Congratulatory letters to Secy. Kim Jong Il from overseas Koreans' orgs.

Pyongyang, January 3 (KCNA) -- The great leader comrade Kim Jong Il received congratulatory letters from the international united confederation of Koreans (international kothongryon) and the federation of Korean nationals in China on the occasion of the new year 1997. The congratulatory letter from the international Kothongryon said that under the wise guidance of the respected general Kim Jong Il, the people in the homeland waged tireless struggle to add lustre to juche-based socialism last year, resolutely repulsing the anti-DPRK moves of the international reactionaries. The incessant on-the-spot guidance given by you last year has dynamically roused the people in the homeland to the struggle to more firmly defend and glorify socialism, the letter said, and stressed: Our kothongryon and overseas Koreans will this year firmly build up the hardcore ranks of the organisation, consolidate the unity and cohesion of the ranks and expand the mass foundation of the organisation and, at the same time, devote all our efforts to realizing the proposal for reunifying the country through confederacy under the banner of the ten-point programme of the great unity of the whole nation. The congratulatory letter from the federation of Korean nationals in China recalled that last year general Kim Jong Il indicated the orientation and tasks of the federation and Korean residents in China and ways to put them into practice. We will resolutely defend the high authority of you, the respected general Kim Jong Il, any time and anywhere and exalt the honor and dignity of the homeland, the letter stressed. The letters sincerely wished general Kim Jong Il good health and a long life.

Congratulatory mesaages to Secy. Kim Jong Il from s. Koreans

Pyongyang, January 3 (KCNA) -- The great leader marshal Kim Jong Il received congratulatory messages from Korean nationals affiliated with the "South Korean residents association in Japan" (mindan) in Tokyo, Hokkaido, Osaka, Hyogo, Kyoto, Yamaguchi, Gifu and other regions of Japan and South Koreans staying in Japan on the new year 1997. The messages extended the warmest congratulations to marshal Kim Jong Il on the new year. It is the great glory and fortune of the Korean nation to live, holding the respected general Kim Jong Il in high esteem as the lodestar of reunification, the messages said. They expressed the conviction that only when they are guided by him will a bright vista be opened for the independence and democracy of South Korean society and for the accomplishment of the cause of national reunification. They underlined the firm determination of the Korean compatriots to vigorously fight for reunification through confederacy under the wise guidance of marshal Kim Jong Il. They wholeheartedly wished him a long life in good health.

KSDP and CCP of Korea on settlement of "submarine incident"

Pyongyang, January 3 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Ho, vice-chairman of the central committee of the Korean social democratic party, and Han Yong Su, vice-chairman of the central committee of the chondoist chongu party, on January 2 released statements concerning the settlement of the "Submarine incident" through the DPRK-U.S. Contacts. Kim Yong Ho denounced the South Korean authorities for persistently provoking the DPRK and inciting inter-Korean confrontation even after the "Submarine incident" was solved through DPRK-U.S. Negotiations. He said: The South Korean authorities launched large-scale cruel military operations against soldiers of the DPRK carrying no weapons almost every day with the mobilisation of tens of thousands of army, police, reserve forces and military helicopters, groundlessly vociferating about "Infiltration of armed spies". And under the pretext of this incident, they have completely deadlocked inter-Korean relations, incited confrontation between the fellow countrymen and adopted the "South-north closed-door policy". The bodies of KPA soldiers were handed over to our side a few days ago. This means that the South Korean authorities admitted and apologized for their inhuman crimes. Han Yong Su said in the statement that the South Korean authorities could not redeem their serious crime of worsening inter-Korean relations on the plea of the "Submarine incident." He urged that the South Korean authorities take this opportunity to clearly know any trick would never work on the north, draw lessons from the consequences of their wrong dealing with the matter and adopt steps to prevent the recurrence of such misfortunes. He demanded that the South Korean authorities stop the moves for confrontation within the fellow countrymen and withdraw the "Inter-Korean closed-door policy" without delay as unanimously wanted by the people at home and abroad.

Press Review

Pyongyang, January 3 (KCNA) -- Rodong sinmun today reports that the great leader comrade Kim Jong Il, chairman of the DPRK national defence commission and supreme commander of the Korean people's army, visited the mangyongdae revolutionary school, a palace of learning for the bereaved children of revolutionaries, on the new year's day and wished its teachers and students a happy new year. Printed in the paper are pictures of comrade Kim Jong Il being tied with a red tie around his neck by a student of the school and seeing their physical training in file and pictures he posed with its teachers and students. Under the headline "Let us defend with our bodies the headquarters of the revolution headed by the great comrade Kim Jong Il", the paper carries articles on the energetic, great leadership and warm love of the respected general Kim Jong Il, who spent even the last day of 1996 with soldiers. The paper introduces achievements of working people across the country in carrying out the tasks set forth in the joint new year editorial of newspapers Rodong sinmun, joson inmingun and chongnyon jonwi entitled "Let us make our country and motherland evermore prosperous under great party's leadership". Seen in the paper is "Let us dynamically advance toward the road of independence, democracy and reunification with confidence in sure victory, optimism, courage and fighting spirit", a new year letter of the C.C., the national democratic front of South Korea addressed to the people across the country. A commentary of the paper denounces the traitor Kim Young sam's "New year address". Spokesmen for the central committees of the Kim Il Sung socialist youth league and the union of agricultural working people of Korea issued statements lashing out at the traitor kim Young Sam's railroding of amendment bills on the fascist laws. "The rotten South Korean society in which the rich get richer and the poor poorer should be overthrown" is the title of an article of the paper. Under the blockletter title "South Korean workers' struggle against the fascist laws will continue till they win", Minju joson deals with statements published by religious organizations and a statement of the NDFSK central committee addressed to the people from all walks of life in South Korea who have turned out in the large-scale struggle to protest the amendment bills enacted by the Kim Young Sam group. Rodong sinmun runs an article titled "The independent, new world is sure to come".

