In a sign of detente following the summit between leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump, North Korea has decided to skip one of the most symbolic and politically charged events of its calendar: the annual "anti-US imperialism" rally marking the start of the Korean War. Fist-pumping, flag-waving and slogan-shouting masses of Pyongyang residents normally assemble each year for the rally to kick off a month of anti-US Korean War-focused events designed to strengthen nationalism and unity. It all culminates on 27 July, which North Korea celebrates as a national holiday called the day of "Victory in the Fatherland Liberation War". Last year's event was held on Kim Il Sung Square with a reported 100,000 people attending. North Korea even issued special anti-US postage stamps. Officials had no on-the-record comment on the decision not to hold the event this year. But Associated Press staff in the North Korean capital confirmed it would not be held. North Korea has noticeably toned down its anti-Washington rhetoric over the past several months to create a more conciliatory atmosphere for the summit and avoid souring attempts by both sides to reduce tensions and increase dialogue. State media were filled with reports, photos and video of the 12 June meeting between Mr Trump and Mr Kim in Singapore. A 42-minute documentary-style news special was aired on the state television network two days after the summit and has been repeated frequently since, meaning that by now there are probably few North Koreans who are unaware of the changes in the air. For many North Koreans, the programme was also quite likely the first time they had ever seen what Mr Trump looks like. Still, North Korea's handling of the changes and how it presents them to its people remains highly nuanced. So far, it hasn't said much about what Washington is interested in the most — denuclearisation. But it has made significantly fewer references to its need to have nuclear weapons than it was making last year, when Mr Kim was test-launching long-range missiles at a record pace and tensions with Washington neared the boiling point. Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un Show all 20 1 /20 Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un Mr Trump and Mr Kim leave following their historic meeting AFP/Getty Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un Mr Trump and Mr Kim sign a document committing to peace between their nations, amongst other things EPA Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un Mr Trump holds up a document that both he and Mr Kim have signed AFP/Getty Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un The two leaders reach out to shake hands for the first time AP Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un Mr Trump and Mr Kim shake hands as they meet for the first time Reuters Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un Mr Trump and Mr Kim walk off stage, following their historic meeting Reuters Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un Mr Trump and Mr Kim take a stroll after their meeting on June 12 Reuters Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un Mr Trump and Mr Kim interrupt their stroll to talk to the media AP Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un Mr Kim and Mr Trump look out over a balcony at the Capella hotel, where they held their meeting on June 12 Reuters Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un Mr Trump takes questions at the press conference following his meeting with with Mr Kim AP Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un Mr Trump appreciates the crowd in the press conference following his meeting with Mr Kim Getty Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un Mr Trump travels to the Istana ahead of the summit with Kim Jong Un on June 12 Reuters Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un Kim Jong Un travels to the Istana ahead of the summit with President Trump on June 12 Reuters Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un Mr Kim poses for a photo with Singapore's Finance Minister Vivian Balkrishnan and Education Minister Ong Ye Kung ahead of the summit with Mr Trump Twitter/Reuters Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un Mr Trump shakes hands with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, meeting on Monday June 11 in the Istana, Singapore's presidential palace AP Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un At a working lunch on Monday, Singapore's Prime Minister surprised Mr Trump with a birthday cake, in early celebration of his 72nd birthday later in the week EPA Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo answers questions about the summit at a press briefing in Singapore on Monday, June 11 Getty Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un US President Donald Trump arrives at the Paya Lebar Air Base in Singapore on June 10, two days prior to his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un Reuters Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un Mr Trump and Mr Kim met on Tuesday June 12 in the Capella hotel on the island resort of Sentosa, just off the south coast of Singapore AFP/Getty Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un Mr Trump boards Air Force One following the summit AFP/Getty North Korea's decidedly less strident posture these days underscores the delicate position it finds itself in after decades of touting the United States as its archenemy. State media referred to Mr Trump quite deferentially in their reports of the summit, calling him by his full name and adding the title of president of the United States of America — itself a somewhat jarring contrast to the way it normally spits out merely the surname of US officials, with no titles. Considering how its relations with Washington could quickly slip back into acrimony if the difficult process of negotiating denuclearisation and the lifting of trade sanctions breaks down, it remains unclear how much, or if at all, North Korea intends to recalibrate its other propaganda and indoctrination efforts. Getting rid of all the anti-American propaganda would be a Herculean task. The 1950-53 Korean War, and the devastation the country suffered at the hands of the US and its allies, remain a major part of every North Korean's education. ✕ Trump says media coverage of his North Korea summit 'almost treasonous' Negative portrayals of Americans as big-nosed goblins are a common sight at elementary schools and kindergartens and exhortations