Korea Herald (Lee Joo-hee, "FOCUS SHIFTING TO N.K. NUKE VERIFICATION", 2008/06/24) reported that as the submission of the DPRK's nuclear programs declaration appears imminent, the nations involved in the six-party talks are shifting their focus to the verification work that will follow in the next denuclearization phase. Chief US nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill told reporters, "One of the first things we want to do in that next phase is to define the scope of the next phase, and what we're going to try to accomplish in that next phase." "We've said all along: This is not simply a matter of getting a piece of paper. It's having a clear and accurate understanding of North Korea's programs so that we are able to move forward," Tom Casey explained.

Kyodo News ("FUKUDA WOULD WELCOME N. KOREA DECLARATION FOR RESOLVING NUKE ISSUE ", Tokyo, 2008/06/24) reported that Japan would welcome the DPRK's expected move to provide a long-delayed account of its nuclear activities that would lead to its removal from the US list of terror sponsors, if it would help move toward resolution of the nuclear issue, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said. ''If the nuclear problem will be resolved, isn't that something desirable, also for our country?...it's something we should welcome,'' Fukuda told reporters. Fukuda also said there is ''no differences in opinions at all'' between Japan and the US over Washington's policy, and reiterated the need for the two countries to work in close contact to resolve both the nuclear and the abduction issues.

The Asahi Shimbun ("FEARS ABDUCTEE ISSUE WILL FADE IN DELIST DEAL", 2008/06/24) reported that as the US gears up to remove the DPRK from its list of states that sponsor terrorism, Japan is anxious to ensure that the issue of civilians abducted by Pyongyang remains on the agenda. If Washington does announce its intention to delist the DPRK on Thursday, it will be an embarrassment for Tokyo, coming on the first day of talks among Group of Eight foreign ministers in Kyoto to pave the way for next month's summit in Lake Toyako, Hokkaido. However, the government was resigned to the US move, Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura said.

Reuters ("RICE SAYS U.S. WON'T FORGET JAPANESE ABDUCTEES ", Berlin, 2008/06/24) reported that the US will continue to press for the release of Japanese citizens abducted decades ago by the DPRK as it seeks the resumption of disarmament talks with Pyongyang, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said. "We have made very clear that the United States is not going to set aside or forget the Japanese abduction issue," Rice told reporters. "We're going to continue to press North Korea to make sure this issue is dealt with," Rice said. "Japan is one of America's strongest allies in Asia, I should say one of America's strongest allies in the world and we recognize the sensitivity of this issue," she said.

Yonhap News (Lee Chi-dong, "PYONGYANG SEEKS 'FINAL ASSURANCE' OF PROMISED POLITICAL REWARD ", Seoul, 2008/06/24) reported that the DPRK wants to obtain "final assurance" from the US that it will remove the nation from its list of terrorism-sponsoring nations as promised, a ROK government official said. The DPRK is hesitant about fixing a date for a new round of negotiations without such an assurance, the official privy to the nuclear issue told Yonhap News Agency.  "North Korea's position is that it is hard to certainly trust the U.S. promise," he said.

Yonhap News (Yoo Cheong-mo, "SEOUL SKEPTICAL OF LEE'S ENCOUNTER WITH N.K. LEADER IN BEIJING ", Seoul, 2008/06/24) reported that the presidential office reacted skeptically to media speculation that President Lee Myung-bak may encounter DPRK leader Kim Jong-il on the sidelines of the Olympic opening ceremony in Bejing this August. Lee has said he will travel to Beijing to attend the ceremony, slated for Aug. 8, and the PRC recently invited Kim to attend on the same date. But a top-ranking official at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae gave a skeptical response to such speculative reports, saying, "It is not clear whether the North Korean leader would come to Beijing or not. Furthermore, a meeting between the leaders of the two Koreas is not such a simple matter."

The Associated Press ("WHITE HOUSE: BUSH MAY SKIP SOUTH KOREA VISIT", Washington, 2008/06/24) reported that President Bush is traveling to Japan early next month for a summit of leading industrialized nations, but is skipping for now a widely expected stop in the ROK, the White House said. The White House denied that Bush was declining to travel to the ROK because of enormous anti-American protests there. White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Bush would meet with ROK President Lee Myung-bak on the sidelines of the G-8 summit in Japan. And she suggested that a ROK visit could happen later, perhaps when Bush travels to the PRC in August for the Olympics.

