MONTHLY REPORT- SEOUL BUREAU- APRIL 1987

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-00733R000100120007-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 18, 2012
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: May 4, 1987
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/06/18: CIA-RDP88-00733R000100120007-4
O
EMBASSY OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
FOREIGN BROADCAST INFORMATION SERVICE
SEOUL BUREAU
MSK-7010
4 May 1987
MEMORANDUM FOR: Acting Director, FBIS
THROUGH Acting Chief, Operations Group
SUBJECT : Monthly Report - Seoul Bureau - April 1987
1. OPERATIONS
FBIS
A. Editorial/Monitorial
1. April proved to be one of the most challenging months in
recent Bureau history with a series of significant events in the Koreas
pushing Bureau wordage to an all-time high of 766,000. The Korean Unit
translated over 40 percent of the total; processed wordage from Pyongyang
Domestic Service alone came to 260,000.
2. In the DPRK celebrations marking Kim I1-song's 75th birthday
on the 15th, with many foreign delegations attending, generated a
considerable amount of copy, as did the Korean People's Army anniversary
on the 25th. But these events were overshadowed by a Supreme People's
Assembly session held from 21-23 April, which was devoted to a new 7-year
economic plan and budget reports. About 75,000 words of material on the
SPA session were filed. Before the SPA dust had really begun to settle,
on the 24th a spokesman of the DPRK State Administration Council issued a
statement blasting the South for turning down the North's proposals for
high-level North-South talks, and stressing that Pyongyang had no
intention of "begging" Seoul to negotiate. The statement kicked off a
propaganda campaign against the South that continued into May. But the
North apparently has not completely ruled out a resumption of talks. A
NODONG SINMUN commentary on Pyongyang radio on the 30th pointedly stated
that the "door to dialogue" is still open as far as the North is
concerned. Events in the DPRK generated the largest processing backlog in
recent Bureau history. At one point more than nine hours of voice
material was backed up in the processing queue. The backlog was cleared
with Headquarters approval of monitorial overtime.
3. In the South two major events occured in April that have
already altered the domestic political situation. First was the formal
break-up of the opposition NKDP due to severe internal strains, and the
establishment of the Reunification Democratic Party led by factions
representing Kim Tae-chung and Kim Yong-sam. Seizing on the fractured
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/06/18: CIA-RDP88-00733R000100120007-4
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/06/18: CIA-RDP88-00733R000100120007-4
opposition and the complete deadlock in constitutional revision
negotiations, President Chan Tu-hwan on the 13th issued a statement
decreeing that any revision of the constitution will be postponed until
after the 1988 Olympics, and that his successor as president will be
elected by February 1988 under the current constitution. This seems
certain to engender additional political ferment in the coming moths. The
Bureau texted Chon's statement on a priority basis for Headquarters
consumers at the Wire's request.
B. Communications
On 28 April the Bureau's Mode II primary communications circuit
was upgraded from 74.2 to 150 baud. To accomplish the upgrade, bureau
technicians installed new variable speed Comscribe printers, which were
received from Headquarters earlier in the month. In addition to doubling
the speed of the circuit, the new printers provide more readable copy than
the aging Extels they replaced. The Bureau's backup Mode V circuit
remains at 74.2 baud.
C. Lateral Services
A team of civil engineers from Fort Shafter, Hawaii, was in Seoul
for much of April preparing an analysis of North Korea's planned Kumgansan
dam, which the ROK Government claims is a significant military threat to
the South. On 30 April one of the engineers, Dr. James Dexter, visited
the Bureau to view a Pyongyang television program devoted to the dam
project. The program was originally broadcast on 25 December 1986. Dr.
Dexter found the program very useful and requested a copy of the tape.
The Bureau mailed the tape to MOD for conversion to the NTSC system and
forwarding to Dr. Dexter in Hawaii.
A. Building&_Grounds
Supplemental air conditioning units, ordered from the United
States last September, were installed in the editorial and communications
rooms during the weekend of 18 and 19 April. Both rooms suffer from
inadequate ventilation and have been uncomfortably hot for many years.
The new air conditioning units have greatly improved the work environment
for both editors and communicators.
B. Security-
STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/06/18: CIA-RDP88-00733R000100120007-4
 I I
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/06/18: CIA-RDP88-00733R000100120007-4
Attachment
Monthly Production Report
cc: Chief, Okinawa Bureau
Chief, Hong Kong Bureau
Deputy Chief, Bangkok Bureau
STAT
STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/06/18: CIA-RDP88-00733R000100120007-4
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/06/18: CIA-RDP88-00733R000100120007-4
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