By Park Si-soo
North Korea is promoting its "nuclear statehood" to its people ahead of Friday's historic summit between its leader Kim Jong-un and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in, according to a report.
Citing sources in the reclusive state, Seoul-based newswire Newsis reported on Tuesday that the North's regime ordered news outlets and publishers to produce stories promoting the North as a "nuclear-armed state."
Newsis said the order became effective at midnight Sunday ― hours after Kim made a surprise announcement that his country would suspend all nuclear and long-range missile tests and close a nuclear test site.
"The order was applied to all newspapers, broadcasters and publishers (in North Korea)," Newsis quoted an unidentified source as saying. "Its purpose was to educate the people that the North could become a nuclear-armed state thanks to Kim, who has pursued simultaneous development of the economy and nuclear weapons with tireless efforts and commitment."
Another source who read the order reportedly said he saw nothing that gave any hint that the North would give up on nuclear weapons.
It is uncertain why the North is taking a two-way approach ― promoting itself as a nuclear state internally while expressing its commitment to denuclearization externally.
Experts here say it is aimed at enhancing consolidation before the crucial inter-Korean summit and a later one with U.S. President Donald Trump.
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