President Vows to Keep ‘Sunshine Policy’
SOUTH KOREA
*
Despite a skirmish that killed at least four South Korean sailors, President Kim Dae Jung said he would push ahead with his “sunshine policy” of trying to seek reconciliation with North Korea.
However, the South’s military planned to change its rules of engagement to enable swifter response to any North Korean hostilities. Under current rules, South Korean navy boats must give loudspeaker warnings, try to ram invading vessels out and fire warning shots before firing on infiltrators.
Meanwhile, the North accused the U.S. of orchestrating the naval clash to undermine relations between the divided neighbors. The U.S. denied the charge.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
