Captured Chinese Fishermen Return Home, Investigation Begins

Sok Islet, Kwail County, South Hwanghae Province. According to Chinese media, the 28 or 29 fishermen detained in the DPRK from 8 to 21 May 2012 were held here (Photo: Google image)

On the morning of 21 May (Monday) three Chinese commercial fishing trawlers and their 29 crew members, captured and detained by DPRK forces on 8 May, arrived in their home country through the port in Dalian.  With the fishermen’s return, accounts about their detention have emerged in Chinese media.  Global Times reports:

“Before they released us, they brought us ashore and gave each of us a pack of cigarettes. Then they pointed their guns at our heads, forcing us to write a confession saying that we entered North Korean waters illegally and they had treated us very well,” Yuan Xiwen, one of the fishermen, told the Global Times.

Zhu Chuang, one of the captains of the three boats, said the abductors only gave each boat half a bag of rice before ordering them to leave.

“They took everything onboard, including communication devices and our clothes, leaving some of us only with underwear. Fortunately, we could still use the Beidou for guidance,” Zhu told the Global Times, referring to China’s indigenous satellite navigation system, a rival to the GPS.

The three boats arrived in Dalian at around 6:35 am Monday after being released Sunday night. The fishermen were then sent to a local hospital for medical checks.

The fishermen told the Global Times that the three boats were seized one after another by a North Korean gunboat on May 8 while working in the Yellow Sea.

“The gunboat approached us, and six or seven armed North Koreans boarded our ship. They locked us up in a small cabinet we use for storing waste. One of the captors served as a translator, but I do not think he was of Chinese origin,” Zhu recalled.

The fishermen told Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV that the abductors had treated them “inhumanely,” and had beaten them with wooden sticks. One of the boat owners said no ransom had been paid.

“They did not allow us to talk, and would beat our spine and head if we made any sound. We had one, sometimes two meals a day, of only rice and porridge,” said Wang Zhiguo, one of the crew members.

“We could not properly sit down or stand in the tiny cabin,” Wang told the Global Times.

According to People’s Daily, three of the fishermen felt dizzy after their return, and another three had obvious bruises on their bodies.

Returned Chinese fishermen take the vehicle to go to hospital for medical check in Dalian, northeast China’s Liaoning Province, May 21, 2012. A total of 29 Chinese fishermen and their three fishing boats returned to Dalian on Monday morning, following 13 days of detention by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). (Xinhua/Liu Debin)

The Chinese government announced that relevant authorities had begun an investigation into the seizure of the fishing trawlers and crew.  South China Morning Post reports:

In announcing the investigation, ministry spokesman Hong Lei said the government was taking the incident seriously.

Some of the 28 fishermen aboard three boats taken on May 8 said armed North Koreans, dressed in army uniforms, had falsified the co-ordinates of their ship during the capture, to indicate that it took place in North Korean waters rather than Chinese waters.

The Chinese boat captains also said they were forced to admit that they entered North Korean waters unlawfully.

Wang Lijie, captain of one of the three vessels that were held for nearly two weeks before being released last weekend, told China Central Television (CCTV) yesterday that North Korean authorities forced him to sign a blank document.

He said it was not until soon before their release that he was told it was a letter confessing they had entered the waters illegally.

The letter was written in Korean, but Wang said he saw the North Koreans had changed the co- ordinates of the capture from 123-57E to 124-02E, less than a degree to the east and just inside North Korean waters.

Although China and North Korea have not established an official boundary in the East China Sea, maritime authorities of the two countries have mutually regarded longitude 124 degrees east as an “internal control line”, according to the captured fishermen.

The captains of the other two ships said they were also presented with similar documents. One of them, Zhu Chuang , said he resisted, believing that data stored in his ship’s satellite navigation system would prove they were in Chinese waters.

“They tried to force me to sign, but I never did,” he told CCTV.

Almost every Chinese fishing vessel at sea is equipped with navigation devices receiving satellite signals. The system, developed by the People’s Liberation Army, allows captains to know their whereabouts with a very low margin of error.

Three Chinese fishing boats, which had been freed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), anchor at a port of Dalian, northeast China’s Liaoning Province, May 21, 2012. A total of 29 Chinese fishermen and their three fishing boats returned to Dalian on Monday morning, following 13 days of detention by the DPRK. (Xinhua/Liu Debin)

While the fishermen’s detention has not put a damper on official DPRK-China relations, the fishermen and Chinese netizens view the ordeal as something of an abscess in the “lips and teeth” relationship.  Washington Post reports:

“This is the most horrible memory in my life,” Wang said. “They all wore deep-blue military uniforms, and they had a military flag on their boat. They were the North Korean navy.”

Wang said that he had encountered North Koreans in the past who were friendly but that this time, “they were even worse than bandits.” Noting that Pyongyang “is supposed to be a friend of China’s,” he added: “What happened to me this time changed my idea of North Korea completely.”

The fishermen’s accounts of mistreatment have also appeared widely in Chinese news media, which describe it as “torture.”

Shan Shixian, the owner of one of the boats, said in an interview that the kidnappers initially demanded a ransom of about $65,000 per boat but later just stripped the vessels and the men of everything they had. “They stole about one ton of fish on my boat, a dozen tons of diesel, my boat’s radar, the components, the battery and all the cargo,” Shan said. “Everything on the boat was looted.”

“I hate North Korea so much,” he said. “They not only robbed my fishermen, they tortured them. I’d kill them if I ever met any of them.” He added: “They are more like hooligans than the real hooligans. People are all scared.”

The sentiments of the captain and the boat owner were echoed even more vociferously on the Twitter-like microblogging site Weibo, which has emerged as China’s sounding board for public opinion. And public opinion has turned decidedly against North Korea, an ally considered so steadfast that Mao Zedong once said the relationship was “as close as lips and teeth.”

Some of the vitriol was aimed at the Chinese government.

“The anger burned in my heart when I saw this piece of news,” wrote one Internet user, posting under the name The Far Off Time. “North Korea always returns evil for good, and the Chinese government always swallows the humiliation and the anger.” The user added: “It’s all because the Chinese government is too weak. Who would dare do this to American fishermen?! Does the Foreign Affairs Ministry have any use?”

Another user, writing under the name Unplugged Cat, wrote: “We raised a dog to watch the door, but were bitten by the crazy dog!”

