N. Korea upholds military-first policy, economy in New Year

SEOUL, Jan. 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea vowed on Monday to continue to uphold its
military-first policy and rebuild its economy for a better standard of living for
its citizens as it celebrated the New Year.
In a joint newspaper editorial that summed up policy goals for 2009, Pyongyang
criticized South Korea for raising military tension but toned down its customary
accusations against the United States.
"All the Korean people should resolutely stop and destroy maneuvers of
anti-unification forces that go backward against the trend of independent
unification, caught by pro-U.S. toadyism and hostility against their own people,"
the editorial jointly carried by the North's ruling party, army and youth
military said.
hkim@yna.co.kr
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