Press Review
Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- Rodong sinmun today
carries news that the great leader comrade Kim Jong Il sent
messages to foreign heads of state in reply to their
messages of greetings on the occasion of the 5th anniversary
of his election as supreme commander of the Korean people's
army.
Comrade Kim Jong Il sent thanks to officials and farmers
including the secretary of the Songgwan-ri party committee
in Songwon county, jagang province, says the paper.
The paper informs the readers that the zimbabwean
preparatory committee for celebrating the 55th birthday of
comrade Kim Jong Il was formed.
Papers devote much space of their first pages to news of
the struggle of South Korean people including the general
strike of more than 600,000 workers of over 3,000 workshops
under the "Federation of Korean trade unions" against the
revision of the "Labour laws" and the "Law on the agency for
national security planning".
Under the fixed title "They always worked together for
the people" Rodong sinmun edits an article titled "Looking
up to greatmen who indicate future of our fatherland" with
a photo of the great leaders president Kim Il Sung and
comrade Kim Jong Il seeing containers and refrigerators
(April 1984).
Minju joson runs an editorial titled "Let us
conduct more dynamic movement for reunification under the
three charters of national reunification".
Papers introduce preparations for this year's farming on
cooperative farms.
Given in the press is an account of meetings held at
factories, enterprises, cooperative farms and schools in all
parts of the country to carry through tasks set forth in the
joint new year editorial.
Papers inform the readers that a mass meeting was held in
Pyongyang to welcome a South Korean Paek Hung Ryong and his
wife who have come over to the northern half of Korea.
Papers carry news that the Korean student committee sent
a letter to the South Korean students in support of the
massive struggle of South Korean workers and other people
against the "Law on the agency for national security
planning" and the "Labour laws" revised by the Kim Young Sam
fascist clique.
Rodong sinmun in a commentary denounces the traitor Kim
Young Sam's remarks justfying the secret passage of the evil
laws.
It runs an article exposing the crime of the traitor Kim
Young Sam in driving the South Korean economy into
bankruptcy.
It carries an article titled "The independent stand
against imperialism is the consistent position of the DPRK".
Minju joson runs an article titled "Aggression and
plunder are imperialists' way of existence."
Letter to S. Korean students
Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- The Korean student
committee tuesday sent a letter to the South Korean students
in support of the massive struggle of the workers and people
of other strata against the "Law on the agency for national
security planning" and the "Labor laws" recently revised by
the Kim Young Sam fascist clique in South Korea.
The letter says that the massive, organised struggle of
the South Korean workers against the fascist laws is the
exercise of their legitimate rights for the defence of the
true dignity and life befitting a human being and the
manifestation of their noble patriotic will for national
reconciliation, unity and reunification.
The South Korean workers, it notes, earnestly appeal to
the students and people of other social standings to express
their support and solidarity for their struggle and to join
in their struggle as never before.
It calls attention to the fact that though they are on
vacation, the students in the northern half of Korea held
rallies at campuses to express their firm solidarity.
It expresses the firm conviction that the fellow students
in South Korea will immediately respond to the call of the
times and the nation by following the students under the
influence of the seoul district federation of university
student councils, who have already held inaugural ceremonies
at campuses and marched through streets, though the Kim
Young Sam group intensified fascist suppression to a degree
never witnessed before after the august 15 struggle of last
year, though they are confronted with a task to build new-
term university student councils and though they are on
vacation.
S. Korean workers in general strike
Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- The "Federation of Korean
trade unions" launched into a general strike that will last
from 4 a.m. On January 14 to 7 p.m. On January 15, a radio
report from seoul said.
The organisation said that the recent strike will be
participated in by more than 600,000 workers of some 3,000
workshops of taxi, railways, banking and other public
services and metallurgical, chemical and other general
manufacturing industries.
From 4 a.m. Today the "Korean confederation of trade
unions" will go over to the third-stage strike involving
250,000 workers of 250 trade unions under it.
The chairmen of the two labor union organisations held
tete-a-tete negotiations at the Myongdong cathedral in Seoul
on January 14 and released a joint statement expressing
their determination to fight together against the evil laws
enacted by the puppet clique.
On January 14 the two labor union organisations held a
large-scale joint solidarity rally against the recently-
revised labor laws in ulsan.
The rally which was attended by more than 50,000
unionists declared the "Labor laws" and "law on the agency
for national security planning" null and void and adopted a
resolution on joint struggle.
According to an ap report from Seoul, bank employees and
taxi drivers joined in the general strike sweeping all over
South Korea on January 14.
They joined the workers of automobile manufacturing
enterprises and shipbuilding industry.
About two-third of taxies throughout South Korea
participated in the protest, the organisers said.
Labor union leaders said that the protest would be
expanded with the participation of 850,000 workers of
subways, town railways and bus and telephone service
companies in the strike on January 15.
