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Weekly on North Korea No. 873 (Dec. 31, 2007-Jan.6, 2008)

ROK Ministry of Unification

Internal Affairs

*Heo Taek-gwon, vice minister for light industries, stressed in a New Year interview with Chosun Sinbo on Jan. 3 that North Korea should concentrate investment in “the improvement of people’s lives,” which should be felt not through “political rhetoric” but through “experience.”

*Rodong Sinmun ran an editorial on Jan. 3 urging to fulfill the tasks presented in the joint editorial.

*The Central Broadcasting Station reported on Jan. 4 that the blasting was successfully carried out over 20,000 m³ area of Mirubeol waterway construction site on Jan. 3.

*Chairman Kim Jung-il visited Yeseonggang power station to encourage workers, and presented tasks to speed up its construction, reported the Central Broadcasting Station on Jan. 6.

Inter-Korean Affairs

*Rodong Sinmun, through its commentary on Jan.2, denounced the name change of U.S.-ROK joint military exercises as “wicked plan of strengthening scheme to invade North Korea ,” urging to stop US-ROK joint military exercises.

*Ahn Gyeong-ho, Secretary General of Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, argued, through an article about response to the joint editorial titled “Under the banner of by-the-Korean people-themselves,” that 10.4 Declaration should be thoroughly implemented,” reported Rodong Sinmun on Jan. 3.

Foreign Affairs

* North Korea , through a commentary of Chosun Sinbo on Jan. 2 titled “The year of historic change, the beginning of a golden age of the generation,” reaffirmed its will to implement the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in accordance with “action for action” principle, and suggested tasks to ensure peace on the Korean Peninsula .

* North Korea , through the statement of Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ spokesperson on Jan. 4 and the commentary of Democratic Chosun on Jan. 4, urged the U.S. to abide by “action for action” principle to implement “10.3 Agreement.”

* North Korea , through an editorial of Rodong Sinmun on Jan. 5 titled “Petty mindset plotting solidarity for pressure,” warned about a possibility that the solidarity system between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan to put pressure on North Korea will be strengthened in the wake of South Korea’s change of government, criticizing Japan’s comment on solidarity system to pressure North Korea.

Reference

* North Korea announced “New Year Joint Editorial” jointly released by the party , the military and the youth under the title of “Let’s bring glory to this year marking the 60 th anniversary of the foundation of the Republic as the year of historic change which will be engraved in the history of the fatherland.”