Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Kim Jong Il visited the Navy Command of the Korea People's Army on the May Day (May 1) and gave instructions to further strengthen the naval armed forces.

Kim received guests and hosted a banquet in honor of So Man Sul, Chairman of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Jochongryon) on April 29. On May 4, Kim met with Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong, who was on a visit to North Korea from May 2 to 5 at the invitation of Kim Yong Nam, President of the Supreme People's Assembly Presidium.

North Korea opened mass gymnastic acrobatic displays and Arirang art performances on April 29 at May 1 Stadium. The performances will last through June 29.

A Foreign Ministry spokesperson told a KCNA briefing with regard to foreign media reports of possible visit to Pyongyang by former U.S. President Clinton that "we would like to make it clear that we have never invited Clinton."  

Pyongyang held a Red Cross meeting with Japan in Beijing from April 29 to 30. On April 30, Pyongyang released a joint statement consisting of four items, including the conduct of an investigation into missing Japanese citizens as requested by the Japanese side.

A spokesperson for the Red Cross Central Committee released a denunciatory statement on May 3 saying, "The South Korean Hannara Party has viciously slandered the fourth reunion of scattered families (April 28-May 3 at Mt. Kumkang) by making up a story about admission fees to Mt. Kumkang. This reveals its ulterior motive to block progress in inter-Korean relations and to pour cold water on the family reunions."

The Central Broadcasting Station stressed on May 5 in an article titled "To Implement the June 15 Joint Declaration is the Way to National Unification" that "North and South Koreans and compatriots overseas should join the struggle to implement the Joint Declaration with one heart and fling open the doors to independent unification of the people."