Alejandro Cao de Benós Interview – Part 4

Surprisingly, my favorite Cao quote from the fourth and final installment isn’t even about North Korea: “In general, U.S. cities frighten me, after 7 p.m. all the white people go home, and black people and beggars take to the streets.” Cao also talks about Robert Park. Once again, thanks to Enzo Reale for allowing me to publish this. Please visit his blogs at 1972 and Asiaeditorni, or on Twitter.

Let’s talk about the nuclear issue. In the last years the negotiations between the international community – and specially the United States – and North Korea have been marked by sanctions, attempts of agreement, steps forward and reverses. What is the situation at the moment?

Our position is always the same, we demand a peace treaty with the United States to end the war of aggression against us. Now, for the first time, Washington listens to our calls, after years of threats and defiances. We will treat the Americans as legitimate interlocutors but we won’t allow anyone to impose his authority over us. Only with a bilateral negotiation we can solve the problems.

The impression here in the West is that North Korea uses the nuclear threat to blackmail the international community and to gain bargaining power and recognition that otherwise would be denied. What is the real purpose behind a nuclear North Korea?

Bush made clear that the United States would invade us, by including North Korea in his notorious Axis of Evil. The only deterrent we had was to build our nuclear arsenal. We want guarantees from the United States and it’s not with the sanctions in the UN Security Council that the problem will be solved.

Do you really believe that the United States have aggressive intentions towards North Korea?

They already showed their aims in 1950, when they massacred us with bombings and biological weapons.

One issue that has always fascinated me is the Korean War, because if there are two things that should be clear in a conflict, they are who starts it and how it ends. But the North Korean version differs from what is known in the rest of the world. Could you explain it?

The Western version shows how far a well-oiled propaganda machine can influence the minds. There are still many people alive who can confirm how things have really gone, even in South Korea There are books written by South Koreans that describe the preparations of the U.S. attack against the North. We have dozens of documents from the presidential palace in Seoul with the attack plans against Pyongyang.

U.S., under the pretext that the North invaded the South, penetrated our territory a few kilometres. The counteroffensive orchestrated by Kim Il-sung forced the Americans in defence. Seeing themselves surrounded, taking advantage of the absences of Russia and China, they convinced the UN Security Council to launch a new offensive against North Korea. Fifteen countries joined forces against us and occupied almost the whole peninsula while American bombings caused massacres in Korean and Chinese territory. Luckily, North Korea was able to win the war and obliged the U.S. to the armistice.

How many atomic bombs do you have?

We have dozens of nuclear bombs able to hit intercontinental targets. We can easily reach the United States.

So Americans are right to worry”¦

No, because they are the only ones who have used nuclear bombs in history and now they stock more than six thousand. As you can see, someone else should be worried. If they really want the denuclearization of the peninsula, then they should start to lead by example.

How to interpret the allegations of nuclear proliferation addressed to North Korea?

They are absolute lies. We sell military technology, but nuclear development remains within the country.

Is it true that Pyongyang is working with the Burmese generals in the nuclear field? What do you know about the issue of the tunnels around Naypyidaw?

I don’t know anything about the tunnels, but it’s true that we promote military cooperation with many countries. It’s just technology for defensive purposes and we only deal with sovereign states, never with paramilitary organizations or terrorists. We have received many requests from terrorist groups but we have always rejected them.

What is the purpose of the launches of missiles in the Sea of Japan?

The launch of missiles is part of the normal defensive operations and it should not be interpreted as a hostile act.

Do you think that Kim Jong-il prefers Obama to GWB?

We don’t want to interfere in other nations’ choices, we simply observe and analyze. After a disappointing start, now we begin to notice a change in the U.S. attitude against us. Anyway this shift is mainly imputable to Bill Clinton.

Have you ever been to the United States? What do you think of the country and its people, beyond the official propaganda of your government?

