Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

From December 14 to 16, Kim Jong Il gave on-the-spot guidance to Bukjung Machinery Complex and other manufacturing factories in North Pyongan Province. Among those accompanying him were Korean People's Army Chief of General Staff Kim Yong Chun, Minister of the People's Armed Forces Kim Il Chol, and party secretary Kim Ki Nam. Kim Jong Il urged factory supervisors to maximize the utilization of factory capacities.  

Senior cabinet and central government organization officials, including Cabinet Premier Hong Song Nam, visited the Ranam Coal Mining Machinery Complex. They stressed the importance of "following the examples of Ranam proletariat workers, particularly their lofty sense of responsibility, dedication to work, and command-and-control systems for organizational programs."

The Rodong Sinmun ran a commentary (December 13) blasting Japan for the "approval of the revised International Peace Cooperation Law by the House of Councilors," arguing that it "revealed Japan's intent to 'wear the hat' of a U.N. peacekeeping force, which is a slap in the face of world peace and a mockery of mankind."

Central Television stressed December 14 that, "the ruling class of the United States are seeking to shift the war ground from Afghanistan to the Korean peninsula. If the U.S. imperialists thrusts war upon us, our armed forces will react in kind with a revolutionary war."

On December 11, the Rodong Sinmun misleadingly referred to the walls set up to defend against North-Korean tanks as 'concrete walls,' arguing, "If the South Korean authorities are serious about implementing the North-South Joint Declaration and truly wish to independently settle reunification issues, it must first dismantle the concrete walls."

On December 16, Pyongyang Broadcasting falsely assailed the South Korean authorities arguing, "The South Korean fascist authorities have initiated nationwide security alerts and put a shackle on patriotic pro-unification forces. The moves reveal sycophancy toward foreign powers, betrayal of brethren, and rejection of reunification."