Yonhap
9/9/2007
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il made as many as 17 public appearances in August, as he made more visits to factories than military units, statistics compiled by Yonhap News Agency showed Sunday.
The 65-year-old leader’s public appearances in August, as reported by the communist country’s media, included nine tours of industrial facilities mainly in North Hamgyeong Province and five visits to military units.
The August figures compared with two to seven appearances Kim made a month between January and July.
Kim made a total of 21 public appearances in May 2001, followed by 18 in October of 2002 and 2005. He also made 17 appearances in May last year.
South Korean officials believe that the leader is shifting his attention to the North’s moribund economy, as his country is moving to ease tension with the international community over its nuclear weapons program.
Yonhap is the only South Korean news organization to be authorized by the government to monitor North Korean media reports. South Korea has a tough anti-communist law banning its people from listening to North Korean radio and television reports.
The two Koreas, divided since 1945, are still technically at war, having signed no peace treaty at the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.
