Kim Jong Il sets conditions and celebrates mother's birthday
Yesterday, North Korea celebrated the 15th anniversary of Kim Jong Il's ascension to the post of supreme commander of the country and the birthday of his mother Kim Chek Suk (12/24/1917 - 09/22/1949). According to tradition, the northerners once again praised the country's founder, Kim Il Sung, thereby honoring the entire trio of Kims, called the “commanders of the Korean revolution.” The atmosphere of celebration was complemented by bravura reports on the results of the fifth round of the “six-party” meeting in Beijing on the Korean nuclear issue, which ended on Friday. Most analysts blame the North Koreans for the ineffectiveness of the negotiations, who have not renounced the development of their nuclear program. But the northerners are happy with the round and praise Kim Jong Il for his “steel will in building an invincible army.” Yesterday, Kim again assured the country of his readiness to respond to the aggressors with “strong countermeasures,” without explaining which ones. To continue the “six-party” agreement, Pyongyang set a condition: it is necessary to first achieve success in bilateral consultations with the United States on “financial issues.” Pyongyang is seeking the lifting of US sanctions against its companies accused of money laundering and counterfeiting dollars. During the fifth round in Beijing, the “bilateral negotiations” failed, but it is expected to continue in New York on January 22-27. The new round of the “six-party”, according to the head of the US delegation, Christopher Hill, could begin “in weeks, not months.”