A user named Zhuang Yuance asked, “Why should we shelter this bad neighbor against the will of people in most countries in the world? Will the North Korean people really appreciate us one day?”

The kidnapping was one of the hottest trending topics on China’s microblogging sites. That the Chinese government’s normally vigilant censors had allowed the open debate suggested that even Beijing’s leaders were becoming exasperated with Pyongyang.

China’s official media, meanwhile, have tried to play down the controversy, noting that all the crew members were eventually released and that no ransom was paid. An article in the Communist Party-owned Global Times newspaper Wednesday carried the headline: “Hype unnecessary over N. Korean sea action.”

Overview of area showing where the Chinese commercial fishing trawlers and crew were captured on 8 May 2012 and Sok Islet where the trawlers and crew were held. The yellow line estimates the unofficial DPRK-China maritime boundary (Photo: Google image)

PRC Embassy Managing Contact on Captured Fishermen

The Chinese fishing trawler Liaodanyu 23979, one of the vessels seized by DPRK operatives on 8 May 2012 (Photo: We54.com)

Chinese state media reported on Friday (18 May) that the PRC Embassy in Pyongyang has taken the lead on discussions with DPRK officials over releasing 29 fishermen who were seized and detained on 8 May.  According to an unconfirmed report, some of the fishermen have already been released and returned to China, although neither their family members nor the owner of the commercial fishing trawlers have heard from the supposed returnees.  AFP reports:

“Some of the detained vessels and crew have already returned to port,” the state-controlled Xinhua news agency said late Friday, without elaborating.

The foreign ministry was not immediately available for comment, and one of the owners of the boats that had been seized said he also had no information.

“I also saw the news online, but we haven’t met any of the fishermen,” the owner, Zhang Dechang, told AFP by telephone from the northeastern province of Liaoning, near China’s border with North Korea.

“I called some of their relatives, and they didn’t know either what the situation is. We still have to wait.”

Chinese state media previously reported that the men were fishing off the country’s northeast coast, in the waters between China and North Korea, when they were snatched.

The Xinhua report said Chinese embassy staff in the North Korean capital Pyongyang were negotiating the release of the rest of the fishermen.

The fishermen remaining in North Korean hands were “safe and sound” and had enough to eat and access to medical help, according to Xinhua.

Chinese fishermen regularly run into difficulties with the authorities of other countries as they fish in areas that are claimed by both China and its neighbours.

However, so far there has been no indication that the North Korean gunmen who seized the sailors were security forces from the isolated country — which counts China as its sole major ally.

Xinhua English reported:

Counsellor Jiang Yaxian told Xinhua that Ambassador Liu Hongcai and other Chinese diplomats have been working actively on the detention of the Chinese fishermen along with their vessels “through negotiation and close contact”, to fully ensure the Chinese crew’s personal safety and their legitimate rights and interests.

According to the DPRK side, the detained Chinese fishing crew are now in “sound health condition with sufficient food and healthcare”, and that “part of the detained vessels and crew have already been back to China.”

Jiang said that the Chinese Embassy in the DPRK will continue its efforts to ensure that the issue will be properly addressed as soon as possible.

On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said that China has been staying in close communication with the DPRK through relevant channels to push for a proper resolution to the issue at an early date.

China demands the DPRK ensure the safety and legitimate rights and interests of the Chinese fishermen, he said at a daily news briefing.

It was reported that three Chinese fishing boats and their crews were held in custody by the DPRK on May 8.

Initial reports claimed that the fishermen were captured by a group of DPRK and Chinese nationals.  However, those reports may have misidentified operatives of a maritime unit under the Reconnaissance General Bureau who would be thoroughly trained in language and nonverbal behavior that made them seem (and sound) Chinese.  Daily NK interviewed a former trainer in the Reconnaissance Bureau:

The captain of Liaodanyu No. 23527, which was fishing alongside the boats that were seized, testified that the North Korean vessel which took the Liaodanyu No. 23528 was a fast moving military speedboat, and that there were four to five people on board wearing blue uniforms and hats.

On this, Choi said, “Secretly entering international waters or those of another country for a brief spell and capturing a boat is the kind of special mission intrinsic to the maritime bases of the Special Bureau of Reconnaissance.”

“General Bureau maritime bases which conduct infiltration missions against South Korea exist both in the East and West Sea, and the West Sea base is at Nampo,” he went on. “The base has around ten combat speedboats disguised as mid-size fishing vessels, and they perform operations like seizing fishing boats and maritime infiltrations.”

A normal fishing vessel is equipped with a single engine; however, Choi said that the high-speed vessels of the type at the base have four Russian made M-400 engines. The average speed of the vessels is 45 knots, though they are able to reach 50 knots.

A person present at the time of the attack has testified that the group of captors included Chinese people; however, Choi believes that this probably means the operation was actually carried out by operatives from the General Bureau who are able to speak excellent Chinese. According to Choi, “The General Bureau’s West Sea unit taught staff Chinese to prepare for situations including fleeing into Chinese waters in the course of operations.” Operatives stationed at East Sea Base No.1 are required to speak excellent Japanese.

Therefore, Choi concludes that it is actually unlikely that reports of direct Chinese involvement in the operation are correct.

Similarly, Choi believes it is highly unlikely that the General Bureau of Reconnaissance suddenly decided upon the capture of Chinese trawlers as a way to earn money. He said, “They knew very well that capturing a Chinese trawler without the approval of the authorities would create a diplomatic problem, so I don’t believe they did it independently. While conniving with the authorities to demand monies, they are intending to express discontent at something.”

 

DPRK, China In Contact Over Captured Fishing Vessels

A view of the approximate location that 3 Chinese commercial fishing vessels and 29 crew members were captured on 8 May 2012 (Photo: Google image)

PRC state media reports that the Chinese government “is in close contact” with the DPRK on the status of 29 fishermen seized earlier this month in the Yellow (West) Sea.  On 8 May, three fishing vessels and 29 crew members were captured 158 km (98 miles) southwest of the DPRK city of Namp’o.  It is not clear if the crew were captured by members of the Korean People’s Army’s [KPA] Navy, DPRK personnel operating commercial vessels or, as Global Times reports, a group of Chinese and DPRK nationals.  Xinhua English reports:

“China is maintaining close communication with the DPRK side through relative channels in order to appropriately address the issue as soon as possible,” Hong said during a daily news briefing.

