DPRK denies policy change

PYONGYANG -  An official of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Sunday denied any policy change in his country.

The spokesman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea said that there cannot be any slightest change in all policies of the DPRK as they are meant to carry forward and accomplish the ideas of past leaders, according to the official KCNA news agency.

For decades hostile forces have been "trumpeting 'reform and opening' to impose their corrupt system upon the DPRK", he said, adding that they now have "hallucination that such move is taking place in the DPRK."

The spokesman recognized that his country is "putting forward new strategic and tactical policies in keeping with the changing and developing situation," but stressed that the present leadership has not "broken with the past."

The remarks were clearly in response to speculation that the DPRK may undergo change under the new leader Kim Jong-un, who was pictured attending a musical show featuring classic US cartoon character Mickey Mouse early this month.

The speculation was reinforced by another unusual move, in which the KCNA confirmed that the country's top leader was married and released multiple pictures showing Kim accompanied by his wife, Ri Sol-ju, who was widely believed to be a singer.

An editorial in the Korea Times of South Korea said Kim's enjoyment of US music and film may herald the North's change toward reform and openness. Based on this observation the article called on Seoul to "examine" the changes and "work out responses."

The article went on to say that "if possible, Seoul should help Pyongyang's reform."