N. Korea to send insecticide, equipment to N. Korea

May 8th, 2007

Yonhap
5/8/2007

South Korea will provide some US$2 million worth of insecticide and equipment to North Korea to stem the spread of an infectious pine disease in the communist country, the Unification Ministry said Tuesday.

The South also agreed to send tree specialists to the North to make on-site inspections to assess the damage and share information needed to prevent the pine wilt disease, it said.

The agreement was made at the end of working-level talks held in the North Korean border city of Kaesong. The one-day meeting was held at the request of North Korea.

“The list of aid equipment and the schedule for the on-site visit will be decided in the form of the exchange of a document,” the ministry said in a statement.

The South Korean delegation was led by Oh Ki-pyo, chief of the team for forest blight prevention at the Korea Forest Service, while his counterpart was Chang Yong-chol, deputy director of the North’s forest service bureau.

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Posted in Agriculture, International Aid | Comments Closed

Kim Jong Il’s Economic Investigation Propagandistic at Most…Military Is Ultimately the Best

May 8th, 2007

Daily NK
Han Young Jin
5/8/2007

Looking after the army back-to back rapidly changing to a “hard-line attitude towards the U.S.?” 

While observing the economic facilities for a while, Kim Jong Il, who has put on the gesture of emphasizing “economics,” has recently come forward to look after the army once again.

Last 5th and 6th, North Korea’s Workers Party-sponsored Rodung Shinmun reported that Kim Jong Il visited the 967th and the 977th army one after another.

According to this source, Kim Jong Il relayed, “The fate of our military-first revolution as our great revolutionary inheritance and our socialist enterprise depends on the military power.” At the 977th army, he revealed, “I am pleased that the soldiers have an awakened mind and are responsibly carrying out inspections work.”

This year, Kim Jong Il’s army inspections include seven visits, including the recent ones: 593rd army (January 15th), 398th joint army (January 16th), 105th army (March 19th), 350th army (March 19th), and the 75th anniversary parade of the establishment of the People’s Army.

Last year, when nuclear experiments were enforced, 66 army inspections and army-related events were achieved while raising a confrontational front to the United States. Immediately after the nuclear tests, it spared 16 events in the economic areas of Wonsan Farm and South Hankyung Province Industry Scene while putting forth a confident image under “improvement of civilian lives.”

North Korean advertising media have cast their spotlight as if to show their interest in economic issues while relaying the news of Kim Jong Il’s inspections of Chungjin in North Hamkyung last February, the 4th Taechun power plant, and Jakangdo industry scene.

Further, the North Korean media, through sound arguments via Rodung Shinmum, maintained, “The days when our people can live well are not too far off.” Accordingly, Kim Jong Il’s back-to-back industry inspection walks were portrayed as intentions to renew the impoverished civilian lives in contrast with the past that stressed army inspections.

Advertising “improvement of civilian lives” but people do not believe

However, the grandiose promise of “improving civilian lives” did not show much difference after the economy-related facility visits. Therefore, looking after the army by Kim Jong Il, who does not have a vision or will regarding opening and reforms, may be an inevitable course of action.

Even after entering the spring poverty season last March to April and the busy faming season in May, not having any possibility of resolving the problem of provisions is one of the reasons why civilians are having a difficult time purely accepting Kim Jong Il’s walks related to the public welfare and the national advertisements.

Kim Jong Il’s back-to-back army visits seem to be a gesture to arouse distrust in the wilted popular sentiment by rotating the policy towards the U.S. to a hard-line one. By turning the blame on the U.S. for the BDA asset problem, he seems to be stepping up the solidarity of the army and civilian mind around anti-American sentiment. 

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Posted in Economic reform, Military, Political economy, Songun | 2 Comments »

N.K.’s ‘juche’ ranked world’s 10th major religion

May 8th, 2007

Korea Herald
5/8/2007
 
An online website named North Korea’s “juche” (self-reliance) ideology as the world’s 10th major religion, although some argue that it is more a philosophy than a religion, Yonhap News Agency reported Tuesday.

Adherents.com, which collected information and statistics on more than 4,200 religions around the globe, cited Christianity as having the largest number of believers at 2.1 billion. Islam has 1.3 billion, followed by Buddhism claiming some 376 million believers, while another 100 million people share African traditional faith, according to the site.

