What's All The Fuss?

"The people of Pyongyang are confident. They know we can win any war. We now have nuclear weapons. So you won't see any worry on people's faces, even if the situation is tense."
Kim Un Choi, 40, head, political unit, Pyongyang tobacco factory

Mr. Kim is prepared to re-enlist in his country's military if war does happen to break out. North Koreans are resolute, prepared to defend their country from the war-mongering imperialists that threaten the stability of the country. The city streets of North Korea are calm, people go about their business. The country is preparing for a mass celebration.

Planting trees, a bucolic pleasure, is being urged upon the populace, to help beautify their surroundings. The April 15 birthday of Kim Il Sung approaches. Soldiers blanket the ground with new sod, and students are busily planting. All is sweetness and light; the true face of North Korea. Pyongyang is preparing for celebratory proceedings.

Part of that celebration may well be demonstrating the pride of the nation. As has been done on other such occasions, Pyongyang will proudly show off its military might, display its latest technological advances in missile development and weapons production. This remains a country devoted to the concept of "military first", which deprives the general population of food security, but ensures the perpetuation of military alertness.

For North Korea is surrounded by malicious enemies who would like nothing better than to disrupt the happiness of its population. Women are preparing for choreographed dance routines in celebration of the birthday events. This, despite that two-thirds of the 24-million population live with chronic food shortages. But a lifetime of undiluted, concentrated fear-mongering of occupation by a foreign entity has patterned people quite successfully.

And while Pyongyang continues to issue stern warnings to its enemies it has not taken the precaution of ordering air raid drills which its people are well accustomed to, on this occasion. Parades of tanks, missiles, goose-stepping soldiers will be the order of the day, that day of celebration. There is obviously much satisfaction in Pyongyang with the understanding that the world is on standby, quivering with anticipation.

There is much to celebrate in North Korea's future; the restarting of a mothballed nuclear complex, the miniaturization of a nuclear device to be mounted neatly on a warhead and the delicious suspense when it is fired off on one of the latest missiles; what drama, what excitement!