The Two Koreas_ A Contemporary History - Don Oberdorfer [269]
The Shevardnadze Mission: My account of Shevardnadze's Sept. 1990 trip to Pyongyang comes from interviews with three members of the Soviet delegation who were present. Shevardnadze on the "most difficult, unpleasant" mission, from former Soviet diplomat, interview, July 7, 1993. Bessmertnykh quote, Bessmertnykh interview, Apr. 14, 1994. Chernyayev quotes from Chernyayev interview, Apr. 12, 1994.
Choi's argument to Gorbachev, Choi interview, Apr. 25, 1995. Shevardnadze on "our friends," Sergei Tarasenko interview, Apr. 10, 1994. Nodong Sinmun on Soviet perfidy, "Commentary Denounces USSR Diplomatic Ties," FBIS-EAS, Oct. 5, 1990, p. 8. Economic data from Nicholas Eberstadt et al., "The Collapse of Soviet and Russian Trade with the DPRK, 1989-93," Korean Journal of National Unification, vol. 4 (1995); Young Namkoong, "An Assessment of North Korean Economic Capability," Economic Problems of National Unification (Seoul 1993); North Korea: Insights into Economy and Living (Seoul: KoreanGerman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 1991), in German.
"How Long Will the Red Flag Fly?": On the Korea desk reaction, "North Korean Reaction to Roh-Gorbachev Meeting," Department of State Briefing Paper, June 1, 1990, confidential (declassified 1995). For the INR report, Douglas P. Hulholland, "Soviet Initiative in Asia," Information Memorandum, May 30, 1990, confidential (declassified 1995). On State's view, "Talking Points for the President's Use in His June 6 Meeting with President Roh," Memorandum for the White House from the Department of State, June 2, 1990, secret (declassified 1995).
The account of the Chinese meeting with Kim is from a former Chinese diplomat, interviews, Jan. 23 and Oct. 4, 1993. For Kanemaru's trip, my account is based on interviews with a senior parliamentarian and a Foreign Ministry official who accompanied Kanemaru; interviews and writings of Hajimi Izumi and Masao Okonogi, leading Japanese experts on Korea; and an excellent reconstruction by Ushio Shioda, "What Was Discussed by the `Kanemaru North Korean Mission'?" in Bungei Shunju (Aug. 1994). On the shift in Japanese policy, see B. C. Koh, "North Korea's Approaches to the United States and Japan," draft paper for a conference on "The Two Koreas in World Affairs," Nov. 1996. On "yellow skins" and "white skins," Japanese official, interview, May 21, 1993. On Kanemaru's apology to the United States, Michael H. Armacost, Friends or Rivals? (Columbia University Press, 1996), p. 147.
An account of the secret 1990 meetings can be found in "Secret Meeting Between Suh Dong Won and Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il," Monthly Chosun (Aug. 1994), in Korean. This account was verified for me by a former high-ranking ROK official. For Kim's conciliatory speech, see FBIS-East Asia, May 24, 1990. On the disarmament proposal, William Taylor, "Shifting Korean Breezes," Washington Times, June 6, 1990.
Soviet-South Korean Economic Negotiations: On Medvedev's mission, see his Collapse (Moscow: International Relations Publishing House, 1994), in Russian. Roh on "exerting influence," from "M. S. Gorbachev with the President of ROK (Roh Tae Woo)," Dec. 14, 1990, notes of conversation, from the Gorbachev archive, Moscow, in Russian. Roh's "don't worry" quote is from Georgi Toloraya interview, Oct. 19, 1993. On the Saudi loan, see James A. Baker, The Politics of Diplomacy (G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1995), p. 294-295. For Roh's "out of the question" quote, Kang Sung-chul, "`Foundation Laid for Ending Cold War': Roh," KH, Dec. 18, 1990.
The Maslyukov exchange is from a confidential source. For military supply data, Nicholas Eberstadt et al., "The Collapse of Soviet and Russian Trade with the DPRK, 1989-1993," Korean Journal