Birthday of Secy. Kim Jong Il to be celebrated in Guinea and Barbados

Pyongyang, January 31 (KCNA) -- The Guinean National Preparatory Committee for Celebrating the 55th Birthday of the Great Leader Comrade Kim Jong Il was formed. At an inaugural ceremony held in Conakry on January 25. Dorank Assifat Diasseny, minister of territorial administration and decentralization of Guinea and director general of the African regional committee for the study of the Juche idea, was elected chairman of the committee. Meanwhile a similar committee was formed in Barbados. An inaugural ceremony was held on January 19 and decided to sponsor colorful celebrations from February 1 to 16.

Secy. Kim Jong Il's exploits for army building commemorated diplomatic envoys

Pyongyang, January 31 (KCNA) -- Diplomatic envoys and embassy officials of Yugoslavia, Mongolia, Bulgaria and Cambodia accredited to Korea visited the Revolutionary Museum of the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces on the occasion of the birthday of the great leader comrade Kim Jong Il and expressed great admiration for the exploits he has performed for the army building. Yugoslav ambassador Djukic Jjubomir said he could know well how intensely the officers and men of the Korean People's Army are loyal to the great leaders President Kim Il Sung and mr. Kim Jong Il. Mongolian ambassador D. Byambaa said that comrade Kim Jong Il is wisely leading the army building. Bulgarian ambassador Yordan Mutafciev noted that he was struck with admiration at the exploits performed by comrade Kim Jong Il, the great leader of the Korean people. As it is guided by such a great man, the Korean People's Army is creditably defending the dignity of the country, he added. Keo Sokha, charge d'affaires ad interim of the Cambodian embassy, stated that marshal Kim Jong Il has strengthened and developed the Korean People's Army into a-match-for-a-hundred revolutionary armed forces by wisely leading it.

SPA chairman meets Chinese ambassador

Pyongyang, January 31 (KCNA) -- Yang Hyong Sop, chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, on January 30 met and conversed at the Mansudae Assembly Hall with Chinese ambassador to Korea Qiao Zonghuai, who paid a farewell call on him.

Int'l symposium on Juche idea to be held

Pyongyang, January 31 (KCNA) -- An international symposium on the Juche idea will soon be held in Tokyo under the title "International Symposium on 21st Century and Position of Humankind" on the occasion of the 55th birthday of the great leader comrade Kim Jong Il. It will discuss the urgent theoretical and practical problems arising in defending the independence for the world people and building a new world, peaceful and prosperous, on the basis of the great Juche idea. Many figures of political, public and academic circles as well as delegations and delegates from different countries and international and regional organizations will be present at the symposium.

Invariable hostile policy toward DPRK

Pyongyang, January 31 (KCNA) -- The new U.S. secretary of defense, Cohen, at a recent hearing of the senate armed foreces committee vociferated about the necessity of U.S. military presence and indispensibility of expanding U.S. security engagement in East Asia, allegedly to cope with "threat" from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Commenting on this fact, Rodong Sinmun today says it is an extension of the anti-DPRK hostile policy of the U.S. conservative hardliners who have tried to stifle it, hating the DPRK-U.S. agreed framework. The news analyst goes on: It is nonsensical for the u.s. conservative hardliners to talk about "threat" from the DPRK. They intend to carry out a military adventure with a false excuse. That is why they call for the "expansion of security engagement," by which they mean a collective armed attack. It is not the DPRK but the united states that creates threat in East Asia. It is foolish to try to convince people of the "necessity" of U.S. military presence on the pretext of the DPRK's "threat". The recent remarks of the u.s. secretary of defense are intended to set in motion military strength in a race to establish domination over Asia. The intention of the U.S. conservative hardliners to stifle the DPRK by strength and dominate Asia remains unchanged. They must give up the hostile policy toward the DPRK and the wild ambition to dominate Asia, as demanded by the world peace-loving people.

Foreign minister meets guests from U.S.

Pyongyang, January 31 (KCNA) -- Vice-premier Kim Yong Nam, who is concurrently foreign minister, met and had a cordial talk with Virginia Somerville, a sister-in-law of U.S. religious leader Billy Graham, and her party at the Mansudae Assembly Hall on Thursday. The group are on a visit to Korea from Jan. 25. They said they spent good days staying in Korea as the rev. Billy Graham had done last time when the great leader comrade Kim Il Sung received him and did him great favors. The minister gave a dinner for the guests.

