Weekly Report on North Korea (No. 710)
ROK Ministry of Unification
1. Internal Affairs
o Chairman Kim Jong-il received a Chinese government and communist party delegation September 12 and watched the performance of a Chinese troupe with the visitors, according to North Korean broadcasting services September 12 and 13.
- Kim also met with Sergey Mironov, chairman of the Russian Council of Federation, September 13.
o Through a commentary carried by the Rodong Sinmun September 14, North Korea called for a struggle, saying that recently imperialists were trying to foster an illusion about capitalism and to imbibe a reactionary ideological culture in North Korea .
o An exhibition of sophisticated scientific technologies and new products entered by China 's Liaoning province was held at the Three Revolution Exhibition Hall in Pyongyang September 13. Items on display were products from various sectors, including machines, electronics and light industry goods.
o The fourth Pyongyang International Exhibition of Scientific, Technical Books was held at the Grand People's Study House September 12 in the presence of party secretary Choe Tae-bok and others.
o North Korea held a series of large-scale science and technology events aimed at fulfilling the task of ''economic science front.'' In its New Year joint editorials, North Korea had set political ideology, anti-imperial military and economic science as the year's three major tasks for a "strong and prosperous nation."
o The first International Martial Arts Competition was held at the Taekwondo Hall in Pyongyang 's Youth Street September 15-20 with the participation of some 400 competitors from 40-odd countries.
o The ninth Pyongyang Film Festival was held at the Pyongyang International Movie Hall September 12-20 with about 100 entries from some 40 countries.
2. Relations with South Korea
o In an interview with the North Korean Central News Agency September 11, the spokesman of the North Korean foreign ministry said that Pyongyang could not help but link Seoul's ''nuclear-related experiment'' with the possibility of resuming the six-party talks on the North Korean nuclear issue.
- In another interview with the same agency five days later, the Pyongyang spokesman said North Korea could not attend the six-party talks unless Seoul 's ''nuclear experiment'' issue is completely cleared up.
o In connection with the recent rumor of the '' Yanggang Province blast'' North Korea said through its radio September 14 that there was no explosion whatsoever but that there was ''detonation work for the construction of a hydro-electric power plant.''
- In a meeting with visiting British Foreign Office Minister Bill Rammell September 13, North Korean Foreign Minister Baek Nam-sun explained to that effect and indicated that North Korea could allow foreign ambassadors stationed in Pyongyang to visit the site of detonation, according to the BBC the same day.
3. External Affairs
o British Foreign Office Minister Bill Rammell visited North Korea September 11-14, during which he met with Choe Tae-bok, chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly, and Foreign Minister Baek Nam-sun for talks on the six-way meeting on the North Korean nuclear issue and human rights situation in North Korea .
- Concerning the '' Yanggang Province explosion'' on September 7, Baek explained to Rammell that the detonation was to construct a hydro-electric power station, according to the BBC September 13.
o A North Korean Central Broadcasting Committee delegation, led by vice committee chairman Yang Si-un, visited China 's International Broadcasting Station on September 14 and discussed mutual exchanges, including those in personnel, resources, and other cooperative projects, according to the Chinese Broadcasting Station the same day.
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