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| North Korea defies growing crisis to mark Kim Il-sung birthday | North Korea defies growing crisis to mark Kim Il-sung birthday |
| (7 days later) | |
| Oblivious to international tensions over a possible North Korean missile launch, Pyongyang residents spilled into the streets on Monday to celebrate a major national holiday, the birthday of their first leader, Kim Il-sung. | Oblivious to international tensions over a possible North Korean missile launch, Pyongyang residents spilled into the streets on Monday to celebrate a major national holiday, the birthday of their first leader, Kim Il-sung. |
| Girls in red and pink jackets skipped along streets festooned with celebratory banners and flags and parents pushed strollers with babies bundled up against the spring chill as residents of the isolated, impoverished nation began observing a three-day holiday. | Girls in red and pink jackets skipped along streets festooned with celebratory banners and flags and parents pushed strollers with babies bundled up against the spring chill as residents of the isolated, impoverished nation began observing a three-day holiday. |
| There was no sense of panic in the North Korean capital, where very few locals have access to international broadcasts and foreign newspaper headlines speculating about an imminent missile launch and detailing the international diplomacy under way to try to rein in Pyongyang. | There was no sense of panic in the North Korean capital, where very few locals have access to international broadcasts and foreign newspaper headlines speculating about an imminent missile launch and detailing the international diplomacy under way to try to rein in Pyongyang. |
| The US secretary of state, John Kerry, has been on a tour of the region for four days to try to dampen down emotions and co-ordinate Washington's response with Beijing, North Korea's most important ally. | The US secretary of state, John Kerry, has been on a tour of the region for four days to try to dampen down emotions and co-ordinate Washington's response with Beijing, North Korea's most important ally. |
| Foreign governments have been struggling to assess how seriously to take North Korea's recent torrent of rhetoric – including warnings of possible nuclear war – as it expresses its anger over continuing US-South Korea military manoeuvres just across the border. Officials in South Korea, the US and Japan say intelligence indicates that North Korean officials, who conducted an underground nuclear test in February, are ready to launch a medium-range missile. | Foreign governments have been struggling to assess how seriously to take North Korea's recent torrent of rhetoric – including warnings of possible nuclear war – as it expresses its anger over continuing US-South Korea military manoeuvres just across the border. Officials in South Korea, the US and Japan say intelligence indicates that North Korean officials, who conducted an underground nuclear test in February, are ready to launch a medium-range missile. |
| North Korea's own media gave little indication on Monday of how high the tensions are. | North Korea's own media gave little indication on Monday of how high the tensions are. |
| The Rodong Sinmun, the Workers' party newspaper, featured photos and coverage of the current leader Kim Jong-un's overnight visit to the Kumsusan mausoleum to pay respects to his grandfather. There was only one line at the end of the article vowing to bring down the "robber-like US imperialists". | The Rodong Sinmun, the Workers' party newspaper, featured photos and coverage of the current leader Kim Jong-un's overnight visit to the Kumsusan mausoleum to pay respects to his grandfather. There was only one line at the end of the article vowing to bring down the "robber-like US imperialists". |
| Kim Jong-un's renovation of the memorial palace that once served as his grandfather's presidential offices was opened to the public on Monday, the vast cement plaza replaced by fountains, park benches, trellises and tulips. Stretches of green lawn were marked by small signs indicating which businesses – including the Foreign Trade Bank recently added to a US Treasury blacklist – and government agencies donated funds to help pay for the landscaping. | Kim Jong-un's renovation of the memorial palace that once served as his grandfather's presidential offices was opened to the public on Monday, the vast cement plaza replaced by fountains, park benches, trellises and tulips. Stretches of green lawn were marked by small signs indicating which businesses – including the Foreign Trade Bank recently added to a US Treasury blacklist – and government agencies donated funds to help pay for the landscaping. |
| Braving the cold, grey weather, people lined up to lay bouquets of fake flowers at the bronze statues of Kim Il-sung and his son, the late leader Kim Jong-il, in downtown Pyongyang. It is a scene repeated for every major holiday in North Korea, where loyalty to the Kims and to the state are drummed into citizens from an early age. | Braving the cold, grey weather, people lined up to lay bouquets of fake flowers at the bronze statues of Kim Il-sung and his son, the late leader Kim Jong-il, in downtown Pyongyang. It is a scene repeated for every major holiday in North Korea, where loyalty to the Kims and to the state are drummed into citizens from an early age. |
| They queued at roadside snack stands for rations of peanuts, a holiday tradition. Cheers and screams from a soccer match filled the air. | They queued at roadside snack stands for rations of peanuts, a holiday tradition. Cheers and screams from a soccer match filled the air. |
| "Although the situation is tense, people have got bright faces and are very happy," said Han Kyong-sim, serving at a drinks counter. | "Although the situation is tense, people have got bright faces and are very happy," said Han Kyong-sim, serving at a drinks counter. |
| Monday marked the official start of the new year according to North Korea's "juche" calendar, which begins with the day of Kim Il-sung's birth in 1912. But unlike last year, the centennial of his birthday, there are no big parades in store, and North Koreans were planning to use it as a day to catch up with friends and family. | Monday marked the official start of the new year according to North Korea's "juche" calendar, which begins with the day of Kim Il-sung's birth in 1912. But unlike last year, the centennial of his birthday, there are no big parades in store, and North Koreans were planning to use it as a day to catch up with friends and family. |
| But while there has been almost no sense of crisis in Pyongyang, North Korea's official posture towards the outside appears to be as hardline as ever. | But while there has been almost no sense of crisis in Pyongyang, North Korea's official posture towards the outside appears to be as hardline as ever. |
| On Sunday, it rejected South Korea's proposal to resolve tensions through dialogue. North Korea said it had no intention of talking with Seoul unless it abandoned what it called the rival South's confrontational posture. South Korea's unification ministry spokesman, Kim Hyung-suk, called that response "very regrettable" on Monday, but said the South remained open to dialogue. | On Sunday, it rejected South Korea's proposal to resolve tensions through dialogue. North Korea said it had no intention of talking with Seoul unless it abandoned what it called the rival South's confrontational posture. South Korea's unification ministry spokesman, Kim Hyung-suk, called that response "very regrettable" on Monday, but said the South remained open to dialogue. |
| A leading North Korean leader, Kim Yong-nam, president of the presidium of the supreme people's assembly, also told a gathering of high officials on Sunday that the North must bolster its nuclear arsenal further and "wage a stronger all-out action with the US to cope with the prevailing wartime situation", according to footage from the North's state TV. | A leading North Korean leader, Kim Yong-nam, president of the presidium of the supreme people's assembly, also told a gathering of high officials on Sunday that the North must bolster its nuclear arsenal further and "wage a stronger all-out action with the US to cope with the prevailing wartime situation", according to footage from the North's state TV. |
| South Korea's defence minister, Kim Kwan-jin, told a parliamentary committee in Seoul on Monday that North Korea still appeared poised to launch a missile from its east coast, though he declined to disclose how he got the information. | South Korea's defence minister, Kim Kwan-jin, told a parliamentary committee in Seoul on Monday that North Korea still appeared poised to launch a missile from its east coast, though he declined to disclose how he got the information. |
| Many observers had predicted North Korea would launch the missile before Monday's holiday, because similar past launches have come before key national commemorations. | Many observers had predicted North Korea would launch the missile before Monday's holiday, because similar past launches have come before key national commemorations. |
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