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Major Weekly Developments in North Korea (Jan. 3 - Jan. 9, 2005)

ROK National Intelligence Service

Inside North Korea

The Central Broadcasting Station emphasized (Jan. 3) that “the overall challenge that lays ahead for all of us this year is to spur the entire Labor Party, the military, and the people to stand up and glorify the 60th anniversary of the Labor Party as well as the 60th anniversary of our motherland’s liberation (from Japanese colonial rule) into a grand festival of pride that has not yet been heard in the history of our party and our motherland.”

Pyongyang Broadcasting Service (Jan.5) pronounced that “armed with strong resolve to smoothly resolve the ‘food problem’ this year, the workers in the Agricultural Ministry are leading the way and marching towards the struggle for responsible farming.”

Pyongyang Broadcasting Service (Jan.6) reported, “cabinet prime-minister Park Bong-joo, Labor Party secretary Choi Tae-bok and others gathered to hold the ‘Pyeongyang mass rally to declare the implementation of the new-year joint editorial,’ in which they vowed to raise up the tide for the ‘military-first revolution’ so as to bring about a definitive turning point in constructing a strong and great nation”

Outside North Korea

The Central Broadcasting Station reported, “North Korea has decided to offer ‘emergency aid of 150,000 US dollars’ to the nations devastated by the tsunami such as Indonesia, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Maldives and others. As of January 7, the death toll in the ten or so nations in Asia and Africa has reached 170,000 as a result of the tsunami disaster.” (Jan.5 & Jan.8, Central Broadcasting Station & Pyongyang Broadcasting Service)

Citing reports made by NHK of Japan, the Central Broadcasting Station (Jan.7) disparaged Japan by saying, “The Constitutional Research Committee under the Japanese parliament plans to complete the final report related to the constitutional amendment by the end of spring. Likewise, Japan is making salient moves to amend its ‘peace constitution’ into a ‘war constitution’ to make ready for re-invasion from the very start of this year.”

The spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry argued, “although the US is pointing the finger at us (North Korea) for the delay in the six-party talks, the actual reason for the six-party talks not being resumed and the resolution of the nuclear issue between Joseon (North Korea) and the US being delayed are the fault of the US (Jan.9, Central Broadcasting Station).”

Inter-Korean Issues

Pyongyang Broadcasting Service (Jan.4) said, “As has been urged in the joint editorial, the overseas compatriots of North and South Korea should pursue independent collaboration among the Korean people, anti-war collaboration to achieve peace, and patriotic collaboration for unification so as to enlighten the meaningful year of 2005 with accomplishments for an independent unification.”