Current News Articles
(Note: Here we collect the articles which give us a thinking. We hope you should also read them and think over as we do. However, the views expressed in the articles are not necessarily the same as ours.)
Japan Can Not Deny Coerciveness of Sexual Slavery for Imperial Army
Pyongyang, May 23 (KCNA) -- The right-wing conservative forces of Japan are resorting to a sleight of hand to deny the coercive nature of the sexual slavery for the Imperial Japanese Army.
Hashimoto, co-head of the Japan Restoration Party, said there is no evidence proving that the Japanese military and government abducted women through violence and threatening. Co-Head Ishihara also said it is the principle of history that the military has close relations with prostitution. He even said there is nothing wrong in Hashimoto's remarks.
This is impudent and shameless political chicanery aimed to deny the sexual slavery system run by the Japanese government and military by abducting women from Korea and other Asian countries.
It was an organized crime sponsored by the Japanese state.
The chief culprits of the crime were the Japanese king who took charge of all state power including judicature, administration and legislation under the constitution of the Japanese empire as well as the government and military that moved under the directive and by the ratification of the king.
The Ministry of Ground Force set up and run the sexual slavery system for the army at the approval and instructions of the king.
ccording to publications "king's army and Korean 'comfort women'" released in Japan, the government and the military laid out a plan to provide one sexual slave to 29 army soldiers and made public various relevant ordinances and documents for the realization of the plan.
It was ascertained by wartime telegrams and documents, a number of victims of various countries, testimonies by witnesses and confession by soldiers that women were abducted from all Asian countries by the order of the military.
A telegram sent by the commander of the Japanese army in Taiwan to Tojo on March 12, 1942 spelled out, "I hereby request you to allow the dispatch of the following three persons selected by the military police as managers of 'comfort stations' to respond to the request by the military headquarters in the southern region to send 50 'comfort women' to Brunei."
A document on the recruit of employees of military "comfort stations" that was sent to the army stationed in China by the Japanese Ministry of Ground Force in 1938 contained the approval seal of Vice-Minister of Ground Force Umezu.
This order was given to the army units till July 1945 right before Japan's defeat.
All units that were hurled to aggression war including the 12th, 35th, 38th and 59th divisions abducted women as sexual slaves at the instructions of the military commanders, and the headquarters carried them whenever there was strategic movement.
Japan's act of abducting and forcibly walking away women were top violence crime which combined physical and mental coercion as evidenced by requisition, arrest, blackmail, threat and swindling.
200 000 Korean women were taken to China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Okinawa, Hokkaido, Guam and other occupation and stationing areas by the Japanese army and 146 000 of the women lost their lives in alien land.
This clearly proves that the sexual slavery for the Imperial Japanese Army was a hideous abduction and unethical crime in which the government, military, the government-general in Korea and police under it were involved by the order and at the instructions of the Japanese king.
However, the Japanese right-wing conservative forces are denying the coercive nature of the sexual slavery system. This is aimed to conceal Japan's disgusting face as the world's biggest abduction country and evade the past liquidation at any cost.
They insisted on the necessity of the sexual slavery system, claiming "Japan has been unfairly singled out for practices common among other armies during wartime."
This is the height of sophism that can be made only by brutes in human form.
The sexual slavery for the Imperial Japanese Army is the hideous crime against humanity to which no statute of limitations is applicable as it was committed in an organized and open way with the direct involvement of the government and the military.
A final report on organized rape, sexual slavery and similar practices during armed conflicts that was adopted at the UN Human Rights Sub-Commission in August 1993 defined the sexual slavery for the Imperial Japanese army as a war crime and demanded the Japanese government enact a relevant law for the settlement of the issue.
But the Japanese right-wing conservative forces have persistently denied the coercive nature of the sexual slavery to evade the redemption of the past and bury into oblivion Japan's crime-woven past.
It is nearly a century since the occurrence of the sexual slavery issue and nearly two decades since the issue was taken up at the international arena but the issue has not seen a solution. This is attributable to Japan's shamelessness and moral vulgarity.
The sexual slavery has brought dishonor and shame to Japan.
Japan can never cover up the crime of the sexual slavery system nor evade the responsibility for it.
This is a serious political issue and urgent historical task facing the Japanese authorities.
DPRK Will Always Remain True to Its Principle- KCNA Commentary
Pyongyang, April 30 (KCNA) -- The Korean people are keenly aware of the danger of the U.S. nuclear war at a time when the Foal Eagle joint military exercises have reached their height in south Korea.
U.S. super-large nuclear carrier groups with nuclear warheads aboard, B-52, B-2 and other strategic bombers, nuclear-powered submarines, guided-missile destroyer groups, F-22 stealth fighters formation and other nuclear strike means are operating against the DPRK. U.S. and south Korean warmongers are busy staging combined landing drill, joint coastal amphibious logistic drill, emergency runway taking-off and landing drill, increasing the danger of their provocations. Commenting on this situation, even foreign media reported that the probability of the outbreak of a war on the Korean Peninsula is 80 percent.
The U.S. and other warmongers do not want detente on the peninsula even a bit but are keen to ignite a nuclear war at any cost.
The increasing military threat and dangerous saber-rattling go to clearly prove who is the arch criminal escalating the tension on the peninsula and bringing a nuclear war disaster to it.
The U.S. has not yet drawn a serious lesson from the failure of its hostile policy toward the DPRK that has lasted for over half a century.
The U.S. started the Korean War to occupy the DPRK in its cradle but sustained a bitter defeat for the first time in its history. It deplored that it fought a war against a wrong rival at a wrong time after the ceasefire in the 1950s. But it is the 21st century.
The DPRK has grown to be a full-fledged nuclear weapons state and acquired tremendous military capabilities including nuclear force.
The U.S. nuclear threat to the DPRK compelled it to bolster its nuclear deterrent. Now that the U.S. is imposing a nuclear war upon the DPRK, while showing off latest nuclear hardware, the latter is left with no option but to cope with it with nuclear weapons.
The DPRK does not want a war but is not afraid of it either.
It is the unshakable principle and strategic line of the DPRK to take hold on nuclear shield for self-defence and thus shatter the U.S. ambition to annex the Korean Peninsula by force of arms and reduce the Korean people to modern type slaves, and firmly protect its idea and social system and the whole wealth of socialism gained at the cost of blood.
The DPRK is fully ready to meet the U.S. political and military challenges and honorably conclude the decades-long confrontation with it.
It will keep to the road chosen by itself as long as there persist the U.S. hostile acts against it.
KCNA Commentary Decries U.S. Claim for Dialogue
Pyongyang, April 19 (KCNA) -- The U.S. is trying to give impression that it restrains military action and hopes for dialogue.
The present U.S. chief executive has become vocal about the step he has taken to stop a series of military exercises, while claiming that "the U.S. has no intention to attack north Korea" and the "U.S. duty is to prevent a war".
This is a trick to evade the responsibility for the wartime situation prevailing on the Korean Peninsula and shift the blame on to the DPRK.
The U.S. is a chief culprit and a provoker which stoked tension and created the vicious cycle on the Korean Peninsula while tightening "sanctions" on the DPRK and moving to provoke a nuclear war.
It was the U.S. which hurt the dignity of the DPRK with brazen-faced political provocation while incriminating the legitimate and peaceful satellite launch of the DPRK. It was again the U.S. which is staging the nuclear war rehearsal to remove socialist Korea from the earth.
The U.S. has been waging military exercises in the sky and sea of the Korean Peninsula for nearly two months with the involvement of strategic nuclear submarines and bombers, apparently creating a nuclear war atmosphere.
However, it is now crying out for dialogue and restraint of military actions, a sophism that can be made only by gangsters.
Even at this moment the U.S. is waging nuclear war drills targeting the DPRK and is moving its nuclear strike means to operational waters off the peninsula.
It even mulls launching an intercontinental ballistic missile, one of three strategic nuclear strike means.
Under this situation, the U.S. has become vocal about a U-turn made by it toward dialogue and negotiation. This is aimed to convince the public that the U.S. does something to ease the tension on the Korean Peninsula, and round off nuclear war preparations behind the scene.
There can be neither DPRK-U.S. dialogue nor denuclearization as long as the U.S. wantonly violates the sovereignty of the DPRK and persists in the moves for a nuclear war against it.
As long as imperialists exist on earth and nuclear threats from the U.S. have not diminished, the DPRK's dismantlement of nuclear deterrence for self-defence will be unimaginable and there can never be such a thing no matter how much water may flow under the bridge.
The DPRK declared its new strategic line on simultaneously pushing forward economic construction and building of nuclear force and legalized it.
The DPRK's nuclear deterrence, symbol of its dignity and sovereignty, can never be a political bargaining chip.
The nuclear force of the DPRK will remain as the most powerful means for safeguarding the sovereignty and the supreme interests of the DPRK and dealing retaliatory blows at the strongholds of enemies who seek aggression on the DPRK till the world, especially the U.S., has become denuclearized.
Rodong Sinmun Calls for Just Great War for National Reunification
Pyongyang, March 27 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun Wednesday editorially calls upon all the service personnel and people to turn out as one in a decisive struggle for final victory to sweep the U.S. imperialists and south Korean puppet forces off the surface of the earth and achieve the historic cause of national reunification.
The paper says: The statement of the Supreme Command of the Korean People's Army is a manifestation of the invariable will of the army and people to mercilessly wipe out the enemies who dared hurt the dignity of supreme leadership of the DPRK.
The supreme dignity of the DPRK represents the prestige of the leaders and the supreme commander and serves as the life and soul of the service personnel and people in the DPRK.
All the service personnel and people in Songun Korea never allow the enemies to hurt the supreme dignity. Their resentment and hatred have reached their height. It is their iron will to search for the enemies who attempted to hurt the supreme dignity even on the bed of the waters off archipelagos, beginning with Chongwadae, and tear them to pieces.
The statement meant deadly retaliatory blow at the U.S. imperialists working hard to threaten the DPRK's sovereignty and right to existence with nuclear weapons.
The army and people of the DPRK will never abandon nuclear weapons in order to protect their dignity, rights, social system and cause. The U.S. imperialists brought nuclear disasters to the people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki with B-29 bombers. They are sadly mistaken if they think they can repeat this criminal history on the Korean Peninsula with B-52.
The statement amounts to a stern warning to the worldwide crime of violating the conscience and peace of world and a just declaration instilling conviction of fair choice into progressive mankind.
If the U.S. imperialists ignite a nuclear war on the Korean Peninsula, it will bring a nuclear disaster not only to the Korean nation but to whole humankind.
