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North Korea Weekly (December 8 - December 14, 2008)

ROK National Intelligence Service

【Inside North Korea】

o On December 7, the Rodong Sinmun said, “Indoor soccer refers to indoor soccer games between two teams of five players each.” It also reported, “The first and second half are each twenty minutes, and each team may freely substitute players at any time. In this game, the ball is kicked in, not thrown in, after it crosses over the line; elbowing or tackling an opponent player in possession of the ball is prohibited; and there is no offside rule; etc.”

o On December 8, the North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, “North Korea is proactively seeking to protect and manage natural monuments.” It went on to say, “Daedong River ark shells, a natural monument, are widely scattered along both banks of the river in Bongdo-ri, about six kilometers northeast of Licheon-ri, Seungho District, Pyongyang.” According to the station, “Detailed measures necessary to ensure effective winter spawning of ark shells are now being formulated.”

o On December 9, the KCNA contended, “Noted mountains and sights in Korea imbue the Korean people with a strong sense of pride and patriotism.” It also propagandized, “During the last decade, Mt. Chilbo, which kept a low profile for thousands of years, showed off its dazzling beauty as one of the six most celebrated mountains, and numerous tourist attractions including Ulrim Falls, Goosle Falls, Bidan Falls, and the Six Lakes were found. In addition, noted mountains and picturesque places magnificently turned into cultural rest places for the people and venues of cultivating socialist patriotism.”

【Outside North Korea】

o On December 10, the KCNA said, “The US government announced that the DPRK is a nuclear power.” It also mentioned, “The US Defense Department’s recently released annual report says that there are already five nuclear powers in Asia: China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Russia.”

o On December 12, the Korean Central TV of North Korea reported, “Heads of the delegations to the six-party talks met in Beijing from December 8 to 11." It noted, "Participants in the talks acknowledged that there had been progress in execution of the second-phase actions for implementation of the September 19 Joint Statement.”