S. Korean workers' struggle supported
Pyongyang, February 4 (KCNA) -- The struggle of the South Korean workers against the retrogressive revision of the "labor laws" and "law on the Agency for National Security Planning" is a very just one for rights and freedom of the workers and an early reunification of the country, said the trade union committee of the Sariwon Machine Factory in a letter sent to the trade union and workers of the Mando Machine Factory in South Korea.
The Kim Young Sam group talked as if they would "amend" the evil laws and withdraw steps to persecute leading unionists, the letter said, and charged that this is no more than a crafty farce aimed at blocking the massive struggle of the South Korean workers and misleading public opinion at home and abroad.
The letter expressed the belief that the trade union and workers of the Mando Machine Factory will get their just demands met through their continuous struggle.
Symposium of railway transport workers
Pyongyang, February 4 (KCNA) -- A symposium of railway transport workers was held in Pyongyang on Monday to celebrate the 55th birthday of Secretary Kim Jong Il.
At the symposium speeches were made on the subjects "the brilliant commander General Kim Jong Il, who leads our socialism to victory, is the great leader of our party and people," "to uphold idea and leadership of Secretary Kim Jong Il with loyalty and filial piety, true to the behests of President Kim Il Sung, is a fundamental way for accomplishing the revolutionary cause of Juche", etc.
The speakers noted that Secretary Kim Jong Il has led the socialist cause to victory by firmly defending the Korean-style socialism centred on the popular masses and by fully displaying its superiority. This is one of the immortal exploits he performed for the era and revolution, they added. They stressed that Secretary Kim Jong Il is an outstanding thinker-theoretician who brilliantly established the socialist idea and theory of Juche and indicated the road of accomplishing the socialist cause, and he is leading the socialist cause to victory, winning worldwide admiration.
They mentioned the great success made in railway transport.
Agreement between Korea and UNDP
Pyongyang, February 4 (KCNA) -- An agreement on cooperation in industrial environment was adopted here on Monday between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the United Nations development programme.
Under the agreement, the UNDP will provide Korea with technologies to prevent environmental pollution at some chemical factories and in city administration.
The agreement was signed by a DPRK official concerned and resident representative of the UNDP in Pyongyang Christian lemaire.
KSDP favors call for joint conference
Pyongyang, February 4 (KCNA) -- A joint meeting of representatives of political parties and organisations in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea held on January 30 made a new initiative for setting 1997 as a "year of solidarity of north, south and overseas Koreans for national independence and peace" and for convening a joint conference of political parties and organisations in the north, the south and overseas this year in which falls the 25th anniversary of the publication of the July 4 Joint Statement.
Kim Yong Ho, Cice-Chairman of the Central Committee of the Korean Social Democratic Party (KSDP), made public a statement on February 3 supporting this suggestion.
He manifested full support to this suggestion, saying that it is a practical measure to ease the tension on the Korean Peninsula, improve the deadlocked inter-Korean relations and open up a new phase for national reunification.
To realise national independence and preserve peace is an urgent task which should be carried out preferentially by the Korean nation this year to accelerate the peaceful reunification of the country, Kim Yong Ho said, and continued:
The political parties and organisations and the people from all social standings in the north and the south should take an active part in the patriotic struggle for national independence and peace, which are vital to the destiny of the nation, and thus perform their responsibility and obligation for the nation.
Solidarity of the Korean people in the north, the south and overseas is a basic guarantee for national independence and the preservation of peace.
Only when this solidarity is realised can they check every move of the South Korean rulers for alienating and disorganising the reunification movement and successfully remove the stumbling-block lying in the way of the struggle for national independence and peace.
In order to make this a "year of solidarity of north, south and overseas Koreans for national independence and peace" and convene a joint conference of political parties and organisations in the north, the south and overseas, the Korean Social Democratic Party will hold contacts and dialogues with political parties, organisations and individuals in South Korea and overseas and realise extensive solidarity with them, Kim Yong Ho declared.
Press review
Pyongyang, February 4 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today gives an account of inaugural ceremonies of preparatory committees and other events held in different countries on the threshold of the auspicious February holiday under the headline "General Kim Jong Il, brilliant military strategist, genius of creation and construction".
Given in papers is an account of a symposium of railway transport workers held to mark the 55th birthday of Secretary Kim Jong Il.
