Overseas Koreans favor joint editorial

Pyongyang, January 26 (KCNA) -- Chairmen of the United Confederations of Koreans in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kirghizstan recently issued statements in support of the joint new year editorial of the newspapers of the Party, the army and the youth league of the DPRK. The editorial indicates what the Koreans should do this year, they said, and expressed full support to the part of the editorial dealing with national reunification. They vowed to decorate 1997 as the most significant year in promoting the cause of national reunification under the wise leadership of the respected General Kim Jong Il. They resolved to rally broad segments of Koreans closely around the organisations and arouse them to the patriotic movement for reunification.

Koreans in China call for return of pows

Pyongyang, January 26 (KCNA) -- The Headquarters of Koreans in China of the National Alliance for the Country's Reunification convened a presidium meeting on Jan. 20 to discuss measures for the repatriation of Kim In So, Kim Yong Thae and Ham Se Hwan, unconverted long-term prisoners, from south Korea. The meeting participants said the three old men should have been sent back to the north of Korea where they have their hometowns and families in accordance with the Korean armistice agreement and the international law on human rights as they are prisoners of war. The Koreans in China accused the south Korean authorities of detaining them in south Korea. A measure committee of Koreans in China for the repatriation of unconverted long-term prisoners from south Korea was inaugurated at the meeting.

S. Korean economy on brink of total bankruptcy

Pyongyang, January 26 (KCNA) -- The worst crisis of the south Korean economy is an outcome of the Kim Young Sam regime's treacherous economic policy, Rodong Sinmun Saturday quotes Prof. and Dr. Son Jong Chol as saying. In an article Son Jong Chol analyses the traitor Kim Young Sam's treacherous and deceptive "economic policy." The article says: Kim Young Sam's "globalization" campaign has brought the south Korean economy to the brink of total bankruptcy. The incredible increase in foreign debt is a graphic example of the critical situation of the south Korean economy. South Korea's foreign debt has snowballed since Kim Young Sam took office and now exceeds dlrs 100 billion by far. In November last year, the puppet board of finance and economy announced that the foreign debt totalled more than dlrs 100 billion. If loans and overseas bonds are included in the estimate, south Korea's foreign debt amounts to dlrs 150 billion. The snowballing of foreign debt is mainly attributable to massive infiltration of foreign capital and rapid growth of trade deficit following market opening. The south Korean economy is a typical example of export- oriented deformed colonial dependent economy. So, the trade deficit is an index indicative of the crisis of south Korea's economy. Even according to the underestimated data announced by the puppets, south Korea's trade deficit last year was a record high of dlrs 23 billion, or 2.3 times the 1995 figure. The south Korean economy, saddled with heavy foreign debts, has extreme financial and marketing difficulties, with businesses going to ruin in succession. According to data issued by a south Korean bank, 37 enterprises went bankrupt on a daily average last year. The year witnessed the bankruptcy of a total of some 100 big businesses and more than 10,000 minor ones. The south Korean people will never pardon Kim Young Sam, who has driven the economy to the brink of total bankruptcy and made them live a hard life as "servants in debt."

Letter to s. Korean workers

Pyongyang, January 26 (KCNA) -- The Trade Union Committee of the Sung.I General Motor works in the north of Korea sent a letter to the trade union and workers of the Kia Motors corp. of south Korea. The letter came as the struggle of the south Korean workers and other people to nullify the "labour law" and the "law on the agency for national security planning" was growing in scope in defiance of the vicious suppression by the puppet clique. The struggle of the south Korean workers for the abrogation of the fascist laws is an absolutely natural and just struggle to defend the inviolable vital rights and freedom of man, the letter said, and noted: The only way for the south Korean workers is to bring the traitor Kim Young Sam to the tribunal of history. The letter expressed the belief that the trade union and workers of the Kia Motors corp. will undauntedly fight till the day of the final victory.

