Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

In commemoration of the 87th anniversary of the birth of the late Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il promoted 79 generals of the People's Army on the order of the Commander-in-chief and visited army bases to foster loyalty among the military. They boosted the mood of celebration by holding the Grand Reports Mission where high-ranking officials of the party and the military were present, and various other events.

In a commentary in Labor Daily on NATO's raids on Yugoslavia, North Korea bragged that "If the United States underestimates us and goes to war with us, it will be the loser." It fiercely criticized President Kim Dae-jung for asking Egyptian President Mubarak, who was on a visit to Korea (April 9, 11:00), to mediate for the improvement of South-North relations. With the 39th anniversary of the April 19 Democratic Struggle Movement approaching, it announced a 16-item manifesto to propagate anti-U.S., anti-government sentiment.