The world conscience should make a choice of justice now that the criminal nature of the UN Security Council's "resolution" has become clearer as the days go by. Justice belongs to the DPRK, not to the U.S.
Japan's Move to Distort Its Past Crime of Sexual Slavery Can Never Be Justified: Rodong Sinmun
Pyongyang, March 3 (KCNA) -- Japanese Prime Minister Abe, regarding Japan's past crime related to sexual slavery, said there is no evidence proving that the soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army stormed dwellings and forcibly took women as "comfort women". The Japanese chief Cabinet secretary also openly revealed a scheme to reexamine the "Kono's statement" in 1993 which admitted Japan's past crime related to sexual slavery. Even adviser to Abe for diplomatic policy said the "Kono's statement" was a diplomatic gaffe that made "comfort women" an international issue. This will make Japan, a defeated nation, further isolated, he added, stressing the need to assert that the issue of sexual slavery didn't exist in the education field.
Rodong Sinmun Sunday in a bylined article observes in this regard:
Japan's move to distort its past history of sexual slavery can never be justified as the sexual slavery system run by the erstwhile Japanese imperialists was a heinous unethical crime unprecedented in history.
The coercive nature of the sexual slavery crime was proved by a lot of already-exposed data and testimonies of its victims.
However, the Japanese reactionaries are openly negating the forcibility that was exercised as regards the "comfort women" for the Imperial Japanese Army. It is the height of brazen-faced baseness, peculiar to Japan.
The Abe government's total denial of the coercive nature of the sexual slavery and the Imperial Japanese Army's involvement in it stem from Japan's wrong way of thinking and ulterior sinister design sought by the right-wing conservative elements.
Another intention of the Japanese reactionaries is to evade the responsibility for the crime and reparation for it.
The Abe government's denial derives from Japan's wild ambition to realize the erstwhile dream of the "Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere" in the new century which it failed to do in the last century.
However, such move of Japan will only add to its crimes and doing so will bring Japan international isolation and political doom.
Exercise of Right to Peaceful Use of Space Is Battle for Defending Sovereignty: KCNA Commentary
Pyongyang, February 7 (KCNA) -- The U.S.-masterminded adoption of "resolution on sanctions" against the DPRK over its successful launch of satellite Kwangmyongsong 3-2 made the army and people of the DPRK to turn out in a do-or-die battle for defending the country's sovereignty.
The U.S. and its allies wantonly violated the independent right of a sovereign state to develop space. This hostile act is an indication of the inveterate repugnance and hostility toward the ideology and social system in the DPRK.
Defending the right to the peaceful use of space is not just an issue pertaining to the right to develop space but an issue related to the destiny as it is one for defending the sovereignty and achieving the prosperity of the country and the nation.
Sovereignty is what keeps dignified Kim Il Sung's nation and Kim Jong Il's Korea alive.
The army and people of the DPRK have never allowed the nation's sovereignty to be encroached upon and the supreme interests of the nation infringed on.
They have bolstered the national defence capabilities and firmly safeguarded the gains of socialism defying the U.S.-led imperialists' ever-more undisguised moves to isolate and stifle the country.
We can never forget the grief Korea suffered as a weak nation a century ago which left a deep scar in the nation's history.
Clear is the aim sought by the hostile forces in stepping up rhetoric against the DPRK.
They seek to break the independent stand of the DPRK and force it to take down the socialist banner.
A single step backward will rid the DPRK of its right to existence, to say nothing of building a thriving country.
Satellites and long-range rockets to be launched by the DPRK in the future will become the struggle of a new higher stage in defending the sovereignty of the Korean people.
There is no reason whatsoever to have repugnance against the DPRK's efforts to explore space with its own strength, technology and wisdom.
The DPRK is at the crossroad of whether it leaves its sovereignty to be encroached upon by the U.S. which found fault with the DPRK's peaceful satellite launch or it demonstrates its dignity as a space power. So, the army and people of the DPRK are now feeling surging anger at the U.S.
It is quite natural that the DPRK's efforts of building an economic giant, its struggle for conquering space and its measure of bolstering deterrence for defending the country's peace and security will all orientate toward the all-out action targeting the U.S.
The army and people of the DPRK will surely win a victory as they are advancing along the road of justice to defend the sovereignty with firm conviction in the justice of their cause.
U.S. to Blame for Nuclear Issue on Korean Peninsula, KCNA Commentary
Pyongyang, January 29 (KCNA) -- 55 years have passed since Jan. 29, 1958 when the U.S. formally declared it would ship nuclear weapons into south Korea.
Even since the appearance of NPT, the U.S. continued shipping nukes into south Korea in a gross violation of NPT, turning it into the biggest nuclear arsenal in the Far East.
The U.S. has staged ceaseless exercises of various forms for a nuclear war targeted against the DPRK in south Korea and its vicinity since late in the 1960s, steadily escalating the tension on the Korean Peninsula.
It was already during the Korean War that the U.S. worked out a plan to create the zone of radioactive corridor on the peninsula and frantically staged maneuvers under the simulated conditions of an actual nuclear attack on areas of the DPRK in a bid to carry out the plan.
This goes to prove that the nuclear issue on the peninsula was spawned by the U.S. as it has shipped nukes into south Korea and persistently pursued a policy of nuclear war since half a century ago.
It is the U.S. which is chiefly to blame for the nuclear issue on the peninsula and has driven the situation into an extreme phase where it is hard to settle the issue.
The DPRK has made every possible effort to seek a peaceful solution to the nuclear issue on the peninsula, a product of the nuclear threat of the U.S.
The DPRK has regarded it as its nuclear policy to denuclearize the peninsula and striven hard to implement it even since the DPRK had access to nuclear deterrence as a bold decision to safeguard the dignity and security of the country and the nation from the increasing nuclear blackmail of the U.S.
However, the U.S. has steadily escalated its actions hostile to the DPRK such as nuclear blackmail, disregarding all efforts of the DPRK and abusing even international law as a lever for justifying its highhanded and arbitrary practices.
The U.S. recently cooked up the UNSC's "resolution 2087 on sanctions" in an effort to deprive the DPRK of its independent right to satellite launch.
The U.S. persistent pursuance of its nuclear war policy against the DPRK is aimed at stifling it economically and disabling its armed forces and thus bringing it under its control at any cost.
Any effort to settle the nuclear issue on the peninsula is little short of wasting time on an empty talk as long as the U.S. sticks to its nuclear policy of regarding nuclear weapons as a basic means to stifle the DPRK.
That is why the DPRK drew a final conclusion that it is impossible to denuclearize the peninsula unless the world is denuclearized.
The present situation once again teaches the Korean people the truth that the sovereignty of the country and the nation must be defended by their own efforts.
The army and people of the DPRK will orient and subordinate the efforts for building an economic power, conquering the outer space and bolstering up the military capability and the deterrence to defend the security of the country to an all-out action to smash the moves of the U.S. and other forces hostile to it.
The world will clearly witness how the DPRK will punish all the hostile forces and win a final victory.
Rodong Sinmun Dismisses Remarks of Chongwadae's Diplomatic and Security Chief
Pyongyang, January 11 (KCNA) -- The Korean nation has drawn a conclusion in the light of the prevailing situation that it is urgent to eliminate the worst confrontation maniacs as soon as possible for improving the north-south ties and reunifying the country.
Rodong Sinmun Friday says this in a bylined commentary blasting south Korean chief for diplomacy and security Chon Yong U's reckless remarks calling for escalating confrontation.
Chon talked about "the situation inside the north", a revelation of his sinister expectation towards sort of "changes" in the DPRK, notes the commentary, terming it a nonsense that can be talked only by confrontation maniac.
The south Korean group of traitors has been taken aback by the Korean people's intense loyalty and noble moral obligation, the unbreakable single-minded unity of the party, the army and the people and its invincible might, says the commentary, adding:
However, traitor Chon Yong U is persisting in his spate of vituperation against the DPRK.
He was foolish enough to assert "the south has power to decide the north's future". Great irony is that such colonial stooges are bluffing though they cannot exist even a moment without backing and patronage of foreign forces.
The jargons let loose by Chon about "May 24 step" and "sanctions against the north", lost to shame, are aimed at prodding the next regime into invariably pursuing the anti-reunification "policy towards the north".
All facts once again clearly indicate that the Lee group of traitors including Chon is the worst confrontation maniacs and stumbling block lying in the way of reunification as they refuse to give up their bad habit of stoking confrontation with compatriots before going to their graves.
KCNA Commentary Censures S. Korea's Moves to Block Tour of Mt. Kumgang
Pyongyang, November 29 (KCNA) -- The Lee Myung Bak regime of south Korea has gone sordid in its moves to shift the responsibility for the suspended tour of Mt. Kumgang on to the DPRK.
A spokesman for the "Ministry of Unification" on Nov. 19 talked about "guarantee of personal safety of tourists", saying that he "hoped for the north's sincere measures".
On Nov. 26, the spokesman again talked nonsense that the guarantee of the personal safety of south Korean tourists at the highest level was not included in the "agreement between authorities".
This is sheer sophism aimed to cover up its criminal act of having scotched the tour of Mt. Kumgang, symbol of the north-south reconciliation and cooperation.
The Lee group is the chief culprit which suspended the tour that had been favorably under way for nearly a decade amid the expectation and concern of the public at home and abroad.
Soon after coming to power, the Lee group together with the "Saenuri Party" ragtag desperately stood against the tour, talking about "financial resources".
With the tourist incident in July 2008, the group unilaterally suspended the tour.
As far as the responsibility for the tourist incident is concerned, it was caused by the tourist's carelessness, and the responsibility rests with the south Korean authorities who took loose control of the tourists.
However, the group of traitors continued to raise the issue of "personal safety". This is aimed to evade the responsibility for the suspension and quench the increasing demand of south Koreans for the resumption of the tour.
Explicitly speaking, there is no such issue as the "safety of tourists" in the DPRK as touted by the south Korean puppet forces.
The auxiliary agreement on tour of Mt. Kumgang which was concluded between the Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee and the Hyundai Group in October 1998 and the agreement on entrance and exit out of Kaesong Industrial Zone and tourist zone of Mt. Kumgang that was adopted at the 13th north-south ministerial talks in February 2004 specified all articles regarding the guarantee of the safety of the south side's personnel and the provision of convenience for their entrance and exit.
In May 2000, the DPRK side showed special sincerity of issuing a memorandum on the guarantee of safety of the south Korean tourists and handed it over to the south side.