Under the title "Old home in Secret Camp on Mt. Paektu, a Holy Mountain of Revolution, in 55th February" Minju Joson carries articles on the secret camp on Mt. Paektu, the birth place of General Kim Jong Il.
Rodong Sinmun in an article captioned "great heyday" says the 1970s is a decade of a new heyday in the history of the glorious revolutionary activities of General Kim Jong Il, a new heyday for the time and the Korean nation.
With comrade Kim Jong Il's aphorism "those who do not love people cannot make a revolution" as the banner headline the paper comes out with articles in this regard.
Printed in Minju Joson is an article headlined "Guide of 21st Century and Pride of Nation" written by a professor of the university of foreign studies in South Korea.
The author says General Kim Jong Il has performed great exploits with flawless traits and qualities without an equal as the leader of the century and been elected the leader of the 21st century at the request of history and the era and the General will of all people.
Papers carry a statement issued by Kim Yong Ho, Vice-Chairman of the Central Committee of the Korean Social Democratic Party, supporting the new proposal for convening a joint conference of the representatives of political parties and public organisations in the north, the south and overseas, which was advanced at a joint meeting of political parties and public organisations in the northern half of Korea. Conveyed in the press is news that foreign political parties and organisations are continuing to extend solidarity to the South Korean workers' struggle.
Papers run commentaries denouncing the South Korean puppets for ceaselessly committing bellicose acts against the north. A commentary of Rodong Sinmun demands the United States make a decision to remove belligerent relations on the Korean Peninsula. The paper comes out with an article headlined "capitalism, society for the rich".
Rodong Sinmun on S. Korean puppets' clamour about "threat of southward invasion"
Pyongyang, February 4 (KCNA) -- The South Korean Minister Kim Tong Jin at a "monthly meeting" made provocative remarks against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
At the meeting, he called for a "steadfast preparedness for security" and "full preparations to cope with military provocation from the north".
Commenting on this, a news analyst of Rodong Sinmun today says:
"Threat from the north" on the lips of the Kim Young Sam group is a preposterous false propaganda motivated by their dangerous scheme to conceal their bellicose nature, justify their preparations for war against the north and, furthermore, unleash a fratricidal war at any cost hand in glove with outsiders.
History shows that the South Korean rulers more zealously clamoured about the fiction of "threat of southward invasion" whenever the crisis of their puppet regime was aggravated.
The Kim Young Sam fascist group are now in the worst crisis of government.
In order to find a way out of their crisis, the group are frantically spreading the rumour about "threat from the north". What they seek in this is to divert elsewhere the hatred of the people and to intensify the anti-DPRK confrontation moves and war preparations.
The Kim Young Sam group must clearly know that the adventurous anti-DPRK moves of confrontation and war staged under the signboard of "threat from the north" will only precipitate their own ruin.
Rodong Sinmun on removing belligerment relations between DPRK and United States
Pyongyang, February 4 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun in a commentary today says that the belligerent relations between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the United States must be removed not only for peace and security on the Korean Peninsula but for the improvement of the DPRK-U.S. relations. The daily notes:
At the "International Strategy Conference" in Canada in October last year, the united states and other western countries adopted a "declaration" on concluding an "international convention on banning anti-personnel mines" by the end of 1997. Then a "resolution" in this regard was passed at the 51st session of the U.N. General Assembly.
The point at issue is that the United States, which advocates a total ban on mines, is taking a double-dealing attitude by allowing the U.S troops to use mines in such hot-spots as the Korean Peninsula. This proves that the United States is not interested in removing its belligerent relations with the DPRK. The two countries are technically at war with the military demarcation line in between. No one knows when fighting will break out on the Korean Peninsula.
The state of technical war affects the improvement of relations between the DPRK and the United States.
The only way of removing the belligerent relations between them is to replace the armistice agreement by a peace agreement and immediately sign a tentative agreement.
The United States must not aggravate the tension and increase the danger of war on the Korean Peninsula by allowing the U.S. troops' use of mines there but make a bold decision to remove the belligerent relations and respond to the DPRK's proposal for signing a tentative agreement, though belatedly.
One more smear campaign
Pyongyang, February 4 (KCNA) -- The United States and the South Korean are these days spreading rumours that "inhabitation of malaria mosquitoes" in the Demilitarized Zone is caused by "tests of biological weapons" by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
"Radio no. 1" of South Korea January 29 quoted a Washington correspondent as reporting that the number of persons infected with malaria has in recent years increased among the U.S. troops stationed in the Demilitarized Zone and their number showed a rapid increase last year, which is caused by "tests of biological weapons by the north."
