North Korea closes universities for 10 months.

TOKYO, June 28 (Itar-Tass) -- North Korea effectively closed all
universities in the country for ten months as of Monday and mobilized
students for construction and other works in a bid to help rebuilding of
the national economy, Kyodo news agency quoted the sources in Seoul
familiar with North Korean affairs.
North Korea's leadership told all universities to cancel classes,
except those for graduating seniors and foreign students, through April
next year when the country is going to have grandiose celebrations of the
centenary anniversary since the birth of state founder Kim Il Sung, the
sources said.
The North Korean authorities have proclaimed the goal to ''open the
gate to a great, prosperous and powerful nation'' in 2012, and Pyongyang
is striving to shore up the economy while advancing the process to
transfer power from leader Kim Jong Il to his third son, Kim Jong Un.
Kim Jong Il will turn 70 in February.
North Korea has been promoting major construction projects
including the construction of high-rise apartment houses in the Mansudae
area in downtown Pyongyang, Kyodo said.
According to the visitors arriving from Pyongyang, one of such
facelift projects is a new terminal at Pyonyang international airport. It
reportedly began operations earlier this month.
The terminal has no cafes or restaurants, but only a small shop
selling books and other items, the visitors told Kyodo in Beijing.