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A woman controls traffic at an intersection in Pyongyang.
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There was no indication in the streets of Pyongyang on Tuesday that six-party talks on North Korea¡¯s nuclear program had reached a historic agreement in Beijing the same day. Pyongyang citizens were unaware of the news while the city was busy with preparations for the birthday of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il on Feb 16., the North¡¯s biggest holiday.
When wire agencies reported the accord, a North Korean official at the Botonggang Hotel in Pyongyang on Tuesday said, ¡°It¡¯s not money or nuclear arms that move the world; it¡¯s the Juche ideology.¡± He added the U.S. came to the negotiation table because North Korea has become stronger with its nuclear ¡°deterrent¡± in hand. Most Pyongyang citizens, when told of the agreement, responded it was good news. A North Korean guide asked whether it was really true, an incredulous expression on her face. She asked whether an official document had been signed or the agreement was officially announced. Smiling, she said, ¡°Relations between North and South will soon recover and talks will be held¡± between the two countries. A woman working at the hotel, who seemed to regard the agreement as a matter of course, gave an expert response when she said, ¡°What¡¯s more important than being happy about the result is how to implement it in detail.¡±
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A store in Pyongyang is draped in Lunar New Year sale posters.
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But people who had no contact with foreigners seemed unaware of the news even the following day. Korean Central Television Station, the North¡¯s only nationwide TV network, did not report it and instead aired broadcasts congratulating the leader on his birthday. Nor were there any reports in the Workers¡¯ Party daily Rodong Shinmun on Wednesday.
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An encounter with DHL at the Yanggakdo Hotel in Pyongyang.
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The lack of electricity in North Korea seemed more severe than ever. Two power cuts happened during the short wait in immigration at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport on Saturday. Euros were widely accepted in Pyongyang without much rejection. The Okryu Restaurant, widely known for its Pyongyang cold noodle, willingly took Euro, and a group of pastors from the U.S. paid for their meal in dollars.
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A woman exchanges dollars at the foreign exchange counter in the Yanggakdo Hotel.
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This report was written by Choi Soon-ho, a Chosun Ilbo reporter who covered the activities of Korean Foundation for World Aid in North Korea from Saturday.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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