Activities of mosquitoes, malaria carriers, are raging in summer, especially July and August. In this period, the wind blows from the south to the north as the south wind is stronger than other winds. As a result, mosquitoes and other insects in the Demilitarized Zone fly toward the north side, inflicting sufferings upon its inhabitants.
As for "tests of biological weapons by the north", it is nothing but a groundless story. We have no biological weapon nor do we produce them. Accordingly, we have never tested them.
Rumours about "inhabitation of malaria mosquitoes" and "tests of biological weapons" spread by them are a dastardly rigmarole to impair our peaceful image and conceal their criminal nature as the ringleaders of biological weapons tests.
The 8th army of the u.s. Forces present in south korea has a large number of chemical units and bacteriological institutes. There are huge biochemical weapons of the U.S. troops deployed in South Korea.
The South Korean puppets also have become zealous in the production and test of biochemical weapons under the backing and manipulation of the United States.
There are the "biological weapons institute" and "chemical bomb institute" under the Defence Ministry. The corps and divisions of the puppet army have their own biochemical units called "chemical support units", which have incessantly staged war exercises, contaminating and devastating the territory of South Korea.
If malaria cases, which are on a rapid increase among the U.S. troops in the Demilitarized Zone, are connected with tests of biological weapons, it would no doubt be caused by biological weapons used by the U.S. troops and South Korean puppets toward the north in the summer of last year when the south wind was blowing toward the north.
However, the United States and the South Korean puppets are spreading the rumour about "inhabitation of malaria mosquitoes" in a bid to justify the fiction of "test of biological weapons" by the north.
This shows that the Kim Young Sam group, who are in the worst crisis owing to the retrogressive revision of fascist laws and irregularities and corruption in South Korea, and their supporter, the U.S. military, rigged up the false story to find a way out of the crisis on the pretext of "crisis of security caused by the north."
Some time ago, the South Korean puppets peddled a false rumour about "introduction of nuclear waste by the north" in an attempt to mislead public opinion to confrontation with the north.
The South Korean puppets must clearly know that even if they resort to preposterous anti-DPRK false propaganda about "malaria mosquitoes" in cold winter, they cannot escape from the crisis.
Cambodian preparatory committee to celebrate Secy. Kim Jong Il's birthday inaugurated
Pyongyang, February 4 (KCNA) -- A Cambodian Preparatory Committee to celebrate the 55th birthday of Secretary Kim Jong Il was inaugurated in Phnom Penh on January 27.
The Secretary of State for the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Cambodia, who is also deputy General Secretary of the Funcinpec Party, was elected chairman of the preparatory committee.
World youths urged to set "week of festival for February 16"
Pyongyang, February 4 (KCNA) -- The Pakistan-Korea Youth Friendship Association called upon the progressive youths and students of the world to set a "Week of festival for February 16" to commemorate the 55th birthday of Secretary Kim Jong Il.
The appeal says that February 16 is the birthday of the great leader of the Korean people Secretary Kim Jong Il, the lodestar of humankind and great sun of the progressive youths and students of the world, and that he has made tireless efforts and performed great feats for the development of the Korean revolution and the movement of the progressive youths all over the world.
"As he indicates the road ahead of us with his outstanding ideology and theories, our youth movement for progress and independence is making a stride forward even under the complicated world situation," the appeal notes, and continues:
"With a view to commemorating the birthday of the great leader, who is highly praised and respected by the world people and who will lead the 21st century, as the most auspicious holiday of the world progressive people as well as the Korean people, the Pakistan-Korea Youth Friendship Association calls upon the progressive youths of the world to set a 'Week of Festival for February 16'" and make various political, cultural, athletic and other activities."
Choe Kwang meets Chinese Ambassador
Pyongyang, February 4 (KCNA) -- Choe Kwang, Minister of the People's Armed Forces, today met and had a talk with Chinese Ambassador to the DPRK Qiao Zonghuai, who paid a farewell call on him.
New Botswanan Ambassador arrives
Pyongyang, February 4 (KCNA) -- Alfred Majaye Dube, new Botswanan Ambassador to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, arrived here today.