“The Chinese side has demanded that the DPRK side ensure the safety and legitimate rights of the Chinese crew members,” he added.

Media reports have stated that three vessels and their crews were seized by the DPRK on May 8.

 CRI English reports:

A number of media outlets recently reported that three Chinese fishing vessels were seized on May 8 at 38.05 degrees north and 123.57 degrees east within Chinese waters and the 29 crew members onboard were being kept hostage by a group of North Koreans.

The reports also state that the North Korean captors asked the abducted Chinese fishermen to call their families and tell them to pay ransom amounts in order for them to be released.

According to media reports, one fisherman who narrowly escaped being abducted, reported the incident to local maritime police in the city of Dalian, Dandong, and the fishing patrol forces in the provincial capital of Shenyang, immediately following his escape.

On the morning of last Wednesday, an abducted crew member apparently made a phone call using an unidentifiable number, claiming that the captors were requesting ransom amounts in return for the release of the Chinese fishermen.

The BBC reports:

The captors have asked for payment by Thursday for the release of the men and boats, the newspaper reported.

China’s foreign ministry said it was in touch with North Korean authorities and hoped to resolve the situation soon.

“We urged the North Korean side to guarantee the legal rights of the Chinese fishermen,” the ministry’s spokesman Hong Lei said.

He refused to confirm if the payment being demanded was a ransom, said an Associated Press report.

It is not clear if the boats were seized by North Korean authorities or kidnappers as some reports have suggested.

Pyongyang has not commented on the incident.

The owners of the boats have been reported as saying that the men were fishing in Chinese waters when the incident took place.

One of the owners, Zhang Dechang, told the Beijing News that the captors initially demanded payment of 1.2 million yuan (£119,300, $189,800) for the return of the men and boats, now reportedly in North Korea.

The captors then reportedly reduced their demand to 900,000 yuan.

Mr Zhang said that the captors included both North Koreans and Chinese, according to a Global Times report.

”They had guns; no one resisted. The captured fishermen have been locked in a small house, with no food to eat,” he was quoted as saying in the report.

China is North Korea’s closest ally. But the waters of the Yellow Sea, home to rich marine life, have seen clashes in the past between vessels from China and the two Koreas.

Kim Jong Un Visits Military Science Exhibition and Attends Magic Show

Kim Jong Un watches a firearms demonstration during a tour of the KPA Military Science and Technology Exhibition. Also in this image are: VMar Kim Jong Gak (L), VMar Choe Ryong Hae (2nd L), VMar Hyon Chol Hae and Jang Song Taek (Photo: KCNA)

 

Kim Jong Un looks at a star-shaped stencil. Also seen in attendance is KWP Deputy Director Hwang Pyong So (6th L) (Photo: Rodong Sinmun)

DPRK state media reported on Friday (27 April) that Kim Jong Un (Kim Cho’ng-u’n) and members of the central leadership visited the Korean People’s Army [KPA] 26th Military Science and Technology Exhibition.  KCNA reports:

He was accompanied by Choe Ryong Hae, Ri Yong Ho, Kim Jong Gak, Jang Song Thaek, Kim Yong Chun, Hyon Chol Hae, Son Chol Ju, Pak Jae Gyong, Kim Yong Chol, Ri Jae Il, Kim Myong Guk, Yun Tong Hyon, Jon Chang Bok and Pak Jong Chon.

He first learned about the reconstruction of the exhibition on a modern basis.

He praised the soldier-builders for having splendidly reconstructed the exhibition by successfully building its exterior and interior to suit its characteristics as an exhibition of science and technology by their own efforts and with indigenous technology.

He expressed satisfaction over the fact that the successful reconstruction and modernization of the exhibition as required by the Songun era has created an important center for widely studying and introducing the military scientific and technological achievements made thanks to the direct initiative of President Kim Il Sung and under the wise leadership of Kim Jong Il.

Then he, conducted by officials, made the rounds of the first and second floors and outdoor exhibition to acquaint himself in detail with the scientific and technological work within the KPA.

It is very good that service personnel, scientists, technicians and researchers of the KPA have made through their researches a lot of valuable inventions and devices urgently needed for the combat preparations of the KPA by displaying collective wisdom and creative ingenuity and presented them to the current exhibition, he said.

Seeing the inventions and devices presented to the exhibition, I can realize that the KPA is working hard to settle scientific and technological issues related to the combat preparations true to the intention of the WPK to push back the frontiers of latest science and technology, he noted.

He repeatedly praised the scientists, technicians, researchers and service personnel of the KPA for their laudable achievements, noting that they have conducted strenuous scientific researches conducive to stepping up the combat preparations of the KPA and improving the standard of soldiers and people’s living by displaying their burning revolutionary enthusiasm and creative ingenuity in the past.

He gave precious instructions for further developing science and technology within the KPA as required by the new century.

He underscored the need to get mastery of latest science and technology in order to ensure that the level of military science and technology of the KPA surpasses the worldwide level of military science and technology and they will develop fast.

The KPA should display according to different sectors inventions and devices highly estimated and selected stage by stage in different sectors including units at various levels and military academies and put the operation of the exhibition on a normal basis as it has been wonderfully rebuilt and modernized.

He expressed expectation and conviction that the current exhibition would mark an important occasion in making a positive contribution to putting spurs to the development of science and technology of the KPA, rounding off the combat preparations and improving the standard of soldiers and people’s living.

Kim Jong Un inspects a display while touring the KPA Military Science and Technology Exhibition. Also seen in attendance in this image are: VMar Ri Yong Ho (L) and Gen. Pak Jae Gyong (3rd L) (Photo: KCNA-Yonhap)

Kim Jong Un is is briefed about a firearms display. In this image are: Gen. Pak Jae Gyong (2nd L), Gen. Kim Yong Chol (4th R), VMar Kim Jong Gak (3rd R) and VMar Kim Yong Chun (R) (Photo: KCNA)

A performer of the KPA Circus, during its magic show "For All Eternity" (Photo: KCNA)

KJU was also reported to have attended a magic show entitled “For All Eternity,” given by the KPA Circus.  KCNA reports:

Put on the stage were numbers of illusionary and movie jugglery.

The performers presented tricks of making optical changes of objects in space-time.

