<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><HTML><BODY BGCOLOR="#eeeeee"><FONT BACK="#ffffff" style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3 PTSIZE=12 FAMILY="SERIF" FACE="Times New Roman" LANG="0">Dear colleagues,<BR>
<BR>
Now I have a question or three on North Korea:<BR>
one rather general/current,<BR>
another very specific/historical,<BR>
- and a third for light relief.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
A. Can anyone throw light on so-called <B>social cooperative ownership<BR>
</B>in the industrial sector (not farms), and what it means in practice?<BR>
<BR>
In which sectors is this form of ownership prevalent? Given the nature of<BR>
the DPRK and the leading role of the WPK, are enterprises of this kind <BR>
truly autonomous of the state in any sense? Don't they have to do as<BR>
they're told, like everyone else? Is this balance changing at all?<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
B. Quite separate from the above is this from KCNA on August 1.<BR>
Fascinating. I just wondered:<BR>
* Is much known independently about this good woman?<BR>
* Why is N Korea suddenly praising the "patriotic rich"?<BR>
<BR>
</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" BACK="#ffffff" style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3 PTSIZE=12 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0"><B>Monument to Paek Son Haeng Unearthed<BR>
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Pyongyang, August 1 (KCNA) -- The monument to Paek Son Haeng has been recently discovered in Mangyongdae District, Pyongyang, the DPRK. Paek Son Haeng (1848-1933) was a patriotic rich woman. She donated a colossal amount of money for the enlightenment and development of the nation while living a frugal life. <BR>
The monument was investigated by researchers of the National Classic Institute under the Academy of Social Science. <BR>
It was reared by a number of people including Kang Ton Uk (February 1871-November 1943), maternal grandfather of President Kim Il Sung, on July 16, Juche 16 (1927) to hand down to posterity the patriotic deed of Paek Son Haeng, who donated a large acreage of land and fund to the construction of Changdok School and various schools. <BR>
The original monument consisted of a pedestal, body stone and shade stone. But only the body stone has been discovered. It is 170 centimeters high, 43 wide and 31 thick. <BR>
Engraved on the front side of the monument are words " Monument to Paek Son Haeng" in bold letters, the words introducing her patriotic deed on the back side and the names of more than 140 persons concerned on the both sides. <BR>
General Secretary Kim Jong Il, who values the nation's history and the people's patriotic doings, saw to it to restore to its original state the Monument to Paek Son Haeng and set up it, along with the explanatory board, in the compound of the Paek Son Haeng Memorial House in the front of the Ryongwang Pavilion so that a lot of people can see it. <BR>
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<BR>
C. Finally, what on earth is this all about? <BR>
http://www.dprknta.com/english/culture/SL/index.html<BR>
<BR>
best wishes<BR>
Aidan<BR>
<BR>
</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" BACK="#ffffff" style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3 PTSIZE=11 FAMILY="SERIF" FACE="Times New Roman" LANG="0">AIDAN FOSTER-CARTER<BR>
Honorary Senior Research Fellow in Sociology & Modern Korea, Leeds University <BR>
Home address: 17 Birklands Road, Shipley, West Yorkshire, BD18 3BY, UK <BR>
tel: +44(0) 1274 588586 (alt) +44(0) 1264 737634 mobile: +44(0) 7970 741307 <BR>
fax: +44(0) 1274 773663 ISDN: +44(0) 1274 589280<BR>
Email: afostercarter@aol.com (alt) afostercarter@yahoo.com website: www.aidanfc.net<BR>
[Please use @aol; but if any problems, please try @yahoo too - and let me know, so I can chide AOL]<BR>
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