to beware of American aggression, deceit and brutality are a staple message of textbooks and at "class education" centres around the country. Anti-American slogans can also still be seen in Pyongyang and throughout the countryside, though they are not that numerous. And while softening its criticism of the current US administration, North Korea has stepped up its attacks on "capitalist values" in general — an oblique warning that its diplomatic outreach to the world should not be taken to mean it's ready to throw away its socialist ideals anytime soon. In another sign of easing tensions, South Korea's prime minister Lee Nak-yon said that North and South Korea are discussing the possible relocation of the North's long-range artillery systems away from the tense Korean border. The country has deployed an estimated 1,000 artillery pieces along the border, posing a significant threat to Seoul, a capital city with 10 million people, and the metropolitan area. Mr Lee said that "moving (North Korea's) long-range artillery to the rear is under discussion," as he explained what types of good-will steps between the sides have been taken in recent months. His comments appear to be Seoul's first official confirmation of media reports that South Korea demanded that the North reposition its forward-deployed artillery pieces during inter-Korean military talks this month.<doc-sep>North Korea has cancelled its yearly anti-United States demonstration. The Associated Press reports that the event in which people living in the capital, Pyongyang, wave flags and shout anti-U.S. messages will not be held. Last year’s event reportedly involved 100,000 demonstrators. Officials did not release an official statement about the decision, but AP reporters confirmed Monday that it would not be held. North Korea has reduced anti-U.S. messages over the past several months. North Korean media usually are strongly critical of the U.S. especially around the anniversary date of the beginning of the Korean War. June 25 marks the 68th year since the beginning of the Korean War. Many observances took place in South Korea involving officials including South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Easing of anti-U.S. messages since leaders’ meeting North Korean state media have shown many reports, photographs and videos of the recent meeting between the country’s leader and the U.S. president. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore on June 12. The two signed a document calling for, among other things, efforts to remove nuclear weapons from the Korean Peninsula. Also, North and South Korean officials met last week over the issue of families separated by the Korean War. Officials agreed to permit a reunion of 100 separated family members to meet on August 20 to 26 at the Mount Kumgang area in North Korea. However, South Korean media criticized the small number of Koreans included. The Korea Times called on North Korea “to pay more attention to humanitarian issues. The Korean Herald said the North should “show a more active and forward looking attitude.” Millions of Korean families were forced apart by the division of the country at the end of World War II and the Korean War. The Ministry of Unification says there are now about 56,000 registered separated family members in South Korea. But almost all are over 70 years old and each year there are fewer survivors. The last inter-Korean family reunion took place in 2015. It involved 200 families from each side. And on Sunday, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said he is hopeful North Korea would soon return the remains of U.S. service members killed during the Korean War. North Korea has already returned the remains of over 200 U.S. soldiers. Mattis is on a trip to Asia in which he will visit Japan, South Korea and China. I’m Mario Ritter. Brian Padden and AP reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story reunion –n. an act of getting people together again after they have been apart or separated attitude –n. the way you think and feel about someone or something We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.<doc-sep>North Korea has apparently chosen not to host its annual mass rally marking the end of a formative conflict with South Korea and its top partner the U.S., as President Donald Trump and North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un pursue unprecedented diplomatic ties between their nations. Every June 25, North Korea remembers the beginning of the Korean War in 1950, known as the Day of Struggle Against U.S. Imperialism. The event sets off a month of patriotic displays that conclude with the Day of Victory in the Great Fatherland Liberation War, a holiday commemorating the signing of an armistice that put an end to three bloody years of fighting between communist North Korea and U.S.-backed South Korea on July 27, 1953. Reports of U.S. war crimes and indiscriminate bombing of Korean cities throughout the conflict has been the basis of North Korean propaganda targeting the U.S. for more than six decades. While no North Korean officials have publicly discussed whether or not the country planned to organize any events as the date approached, the Associated Press's staff in Pyongyang confirmed Monday that the long-running display of fervent nationalism and anti-imperialism would not be held this year. The move would be the latest in a series of rare North Korean gestures that both Trump and Kim have said were aimed at denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula and establishing peace that has eluded the region since the Korean War, which next month's national holiday was designed to memorialize. Despite threatening to annihilate one another throughout 2017, Trump and Kim have since forged a fragile, historic relationship that produced the first-ever meeting between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean supreme leader earlier this month. Prior to that, Kim had already paved the way for better relations with his rival neighbor by meeting South Korean President Moon Jae-in twice—and shored up a strained, decades-old alliance with China by visiting there on two occasions as well. Kim has since met Chinese President Xi Jinping a third time, further evidence that the young, nuclear-armed ruler was looking to improve his international diplomatic standing in the face of widespread accusations of human rights abuses. The U.S. and North Korea have also taken concrete steps to show that they were getting along better, even if they did not always readily admit it. Related: Donald Trump Could End Korean War If Kim Jong Un Gives Up Nuclear Weapons In the lead-up to the Trump-Kim summit, the U.S. held back nuclear assets from annual military exercises simulating another inter-Korean conflict in April. The Pentagon maintained that the joint U.S.