“Bush Did Not Criticize NK in New Year’s Speech”: Kim Jong Il

Japan’s Tokyo Shimbun reported Friday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Il commented on the U.S. President George W. Bush’s New Year’s speech, saying, “I took notice of fact that [Bush] made no criticism against our nation.” Kim made the comment during his meeting with Wang Jiarui, head of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), who visited North Korea on Jan. 30.

According to the Tokyo Shimbun, which quoted a Chinese source, Kim said that “(North Korea) is not to blame” for the delay of the denuclearization process agreed upon at the six-party talks. This comment can be construed as an indirect criticism on the delay of economic subsidization including the supply of heavy oil and on the fact that the U.S. has not taken North Korea off its list of sponsors of terrorism.

Kim also said that he “will keep an eye on the change (in the attitude of the U.S. toward North Korea) in the wake of the presidential elections (in the U.S.),” the Tokyo Shimbun reported. It was also disclosed that Kim expressed his intention to observe the forthcoming Lee Myung-bak administration to be launched on Feb. 25.

sya@donga.com