Page 11 - AT

A11
WORLD NEWS Tuesday 31 december 2019
Kim calls for measures to protect North Korea's security

By KIM TONG-HYUNG foreign affairs, munitions in-
Associated Press dustry and armed forces of
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — the DPRK," KCNA said in its
North Korean leader Kim English report, referring to
Jong Un called for his mili- North Korea's formal name,
tary and diplomats to pre- the Democratic People's
pare unspecified "offensive Republic of Korea.
measures" to protect the KCNA's Korean-language
country's security and sov- report said Kim called for
ereignty, the North's state "active and offensive"
media said Monday, be- measures.
fore his end-of-year dead- Kim also "comprehensively
line for the Trump admin- and anatomically ana-
istration to make major lyzed the problems arising
concessions to salvage a in the overall state building
fragile nuclear diplomacy. including the state man-
During a ruling Workers' agement and economic
Party meeting Sunday, Kim construction in the present
also "comprehensively and In this Sunday, Dec. 29, 2019, photo provided Monday, Dec. 30, by the North Korean government, time," KCNA said.
anatomically analyzed" North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during a Workers’ Party meeting in Pyongyang, North "He stressed the need to
problems arising in efforts Korea. reasonably straighten the
to rebuild the North's mori- Associated Press country's economic work
bund economy and pre- system and order and es-
sented tasks for "urgently and take a more confron- if Washington persists with ing a white dress shirt and tablish a strong discipline
correcting the grave situa- tational approach by lifting sanctions and pressure, is horn-rimmed glasses, and presented the tasks
tion of the major industrial a self-imposed moratorium expected to announce speaking from a podium as for urgently correcting the
sectors," the North's offi- on nuclear and long-range major policy changes dur- hundreds of government grave situation of the major
cial Korean Central News missile tests. ing his New Year's address and military officials jotted industrial sectors of the na-
Agency said. The North has said the on Wednesday. down his comments. tional economy," the report
The plenary meeting of the meeting, which will contin- The KCNA report did not de- "Emphasizing the need to said.
party's Central Committee, ue for at least another day, scribe any decisions made take positive and offen- It added that Kim stressed
which began Saturday, is intended for discussions at the meeting or mention sive measures for fully en- the need for a "decisive"
is being closely watched on overcoming "manifold any specific remarks by Kim suring the sovereignty and increase in agricultural
amid concerns that Kim and harsh trials and difficul- about the United States. security of the country as production and gave out
could suspend his dead- ties." The North's official Rodong required by the present instructions for improving
locked nuclear negotia- Kim, who has said the North Sinmun newspaper pub- situation, (Kim) indicated science, education and
tions with the United States would pursue a "new path" lished photos of Kim, wear- the duties of the fields of public health standards.q

Hong Kong police

accuse protesters of

inciting youth crime

Associated Press buildings. It wasn’t clear
HONG KONG (AP) — Hong whether those actions
Kong police on Monday were directly tied to any
accused activists in the specific demonstration.
long-running pro-democ- “Over the weekend, during
racy movement of inciting our arrest operation, we ar-
minors to commit crimes. rested a large number of
The claim Monday comes youngsters and are very
two days before a planned alarmed that some crimi-
New Year’s Day march nals incite youngsters to
that is expected to attract commit crimes,” Kwok said,
tens of thousands of par- adding that some of the
ticipants. violence had been inspired
Chief police spokesman by the children’s teachers.
Kwok Ka-chuen told re- Children as young as 12
porters that the force was have been among the
in close contact with the nearly 7,000 people ar-
organizers of the Jan. 1 rested during the protests,
event, but would not toler- which have drawn broad
ate threats to public safety. support and were originally
Kwok also said young peo- sparked by now-discarded
ple had been motivated to legislation that would have
commit criminal acts dur- allowed citizens of the
ing the protests, including semi-autonomous Chinese
dropping objects from the city to be sent to China for
upper stories of apartment trial.q