KJU Delivers New Year’s Day Address

Kim Jong Un's entire translated remarks are at the link below for those who wish to study the words.  Also there is a 23 minute video at the link.  He speaks well with apparent confidence.  For those who think Military First Politics are over we should keep in mind his very first remarks about the People's Army and addressing Kim Il-sung as President and Kim Jong-il as General.

V/R

Dave

KJU Delivers New Year’s Day Address

http://nkleadershipwatch.wordpress.com/2013/01/01/kju-delivers-new-years-day-address/

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JAN

DPRK state media broadcasted and reported on 1 January 2013 (Tuesday) that Kim Jong Un (Kim Cho’ng-u’n) delivered a New Year’s Day speech from the Korean Workers’ Party [KWP] Central Committee Office Building #1.  In his remarks KJU paid tribute to his father, deceased leader Kim Jong Il (Kim Cho’ng-il), and to his grandfather, the late DPRK founder and president Kim Il Sung (Kim Il-so’ng).  Kim Jong Un also spoke about inter-Korean relations and placed the successful launch of the U’nha-3 rocket as a model in economic construction, saying “in the same manner as we demonstrated the dignity and might of Military-First (so’ngun) Korea through the manufacture and launch of the Chuch’e-based application satellite, the entire Party, the whole country and all the people should wage an all-out struggle this year to effect a turnaround in building an economic giant and improving the people’s standard of living.  ’Let us bring about a radical turn in the building of an economic giant with the same spirit and mettle as were displayed in conquering space!’ — this is the fighting slogan our Party and people should uphold this year.”

KCNA published a translation of Kim Jong Un’s speech:

Dear comrades,

Officers and men of the heroic People’s Army and all the beloved fellow countrymen,

Dear compatriots,

Having seen out the year 2012 characterized by the events that will go down in the history of the nation, we are seeing in the new year 2013 full of high hope and confidence in final victory.

Reflecting the unanimous reverence of all the service personnel and people for President Kim Il Sung and General Kim Jong Il, the fathers of the nation and eternal Sun of Chuch’e, I would like first to pay the highest tribute and New Year greetings to them.

I extend my warm greetings to the service personnel and people who are devotedly striving for the prosperity of the country, firmly united around the Workers’ Party of Korea, and sincerely wish all the families across the country harmony and greater happiness.

(Continued at the link below - video is at the link)

http://nkleadershipwatch.wordpress.com/2013/01/01/kju-delivers-new-years-day-address/

Signs of Change in Kim Jong-un's New Year's Speech

Again, I would not get our hopes up too much.  I seriously doubt MIlitary First Politics is dead.  I am amazed how much the New Year speech's words have such an effect and have drowned out the actions of December 12th.  This is another indication to me that "Image First Politics" is the priority for Kim Jong-un.  Also I think that Kim Jong-un and the regime understand their target audiences and give them exactly what they want to hear and the reporting on his New Year's day words would seem to indicate that.

V/R

Dave

Signs of Change in Kim Jong-un's New Year's Speech

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2013/01/02/2013010201050.html

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's New Year's address struck an unaccustomed friendly note. Under his father Kim Jong-il, the customary New Year's editorials in the state press rarely missed a chance to slander South Korea and its main ally the U.S. when there had been an election in the South.

The 2008 editorial, just before the start of the Lee Myung-bak administration, thundered that South Korea must "throw away its confrontational mindset" which names North Korea as its "main enemy." In January 1998, just before former president Kim Dae-jung took office, the editorial said nothing would change in the South simply because of a change in leadership. And the 2003 editorial, just before the start of the Roh Moo-hyun administration, called for the immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from South Korea.

◆ Friendly Words for S.Korea

Kim Jong-un's speech was by far the most conciliatory yet. The Korea Institute for National Unification said it brings hope of improved inter-Korean relations ahead of the launch of the Park Geun-hye administration. A close aide to Park said it was a "good sign," even though the North is probably just testing the new South Korean administration's appetite for dialogue. Still, the aide added, "I don't see any need to downplay its significance."

Kim's call for "reconciliation and unity" with South Korea did not come without strings attached. "All Korean compatriots in the North, South and abroad should launch a dynamic struggle to carry out to the letter the June 5 Joint Declaration and the Oct. 4 Declaration," he said, referring to inter-Korean declarations signed under the two progressive administrations of the South.

(Continued at the link below)

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2013/01/02/2013010201050.html

In New Year's speech, N. Korea's Kim says he wants peace with South

Most of the major media appears to be optimistic over Kim Jong-un's New Year's speech.  Below is a roll-up of articles from some of the major media outlets. 

But I think we need to keep in mind the regime's "Image First Politics" and not get our hopes up too high.  In the end the north's actions will have to speak louder than its words.

V/R

Dave

 In New Year's speech, N. Korea's Kim says he wants peace with South

Washington Post

reunification forces” in South Korea to end their hostility toward the North. The lengthy address, which laid out North Korea's goals for the year, marked Kim's first formal remarks since the election two weeks ago of Park Geun-hye as South Korea's ...

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North Korea's Kim Jong Un calls for better living standards, more advanced ... New York Daily News SEOUL — Making his first New Year's speech, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called Tuesday for his country to focus on economic improvements with the same urgency that scientists put into the launch of a long-range rocket last month. Kim, shown ... See all stories on this topic »

New York Daily News

N. Korea's Kim wants better living standards, arms

USA TODAY

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday called for improving the economy and living standards of his impoverished nation with the same urgency that scientists showed in successfully testing a long-range rocket recently.

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In first New Year speech, North Korea's Kim Jong Un calls for economic revamp

CNN

(CNN) -- In his first New Year's address, the young North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told the nation to embark on "an all-out struggle" to overhaul its destitute economy, while striking a conciliatory tone on relations with the South. Broadcast on state ...

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un offers olive branch to South in rare address NBCNews.com (blog) SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for an end to confrontation between the two Koreas, technically still at war in the absence of a peace treaty to end their 1950-53 conflict, in a surprise New Year speech broadcast on state ... See all stories on this topic »

NBCNews.com (blog)

Kim Jong-un calls for better ties with South Korea The Guardian North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, has called for better ties with South Korea in a rare new year broadcast, warning that history had shown that continued confrontation would lead to "nothing but war". Kim, addressing the country on state media weeks ... See all stories on this topic »

The Guardian

N. Korea's Kim Calls for More Weapons, End to Confrontation Voice of America Inter-Korean tensions were raised in December when North Korea launched a long-range rocket that successfully placed what Pyongyang said was a weather satellite into orbit. The move was condemned by the United Nations Security Council as a violation ... See all stories on this topic »

Voice of America

Kim Jong Un calls to end strife between Koreas

Los Angeles Times

In an unusual televised address for the new year, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called to defuse tensions with South Korea and boost the economy of his impoverished nation. “An important issue in putting an end to the division of the country and …

See all stories on this topic »N Korea calls for end to Seoul tensions

Financial Times

Kim Jong-eun has called for an end to confrontation with South Korea and stressed the importance of economic development in the first televised new year address by a North Korean leader in 19 years. The unusual move was the first such speech since the ...

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North Korea's Kim Jong-un makes rare new year speech BBC News The North Korean leader has delivered a new year's message on state TV, the first such broadcast for 19 years. Kim Jong-un, in power since 2011, spoke of the need to improve the economy and also to reunify the Koreas, warning that confrontation only ... See all stories on this topic »