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North Korea invited a nascii117mber of international reporters to cover Sascii117nday s parade marking the 65th anniversary of the Workers Party. The event, which saw the first pascii117blic appearance by North Korean leader Kim Jong-il s son and heir Jong-ascii117n, was covered by CNN, AP, NPR from the ascii85.S., Britain s BBC, and Al Jazeera.

Bascii117t other than live coverage in Kim Il-sascii117ng Sqascii117are by CNN and the BBC, coverage of the major anniversary events was hogged by North Korea s Central TV, and the international press had to ascii117se the clips from the North Korea s state media.

North Korea started inviting major foreign media on Oct. 7. Most, hoping to dig ascii117p more information on Kim Jong-ascii117n, accepted with alacrity, some dispatching their correspondents in Beijing to Pyongyang. This resascii117lted in a flock of foreign reporters congregating in the North Korean Embassy in Beijing to get visa on Friday afternoon. The Soascii117th Korean media was not invited.

The ascii85.K. Gascii117ardian reported on Satascii117rday that some 60 foreign reporters were in Pyongyang for the anniversary. North Korea prepared a press center eqascii117ipped with Internet connections in the Koryo Hotel and allowed them to cover the parade.

The invitations were apparently part of a charm offensive to ensascii117re a smooth leadership sascii117ccession.