1. Domestic Affairs
Chairman of the National Defense Commission Kim Jong-il visited
Unit 179 of the Korea People's Army (KPA), where he vowed to deal resolutely
against the tense political situation on the Korean Peninsula.
Preparations for events were underway to celebrate
Chairman Kim's upcoming 60th birthday, on Feb. 16. They were intended to
strengthen North Korean residents' loyalty to him. The number of events
celebrating his birthday increased sharply from last year. About 20 athletic
meets and arts exhibitions were planned, including Paektusan Cup Games on Feb.
3. News media reported that overseas pro-North Korean groups had established
preparatory committees about a year ago to commemorate his 60th birthday.
Pyongyang Broadcasting Station publicized an art
performance titled "Arirang," adding that foreign tourists would be guaranteed
convenience while staying in North Korea.
2. South Korean Relations
South and North Korea agreed to hold a meeting to mark the
beginning of New Year by the lunar calendar. A spokesman for the General Federation of Trade Unions
denounced the South Korean government's ban on the proposed visits to North
Korea by the Korea Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) and the Federation of
Korean Trade Unions (FKTU), branding the measure as
"anti-reunification."
North Korean social groups criticized Lee Hoi-chang,
leader of South Korea's major opposition party, for his anti-North Korean
remarks while on his visit to the United States, and the most widely read South
Korean newspaper, The Chosun Ilbo, for its article critical of North Korea's
"Arirang" performance. The Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the
Fatherland, the Social Democratic Party and the General Federation of Trade
Unions issued such statements on Feb. 1, 4 and 6, respectively, demanding
apology.
3. External affairs
North Korea continued its denunciation against President Bush's
Jan. 30 State of the Union address. "It is the United States where terrorism,
aggression, and war threatening world peace come from." Pyongyang Broadcasting
Station said on Feb. 5. It propagandized on Feb. 3 that an anti-U.S. sentiment
was escalating in South Korea.
A spokesman for the North Korean Foreign Ministry
denounced Japan on Feb. 5 for firing a rocket called H2-A No. 2 on Feb. 4,
calling it a plot to revive its militarism. "Japan launched the rocket to jump
on the U.S. wagon trying to crush North Korea to death. We cannot help but
beefing up our military muscle," he said in a statement.
The German humanitarian aid of 6,000 tons of frozen beef
arrived in Nampo Port, North Korea on Feb. 4.
Hong Song-nam, a senior North Korean official, had a
conference with Doris Hertrampf, the new German ambassador to North Korea on
Feb. 5. |