Kim Jong Un set forth tasks which would serve as guidelines for further developing Juche-oriented acrobatic art, a powerful means for politico-ideological, cultural and emotional education of people.

Enjoying the performance were Choe Ryong Hae, Ri Yong Ho, Kim Jong Gak, Jang Song Thaek, Kim Yong Chun, Hyon Chol Hae, Choe Pu Il, Kim Yong Chol and labor innovators of major industrial establishments, teachers and researchers of universities, officials of dongs of districts, exemplary heads of their people’s

Kim Jong Un Attends 2 More Photo Ops

Kim Jong Un waves to managers and employees of the Mansudae Art Studio during a photo op with them, reported by DPRK media on 20 April (Photo: KCNA)

A commemorative photo of Kim Jong Un, other members of the DPRK central leadership and employees of the Mansudae Art Studio (Photo: KCNA)

DPRK state media reported on Friday (20 April) that Kim Jong Un (Kim Cho’ng-u’n) attended two commemorative photo sessions at Ku’msusan Memorial Palace.  His first photo op was with the managers, party officials and personnel of the Mansudae Art Studio.  KJU was accompanied by SPA Presidium President Kim Yong Nam, DPRK Premier Choe Yong Rim, Director of the KPA General Political Bureau Choe Ryong Hae, NDC Vice Chairman Jang Song Taek and KWP Secretary and Director of the Propaganda and Agitation Department [PAD] Kim Ki Nam and PAD Senior Deputy (1st Vice) Director Ri Jae Il and PAD Deputy (Vice) Director Kwon Hyok Byong.   KCNA reports:

Kim Jong Un, first secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, first chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission and supreme commander of the Korean People’s Army, had a picture taken with officials, creators and employees of the Mansudae Art Studio.

Before having a photo session with them, Kim Jong Un warmly congratulated them on their big successes in the creative work to portray the leaders including the erection of the statues of President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il on Mansu Hill and in the drive to thoroughly implement the WPK’s Juche-oriented literary and art policy.

He expressed expectation and conviction that they would bring about a fresh turn in the work to portray the leaders and create many more masterpieces fully reflecting the Korean people’s thoughts and feelings and the spirit of the times and thus creditably discharge their mission and duty they have assumed before the party and the revolution.

Managers and employees of the Mansudae Art Studio greet Kim Jong Un during a commemorative photo session at Ku'msusan Memorial Palace (Photo: KCNA)

Kim Jong Un (seated, C) poses for a commemorative photograph with participants in the 15 April 2012 military parade held in Pyongyang (Photo: Rodong Sinmun)

Kim Jong Un’s second photo op was with participants of the military parade held in Pyongyang on 15 April, the 100th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il Sung.  Also in attendance were Kim Yong Nam, Choe Yong Rim, Choe Ryong Hae, Jang Song Taek, Kim Ki Nam as well as Chief of the KPA General Staff VMar Ri Yong Ho, Minister of the People’s Armed Forces VMar Kim Jong Gak, NDC Vice Chairman and director of the KWP Civil Defense Department VMar Kim Yong Chun, KWP Secretary of Military Industry Pak To Chun, 1st Vice Minister of the People’s Armed Forces and Director of the KPA General Logistics Department VMar Hyon Chol Hae, Director of the KWP Machine-Building Industry Department Ju Kyu Chang, Director of the KWP Military Affairs Department Col. Gen. O Il Jong, Vice Chief of the KPA General Staff Gen. Choe Pu Il, Deputy (Vice) Director of the KPA General Political Bureau Gen. Pak Jae Gyong, Chief of the KPA Reconnaissance General Bureau Gen. Kim Yong Chol, Military Security Commander Col. Gen. Jo Kyong Chol, KPA Foreign Affairs Department official Col. Gen. Sim Sang Dae, Col. Gen. Son Chol Ju, Col. Gen. Yun Tong Hyon and Col. Gen. Pak Jong Chon.

A commemorative photograph of DPRK central leadership with participants in the military parade held on the anniversary of Kim Il Sung's birth (Photo: Rodong Sinmun)

KCNA reports:

Kim Jong Un, first secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, first chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK and supreme commander of the Korean People’s Army, had a photo session with the participants in the military parade for celebrating the centenary of the birth of President Kim Il Sung.

After arriving at the square of the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, Kim Jong Un waved back to the enthusiastic cheers of the participants, extending a warm salute to them.

He congratulated the service personnel of the three services and the Strategic Rocket Forces of the KPA and the Korean People’s Internal Security Forces, members of the Worker-Peasant Red Guards and the Young Red Guards and students of revolutionary schools on demonstrating the spirit of Songun Korea and tremendous national power through their parade.

He expressed expectation that the participants in the parade would fulfill their mission as standard bearers and shock brigades in invariably preserving the revolutionary nature of the KPA just like the character of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il and fully demonstrating the fighting method of the powerful revolutionary army of Mt. Paektu holding aloft the red flag of the WPK as its first colors.

This was the first instance that a KCNA news item directly referred to the KPA Strategic Rocket Force Command [SRFC] since Kim Jong Un’s inspection of the SRFC’s complex near Kangdong County during late February 2012.  When Kim Jong Un delivered his speech before last Sunday’s parade, according to KCBS he addressed “heroic officers of the army, the navy, the air force and the strategic rocket unit of the KPA and officers of the Korean People’s Internal Security Forces.”  However, KCNA English reporting on the parade and KJU’s speech omitted any references to the SRFC or “the strategic rocket unit of the KPA.”

KJU Visits KPA Navy Unit #155

Kim Jong Un hands an automatic rifle to a member of KPA Navy Unit #155 during presentation ceremony which was part of his inspection of the unit (Photo: KCNA-Yonhap)

DPRK state media reported on 5 April (Thursday) that Kim Jong Un (Kim Cho’ng-u’n) conducted an inspection of KPA Navy Unit #155, which was responsible for the capture of USS Pueblo in 1968.  KPA Navy Unit #155 also has the title of O Chung-hup-led 7th regiment.  KJU’s last reported public appearance was his inspection of Ryo Island in the East Sea.  During his inspection of the navy unit, KJU was accompanied by Gen. Kim Won Hong, Gen. Hyon Chol Hae, Lt. Gen. Ri Tu Song and Lt. Gen. Ri Jong Mu.  KCNA reports:

He first went round the monument to the field guidance of President Kim Il Sung and warships visited by the three commanders of Mt. Paektu.