Puppet's remarks full of falsity and deception

Pyongyang, January 3 (KCNA) -- The traitor Kim Young Sam in his "new year message" on January 1 said as if they gained something last year, and cried for removing "Troubles and division between regions, social standings and factions" and for promoting "Harmony". He has the impudence to say that he hoped for a "Turning-point of reconciliation and cooperation" in the relationship with the northern half of Korea and that "Every possible effort should be made" to achieve peaceful reunification. Rodong sinmun in a commentary today says that his utterances betray his uneasy plight. The analyst further says: It is the height of impudence for the traitor who has no idea and way of promoting inter-Korean relations to talk about "Reconciliation" and "Peaceful reunification". His utterances are no more than a trick to cover up his fascist, bellicose and splittist characters. His "New year message" was designed to conceal his anti- popular, anti-national, anti-reunification nature and to deceive and make a mockery of the people. It will only invite stronger protests of the South Korean people calling for independence, democracy and reunification and precipitate the miserable destruction of the "Civilian" dictatorial government.

Comrade Kim Jong Il receives KPA propagandists

Pyongyang, January 3 (KCNA) -- The great leader comrade Kim Jong Il, chairman of the DPRK national defence commission and supreme commander of the Korean people's army, received KPA youth mobile propaganda team members on thursday. Present on the occasion were KPA vice marshal Jo Myong Rok, director of the KPA general political department= KPA vice marshal Kim Yong Chun, chief of the KPA general staff= and KPA Col. General Pak Jae Gyong. Kim Ki Nam, member and secretary of the workers' party of Korea (WPK) central committee, and Choe Ryong Hae, member of the WPK central committee and first secretary of the Kim Il Sung socialist youth league central committee, were also on hand. The propaganda team members made new year greetings to comrade Kim Jong Il and sincerely wished him a long life in good health. He warmly congratulated them on welcoming the new year with great honor, pride, hope and confidence. He then learned about their activities and life. He said they were moving the soldiers with simple yet efficient art propaganda. He expressed great satisfaction with the fact that they have ceaselessly visited the soldiers on the front, in the rear and at construction sites and filled them with fighting spirit and courage as the anti- Japanese guerrillas did. He highly appreciated their positive contribution to strengthening the revolutionary armed forces. Art propaganda is of great importance in the education of soldiers, he said, and indicated important tasks to conduct revolutionary, militant and lightning activities of mobile art propaganda in order to inspire the soldiers to heroic fight and feats. He expressed his expectation and belief that the youth mobile propaganda team members will remain unfailingly true to their party, revolution, country and people, invigorate their activities and greatly help toward modelling the whole army on the juche idea. He had a picture taken with them.

Celebrated work that helps socialist movement advance on new basis

Pyongyang, January 3 (KCNA) -- Rodong sinmun today dedicates an article to the fifth anniversary of the publication of "The historical lesson in building socialism and the general line of our party" (January 3, 1992), a celebrated work authored by the great leader comrade Kim Jong Il. In the work, comrade Kim Jong Il analysed and reviewd in an all-round way the historical course covered by the socialist movement and gave a clear-cut elucidation of the historical lesson in building socialism. He said in the work that the general line of the workers' party of Korea on building socialism and communism is, indeed, a most scientific and revolutionary one that helps socialism progress victoriously in our era without slightest vicissitude and deviation. The scientific accuracy and truthfulness of the ideology and theory contained in the work were fully proved through the people's five-year-long struggle for socialism and have been displaying, with each passing day, their invincible vitality, gripping the hearts of humankind, the article notes. It continues: By publishing the celebrated work, the respected comrade Kim Jong Il has, undoubtedly, put the socialist movement on the ever-victorious orbit of juche, which is a distinguished feat he has performed for the times and humankind. The feat is illustrated, above all, by his clear elucidation of the cause of the tragic situation in some former socialist countries and its lesson, which makes the popular masses cherish socialism as their unshakable faith. With the respected general Kim Jong Il's clarification of the justness of socialism and the lessons left by the socialist movement, the popular masses have come to bear deep in their minds the faith that the road to socialism is the only way for existence and to have a sure guarantee for restoring and developing the socialist movement on a new basis. By this ideology and theory the falsity of sophism of the imperialists and reactionaries aimed at paralyzing the people's consciousness of independence and obliterating socialism has been brought to light. The feat is characterized by his comprehensive elucidation of the WPK's general line on building socialism and communism, the embodiment of the juche idea, his profound proof of its validity and his indication of a milestone for the socialist movement in our era. This helps the Korean people cherish the invincibility of Korean-style socialism as a more unshakable faith and staunchly go ahead for the completion of the socialist cause of juche. His work also serves as a great inspiring banner that brings a true road to socialism home to revolutionaries and people in some countries who were in the depths of despair after the Collapse of socialism.