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U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates hinted that the U.S. may sell global hawk, the long-range high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle, to Korea, saying ¡°We are sympathetic to the interest in this¡± in a press conference on Friday. His statement came after the 40th annual Security Consultative Meeting with South Korean Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee at the Pentagon, Washington D.C.
It is the first time the U.S. has officially revealed it may sell the surveillance aircraft to the Korean government, although Washington is thought to have been leaning toward the sale since the beginning of this year.
Meanwhile, when asked about the health of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and contingency plans for the North¡¯s sudden upturn, Minister Lee replied, ¡°Kim Jong-Il has not been seen in public for a while now, but we, both the Korean and the United States intelligence services, estimate that he still has control over his administration.¡±
¡°I believe that he's probably enjoying all this new-found attention (on the state of his health). And if we show him too much attention, then we might spoil him. ¡± he added.
Some voiced their worries over Minister Lee¡¯s remark, saying it could provoke the North under the current situation where it is threatening to sever ties with the South. A senior official with the Defense Ministry, however, explained it was just a joke to soften the atmosphere of the press conference.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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