Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Celebrating the 55^th anniversary of founding the communist government on Sept. 9, a formal military ceremony was held at Kim Il Sung Square, attended by Kim Jong Il and other state leaders such as Jo Myong Rok, Kim Yong Nam, Kim Yong Chun, and Kim Yong Ju. In his congratulatory speech delivered at the ceremony, Kim Yong Chun, chief of the General Staff of the KPA said, "We will continue to beef up our nuclear deterrent power as a means of self-defense to protect our sovereign rights."

The Central Broadcasting Station reported, "On the occasion of Chuseok, Kim Jong Il had wreathes laid on the tombs of Kim Bo Hyon, Ri Bo Ik, Kim Hyong Jik, Kang Ban Sok. Kim Yong Nam, Kye Ung Thae and Choe Thae Bok. The wreath-laying ceremony was attended by government and party officials as well as KPA soldiers."

In a KCNA (the Korean Central News Agency) press briefing, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson claimed, "News reports on the six-way talks that say 'the U.S. expressed its willingness to take series of steps such as phasal ease of sanctions against the DPRK and conclusion of a peace treaty with the DPRK on condition that Pyongyang dismantles its nuclear weapons program' are simply not true. It is nothing but a lie not to be held accountable for the collapse of the talks."

Kim Jong Il received Konstantin Pulikovsky, a Russian President's special envoy to the Far East, on Sept. 9, who delivered a letter from President Putin. Kim Jong Il expressed thanks for the letter.

The Central Broadcasting Station criticized Japan's Defense Minister, Shigeru Ishiba, who said during a speech in Nagoya on Aug 29, "tens of thousands of lives could be lost if North Korea's missiles carry bio-chemical weapons." The Central Broadcasting Station denounced his remark as groundless, saying his real purpose is to justify Japan's Missile Defense System plan, and to quell dissenting voices against Tokyo's military ambition.

The Pyongyang Broadcasting Station said under the title of "Chuseok, our traditional holiday", stressing "To put an end to sufferings of division that have lasted for over half a century and to be able to maintain our folk traditions, Both the North and the South must keep up the struggles to materialize the reunification, committing ourselves to the spirit of 'the June 15 Joint Declaration'."

A spokesperson for the Korean National Peace Committee issued a statement on Sept. 13, asserting, "The U.S. forced the South Korean authorities to dispatch its medical and engineering battalions to Iraq, and Washington is once again demanding that Seoul dispatch additional combat forces to Iraq. If Seoul agrees to do so, it is out of servility to the U.S. and tantamount to a crime against the nation. Therefore Seoul must immediately withdraw the already dispatched troops and flatly reject the U.S. demand."