InternalAffairs
Internal Affairs
o North Korean leader Kim Jong-il tried to boost morale for the military, the backbone of his regime, by highlighting his interest in soldiers' service environment as well as strengthening combat capability. Kim made the gesture when he visited military unit 844, according to North Korean broadcasts January 30.
o In an effort to help solve food shortages by encouraging production, North Korea held a "Pioneers' Rally to Revolutionize Potato Farming" January 27-28 at the People's Palace of Culture. Participants assessed the outcome of potato cultivation for the last five years.
o On the occasion of the lunar New Year on January 22, North Korea fomented a festive atmosphere by holding a variety of folk games, food tasting meets, entertainment events, issuing commemorative stamps and selling New Year food in eateries and outdoor booths.
o In anticipation of Kim Jong-il's birthday that falls on February 16, North Korea embarked on creating a festive mood by holding sports events, such as the 30th National Youth and Students Ice Sports Competition for the Jong-il Peak Prize in Sinuiju January 21 and the ninth Mt. Baekdu Sports Competition for Central Agency Workers at the table tennis courts of the Pyongyang Youth Street on January 28.
o North Korea instituted a system under which new scientific and technological achievements, such as intangible intellectual properties like inventions and computer programs, can be distributed as "intellectual goods," according to a report by the newspaper Joseon Sinbo on January 21.
- As part of the Measures for Economic Management and Improvement on July 1, 2002, North Korea apparently is working on "pricing" individual scientific and technological achievements in a bid to motivate scientists and technicians.
o Under the improved version of socialist economic management, the socialist distribution principle of doling out 'as much as one worked and as much as one earned' was introduced to the agricultural sector as well, which resulted in a desire for greater productivity by farm workers, according to the Joseon Sinbo's Internet edition on January 21.
Relations with South Korea
o North Korea held a joint meeting of the administration, party and public organizations January 19 at the People's Palace of Culture, where participants discussed ways of achieving self-reliant unification of the Korean peninsula through mutual assistance between the peoples of North and South Korea under the banner of the Korean people-first principle, proposing five tasks to realize them. The proposed tasks include:
- To hold gatherings of the people from both sides of the border in Pyongyang, Seoul, Mt. Geumgang and other agreeable places on such occasions as traditional holidays and the days South and North Korea jointly commemorate.
- To promote the expansion of the unification movement on the theme of mutual assistance of Korean people and create an anti-American mood in South Korea through a "letter of appeal to the 70 million Korean compatriots."
o South and North Korea held a working-level contact on inter-Korean economic cooperation systems January 27-29 in Gaeseong and initialed the Agreement concerning Entry, Exit and Stay in the Gaeseong Industrial Zone and the Mt. Geumgang Tourism Area.
External Affairs
o A Chinese delegation, led by Wang Jia Rui, chief of the Communist party's external liaison department, visited North Korea January 17-20. The Chinese and their Korean hosts discussed ways of boosting traditional friendly relations between the two countries and exchanged views about regional situations.
Chairman Kim Jong-il received and threw a dinner for the delegates January 19.
o Yang hyeong-seop, vice chairman of the presidium of the North Korean Supreme People's Assembly, left Pyongyang January 20 for a tour of Uganda and Nigeria, where he is expected to promote friendly ties and economic cooperation with these nonaligned countries.
o Recently, North Korea nominated Ji Jae-sook as ambassador to Singapore by issuing a presidium decree of the Supreme People's Assembly.
