Domestic Affairs
Domestic Affairs
- Chairman Kim Jong-il visited a rear-area military officers' school, then Simwon Temple to instruct preservation of cultural relics. He also attended a reception of the Russian embassy and pledged friendly ties between the two countries upon receiving a present from Russian president Vladimir Putin.
- The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said February 13 that chairman Kim's recent series of visits to military units showed his determination for an extra-hardline reaction to the United States.
- North Korea used Kim's 61st birthday (February 16) as an occasion for a national unity by holding an "athletic meet on the peak of Mt. Baekdu." The Ministry of People's Armed Forces lauded Kim's greatness and presented large scale parades as part of the birthday festivities.
- North Korea emphasized the spirit of "Korean people-first," saying that the population was enjoying folklore events and traditional foods on the occasion of the January 15 by the lunar calendar, which is a holiday.
- North Korea encouraged railway workers to ease inconvenience in the railway sector and prepare for the construction of the Trans-Korean Railway/Trans-Siberia Railway in a research debate on rail improvement and modernization of rail factory.
- The newspaper Joseon Sinbo reported February 8 that the production of a multi-series historical TV drama depicting the reign of the first four kings following the Joseon dynasty's first king Taejo was under way. The drama intends to compare the loyal subjects with the traitors to highlight the need to defend the leader (Kim Jong-il) and the people-first principle.
- North Korea said that the land readjustment project enforced for the last five years was able to secure 6,123 jeongbo (a jeongbo is equal to 9,917 square meters) as new arable land. It urged concerned workers to bring an early end to the project.
Relations with South Korea
- South and North Korea held their fourth meeting of the Inter-Korean Economic Cooperation Promotion Committee February 11-14 in Seoul and agreed to continue the discussion on concrete measures of the already agreed points covering rail and road connection projects.
- North Korea conducted a demonstration tour February 14 in advance of the overland Mt. Geumgang tourism to create an atmosphere for the main operations and identify possible problems.
- North Korea's Democratic Front for the Unification of the Fatherland, in a statement issued February 7 by a spokesman of the front's central commission, tried to stem the move to discourage anti-U.S. demonstrations and to instigate active anti-American struggles. It denounced the United States for the alleged secret schemes to suppress anti-U.S. sentiments in South Korea.
External Affairs
- North Korea expressed its alert against the United States for the latter's perception of it. A foreign ministry spokesman in an interview with the Korean Central News Agency contended that the U.S. defense secretary's reference to North Korea as a "terrorist regime" indicated that after Iraq North Korea would be the target.
- In response to Japan's allusion of North Korea as a "criminal state" and a move to ban the ship Mangyeongbong from entering Japan, North Korea vehemently denounced Japan for its attempts to avoid facing its past misdeeds and improvement of relations with Pyongyang.
- In connection with the disappearance of plutonium in Japan, North Korea said Japan was attempting to arm itself with nuclear device. It also denounced the International Atomic Energy Agency for policies in favor of Japan.
- On the occasion of the third anniversary of new North Korea-Russia treaty February 10, there was a celebration at the Russian embassy, where North Korea's vice foreign minister Goong Seok-woong attended.
