Weekly on North Korea (Oct.28-Nov.10, 2005)

ROK Ministry of Unification

Internal Affairs

Chairman Kim Jong-il inspected the army unit 847 followed by the army unit 802, according to the Cental Broadcasting Station on November 10 and 11. He inspected a newly constructed the ?Naepyong No. 2 Kunmin Power Station ,’ according to the Central Broadcasting Station on November 8 and the ?No.115 Duck Factory’ that was constructed by North Korean soldiers, according to the Central Broadcasting Station on November 6. He also gave on-site inspections to the major industrial facilities in the city of Pyongyang , including the ?Pyongyang 326 Front Factory,’ ?Pyongyang Elevator Factory,’ ?Pyongyang Bicycle Joint Factory,’ according to the Central Broadcasting Station on November 1.

The grand synchronized gymnastics show and art performance titled 'Arirang' completed all of its 62 performances from August 16 until October 30 attracting around 2.2million audience including foreigners, South Koreans and overseas Koreans , according to the Central Broadcasting Station on November 11.

The ceremony celebrating the completion of the reconstruction and modernization of the Dancheon Refineries took place on November 8 , according to the Central Broadcasting Station on November 9.

After Chairman Kim Jong-il gave orders to devise specific measures to prevent the spread of avian influenza through the Central Broadcasting Station on November 6, the national emergency epidemic control committee issued an emergency alert concerning the avian influenza, according to the (North) Korean Television Broadcasting Station on November 10.

On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Rodong Daily, which was November 1, a celebrative reporting session was held at the People’s Palace of Culture on October 31, according to the Central Broadcasting Station and Chosun Sinbo, a mouthpiece of pro-Pyongyang A ssociation of Korean Residents in Japan on November 1.

A celebrative reporting session was held on November 2 with the participation of president Kim Young-dae and party executives to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean Social Democratic Party, according to the Central Broadcasting Station on November 3.

Inter-Korean Affairs

South and North Korea held reunion sessions for separated families at Mt. Geumgang between November 5 and 10. During the first reunion session, 100 North Koreans were reunited with 441 family members from South Korea and during the second reunion session, 143 South Koreans were reunited with 219 separated family members from North Korea .

The Office of Inter-Korean Economic Cooperation held a n opening ceremony at the Gaeseong Industrial Complex on October 28 and went into operations with the signing of the agreement on operation and management of the Office of Inter-Korean Economic Cooperation on November 10.

Both Koreas held the 11 th meeting of the Inter-Korean Economic Cooperation Promotion Committee at the Office of Inter-Korean Economic Cooperation located within the Gaeseong Industrial Complex on October 28 and adopted a joint statement which states that both Koreas will continue discussions and negotiations to ensure that previously agreed points will reap benefits a t an earliest date .

A representative of North Korean People’s Army Panmunjom missio n sent a telephone message to the United States on November 9, criticizing that the United States' soldiers ignored and gave up the implementation of the agreements to regulate the behavioral order around the conference areas of Panmunjom, according to the Central Broadcasting Station and Pyongyang Broadcasting Station on November 9.

Foreign Affairs

The first stage of the fifth round of the Six-Party Talks was resumed in Beijing from November 9 until 11 and after the 3-day schedule, all members selected a chairman ’ s declaration that contained information on abstracts about the contents of the meeting, prospects, and schedules for future talks.

On November 8 , the spokesperson for North Korea 's foreign m inistry criticized the U.S President George W. Bush for calling Chairman Kim Jong-il tyrant in conjunction with the Six-Party Talks and insisted that North Korea will under no circumstances forgive it.

Chinese President Hu Jin-tao visited North Korea to attend the summit meeting with Chairman Kim Jong-il and discussed issues related to the Six-Party Talks and economic cooperation between North Korea and Chin a . He returned to China after visiting the Daean Friendship Glass Factory.

A delegation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation , led by Vice Minister Alexandro Alecseyev, visited North Korea from November 5 until 8 and had talks with North Korean foreign Minister Baek Nam -soon, according to the Pyongyang Broadcasting Station on November 5.

North Korea and China held the 57th meeting for the executive board committee of the North Korean-Sino Hydr aulic Generation Company and sign ed a written agreement according to the Central Broadcasting Station and Pyongyang Broadcasting Station on November 8.

On November 4 and 8, the C entral Broadcasting Station reported the return of the North Korean athletes on November 7 that had participated in the 4th East Asia Games from October 29 to November 6 in Macao with the news that the North Korean team won 6 gold medals, 10 silver, and 20 bronze medals.