Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-il went on an inspection tour of the Armor Officers Training School with chairman of the KPA politbureau, Cho Myung-rok, followed by attendance at the stage performance of service members' families. He also urged the party, national, and popular support for rice seedlings and subsequent efforts to resolve the food situation.

A spokesperson for North Korea's foreign ministry welcomed the election of Ehud Barak, who has expressed wishes for peaceful relations with Arab countries, as Israel's prime minister, in an interview with the Korea Central News Agency.

North Korea denied reports of widespread homelessness and increases in the number of escapees by criticizing them as the fabrication of South Korean intelligence. It also called the problem concerning the Hyundai Pung-ak as a deliberate effort of misinformation of South Korean authorities to sabotage the tour.