According to a radio report from Seoul, some 3,000
workers and citizens of an all-people measure committee for
democracy, which is composed of the "Korean
confederation of trade unions, the "Federation of Korean
trade unions", the national alliance for democracy and
reunification and 42 other citizen and dissident
organisations, held a rally in seoul on January 14 and
strongly called for the withdrawal of the recently-revised
"Labor laws" and "law on the ansp".
On January 13,594 doctors throughout South Korea issued a
statement calling for immediate withdrawal of these laws.
In another development, the South Korean opposition
national congress for new politics and the united liberal
democrats held a general meeting of "Assemblymen" from both
parties at the "National assembly" on January 14 and
declared that they will stage the first-stage off-floor
struggle unless the "Government" and the ruling party change
their attitude towards the revised laws.
They decided to hold an emergency seminar on the
situation, conduct a 10 million signature campaign in
streets and have indignation meetings of district parties on
January 17.
Shameless sophism of fascist tyrant
Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- The utterances made by
kim Young Sam as regards the recently-revised evil laws on
January 13 are a third-rate rigmarole full of cunning
appeasement and deception aimed at justifying the
retrogressive revision of the laws and soothe the people's
pent-up wrath against him, says Rodong sinmun in a
commentary today. The analyst goes on:
It is the height of impudence that Kim Young Sam
attempted to justify the retrogressive revision of the laws
by clamouring about "International competitiveness". The
South Korean economy is poor in "Competitiveness" and is
suffering from an "Incurable disease" owing to his
sycophantic and anti-social economic policy.
Kim Young Sam contended that the strikes of the South
Korean workers are attributable to their poor knowledge of
the new "Labor laws" and that the retrogressive revision
of the laws was an "Inevitable choice" for the "Revival of
the deteriorating economy." his utterances are a mockery of
and insult to the South Korean people as well as a shameless
distortion of facts.
He also cried for the "Removal of working people's
uneasiness" and "improvement of living conditions". This is
as good as tears of a crocodile. If he was concerned about
the living conditions of the workers, he should not have
revised the labor laws the workers set themselves against.
He had the impudence to say that he could "Pigeonhole the
revision of the laws" to spend his remaining term of office
without difficulties, but he could not do so any longer as
it was an urgent task directly linked to the economy and
living conditions of the people.
The realities call the workers and people of other social
standings to a more powerful struggle for the withdrawal of
the fascist laws and for the overthrow of the Kim Young Sam
group.
Nicaraguan preparatory comm. For celebrating
Secy. Kim Jong Il's birthday formed
Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- The nicaraguan
preparatory committee was formed in managua on December 30,
1996, to celebrate the 55th birthday of the great leader
comrade Kim Jong Il.
Alvaro ramirez gonzalez, chairman of the nicaragua-Korea
friendship and solidarity association, was elected chairman
of the preparatory committee.
Minju joson on three charters of national reunification
Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- Minju joson today says in
an editorial that the three principles of national
reunification, the proposal for founding the democratic
confederal republic of koryo (DCRK) and the ten-point
programme of the great unity of the whole nation, which were
put forward by the great leader comrade Kim Il Sung, are the
three mainstays and three charters the Korean nation should
invariably maintain in any case for the country's
reunification. It calls upon all the Korean compatriots in
the north, south and overseas to conduct a more dynamic
movement for reunification.
To firmly defend the three principles of national
reunification -- independence, peaceful reunification and
great national unity -- and realise reunification through
confederacy is the consistent position of the workers' party
of Korea and the DPRK government, the editorial says and
goes on:
The struggle to implement the three principles of
national reunification, the proposal for founding the DCRK
and the ten-point programme of the great unity of the whole
nation is the duty of all members of the nation, and it is
the way of achieving the reunification and prosperity of the
country.
The question of Korea's reunification is a national issue
that should be solved by the Korean people themselves and,
at the same time, it is an international issue that the
countries concerned should feel responsible and actively
cooperate.
The united states should abandon its anachronistic policy
of stifling Korea and make an affirmative response to our
just proposal for the establishment of a new peace mechanism
on the Korean peninsula and stop egging the South Korean
puppets on to confrontation and war against the north and
covering their anti-national crimes.
Japan should put an immediate end to the policy hostile
towards our republic and refrain from doing what is
obstructive of Korea's reunification.
The editorial stresses that all the Koreans in
the north, south and overseas should hold the respected
comrade Kim Jong Il in high esteem as the leader of the
nation to achieve the country's reunification, the supreme
desire of the nation, and turn out in the noble struggle to
carry out the behests of the great leader comrade
Kim Il Sung on reunification.
Anti-imperialist, independent position is invariavle stand of DPRK
Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- Independence against
imperialism is the invariable revolutionary stand and banner
of the workers' party and the people of Korea though
international circumstances change and any difficulties come
about, says Rodong sinmun in a signed article today.
The article goes on:
Ours is a revolutionary people with anti-imperialist,
independent spirit. Today the Korean people courageously
brave the vicious counterrevolutionary challenge and
offensive of the imperialist reactionaries because they are
imbued with the anti-imperialist, independent idea.