In the U.S. I found everything and its opposite, from people with mental health problems shouting on public buses to respectable people, very committed, risking a lot by siding against the system. In general, U.S. cities frighten me, after 7 p.m. all the white people go home, and black people and beggars take to the streets.

About the open issue of the Japanese hostages kidnapped in the 70s. Who were these people, why have they been taken and how is their life now?

These facts were responsibility of an intelligence officer who ordered to take them with the purpose of teaching Japanese language and culture in North Korea. But he did it for a personal initiative, there weren’t any orders from above. Our leadership was unaware of this operation. Some of them have died, others were returned to the Japanese government.

What is the situation of the American missionary Robert Park, who was detained last December after getting into North Korean territory?

It’s a classic case of proselytism by a religious fundamentalist who believes acting under a divine mandate. There are some people in search of fame or affected by mental problems. The authorities are watching him but his condition are certainly good, we don’t mistreat anyone. Just look at the treatment accorded to two American journalists infiltrated into North Korean territory: they were housed in a residence reserved for foreign guests, they had food, new clothes and all kinds of available services. Obviously they could not leave. It was an act of clemency because the laws of the country, in such cases, impose a jail sentence.

What did United States offer in exchange for the release of the two journalists?

This is a state secret but I can assure you that it was something very important, whose effects will be seen only in the coming months. I just say that their offer has to do with the renewed approach to our positions by the Obama administration.

But also the last Bush showed a greater willingness to talk to Pyongyang”¦

This change happened thanks to our nuclear arsenal. Bush moved from a doctrine of preventive nuclear strike to the negotiation table, once he understood what we were capable of with our nuclear tests.

What are the main foreign investment projects underway right now in North Korea?

Foreign companies demand confidentiality on this point, to prevent speculations or manipulations. But the projects are mainly Chinese.

What are the main North Korea’s trade partners?

China, as already said, but also Russia and Southeast Asian countries.

How is going the Kaesong experiment? How can you explain the presence of capitalist elements in the bastion of communism?

Kaesong is primarily a political idea, a path towards integration and reunification through the economy. So far it worked well for us, thanks to the entry of foreign capital, and also for South Korean companies that can produce at lower cost and higher quality. Now the ultra-conservative government in Seoul has broken all the agreements made by his predecessors, like Bush did with Clinton. But South Korean society and entrepreneurs support reunification.

There is no ideological contamination in Kaesong because we don’t admit any kind of propaganda at work.

Do North Korean workers in these companies earn more than their countrymen?

No, the only advantages are the extras – clothes, sweets – that sometimes the managers of South Korean companies give them.

Are there any other special areas planned in the near future?

There is an industrial zone in the north-eastern part of the country dating back to the ’80s and then the portion of land for the tourists coming from the South, controlled by the military and isolated.

You’re often in Beijing. Who do you meet there?

Entrepreneurs, Koreans living in China, international press. But it’s mainly business.

What is the real influence of China on North Korean policy?

Politically China has no influence. We are a sovereign nation and we follow only our path. If we had listened to Chinese leaders, we would be a capitalist country today.

What are the political and economic plans for the next five years? What should happen in 2012 when you will celebrate the centenary of the birth of Kim Il-sung?

The plans are oriented to 2012 when a new phase will begin, aimed at creating the North Korean superpower, not only in political and military terms but also in the economic field. We will strengthen domestic industry, agriculture and foreign trade. The country will receive a large amount of international currency and we’ll be at the highest point of our development. We have reserves of oil, gold, minerals, but currently we lack the technology to exploit these resources. We are working to prepare our first light-water nuclear power plant, the same that Americans should have given us under a famous agreement then disregarded. Thanks to this power plant North Korea will solve its energy problems and supply its industries.

Why after all these years hasn’t North Korea developed such infrastructures yet?

First of all for the economic embargo upon us, but the system is not perfect and needs improvement.

What is the average salary of a North Korean citizen?

8000 won per month (with the old exchange rate) for an officer, 16,000 for a farmer.

What kind of appliances are there in the homes of ordinary citizens?