This unit is marked with many footprints left by the President and leader Kim Jong Il to provide field guidance, he said, recollecting with deep emotion the unforgettable historical day he visited the unit, accompanying the leader.

The DPRK has such matchless fleet thanks to the wise leadership and meticulous care of the President and Kim Jong Il who worked heart ad soul for the founding and development of the naval forces, he said, adding that their undying feats will always go down in the history of the country.

He once again highly praised the unit for such laudable military feats that startled the world as sinking U.S. imperialists’ heavy cruiser “Baltimore” with just four torpedo craft in the naval battle in Jumunjin during the Fatherland Liberation War, the battle results unprecedented in the world history of naval war, and capturing the U.S. imperialists’ armed spy ship “Pueblo” when intruding into the territorial waters of the DPRK in peacetime.

He stressed the need for the seamen of the unit to firmly take over the baton of the revolutionary forerunners, send the enemies into the bottom of the sea if they dare intrude into the territorial waters of the DPRK and thus further glorify the tradition of the unit which has demonstrated only victories, a stalwart unit, generation after generation.

He then boarded patrol ship 1003 anchoring at the moorage and went round it.

Looking round with great attention different places of the ship used by the three commanders of Mt. Paektu, he praised the seamen of the unit for preserving and managing it to its original state with good care.

He said that the significant ship visited by the President four times, Kim Jong Il three times and anti-Japanese war hero Kim Jong Suk is the flagship of the KPA Navy.

He acquainted himself in detail with the unit’s combat duties, trainings, etc. before inspecting flotillas 1, 4, 5 and 83 under the unit.

He guided training in firearms of torpedo craft 1213 of flotilla 1 and its tactical drill.

He expressed satisfaction over the fact that seamen are undergoing intensive combat training and, at the same time, discharging their combat duty in a responsible manner while watching the enemy’s moves for aggression with vigilance. He set forth the tasks for rounding off combat preparations and bolstering the combat capability.

He made the rounds of sailors’ rooms, rooms dedicated to education and mess halls of flotillas to take deep care of their living.

He gave flotillas 1, 4, 5 and 83 pairs of binoculars and automatic rifles as souvenirs and had photo sessions with them.

Xinhua English reports:

Leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un inspected a navy unit of the Korean People’s Army (KPA) recently, the official news agency KCNA reported on Friday.

During his inspection, Kim Jong Un, top commander of the KPA, said “if the enemies dare intrude into the territorial waters of the DPRK, the army would be ready and prepared to send them into the bottom of the sea.”

He stressed the need to firmly take over the baton of the “revolutionary forerunners,” and learned in detail about the unit’s combat duties.

The Navy Unit 155 once captured the U.S. ship “Pueblo” straying into the country’s territorial waters in 1968, according to KCNA.

The DPRK claimed it was a spy ship, but the United States denied the accusation, saying the ship was on an information collection mission and was sailing in international waters.

The unit also sank U.S. heavy cruiser “Baltimore” during the Korean War in the early 1950s.

On Wednesday, Kim also inspected a unit on Ryo Islet, a defensive forward post on the country’s east coast. He urged post guards to build the island into an “iron-wall” fortress so as to defend the DPRK from foreign invasion.

AFP reports:

North Korea’s new leader Kim Jong-Un has visited the naval unit that captured a US spy ship in 1968, the official news agency said, amid tensions over its planned satellite launch.

Any attempt to intercept the satellite would be “an act of war”, the North said late Thursday after South Korea and Japan prepared to shoot down the rocket should it fall towards their territory.

In the latest of a series of military visits, Kim inspected Navy Unit 155 in the southeastern province of Kangwon and highly praised its past feats, the agency said.

It “startled the world” by sinking the US heavy cruiser Baltimore with just four torpedo craft during the 1950-53 Korean War and also captured the US spy ship Pueblo, it said.

Kim “stressed the need for the seamen of the unit to firmly take over the baton of the revolutionary forerunners (and) send the enemies into the bottom of the sea if they dare intrude into the territorial waters”.

The North captured the spy ship with 83 crew members after it allegedly intruded into its territorial waters, sparking a Cold War crisis.

The crew were detained for 11 months before being released but the ship is still held by the North and moored on the Taedong River in Pyongyang.

Kim, supreme commander of the North’s 1.2-million-strong military, earlier inspected a unit guarding Ryo Island near the southeastern port of Wonsan.

He urged troops there to “protect the island with barricades of iron and bury the enemy in the water if they invade”, the news agency said in a report Wednesday.

Analysts said such trips and the upcoming launch are aimed at bolstering military loyalty to the young and untested leader.

The North says it will launch a peaceful satellite between April 12-16 to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of its late founder Kim Il-Sung.

The United States and other countries see it as a pretext for a long-range missile test banned under US resolutions.

Kim Jong Un Elected to Party Conference by Military

Members of the KPA Party Committee applaud during its party conference on 26 March 2012 at the 25 April House of Culture in Pyongyang. The party conference was convened to elect delegates (party representatives) to the 4th Korean Workers' Party Conference in the middle of April 2012. (Photo: KCNA)

The Korean People’s Army [KPA] party organization held its party conference on Monday (26 March) at the 25 April House of Culture.  During the proceedings, it nominated and elected Kim Jong Un (Kim Cho’ng-u’n) as a delegate (party representative) to the 4th Party Conference scheduled for an undetermined date in the middle of April.  KCNA reports:

Present there were delegates elected at the party organizations of the KPA units at all levels. The delegates paid silent tribute to leader Kim Jong Il. The presidium was elected there. The conference discussed the election of delegates to the WPK Conference.

Kim Jong Gak, first vice-director of the General Political Bureau of the KPA, made an address on electing Supreme Commander Kim Jong Un as a delegate to the WPK Conference.