Juche was said to have 19 million believers, which is the entire North Korean population.

Some 22 religions were listed to account for the beliefs of over 98 percent of the world’s population.

The website explains juche as the official philosophy promulgated by the North Korean government and education system, initially classified as the country’s form of Marxist communism.

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Posted in Civil society, Religion | Comments Closed

Int’l Trade Fair to Open in Pyongyang

May 7th, 2007

KCNA
5/7/2007
The 10th Pyongyang Spring International Trade Fair will be held at the Three-Revolution Exhibition from May 14 to 17. 

Participating in it will be companies from the DPRK, China, Russia, Syria, the Netherlands, Germany, Bangladesh, Switzerland, Singapore, Australia, Italy, Indonesia, Pakistan, Poland and Taipei of China. 

Machine tools, electric and electronic equipment, vehicles, medicaments, daily necessities, foodstuffs and so forth are to be on display in the fair.

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Posted in International trade, Light Industry, Manufacturing, Pyongyang International Trade Fair, Singapore | Comments Closed

Sanatoriums Renovated

May 7th, 2007

KCNA
5/7/2007

Renovation work of sanatoriums in Kyongsong County of North Hamgyong Province, Samchon County of South Hwanghae Province, Thongchon County of Kangwon Province and other parts of the DPRK are progressing apace so as to deliver better medical service to people. 

The Kim Jong Suk Sanatorium has facelifted various buildings including the balneotheraphy building and furnished them with more convalescence and treatment facilities. 

In the Talchon Disabled Soldiers Sanatorium, the renovation project for the existing buildings including the general infirmary and the infirmary for disabled soldiers has been wound up and preparations for building 50 houses similar to rural dwelling houses are being made so that working people may lodge there and receive spa treatment. 

Besides, tens of sanatoriums including Chongsan Medicinal Spring Water Sanatorium and Naegok Spa Sanatorium across the country are changing their looks as the days go by.

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Posted in Disease prevention, Health care | Comments Closed

Deal makes train run more likely

May 7th, 2007

Joong Ang daily
5/7/2007

South Korea agreed late Friday to send North Korea raw materials that it can use in its light industries, but scheduled it to happen June 27 ― after next week’s scheduled test-run of an inter-Korean railroad, the Unification Ministry said.

The South could halt the shipment if the North cancels the test, as it has done several times in the past.

“At the economic talks for the light industry projects and the railroad projects, North Korean officials repeatedly said the train tests will occur this year,” a South Korean official who refused to be named said yesterday. “I am not sure if they had reached a consensus with the military or not, but their statements were very decisive.”

The two Koreas will hold general-level military talks from Tuesday to Thursday to guarantee the safety of passengers and trains that will travel across the demilitarized zone.

On Friday, South Korea agreed to begin the shipment of raw materials, worth $80 million, on June 27.

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Posted in International Aid, Light Industry, Manufacturing, Railways, Transportation | Comments Closed

Clothing with stories of fertility and faith

May 7th, 2007

Joong Ang Daily
Lee Ho-jeong
5/7/2007

The wearing of the hanbok, the Korean traditional dress, is undoubtedly one of Korea’s most cherished traditions. Once worn everyday, it is now most commonly worn on special occasions, such as the Lunar New Year and Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving), or at weddings and funerals.

Although most people in Korea today wear western suits or sneakers and jeans, the hanbok has a special meaning for many Koreans and that is reflected in the high prices, particularly for some of the more elaborate examples.

Many experts say that Korean hanbok makers, in an effort to reconnect with the wider public, are researching ways to integrate the hanbok’s essential elements with Western fashion.

Bae Young-ja and Choi Hye-yool, authors of the book “The History of Korean Clothes,” said the hanbok, which consists of pants and a jacket, has its roots in the outfits of the Northern Altaic peoples.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Posted in Art, Civil society, Clothing | Comments Closed

NK Wants to Join IMF, World Bank

May 6th, 2007

Korea Times
5/6/2007

South Korea has expressed its willingness to back North Korea’s move to join the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

At a news briefing in Seoul Sunday, five lawmakers from the Uri Party, who visited Pyongyang for four days from May 2, said the North is considering applying for membership of the Washington-based World Bank and the IMF.

