Kim's Nuclear Gamble Part 1 of 6
History, Sociopolitical, Technology Documentary narrated by Will Lyman and published by PBS broadcasted as part of PBS Frontline series in 2003 - English narration
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/kim/
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/kim/etc/synopsis.html
"Kim's Nuclear Gamble" traces the highs, lows, and crisis points during the past decade of U.S.-North Korean relations, beginning with Pyongyang's announcement in 1994 that it planned to reprocess fuel from its nuclear reactor at Yongbyon -- a move that would have given North Korea enough plutonium to make five to six nuclear bombs.
"We were willing to risk war," former U.S. Secretary of Defense William Perry tells FRONTLINE. "We seriously considered solving the problem directly by simply striking the reactor and processor at Yongbyon."
Following the intervention of former President Jimmy Carter, however, negotiations resumed and ultimately resulted in a deal that became known as the Agreed Framework. North Korea pledged to shut down its nuclear reactor, and in return, the United States promised to pay for and deliver 500,000 metric tons of heavy fuel oil each year until the construction of two light-water reactors -- designed to make proliferation more difficult -- was complete.
However, former U.S. officials concede that while North Korea fulfilled its promise to properly shut down the reactor, the United States showed less enthusiasm for fulfilling its half of the agreement. Late shipments of the promised oil and slow construction on the light-water reactors, they say, angered the North Koreans. "In my judgment, the [Clinton] administration was not prepared to expend very much political capital on behalf of implementation of the Agreed Framework," says Stephen Bosworth, former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea.
While tensions over compliance with the Agreed Framework mounted between the U.S. and North Korea, Pyongyang's relations with South Korea took an upswing. South Korean President Kim Dae Jung, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000, instituted what became known as the "Sunshine Policy," which advocated openness and engagement between the two countries. Lim Dong Won, the architect of the Sunshine Policy, tells FRONTLINE, "We want[ed] to induce change in the North. That is the way to build confidence."
However, in 1998, North Korea tested the world's confidence when it fired a three-stage ballistic missile -- capable of reaching Alaska -- over the Sea of Japan. The third stage failed, but the test sent a message. "Kim's Nuclear Gamble" follows the Clinton administration's attempts to renew negotiations with North Korea in the wake of the missile test -- which included a historic visit to Pyongyang by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.
The 2001 presidential transition had a dramatic impact on U.S.-North Korean relations. FRONTLINE speaks with numerous former government officials who describe a sharp decline in U.S. relations with both North and South Korea under George W. Bush -- a deterioration that got even worse, they say, after Sept. 11 and Bush's "axis of evil" speech.
Donald Gregg, a longtime CIA official and former ambassador to South Korea, for example, tells FRONTLINE that the current Bush administration "has never had a [North Korea] policy. It's had an attitude -- hostility. By threatening them, by calling them a terrorist state we make it much harder for them to become a normal nation."
Current U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Thomas Hubbard calls Gregg's statement an "exaggeration." "The clear policy of our government is that we find nuclear weapons in North Korea to be unacceptable and intolerable," he says. "Nobody wants nuclear weapons in North Korea."
At issue, analysts say, is the Bush administration's insistence that any negotiations with North Korea also involve Russia, China, South Korea and other nations -- a condition that the White House hopes would prevent North Korea from "blackmailing" the United States with threats to produce -- and use -- nuclear weapons.
Loading...
9:49
North Korea | Kim's Nuclear Gamble Part 2 of 6by ypixel19,302 views
@seka1986 iraq never had nuclear weapons but yet we invaded them and for what? iran wants to built weapons or the government tells us they do,,, so what! they deserve to be able to protect themselves just as much as we do. And I am not american I say we becayse America is basically in control of the entire planet and have been on this hunt for power since ww2..
netbetset 4 days ago
@netbetset Hitler never invaded America either but you probably don't know who he is. You're the dumbest shit in America but we need people like you to do the menial jobs.
seka1986 4 days ago
@seka1986 lol really? name me one time North Korea tried to invade america? whos the dumb shit? you my friend. You are the dumb shit for believing everything ur government tells u like most americans who bend over and take it right up the ass by their government gods.
netbetset 5 days ago
@3SRBIJACCCC From a military perspective it would have been suicidal to make a land invasion. But I do agree with that "America" sucks ass big time anymore!
ejr23 1 month ago
@netbetset lol, you really are a dumb shit.
seka1986 2 months ago
All north Korea is doing is protecting themselves from Asshole military of the US. I know that living conditions and standard of life isnt the best in NK but they have a point when it comes to national security. The only reason they are still on the map of suspect is due to their neglect of the US.
netbetset 2 months ago
@dogdeball88 What a stupid thing to say, you don't know ANYTHING ABOUT FOREIGN POLICY. You don't know the inside baseball of whats going on there, you dont the history, you don't know ANYTHING you IDIOT.
Stillwater900 3 months ago
@dogdeball88 You... you know they can't read this, right?
RamoneHoffman 5 months ago