Kyodo News ("PANEL URGES GOV'T TO ALLOW COLLECTIVE SELF-DEFENSE, FUKUDA UNWILLING", Tokyo, 2008/06/24) reported that a panel of experts reviewing Japan's legal foundations concerning security matters urged the government to change its interpretation of the pacifist Constitution to allow its forces to exercise the right to collective self-defense on certain occasions. But Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said he has no plan to change the current interpretation that the Constitution prohibits Japan from exercising the right to defend an ally under attack, even though it is entitled to do so under international law. The group's report, presented to Fukuda by former Japanese Ambassador to the US Shunji Yanai who heads the government panel, calls for a ''new (constitutional) interpretation that conforms to the changes in the security environment and is consistent with international law.''

Mainichi Shimbun ("JAPANESE NAVY DESTROYER ARRIVES IN CHINA FOR FIRST VISIT SINCE WORLD WAR II", Guangzhou, 2008/06/24) reported that a Japanese destroyer sailed into southern PRC in the first port call by one of Japan's warships to the PRC since World War II, the latest sign of improved ties between the rival Asian giants. The navy vessel with 240 crew members carried blankets, medical supplies and other relief goods for survivors of the PRC's devastating May 12 earthquake that killed more than 69,000 people. The Sazanami will stay in the southern navy port of Zhanjiang in Guangdong province until June 28.

The Associated Press (Stephen Wade, "BEIJING GETS GROUND-TO-AIR DEFENSE", Beijing, 2008/06/24) reported that the PRC has stationed a battery of ground-to-air missiles just 300 yards from a Beijing Olympic venue, the latest sign of tightening security with the games just 6 1/2 weeks away. At least two Hongqi 7 missile launchers were visible behind a 7-foot fence, with military hardware and vehicles hidden under camouflage netting. Dozen of soldiers guarded the compound on Tuesday with a notice posted on the fence: "Military Administrative District No Admittance."

The Associated Press (Min Lee, "TAIWAN CONSIDERS LETTING CHINESE STARS PERFORM", Hong Kong, 2008/06/24) reported that Taiwan is considering letting PRC stars perform on the island amid warming ties between the two rivals, a Taiwanese official said. Chen Su-nann, section chief at the Government Information Office's Department of Broadcasting Affairs, told The Associated Press that the government is considering removing current restrictions that limit the exposure of PRC actors and singers to the island's TV and radio shows. They are not allowed to stage concerts or act in live drama productions. "We want to steer cultural exchange toward a situation of equality and mutual benefit," Chen said.

Agence France-Presse ("TAIWAN PLANS TO LIFT BAN ON CHINESE BANKS' INVESTMENT: REGULATOR", Taipei , 2008/06/24) reported that Taiwan plans to lift a ban on PRC banks investing in their counterparts on the island as cross strait ties improve, a financial regulator said on Tuesday. However, the Financial Supervisory Commission said it is considering a cap on PRC banks' ownership in Taiwanese banks if the ban is removed. "With tensions across the Taiwan Strait reduced, the relaxation is expected to increase and enhance economic exchanges between Taiwan and China," commission vice chairwoman Susan Chang said.

Reuters ("TIBET REOPENS TO FOREIGN TOURISTS WEDNESDAY: XINHUA ", Beijing, 2008/06/24) reported that Tibet will be reopened to foreign tourists from Wednesday, the PRC's official Xinhua news agency said, after the region was shut off to foreign visitors following riots there in March. Xinhua cited Tanor, an official with the region's tourism administration, as saying the passing of the Olympic torch relay through Lhasa over the weekend proved that the region was stable enough to let foreign tourists back in.

The Financial Times (Mure Dickie, "BEIJING ORDERS TIGHTER MEDIA CONTROLS", Beijing, 2008/06/24) reported that the PRC’s ruling Communist party has ordered a strengthening of its news media propaganda system, dashing hopes of a more liberal approach to censorship in the wake of relatively vigorous domestic reporting of the Sichuan earthquake. Mr Hu said the primary task of the news media was to guide public opinion correctly, since doing so would “benefit the party, benefit the nation and benefit the people”. “[We] must strengthen political acuity and discrimination, maintain strict propaganda discipline ... and properly guard the gate and manage the extent [of reporting] on major, sensitive and hot topics,” Mr Hu said.

