Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Kim Jong Il enjoyed a concert of the visiting Russian National Academy Ensemble on Mar. 11, with Russian Ambassador to the DPRK Andrei Karlov. He was also accompanied by chief of the KPA General Staff Kim Yong Chun, Minister of the People's Armed Forces Kim Il Chol, and other KPA commanding officers and servicemen. (3.12, Central Broadcasting Station)

On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of a revolutionary fighter Kim Il's death, a central commemoration rally was held at the People's Palace of Culture on Mar. 9. The rally was attended by high government and party officials as well as independence and revolution fighters. In a commemoration speech, Yang Hyong Sop, Vice Chairman of the SPA Standing Committee, stressed commitment to "the spirit of defending the Leader at the risk of ones' lives." (3.9 Central Broadcasting Station)

A foreign ministry spokesperson issued a statement condemning the U.S., "Recently, the Bush administration is praising oneself with regards to the progress of the second round of the six-way talks as if it has produced any positive results. However, it is already a widely known fact that the talks ended without any substantial results due to Washington's obstinate insistence of its position that the DPRK should renounce nuclear program before anything else. (3.11,Central Broadcasting Station)

The Central Broadcasting Station criticized the Japanese government on Mar. 11, "While Japanese reactionaries are geared up for engaging even local autonomous bodies in their war exercises for reinvasion of the Korean peninsula, the Japanese government made a move on Mar. 4 to expand the scope of disaster prevention drills carried out by all cities and counties to include counter-terror exercises and instruct local autonomous bodies to be equipped with gas masks and related devices."

* A spokesperson for the KPA Navy Headquarters criticized Seoul on Mar.11, "as the peak of the crab season approaches, the South Korean authorities are dispatching war vessels and navy patrol ships north of the fishing borders in the Yellow Sea. With such naval arms build-up, Seoul also publicly announces that the joint military exercises between the military and police will be carried out, which is a flagrant challenges against the DPRK (3.11,Pyongyang Broadcasting Station)."

So-called the DPRK Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland held a press conference regarding the recent impeachment of South Korean President, "It was none other than the United States that sparked such disturbing developments of the presidential impeachment in South Korea. Therefore, South Korean workers and people in all walks of life must protest against such unconstitutional and illegal developments and make a right decision and resolve to fight against the U.S. imperialist and its followers such as Grand National Party and other conservative opposition parties and to pave a way for new politics, new systems and new life." (3.14, Central Broadcasting Station)