Annual meeting of Korea-Cuba Solidarity Committee Pyongyang, January 31 (KCNA) -- An annual meeting of the Korea-Cuba Solidarity Committee was held in Pyongyang on January 30. It summed up last year's activities for friendship and solidarity with the Cuban people who are resolutely defending socialism, determinedly repulsing anti-Cuban blockade by the U.S. imperialists, and discussed this year's action program. It was attended by chairman of the committee Choe Ki Ryong, chairman of the state education commission, and officials concerned. Cuban ambassador to Korea Jose Ramon Rodriguez Varona and his embassy officials were also on hand.

Banquet on 90th birthday of chairman Han Tok Su

Tokyo, January 29 (KNS-KCNA) - A banquet was held in Tokyo on Jan. 29 to celebrate the 90th birthday of Han Tok Su, chairman of the central standing committee of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon). Chairman Han Tok Suk, chief vice-chairman Ho Jong Man, officials of Chongryon, Korean industrialists and traders in Japan and their families were present at the banquet. A message of greetings of the great leader marshal Kim Jong Il to Han on his birthday was read and a gift sent by him handed there. The order of Kim Il Sung and the title of honorary academician were awarded to the chairman. Chief vice-chairman Ho Jong Man said in his congratulatory speech that the respected general Kim Jong Il highly praised Han Tok Su as a noble veteran of the Workers' Party of Korea and the Korean revolution, a famous activist of the overseas nationals movement and a true patriot and loyalist. Han Tok Su has covered the road for the homeland and the nation, he noted, and called for following his example of boundless loyalty and devotion for the leader, motherland and nation and further strengthening Chongryon into a Juche-oriented organisation of overseas compatriots under the wise leadership of the respected general, upholding the great leader generalissimo Kim Il Sung as the eternal sun of Juche. Han Tok Su in his speech pledged his word that old as he is, he would energetically lead the patriotic cause of Chongryon as in the past for national reunification and prosperity with the support and cooperation of comrades, as wished by generalissimo Kim Il Sung.

Border bridge opened to all

Rajin-Sonbong, January 31 (KCNA) -- A ceremony for total opening of the Wonjong-Quanhe Bridge was held today. Attending it were Kim Kyong Un, chairman of the Rajin-Sonbong city administrative and economic committee, and the mayor of Hunchun city, Jilin province of China. This bridge runs across the river Tuman, connecting the Rajin-Sonbong Free Economic and Trade Zone of the DPRK with Hunchun city of China along a road. It is 40 kilometres away from Rajin. In recent years, it has rendered great service to the development of the border areas of the DPRK and china and expansion of the economic and trade cooperation and exchange between them. With the bridge fully opened to foreigners, investors and economic and trade officials from many countries of the world including Asia can freely pass it without visa. This is instrumental in promoting the development of the "golden triangle" and further developing economic and technical cooperation between nations.

S. Korea: Probe into Hanbo incident urged

Pyongyang, January 31 (KCNA) -- Lee Ki Taek, president of the opposition "Democratic Party" in south Korea, on Jan. 28 told a press interview that it is necessary to form a pan-national group for investigation into the Hanbo incident, said radio no. 1 in Seoul. He stressed that the group should be made up of about 30 persons and it should be given such a position and authority as the "powers of parliamentary investigation into state affairs". The citizens Federation for Economic Justice (Kyongsilryon) on January 28 published a statement urging a thorough probe into the truth of the Hanbo incident.

Greetings to prime minister of Singapore

Pyongyang, January 31 (KCNA) -- Premier Kang Song San sent a message of greetings to Goh Chok Tong upon his reappointment as prime minister of Singapore. The message wished him success in his responsible work for durable development of the country as well as regional stability and prosperity.

Greetings to Singaporean foreign minister

Pyongyang, January 31 (KCNA) -- Foreign minister of the DPRK Kim Yong Nam sent a message of greetings to S. Jayakumar on his reappointment as foreign minister of Singapore. The message expressed the belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would further expand and develop.