NK weekly-domestic news
Summary of domestic news in North Korea this week
SEOUL, Nov. 3 (Yonhap) -- The following is a summary of domestic news in North Korea this week.
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N. Korea says embassy closures aimed at boosting diplomatic efficiency
SEOUL -- North Korea said Friday its recent move to shut down several diplomatic missions is meant to efficiently rearrange its diplomatic capacity.
The reclusive regime recently gave notice of the shutdown of its embassies in Angola, Spain and Uganda to the respective countries, while Beijing has confirmed Pyongyang's decision to pull out from Hong Kong.
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(LEAD) N. Korea slams U.S. test launch of Minuteman III ICBM
SEOUL -- North Korea lambasted the United States on Friday for its recent test of a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) as it vowed to respond to "reckless" provocations with "prompt, overwhelming and decisive counteraction."
The U.S. test-launched an unarmed ICBM at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, with a defense delegation led by Deputy Minister for Defense Policy Heo Tae-keun in attendance. It marked the first such observation by a South Korean delegation in seven years since 2016.
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Xi says 'willing to make bigger contributions' in letter to N.K. leader
SEOUL -- Chinese President Xi Jinping told North Korean leader Kim Jong-un that he is "willing to make bigger contributions" to "defend the region's peace, stability, development and prosperity," Pyongyang's state media said Thursday.
Xi made the remarks as he replied to Kim's congratulatory message marking the 74th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China. In the Oct. 1 letter, Kim pledged to "strive to consolidate" their bilateral relations and "safeguard peace and stability in the region and the rest of the world."
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Rubella eradicated in N. Korea with mass vaccinations: WHO
SEOUL -- The World Health Organization (WHO) has said the rubella virus has been wiped out in North Korea on the back of large-scale vaccinations for children and young women.
The WHO said it has "concluded that endemic rubella virus has been eliminated from the country," citing evidence provided by the North's National Verification Committee.
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N. Korea closes embassy in Spain following shutdown of missions in Africa
SEOUL -- North Korea has permanently closed its embassy in Madrid, a document showed Wednesday, the latest in a series of the reclusive regime's moves to shut down several diplomatic missions due apparently to economic difficulties worsened by global sanctions.
In a note verbale, Pyongyang announced its closure of the embassy in Spain and said its embassy in Italy will take over matters involving Spain going forward, according to the diplomatic document shared on the website of the Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain.
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N. Korean envoy rejects report on Hamas using N. Korean arms as 'groundless'
WASHINGTON/NEW YORK -- North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations on Tuesday dismissed a recent report on the Hamas militant group's alleged use of North Korean weapons in its war against Israel as "groundless rumors."
Speaking at a U.N. General Assembly session, Ambassador Kim Song commented on the report by "some mass media belonging to the U.S. administration," accusing Washington of seeking to shift the blame for the war in the Middle East to a third country.
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N. Korea closes its embassy in Angola after its diplomatic mission shutdown in Uganda
SEOUL -- North Korea's ambassador to Angola has paid a "farewell" courtesy call to the leader of the African country, Pyongyang's state media reported Monday, in the latest in the North's move to close a number of its diplomatic missions in Africa.
North Korea's top envoy to Luanda, Jo Pyong-chol, made a farewell visit to Angolan President Joao Lourenco on Friday and politely delivered leader Kim Jong-un's message, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
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