During Pyongyang visit by the chairwoman of the Hyundai Group in August 2009, the DPRK side gave assurances at the highest level as for the issue of safety of the south Korean tourists and officially made public it through the joint press release between the Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee and the Hyundai Group.
The DPRK repeatedly proposed talks for the resumption of the tour by sending notices to the south side on several times.
But the south Korean authorities keen on escalating confrontation with fellow countrymen, only kept raising "three conditions" and evaded the resumption of the tour. Finally they stooped to such an arrogant act of disrupting the negotiations.
All facts prove that the scotched tour and failed resumption are attributable to the puppet conservative regime's vicious hostile policy toward the DPRK, not to the issue of "personal safety".
The south Korean authorities' denial of the resumption of tour is precisely that of the north-south ties, north-south joint declarations and reconciliation, unity and reunification.
The south Koreans and all other Koreans crave the earlier resumption of the tour of Mt. Kumgang.
The Lee group and the "Saenuri Party" can never stem the desire and demand of the south Koreans to reopen the tour of Mt. Kumgang.
KCNA Commentary Decries U.S.-S. Korea Nexus before "Presidential Election"
Pyongyang, November 1 (KCNA) -- Nexus between the master and the stooge against the DPRK which is getting all the more undisguised with the approach of the "presidential election" in south Korea is arousing big public concerns at home and abroad.
Foreign policy aids, authorities in the field of defence, foreign affairs and security and experts in information and in the affairs of north Korea of the U.S. and the south Korean puppet government had frequent confabs for cooperation before the election.
High-ranking officials of the State Department of the U.S. and even special envoy for human rights in north Korea flew to Seoul where they held meetings not only with those concerned of the "Saenuri Party" but with human scum.
Matter is that the contents of the cooperation between the master and the stooge were consistent with joint counteraction to the "north's provocation".
Talking about the "north's nuclear and missile threats" and "additional provocation", they stressed the need for "stable control of the Korean Peninsula".
This reveals the U.S. true intention to abuse the "presidential election" for stepping up its hostile policy toward the DPRK, another politically motivated provocation.
As known, the U.S. has stretched its crooked tentacles to south Korea considering the upcoming "presidential election" as a vital issue in extending the pro-U.S. conservative regime and realizing its Northeast Asia strategy.
The U.S. "big interest" in the election was shown when the U.S. House of Representatives' delegation led by the chairman of its Foreign Relations Committee visited Seoul in May to be followed by the visit by north Korea experts of CSIS and former high-ranking officials.
They met with traitor Lee Myung Bak, the presidential candidate from the "Saenuri Party" and pro-U.S. conservative officials and discussed cooperation and joint counteraction to the "north's nuclear and missile issues" and "human rights issue".
The cooperation and joint counteraction touted by the U.S. and the south Korean puppets are aimed to increase the tension on the Korean Peninsula and build up public opinion over "north wind" and thus prod the pro-U.S. conservative forces to escalate confrontation with the DPRK.
After that, the U.S. and the puppet forces staged madcap joint military exercises against the DPRK and hideous psychological warfare. They tightened crackdown and persecution of the progressive democratic forces while calling for "eliminating forces following the north".
When the situation turned unfavorable for Lee and the clan of the "Saenuri Party" in the election campaign due to the disclosure of a string of treacherous crimes committed by them, they needed another plot and provocation.
The U.S. and the south Korean puppet forces' frequent contacts and collusion against the DPRK are just part of those moves.
The situation proves that it will be impossible to ensure peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, to say nothing of independence and democracy of south Korean society unless the U.S. political and military domination and interference are stopped.
It is quite natural that the south Koreans from all walks of life are standing against the U.S. Korean Peninsula policy and the pro-U.S. conservative forces' moves.
KCNA Commentary Lambastes Construction of Jeju Naval Base
Pyongyang, September 25 (KCNA) -- The Lee Myung Bak regime of south Korea is stepping up the construction of a naval base on Jeju Island.
The regime is contemplating turning Jeju Island into a large naval base capable of simultaneously ensuring the anchorage of more than 20 Aegis destroyers, each of 7 000 ton class, and even the entry and departure of nuclear carriers till 2015.
This is a grave criminal move to push the military tension and danger of a nuclear war prevailing in the Korean Peninsula and the rest of Northeast Asia to an extreme phase, zealously pursuant to the U.S. imperialists' strategy to dominate the world.
The naval base on Jeju Island is a bridgehead and nuclear outpost for implementing the U.S. strategy of attaching importance to the Asia-Pacific region.
The U.S. has long kept its eyes on Jeju Island in a bid to build a new overseas military stronghold there.
Jeju Island just 500km away from Shanghai, China, as the crow flies, is regarded as a strategic fortress capable of controlling and blockading different waterways in the Asia-Pacific region. The U.S. has zealously egged the south Korean puppet regime on to build a naval base on the island with the calculation that if it puts the island under its control, it will be possible to further escalate the military and economic pressure upon the peninsula and the rest of Northeast Asia.
The construction of the naval base started in 1995 but it had long been put off due to the protest of south Koreans. It has made rapid progress since the Lee group came to power.
The U.S. pressurized the puppet regime to undertake all aspects of construction project including design and construction in such a way as to turn the naval base into a full-fledged base for nuclear carriers. By doing so, it brought to bolder relief its black-hearted intention to make Jeju Island a center for carrying out its strategy to dominate Asia.
It, at the same time, selected the naval base construction as a link in the chain efforts to build a missile shield linking Phyongthaek, Inchon, Kunsan and Kwangju, thus putting into practice its military blackmail against the Korean Peninsula and the rest of Northeast Asia.
The group of traitors seeks to turn the island into a maritime strategic fortress just like the U.S. naval bases in Hawaii and Guam, pursuant to its policy. This scenario is aimed at expanding its operational radius toward open sea while escalating the military threat to the DPRK.
The Jeju Island naval base construction is nothing but a product of collusion between the U.S. keen to realize its strategy for dominating the world and the puppet regime hell-bent on the moves to escalate the confrontation with fellow countrymen with the backing of the U.S., their master.
The regime asserted that the base is "a combined base for civilian and military ships" and "a fresh driving force for growth." But when it was disclosed that the project was premised on ensuring the entry and departure of nuclear carriers, it said that the naval base construction was aimed to swim with the "trend of making ships large-sized." This is nothing but sophism intended to cover up its sinister aims.
It is as clear as noonday that the military tension and the danger of a nuclear war will further escalate in the peninsula and the rest of Northeast Asia in case a large naval base allowing the entry and departure of U.S. nuclear carriers is built on Jeju Island.
All facts go to prove that the U.S. is an arch criminal wantonly threatening the peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and the puppet regime is the top-class pro-U.S. stooge unprecedented in history and a nuclear-war servant.
Intolerable are the regime's moves to turn Jeju Island into a nuclear outpost for the U.S.
The army and people of the DPRK will counter with merciless self-defence measures the last-ditch efforts of Lee Myung Bak and the "Saenuri Party" to bring the dark clouds of a nuclear war to hang over the nation in league with outside forces.
KCNA Commentary Blasts U.S.-S. Korea Joint War Drills Targeting DPRK
Pyongyang, August 20 (KCNA) -- The U.S. imperialist aggressors and the south Korean regime of traitors finally kicked off Ulji Freedom Guardian joint military drills Monday despite the DPRK's repeated warnings.
Hurled into the drills which will last till August 31 are more than 30 000 U.S. imperialist aggression troops, 56 000 south Korean troops and at least 440 000 civilians. What should not be overlooked is that the U.S. has drawn even military personnel of its allies.
The ill-boding war rehearsal reminding one of the past June 25 war deserves curses as it is a serious challenge to the desire of the public at home and abroad for peace and detente on the Korean Peninsula, and a declaration of an all-out war against the DPRK.
The situation on the peninsula has reached the extremes in the wake of the disclosure of the attempt of hideous state-sponsored and politically-motivated terrorism that was pushed forward by the U.S. and the south Korean regime targeting the dignity of the supreme leadership of the DPRK.
Any contingency under the grim prevailing situation can immediately lead to a total war. This is a lesson drawn from the history of wars.
Holding war rehearsal like Ulji Freedom Guardian on the Korean Peninsula, one of the world's flashpoints, proves that the U.S. and south Korea's reckless attempt to ignite a new war has been deliberately put into the phase of practical implementation.
The warmongers amassed all kinds of war means on Yonphyong Island in the West Sea of Korea in which both sides stand in the most acute military standoff and the interests of many countries are intertwined, and have played up anti-DPRK war hysteria.
The south Korean regime hurled into the drills even mine-proof special vehicles out of a host of war hardware it brought from the U.S., openly disclosing their attempt at invasion through the operation of breaking through the Military Demarcation Line.
Blue Ridge, flagship of the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet specializing in aggression overseas, and huge fleets and aviation troops and even nuclear strike means of the U.S. imperialists have been hurled into the drills. Clear is their aim.
The primary aim is to preempt strikes at the supreme headquarters of the Korean revolution and nuclear and missile bases and other strategic strongholds in the DPRK and occupy it and stage civilian operations in a bid to lay a political, economic and military foundation for creating a bridgehead for Asian invasion.
All facts prove who is an arch criminal destroying peace and security and a war provocateur in the Korean Peninsula.
The army and people of the DPRK are hardly repressing towering resentment at the U.S. imperialists and the south Korean regime which are working hard to ignite a war against the DPRK, not content with their attempt at the hideous state-sponsored terrorism hurting the dignity of the supreme leadership of the DPRK.
Should the U.S. and south Korean warmongers drop even a single shell and bullet on the inviolable territory and waters of the DPRK, its army and people will never miss the golden opportunity but wage a sacred war for national reunification.
The DPRK has invincible military muscle and self-defensive deterrent capable of mercilessly annihilating any aggressors, and Kim Jong Il's patriotism and single-minded unity which are more powerful than a nuclear weapon.
The field inspection of the most hotspot area in the southernmost part of the southwestern front by Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army Kim Jong Un is heartening the service personnel and people of the DPRK and their spirit of annihilating enemies is running high.
The army and people of the DPRK who are replete with the spirit of devotedly defending the leader and the country, confident of sure victory, will most mercilessly punish aggressors and provokers in the order of great brilliant commander of Mt. Paektu Kim Jong Un.
The world will see how the great country of Mt. Paektu deal deadly strikes at the warmongers and greet another war victory day under the leadership of the illustrious brilliant commander.
KCNA Commentary Double-Standards Are Not Acceptable in Punishing Terrorists
Pyongyang, July 24 (KCNA) -- The U.S. and the south Korean regime are pretending ignorance of the recent attempted state-sponsored terrorist act which stunned the world. But liars have short wings.