TV, radio, heating devices. The refrigerator only in the new apartments. In Pyongyang there is an ongoing construction boom, with more than 150,000 new houses in progress.

Is it true that the radio is always tuned in just one frequency?

There are different frequencies but logically all the radios are state-controlled. Then, there is an alarm system in every house, by which the government is able to spread warnings in case of emergency, when it’s necessary to mobilize the population.

Is it true that tearing a newspaper’s page containing the image of the Leaders can lead to a criminal conviction?

No, it’s untrue. But your neighbour would beat you.

Do North Korean workers have holidays?

Sure, 25 or 30 days per year paid by the state, it depends on the kind of job. They work from Monday to Thursday, while Friday is dedicated to volunteer work in the fields or factories. On Saturday morning people study.

Are there are resorts in North Korea?

On the coast there are typical leisure villages. The state pays the hotel and the transport, people don’t spend anything.

Next summer North Korea will participate in the Football World Cup in South Africa. Is it true that Kim Jong-il has banned the broadcasting of the matches?

It’s not a prohibition but a copyright issue. We cannot spend millions of euros to pay for the rights of the football matches. But we see lots of European teams on our three national channels, via pirate satellites.

A few months ago the government introduced a cell-phones system thanks to a major contract with an Egyptian company. Who and how many are the users? Do you plan an expansion of the service? What are the costs? Can they be borne by the general population?

The service is progressively growing even if it is still quite expensive. Normally there’s a cell-phone for each family. The latest statistics mention a phone each 80.000-100.000 citizens. Everyone can use these devices, not just the Party officers, although of course communications are just possible inside the country. We cannot communicate with foreigners.

Let’s talk about minorities treatment in North Korea. For example, is homosexuality tolerated? Is it true that in the streets there are no disabled people? What about malnourished children in orphanages?

Homosexuality is a private matter, the state does not enter into the private lives of the citizens. Proselytism is sanctioned but not the practice itself. And it’s common to see men hand in hand. Disabled people freely circulate in the streets, even if tourists don’t see them. Children had nutritional problems during the food crisis, but now these situations have been completely overcome.

What do you think of Western experts on North Korean issues (Lankov, Cummings, Becker, Demick)? Do you read their books or articles? Does North Korean leadership read them?

I read everything except for the rubbish. For what I know, our leaders regularly receive from foreign embassies the new books related to North Korea. Most of the time, unfortunately, what we can read is pure speculation, without any ground of truth.

Have you ever felt spied on in your daily activities in Pyongyang?

Observed but not spied on. As a Westerner I still arouse curiosity among the population.

Have you ever felt in danger in North Korea?

Quite the contrary, North Korea is the safest country in the world.

Have you ever felt used by the North Korean leadership?

Never, because I looked for a cooperation with them and not vice versa.

How do you reply to those who accuse you of being, I’m sorry, a “useful idiot” serving a criminal regime?

Insults don’t deserve any reply. Accusing the others without doing anything useful for your system is absolutely senseless. I have always been consistent with my ideas, I was treated like a terrorist, and I continue to pay a loan.

Let’s suppose that one day the regime in Pyongyang collapses, like the rest of the communist systems that preceded it. How do you foresee the future of 24 million of North Korean citizens and your personal future?

Personally, I would immediately leave all my government positions, turning the Korean Friendship Association (KFA) into a think tank for the study of Kim Il-sung works. I would oppose the new government from abroad. North Koreans would know a similar fate as the Chinese, with all the inequalities and problems that it would entail. The desire of the Chinese government would be to incorporate our territory and its population. Beijing is driven only by its own interests and even if, traditionally, there are fraternal relationships, Chinese ideological point of view is now at odds with our vision. There’s mutual respect but we don’t love each other.

You have just published a book on North Korea, through the Korean Friendship Association. Can you briefly describe its contents?

It ‘s a book about North Korean political system and also about my personal experience. I hope it will be translated into different languages very soon.

(End Part 4)