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Weekly Report on North Korea (Serial No. 741)

ROK Ministry of Unification

  1. Internal Affairs

• North Korea actively pushed ahead with the modernization of Nakwon Machine Factory and Sinpohyang Cast Iron Plant in accordance with its factory reconstruction and modernization projects. (May 8, Pyongyang Broadcasting Service)

• North Korea launched the “Central Command for the Expanded Introduction of Scientific Farming” under the wing of the Ministry of Agriculture in order to promote farming using scientific methods. (May 10, Joseon Central News Agency)

• This year’s rice transplanting began on May 10 at Wonhwa Cooperative Farm in Pyeongwon-gun, South Pyeongan Province . (May 11, Central Broadcasting Station)

• Large, standing statues of the “Three Generals of Mount Baekdu ” (Kim Il-seong, Kim Jeong-il and Kim Jeong-sook) were built in Gwangju-gun, North Hwanghae Province . (May 10, Central Broadcasting Station)

• The 3rd National Taekwondo Technology Innovation Competition was held in Hamheung, South Hamgyeong Province from May 4-6. (May 8, Central Broadcasting Station)

2. Inter-Korean Relations

• In a report attributed to the Navy Command of the Korean People’s Army (May 11), North Korea accused the South Korean military authorities of continuing to illegally infiltrate combat vessels on a daily basis into May in the North Korean waters of the West Sea. (May 11, Pyongyang Broadcasting Service)

• In relation to the press conference held by South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Ban Ki-moon in which North Korea was urged to return to the six-party talks (May 4), a spokesperson for the DPRK’s Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland alleged that South Korea has much to gain from the North Korean nuclear umbrella, and accused South Korea of being the “trumpeter for the United States.” (May 7, Central Broadcasting Station)

3. External Affairs

• In a press conference, a spokesperson for the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it has successfully finished the uploading of 8,000 spent fuel roads from the 5-megawatt pilot nuclear plant in Yeongbyeon. (May 11, Joseon Central News Agency)

• A spokesperson for the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs asserted that it has never called for North Korea-US bilateral talks and called on the United States to stop making speeches that ignore or insult North Korea so that an atmosphere conducive to resuming the six-party talks might be created. (May 9, Central Broadcasting Station)

• The Russian Federation’s State Duma delegation (headed by Konstantin Kosachev, Chairman of the International Affairs Committee), visited North Korea from May 5-7 and held talks with the delegation of North Korea’s Supreme Peoples’ Assembly (headed by Hong Seo-heon, Chairman of North Korea-Russia Goodwill Assembly Committee). (May 6, Central Broadcasting Station, Pyongyang Broadcasting Service)

• In response to the FIFA decision that North Korea is to play the World Cup qualifying match against Japan in a closed stadium at a neutral venue in Pyongyang on June 8, North Korea protested that it is the order is unacceptable and urged FIFA to review the matter. (May 6, Pyongyang Broadcasting Service)

• A delegation of the Ministry of Land and Marine Transport (led by Kim Yeong-il, Minister of Land and Marine Transport), left Pyongyang for Syria on May 7. (May 7, Central Broadcasting Station)