Persons involved in the heinous politically-motivated case testified to the fact that it was committed under the U.S. aid and with its final approval.
The U.S. instigated south Korean intelligence agencies to let human scum form a organization for demolishing statues in the DPRK. It was deeply involved in the whole course of the case while offering them a large amount of money and subversion and sabotage means and even examining and approving the plan.
It is needless to say that those devoid of elementary morality and conscience can not dare commit so a monstrous "undertaking".
The international community was so shocked to find that the U.S. manipulated the terrorist case directly linked with the supreme dignity of a sovereign state despite its loud call for combating terrorism. According to data available, a meeting for U.S. special operations is a regular happening in Florida State. At a recent meeting, a brigadier general of the U.S. Army referred to the importance of spy activities in the DPRK. He said U.S. special units have already kicked off collecting information in the DPRK.
The U.S. Department of Defense organized a secret action unit called the defense secret department at the Defense Intelligence Agency, intensifying information collection outside war zones. This organization preferentially aims at such countries as the DPRK, Iran and China.
An official of the U.S. Department of Defense said that the new organization is aimed at letting agents hold right posts in cooperation with the Central Intelligence Agency and collect necessary information. This is not so surprising news.
Information collection by U.S. special units in the DPRK was exposed by the action program of the U.S. Department of Defense which was opened to the public several years ago. The U.S. has prepared "conflict" in such a way as rallying agents near the border areas of the DPRK and spreading rumors there to create confusion.
The U.S. set a special item in the national budget every year and has escalated psychological warfare against the DPRK and operations for undermining it while providing a fabulous amount of funds to anti-DPRK plot-breeding organizations.
The recent attempted terrorist act was a violation of international law, which was committed on the line of their extension.
Included in the International Anti-terrorism Law are regional conventions on ban of terrorist acts and punishment of terrorists, international convention on prohibition of terrorism by explosives and international convention on banning provision of funds for terrorism. Mentioned in the conventions are violence or threat by violence of life and health of state leaders, government officials and public figures, acts of destroying and disturbing state public properties and use of firepower weapons, explosives and poison for indiscriminative violence, forms of international terrorism. Such acts are bound to be strictly punished as they are international terrorist crimes, and no statute of limitations is applicable to criminals.
The U.S. should meet the demand of the International Anti-terrorism Law. It can never evade the responsibility for the recent case. It should admit the gravity of the heinous politically-motivated, state-sponsored terrorist act against the DPRK as it acted a back-stage manipulator and make an official apology to the DPRK. The U.S. should punish felons responsible for the terrorist acts.
If the U.S. applies two separate standards regarding the punishment of terrorists, it will result in fuelling terrorism, plunging the U.S. mainland into uneasiness and wrecking world peace.
DPRK FM Spokesman Denounces Japan's Moves for Territorial Expansion
Pyongyang, June 28 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of the DPRK Thursday gave the following answer to a question put by KCNA as regards Japan's open moves for territorial expansion:
These days Japan is openly disclosing its shameless ambition for territorial expansion with absurd assertions, thus sparking off instability and escalating tension in East Asia.
Shortly ago, a UN organization on the continental shelf boundary issued a written advice disagreeing with Japan's proposal for the extension of continental shelf. However, Japan distorted it in its selfish interests and asserted that Okinodori was recognized as islet. This is an example signaling Japan's ambition for territorial expansion.
Okinodori is just a big rock situated in the waters of Pacific Ocean hundreds of kilometers away from the Japanese territory. It does not fit the category of island defined by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. It, therefore, can not have its own economic zone nor can be a reason for the extension of the continental shelf.
Nevertheless, Japan tried to make Okinodori an islet and put its surrounding seabed under its exclusive control. This is the sinister intention sought by brazen-faced Japan.
Japan has insisted that Tok Islets, part of the inviolable territory of Korea, belong to Japan and put an eye on even the legitimate territories of its neighboring countries. Its wild territorial ambition has now reached the phase of seeking to grab even international seabed, common wealth of mankind.
Pushing forward militarization backed by outside forces, Japan has escalated the moves to expand territory. This situation indicates the looming revival of Japanese militarism which imposed untold sufferings and disasters upon mankind, driven by the foolish dream of the "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere".
The international community should be vigilant against Japan's ambition for territorial expansion and thoroughly reject it for peace of the world and welfare of mankind.
KCNA Commentary Slams Lee Myung Bak Group's Saber-rattling
Pyongyang, June 12 (KCNA) -- The Lee Myung Bak regime of south Korea is driving the situation on the Korean Peninsula to the brink after pushing the inter-Korean relations to a total collapse.
The south Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff staged the farce of making an emergency examination of the counteraction posture of the army under the stimulated conditions of the north's long-range artillery attack at dawn of Monday.
It was reported that this farce was staged with main emphasis on rounding off the posture to promptly strike the north's bases for provocation and supporting forces.
The south Korean warmongers' moves to do harm to the DPRK by force of arms have reached a frenzied and full-scale phase.
They made public an adventurous operational plan for "preemptive attack" on the DPRK.
They also worked out a "plan for hitting fixed targets" aimed at "striking Pyongyang" under the pretexts of "a surprise attack" and "possible provocations".
They are bluffing that the operational plan for "preemptive attack" is aimed at "destroying major facilities in the north" in three days after the outbreak of an all-out war. According to it, they deployed bunker-buster GBU-28 to destroy the north's underground military facilities and long-range artillery pieces.
They staged "drills for checking the posture to cope with a local war" under the stimulated conditions of "warship assault and provocative shelling and intrusion into major core facilities" in the eastern coastal area. They also staged the largest-ever combined air battle drill with the U.S.
Crying out for "punishment" and "precision strike", they committed such dangerous military provocation as conducting a demonstration firing drill with MLRS involved in the forefront area less than 10 kilometers from the north side.
This goes to prove that the Lee group of traitors singled out "preemptive attack" as a war strategy against the north under the pretext of non-existent "nuclear and missile threats from the north" and are now working in real earnest to put it into practice.
The ceaseless north-targeted saber-rattling has become one of the basic methods of warmongers at home and abroad to escalate the tension on the Korean Peninsula and ignite a war. Such drills have been staged more than 1 600 times since traitor Lee came to power.
Prevailing on the peninsula is such grave situation that an all-out war may break out even a hundred times.
Driven into an extreme crisis, the group of traitors seeks to ignite a nuclear war.
The military actions being taken by them against the backdrop of acute tension are like a time bomb.
These actions will bring them nothing but destruction and death.
DPRK Foreign Minster Calls for Boosting Role of NAM
Pyongyang, May 11 (KCNA) -- DPRK Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun Wednesday referred to the increased role of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) at the ministerial meeting of non-aligned countries in Egypt.
The historic cause of NAM has not yet been accomplished despite the flow of time and the alternation of generations and the struggle to realize the idea and objective of NAM is going on, he said, calling upon the meeting to pay attention to the following issues of further increasing NAM's role in view of the present situation:
First, NAM should boost unity and solidarity in the struggle to protect the sovereignty of its member states.
The U.S. and other western countries are persisting in infringing upon the sovereignty of other countries or posing threat to them under the pretexts of "anti-terrorism", "humanitarianism", etc. All the member states of NAM are victims of those acts.
It is necessary for NAM to take measures against all sorts of aggression and interference and sanctions and pressure aimed at regime change of NAM member states, guided by the idea of NAM founding opposed to foreign aggression and interference.
Second, it is necessary to take more practical joint actions to protect NAM's interests in the international arena.
NAM should give priority to its measures for settling the issues facing its member states and major international issues on the principle of collective actions laid down in the Havana Declaration and Sharm el-Sheikh Declaration adopted at the NAM Summits.
For the present, NAM should overcome differences and steadily expand the sphere of common points and joint actions so that it may raise its voices in the international arena. What is important is for NAM to pay attention to protecting the collective interests of the NAM member states and observing the principle of impartiality, objectivity and equality at the UN.
The DPRK government will invariably adhere to NAM's principle pursuant to the idea of its foreign policy-- independence, friendship and peace-- and make a positive contribution to the development of NAM.
KCNA-AP Joint Photo Exhibition Opens in U.S.
New York, March 15 (KCNA) -- A photo exhibition co-sponsored by the Korean Central News Agency and the Associated Press of the U.S. opened with due ceremony at the Rubin Art Museum on March 15 in New York to mark the centenary of birth of President Kim Il Sung.
On display at the exhibition under the theme "True Picture of Korea" are photos of undying revolutionary exploits President Kim Il Sung, general secretary Kim Jong Il and the dear respected Kim Jong Un performed for the building of a thriving nation, people's happiness, independent and peaceful reunification of Korea and global independence. Photos also deal with their revolutionary activities and great personalities.
Among them are photos of the might of a harmonious whole of the leader and people, achievements made by the DPRK in different fields including politics, economy and culture under the leadership of the Party and the leader and happy life of the Korean people.
Present at the opening ceremony were the KCNA delegation led by First Vice-Director General Kim Chang Gwang and officials of the AP including Senior Vice President Kathleen Carroll and Vice President John Daniszewski, personages of various social standings of the U.S. and those concerned of the museum, New York citizens and members of the DPRK mission at the UN in New York.
Donald Rubin, president of the Rubin Foundation, made a congratulatory speech at the ceremony. He welcomed the successful opening of the joint photo exhibition.
Expressing hope that the exhibition would be the first step towards cultural and political reconciliation, he prayed for the reconciliation between the two governments of the DPRK and the U.S.
Then Kathleen Carroll said in a speech that April 15 marking the centenary of birth of President Kim Il Sung, founder of the DPRK, is the greatest holiday for the Korean nation. He said he was pleased to open the joint photo exhibition with the approach of the holiday.
He added that the AP would report worldwide fresh news of what is taking place in the DPRK.
Kim Chang Gwang warmly hailed the opening of the joint photo exhibition in New York on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Kim Il Sung, the significant Day of the Sun.
He hoped that the exhibition would provide a visual introduction of important events in the DPRK, news of building a thriving nation as well as culture and history of Korea and thus make contributions to promoting mutual understanding between the peoples of the DPRK and the U.S. and improving the bilateral relations.
The participants looked round the photos on display. They compared the different styles of photography of the KCNA and the AP and had new visual understanding of the DPRK.
In the evening a reception was given on the opening of the exhibition.
The joint photo exhibition which opened under a MoU signed between the two news agencies in June last year will remain open till April 13.
