| Home page To receive this publication via e-mail, click here. THE NORTH KOREA REPORT: APRIL 26, 2004 Dragon in the Dark: How and Why Communist China Helps Our Enemies in the War on Terror is now available: here, at Amazon, or at 1-888-280-7715. Our statement on why northern Korea must be liberated can be found here. TOP STORY: TRAIN EXPLOSION KILLS OVER 150 COMMUNISTS WAIT DAYS TO ADMIT DISASTER, ACCEPT HELP A train carrying explosives blew up in Ryongchon, North Korea, killing over 150. The incident occurred �nine hours after Kim Jong-il passed through the station, en route to Pyongyang� (CNN). This being North Korea, it waited three days before accepting aid from South Korea, which offered to help as soon as word leaked out. The North even had conditions for the South Korean aid, �refusing to allow supplies into the country across the land border� (BBC 4/26). Aid from Communist China, naturally, was accepted before anyone else (BBC 4/24). Outsiders who were allowed into the accident zone were stunned by the devastation (London Telegraph via Washington Times). At first, the Stalinists �cut off telephone contact with Ryongchon, in an attempt to create a news blackout� (Voice of America via Epoch Times, HK). It wasn�t until Saturday � two days after the explosion � that the North let its own people in on the disaster. Despite this, some are seeing this as an �opportunity to build friendlier ties with Pyongyang.� Britain�s Ambassador to North Korea had a particularly absurd statement: �Anything that builds trust between the North Korean authorities and the international community has got to be a good thing.� It was the first known endorsement of an accidental train explosion that left over 150 dead. WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION NEWS KIM AGREES, AGAIN, TO THIRD ROUND OF TALKS Stalinist-in-chief Kim Jong-Il �agreed to a third round of six-nation talks aimed at ending his country's nuclear program� (United Press International, via Washington Times). It should be noted that the North had already agreed to join the third round, which is scheduled to take place by June at the latest (see 3/1 NKR). For repeating his promise on the June-at-the-latest talks, Kim won some positive publicity, while he can continue to develop and hide nuclear weapons unabated. KIM JONG-IL LEAVES BEIJING AFTER �REFORM� AND NUKE TALKS Kim made the above statement after visiting Communist Chinese President Hu Jintao and Central Military Commission Chairman Jiang Zemin (see last NKR). According to the Daily Telegraph, the PRC pushed its ally �to compromise in talks on the fate of his covert nuclear weapons arsenal and to embrace capitalism.� Also reporting: BBC With all due respect to the Telegraph, Communist China itself is hardly �capitalist,� so it�s likely the PRC pushed their version of �reform,� of which Kim is already fond. Meanwhile, regarding nuclear weapons, Kim said he would �continue to adopt a patient and flexible manner� (Washington Post). Not to be rude, but when has Kim ever been �flexible�? U.S. SKEPTICAL OF KIM�S WORDS The Bush Administration reacted coolly to Kim�s �flexible� line. However, they are still silent on the possibility of liberation, focusing instead on demanding the North agree to �the complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of its programs� (Washington Times). Stop the North Korean Nuclear Power Plants: Construction on the nuclear power plants from the 1994 agreement has been suspended for one year, but the plants have not been cancelled. Use this China e-Lobby fact sheet and tell the President to kill the power plants from the 1994 agreement that North Korea broke. SOUTH KOREA NEWS NORTH KOREA PRAISES URI PARTY The Stalinist regime had high praise for Roh Moo-hyun�s Uri Party, which won a majority in recent legislative elections (see last NKR). The North had publicly called for a Uri win against the previously more hawkish Grand National Party. Report: Cybercast News Analysts noted that the Stalinists �would feel it was owed something for promoting a Uri victory.� In South Korea, the credit largely goes to the GNP itself, which shot itself in the foot by pushing to impeach Roh, which ironically rescued his political career � although he has yet to be reinstated as President (see 3/15 NKR). SOUTH KOREA THREATENED WITH TERRORISM South Korea has now been threatened with terror attacks from the Yellow-Red Overseas Organization, a terrorist group previously unknown. Seven other American allies were targeted: Japan, Australia, Pakistan, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, and Kuwait. The attacks were supposed to occur �before the end of April� (Cybercast News). COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS DID SOMEONE SAY �EXPLOSION�? The BBC details what Stalinist North Korean media considered so important on Friday that it couldn�t report the explosion in Ryongchon. Meanwhile, BBC correspondent Louisa Lim found out that Communist China was more than willing to keep silent as well. The Stalinist silence on the train explosion inspired another BBC sketch of the North Korean regime, which has trapped its people in what author Jasper Becker rightly calls �the most miserable place on Earth.� ON COMMUNIST CHINA�S ROLE Eric Baculinao, MSNBC, gives a conventional-wisdom analysis of North Korea Stalinist-in-chief Kim Jong-Il�s visit to Communist China. Check out the Communist China and the Terrorist War page. Sign the petition for an American boycott of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Miss an Update, Week's Links, or a North Korea Report? Find it via our home page. Feel free to forward this to anyone you think would be interested in receiving it. Anyone who wishes to join (or unsubscribe or change their address) can send his/her name to [email protected]. Please feel free to send any news on Communist China or North Korea that you find to the same address. |