Weekly on North Korea (No. 743)
ROK Ministry of Unification
1. Internal Affairs
o Kim Jeong-il, Chairman of the National Defense Commission, recently enjoyed performances by the art groups of family members of servicemen in the Korean People's Army (army units 549, 572, 526 and 583) that participated in the 8 th Competition of Art Groups of Servicemen’s Families (May 21, May 23, Central Broadcasting Station).
Kim Jeong-il also inspected the female squadron under army unit 370 and bestowed this unit with the title of “Wild Pear Tree Squadron” (May 25, Central Broadcasting Station).
o In commemoration of the 66 th anniversary of the “combat victory in the Musan District” (May 23, 1939), North Korea asserted the significance of the victory as a great one that provided a ray of hope in the regaining of the nation’s independence during Japanese colonial rule (May 23, Pyongyang Broadcasting Service).
o On the occasion of the golden jubilee of the establishment of Jochongryeon (the pro-Pyongyang Association of Korean Residents in Japan), relevant Jochongryeon staff and Korean compatriots residing in Japan participated in various events marking the anniversary celebrated in Japan and in North Korea (May 24, Central Broadcasting Station and others).
o North Korea’s trade volume with China in the first quarter of this year reached US$316.32 million - a 62.2% increase over the same period the preceding year (Inter-Korean trade in the same period amounted to US$165.74 million, up 58.3% from the same period the preceding year).
Exports reached US$113.5 million, a 47.6% increase from the same period the preceding year, while imports amounted to US$214.97 million, up 70.1% from the same period the preceding year.
o North Korea proclaimed that Pyongyang Railway University (a five-year university specializing in railways, located in the Hyeongjesan district of Pyongyang) is carrying out scientific research projects for the modernization of railroads as well as training programs for the fostering of scientists and technical experts (May 24, Central Broadcasting Station).
o North Korea boasted that the number of servicemen and workers from various sectors of society that visited the “Central Class Cultural Center” situated in Pyongyang exceeded 1.44 million persons (an average of 2,500 visitors daily) since its opening in July of 2002 (May 19, Pyongyang Broadcasting Service).
2. Inter-Korean Relations
o “The South and North Korean University Students’ Meeting to Implement the June 15 Joint Declaration and to Promote Anti-War and Peace Efforts and National Solidarity” ( South Korea : more than 400 students, North Korea : more than 100 students) was held at Mt. Geumgang May 23-24.
The two sides adopted a joint declaration on 1) active cooperation in the implementation of the June 15 Joint Declaration; 2) the creation of an anti-war, pro-peace movement; and 3) countermeasures in response to Japan ’s distortion of history and its claim to Dokdo Island .
o More than 200 persons, among them members of the Korean Christian Association including North Korean Chairman Kang Yeong-seop, believers from Bongsu Church and South Korean Chairman Shin Gyeong-ha, held the “South-North Joint Prayer Session for the Implementation of the June 15 Joint Declaration and for Peaceful Reunification” at Mt. Geumgang on May 24 and released a joint declaration of four agenda items (May 27, Pyongyang Broadcasting Service):
- 1) Implementation of the June 15 Joint Declaration; 2) marching forward to establish peace; 3) calling for apologies from Japan for its resurrection of militarism including the distortion of history and its attempts in threats to peace; and 4) seeking a path to national solidarity.
3. External Affairs
o In a press conference, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced statements made by high-ranking officials of the US administration in which they threatened North Korea . He said that North Korea is prudently reviewing the US stand and that North Korea’s position would be conveyed through contacts in New York (May 23, Central Broadcasting Station).
o North Korea condemned “Operational Plan 5029-05” and “Operational Plan 9022-02,” charging that they are “operational plans for the launch of pre-emptive nuclear strikes on North Korea .” North Korea called for the suspension of these plans (May 24, Central Broadcasting Station, Pyongyang Broadcasting Service).
o Facine Toure, a special envoy of the president of Guinea, and his party visited North Korea and participated in talks with Kim Young-nam, chairman of the SPA Presidium (May 24, Central Broadcasting Station, Pyongyang Broadcasting Service and others).
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
