U.S. no longer 'imperialist,' according to North Korea

July 5 (UPI) -- North Korea has removed references to the United States as "imperialists" but continues to speak derogatorily of Japan.

For decades, Pyongyang has referred to Americans as "imperialists" as part of its class education system that is geared toward cultivating opposition to capitalism, Yonhap reported Thursday.

A 2004 version of North Korea's "Language of Choson" dictionary, obtained by the South Korean news agency, shows class education is defined as a way to "arm [the people] with a revolutionary class consciousness that opposes capitalist classes and capitalist systems, while defending the interests of the revolution."

But derogatory references to the United States have been conspicuously absent during key anniversaries, including June 25, the anniversary of the 1950-53 Korean War, a sign the North Korean dictionary or stylebook is not being consulted or is being ignored by state media.

North Korea is also expected to keep a low profile on July 27, the anniversary of the war's armistice.

Kim Yong-hyun, a professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University in Seoul, said the move is strategic.

"If anti-American culture is strengthened, that in itself could reduce the achievements of the U.S.-North Korea summit," Kim said.

North Korea is engaging with the United States at a time when it is coping with record low exports.

Voice of America reported Thursday North Korea's exports to China reached $57 million in the first quarter of 2018, or down 88 percent from $483 million from the same period in 2017.

International sanctions made trade difficult for North Korea, and North Korea faced limits in the export of its textiles, coal and fishery products, according to the data from Seoul's Korea International Trade Association.

But North Korea in response substantially increased its exports of vegetables, fruits and nuts, according to the report.