Travel at Kaesong complex will be based on `Pyongyang time`

Pyongyang has notified that the standard time of North Korea, which has been put back by 30 minutes from August 15, will be applied to all the bilateral interaction between both Koreas, such as passage through the Kaesong Industrial Complex and military communication.

The North has notified this through a military communication line on the western sea on Saturday morning. The current passage at the Kaesong Industrial Complex is allowed at 30-minute interval from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The change of time, however, will allow the passage from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. from Monday. The South Korean government requested on Friday that the travel schedule at the complex be based on the Korea Standard Time, but the North refused it.

Having criticized Pyongyang’s change of standard time as going against South-North integration, Seoul has decided to accept Pyongyang’s suggestion. “Given that commuting, working hours and production activities are based on North Korea’s local time, we have agreed to change the travel schedule to prevent possible confusion from occurring,” said the Ministry of Unification on Sunday.

In the meantime, Ri Yong Gil, chief of the General Staff of the North`s military, and Kim Yong Chol, the chief of North Korea`s General Bureau of Reconnaissance, were absent from the National Meeting on Friday in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of independence and the visit of Kim Jong Un, First Secretary of the Workers` Party, to Kumsusan Palace of the Sun on Saturday.

At the events were all the high-ranking military officials, such as and Hwang Pyong So, the director of the North Korean military`s General Political Bureau, and Defense Minister General Pak Yong Sik. It is quite unusual that chief of the general staff of the Korean People`s Army, the third power at the military with operational authority, not to attend the visit to Kumsusan Palace of the Sun where bodies of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il lie. Kim Yong Chol holds full responsibilities for North Korean espionage operations in the South.

“It can’t be said that there is no possibility for another purge. After the purge of Hyon Yong Chol, the purge of officials at the level of first vice minister is widespread,” said sources on North Korea. “We have not been informed that something happened to those two officials. They might have not attended the events because they had to prepare for Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG), the military exercise between South Korea and the U.S., which begins on Monday.”

As for South Korea’s psychological warfare broadcasting to the North, Pyongyang threatened through front line headquarter on Saturday, by saying, “Physical military action will be waged if the South doesn’t stop the broadcasting.” Through the talk at the National Defence Commission, it also threatened that the UFG would bring about serious military revenge to the South.

zeitung@donga.com