Agence France-Presse ("CHINA QUAKE TOLL LIKELY TO EXCEED 80,000: GOVERNMENT ", Beijing, 2008/06/24) reported that the death toll from last month's massive earthquake in southwest PRC is likely to exceed 80,000, state media reported Tuesday, citing a vice premier. The estimate on the toll from the magnitude-8.0 quake that hit southwest the PRC's Sichuan province on May 12 was provided by Vice Premier Hui Liangyu, the Xinhua news agency said. The latest official death toll from the quake was 69,181, with 18,498 missing, according to the government.

Xinhua Net, www.xinhau.net (Yin Yao, Hu Rihan, "INNER MONGOLIA BECOMES CHINA'S ENERGY SECURITY BASE", ) reported that in response to the current tense supply situation of electricity and refined oil, the daily coal production of Ordos City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region - the PRC's largest coal city, was over 60 million tons. As the country's important energy base and the important export area of the southern and the capital’s electricity supply, Inner Mongolia will do everything possible to ensure the Wenchuan earthquake-stricken areas and the capital’s coal and electricity supply ", the President of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Bateer stressed. In order to export more green energy to Beijing, Inner Mongolia is also building wind power.

Xinhua Net, www.xinhau.net (Yan Yuanyuan, Ji De, "TIBET WILL VIGOROUSLY DEVELOP HYDROPOWER RESOURCES TO REDUCE CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSION", 2008/06/23) reported that Director of Tibet Autonomous Regional Environmental Protection Bureau Zhang Yongze said that Tibet would reduce carbon dioxide emission through the development of hydropower resources. At present, there is a serious shortage of electricity supply in many parts of Tibet, with Lhasa especially serious. Tibet is theoretically rich in hydropower resources with the reserves of over 200 million kilowatts, ranking first in the PRC. The actual amount that could be developed is 140 million kilowatts. Up to now, Tibet has developed only 600,000 kilowatts. According to the plan, by 2010, Tibet's hydropower capacity will reach 1.2 million kilowatts, which can basically meet the local electricity demand.

China Anti-Underground Mark Six Association, http://mari.bokee.com ("HOMETOWN GAMBLING INVESTIGATION", 2008/06/24) reported that Underground Mark Six was a covert gambling organization which took use of the special number in Hong Kong Mark Six. It is deceptive and deleterious. At present, it has spread to the whole country. China Anti-Underground Mark Six Association was established in 2005, launched by a young farmer volunteer Li Xu. It is an online private voluntary organization, dedicating to the problems of China's Underground Mark Six and gambling. In order to better understand the relevant situation throughout the country and to find effective treatment methods, they initiated the recruitment of volunteers in various places for investigation of the underground Mark Six.

Kyunghyang Shinmun (Ahn Honh Uk, "HUMANITARIANISM LOST IN THE ROK", 2008/06/24) wrote that while international society is supporting DPRK humanitarian aid, the spirit of humanitarianism is lost on the ROK government. The ROK government aims to take advantage of already promised corn support to rehabilitate inter-Korea relations. The ROK should provide DPRK humanitarian aids.

Pressian ("TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY-PREPARE FOR TURBULENT KOREAN PENINSULA", 2008/06/25) wrote that the results of the Korea Peninsula peace structure forum after the DPRK nuclear 2^nd stage agreement is fulfilled should be applied to assure peace in the Korean Peninsula along with the complete denuclearization of the DPRK. Four countries of six party talks to evaluate the DPRK nuclear agreement practices, should gather together to praise the foundation of Korean Peninsula peace structure forum and try to reassure cooperation for peace structure and termination of the Korean War.

Herald Media ("DISTORTED TRUTH OF 6.25 AND DPRK DENUCLEARIZATION", 2008/06/25) reported that it is still long way to reach actual denuclearization. It is still uncertain whether the DPRK would accomplish ‘Complete, Verifiable, Irreversible Dismantlement (CVID)’. The DPRK might merely aim to get benefits such as removal from the state sponsor of terrorism and economic, energy, humanitarian supports, at worst. the Six party talks should be careful in deciding verification object and method. The ROK government should actively participate in DPRK denuclearization and prepare for Korean Peninsula dynamics. The Lee administration also has to reassure the DPRK that rehabilitation of inter-Korean relations is priority over DPRK-U.S., DPRK-Japan relations normalization.