North Korean Speech Emphasizes Economy

I think we will be parsing all 4000 words of this speech over the next few days.

V/R

Dave

• ASIA NEWS
• January 1, 2013, 12:20 a.m. ET

North Korean Speech Emphasizes Economy

By EVAN RAMSTAD

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323320404578214511574497932.html?mod=WSJAsia_hpp_MIDDLETopStories#printMode

SEOUL—North Korean dictator Kim Jong Eun returned to his grandfather's practice of delivering the regime's annual New Year's message in a speech, rather than in print as his father did—though the exhortations to his 24 million citizens remained unchanged.

In the militaristic and bombastic tones characteristic of the authoritarian regime, Mr. Kim in his nationally broadcast address Tuesday portrayed the country as locked in struggle with outside forces and signaled no changes in economic or foreign policy.

Reuters

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Eun's New Year's message focused on the economy, urging a 'socialist emulation drive to re-energize production.'

He didn't directly refer to the countries the regime normally portrays as its enemies, the U.S., South Korea and Japan, and didn't mention the nuclear-weapons program they consider most threatening.

Most of the speech focused on Mr. Kim's desire for economic progress, which he called "the most important task" and connected to a broader struggle that the regime tells North Koreans they are in.

(Continued at the link below)

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323320404578214511574497932.html?mod=WSJAsia_hpp_MIDDLETopStories#printMode