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Weekly Report on North Korea No. 929 (February 2 to February 8 2009)

ROK Ministry of Unification

Internal Affairs

• According to North Korean media reports from February 2 to 8, Kim Jong-il attended seven public events, four of which were on-site guidance on the economic sector in which Chairman Kim showed the most vigorous activities.

• The DPRK is going through the preparatory procedure for the 12 th assembly elections of the Supreme People’s Assembly scheduled to be held on March 8, having Chairman Kim Jong-il as a candidate for the 12 th representative of the Supreme People’s Assembly in all constituencies across North Korea .

• The Chinese Customs released the China-North Korea trade statistics in the 2008 Maritime Customs Statistics on February 1.

• Workers’ Groups including the Union of Agricultural Working People, the General Federation of Trade Union, the Women’s League and the Youth League recently held the Plenum of the Central Committee of the Korean Workers’ Party and discussed the tasks stated in the joint editorial.

• North Korea reported that peanuts candies will be included as one of the items for the holiday goods distribution project.
• Chosun Shinbo , February 3

Inter-Korean Affairs

• The DPRK criticized the Denuclearization, Openness and 3000 initiative with regard to the nomination of the South Korean Minister of Unification.
• Rodong Sinmun , February 2

• North Korea criticized the comments that South Korean President Lee Myung-bak made with regard to inter-Korean relations when he appeared on the TV program “A Roundtable Conversation with the President” (aired on January 30, SBS TV)
• Democratic Chosun , February 7

Foreign Affairs

• At a press conference with Korean Central News Agency on February 2, the Spokesperson for the General Staff emphasized again that the DPRK will not give up its nuclear weapons program unless the nuclear threat from the U.S. would go away, which the Spokesperson for the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized in the commentary on January 13 and during a press conference on January 17.

• North Korea asserted that the U.S. was destroying the world peace as seen in that it supports Israel ’s military attack. It also criticized that the U.S. was expanding its military power on and around the Korean peninsula.

• The DPRK reported that Iran successfully launched its artificial satellite on February 2. It also asserted the universal right of peaceful use of the universe, claiming that it also retained its right for such use.

• North Korea strongly criticized that the dispatch to Somalia and military exercises of Japanese Self Defense Forces were movements to greatly expand its military power and schemes to invade once again the Korean peninsula.

• The DPRK asked the Obama administration to mend fences between North Korea and the U.S. before having any discussions over nuclear abandonment.