Only when they adhere to the stand, can they smash any
challenge and offensive of the imperialist reactionaries,
exalt the dignity and honor of the nation and defend the
sovereignty and security of the country. This is the truth
of the revolution the Korean people realised through their
experience and a historic summing-up of the Korean
revolution.
Independence against imperialism is the cornerstone of
the foreign policy and external activities of the WPK and
the government of the democratic people's republic of Korea.
We analyse and appreciate the international situation and
strengthen international unity and solidarity, proceeding
from the anti-imperialist, independent stand.
Our people fully discharge their duty in the struggle for
independence against imperialism.
The great leader comrade Kim Jong Il stands at the head
of the struggle.
He imbues the Korean people with the idea of independence
against imperialism and wisely leads them to further
strengthen the anti-imperialist struggle under the present-
day situation of revolution.
Our confrontation with the imperialist reactionaries is
getting fiercer than in the period of the Cold war.
Ours is a people who regard independence as their life
and Soul.
The invariable stand and will of the Korean people, once
a people of a ruined country, is not to yield to any
pressure and power politics of the imperialists, but to
fight against them.
It is the truth proved through the experience of the
Korean people that if they remain true to the stand of
independence against imperialism, they can win a victory,
and if they abandon it, they fail.
The Korean people will never give up the stand of
independence, though the adherance to it needs the cost of
their lives.
Successful research
Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- Korea has widely
introduced computers in scientific researches in major
sectors of the national economy, public health, agriculture,
sports and other domains. Efforts are under way to use them
as much as possible.
Some time ago, the teachers and researchers of the
faculty of electronic computer of Kim chaek university of
technology rendered a great help toward the development of
the technology of multi-medium disposal and electronic
printing in the country by developing a multi-medium
computer programme.
The faculty was set up in October 1988. In recent years,
the faculty has developed various computer programmes
urgently needed for the use of computers such as the Korean
language cognition programme, the programme of the mock
production process of integrated circuit, the programme of
classifying human constitutions according to images and the
programme of diagnosing abdomen by supersonic waves.
In particular, the wagon dynamics measuring device and
the computerized electric power consumption measurement and
observation device developed by the research group are
winning a high appraisal in various domains for their high
efficiency.
The faculty has 36 holders of degrees and titles
including doctors and masters.
It is composed of four departments and four
laboratories.
A large number of graduates from the faculty are playing
a pivotal role in major sectors of the national economy and
scientific research centres including the Korean computer
centre.
The research group is now directing efforts to the
development of the programme of mutual mechanical
translation of foreign languages, the programme for
designers of integrated circuit and the programme for
helping the creation of mass gymnastic displays.
Ryu Sun Ryol, chief of the faculty, said that the
research group, which is in its heyday, has a great
potential. "We will develop a flawless system for experts
in Korean medicinal diagnosis by further improving the
experts' system and raise the mechanical translation system
to the world standard in the near future."
Some time ago, the great leader comrade Kim Jong Il
highly estimated the recent achievements made by the
teachers and researchers of the faculty and awarded
commendations to them.
kim Young sam's shameless sophism
Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- The traitor Kim Young Sam
of South Korea hosted a dinner at "Chongwadae" on Monday
when South Korean workers were on strikes for their vital
rights and democracy in teeth of biting Cold.
He invited to the dinner puppet assemblymen from the "New
Korea party" who railroaded fascist law amendments through
the "National assembly", and talked about the strikes.
What he said mirrored his uneasiness about the strikes
largest ever in history and home and foreign public support
for them. His remarks were also intended to camouflage his
crimes.
He said the "Labor law" amendment was aimed at boosting
the "Nation's competitiveness". But "Competitiveness" is not
suitable to the South Korean Colonial dependent economy,
which has been recognized as "Loach economy" in the world.
Kim Young Sam is the very one who has made South Korea
further dependent on foreign countries and rendered the
economic crisis all the more serious, crying for "Reforms"
and "Globalization". Nevertheless, he is now trying to flee
from the responsibility.
He also said the outbreak of strikes was "Attributable
to poor understanding of the situation and the amended
labour laws" and they have further "Deteriorated the
economic difficulties."
Through the amendments to the "Law on the agency for
national security planning" and "Labor laws" he intends to
remain in power after "presidential election" Slated for the
end of this year, Collect "election fund" by encouraging the
comprador conglomerates to exploit the workers more harshly
and save the economic crisis by making up for foreign debts
and trade gap.
But the South Korean workers, well aware of his
intention, started general strikes, touching off a serious
political crisis.
With the stick and the carrot, the Kim Young Sam group
are now blaming the workers for all the consequences of the
strikes.
This is an unbearable insult and challenge not only to
the South Korean workers and people in strikes for their
vital rights and democratic freedom and for the abrogation
of the fascist laws but to the international community
supporting their righteous struggle.