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Did North Korea try to sell missiles to Taiwan?
Is China's pit bull getting a little out of control?A 72-year-old deputy in North Koreaâs Supreme People's Assembly in May applied for political asylum in South Korea from a third country, the Monthly Chosun reported. The magazineâs August edition published Sunday said the parliamentarian, who is using the alias Kim Il-do, is being questioned by the National Intelligence Service on his inside knowledge of the Northâs weapons development. Kim reportedly told investigators North Korea had 4 kg of plutonium and manufactured a one-ton nuclear weapon, but added that North Korean scientists were doubtful about ability of the developed nuclear weapon. That was why, he said, the Stalinist country had been trying to make a miniaturized nuclear warhead weighing 500 kg, the magazine reported. Kim testified he himself visited Taiwan to sell North Korean-built missiles, the monthly said. He also told investigators Pyongyang was developing small submersible boats and stealth uniforms that were difficult to detect on radar, while developing weapons for its 30,000-man Special Forces, according to the magazine. Kim was to serve in the 11th Supreme People's Assembly from August 2003 to July 2008, working with the Maritime Industries Research Center under the Second Economic Committee, which is in charge of North Koreaâs munitions industry. The Research Center is said to be involved in the development and illegal sale of arms. Kim, who graduated from Gyeongbuk Middle School in South Korea and defected to the North around the time of the Korean War, is said to have defected back leaving his family behind. The NIS would not confirm the report, saying the government made it a rule never to comment on the status of defectors to protect both them and any family they leave behind in North Korea. Posted by: Zhang Fei 2005-07-17 |
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