The WPK Conference to be held in the significant year, the centenary of the birth of President Kim Il Sung and the 70th birth anniversary of Kim Jong Il, is a historic assembly powerfully demonstrating the revolutionary will of the WPK, the army and people of the DPRK to accomplish the songun revolutionary cause of juche under the leadership of Kim Jong Un generation after generation and is of weighty significance in ushering in a great heyday of the revolution and construction under the uplifted banner of songun, Kim Jong Gak noted, and continued: The revolutionary career and feats of Kim Jong Il who won victory after victory in the confrontation with imperialism, put the dignity of the DPRK on the highest level and laid an eternal foundation whereby Kim Il Sung’s nation can enjoy immense happiness generation after generation will always go down in the history of the country.

Led by Kim Jong Un, the WPK is now called the most militant, dynamic and iron-willed party, a revolutionary party strong in organization, unity and principle and a mother party truly serving the people, striking its roots deep into them.

It is the highest honor, the greatest event and the biggest fortune of the KPA, the pillar and main force of the songun revolution, to elect Kim Jong Un as a delegate to the WPK Conference at the current conference, reflecting the unanimous will and desire of all the service personnel.

The election of Kim Jong Un as a delegate to the WPK Conference is the service personnel’s manifestation of their absolute trust and ardent loyalty to him and a reflection of the requirements of the era for the victory of the revolutionary cause of juche and the cause of building a thriving nation which have entered a new stage development.

Noting that it is a solemn pledge made by the KPA before the era and the revolution to accomplish the cause of Kim Il Sung and the cause of Kim Jong Il with arms, Kim Jong Gak courteously proposed to elect Kim Jong Un, the heart and future of Kim Il Sung’s nation and Kim Jong Il’s Korea, as a delegate to the WPK Conference, representing the unanimous will and desire of all the service personnel.

The floor was taken by Ri Yong Ho, Kim Won Hong, Jong Myong Do and other delegates of the party organizations of the KPA units at all levels.

The speakers said that Kim Jong Un possessed of intense loyalty to Kim Jong Il, outstanding leadership ability, matchless pluck and grit and noble virtues as inborn disposition is the supreme representative of the WPK, a symbol of the dignity and glory of the country and the nation and an ever-victorious banner of the KPA and the Korean people.

They fully supported and approved the proposal on electing Kim Jong Un as a delegate to the WPK Conference.

The conference unanimously adopted a decision on electing Kim Jong Un, the supreme leader of the WPK, the state and the revolutionary armed forces of the DPRK as a delegate to the WPK Conference, reflecting the will and desire of all the service personnel.

The conference elected delegates to the WPK Conference.

During 2010, Kim Jong Il was one of the KPA’s delegates to the 3rd Party Conference.  His nomination was also proposed by VMar Kim Jong Gak (Kim Cho’ng-gak), which is part of VMar Kim’s public duties as head of the KPA General Political Department (Bureau).  Choson Ilbo has identified VMar Kim as one of the high command’s “death angels” who has supervised the terminations and demotions of dozens of KPA officers and security officials, some of whom have been executed.

VMar Kim Jong Gak (2nd R) nominated Kim Jong Un as one of the KPA's delegates to the 4th Party Conference in April 2012. VMar Kim, seen at a 25 March 2012 rally ending the 100-days of mourning Kim Jong Il's death, is allegedly leading a purge of senior and mid-level KPA officials with the assistance of the Ministry of State Security's Gen. U Tong Chuk (3rd R), in order to consolidate the authority of the country's new leadership

Kim Jong Un Observes KPA Live Fire Exercises

Kim Jong Un (L) observes live fire military exercises of the KPA. Also in this image are: Gen. Kim Myong Kuk (C) and Gen. Kim Won Hong (R) (Photo: KCNA-Yonhap)

DPRK state media reported on 14 March that Kim Jong Un (Kim Cho’ng-u’n) inspected and observed live fire military drills of the three service branches of the Korean People’s Army [KPA] which was described as a “combined strike drill.”  Kim Jong Un’s last reported public appearance was his inspection of the Ch’o Islet’s coastal defense unit.

Kim Jong Un (3rd L) talks with senior leaders of the KPA, including VMar Kim Jong Gak (R), vice (deputy) director of the KPA General Political Bureau (department) (Photo: KCNA-Yonhap)

Gen. Kim Myong Kuk (L), chief of the KPA General Staff Operations Bureau and member of the Party Central Military Commission, briefs Kim Jong Un (R) prior to the KPA's live fire exercises. Also in this image (background, R) is Gen. Ri Myo'ng-su, who headed the Operations Bureau from 1996 to 2007 (Photo: KCNA)

Kim Jong Un was received by members of the KPA’s high command Gen. Kim Myong Kuk (Operations Bureau), VMar Kim Jong Gak (General Political Department), Gen. Kim Wo’n-hong (Security Command), VMar Kim Yong Chun (Minister of the People’s Armed Forces) and VMar Ri Yong Ho (Chief of the KPA General Staff).  The central leadership generated a significant turnout for this event, despite numerous senior and mid-level party and government officials undergoing vigorous background investigations to determine the intensity of their single-hearted unity.

Watching the exercises with him were his aunt Kim Kyong Hui and uncle Jang Song Taek, Party Secretaries Choe Tae Bok, Kim Ki Nam, Mun Kyong Dok, Choe Ryo’ng-hae, Pak To Chun, Kim Yong Il, Tae Jong Su, Kim Pyong Hae, Vice Premier and Political Bureau Member Kang Sok Ju, NDC Member and chief operating functionary of military industries Ju Kyu Chang, Minister of State Security U Tong Chuk, Ministry of State Security Political Bureau Director Col. Gen. Kim Chang Sop and Minister of People’s Security Ri Myo’ng-su.  In attendance from the KPA’s service branches were Gen. Jong Myong Do (KPA Navy), Gen. Ri Pyong Chol (KPA Air Force) along with Gen. Pak Jae Gyong (Propaganda, etc.) and Gen. Kim Yong Chol (Intelligence).

Also in attendance were officials of the country’s military industries, commanders of the KPA’s large combined units (taeyonhap pudae), a selection of provincial KWP chief secretaries and “members of the leading organs of the WPK Central Committee in Pyongyang and officials of ministries and national institutions and in the fields of science, education, culture and arts, public health, media.”

Kim Jong Un salutes KPA commanders and senior officials after watching "a combined strike drill" of the KPA's three service branches (Photo: KCNA-Yonhap)

KCNA reports:

Kim Jong Un received a salute from the chief of the General Staff of the KPA before mounting the observation deck.

After hearing a detailed explanation about the program of the drill and distribution of striking units, he issued an order to start the drill.

