North Korea To Reappoint Kim Defense Chief

预计朝鲜最高人民会议周四将在一个盛大的仪式中再次任命金正日担任国防委员会委员长。此前，朝鲜在周日发射了一枚多级火箭，此举招致了美国和其他国家的谴责。Associated Press朝鲜周三在平壤举行了盛大的火箭上天庆祝活动今年早些时候，金正日参观了朝鲜许多地区，在上月选举前引起了对这个政权的关注。他和橡皮图章式的立法机关的候选人在选举中都得到了普遍支持。金正日的访问也缓解了外界对他健康状况的关注。去年8月，他显然出现过中风。从本周二开始，朝鲜的国营电视台不断播出发射火箭的录像。朝鲜表示，火箭将卫星送入了空间轨道。不过外界分析人士说，火箭坠入了日本以东的太平洋中。预计金正日将参加周四的最高人民会议大会，此次大会将选举他第三次担任国防委员会委员长。另外，日本内阁定于周五决定是否就此次火箭发射对朝鲜实行新的制裁。日本在朝鲜2006年进行核试验后所实施的制裁并未限制居住在日本的朝鲜人向朝鲜汇款，这一直是海外资金流向朝鲜的主要来源。但是，对包括渡轮在内的两国间船舶往来实施的禁令有效阻止了现金流动。2008年，日本流入朝鲜的总现金从2006年的约17.5亿日圆下降到1.73亿日圆（170万美元）。Evan Ramstad相关阅读中国反对国际社会制裁朝鲜 2009-04-08韩日考虑对朝鲜采取新的制裁措施 2009-04-07朝鲜问题使美中关系变得更加微妙 2009-04-07


North Korea's legislature on Thursday is set to reappoint Kim Jong Il as defense chief in a pomp-filled ceremony that was preceded by the firing of a multistage rocket on Sunday, which prompted the censure of the U.S. and other countries.Earlier this year, Mr. Kim toured much of North Korea and built attention for the regime before last month's election, where he and candidates for the rubber-stamp legislature received universal support. Mr. Kim's tour also allayed some public concerns about his health after he had an apparent stroke in August.Since Tuesday, state-run TV has broadcast video of the launch of a rocket that North Korea says carried a satellite to space -- but that outside analysts say splashed into the Pacific Ocean east of Japan.Mr. Kim is expected to attend Thursday's meeting of the Supreme People's Assembly, which will vote him to a third term as national defense chairman.Separately, Japan's cabinet is set to decide Friday whether it should impose new sanctions against North Korea as a penalty for the latest rocket launch.Sanctions that Japan imposed after North Korea's 2006 test of a nuclear device didn't restrict money transfers from Koreans living in Japan to North Korea, once a major source of foreign capital to the North. But a ban on shipping, including ferries, between the two countries effectively stifled the cash flow.Total cash flow from Japan to North Korea fell to 173 million yen ($1.7 million) in 2008 from about 1.75 billion yen in 2006.Evan Ramstad