Jimmy Carter Visits North Korea; Kim Jong-Il Makes Unexpected Trip to China; Carter's Trip to North Korea
VELSHI: A handful of countries in the world that are always intriguing to us. And one of them is North Korea, especially right now. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter is on a trip to North Korea trying to win the freedom of a Boston resident, an American who was sentenced to eight years in North Korea for allegedly crossing into North Korea from China. Now President Carter's trip to North Korea comes at a very interesting time because there are reports that the Korean leader, Kim Jong-Il might be in china with his third son, and his heir apparent. We were very clear on the fact that President Carter's people told us this was not an official government trip. There are no government representatives from the United States going on it. He apparently is not carrying any messages from the U.S. government. But I've got a man here who arranged that trip. He can tell us why the trip is happening and whether it's simply about the freedom of an American citizen or there's something more at it. He is Dr. Han Park. He's a professor of International Affairs at the University of Georgia. Professor, good to see you, thank you for being here with us.</s>DR. HAN PARK, PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA: Thank you for having me.</s>VELSHI: Tell me what this trip is about. Is it about the rescue of this American or is it something bigger than that?</s>PARK: I think it's something bigger than that. It's about peace-making. Jimmy Carter is a man of peace, proven man. And the friction or hostility between U.S. and North Korea, since the sinking of the South Korean vessel has escalated to a point where no one can predict what's going to happen. And Korea is the most militarily-fortified spot in the world, arguably. So Jimmy Carter evidently wanted to do something about that. And I helped arrange the trip, persuaded North Korea to invite him, so forth. But now Kim Jong-Il evidently, we don't have an independently confirmed --</s>VELSHI: Apparently he slipped over -that's what they're saying. He slipped into China. What would he be doing there?</s>PARK: If he went to Beijing, it's going to be hard for him to come back, to have a substantive meeting with Jimmy Carter. If Jimmy Carter had the chance to meet with him before their departure, that there was a small window of opportunity. But most likely he went to Jilin, just across the border --</s>VELSHI: Right. And that's in China.</s>PARK: Exactly, in China. But his father and his son's grandfather, Kim Il-Sung, the founder of the country, had headquartered his independent movement, revolutionary campaign and all that. So it's very important to instill to the young person that he's coming from that family. So especially in view of the fact that they have a party convention this coming -- leadership convention. So given that, I think it's important for the father and son to go to the grandfather and make sure that you come from that family.</s>VELSHI: What is the issue that is going to help break this tension? I mean Jimmy Carter may be trying to do it. It is clear that he's not doing it on behalf of the U.S. government. Obviously he's having some discussions that he would want to communicate with the U.S. government, if anything comes of it.</s>PARK: Yes, everything centers on the nuclear conundrum.</s>VELSHI: Yes.</s>PARK: Now Jimmy Carter I'm sure, will try to persuade North Koreans to give up their nuclear ambition. But North Korea will tell Jimmy Carter, we're willing to do that only if our security is assured. And they -- I'm sure they will discuss what constitutes the acceptable security guarantee.</s>VELSHI: You're one of very few people who has contact with the North Koreans.</s>PARK: Right.</s>VELSHI: What is their general view of it? Because we conceive of the North Koreans as entirely isolationist and belligerent and depending on who you speak to, the incarnation of evil. How far away are we from being able to do something with the North Koreans?</s>PARK: I think we are very far. North Korea wants to improve relations with the United States. Their economy is in shambles. They try to make international loans and so forth, without American cooperation it's going to be very difficult. So their number one foreign policy priority is to improve relations with the United States. So what we have problem with is misunderstanding. The fact that North Korea wants a security assurance to give up what they consider to be the only deterrence, that is nuclear weapons, to expect that is very unrealistic. So I think we have to do something about their security issues.</s>VELSHI: Is -- and Secretary Clinton has been really the forefront of this discussion, these discussions with North and South Korea. Is this administration's approach right? Is it correct, in your opinion?</s>PARK: I think we don't seem to have independent foreign policy toward North Korea under the Obama administration. We're continuing the Bush administration's hostile policy. So it is important it reexamine the whole matter, given the military environment there.</s>VELSHI: So you think it might be useful to -- I don't know if the right word is soften the position or be less hostile? Sort of go into it with a little more openness as opposed to taking a very, very firm hand?</s>PARK: Absolutely. And Jimmy Carter's trip there hopefully will alleviate some tension because he's a good listener, he will come and convey to the president and the decision-makers in Washington and as well as public, if he so chooses. So somewhat he may contribute to easing the tension through better understanding of North Korean situation.</s>VELSHI: All right. Well professor, we will continue to try to understand it ourselves. Dr. Han Park is professor of international affairs at the University of Georgia. Thank you for being with us.</s>PARK: Thank you for having me.</s>VELSHI: Two hundred and fifty innocent people, between them they spent more than 3,100 years behind bars. We'll going to take a look at wrongful convictions in this country next in "Crime & Consequence."