Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

In the 1^st session of the 11th Supreme People's Assembly that convened at Mansudae Assembly Hall on Sept. 2, Kim Jong Il was reelected as Chairman of the National Defense Commission. The deputies also endorsed 'external measures' the Foreign Ministry adopted with regards to the nuclear standoff between the DPRK and the U.S, and decided to take adequate follow-up measures. Pak Pong Ju was elected as premier, while most of the core assembly leaders remaining in office.

One million Pyongyang residents held a rally at Kim Il Sung square, celebrating the reelection of Kim Jong Il as Chairman of the National Defense Commission.

On the occasion of the 55^th anniversary of founding the communist government (Sept. 9), the Central Broadcasting Station said, "What counts most in our heroic struggle is to sacrifice our lives as human guns and bombs in order to defend and protect our dear leader Kim Jong Il." It also went on to stress, "Defending our dear leader at the cost of our lives is the supreme expression of heroism and what makes a hero in the 'Son-gun (military-first)' era."

In its Sept. 1 editorial titled 'Our nuclear deterrent force is a means of protecting our sovereign rights,' Rodong Shinmun commented, "As long as we are not threatened, our nuclear deterrents will remain as they are. Countries that are friendly and not hostile towards us have no reason to be afraid of our nuclear deterrents."

Pyongyang Broadcasting Station criticized Tokyo by saying, "The Japanese authorities must be thoroughly held accountable for the desecration of our national flag and other extremely egregious and senseless acts committed by Japan's right-wingers when freighter Mangyongbong-92 arrived in port Niigata on Sept.4.

In its press release No. 847(Sept. 1), Secretariat of the DPRK's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland asserted, "The success of the 2003 Daegu Universiade Games" is attributable to the commitment to the spirit of 'June 15 Joint Declaration'. The right-wing extremists showed that they are the very legacy of the Cold War era."

The Central Broadcasting Station said on the occasion of the 3^rd anniversary of the repatriation of 'non-apostate prisoners in South Korea' on Sept 2, quoting the statement released by the Democratic National United Front spokesperson on Sept. 1, "Comrade Kim Jong Il materialized the repatriation of the non-apostate prisoners, our national heroes." It also went on to propagandize, "The Democratic National United Front fighters must keep up their struggle for reunification, emulating the strong will and conviction of the non-apostate prisoners."