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North Korea Weekly (July 14-20, 2008)

ROK National Intelligence Service

【Inside North Korea】

o On July 14, the Chosun Sinbo, or the People’s Korea, the organ of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon), said, “Twenty years of assiduous efforts by North Korean experts have borne fruit in the form of successful acclimatization of pure-bred kiwi trees so that they can be grown in many regions of the country.” The newspaper explained, “The trees are cultivated in many parts of the country; not only in Kaesong and Pyongyang, but also in such provinces as North and South Hwanghae, North and South Pyongan and North and South Hamgyong. Public agencies, co-op farms and households in Kaesong are planting kiwi trees that bear large crops of kiwis that are rich in flavor and nutrients.”

o On July 15, North Korea’s Pyongyang Broadcasting Service (PBS) reported, “The flood control center for the River Daedong has been engaged in an aggressive initiative to prevent flood damage, gearing itself up with a range of plans and preparations in order to keep the broad reaches of the river bank, including Pyongyang, safe from heavy rains and flood.” The PBS added, “The commanders at the center have visited the dams and floodgates in person to better identify measures to be taken in preparation for and during the rainy season and also set up mechanisms for rapid and precise communications and command.”

o On July 16, the Chosun Sinbo, the organ of Chongryon, said, “North Korea, which has emphasized the significance of the monthly maritime sports program, is now proceeding with massive propaganda activities to encourage all the people to participate in the program.” The newspaper explained, “Every year, the city of Pyongyang witnesses a unique event wherein young students compete to cross Daedong River,” adding, “To avert a fear of water from childhood, the city promotes swimming among students, and individual education institutes are well-equipped with swimming pools and effectively utilize the sea, rivers and streams to help students learn and enjoy swimming.”

o On July 17, the Chosun Sinbo reported, “Over the past three months or so, North Korea has repaved a total of 900,000 ㎡ of roads in downtown Pyongyang with asphalt. The organ of Chongryon added, “While the repaving has given a facelift to such Pyongyang streets as Moranbong (Moran Summit), Bipa, Yongwung, Bonghwa, Buksaegangan, Gaeseonmun (Triumphal Arch) and Ryongnamsan (Mt. Ryongnam), the roads’ surroundings are also being repaired, renovated or refurbished, including buildings, green spaces, roadside trees, and boundary stones.”

【Outside North Korea】

o On July 13, the North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, “Based on the principle of ‘Action for Action,’ we [North Korea] have decided to make efforts to complete the disabling of our nuclear programs in parallel with the delivery by the other five parties to the six-party talks of the economic reward of one million tonnes of heavy oil by October.” The KCNA also reported, “At the talks, the parties evaluated the execution status of the agreement reached on October 3, 2007, reached an agreement to successfully conclude its execution, and agreed to launch an organization to validate each party’s performance of its obligations within the framework of the six-party talks in accordance with the joint statement released on September 19, 2005 with the aim of denuclearizing the entire Korean peninsula.”

o On July 14, the North’s Rodong Sinmun said, “The US is squandering an enormous amount of funds on its missile defense system (MD) and accelerating the development, manufacture and deployment of new nuclear weapons.” The newspaper claimed, “The US’s policy to beef up its nuclear weapons and armaments is poised to spark new arms and nuclear races throughout the world, and is escalating tensions.”

o On July 15, North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun brought up the Rim of the Pacific exercise (RIMPAC), an international joint military drill South Korea is now engaged in alongside Japan off the coast of Hawaii, and alleged, “South Korea is pursuing three-pronged military alliance along with the US and Japan,” adding, “This is a criminal act designed to revive the North-South Korean confrontation of the Cold War era.” The newspaper went on to denounce, “The decision to form a three-way coordinating committee among South Korea, the US and Japan signals the onset of full-scale operation of the three-pronged military alliance, and this is a military act aimed at the invasion of our republic [North Korea].”

【Inter-Korean Issues】

o On July 17, the North Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) claimed, “The US’s cutting-edge nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan’s arrival at Busan port is an attempt to launch a preemptive attack on North Korea.” The KCNA alarmed, “We should not overlook the US’s driving of an aircraft carrier into [South Korea] concurrently with the Hwarang Exercise on land and the marine landing drill near Pohang, and the US’s revelation of the fact through media in order to stir up a fuss. This is the US’s ruse to threaten us [North Korea] militarily behind the curtain of dialogue and negotiations and successfully attempt to launch a preemptive strike on North Korea.”