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North Korea Weekly (November 5-11, 2007)

ROK National Intelligence Service

【 Inside North Korea 】

o On November 5, the North Korean Central Broadcasting Station (KCBS) said, “City and county officials of South Hwanghae Province have brilliantly transformed Mt. Guwol into a beautiful mountain of the people.” It added, “They have installed animal statues representing, among others, the elephant and the Korean tiger, in more than 20 places. A hiking path spanning hundreds of meters has also been laid, complete with rails and signposts.”

o On November 5, the North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported, “A variety of ancient tomb sites have been unearthed in and around Jongdong-ri, Hwanghae Province, ranging from the early days of Gojoseon [an ancient kingdom preceding the three dynasty era of Goguryeo, Shilla and Baekje] to the Goryeo Dynasty [the dynasty immediately preceding Joseon, which lasted until 1910].” The news agency also stated, “Such artefacts as stone daggers, stone arrowheads, long-necked jars and top-shaped bowls have been found,” adding the explanation, “This is the first time ancient tomb sites that are far-ranging in time have been unearthed to comprehensively unveil how tomb styles had changed over the ages within a limited geographical area.”

o On November 6, the North’s Rodong Sinmun published an editorial titled “The Embrace of a Great Life that Nurtures Patriots” in which it declared, “In essence, our patriotism is our united, passionate dedication to the party and the leader,” and called for loyalty to the Workers’ Party of Korea and its leader. The editorial went on to contend, “The core of our patriotism is the exceptional ideological sentiment that our socialist homeland is a single large family and that our leader is the best.”

o On November 7, the KCNA reported, “The Folk Street of Sariwon has been completed at the foot of Mt. Gyeongam. The street is more than 793,000 m2 big and encompasses Gyeongam Lake.” The news agency added, “Encountered along the folk street are reproductions of such cultural heritages as traditional gable-roofed private houses, pavilions, Cheomseongdae [an astronomical observatory built in the 7th century, during the Silla dynasty], Cheugugi [a rain gauge pedestal made in the 15th century, during the Joseon Dynasty], Geobukseon [General Lee Sun-sin’s turtle-shaped warship from the 16th century, during the Joseon Dynasty], as well as a history museum, restaurants, bridges, and a range of amenities.”

【 Outside North Korea 】

o The North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported highlights of North Korean Premier Kim Yong-il’s visit to Southeast Asia, saying he met with the Vietnamese prime minister on October 27, the Malaysian prime minister on October 31, and the Cambodian prime minister on November 1. The KCNA also reported that Kim met with the Lao prime minister on November 5 to confirm the friendly relationship between the two countries and agreed to promote mutual cooperation.

o On November 6, the KCNA stated, “The 62nd plenary session of the UN General Assembly has unanimously adopted a resolution on the peace, security and unification of the Korean peninsula that was jointly proposed by South and North Korea.” The news agency stated that the resolution emphasizes that South and North Korea will implement the declaration in good faith to lay the foundation for the peaceful reunification of the Korean peninsula, thereby contributing to the peace and security of Northeast Asia and ultimately the world.

o On November 8, reporting on the kidnapping of the North Korean trading ship Taehongdanho by Somali pirates on October 29, the KCNA said, “Although faced with an unexpected crisis, the crew calmly battled against the pirates’ attack and sent an SOS that was received by a US navy destroyer, which in turn rushed to the scene and dispatched a medical team,” and stressed, “We are grateful for the US’s humanitarian help. This incidence epitomizes DPRK-US cooperation in the fight against terrorism.”

o On November 10, the North’s Pyongyang Broadcasting Service (PBS) called on the US to withdraw its anti-North Korea policy and criticized, “The US has been putting the brakes on the development of South and North Korean relations and fabricated a West Sea incident to escalate tensions in the inter-Korean relationship.” PBS went on to contend, “Peace, security and unification of the Korean peninsula are in the interest of the US, and the US ought to bear a historical responsibility and ethical obligation to contribute to the reunification of the Korean peninsula.”

【 Inter-Korean Issues 】

o On November 7, North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun denounced, “The US is exploiting the issue of the handing over of wartime operational control back to South Korea ostensibly as a means for the disintegration of the ROK-US Combined Forces Command, but in actuality to retain its military occupation of and control over South Korea through the formidable United Nations Command.” The newspaper called for the disintegration of both the ROK-US CFC and UNC.