The Dawn of the Kim Jong Un Era: Challenges and Opportunities for the Rest of the World by Prof. Han S. Park
Preface
The Korean peninsula is without doubt the most militarily fortified spot in the world, with over 2 million well trained uniformed forces on either side of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), coupled with some 75,000 U.S. ground forces stationed in South Korea and Japan.
The level of hostility shown across the border was clearly evidenced by a number of incidents during the last two years in which North Korea tested nuclear bombs and launched numerous missiles despite international sanctions.
Last year alone, there were two serious military incidents on the disputed waters on the west coast that could have easily escalated into major wars. Another war in Korea would create devastation of an unprecedented scale.
The death of Kim Jong Il from natural causes at the age of 69 at this unsettling historical junction has left the world shrouded in uncertainty regarding his successor ? the ¡°Dear Leader¡¯s¡± youngest son, Kim Jong Un (KJU), 28.
As the youthful, inexperienced, and untested man takes control, the world anxiously awaits some indication of his direction for leadership. Yet, if one knows the intricacies of North Korean politics and belief systems, little is mysterious and unpredictable.
There are certain principles and imperatives to which Pyongyang must adhere, and there are established patterns of policy goals and strategies. These make a reasonably convincing analysis possible.
When it comes to foreign policy, one must understand that Pyongyang¡¯s foreign policy conducts have been and will continue to be determined by actions and policies taken by the surrounding governments towards it.
Therefore, it is imperative for us to analyze Pyongyang¡¯s foreign policy behaviors in the dynamic system of interactions among major players including the United States, China, Europe, and other Asian and global systems, as well as the Seoul government.
The present essay intends to analyze the likely course of policy development in the Kim Jong Un era both proactively by the new leadership and reactively to a series of hypothetical or likely policies of the neighboring governments towards the DPRK.
Three generations of leadership in the DPRK
Since the inception of the state in 1948, its founding leader, Kim Il Song, established a clearly discernible system of characteristics for the DPRK with the creation of the Juche or self reliance ideology. Juche¡¯s core value was national sovereignty, and its main policy goal was to establish a legitimate system of governance.
The long period of the first generation (1948-1994) coincided with a period of the ¡°legitimacy war¡± between the two political systems across the border to claim the right for control over the entire peninsula following the brutal massively destructive war (1950-1953).
As the South became grossly dependent on the United States and external assistance, Kim Il Song aspired to and pursued a policy of Juche, which eventually isolated and alienated the North, and often left it ridiculed by the US-dominated West.
However, national solidarity and political integration (rather than divisiveness) resulted from the policies and politics of Juche, which helped the political system muddle through at a time when the Soviet Union along with all its satellite systems in Europe and elsewhere went down the drain.
By the end of Kim Il Song era, the world was swirled by the tide of American supremacy. Under the doctrine of the Washington Consensus, America intervened in the domestic politics of many sovereign states with the intention of regime change in line with liberalization and ¡°democratization.¡±
North Korea quickly became the target of the sole military superpower on the planet that manipulated its traditional alliance states including South Korea and Japan at will. The United States has also exerted substantial control over the world financial system.
At a time when Washington became obsessed with not only denuclearization of North Korea but also with the desire to change the regime characteristics of North Korea, Kim Il Song passed away abruptly and unexpectedly in 1994. When he died, the world expected the DPRK to collapse.
Then, came the second generation of leadership with the power and authority succeeded by the ¡°Dear Leader,¡± Kim Jong Il (1994-2011). Despite having been ¡°groomed¡± or prepared for leading the country, the consensus view that emerged was that his government was not durable, and would be certain to collapse within months, not years.
The new leader had to make sure that neither implosion from within nor aggression from without could threaten the sustenance of the system. These challenges were formidable, indeed. The landmark events and developments that posed external threat (hostility) include:
Washington planned military operations on nuclear sites in 2003, as in 1994;
U.S. Congress adopted and President Bush signed the North Korea Human Rights Legislation in 2004, which encouraged critics of North Korea, especially the defectors and their activities;
Successive sanctions by the United States and Western international organizations, which exacerbated food shortages which had initially been caused by severe flooding in successive years in the mid-1990s;
Washington used the DPRK as the most fitting and convenient scapegoat for beefing up the defense industry, especially the Missile Defense System;
The security alliance between Washington, Seoul, and Tokyo intensified;
The continuation of US-SK Joint Military Drills on the disputed waters along the West coast;
The Arab Spring provided further hostile ¡°talking points¡± to the critics of the DPRK;
The Rise and Fall of the Sunshine Policy from the South;
Hostile South Korea under the Lee Myung-bak government (2008-date)
What did Kim Jong Il do?
To address the concern of external threats, the Kim Jong Il (KJI) leadership advanced the development of nuclear weapons culminating in underground tests of nuclear devises in October of 2006 and long-range missiles. North Koreans believe (which is not farfetched by any means) that it was their nuclear weapons capability that deterred certain aggression from the United States.
Simultaneously, the KJI government also aggressively pursued reaching out to the Cold War adversaries including the United States, Japan, Europe, as well as South Korea. Despite repeated economic sanctions by the United States and US-backed international organizations such as the United Nations,
Pyongyang¡¯s persistent efforts to directly engage in talks with Washington were seldom deterred. In order to engage with Japan, KJI even admitted the abduction of Japanese citizens and apologized to the visiting Japanese Prime Minister, Koizumi, of Japan in 2005.
This action suggests that KJI was committed to improving relations with Japan. With respect to relations with the South, KJI accommodated all policy gestures of Presidents Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun leading to the successful historic summits with both South Korean presidents in 2000 and 2006.
Although South Korea¡¯s Sunshine Policy was designed for rapprochement, the degree and speed of inter-Korea cooperation and collaboration on economic and social exchanges were remarkable, culminating in the developments of Kaesung Industrial Complex and the Kumkangsan Tourism project.
The 6.15 Declaration of 2000 and the 10.3 Agreements were adopted during the KJI tenure. In addition, the KJI era produced tangible results in the area of economic cooperation with European countries, especially the Nordic countries in the area of sustainable development.
To address the domestic concerns for possible sources of instability and to cope with the wellbeing of the people, two distinct measures were advanced: Songun politics and Controlled Economic Reforms. Indeed,Songun was the backbone of the KJI leadership. Its creation was credited to KJI himself. It would be not only too simplistic but wrong to understand this doctrine as a political strategy to put the military ¡°first¡± in order to provide it with privileges and power.
Rather, Songun is a comprehensive system of values and norms designed to lay out a roadmap for politics and society. This doctrine is predicated on the principle of the militarization of the civilian; and the civilianization of the military in which the civilian is mandated to be ¡°combat ready¡± at all times and the military is charged with the obligation and responsibility to be and to work for the civilian society.
Thus, there will be no distinction between the two sectors. The two sectors are not only closely coordinated but they are often embodied in a same person. Without understanding this, outsiders will find it ¡°nonsense¡± that a military general is also simultaneously a member of the Central Committee of the Worker¡¯s Party of Korea, and holds a position in the Supreme People¡¯s Assembly.
With this doctrine pervasive in the society, the political system achieved and maintained a solid foundation of political integration and power solidification, and was able to survive the external adversities alluded to above. In the economic arena, the KJI era witnessed the market mechanism, though limited. KJI¡¯s North Korea did not undermine the incentive system on the part of the citizens and citizen groups.
Kim Jong Un Emerges in Particular Contexts
Before one speculates about the nature and character of the man, one must understand the historical and political contexts that were presented to Kim Jong Un and his confidants.
As one attempts to forecast the direction and orientations of policies in both the domestic and international arenas, one tends to pay almost exclusive attention to the person, and if what is being discussed about the post-Kim Jong Il era is any indication, North Korea is not an exception.
As much as the leader himself is important, the contextual characteristics within and surrounding the country are very important, and they hold a great deal of explanatory and predictive power. The domestic, inter-Korea, and international contexts may be observed as follows:
The domestic context is clearly one of economic shortcomings, with food shortages as the most pressing need. In this situation, the Kim Jong Un (KJU) leadership is fully expected to build its policies on economic expansion by first continuing the same outreach policy strategies carried over from the KJI era.
In order to ensure national security from external hostility, KJU will be left with few options outside of strong militarization which includes nuclear preparedness. At the same time, in order to ensure political stability and national integration, Pyongyang is fully expected to maintain Songun politics.
As for the context of inter-Korea relations, Kim Jong Un is faced with a South Korea that is undergoing a profound change in its political dynamics and public sentiment. A presidential election will take place in December of this year, preceded by a general election for the legislative body.
If the election of non-politician, Park Won Soon, as the mayor of Seoul in late 2011 and the swirling political wind surrounding the popularity of yet another non-politician, Professor Ahn Chul Soo is any indication, South Korean politics most likely faces a great change and profound transformation: the politics as usual may not last very long!
The grassroots and youthful intellectuals increasingly reject aspects of politics as usual and suggest that:
First, political maneuvering organized by established politicians and political parties which often involves secrecy and the illegal transaction of slush funds will only be counterproductive;
Second, the conservative agenda of protecting and promoting the interest of the wealthy and established through the control of the conventional media outlets (newspapers and televisions) will be effectively challenged by the myriad of today¡¯s information technologies that facilitate alternative means of mass communication.
These new ¡°media¡± will continue to be utilized by the younger segments of the population; third, the ¡°ideological color card¡± will not work any longer.
For decades now, the incumbent leadership has frequently used this card¡¯s tactic whereby political opponents are framed as North Korea sympathizers to influence public opinion on certain politicians; fourth, the public will not accept any policy toward the North that could bring about a military clash with North Korea as evidenced by the recent regional elections.
The public sentiment in South Korea is shifting away from accepting the status quo to rejecting the current stalemate and costly tension in inter-Korea relations.
In dealing with inter-Korea relations, one must not forget that there is still the Kaesong Industrial Complexopen and running. This was a remarkable achievement by President Kim Dae-jung and continued by President Roh Moo-hyun.
It was so grand and visionary that even the Lee Myung-bak government could not completely shut it down. The Kumkangsan Tourism project is yet another joint venture that is closed at this time but most likely to be reactivated.
The international and global context that the KJU leadership will confront is also fluid and changing. Following the implosion of the Soviet Union and the demise of the ¡°Second World,¡± the United States emerged as the only superpower and the center of hegemonic power in the post-Cold War world order for the last two decades.
But the American hegemony faced a fateful limitation as the world became a totally interdependent ¡°global village¡± where no one state is allowed to stay in a hegemonic status.
