1.InternalAffairs
1. Internal Affairs
o Chairman Kim Jeong-il attended a symphony performance The Great Journey towards Military First performed by the recently organized National Symphony Orchestra (Dec. 4, Central Broadcasting Station).
o North Korea recently opened a trade information center at Pyeongyang to provide various types of trade-related information to trading companies and organizations.
- Information is being provided through the website, Saebyeolmang (New Star Network). (the December edition of Joguk [the Motherland], monthly magazine published by the Jocheongryeon [General Association of North Korean Residents in Japan])
o North Korea fully amended its criminal law on April 29 through Government Ordinance No. 432 issued by the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Committee (previously, 8 chapters 161 articles now, 9 chapters 303 articles).
- The North Korean criminal law has been amended five times since it was first established in March 1950.
o North Korea plans to hold the Military-first Revolution Marching Conference in February next year at Pyeongyang, with the participation of men and women of the People's Army, workers, laborers, etc. (Dec. 7, Central Broadcasting Station).
o In December, North Korea has continued to urge that economic tasks proposed through this year's New-Year joint editorials must be fully accomplished (Dec. 1, Central TV, etc.).
o North Korea announced that it has achieved this year's plans forharbor and marine transportation sectors a month ahead of schedule or earlier.
- As of November 23, North Korea has achieved 100% of its yearly target for trading ports' cargo handling volume, 113% of domestic freight transportation, 115% of total industrial output, and 101% of construction assembly (Nov. 28, Democratic Joseon).
o Since China began distorting the history of the Goguryeo Dynasty (B.C. 37-A.D.668), North Korea has strengthened its academic research activities, especially focusing on the history of the dynasties of Goguryeo and Balhae (698-926), and recently emphasized the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) as the first unified nation to inherit the tradition of the Goguryeo Dynasty (Dec. 7, Central Broadcasting Station).
2. Inter-Korean Relations
o Through a statement issued by the Joseon Anti-Nuclear Peace Committee on December 4, North Korea condemned the results reached by the IAEA Board on South Korea's nuclear substance test, and argued that the South Korean authority should disclose the truth regarding its own nuclear problem before talking about North Korea's nuclear issue, relating the issue to the progress in inter-Korean relations (Dec. 5, Central Broadcasting Station).
o North Korea criticized South Korean authorities on the recent move to strengthen and modernize its military forces using the excuse of the reduction of US Forces in Korea. The North asserted that the maneuvers to strengthen military forces will only increase the risk of war (Dec. 9, Pyeongyang Broadcasting Service).
3. External Affairs
o In a press conference with the Central News Agency on December 4, the Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson announced views on the recent visit of the Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry's Korean Peninsula Ambassador to North Korea (Nov. 24-27) as well as the DPRK-US dialogue (Nov. 30-Dec. 3) in New York.
- The spokesperson argued that in order to set appropriate conditions for reopening the six-party talks, the US must cease its hostile policy, which aims to overthrow the North Korean regime, and agree to coexistence (Dec. 4, Central Broadcasting Station & Pyeongyang Broadcasting Service).
o The spokesperson of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland released a statement on December 6 criticizing the US for secretly devising and carrying out war scenarios that involve invasion of North Korea. The statement also urged the US to abandon its hostile policy against North Korea, and asserted that North Korea's deterrence against war is the reason that peace is being secured on the Korean Peninsula (Dec. 8, Central Broadcasting Station).
