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Weekly on North Korea

ROK Ministry of Unification

Internal Affairs

o Chairman Kim Jong-il conducted on-site guidance at Guseong Industrial Machinery Factory and Cheongcheon-gang Machinery Factory.

o The Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly adopted Regulations on Foreign Exchange Management in the Mt. Geumgang Tourism Zone," "Regulations on Advertisements in the Mt. Geumgang Tourism Zone," and "Regulations on Labor in the Mt. Geumgang Tourism Zone," according to the (North) Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on May 29.

- On the occasion of the International Non-Smoking Day (May 31), North Korea held "ban on smoking" events such as displays of photographs showing toxic effects of smoking and goods intended to discourage smoking at the People's Palace of Culture. Present at the events were the Vice Public Health Minister, young students and the representative of the World Health Organization in North Korea.

o On the occasion of the 40th anniversary (June 19, 1964) of Chairman Kim Jong-il's party work, North Korea held "question and answer study competitions" for the members of the General Federation of Trade Union on May 31-June 1. It was also preparing "Exhibition of the Kim Jong-il Flower in Celebration of the June 19 Event" to be held from June 17 and other events, according to the North Korean broadcast services on June 1-2.

o On the occasion of the 54th International Children's Day (June 1), North Korea held a friendly gathering between foreign women and Pyongyang children at the Daeseongsan Playground, according to the North Korean broadcasting services.

- Pak Sun-hi, chairwoman of the Joseon Women's Federation, said emphatically in a congratulatory speech that children, as the "flower of allegiance" toward general Kim Jong-il, should be raised as "military-first children."

o North Korea held a "meeting of workers engaged in trade" at the People's Palace of Culture on May 28 in the presence of party workers including Secretary Jeong Ha-cheol, and workers and technicians in the trade sector.

Relations with South Korea

o South and North Korea held the second inter-Korean general-level officers' talks on June 3-4 at Kensington Hotel at Mt. Seorak. Navy Commodore Park Jeong-hwa led the South Korean delegation to the talks and Major General of the People's Army led the North Korean delegation.

- The two sides agreed on the prevention of possible accidental clashes in the West Sea, cessation of propaganda activities and dismantlement of propaganda equipment along the Military Demarcation Line.

o North Korea denounced the U.S. plan to transfer part of its troops in Korea to Iraq as a move to massively reinforce the strength of the American forces in Korea in line with its war policy. It said the plan was an attempt to encourage an additional dispatch of South Korean troops to Iraq by fomenting a sense of instability over security and reining on anti-American sentiment in South Korea.

External Affairs

o North Korea shifted the blame for the suspension of the construction of light-water nuclear plants on to the United States in a news conference by the spokesman of its Foreign Ministry on June 4 and demanded direct negotiation based on the principle of "simultaneous action" with Washington in the absence of mutual trust with the U.S. government.

o North Korea held the 20th plenary session of Jocheongryeon, the pro-Pyongyang Residents Association in Japan, on May 28-29 at the Joseon Cultural Hall in Tokyo and adopted plans to streamline the association's organization as well as tasks that will have to be accomplished in three years.

o A North Korean communication and postal service delegation, led by Vice Communication and Postal Service Minister Pak Myeong-cheol, left Pyongyang on May 29 for a tour of China, Vietnam and Thailand.

o A North Korean railway delegation, headed by Railway Minister Kim Yong-sam, left Pyongyang on May 28 to attend the 32nd ministerial meeting of the Organization of Railway Cooperation to he held in Kishinyov, Moldova.