The world is an integral and complete system of mutual interdependence. The interdependence spans across many sectors including the global market system, communication and information technology and mechanisms, and a shared interest in the ecological and environmental system.
Despite these areas of mutual interest and dependence, we have seen increasingly volatile interactions among ethno-national self-centeredness, diverse cultures and civilizations. Information technology advancements that penetrate all corners of the world give voice to the resentments and frustrations of people belonging to certain echelons of the social and economic strata that have led to mass uprisings that toppled a string of governments in the Arab world (Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and possibly Syria).
The Arab Spring was preceded by US and Western military intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan. The turmoil in the Arab world, especially Iraq and Libya, led the North Koreans to strengthen their resolve to hang on to their nuclear capability which Pyongyang believes is the only deterrence against US-led military strikes in the last two decades.
The mutually dependent world has helped China to become a ¡°super power¡± that can undermine the supremacy of the United States. Yet, because of mutual dependence, especially in the area of economy, China and the United States are not expected to come to the terms of hostile confrontation.
The rise of China has great implications for the DPRK (This point will be elaborated on later).
Kim Jong Un¡¯s Priorities and Anticipated Strategies
Historically, if the Kim Il Song era is identified with Juche, and the Kim Jong Il era is seen in terms of the politics of Songun, Kim Jong Un¡¯s era may be given the system identity as a system for Kangsong Daekuk (Prosperity). Now that the DPRK has accomplished a solid basis of military capability, this doctrine of Kangsong Daekuk is to be realized in pursuing economic prosperity. The domestic context into which Kim Jong Un¡¯s leadership arrived is one of rather serious economic difficulties especially with food shortages.
Yet, contrary to fashionable speculation around the world, there is little room in the North for collective dissent from the grassroots, nor is there much likelihood for a power conflict from the leadership circles. Kim Jong Un is challenged by the unenviable task of achieving economic development without risking national security or regime stability.
Will Kim Jong Un¡¯s North Korea be able to induce economic development while, at the same time, maintaining the military and security strategies that it has inherited from the previous two generations of leadership? What kind of economic development and how would (should) he pursue it?
One might say that, as a very late comer, North Korea has a long way to go to catch up with the Asian tigers, especially South Korea. I would suppose that North Korea is not, nor should it, pursue the course of economic expansion that was employed by South Korea. Pyongyang has valued distributive justice by maintaining socialist system, and it is expected not to deviate from it.
In the last two decades or so, North Korea has placed an enormous emphasis on sustainable development whereby it hopes to avoid the environmental pitfalls that the Asian Tigers have created.
By doing this, North Korea tries to be different, not necessarily inferior to, the economic achievement of the South. To what extent will North Korea¡¯s development strategies be in the interest of sustainability? No one knows for sure but I am certain that it will continue to wage concerted efforts in this area.
The world is anxious to find clues that might indicate the direction and orientations of the KJU leadership. Much of the answer to this question depends on how the neighboring governments and the international community will treat the new leadership. A few scenarios may be crafted:
If the United States maintains the current policy in which Washington demands denuclearization and reforms towards more open and liberal policy measures as a condition of dialogue and negotiations, Kim Jong Un will have no choice but to stick to hard-line policies. If, however, Washington shows a willingness to include the issue of security threats to the DPRK in the dialogue agenda, the road to peace treaty and diplomatic normalization might be a distinct possibility. If Obama should be re-elected, the chances for this development could be within sight. Washington¡¯s instinctive desire is to avoid yet another military tension when is fighting two wars in the Middle East and involved deeply in conflict situations around the world.
As a young leader with high expectations within the population and mounting suspicions from the external world, KJU cannot afford to show any appearance of weakness which may force him to be more risk-taking. Thus, it is so crucially important that Washington change its approach to Pyongyang from hostility and alienation to engagement and cooperation.
The Seoul government can also go either way. If it continues with President Lee Myung-bak¡¯s policy measures toward the North, the future of inter-Korea relations might become even darker than the time under the Lee government. For instance, if the Lee government brings up the demand for an apology for the Cheonan Boat incident and Yeonpyeong incidents as a condition for any other topics of discussion, there will face nothing but a deadlock. It is vital for South Korea¡¯s future leadership to have a coherent and consistent policy toward the North, which has to be predicated on the premise of mutual development and non-interference in domestic affairs for both systems. It is clear that no political circles or individuals opts for military confrontation as a method of reintegration; it must be through cooperation and collaboration grounded on mutual acceptance and respect. The two sides must first reaffirm their agreements (6.15 and 10.3) by their heads of the state, and move on implementing them. The KJU leadership should be amenable to it. It is already unfortunate that the Lee Myung-bak government decided not to allow even civilian individuals or groups, let alone the sending of government officials, to the funeral of Kim Jong Il.
Japan has a legitimate reason to be concerned about North Korea¡¯s nuclear capability. The very inception of the DPRK under the leadership of Kim Il Sung was based on the widespread anti-Japan sentiment. Japan has always been regarded by the North Koreans as the primary villain due to its vicious colonial rule. To this date, North Korean public attitudes are pervasively negative toward Japan. The fact that some old guard military personnel kidnapped Japanese citizens in the 1970s was not entirely unrelated to their collective memory regarding Japan. Although those civilians apprehended by the North Korea soldiers were personally innocent indeed, the reality is that the level of animosity on the part of North Korea is such that even kidnapping Japanese citizens may not cause an unbearable sense of guilt for some North Koreans. Japanese public sentiment today overwhelmingly rests and hinges on the abduction issue. Demands for a resolution to this matter as a precondition for any diplomatic improvement is the single most crucial obstacle to rapprochement between the two countries. In fact, there is a huge discrepancy between the two governments in the number of abductees, and this issue must be dealt with through bilateral dialogues specifically on this issue, rather than as a part of the Six Party Talks which was exclusively designed to address the nuclear issue. It seems obvious that if Japan insists on the abduction issue as a precondition for further bilateral dialogues, the prognosis is extremely bleak.
Then, there is China. China¡¯s position bears huge implications for North Korea¡¯s new leadership. What does China want from North Korea? It wants the KJU government to be stable and capable of succeeding the legacies of the previous leaderships. There are solid bases for compatibility between the two traditional allies. First of all, the DPRK is a Communist system like China itself. When the world is seemingly turning away from one-party systems, it is crucially important that China maintains a neighboring ideological ally. Second, as difficult as North Korea¡¯s economy may sound, China sees a great deal of economic benefit from cooperating with North Korea in the economic sector. For one thing, North Korea may have already decided to develop its economy through a strategy patterned after the Chinese model. For Pyongyang, it is comforting to know that ¡°controlled¡± capitalism in the economic sector can go along with political communism with one party at the center. China has demonstrated ¡°the odd marriage¡± between economic capitalism and political communism can be sustained for a long period of time and in the process generate an extremely productive in economy. Of course, there are specific conditions in the contexts of the culture and global economic system that made China¡¯s rise possible. In this regard, North Korea seems to be endowed with the same cultural and exogenous economic system. In providing technical and economic assistance and through participating in selected facets of North Korea¡¯s development programs, China could benefit greatly. From the KJU leadership¡¯s perspective, China does not pose any security or ideological threat. Third, there is the military or security interest on the part of China itself by keeping the DPRK as its ally that can be a buffer against the United States and the West. This aspect is particularly important to China because North Korea is a formidable military power of the world. With these multi-facetted interests in North Korea, China will continue to expand its economic and political presence in North Korea as the KJU leadership is committed to developing its economy. China will make attractive offers to explore economic opportunities in such areas as setting up ¡°special economic zones,¡± developing infrastructures including roads, airports, and developing human capital through exchange and training programs. There appears to be no major barriers for China to move ahead with aggressive programs, and North Korea¡¯s level of dependence on China is likely to escalate in the months and years ahead.
As American superpower policies are weakened, the European countries are likely to explore opportunities with North Korea with or without endorsement by Washington. One area in which a North Korea-Europe nexus is likely to expand is in sustainable sources of energy. This is particularly the case with the Nordic countries of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, as well as the Netherlands. The DPRK has shown a great interest and made tangible efforts in the last two decades in developing alternative and renewable energy sources by expanding interaction with selected European countries.
Conclusion
The KJU era has dawned. There are abundant speculations regarding what will happen to the DPRK and how should the rest of the world respond. As one American scholar who has maintained sustained interest in the country and worked to develop expertise with a scholarly conscience, I have seen the three generations of leadership, the third one just dawning on the horizon. I have put together a few thoughts on the nature and course of the KJU leadership. The above discussion may be summarized in a few words as below:
The leadership succession has been and will continue to be stable for convincing reasons;
The policies pursued by the two preceding generations will be pursued without interruption;
Juche and Songun will continue to be the supreme principles of governance and policies;
Pyongyang¡¯s foreign policy will be conducted in such a way as to facilitate the continuation of the policy goals established by the first two generations, which include security, national identity and sovereignty, and economic and social prosperity; yet, it will largely respond to other countries¡¯ actions toward itself.
KCNA Commentary/ Reunification Is Top Priority Task of Korean Nation
Pyongyang, January 6 (KCNA) -- It is the fixed will of the Workers' Party of Korea and the government of the DPRK to make another centenary of Kim Il Sung's nation a centenary of national reunification.
The leading newspapers of the party, army and youth league in the joint New Year editorial called for carrying out the instructions of President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il for national reunification.
It was a lifelong wish of the great persons of Mt. Paektu to build a rich and prosperous reunified country on this land.
Kim Jong Il devoted his whole life to accomplishing the President's cause of national reunification.
He used to say how good it would be if the country is reunified so that northerners can tour Pond Paeknok on Mt. Halla and southerners tour Lake Chon on Mt. Paektu.
He always thought his nation and his fellow countrymen before anything else.
He provided the historic north-south joint declaration with national independence as its core and brought about a stirring event in which the severed blood vessels and territory of the nation have been relinked for the first time since the division of the nation. He ushered in the June 15 era of reunification in which the nation brings about independent reunification, peace and prosperity by its concerted efforts.
It was the biggest loss to the nation that it lost Kim Jong Il, lodestar of national reunification who led the fellow countrymen to the path of independence and the great national unity.
National reunification is the biggest task he left to our generation.
The on-going drive for implementing his instructions for national reunification is a patriotic one related to the nation's destiny in the new century of Juche era.
Nothing is more vital than national reunification for the Korean nation at present.
The Korean nation that had lived as a homogenous nation with one and the same blood vessel for thousands of years has suffered from misfortune, pain and shame of division even though decades have passed since the end of the Cold War.