Nose diving flying corps and warships of the KPA Navy making their ways through rough waters hit their targets and artillery pieces in their positions ridden with powder smoke dealt deadly blows at the “group of enemy warships” with volleys of fire.

Greatly pleased to watch the valiant and resourceful aviation of pilots conducting contour flight, zooming and various upturns, he appreciated their successful drill.

He put forth highly important tasks which would serve as guidelines for further developing the KPA into invincible revolutionary armed forces.

He instructed the officers and men of the three services to think of battle fields at all times, whether they are in sleep or in dreams, adding that they should always keep themselves on such maximum alert as they are just before opening fire, deeply aware of the sacred responsibility to defend the country.

The KPA service personnel ready to return fire for fire are filled with the will to deal merciless and deadly blows at the aggressors who provoke the DPRK even a bit, he said, ordering them to mercilessly wipe out the enemies with arms of justice and revenge once they go into action.

A fight never starts after an ad is made and the enemies are watching for a chance to make a surprise attack, he noted, instructing the whole army to defend the sky, land and seas of the socialist country as firm as an iron wall while watching every movement of the enemies with vigilance.

Our socialist system centered on the popular masses will shine forever as an invulnerable fortress as it is guarded by the heroic KPA, a strong elite army built under the care of President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il, he added.

He expressed belief that the KPA service personnel would firmly protect the security of the country and the happiness of its people by force of arms.

News of Kim Jong Un watching the military drills occurred as South Korean media reported that the KPA Navy’s West Sea Fleet resumed training and operations.  JoongAng Ilbo reports:

Submarines of the North Korean West Sea Fleet Command have recently begun underwater operations, intelligence sources in the South told the JoongAng Ilbo yesterday.

“The submarines were docked during the winter, but they recently began moving as the weather warmed up,” a source said. “Of them, we could not confirm whereabouts of one or two submarines, so we believe they are engaged in underwater operations.”

North Korea operates about 70 submarines, and they are normally docked at the bases near Nampo or Bipa Cape during the winter for maintenance work or the crew’s ground training.

They resume activities during spring, sources said, adding that the submarines are often considered the top priority of the South Korean military’s surveillance because they are hard to detect once they begin underwater operations.

“It is possible that the North began operating the submarines in response to our military’s Foal Eagle exercise,” a military official said. “But we are still watching the situation very carefully because the second anniversary of the Cheonan’s sinking is drawing nearer and the Nuclear Security Summit is also coming up.”

The anniversary of the Cheonan’s sinking and the opening of the nuclear summit both fall on March 26. Foal Eagle refers to the South Korean-U.S. combined field training exercise that takes place annually. This year’s drill began March 1 and will continue until April 30. About 11,000 American troops, including 10,500 stationed outside Korea, are participating in a series of ground, air and maritime drills with Korean forces.

In addition to the sensitive timing, military intelligence officials also said the submarines’ operation took place amidst heightened tensions between the two Koreas.

Kim Jong Un Conducts Inspections of Cho Islet and KPA Navy Unit

Kim Jong Un (3rd L) studies a map while reviewing the planning and operations of Cho Island's defense units. Also in this image are VMar Kim Yong Chun (2nd L), Vice Chairman of the National Defense Commission and Minister of the People's Armed Forces, and VMar Ri Yong Ho (R), Chief of the KPA General Staff (Photo: KCNA-Yonhap)

DPRK state media reported that Kim Jong Un (Kim Cho’ng-u’n) conducted field inspections of Korean People’s Army [KPA] Navy Unit #123 and the coastal defense unit on Ch’o Island.  His inspections occurred as the joint US-ROK military exercises Key Resolve were concluding south of the NLL.  KJU’s appearances cap off a week in which the DPRK conducted a number of media events and other activities that combined a negative response to Key Resolve and excoriated South Korea’s current political leadership.  In addition to a number of rallies and editorials, forward deployed ground forces of the KPA conducted live-fire exercises near the Koreas’ maritime border.

Kim Jong Un (C) poses for a commemorative photograph with service members of the Ch'o Islet's coastal defense unit in front of a monument commemorating an inspection by his father and late DPRK supreme leader Kim Jong Il. Among the officials in this image are: Hwang Pyong So (L), Jang Song Taek (2nd L), Gen. Kim Yong Chol (3rd L), Gen. Kim Won Hong (4th L), VMar Ri Yong Ho (5th L) and Gen. Pak Jae Gyong (3rd R) (Photo: Rodong Sinmun)

During his inspections Kim Jong Un was accompanied by Ri Jae Il, Pak To Chun, Gen. Kim Wo’n-hong, VMar Ri Yong Ho, VMar Kim Yong Chun, Gen. Pak Jae Gyong, Gen. Kim Yong Chol, Hwang Pyong So, Gen. Jong Myong Do, Col. Gen. Jo Kyong Chol, Col. Gen. Yun Tong Hyon and Jang Song Taek.  KCNA English has adopted a new hierarchy when listing the retinue attending KJU’s inspections.  Active duty, senior KPA officials are now listed before senior Korean Workers’ Party [KWP] officials.  This format has only been applied to Kim Jong Un’s field inspections and does not appear to be utilized in news items on his appearances in Pyongyang.

An image of Kim Jong Il's visit to KPA Navy Unit #123, at the unit's historical exhibition (Photo: KCNA)

Kim Jong Un (C) poses for a commemorative photograph with members of KPA Navy Unit #123 (Photo: KCNA-Yonhap)

Kim Jong Un (R) inspects equipment on a vessel of KPA Navy Unit #123 (Photo: KCNA)

KCNA reports on his Kim Jong Un’s inspection of KPA Navy Unit #123 which is identified as having the title O Chung-hup-led 7th regiment:

He got aboard Submarine Chaser No. 202 and headed for the unit despite rough waves. He learned about its arms and equipment and its seamen’s combat preparedness.

He expressed great satisfaction over the fact that all officers and men of the ship have intensified their trainings to be fully prepared for actions and have been trained to be matchless combat ranks capable of firmly defending the territorial waters of the country.

He made the rounds of the room dedicated to the education in the revolutionary history and the room devoted to the history of the unit.

