ID :
38402
Thu, 01/01/2009 - 09:25
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/38402
The shortlink copeid
(2nd LD) N. Korea upholds military, economy in New Year with no hostile mention of U.S.
(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead, throughout to highlight almost no criticism of U.S.)
By Kim Hyun
SEOUL, Jan. 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea vowed to uphold its military-first policy
and rebuild its economy as it greeted the New Year on Thursday, but dropped its
usual criticism of the United States in an apparent signal of its willingness to
start relations afresh.
In a joint newspaper editorial that summed up policy goals for 2009, Pyongyang
continued criticism of Seoul for raising tension but made almost no mention of
Washington, just three weeks before the inauguration of a new U.S.
administration.
North Korea "will develop relations with the countries friendly towards us and
make a positive contribution to achieving the cause of global independence," the
editorial jointly issued by the North's ruling party, army and youth military
said.
Six-party talks aimed at denuclearizing North Korea are virtually on hold until
Obama takes office on Jan. 20. The latest round ended without progress in
December. Pyongyang sees Obama's inauguration as an opportunity to start afresh
without the mutual distrust that rattled its relations with the outgoing Bush
administration.
"The independent foreign policy of our Republic to denuclearize the Korean
Peninsula and defend peace and security of Northeast Asia and the rest of the
world is demonstrating its validity more fully as the days go by," the editorial,
carried by the North's Korean Central News Agency in English, said.
North Korea said it will continue to uphold its military-policy, called "son-gun"
that was adopted by leader Kim Jong-il in 1995, a year after his father and the
country's founder Kim Il-sung died at age 82. The father-to-son power transfer
was the first-ever in a communist state.
"'Make the fullest development of Songun Korea by inheriting the great tradition
of revolutionary upswing!' -- this is the military slogan that we should hold
up," it said.
The editorial stressed rebuilding the North's ailing economy. South Korea's
central bank say North Korea's economy contracted for the second straight year in
2007, with no better signs imminent amid the global economic crisis.
"An important task facing us in the economic construction at present is to
surpass the high-water mark in production in all sectors of the national
economy," it said.
The editorial also said, "In reality, it is a pressing demand to resolve the
problem of food."
The U.N. World Food Program says nearly a quarter of North Korea's population of
23 million needs outside food aid to get through the winter.
Seoul gave no government-to-government food aid this past year, compared to 246.6
billion (US$188 million) won worth of food and fertilizer delivered to Pyongyang
in 2007.
North Korea intensified criticism of South Korea for raising military tension.
Inter-Korean relations dipped to a record low during South Korean conservative
President Lee Myung-bak's first year in office. Pyongyang suspended dialogue, and
Seoul shipped no humanitarian aid to the impoverished North.
"All the Korean people should resolutely check and foil the maneuvers of the
anti-unification forces running counter to the trend of the times towards
independent reunification, steeped in pro-U.S. sycophancy and hostility towards
the fellow countrymen," the editorial said.
Lee signaled no shift of policy toward Pyongyang in a year-end message on
Wednesday. He has adopted a tougher policy than his liberal predecessors, with
calls for North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program and improve its dire
human rights conditions.
The editorial the past year marked a historic turn with the 60th anniversary of
the founding of the country, saying "This is a demonstration of the extraordinary
leadership of Kim Jong-il, a great strategist and peerless statesman."
There was no mention of Kim's health. Seoul and Washington officials say Kim,
turning 67 in February, had a stroke in August and is now recovering.
The new year will be "a year of a new revolutionary surge" for the "building of a
prosperous nation," it said.
hkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
By Kim Hyun
SEOUL, Jan. 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea vowed to uphold its military-first policy
and rebuild its economy as it greeted the New Year on Thursday, but dropped its
usual criticism of the United States in an apparent signal of its willingness to
start relations afresh.
In a joint newspaper editorial that summed up policy goals for 2009, Pyongyang
continued criticism of Seoul for raising tension but made almost no mention of
Washington, just three weeks before the inauguration of a new U.S.
administration.
North Korea "will develop relations with the countries friendly towards us and
make a positive contribution to achieving the cause of global independence," the
editorial jointly issued by the North's ruling party, army and youth military
said.
Six-party talks aimed at denuclearizing North Korea are virtually on hold until
Obama takes office on Jan. 20. The latest round ended without progress in
December. Pyongyang sees Obama's inauguration as an opportunity to start afresh
without the mutual distrust that rattled its relations with the outgoing Bush
administration.
"The independent foreign policy of our Republic to denuclearize the Korean
Peninsula and defend peace and security of Northeast Asia and the rest of the
world is demonstrating its validity more fully as the days go by," the editorial,
carried by the North's Korean Central News Agency in English, said.
North Korea said it will continue to uphold its military-policy, called "son-gun"
that was adopted by leader Kim Jong-il in 1995, a year after his father and the
country's founder Kim Il-sung died at age 82. The father-to-son power transfer
was the first-ever in a communist state.
"'Make the fullest development of Songun Korea by inheriting the great tradition
of revolutionary upswing!' -- this is the military slogan that we should hold
up," it said.
The editorial stressed rebuilding the North's ailing economy. South Korea's
central bank say North Korea's economy contracted for the second straight year in
2007, with no better signs imminent amid the global economic crisis.
"An important task facing us in the economic construction at present is to
surpass the high-water mark in production in all sectors of the national
economy," it said.
The editorial also said, "In reality, it is a pressing demand to resolve the
problem of food."
The U.N. World Food Program says nearly a quarter of North Korea's population of
23 million needs outside food aid to get through the winter.
Seoul gave no government-to-government food aid this past year, compared to 246.6
billion (US$188 million) won worth of food and fertilizer delivered to Pyongyang
in 2007.
North Korea intensified criticism of South Korea for raising military tension.
Inter-Korean relations dipped to a record low during South Korean conservative
President Lee Myung-bak's first year in office. Pyongyang suspended dialogue, and
Seoul shipped no humanitarian aid to the impoverished North.
"All the Korean people should resolutely check and foil the maneuvers of the
anti-unification forces running counter to the trend of the times towards
independent reunification, steeped in pro-U.S. sycophancy and hostility towards
the fellow countrymen," the editorial said.
Lee signaled no shift of policy toward Pyongyang in a year-end message on
Wednesday. He has adopted a tougher policy than his liberal predecessors, with
calls for North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program and improve its dire
human rights conditions.
The editorial the past year marked a historic turn with the 60th anniversary of
the founding of the country, saying "This is a demonstration of the extraordinary
leadership of Kim Jong-il, a great strategist and peerless statesman."
There was no mention of Kim's health. Seoul and Washington officials say Kim,
turning 67 in February, had a stroke in August and is now recovering.
The new year will be "a year of a new revolutionary surge" for the "building of a
prosperous nation," it said.
hkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