Distrust between the fellow countrymen increasingly deepened. This tragedy of the nation adversely affects peace and stability of Northeast Asia.
National reconciliation and unity are preconditions and guarantee for national reunification.
The interests common to the nation should be placed above all and everything be subordinated to them.
The nation should uphold slogan "Let all the compatriots open the gates of national reunification full of fresh confidence!" this significant year marking the fifth anniversary of the October 4 declaration.
All the Koreans in the north and the south and abroad should step up the nationwide general march for reunification with the stand of independence, peace and the great national unity and achieve the cause of national reunification without fail.
KCNA Commentary on Rumor about "Nuclear Cooperation"
Pyongyang, November 18 (KCNA) -- Some dishonest forces are deliberately spreading the rumor that the DPRK is helping Iran in manufacturing nuclear weapons.
Some time ago, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), instigated by the U.S. and other Western countries, floated the rumor about "nuclear cooperation" between the DPRK and Iran. Then the hostile forces have spread fabricated data to make this rumor sound plausible. They even cited the outdated facts, rejected by the international community in the past, and talked nonsense that "hundreds of north Korean technicians, who took part in manufacturing nukes and missiles, have visited Iran on the shift via a third country to offer technological assistance."
The U.S.-led hostile forces have always found fault with the peaceful nuclear activities of those countries going against their grain and with their cooperation in the nuclear field.
What the forces seek in spreading the rumor about the DPRK's "nuclear cooperation", which is nonexistent, while escalating the offensive against Iran is to brand the DPRK as a "nuclear criminal" by linking it with the nuclear issue of Iran.
The story about "nuclear cooperation" is part of the hostile forces' trite slandering and deceptive tricks intended to put pressure on the DPRK.
There is no creditability in it.
Over the West's skepticism about the nuclear cooperation with the DPRK, Iranian diplomats said that Iran needs no foreign experts since it developed its own nuclear base and that Iran's nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes.
Nevertheless, the hostile forces are persistently clamoring about the DPRK's "cooperation". This is a revelation of their wicked criminal scheme to justify the campaign for sanctions on the DPRK over the nuclear issue and spoil the atmosphere of dialogue created in the Korean Peninsula.
In words they call for peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region including the peninsula but, in action they go against the dialogue and detente.
Any attempt to tarnish the external image of the DPRK with slander and plot will come to failure in the end.
Plot-breeders had better stop their foolish attempt at once.
Letter from President Hugo Chavez to His Excellency Ban Ki-moon Secretary General of the United Nations
ED NOTE: On September 17, 2011 Hugo Ch?vez Frias, President of The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela sent the following letter to Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary General of the United Nations, to confirm the Venezuelan government¡¯s support for the establishment of the State of Palestine. The Venezuelan president sent this letter as the 66th UN General Assembly votes on Palestinian statehood.
________________________________________
His Excellency
Ban Ki-moon
Secretary General of the United Nations
Mr. Secretary General:
Distinguished representatives of the peoples of the world:
I address these words to the United Nations General Assembly, to this great forum that represents all the people of earth, to ratify, on this day and in this setting, Venezuela¡¯s full support of the recognition of the Palestinian State: of Palestine¡¯s right to become a free, sovereign and independent state. This represents an act of historic justice towards a people who carry with them, from time immemorial, all the pain and suffering of the world.
In his memorable essay The Grandeur of Arafat, the great French philosopher Gilles Deleuze wrote with the full weight of the truth: The Palestinian cause is first and foremost the set of injustices that these people have suffered and continue to suffer. And I dare add that the Palestinian cause also represents a constant and unwavering will to resist, already written in the historic memory of the human condition. A will to resist that is born of the most profound love for the earth. Mahmoud Darwish, the infinite voice of the longed-for Palestine, with heartfelt conscience speaks about this love: We don¡¯t need memories/ because we carry within us Mount Carmelo/ and in our eyelids is the herb of Galilee./ Don¡¯t say: If only we could flow to my country like a river!/ Don¡¯t say that!/ Because we are in the flesh of our country/ and our country is in our flesh.
Against those who falsely assert that what has happened to the Palestinian people is not genocide, Deleuze himself states with unfaltering lucidity: From beginning to end, it involved acting as if the Palestinian people not only must not exist, but had never existed. It represents the very essence of genocide: to decree that a people do not exist; to deny them the right to existence.
In this regard, the great Spanish writer Juan Goytisolo is quite right when he forcefully states: The biblical promise of the land of Judea and Samaria to the tribes of Israel is not a notarized property contract that authorizes the eviction of those who were born and live on that land.
This is precisely why conflict resolution in the Middle East must, necessarily, bring justice to the Palestinian people; this is the only path to peace.
It is upsetting and painful that the same people who suffered one of the worst examples of genocide in history have become the executioners of the Palestinian people: it is upsetting and painful that the heritage of the Holocaust be the Nakba. And it is truly disturbing that Zionism continues to use the charge of anti-Semitism as blackmail against those who oppose their violations and crimes. Israel has, blatantly and despicably, used and continues to use the memory of the victims. And they do so to act with complete impunity against Palestine. It¡¯s worth mentioning that anti-Semitism is a Western, European, scourge in which the Arabs do not participate. Furthermore, let¡¯s not forget that it is the Semite Palestine people who suffer from the ethnic cleansing practiced by the Israeli colonialist State.
I want to make myself clear: It is one thing to denounce anti-Semitism, and an entirely different thing to passively accept that Zionistic barbarism enforces an apartheid regime against the Palestinian people. From an ethical standpoint those who denounce the first, must condemn the second.
A necessary digression: it is frankly abusive to confuse Zionism with Judaism. Throughout time we have been reminded of this by several Jewish intellectuals such as Albert Einstein and Erich Fromm. And today there are an ever increasing number of conscientious citizens, within Israel itself, who openly oppose Zionism and its criminal and terrorist practices.
We must spell it out: Zionism, as a world vision, is absolutely racist. Irrefutable proof of this can be seen in these words written with terrifying cynicism by Golda Meir: How are we to return the occupied territories? There is nobody to return them to. There is no such thing as a Palestinian people. It is not as people think, that there existed a people called Palestinians, who considered themselves as Palestinians, and that we came and threw them out and took their country. They didn¡¯t exist.¡±
It is important to remember that: from the end of the 19th century, Zionism called for the return of the Jewish people to Palestine and the creation of a national State of its own. This approach was beneficial for French and British colonialism, as it would later be for Yankee imperialism. The West has always encouraged and supported the Zionist occupation of Palestine by military means.
Read and reread the document historically known as the Balfour Declaration of 1917: the British Government assumed the legal authority to promise a national home in Palestine to the Jewish people, deliberately ignoring the presence and wishes of its inhabitants. It should be added that Christians and Muslims lived in peace for centuries in the Holy Land up until the time when Zionism began to claim it as its complete and exclusive property.
Let¡¯s not forget that beginning in the second decade of the 20th century, Zionism started to develop its expansionist plans by taking advantage of the colonial British occupation of Palestine. By the end of World War II, the Palestinian people¡¯s tragedy worsened, with their expulsion from their territory and, at the same time, from history. In 1947, the despicable and illegal UN resolution 181 recommends dividing Palestine into a Jewish State, an Arab State, and an area under international control (Jerusalem and Belem). Shamefully, 56 percent of the territory was granted to Zionism to establish its State. In fact, this resolution violated international law and blatantly ignored the will of the vast Arab majority: the right to self-determination of the people became a dead letter.
From 1948 to date, the Zionist State has continually applied its criminal strategy against the Palestinian people with the constant support of its unconditional ally, the United States of America. This unconditional allegiance is clearly observed by the fact that Israel directs and sets US international policy for the Middle East. That¡¯s why the great Palestinian and universal conscience Edward Said stated that any peace agreement built on the alliance with the United States would be an alliance that confirms Zionist power, rather than one that confronts it.
Now then: contrary to what Israel and the United States are trying to make the world believe through transnational media outlets, what happened and continues to happen in Palestine ?using Said¡¯s words? is not a religious conflict, but a political conflict, with a colonial and imperialist stamp. It did not begin in the Middle East, but rather in Europe.
What was and continues to be at the heart of the conflict?: debate and discussion has prioritized Israel¡¯s security while ignoring Palestine¡¯s. This is corroborated by recent events; a good example is the latest act of genocide set off by Israel during its Operation Molten Lead in Gaza.
Palestine¡¯s security cannot be reduced to the simple acknowledgement of a limited self-government and self-policing in its ¡°enclaves¡± along the west bank of the Jordan and in the Gaza Strip. This ignores the creation of the Palestinian State, in the borders set prior to 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital; and the rights of its citizens and their self-determination as a people. This further disregards the compensation and subsequent return to the Homeland of 50 percent of the Palestinian people who are scattered all over the world, as established by resolution 194.
It¡¯s unbelievable that a country (Israel) that owes its existence to a general assembly resolution could be so disdainful of the resolutions that emanate from the UN, said Father Miguel D¡¯Escoto when pleading for the end of the massacre against the people of Gaza in late 2008 and early 2009.
Mr. Secretary General and distinguished representatives of the peoples of the world:
It is impossible to ignore the crisis in the United Nations. In 2005, before this very same General Assembly, we argued that the United Nations model had become exhausted. The fact that the debate on the Palestinian issue has been delayed and is being openly sabotaged reconfirms this.
For several days, Washington has been stating that, at the Security Council, it will veto what will be a majority resolution of the General Assembly: the recognition of Palestine as a full member of the UN. In the Statement of Recognition of the Palestinian State, Venezuela, together with the sister Nations that make up the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA), have denounced that such a just aspiration could be blocked by this means. As we know, the empire, in this and other instances, is trying to impose its double standard on the world stage: Yankee double standards are violating international law in Libya, while allowing Israel to do whatever it pleases, thus becoming the main accomplice of the Palestinian genocide being carried out by the hands of Zionist barbarity. Edward Said touched a nerve when he wrote that: Israeli interests in the United States have made the US¡¯ Middle East policy Israeli-centric.
I would like to conclude with the voice of Mahmoud Darwish in his memorable poem On This Earth: We have on this earth what makes life worth living: On this earth, the lady of earth, Mother of all beginnings/ Mother of all ends. She was called¡¦ Palestine./ Her name later became¡¦ Palestine./ My Lady, because you are my Lady, I deserve life.
It will continue to be called Palestine: Palestine will live and overcome! Long-live free, sovereign and independent Palestine!
