Japanese Newspaper Reports on Secret Contacts Between Iran and North Korea - 2003-06-11

A Japanese newspaper has reported that Iranian nuclear experts secretly visited North Korea three times this year, likely seeking guidance from the North Korean regime on how to deal with international atomic energy inspectors. Today's report from Sankei Shimbun, published in Tokyo, indicates that these consultative meetings took place between March and May of this year. The Japanese newspaper cited an unnamed source from the Korean Peninsula, stating that Iranian experts also discussed cooperation between the two countries regarding nuclear development. Sankei Shimbun is one of five national newspapers in Japan and is considered a conservative publication known for its reports on North Korea. President Bush previously identified Iran and North Korea as parts of an 'axis of evil' dealing with nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons before the Iraq war. North Korea stated on Monday that it is seeking nuclear weapons to reduce its non-nuclear forces and allocate financial resources to improve its struggling economy. Iran, accused by the U.S. of purchasing long-range missile technology from China, has consistently claimed that its nuclear ambitions are for peaceful purposes and aimed at generating atomic electricity.