Watching historical materials on the peerlessly great men of Mt. Paektu displayed in the room for the education in the revolutionary history one by one with great attention, he said the undying feats of President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il who worked heart and soul for the strengthening and development of the naval force would go down in the history of the country forever.

He looked back on the shining course of battles covered by the unit under the care of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.

Kim Jong Un (2nd L) visits a mess hall kitchen during his inspection of KPA Navy Unit #123. Also in attendance are: Gen. Jong Myong Do (3rd L), VMar Ri Yong Ho (4th L), Gen. Pak Jae Gyong (2nd R) and Jang Song Taek (R) (Photo: KCNA)

Gen. Kim Yong Chol (background, on stairs) watches as Kim Jong Un is greeted by family members of the coastal defense personnel of Ch'o Islet. (Photo: KCNA)

Kim Jong Un (2nd row, C) poses for a commemorative photograph with the family members of Ch'o Islet's coastal defense personnel (Photo: KCNA-Yonhap)

Ferried by the KPA Navy, Kim Jong Un inspected one of the islands the DPRK has exclusively zoned for its military.  KCNA reports:

Watching the families of service personnel shouting “hurrah!” with excitement outside the barracks, he called them to his side.

He showed loving care and had a photo session with the families of service personnel, their eyes wet with tears of joy at having such a dream-like fortune.

He went round the room for the education in the revolutionary history and the room devoted to history.

Watching with keen attention the precious historical materials which bear witness to the leadership feats of leader Kim Jong Il, he looked back with deep emotion on the proud course covered by the defence unit on Cho Islet which has turned into an invulnerable fortress thanks to the devoted efforts of Kim Jong Il.

Saying that Cho Islet is a gate to the West Sea and Pyongyang is behind the islet, he instructed the service personnel of the defence unit to consolidate the combat positions as firm as a rock, always bearing deep in mind the instructions given by Kim Jong Il.

He walked the road on a steep hill and mounted a forward command post on top of a mountain.

After hearing a report on the situation from the commander of the defence unit, he feasted his eyes on the vast defence theatre of which the defence unit is in charge to acquaint himself with the terrain and the deployment of forces.

He asked in detail about forces and equipment of the enemy that may intrude into the operational theatre of which the defence unit is in charge, operational tactics, assignment of combat duties and the density of firing to beat back the enemy in the forward defence theatre. He examined an operational map with keen attention and lucidly clarified the issues arising in making preparations for battles.

He instructed the service personnel to step up combat preparations, always aware that their positions allow no retreat and there is no place to retreat even an inch there, and thus mercilessly wipe out the aggressors should they come in attack.

He had a photo session with the service personnel of a company under the unit before the monument to the field guidance of Kim Jong Il standing at the forward command post.

He made the rounds of the service personnel’s hall, library and mess hall to take deep care of the living of service personnel of the islet posts.

The service personnel of the defence unit are true patriots who have devoted their all to the security of the country and the people only though they live on the unfavorable remote islet, he said, stressing the need for the commanding officers to look after their living at all times with warm care as their real fathers would do.

At the end of the inspection, he told the commanding officers that he left Cho Islet to them and wished them greater achievements in rounding off the combat preparations in good health.

An image of Kim Jong Il's last reported visit to Ch'o Island at the unit's historical exhibition (Photo: KCNA)

Kim Jong Un responds to the applause and greetings of service members of Cho Island's coast defense units prior to taking commemorative photos of his visit (Photo: KCNA)

Kim Jong Un (9th L), stands for a commemorative photograph with personnel of Cho Island's coastal defense units. (Photo: KCNA)

Kim Jong Un (L) applauds during an 8 March 2012 concert of U'nhasu Orchestra to celebrate International Women's Day. Seated next to Kim Jong Un on the right is his uncle, Jang Song Taek. (Photo: KCNA-Yonhap)

On Thursday (8 March) Kim Jong Un attended a concert by the Paris-bound U’nhasu Orchestra in Pyongyang.  The concert was held in recognition of International Women’s Day.  Prior to the concert, KJU’s last reported public appearance was (plosively) his inspection of the premises and personnel near P’anmunjo’m.  KCNA reports:

The concert began with the national anthem. Put on the stage were colorful numbers including female quintet and chorus “Mother of Korea”, mixed chorus and pangchang “The Women Are Flowers”, mixed duet “My Lover Has Returned”, female solo and female pangchang “Our Daughter-in-Law”, orchestral music “Swinging Girl”, male solo and pangchang “The Tinkle of the Golden Ox Bell on Rungra Islet” and chorus “Single Mind.”

Some of the audience were invited to the stage when the concert reached its climax.

In their concert the performers sang high praises of the feats of President Kim Il Sung and General Secretary Kim Jong Il who built the socialist power of Juche on this land and the history of the Korean people’s struggle and successfully represented the strong will of the army and people of the DPRK to accomplish the revolutionary cause of Juche without fail, always sharing the destiny with Kim Jong Un who is ushering in a new heyday of Kim Il Sung’s nation and Kim Jong Il’s Korea with his outstanding Songun leadership.

They also vividly reflected the will of the Korean women and other working people to boost solidarity with the progressive women of the world who are struggling against imperialism and for peace, democracy, national independence, the socialist cause and equality and rights of the women.

Kim Jong Un acknowledged the enthusiastic cheers of the performers and audience and congratulated the performers on their successful presentation.

Enjoying the concert were Choe Yong Rim, Ri Yong Ho, Kim Kyong Hui, Kim Yong Chun, Kim Kuk Thae, Kim Ki Nam, Jang Song Thaek, Kim Jong Gak and other senior officials of the party, state and armed forces organs, those who had the honor of being received by Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, women members of the leadership bodies of the Party Central Committee and women deputies to the Supreme People’s Assembly in Pyongyang, officials of the C.C., the Democratic Women’s Union of Korea, women scientists of the Ryonha Machine Management Bureau and the State Academy of Sciences including the Biological Engineering Branch, women teachers and researchers of Kim Il Sung University, Kim Chaek University of Technology and Kim Hyong Jik University of Education, women officials and innovators of industrial and service establishments and women writers, journalists, anchor persons, creators and artistes in Pyongyang, together with their spouses.

Also enjoying the concert were Chinese Ambassador to the DPRK Liu Hongcai, Russian Ambassador to the DPRK Valery Sukhinin and official diplomats of the Chinese and Russian embassies here and their wives.