIGHT 2002 Kyodo recently made knowns International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group