S. Korean workers' strikes supported worldwide

Pyongyang, January 26 (KCNA) -- World public circles have extended solidarity to the south Korean workers in the strikes demanding the re-amendment of the "labour laws" and the "law on the agency for national security planning". The Revolutionary Socialist Party of Peru in a statement on Jan 18 said that the retrogressive revision of the "laws on labour affairs and the ANSP" was aimed at saving the Seoul puppet government from the political and economic crisis. The statement expressed solidarity for the struggle of the south Korean working people, in the belief that they will continue the struggle till the Kim Young Sam dictatorial regime surrenders. The Christian Arab Democratic Party of Jordan in a statement on January 19 bitterly denounced the south Korean fascist clique's suppression of the strikers and expressed support and solidarity for their righteous struggle. The Labour Congress of Thailand, the General Trade Union for Building and Wood Industries Workers of Egypt and the Democratic Youth League of Ghana in their letters of protest to the traitor Kim Young Sam demanded that the south Korean authorities abrogate the trouble-making "laws" immediately, stop the suppression of the strikers and set free the arrested people unconditionally and at once. The Madagascar-Korea Friendship Association and the Malagasy Solidarity Committee in a joint statement on Jan. 20 extended support and solidarity to the south Korean workers and other people in the just struggle for the nullification of the retrogressively revised "law on the ansp" and "labour laws" and for freedom, democracy and the right to existence. The Bulgaria-Korea Friendship Association and the France- Korea Friendship Association in their statements exposed the reactionary and anti-social nature of these laws. The statements said that it is only too natural for the south Korean workers and other people to oppose the retrogressive revision of the fascist "laws" by the puppet clique and that their struggle is just.

S. Korean organisations call for re-amendment of "labour laws"

Pyongyang, January 26 (KCNA) -- The "National Council of Parents of Students for True Education" and six other education-related organisations of south Korea published a statement on January 23 urging the re-amendment of the "labour laws" to suit the international standards, a Seoul- based radio report said. The statement denounced the fascist clique for cracking down upon the just struggle of trade unionists against the retrogressively revised "labour laws" and demanded an immediate withdrawal of "legal action" on more than 400 unionists.

Japanese government is to blame

Pyongyang, January 26 (KCNA) -- A Japanese newspaper recently gave an account of the "dietmen's council for reply to spirits" in which 190 liberal-democratic members of both houses of the diet are enlisted. The first and foremost task of the council is reported to "promote" official visit of the prime minister and other cabinet members to the "Yasukuni Shrine." a news analyst of Rodong Sinmun today says: The visit to the "shrine" is a touchstone showing what attitude the Japanese government authorities take toward the past acts of aggression and which way Japan will go in future. The Japanese authorities have claimed that a few rightist individuals and organisations call for visiting the "Yasukuni Shrine." However, it has been brought to light that the Prime Minister and most of the government members belong to the "dietmen's council for reply to spirits," a shock brigade in the agitation for militarism. This indicates that the Japanese government is directly involved in, and manipulates, the activities to whitewash and justify the past aggression. The Japanese government defines it as a state policy to deny and justify the past crimes and realise the old dream of "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere." Japan is the only country in the world that has not frankly admitted, reflected on and atoned for the past aggression. If Japan is to enjoy confidence of the international community, it must honestly admit, reflect on and atone for its past crimes, instead of whitewashing the past acts of aggression and justifying militarism.

Compromise with dictators is poison

Pyongyang, January 26 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today brands the recent "talks between ruling and opposition party leaders" in south Korea as a political deal characterised by Kim Young Sam's unilateral outrage to justify, defend and enforce fascist laws. The "talks" were outwardly aimed at "rewriting the disputed laws on the agency for national security planning and labor affairs through negotiation and compromise between the ruling and opposition parties." The news analyst says: At the "talks" the traitor Kim Young Sam argued that the "laws passed through parliament legitimately can never be annulled." this was the height of shamelessness and an unbearable challenge to the people calling for unconditional repeal of the fascist laws. The Kim Young Sam regime's call for "rewriting the laws through ruling-opposition negotiation" is a trick to play for time, overcome the political and economic confusion and destroy labor unions one by one. The south Korean opposition parties are now taken in by the "negotiation card" of the "New Korea Party." this compels people to suspect that the opposition are bent on fishing in troubled waters through a political bargaining with the authorities, rather than speaking for the interests of workers. Struggle is the only way out for the workers. Only when the south Korean workers, peasants, students, intellectuals, religionists and other people join in the already-started nationwide struggle against Kim Young Sam and fascist laws, will the bulwark of fascism collapse and a democratic new society be built.

Papers observe day of proclamation of Republic of India

Pyongyang, January 26 (KCNA) -- Papers here today observe the day of the proclamation of the Republic of India. The proclamation of the Republic was a significant event in the social and political life of the Indian people who were freed from the imperialist colonial rule, a signed article of Rodong Sinmun says, and goes on: The path traversed by the Indian people after the foundation of the republic was a course of proud struggle to consolidate the national independence and achieve the independent development and modernization of the country. The Korean people sincerely congratulate the Indian people on the achievements they made in the struggle to build a prosperous new society. India, a founder-state of the non-aligned movement, is actively striving for the strengthening and development of the movement. The Korean people value the friendly and cooperative relations with the Indian people and will in the future make active efforts to further develop these relations in the political, economic, cultural and other fields. A by-lined article of Minju Joson wishes the Indian people greater success in the work for the progress and prosperity of the country.