Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Korea Central News Agency reported on April 21 that "health-related officials in Pyongyang and other regions have been mobilized to establish an emergency epidemic prevention command" and that "projects to educate and publicize the importance of hygiene are being implemented to prevent the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)." It added that "screening of possible SARS patients is being enforced in various entrance points such as railway stations in border areas, airports and ports."

Commemorating the 71st anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (April 25, 1932), North Korea held a national meeting on April 24 at the April 25 Cultural Center. During the meeting, participants reaffirmed that "strengthening the People's Army is fundamentally dependent on training and preparing all servicemen to become faithful revolutionary fighters, pledging eternal loyalty to comrade Kim Jong Il."  

Following his inspection of the training of unit 409 of the Korean People's Army, Kim Jong Il expressed his satisfaction at the "transformation of all the servicemen into strong and well-prepared fighters."

Pyongyang Broadcasting Station condemned Japan on April 23, on the grounds that "the Japanese government recently launched a task force in the wake of the initiation of the U.S. military campaign against Iraq," that "providing military assistance to the U.S. was discussed in the summit meeting between Japan and the U.S," and that "the Japanese forces were put on a state of higher alert and surveillance against the DPRK."

Covering the three-way talks held between the DPRK, the U.S. and China from April 23 to 25 in Beijing, CNN reported that "the chief delegate of North Korea acknowledged that North Korea possesses nuclear weapons and will test them in the not too distant future."   

The spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, responding to a question raised by a reporter from Korea Central News Agency, made groundless claims that "we presented a new proposal which could clear up concerns of both the DPRK and the U.S., but the U.S., far from bringing to the negotiating table any new proposals for resolving the problem, persistently maintained its position of 'renouncement of nuclear weapons before any dialogue.'"   

Rodong Shinmun propagandized on April 21 that "we must all rise to participate in the struggle to crush the U.S. attempts to invade Korea by transforming the South Korean anti-U.S. candlelight into a blazing anti-U.S. torchlight, counteracting the U.S. attempts to build up arms and halting its war movements on the Korean peninsula."

Reporting on the 10th round of ministerial meetings between North and South Korea held on April 27 to 29 in Pyongyang, the North Korean Central Broadcasting Station on April 27 gave a detailed and one-sided description of North Korea's condemnation of the U.S. and South Korea, quoting remarks made by the North Korean chief delegate, and of North Korea's proposals at the talks.