Summary of domestic news in North Korea this week

The following is a summary of domestic news in North Korea this week. ------------ (2nd LD) N. Korea fires some 200 artillery shells off western coast: S. Korean military SEOUL -- North Korea fired some 200 artillery shells into waters off its western coast Friday morning, Seoul's military said, in its latest saber-rattling after it scrapped a 2018 inter-Korean military accord in November. The move prompted an emergency evacuation order for civilians on the South Korean western border islands of Yeonpyeong and Baengnyeong. Also in response, the South Korean military staged live-fire artillery drills. ------------ (LEAD) N. Korea rebuilds destroyed guard posts inside DMZ with concrete SEOUL -- North Korea appears to be rebuilding all of its destroyed guard posts inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas with concrete structures, a military source said Friday. Last November, the North began rebuilding the guard posts with wooden material after scrapping a 2018 inter-Korean military agreement designed to reduce tensions along the border, according to Seoul's defense officials. ------------ (LEAD) N. Korean leader inspects factory producing launchers for solid-fuel ICBMs SEOUL -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has visited a factory producing mobile launchers for intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), stressing the need to strengthen the country's nuclear deterrence for a "military showdown" with its enemy, state media reported Friday. During the visit, Kim ordered measures to expand the capacity to produce major transporter erector launchers (TELs), stressing that the factory plays an important role in bolstering the country's defense capabilities, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). It did not specify the date of his visit. ------------ N. Korea removes sections on unification from propaganda outlets SEOUL -- North Korea appears to have removed sections providing information on unification from its propaganda media outlets, their websites showed Thursday, ju st days after leader Kim Jong-un said there is no point in seeking reconciliation and unification with South Korea. Wrapping up a year-end key party meeting last week, Kim called for "fundamentally" changing the way it deals with South Korea and defined inter-Korean relations as those of "two nations hostile to each other." ------------ (3rd LD) N. Korean leader's sister raps Yoon over his New Year's Day speech SEOUL -- The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has unleashed a sarcasm-filled tirade over South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's New Year's Day address that unveiled a plan to complete a sturdier deterrence system with the United States to counter North Korean threats this year. In a statement late Tuesday night, Kim Yo-jong, a vice department director of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee, said that the deterrence plan has again given justification for the North to spur efforts to secure "more overwhelming" nuclear forces. ------------ N. Korea begins discussions on dismantling agencies handling inter-Korean affairs SEOUL -- North Korea began discussions on dismantling agencies in charge of inter-Korean relations, state media reported Monday, after leader Kim Jong-un said there is no point in seeking reconciliation and unification with South Korea. North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui led the discussions with related officials, including Ri Son-gwon, head of the North's United Front Department (UFD) in charge of relations with South Korea, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). ------------ N. Korea leader Kim, Xi exchange New Year's greetings SEOUL -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping exchanged New Year's greetings, vowing to enhance their bilateral ties in 2024 as the two countries celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations, Pyongyang's state media reported Monday. In his message to Xi, Kim declared 2024 as the "year of DPRK-China friendship," marking the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplom atic relations between the two countries, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. ------------ N.K. leader says Korean Peninsula inching closer to armed conflict SEOUL -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called for perfecting the military's readiness posture, saying the Korean Peninsula is "inching closer to the brink of armed conflict" and a clash could happen at any time, state media said Monday. Kim made the remark during a meeting with major commanding officers of the Korean People's Army at the office building of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party on Sunday, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). ------------ (4th LD) N. Korea to launch 3 more military spy satellites, build more nukes next year: state media SEOUL -- North Korea aims to launch three additional spy satellites and produce more nuclear weapons next year, as it is accelerating war readiness against various forms of U.S. military threats, Pyongyang's state media said Sunday. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un set forth the goal as he wrapped up five days of the plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea on Saturday, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). ------------ (News Focus) N.K. leader says 2 Koreas are 'hostile nations at war' with no chance of unification SEOUL -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's characterization of inter-Korean relations as those of "two hostile countries in a state of war" appears to be a veiled threat that the regime could use its nuclear weapons against South Korea, experts said Sunday. Calling for a "fundamental change" in dealing with South Korea, Kim also said he will no longer consider South Korea a counterpart for reconciliation and unification, wrapping up five days of a plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) on Saturday. Source: Yonhap News Agency