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Weekly on North Korea (Feb.10-16, 2006)

ROK Ministry of Unification

Internal Affairs

Chairman Kim Jong-il watched a performance by the central military band of the Russian Ministry of Defense on Feb. 15.

Several events on the 64 th anniversary of Chairman Kim’s birthday were held on a similar scale of last year on Feb. 16. The Central Painting Exhibition and Mt.Baekdu Milyong (secret camp) Resolution Meeting were held on Feb. 10 and Feb. 12 respectively. The 15 th Loyalty Festival for the Adolescents on a nationwide scale and the 10 th Kimjongilia Festival were held on Feb. 13 and Feb. 14.

At the Central Reporting Meeting held at the Hall of Culture on Feb. 15, North Korea stressed Chairman Kim’s accomplishments and the contents of the New Year’s Joint Editorial, and reiterated its previous stance that its nuclear issue can be only resolved by scrapping U.S.’ hostile policy toward North Korea.

Inter-Korean Affairs

North Korea continuously staged a barrage of criticisms against South Korea concerning South Korea’s decisions to participate in ROK -U.S. joint military exercises in March and in the U.S-led Proliferation Security Initiative ( PSI ) as an observer in April, but the level of criticisms weakened as a result of North Korea’s fostering a festive atmosphere around the holiday period from Feb. 16 to 17.

Foreign Affairs

North Korea maintained a level of criticism against Japan, calling for Japan’s settlement of its past after the talks between North Korea and Japan which was held in Beijing from Feb. 4 to 8. Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party launched a team on inspecting remittance to North Korea and the Japanese court ruled that the tax exemption on facilities of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan was illegal. North Korea criticized Japan’s above-mentioned moves for jumping on the bandwagon for the U.S. hostile policy toward North Korea, including U.S.’ financial sanctions on North Korea, according to the Pyongyang Broadcasting Station on Feb. 13.

North Korea on Feb. 8 appointed ambassador to Kuwait Huh Jong to hold concurrent charge of the post of ambassador to Qatar, according to the Central and Pyongyang Broadcasting Station on Feb. 15.