【Internal Affairs】
On May 25, the North Korean media reported
that Kim Jong Un provided field guidance at the completed railway that
connects Koam and Dapchon.
On May 24 and 25, the North Korean media reported that the Nuclear
Weapons Institute, in a statement, said that the North held a ceremony
for the complete dismantling of the northern nuclear test ground of
the DPRK (Punggye-ri nuclear test ground in Kilju County, North
Hamgyong Province) on May 24.
On May 22, the North Korean media reported that Premier Pak Pong Ju
gave field guidance at various business units in South Hwanghae Province.
On May 19, the North Korean media reported that the people should be
mobilized for and focused on the “rice-planting battle.”
On May 21, the North Korean media warned the people against the
illusion of imperialism and emphasized “self-reliance.”
On May 21, the North Korean media reported the opening of the 21st
Pyongyang Spring International Trade Fair.
On May 23, the North Korean media reported that the migrant bird
sanctuaries in Mundok County and Rason City were registered on the
Ramsar List as wetlands of international importance.
【Inter-Korean Affairs】
On May 19 and 20, the North Korean
media reported that a spokesperson for the Central Committee of the
DPRK Red Cross Society, in a Q&A session with KCNA reporters,
emphasized that the South’s way of handling the case of the North
Korean female restaurant workers who defected to the South in 2016
will have great impact on the resolution of inter-Korean humanitarian issues.
On May 22, the North Korean media urged the South to “break away
from dependence on foreign forces and confrontation between Koreans”
regarding the suspension of inter-Korean high-level talks.
On May 22, the North Korean media condemned the South regarding the
anti-DPRK propaganda leaflet-scattering.
On May 23, the North Korean media denounced the South regarding the
2018 Max Thunder drills and the launching of the ship Marado.
【Foreign Affairs】
On May 24, the North Korean media
reported that Choe Son Hui, one of six vice foreign ministers, blasted
US Vice President Pence’s remarks on the North (May 21) and warned
that the North would reconsider the North Korea-US summit.
On May 25, the North Korean media reported that Vice Foreign
Minister Kim Kye Gwan, in a statement, said that “The North is open to
resolving problems at any time in any way” after US President Donald
Trump called off a June summit with its leader Kim Jong Un.
On May 25, the North Korean media reported that a researcher at the
Disarmament and Peace Institute of the DPRK Foreign Ministry, in a
comment, said that the ROK-US joint military exercises including the
2018 Max Thunder drills exacerbated the situation on the Korean Peninsula.
On May 20, the North Korean media asserted that the US was plotting
to mislead public opinion regarding human rights issues in North Korea.
On May 22, the North Korean media maintained that Kim Jong Un should
be given credit for improvement in the situation on the Korean Peninsula.