“We’ve promised to help North Korea become a member of international organizations,” said Rep. Kim Jong-yull who met North Korean leaders, including Kim Yong-nam, chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly.

The United States and several developed countries have shown a lukewarm attitude over North Korea’s entry into international organizations, including the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

According to South Korean government officials, the U.S. _ a major shareholder in the IMF, World Bank and ADB _ has played a major role in rejecting Pyongyang’s repeated applications for admission, demanding the disposal of nuclear facilities.

The five lawmakers of the Uri Party and the North’s leaders also discussed ways to create a joint peace zone at the mouth of the Han, Imjin and Yeseong rivers.

According to the lawmakers, North Korea reiterated its willingness to normalize diplomatic ties with the United States. The North Korean authorities want their willingness to be conveyed to President Roh Moo-hyun and Washington, said Rep. Kim Hyuk-kyu, chief of the delegation.

He also said the two Koreas have shared a consensus on the need to launch an inter-Korean agency to build a waterway between Seoul and Gaesong, and an ecology park, and to open border rivers along the Demilitarized Zone for joint development and utilization.

They also discussed the development of a joint special economic zone, named the New Yellow Sea Joint Special Economic Zone. Seoul also promised to help the North develop a heavy industrial complex near Haeju. The two sides also agreed to jointly develop coalmining in Dancheon, South Hamgyeong Province, North Korea.

The two sides also discussed sports exchanges for national reconciliation and a joint team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The North will consider allowing its soccer players to join in K-League matches in the South, he added.

The lawmaker said, “North Korea predicted the issue over its funds at Banco Delta Asia (BDA) will be resolved soon.”

The North’s funds at BDA have become a stumbling block to implementing the Feb. 13 accord reached in the six-party talks.

North Korea had promised to shut down and seal its primary nuclear facilities by April 14, but it refused to meet the deadline, and insisted it will comply with the February promise only after the money is released.

The money, which was suspected of being related to Pyongyang’s irregular activities such as money laundering and counterfeiting, has been available for withdrawal since earlier this month, but Pyongyang has yet to move the funds.

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Posted in Asian Development Bank, IMF/World Bank | Comments Closed

European firms in N. Korea running business association: chairman

May 5th, 2007

Yonhap
5/5/2007

European companies operating in North Korea have been running a business coalition to better coordinate trade ties with the reclusive nation, a businessman said Saturday.

“Our purpose is to build bridges between Europe and North Korea,” Felix Abt, chairman of the European Business Association (EBA), said in an interview with Washington-based radio station Radio Free Asia. The association was founded in April 2005.

The businessman, who is also president of the joint venture PyongSu Pharma Co., said European firms need to do more business with Pyongyang, whose business ties are heavily dependent on Northeast Asia.

The association comprises 11 companies, mostly European or joint ventures between European and North Korean state-run firms. DHL, the logistics arm of Germany’s Deutsche Post AG, is also a member.

North Korea’s trade with the European Union accounted for less than 10 percent of its total volume in 2004, while trade with China surged by 35.4 percent, according to the EBA’s Web site.

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Posted in Economic reform, EU, European Business Association, Foreign direct investment, International trade | Comments Closed

New Documentary Released

May 4th, 2007

KCNA
5/4/2007

The Korean Documentary and Scientific Film Studio recently released the documentary “Grand Hydropower Base in Thaechon Area”.

The film vividly depicts historic facts showing that the Thaechon area has been converted into a huge power base under President Kim Il Sung’s grand nature-remaking plan and Kim Jong Il’s wise guidance. 

It presents scenes of Kim Jong Il forming a highly qualified construction team involving servicemen and wisely leading the construction of the power stations, visiting the area several times to solve all the problems and bestowing great loving care upon the builders. 

It also shows how heroically the builders including servicemen and youth shock brigade members worked to build the gigantic Songwon and Thaechon dams, excavate huge water tunnels and build five power stations. 

The film says that Kim Jong Il spoke highly of the strenuous fighting spirit, the working manner of self-reliance and the optimistic way of life displayed by the builders and set them up as the spirit of Thaechon.

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Posted in Dams/hydro, Energy, Film | Comments Closed

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