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WORLD NEWS Saturday 27 January 2018

It’s ‘complicated:’ China’s North Korea envoy on lack of visit

By CHRIS BODEEN voy in August.
Associated Press China has long been the
BEIJING (AP) — China’s North’s chief economic
chief envoy for North Ko- partner and political ally
rean affairs said Friday the but North Korean leader
reasons he hasn’t visited Kim Jong Un’s refusal to rein
Pyongyang are “compli- in his regime’s provocative
cated” but that China re- actions has left Beijing offi-
mains committed to find- cials increasingly frustrated.
ing a diplomatic solution China’s support for increas-
to tensions over the North’s ingly tough United Nations
nuclear weapons program. sanctions has also sparked
Vice Foreign Minister Kong a backlash from Pyong-
Xuanyou offered no details yang. Recent moves to
but the lack of a visit has ban sales of North Korean
been cited as an indication coal and other key exports
of how badly relations be- are believed to be causing
tween Beijing and Pyong- a cash crunch although
yang have deteriorated. the effect on regime stabil-
“I am the special repre- ity isn’t known.
sentative of the Chinese In Tokyo, a Japanese For-
government on the Korean eign Ministry official said Fri-
Peninsula affairs, but I have day that Japan sees China
not visited North Korea yet. as taking the U.N. resolu- Photographers take pictures of Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou after a press confer-
ence at the State Council Information Office in Beijing, Friday, Jan. 26, 2018. China’s chief envoy
The reason is quite compli- tions on North Korea “very for North Korean affairs says the reasons he hasn’t visited Pyongyang are “complicated” but that
cated,” Kong told report- seriously,” and that Japa- China remains committed to finding a diplomatic solution to tensions over the North’s nuclear
ers. “But regardless whether nese Foreign Minister Taro weapons program.
I visit North Korea, China’s Kono intends to encourage (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
commitment to safeguard- Beijing to do more to pres- more China can do, includ- ligence, criss-crossed the na’s efforts were “critical”
ing peace and stability sure the North when he vis- ing cutting oil supply and region this week seeking to maximizing pressure on
and realizing denucleariza- its China this weekend for other key items. The official more effective coopera- Pyongyang. That includes
tion on the peninsula will talks with his counterpart, spoke on condition of ano- tion on the sanctions. expelling any individuals
never change,” he added. Wang Yi, and other top of- nymity due to protocol. She characterized meet- facilitating illicit trade or fi-
Kong, an ethnic Korean ficials. But the official said Sigal Mandelker, U.S. under- ings with Chinese officials nancial transactions with
from northeastern China, that as a major trade part- secretary of the Treasury for in Beijing as productive North Korea and prevent-
was appointed special en- ner of North Korea, there is terrorism and financial intel- but also stressed that Chi- ing smuggling.q

Fire at hospital kills 37, injures scores in South Korea

By AHN YOUNG-JOON eastern city of Miryang has room. Dark smoke and flames windows after being used
HYUNG-JIN KIM a separate nursing ward Mirayng police official Kim were pouring from the to evacuate patients and
Associated Press where 94 elderly patients Han-su said 34 of the dead emergency room when hospital staff.
MIRYANG, South Korea were being treated, but all were women and 26 were firefighters arrived, so they Three of the dead worked
(AP) — A fire raced through of them were safely evacu- in their 80s or older. He said used ladders to enter sec- at the hospital — an emer-
a small South Korean hospi- ated, fire officials said. police may be able to an- ond-floor windows. gency room doctor and a
tal with no sprinkler system Most of the victims were on nounce the cause of the Some carried patients on nurse and nurse assistant
on Friday, killing 37 people, the first and second floors of fire on Saturday. their backs to other res- on the second floor — said
many of them elderly, and the hospital’s six-story gen- Police and forensic inves- cuers below, who moved Son Kyung-cheol, head of
injuring more than 140 oth- eral ward, where its emer- tigators dressed in white them on stretchers to am- the foundation that oper-
ers in the country’s deadli- gency room and intensive- clothes, masks and helmets bulances. ates the facility.
est blaze in about a de- care unit were located. examined burned equip- Several fabric escape The National Fire Agency
cade. Officials believe the fire ment in the blackened chutes were hanging from said officials were trying to
Sejong Hospital in the south- started in the emergency emergency room. the building’s sixth floor identify other victims.q