2006年VOA标准英语-South Korea Declines to Join Group Searching Su

By Kurt Achin
Seoul
13 November 2006 

South Korea says it will not formally join a U.S.- led coalition¹ aimed at preventing international traffic in weapons of mass destruction. Seoul declined the U.S. request as it announced its plan for implementing² punitive³ United Nations sanctions passed after North Korea's nuclear weapons test last month. 

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South Korean officials said Monday Seoul will not join the U.S.-led Proliferation Security Initiative, or PSI, as Washington had hoped. However, they said South Korea is already doing more than any other nation to prevent North Korea from trafficking its weapons of mass destruction.

Eleven nations signed on to the PSI, which calls on members to stop and search any vessel⁴ "reasonably suspected" of transporting nuclear weapons material, or similar dangerous items. Dozens of nations have voiced support for the PSI since the North's nuclear test.

South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Park In-kook said Monday his country cannot formally participate due to its "special situation" vis-a-vis the North.

Park says South Korea supports the goals and principles of PSI, but will not officially join the U.S.-led plan. Instead, Seoul will abide⁵ by an inter-Korean maritime⁶ agreement, which also gives South Korea the right to inspect Northern ships entering its ports or waters.

North and South Korea remain technically⁷ at war, having halted three years of heavy fighting with a temporary armistice⁸ in 1953. South Korean authorities say formally participating in PSI could antagonize the North, reducing chances for dialogue.

North Korea is expected to return to six-nation talks aimed at ending its nuclear weapons programs later this year. Those talks also involve South Korea, the United States, Japan, China, and Russia.

South Korea is scheduled Monday to submit its report to the United Nations outlining plans for implementing punitive U.N. Security Council sanctions passed after Pyongyang's nuclear test last month.

South Korean Unification Ministry⁹ Spokesman Lee Kwan-se says Seoul has already taken stronger measures against the North than any other country.

He says Seoul has not supplied rice, fertilizer, cement, or industrial materials to the North since July. Eighty percent of the trade that would normally have taken place in those four months has been halted, costing the North about $360 million.

North Korea test-fired a series of ballistic missiles in July, defying warnings from South Korea and the international community not to do so.

Lee says South Korea permits the continued operation of two massive "engagement policy" projects in the North, but will maintain punitive measures against them.

Seoul stopped allotting¹⁰ new production leases to South Korean companies in the North's Kaesong industrial zone after July's missile launches. Lee says that freeze will remain in place.

South Korea says it will also stop subsidizing South Korean visits to the North's Mount Kumgang tourism zone.

Both projects have come under criticism as cash cows for Pyongyang. South Korea says the projects have no demonstrated connection to the North's weapons programs, or to the U.N. sanctions.

1 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

2 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句

3 punitive   

adj.惩罚的，刑罚的

参考例句：

• They took punitive measures against the whole gang.他们对整帮人采取惩罚性措施。
• The punitive tariff was imposed to discourage tire imports from China.该惩罚性关税的征收是用以限制中国轮胎进口的措施。

4 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

5 abide   

vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受

参考例句：

• You must abide by the results of your mistakes.你必须承担你的错误所造成的后果。
• If you join the club,you have to abide by its rules.如果你参加俱乐部，你就得遵守它的规章。

6 maritime   

adj.海的，海事的，航海的，近海的，沿海的

参考例句：

• Many maritime people are fishermen.许多居于海滨的人是渔夫。
• The temperature change in winter is less in maritime areas.冬季沿海的温差较小。

7 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

8 armistice   

n.休战，停战协定

参考例句：

• The two nations signed an armistice.两国签署了停火协议。
• The Italian armistice is nothing but a clumsy trap.意大利的停战不过是一个笨拙的陷阱。

9 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

10 allotting   

分配，拨给，摊派( allot的现在分词 )

参考例句：