-South Korea drills would not be changed, but even a massive invasion maneuver was canceled, officially due to poor weather. At the end of the month, Kim declared a freeze to all nuclear and longer-range ballistic missile tests, and in early May, released three U.S. prisoners. While threats issued by the more hawkish factions of the Trump administration nearly derailed the summit just as North Korea demolished its only known nuclear testing site, another wave of top-level diplomacy brought the process back on track. The U.S. even produced an official coin commemorating the Trump-Kim summit, and earlier this week it was reported that North Korea had begun removing anti-U.S. souvenirs from gift shops near the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that separates the two Koreas, as well as in the major cities of Pyongyang and Kaesong. As Cold War–era foes Washington and Pyongyang inch toward normalizing relations, they have also discussed officially ending the what has technically remained an ongoing war between the two Koreas. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo revealed last week that in exchange for North Korea abandoning nuclear weapons, "the president has committed to making sure we alter the armistice agreement and provide the security assurances Chairman Kim needs." Both sides remain cautious, however, and Trump vowed not to remove sanctions until "total denuclearization" was achieved. He extended on Friday an already decadelong state of national emergency over North Korea's nuclear threat. Trump has also kept in effect a ban issued by the State Department in September on U.S. citizens traveling to North Korea. While U.S. nationals remain barred, Chinese tourism to North Korea "increased dramatically" this month, according to industry officials cited by Seoul-based U.S. outlet NK News, which also noted an unusual lack of anti-U.S. coverage in state media surrounding Monday's anniversary of the beginning of the Korean War. Japanese newspaper Mainichi Simbun reported that more Japanese tourists were also likely to visit the country that only last year launched numerous missiles over their nation.<doc-sep>
In another sign of detente following the summit between leader Kim Jong-un and President Trump, North Korea has decided to skip one of the most symbolic and politically charged events of its calendar: the annual "anti-US imperialism" rally marking the start of the Korean War. Fist-pumping, flag-waving, and slogan-shouting masses of Pyongyang residents normally assemble each year for the rally to kick off a month of anti-US, Korean War-focused events designed to strengthen nationalism and unity. It all culminates on July 27, which North Korea celebrates as a national holiday called the day of "Victory in the Fatherland Liberation War." Last year's event was held in Kim Il-sung Square with a reported 100,000 people attending. North Korea even issued special anti-US postage stamps. Officials had no on-the-record comment on the decision not to hold the event this year. But Associated Press staff in the North Korean capital confirmed Monday that it would not be held. North Korea has noticeably toned down its anti-Washington rhetoric over the past several months to create a more conciliatory atmosphere for the summit and avoid souring attempts by both sides to reduce tensions and increase dialogue. North Korea's state media were filled with reports, photos, and video of the June 12 meeting between Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim in Singapore. A 42-minute documentary-style news special was aired on the state television network two days after the summit and has been repeated frequently since, meaning that by now there are probably few North Koreans who are unaware of the changes in the air. For many North Koreans, the program was also quite likely the first time they had ever seen what Trump looks like. Still, North Korea's handling of the changes and how it presents them to its people remains highly nuanced. So far, it hasn't said much about what Washington is interested in the most – denuclearization. But it has made significantly fewer references to its need to have nuclear weapons than it was making last year, when Kim was test-launching long-range missiles at a record pace and tensions with Washington neared the boiling point. North Korea's decidedly less strident posture these days underscores the delicate position it finds itself in after decades of touting the United States as its archenemy. State media referred to Trump quite deferentially in their reports of the summit, calling him by his full name and adding the title of president of the United States of America – itself a somewhat jarring contrast to the way it normally spits out merely the surname of US officials, with no titles. Considering how its relations with Washington could quickly slip back into acrimony if the difficult process of negotiating denuclearization and the lifting of trade sanctions breaks down, it remains unclear how much, or if at all, North Korea intends to recalibrate its other propaganda and indoctrination efforts. Getting rid of all the anti-American propaganda would be a Herculean task. The 1950-53 Korean War, and the devastation the country suffered at the hands of the US and its allies, remain a major part of every North Korean's education. Negative portrayals of Americans as big-nosed goblins are a common sight at elementary schools and kindergartens and exhortations to beware of American aggression, deceit, and brutality are a staple message of textbooks and at "class education" centers around the country. Anti-American slogans can also still be seen in Pyongyang and throughout the countryside, though they are not that numerous. Get the Monitor Stories you care about delivered to your inbox. Your email address By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy And while softening its criticism of the current US administration, North Korea has stepped up its attacks on "capitalist values" in general – an oblique warning that its diplomatic outreach to the world should not be taken to mean it's ready to throw away its socialist ideals anytime soon. This story was reported by The Associated Press.