Oblivious to international tensions over a possible missile launch, residents in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea spilled onto the streets on Monday to celebrate a major national holiday, the 101st birthday of their first leader, Kim Il-sung.

Girls in red and pink jackets skipped along streets festooned with celebratory banners and flags, and boys on inline skates took a break from skating to slurp up bowls of shaved ice as the DPRK began a three-day holiday.

Republic of Korea Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin said on Monday that the DPRK is thought to be ready to launch missiles, but he noted that there are no signs of preparations for a full-scale war.

His comments came amid rising expectations that the DPRK would launch missiles during the celebrations of Kim Il-sung's birthday.

Pyongyang was believed to have moved intermediate-range Musudan missiles to its east coast, while Scud and Nodong missiles were also believed to have been mounted on mobile launchers.

The Musudan missile is estimated to have a range of about 3,500 km and can reach the US military base in Guam. The Scud is estimated to have a range of between 300 and 500 km, and the range for Nodong is estimated at 1,300 to 1,500 km.

Elsewhere in the region, however, the focus remained on the threat of a missile launch as US Secretary of State John Kerry wrapped up a tour to coordinate Washington's response with Beijing, Seoul and Tokyo.

Officials in the ROK, the United States and Japan say intelligence indicates that the DPRK, fresh off an underground nuclear test in February, appears ready to launch a medium-range missile.

While the tension continued to dominate headlines abroad, Pyongyang's own media gave little indication on Monday of how high the tensions are.

Peaceful Pyongyang

Rodong Sinmun, the Workers' Party newspaper, featured photos and coverage of current leader Kim Jong-un's overnight visit to the Kumsusan mausoleum to pay respects to Kim Il-sung. There was only one line at the end of the article vowing to bring down the "robber-like US imperialists".

Kim Jong-un's renovation of the memorial palace that once served as Kim Il-sung's presidential offices opened to the public on Monday, the vast cement plaza replaced by fountains, park benches, trellises and tulips. Stretches of green lawn were marked by small signs indicating which businesses - including the Foreign Trade Bank recently added to a US Treasury blacklist - and government agencies donated funds to help pay for the landscaping.

Starting from early in the morning, residents dressed in their finest clothing began walking from all parts of Pyongyang to lay flowers and bow before the bronze statues of Kim and his son, late leader Kim Jong-il, as the Song of General Kim Il-sung played over and over.

AP-Xinhua

(China Daily 04/16/2013 page11)