• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

North Korea Weekly (August 18-24, 2008)

ROK National Intelligence Service

【Inside North Korea】

o On August 17, the North Korean Central Broadcasting Station (KCBS) said, “In recent years grain prices have been soaring in the international market, feeding an ongoing global food crisis. Once again this year, record droughts are hitting major grain producing countries and portending a drastic drop in wheat production.” The KCBS also reported, “US corn and bean production is in jeopardy as farmland in the Midwest, the US’s greatest grain-producing region, has been affected by floods.”

o On August 17, the KCBS said, “As the 60th anniversary of the republic [DPRK] draws near, the flames of the battle for increased production at mines across the country are flaring ferociously.” It went on to say, “In the first ten days or so of this August, [coal] production, which acts as the Ministry of Coal Industries’ performance index, has surpassed production in same period of last year, at 106.3%.”

【Outside North Korea 】

o On August 18, the North Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) reported, “Hong Un-Jong of [North] Korea clinched a gold medal in the women’s vault at the 29th Olympic Games in Beijing.” The KCNA gave details of her performance, saying, “Hong performed with perfection from the run to such high-score techniques as a 900˚ backward twist and a 540˚ forward twist in flight, and to the landing. She earned the high score of 15.650 and ranked first.”

o On August 18, the KCNA said, “With the term for our [North Korea’s] removal from its list of state sponsors of terrorism nearing its end, the US is raising [North Korean] human rights as an issue, under which lies an ill-advised attempt to pass the buck for a delayed delisting onto us.” The KCNA alleged, “This attests to the US’s devious goal of putting pressure on us [North Korea] while half-heartedly proceeding with the six-party talks without results and its lack of interest in solving the [North] Korea-US nuclear issue through the talks in the first place.”

【Inter-Korean Issues】

o On August 20, the North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea as saying, “The military exercises the US and its puppet South Korean government are engaged in are anti-DPRK war exercises and clear evidence of anti-DPRK and confrontational inter-Korean policies.” The KCNA stressed, “As long as foreign forces continue to pose a military threat, we [North Korea] will step up our war deterrence via every possible means. And based on the principle of putting utmost priority on the safety of the nation, we will evaluate all issues and actively take practical counter-measures.”