Hugo Ch?vez Fr?as
President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
------------
Source
Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
1099 30th Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20007
(202) 342-2214
[Hangyeore Editorial] The path to six-party talks
Observers have called the results of last weekend¡¯s high-level talks between North Korea and the United States ¡°not bad.¡± It was initially announced that they would be preliminary talks to explore their counterpart¡¯s intentions, and, accordingly, they did not produce any concrete results. But the overall assessment after the meeting between both countries¡¯ representatives was a hopeful one, and the prospects for continued dialogue and a resumption of the six-party talks appear somewhat brighter.
U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy Stephen Bosworth said the dialogue was an occasion for examining whether Pyongyang was willing to take concrete and irreversible steps toward denuclearization. In that regard, he said, the dialogue was ¡°constructive¡± and ¡°businesslike.¡± Bosworth also said there would be discussions with the U.S.¡¯s partners in the six-party talks toward the next stage. North Korea appears to have presented some ideas or stance that could be taken as indicating that it was okay for the U.S. to go on negotiating. North Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-kwan called the talks ¡°very constructive and businesslike¡± and said he would ¡°continue with the linkage in the future.¡± It may be the case that Pyongyang brought up the issues of discussions toward peace talks, normalization of North Korea-U.S. relations, the lifting of sanctions, and food aid, and took a favorable view of Washington¡¯s response.
However, given how complex the North Korean nuclear issue is and how it is linked with inter-Korean relations, it appears unlikely that things will go ahead at full bore. But they do not appear likely to drag out, either. With a presidential election taking place in 2012, the Barack Obama administration in the U.S. is showing signs of reexamining its policies of strategic patience and indifference toward Pyongyang. China, which has consistently called for a resumption of the six-party talks, is also likely to welcome this. South Korea¡¯s Senior Representative Wi Sung-lac said that the next stage of North Korea-U.S. contacts would be ¡°laid out within the next few weeks,¡± adding that ¡°we are now moving toward a new stage of dialogue.¡±
The latest North Korea-U.S. meeting took place one week after an inter-Korean meeting at the ASEAN Regional forum. It corresponds to the second stage in a three-stage plan for resumption of the six-party talks as agreed upon by the countries involved in the talks. Before any consideration of its content, the very format of the New York City meeting, taking place quickly on the heels of the first stage, gave the impression that Washington is hurrying to resume the six-party talks.
But this marks only the beginning stages, with a lot of road left to travel. The key will ultimately be the attitudes in Seoul and Pyongyang. If they do not adopt a wise approach to resolving the Cheonan, Yeonpyeong Island, and denuclearization issues, South Korea could find itself a stumbling block to the six-party talks, or end up in the position of being shut out by Pyongyang in favor of direct contact with Washington. North Korea needs to bear in mind that it will not be able to accomplish anything if it focuses solely on improving relations with the United States and regards dialogue with South Korea as little more than a stepping stone toward that.
DPRK's Will to Remain True to Idea and Principle of NAM Clarified
Pyongyang, May 27 (KCNA) -- The DPRK will as ever creditably fulfill its mission and responsibility for invariably adhering to the idea and principle of the Non-aligned Movement (NAM) and embodying them, said head of the DPRK delegation Pak Ui Chun, minister of Foreign Affairs, addressing the meeting of non-aligned foreign ministers on May 25.
The NAM made a great contribution to meeting all challenges of history and overcoming difficulties, safeguarding the global peace and security and protecting the collective rights and interests of its member nations, he noted.
He referred to the fact that President Kim Il Sung deemed it as the basic mission of the NAM to build a new free and peaceful world long ago and made indefatigable efforts for its development and unity and cooperation among its member nations.
Since its very inception the NAM has always paid a deep attention to solving the issue on the Korean Peninsula and positively supported and encouraged the DPRK government and its people in the efforts for achieving the independent and peaceful reunification of Korea and ensuring lasting peace on the peninsula, he noted, and went on:
It is the stand and the main purpose of dialogue to defuse the tension, build confidence and head for reconciliation, cooperation and peace through dialogue and negotiations under the situation where hostile relations persist between the DPRK and the U.S. and the north and the south.
These efforts of the DPRK, however, have failed to receive due response.
The U.S. is shunning dialogue with a variety of pre-conditions and persistently posing a nuclear threat to the DPRK and putting sanctions and pressure upon it.
The present south Korean authorities are becoming evermore undisguised in their moves to escalate the confrontation with the DPRK and ignite a war against it in collusion with the outside forces, persistently denying the June 15 joint declaration and the October 4 declaration.
It is the DPRK's stand to react to dialogue with dialogue and sanctions with a tough policy.
Pak expressed deep thanks to the member nations of the NAM for having extended support to the Korean people in their just cause of defending peace on the peninsula and reunifying the country and expressed expectation and belief that they would continue to extend solidarity to them, in the future, too.
The DPRK remains unchanged in its stand to develop the NAM and achieve global independence, he stressed.
Anniversary of April Popular Uprising Observed
Pyongyang, April 19 (KCNA) -- Major newspapers of the DPRK Tuesday mark the 51st anniversary of the April Popular Uprising in south Korea.
The uprising was an eruption of the south Korean people's grudge and wrath at the U.S. imperialists and their lackeys, pent up under their colonial rule in 15 years after the liberation of the country. It was a mass anti-U.S. and anti-fascist resistance involving millions of people across south Korea.
Youth and students and people from all walks of life in south Korea waged the do-or-die resistance in face of the fascist repression and thus toppled the dictatorial regime of Syngman Rhee, a pro-American traitor.
Through the uprising they dealt a telling blow at the U.S. colonial enslavement policy and proved that any dictatorial forces can be defeated if the patriotic forces go united and wage implacable struggle, Rodong Sinmun says in a bylined article.
51 years have passed since the uprising, but the desire of the south Korean people for independence, democracy and reunification has not yet been realized, the article says, adding:
It is a prerequisite for carving out the nation's independent destiny to put an end to the U.S. domination and interference in south Korea.
The south Korean people should be mindful that the national dignity and sovereignty can be ensured only through the struggle to resolutely smash the political domination and interference and intensified economic and cultural aggression on the part of the U.S.
They should thoroughly oppose and reject the idea of worshipping and kowtowing to the U.S. and dependence on foreign forces.
They should check and frustrate the treacherous policy of the conservative ruling forces that are running amuck to escalate confrontation with fellow countrymen, backed by outside forces.
When the people from all walks of life in south Korea wage vigorous and stubborn struggle in the spirit of the April 19 uprising, their cherished desire to live in an independent, democratic and reunified, new world free from foreign forces and the treacherous forces will be certainly realized.
Minju Joson calls upon all the south Korean people to turn out in the fight to terminate the treacherous rule by the conservative group as the forerunners toppled the Syngman Rhee regime through the April 19 uprising.
KCNA Terms Japan's Actions against Chongryon Politically Terrorism
Pyongyang, March 3 (KCNA) -- The Resolution and Collection Corporation of Japan committed an outrageous action by provisionally seizing facilities of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon) on Feb. 21.
On Feb. 18 the Tokyo District Court made a decision on approving the application of the above-said corporation for the provisional seizure of land and buildings of the Central Standing Committee of Chongryon.
The court judged that some 62. 7 billion yen out of the total bond which the corporation bought from the former Tokyo Credit Association of the Korean Bank in June 2007 was a loan for Chongryon and ruled that it should reimburse the total amount.
This was a vicious political plot of the Japanese reactionaries to destroy Chongryon through the seizure of its facilities.
By origin, the issue of false bond is an economic issue. So the settlement of it through reconciliation has been recognized as the most common and reasonable solution. Hence, the Tokyo High Court recommended the above-said corporation to solve the issue of Chongryon-related facilities including the Hall of its Central Standing Committee through reconciliation.
This notwithstanding, the Japanese authorities instructed the corporation to unilaterally scrap the reconciliation proposal. This is a politically motivated grave suppression disregarding the commonly accepted practice concerning the bond issue and an outrageous national discrimination. Provisional seizure is a measure taken by a creditor to preserve the property of a debtor until the court's ruling is confirmed.
The Japanese authorities kicked up much fuss after raising this issue again a few months before the High Court's decision though the action taken to provisionally seize the above-said facilities in June, 2007 was an unjust attitude. This brought to light their sinister political intention to grab Chongryon-related facilities at any cost.
The Japanese reactionaries persistently conducted an anti-Chongryon campaign, regarding its activities as a thorn in their flesh in the past, too.
What should not be overlooked is that in 2006, 24 cities of Japan announced that they would repeal or reduce the measures to exempt the taxes for Chongryon-related facilities against the backdrop of the whirlwind of anti-DPRK and anti-Chongryon sanctions and the Tokyo District Court ruled that the land and buildings of the Central Standing Committee of Chongryon should be sold by auction.
These facts go to prove that the Japanese reactionaries' campaigns to destroy Chongryon including their moves to grab its facilities have never ceased as they are steeped in bitterness towards Chongryon and Koreans in Japan to the marrow of their bones. This awful terrorism has been ceaselessly perpetrated in various parts of Japan.
Chongryon is a legitimate organization of overseas citizens of the DPRK formed to protect the democratic national rights of the Koreans in Japan, the directive victims of the forcible drafting of Koreans committed by the Japanese imperialists in the past, and their descendants. The issue of Chongryon is a sensitive political issue directly related to the DPRK.
Japan should prudently handle the issue of Chongryon-related facilities as a political matter, bearing in mind that any action to destroy Chongryon precisely means the one against the DPRK.
Rodong Sinmun Calls for Opening New Phase of Independent Reunification
Pyongyang, January 4 (KCNA) -- "Let all Koreans in the north, south and abroad join efforts and bring a new phase of independent reunification!" This is a slogan set forth in the joint New Year editorial.
The slogan reflects the firm faith in the united efforts of the Korean nation, driving force for national reunification, and bright future of the nation to be shaped by them, said Rodong Sinmun in a bylined article Tuesday.
All the Koreans in the north and the south and abroad should turn out in the patriotic drive for independent reunification true to the militant slogan to fulfill the responsibility and duty they have assumed before the nation, said the article, adding:
This patriotic slogan reflects the desire and will of the Koreans and the requirement of the times.
The most urgent task in defending and realizing independence of the nation is to reunify the divided country as soon as possible.
For the Koreans, reunification precisely means patriotism.
The basic duty for them this year is to bring a new phase of independent reunification.
No one can replace the Korean nation in reunifying the country and its wisdom, will and strength serve as a source for ushering in the bright dawn of reunification.
Every Korean should dedicate strength, contribute knowledge and donate money, anything he or she has, for reunification.