[ti:North Korea Cancels Ban Ki-moon Visit]
[ar:Jim Tedder]
[al:In The News]
[by:www.21voa.com]
[00:00.00]The North Korean government has canceled a planned United Nations visit 
[00:06.36]to the Kaesong Industrial Complex. 
[00:09.40]The cancellation came just a day 
[00:12.31]before UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon 
[00:16.30]was to visit the industrial center.
[00:19.18]The complex lies just north of the South Korean border. 
[00:23.59]It is one of the few remaining examples 
[00:26.74]of South Korea's Sunshine Policy of engagement with North Korea. 
[00:32.19]Under the program, 
[00:34.05]the South has provided aid 
[00:36.56]and support programs to its northern neighbor.
[00:40.12]Mr. Ban said he was surprised by the sudden cancellation.
[00:45.02]"Early this morning, 
[00:46.68]the authorities of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea informed us, 
[00:52.98]through their diplomatic channel, 
[00:55.38]that they were reversing their decision for me 
[00:59.69]to visit the Kaesong Industrial Complex. 
[01:02.42]No explanation was given for this last-minute change."
[01:08.63]The UN official had said he wanted to help ease relations 
[01:13.55]and improve security on the Korean peninsula. 
[01:17.28]He said his visit to Kaesong would show the benefits 
[01:21.60]of cooperation between the two countries.
[01:24.61]More than 53,000 North Koreans 
[01:28.56]work at 120 South Korean factories in the complex.
[01:33.69]South Korean Unification Ministry official Lim Byung-chul 
[01:39.07]also voiced regret and reached out to North Korea.
[01:44.35]He says his government once again urges North Korea 
[01:55.46]not to move towards isolation, 
[01:58.21]but toward peace on the Korean peninsula.
[02:01.72]Also on Wednesday, North Korea said it has the ability to miniaturize -- 
[02:08.50]or make smaller -- nuclear weapons. 
[02:11.55]The announcement was made on North Korea's state news agency. 
[02:16.16]If confirmed, this ability would give North Korea the ability 
[02:21.76]to place a nuclear weapon on a long or short-range missile.
[02:26.86]Chinese nuclear experts recently warned that North Korea has 20 nuclear warheads. 
[02:34.74]North Korea has held underwater missile tests. 
[02:38.85]The technology could soon give it the ability to strike anywhere in the world.
[02:45.51]Observers say North Korea's sudden cancellation does not come as a complete surprise. 
[02:52.41]They say the government has ignored UN restrictions 
[02:56.96]to its nuclear program and against a UN resolution. 
[03:01.83]The measure asks the International Criminal Court 
[03:06.14]to investigate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un 
[03:10.29]and other officials for crimes against humanity.
[03:14.48]Phil Robertson works for Human Rights Watch. 
[03:17.94]He says the cancellation of Ban Ki-moon's visit 
[03:22.38]resulted from U.N. efforts to hold North Korea accountable.
[03:27.97]"So what it is doing is playing a game of shoot the messenger with the U.N., 
[03:31.76]trying to punish or shut out the U.N. whenever it can. 
[03:34.46]And this latest action to bar Ban Ki-moon 
[03:37.45]from the Kaesong industrial complex is yet another example of that."
[03:41.01]U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry spoke about the North Korean government 
[03:46.55]during his recent visit to Seoul. 
[03:49.15]He said the North has rejected Chinese and Russian efforts 
[03:54.55]to restart international talks about its nuclear program 
[03:59.42]in exchange for economic assistance.
[04:02.87]I'm Jim Tedder.
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