
                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, June 6, 1994                    TAG: 9406060046 
SECTION: FRONT                     PAGE: A1    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: FROM WIRE REPORTS 
DATELINE: 940606                                 LENGTH: WASHINGTON

PERRY RENEWS PLEDGE TO DEFEND S. KOREA

{LEAD} Defense Secretary William Perry vowed Sunday that the United States would defend South Korea if North Korea invades, and warned the communist North that such a confrontation would bring ``devastating con-sequences.''

But President Clinton said he does not think North Korea would risk its own ``destruction'' by invading. Even with growing bipartisan support for military action - including support for contingency plans for a pre-emptive strike if necessary - the president said he wanted to talk peace instead of war.

{REST} In Europe for D-Day anniversary ceremonies, Clinton sought in a round of television interviews to keep the rhetoric cool while at the same time underscoring U.S. resolve in dealing with North Korea.

``We have not sought a confrontation with them,'' he said. ``The door is still open for them to become part of the world's community and that's what we want.''

``I don't want to join their escalation of words,'' he said. ``We will honor our treaty commitments, but we are not trying to provoke North Korea. We are only asking them to do what they already promised to do.''

Perry said he did not believe a military showdown was imminent over the North's refusal to allow inspection of its nuclear facilities. But he said the United States would, if necessary, strengthen the 38,000 U.S. troops already in South Korea, and use them if fighting broke out.

Clinton said he expected the United Nations to approve sanctions against North Korea, but that the United States is prepared to join with other willing nations to put economic pressure on North Korea if the U.N. does not act.

Perry said Sunday that it was ``entirely possible'' that China would block a U.N. Security Council resolution against North Korea. ``There'll be intensive and detailed discussions over the next week or so,'' Perry said. ``I think it's premature to try to specify at this point what kind of sanctions are going to come out.''

by CNB