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Weekly Report on North Korea No. 896 (June 16 to 22, 2008)

ROK Ministry of Unification

Internal Affairs

North Korea dispatched a delegation to the 19th International Communications and Information Technology Exhibition & Conference held in Singapore from June 17 to 20 (June 17, Chosun Sinbo).

On the occasion of the 44 th anniversary of Kim Jong Il’s takeover of KWP leadership on June 19, 1964, North Korea held a central reporting session (June 18, Central Broadcasting Station) and ran an editorial on Rodong Sinmun (June 19, Pyongyang Broadcasting Station). North Korea also held a variety of commemorative ceremonies (June 17-20, Central Broadcasting Station and Korean Central News Agency).

Garment institute of the Ministry of Light Industry revealed 300 designs of clothing which would fit body features and preferences of the Korean women (June 20, Pyongyang Broadcasting Services).

It is estimated that North Korea’s economic growth rate for 2007 is -2.3%, nominal GNI is KRW 24.8 trillion, one thirty sixth of South Korea’s, and per capita GNI is KRW 1.07 million, one seventeenth of South Korea’s.

Inter-Korean Affairs

In the conversation of the spokesperson for North Korean Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation, Pyongyang claimed South Korea was trying to find a cause for oppression of the candlelight rallies with ill intention citing the speculation of “a mastermind behind the rallies” (June 20, Korean Central News Agency).

In a statement of the spokesperson for the delegation to the working-level inter-Korean military talks, Pyongyang maintained that Seoul implement inter-Korean agreements including one on passage, communication and customs clearance related to GIC (June 22, Korean Central News Agency).

Foreign Affairs

North Korea urged Japan to apologize for its past wrongdoings and to withdraw the principle of simultaneous action (June 16, Rodong Sinmun and June 21, Chosun Sinbo).

North Korean media reported in detail on the three-day visit of the Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping from June 17 to 19 to Pyongyang and his meeting with Kim Jong Il ( Korean Central News Agency, Central Broadcasting Station and Korean Television Broadcasting Station).

North Korea denounced the United States over its joint military exercise with South Korea and the attempts to take preemptive strikes against Pyongyang (Korean Central News Agency and Rodong Sinmun and other state-run media).