N. KOREA SUSPECTED OF STATE-SPONSORED DRUG TRAFFICKING

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 (Kyodo) -- The United States suspects North Korea of
promoting opium cultivation and engaging in the criminal trafficking of
opiates and other narcotic drugs as ''a criminal state enterprise,''
according to a U.S. report released Friday.

The 1999 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report referred to North
Korea in connection to the drug activities for the first time.

Opium is cultivated in the northern part of North Korea, near the boarder
with China, said the report prepared by the State Department.

Evidence cited in the report came from news sources.

The area under cultivation range is estimated at 4,200-7,000 hectares, with
opium production projected at 30-44 tons annually, it said.

The opium would yield 3 to 4.5 tons of heroin if refined, but none of the
estimates have been confirmed, it said.

The report also pointed out recent newspaper reports that North Korea has
been rapidly developing the manufacturing capacity for methamphetamine.

It said Russia and China are the key markets for North Korean opiates and
serve as transit routes to secondary markets in Asia and Europe. ''North
Korean methamphetamine is reported to have gained a large market share of
the sharply expanding illicit market in Japan.''

Given the nature of the North Korean government, the deteriorating economy,
the collapse of trade ties with former Socialist countries and the
country's increasing isolation, there is strong reason to believe the North
is involved in the production of opiates to generate hard currency, the
report said.

''If we can confirm that there is illicit opium cultivation of 1,000
hectares or more, or that North Korean heroin or methamphetamine transiting
North Korea significantly affects the United States, we will add North
Korea to the list of major drug producing and drug transit countries,'' it
said.

Meanwhile, President Bill Clinton on Friday announced a list of major
illicit drug producing and drug transit countries.

Of the 28 nations on this year's list submitted to Congress, 22 have been
certified as either fully cooperating with the U.S. or taking adequate
steps to combat the illicit drug problem.

Clinton denied certification for Afghanistan and Myanmar.

Barry McCaffrey, the White House official in charge of drug control, said
the two countries ''supply over 90% of the world's supply of opium poppy.''