North Korea renews call for ending joint military drills

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

North Korea

Sun, December 3, 2023 | 17:34

North Korea renews call for ending joint military drills

북한 김정은, 체육인식품공장 시찰…품질 개선 독려

Posted : 2015-01-18 19:44

Updated : 2015-01-18 19:44

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, center, inspects a Pyongyang factory that makes food for athletes. On Kim's left is Choe Ryong-hae, Workers' Party of Korea Central Committee secretary. / Yonhap

North Korea renewed its demand for ending the joint military exercises between Seoul and Washington, Sunday, saying there would be no dialogue unless its demand was met.

The Rodong Sinmun, the official organ of the Workers' Party, said, "It is apparent that any attempts toward dialogue will make no progress unless the nuclear war drills are halted."

The paper was referring to the Key Resolve and Foal Eagle exercises slated for early March. It also said talks between Seoul and Pyongyang, and Washington and Pyongyang would be impossible.

The North claimed inter-Korean dialogue will progress smoothly and there will be epoch-making improvements in peace and security in East Asia as well as on the Korean Peninsula, should its demand for ending the military drills be met.

Regarding the U.S. assertion that the drill is an annual one, it recalled the U.S. discontinued the Team Spirit Exercise at its request in 1990s.

The paper criticized the U.S. move toward strengthening sanctions against the reclusive nation for its alleged hacking of Sony Pictures. "From an overall perspective, the United States is expected to step up its efforts toward cornering the Korean peninsula on the verge of war this year, instead of seeking to ease tension."

The U.S. administration has been gearing up its pressure the North over the hacking. The North is rebuffing the move, calling for joint investigation into the case.

"Any mean and malicious tactics would not be useful for us. The U.S. should dare to turn its policy around without sticking to reckless hostile measures against us," it said.

북한 김정은, 체육인식품공장 시찰…품질 개선 독려

김정은 북한 국방위원회 제1위원장이 체육인을 위한 식품공장인 평양 금컵체육인종합식료공장을 현지지도했다고 조선중앙통신이 18일 보도했다.

금컵체육인종합식료공장은 체육촌이 있는 평양 청춘거리에 건설돼 2011년 10월 조업을 시작했다.

음료수, 빵, 사탕, 과자, 햄, 소시지 등을 생산하는 이 공장은 '맛 좋고 영양가 높은 식료품들을 대량적으로 생산하는 종합적인 식료가공기지'라고 중앙통신이 소개했다.

공장을 둘러본 김정은 제1위원장은 이곳에서 생산하는 제품이 '인민들과 체육인들 속에서 호평이 대단하다'고 치하하고 이 공장이 '체육 부문뿐 아니라 나라의 식료공업을 발전시키는 데서 중요한 위치에 있는 공장'이라고 강조했다.

그는 '우리 체육인들의 영양관리와 피로회복에 도움을 주는 여러 가지 식료품들을 더 많이 생산하며 그 질을 부단히 개선하기 위한 사업을 주선으로 틀어쥐고 나가야 한다'고 덧붙였다.

김 제1위원장은 공장 직원들과 함께 기념사진도 찍었다.

그의 이번 현지지도에는 최룡해 노동당 비서, 리일환·한광상 당 부장, 김여정 부부장이 동행했으며 김영훈 체육상과 신용철 체육성 당위원회 책임비서가 이들을 공장에서 맞이했다. (연합뉴스)

jayshim@koreatimes.co.kr

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