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North Korea Weekly (April 28-May 4, 2008)

ROK National Intelligence Service

【Inside North Korea】

o On April 30, the North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, “A commemorative meeting to mark the 118th anniversary of May Day, which is an international holiday for workers worldwide, was held at the People’s Palace of Culture on April 30.” Making reference to “the glorious battle path of our [North Korea’s] workers who have made a great contribution to the party and the revolution as well as the fatherland and its people, and are powerfully advancing Juche’s socialist feat,” the KCNA urged, “We should combine forces uriminzokkiri, or ‘by our nation itself’, to resolutely crush the pro-US, sycophantic South Korean conservative government’s confrontational anti-republic [DPRK] maneuvers and to powerfully press ahead with our battle for self-reliance and reunification as well as peace and prosperity.”

o On May 1, the North Korean Central Broadcasting Station (KCBS) said, “The Mangyongdae Cup games, which opened on April 10 to mark the Day of the Sun, the Korean nation’s greatest holiday, came to a close yesterday.” The KCBS added, “Amid a great deal of interest from the people and athletes, DPRK records were set in four sports: weightlifting, swimming and track and field events. Meanwhile, athletes of the April 25 Sports Group demonstrated the spirit of a revolutionary army, strong teamwork and a steadfast fighting spirit in every match they engaged in, snatching first place in women’s football, women’s basketball, volleyball and table tennis.”

o On May 1, the KCBS said, “On the occasion of May Day, workers in every corner of the country are looking back on the proud path of victory and glory they have walked single-heartedly under the leadership of the great leader and party and are filled with revolutionary enthusiasm to fulfil their historic mission and play their historic role.” The KCBS also said, “Comrades Kim Yong-nam, Kim Yong-il and Choe Tae-bok and other senior officials of the cabinet, ministries, national governmental agencies and industrial complexes send their congratulations to the working class, agricultural workers and intellectuals.”

【Outside North Korea】

o On April 29, North Korea’s Central TV reported, “The 12th United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD XII) took place in Accra, the capital of Ghana, from April 20 through 25,” adding, “Discussed at the conference were international economic issues in trade, finance and IT.” Central TV said, “The leader of our [the North Korean] delegation mentioned in a speech that developing countries face serious challenges in their strenuous efforts to put international development strategies into practice stemming from the current unfair international economic order, and pointed out problems that demand particular attention in the preparation of special guidelines.”

o On April 29, the North’s Pyongyang Broadcasting Service (PBS) said, “Vice President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China, who is a member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China, met with a DPRK delegation led by Foreign Minister Pak Ui-chun and engaged in a friendly conversation at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 29.” The PBS added, “Also at the meeting were Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi and DPRK Ambassador to China Choe Jin-su.”

【Inter-Korean Issues】

o On April 29, the North Korean Central Broadcasting Station (KCBS) stated, “Our nation is a righteous nation that pursues peace and prosperity, and thus peace and prosperity is the nation’s vision and intention,” and added, “For a nation to develop, a peaceful environment should be guaranteed. For a nation to become rich and strong and prosper, peace should also be guaranteed.” The KCBS went on to allege, “Nevertheless, the US has intentionally stepped up its anti-DPRK propaganda offensives and boldly pressed ahead with the Key Resolve/Foal Eagle Exercise together with South Korea’s warmongers.”

o On April 30, North Korea’s Pyongyang Broadcasting Service (PBS) said, “Inter-Korean relations, which were marching toward self-reliance and unification as well as peace and prosperity under the lofty banner of uriminzokkiri, or ‘by our nation itself’ and amid efforts for reconciliation and unity, are running toward confrontation.” The PBS also claimed, “The South Korean government is rattling its tongue that the prompt enactment of a North Korean human rights act and the collection and recording of human rights abuse cases are foundational tasks for its North Korean policy, and is plotting to establish something akin to a North Korean Human Rights Archive.” The PBS blasted, “The road toward the execution of the June 15 Joint Declaration and the October 4 Declaration is a challenging and thorny path. [The South Korean government] cannot go unpunished for its crime of driving inter-Korean relations toward a phase marked by confrontation and possible war.”