1. Domestic Affairs
Chairman of the National Defense Commission Kim Jong-il inspected Flying
Unit 858 of the Korea People's Army, Thaechon Youth Power Station No.3, Kusong
Machine Tool Plant and Kusong Chicken Farm. (May 19 and 20, Central Broadcasting
Station).
He has made 46 public appearances so far this year --
inspections of 17 military units and three economic sites, 21 meetings with
foreign visitors, and five other activities. His latest visit to economic sites
is the first since his visit to a potato processing factory in Technology County
on Feb. 23. He called for the development of technology, modernization, and
increase of agricultural production to ease the nation's food shortage.
North Korea stepped up its efforts to build up its social
infrastructure. April 5 Power Plants No.3 and 4 started their operation (May
20), small and mid-sized power plants were normalized (May 21), the Ministry of
Railways completed the construction of small and mid-sized power plants (May
22), and the government of South Pyongan Province replotted part of its land
(May 23).
News media propagandized measures to ease North Korean
`food shortage.' They featured stories on Mangyondae Chicken Farm (May 20), Suan
County Duck Farm (May 21), Hongju Chicken Farm (May 23) and Wonsan Goat Farm
(May 24), all under construction. Also, 600 housing units under construction
were reported (May 22).
2. South Korean Relations
North Korean news media, quoting statements issued by a handful of
South Korean social groups, tried to propagandize a large-scale anti-American
protest in the South (May 22). They reported that South Koreans protested the
U.S. plot to wage a nuclear war and the U.S. pressure on Seoul to buy F-15K
fighters. They also tried to fuel anti-U.S. sentiment in South Korea on the
occasion of the 22nd anniversary of the May 18 Kwangju Democratization Movement.
Pyongyang Broadcasting Station said May 21 that Buddhists
in South and North Korea held a joint mass service as a part of events to
celebrate the May 19 Buddha's Birthday and to pray for the national
reunification.
A spokesman for the North Korean Committee for the
Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland issued a statement May 18, denouncing
some South Korean social groups for undermining South and North Korean efforts
to reunify the nation through a national unity by trying to reveal their list of
pro-North Korean leftists
3. External affairs
Foreign Minister Paek Nam-sun visited Russia from May 20 to 23. He
signed an exchange and cooperation accord with Russian Foreign Minister Igor
Ivanov (May 21).
North Korea strengthened its human resources exchanges
with China. Delegations from a Chinese political school (May 18), Xinhua News
Agency and an institute on international relations (May 21) visited North Korea.
In exchanges, delegations from the Korean Democratic Women's Union (May 20) and
a Workers' Party school (May 22) are currently visiting China.
Pyongyang denounced the U.S. government for designating
North Korea as one of countries that suppress religion. It also blamed the
Japanese government for seeking to beef up its military muscle and Japanese
Prime Minister Koizumi for visiting the Yasukuni Shrine. While there is no
official statement in response to U.S. designation of North Korean as a
terrorist sponsor, Pyongyang denounced the United States as the "king of
terrorism."
Frozen beef in a humanitarian aid donated by the
Switzerland was delivered to North Korea (May 18). A delegation from the Academy
of Sciences visited Germany (May 21). |
