InternalAffairs
Internal Affairs
o Chairman Kim Jong-il visited June 18 the power stations military unit 567 had built and the unit's headquarters company and stressed the role of armed forces as masters of the economy in the 'military-first' era. Kim also encouraged the production and provision of side dishes, when he conducted on-site guidance at a goat breeding farm in Bongsan county, North Hwanghae province June 13 and Gyenam Orchard in Seonwon county, South Hwanghae province four days later.
o On the occasion of the 39th anniversary (June 19, 1964) of the "launch of Party projects" by chairman Kim Jong-il, North Korea highlighted and propagandized Kim's achievements in the projects by holding central report sessions, exhibitions of Kim's paintings, Kim's film appreciation gatherings and various other commemorative events in an attempt to induce absolute allegiance.
o By propagandizing through its Central Television Station on June 12 that 'People's Livelihood Bonds' were being sold amid the people's positive response and frequent instances of donating the bonds to the state, North Korea tried to create an atmosphere for residents to buy bonds and to offer them to the state.
o Anticipating for a smooth supply of cement needed in large-scale construction projects, the Pyongyang Broadcast said June 14 that the Sangwon Cement Union Co. built a new mining zone capable of producing millions of limestone and started mining operations.
o North Korea tried to stir up active competition for work among women as well as their morale, through the Rodong Sinmun June 17, as it propagandized that some 90 females had been awarded the title of the highest honor of 'heroine' since the 'military-first politics' was launched in 1995 and that "women have strenuously been driving one wheel of the revolution in the struggle to construct a "strong and prosperous nation."
o Through its Korean Central News Agency June 17, North Korea said it achieved an overall victory by earning 21 gold medals, two silvers and one bronze and ten cups in the 13th World Taekwondo Championships held in Greece June 12-15.
Relations with South Korea
o On the occasion of the third anniversary of the announcement of the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration, North Korea staged the "Grand Festival for People's Unification" by holding various events including commemorative report sessions and photo exhibitions. It was exceptional that party secretary Kim Yong-soon contributed to the newspaper Rodong Sinmun June 13 to whip up a massive commemorative atmosphere.
- In the article, Kim highly rated the achievements made over the past three years and asserted that North and South Korea must revitalize dialogue, exchanges and cooperation between them by strengthening mutual assistance by the people of the two Koreas. He also argued for anti-Americanism and anti-war.
* Originally, the commemorative festival had been planned to take place in Pyongyang with the attendance of the South and North Korean as well as overseas representatives, but North Korea aborted co-hosting, citing the SARS epidemic.
o Representatives of Hyundai Asan and North Korea's Korean Asia-Pacific Peace Committee had contacts in Mt. Geumgang June 10-13 and agreed on the detailed matters related to Hyundai's Mt. Geumgang tourism project and the construction of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex and announced their agreement in a joint press release. Despite the North Korean nuclear situation, the move indicated that inter-Korean economic cooperation would be promoted on a sustained basis.
External Affairs
o A spokesman of the North Korean foreign ministry said in a statement June 18 that the argument for multilateral talks was not intended to solve the nuclear issue in a peaceful way but to "disguise a policy to isolate and strangulate North Korea." Showing a negative view on the multilateral talks which, it said, merit little prospects, North Korea hurled to the United States any responsibility that might arise from this controversy.
- Meanwhile, in a comment on June 17 on the Trilateral Coordination and Oversight Group meeting held in Hawaii June 12-13, the KCNA said ulterior motives belied the meeting to erect an international dragnet in opposition to the DPRK and further step up provocative containment maneuvers toward it.
o The KCNA intensified its anti-Japan denunciations June 3, claiming that Japan's fabrication of the name "Korea" should be reverted to 'Corea.' It said Japan's fabrication of the country's name, its policy to suppress the Korean language and the compulsory change of Korean names into Japanese were among the three major crimes Japan had committed against Korea (during the colonial period).
