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NORTH KOREA’S rubber-stamp legislature concluded its latest session April 9 in Pyongyang. In the one-day session, the 12th Supreme People’s Assembly approved the government activities report, this year’s budget and last year’s settlement of accounts, revision of the constitution and a number of personnel and organizational changes.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il failed to show up at the session. Although it was speculated that Kim Jong Un, the leader’s third son and heir apparent, would attend, he did not.

No clues emerged as to North Korea’s basic foreign policy. The assembly made no mention of the country’s diplomatic stance toward South Korea, the United States or Japan. It also continued its habit of keeping mum on other important issues. There was no mention of the re-denomination of its currency, the won, on Nov. 30, 2009, an event that caused great confusion among North Korea’s people. No details were available as to the nature of the constitution revision. Although it was reported that industrial production in 2009 exceeded that of 2008 “greatly,” no figures were given.

North Korea has a goal of becoming a “powerful and prosperous country” by 2012. One wonders how it can achieve that goal if it remains economically isolated and does not work to improve relations with the United States, South Korea and Japan.