Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

North Korean prime minister Hong Sung-nam presided over a gathering of 100000 in Pyongyang's Kim Il-sung Square, with the Public Security Bureau and other government agencies mobilizing similar assemblies in North and South Hwang-hae, Kangwon, and North Hamkyung, for the successful execution and achievement of objectives as outlined in the joint Party-KPA-Youth League New Year's editorial. North Kora's media rallied public opinion behind the assemblies by calling for `the successful completion of party's economic policies for the creation of a superpower under the leadership of Kim Jong-il'.

North Korea also announced establishment of diplomatic relations on the ambassador-level with Italy, and added that it will abide by `revolutionary principles and self-reliance' in normalization of its relations with Japan, demanding that the US and Japan stop attempts to annihilate North Korea under the guise of improvement of relations, official talks, or other tactics.

Last but not least, North Korea continued its demands for the release of Kim Ins´ë, Kim Young-tae, Ham Sehwan, and other non-apostate agents currently serving time in ROK prisons, and refused to tone down their usual hard-line rhetoric, calling the ROK defense Ministry's policies for Year 2000 and beyond a `prelude to an invasion North', and `wrongdoing that will be repaid in kind'.