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A U.S. investigation team headed by the Treasury Department¡¯s deputy assistant secretary for terrorist financing and financial crimes, Daniel Glaser, on Monday presented Korean officials with its evidence that North Korea is engaged in counterfeiting U.S. dollars. The team was met by Kim Sook, the director-general of the North American affairs bureau in the Foreign Ministry. South Korean officials said the evidence offered by the U.S. team was ¡°pretty convincing.¡±
The team sought to back up Washington¡¯s belief that the North Korean regime itself is behind the forgeries, participants said. Details were kept under tight wraps.
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As U.S. investigation team led by the Treasury Department¡¯s deputy assistant secretary for terrorist financing and financial crimes Daniel Glaser (second from right) meets with South Korean officials including Kim Sook, the Foreign Ministry¡¯s North America Bureau head (second from left), at the ministry building in Seoul on Monday to present evidence of North Korea¡¯s alleged counterfeiting.
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A Foreign Ministry official said there was no evidence at the meeting that the U.S. government has changed its position. Another official said reports of attempts to resolve the situation by overlooking the North¡¯s illegal dollar transactions through a bank in Macau ¡°have it completely the wrong way.¡±
¡°Both U.S. and Macau authorities are still investigating the issue, and it seems no significant results will be out for several days,¡± a government official said. ¡°Seoul has already stopped raising questions about accusations that the North is involved in illegal financial activities. To our knowledge, the Chinese investigation has confirmed that the North is engaged in wrongdoings.¡±
Glaser reiterated that Washington¡¯s actions do not constitute sanctions, merely ¡°protective measures,¡± while also repeating that the issue is separate from six-party talks on the North¡¯s nuclear program, according to the Foreign Ministry. Pyongyang has said it will boycott the talks unless the U.S. lifts the sanctions.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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