Summary of domestic news in North Korea this week

SEOUL, May 15 (Yonhap) -- The following is a summary of domestic news in North Korea this week. ------------N. Korean media say Putin thanked military commander after Victory Day parade SEOUL -- Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked a North Korean military commander after North Korean troops took part in Russia's Victory Day military parade, the North's state media reported Sunday, in the latest sign of deepening ties between the two countries. North Korean troops marched in Moscow's Red Square on Saturday in the parade marking the 81st anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, the North's Korean Central News Agency said in a dispatch. ------------N. Korea pushes rice transplanting drive amid food shortages SEOUL -- North Korea urged its people to intensify efforts toward this year's grain harvest, state media reported Monday, as the country continues to grapple with food shortages. In an editorial, the Rodong Simnun, the ruling Workers' Party's main newspaper, called on the public to "concentrate all efforts on rice transplanting and completing it in a timely manner" in order to meet annual grain targets. ------------N. Korea flags hantavirus danger amid cruise ship outbreak SEOUL -- North Korea has raised the alarm over the danger posed by the hantavirus after an outbreak on a foreign cruise ship has killed three passengers, echoing its response to the COVID-19 pandemic years earlier. The Rodong Simnum, the ruling Workers' Party's official newspaper, reported Monday on the outbreak of the Andes strain of the virus on a ship sailing in the Atlantic Ocean, describing it as "raising concerns from the international community." ------------N. Korea's Kim calls for strengthening mortar, howitzer capabilities SEOUL -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has stressed the need to strengthen the country's mortar and howitzer forces during his inspection of key munitions factories, state media reported Wednesday. Kim visited several munitions industrial enterprises Monday in a bid to review the implementation of the nation's munitions production plan for the first half of this year, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). ------------N. Korea's largest labor group holds 1st congress in 5 years SEOUL -- North Korea's largest group of workers has held its first congress in five years to elect a new leadership and called for efforts to implement the country's five-year economic development plan, state media reported Wednesday. The General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea, affiliated with the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), held its ninth congress Monday to Tuesday, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). ------------Vietnamese FM visits N. Korea as special envoy for country's leader SEOUL -- Vietnam's top diplomat has arrived in North Korea as a special envoy for the country's top leader To Lam, Pyongyang's state media reported Wednesday. Vietnamese Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung and his delegation arrived in North Korea on Tuesday, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). ------------Top diplomats of N. Korea, Vietnam agree to advance cooperation: KCNA SEOUL -- North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui has held talks with her Vietnamese counterpart, Le Hoai Trung, and agreed to deepen bilateral exchanges and cooperation in various fields, Pyongyang's state media reported Thursday. The two foreign ministers held the meeting the previous day in Pyongyang, and discussed a wide range of international and regional issues, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). ------------N. Korea's Kim urges workers to drive development goals as socialist 'vanguard' SEOUL -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called on workers to serve as the "vanguard" of socialist construction and stressed their role in achieving the state's development goals, state media reported Friday. Kim met with the workers of the General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea (GFTUK) the previous day for a photo session and delivered a speech, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). ------------Pyongyang hosts event marking N. Korea, Vietnam party congresses in show of tightening ties SEOUL -- North Korea has held a celebratory event to mark the recent key party congress of both the North and Vietnam, state media reported Friday. The photography exhibition, hosted by the Vietnamese Embassy in Pyongyang, was held at Taedonggang Diplomatic Club on Thursday, featuring videos, photos and archival materials highlighting the friendship and cooperation between the two countries' leaders past and present, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. ------------(END)