Secy. Kim Jong Il's birthday to be celebrated in Italy

Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- An inaugural meeting of the preparatory committee for the celebration of the 55th birthday of General Kim Jong Il was held recently in Rome under the cosponsorship of the struggle for the peace and socialism of Italy (SPSI) and the leadership of radio Chita Aperta. Addressing the meeting, Serzao Carrar, Secretary of International Affairs of the SPSI, said they would explain and propagandize General Kim Jong Il's works and his greatness among many people through publications and various meetings on the occasion of his birthday. At the meeting the preparatory committee was formed with officials of the SPSI and members of the radio leadership.

Symposiums held to celebrate 55th birthday of Secy. Kim Jong Il

Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- Symposiums of officials and members of the Union of Agricultural Working People of Korea (UAWPK) and public security officers were held in Pyongyang on February 7 to mark the 55th birthday of Secretary Kim Jong Il. The speakers at the symposium of the officials and members of the UAWPK said that General Kim Jong Il has strengthened and developed the UAWPK, a mass political organisation of the agricultural working people, into ranks of loyalists and defenders and helpers of the Workers' Party of Korea boundlessly faithful to the party and the leader with his outstanding and seasoned leadership. A key to all victories is to uphold the idea and leadership of the general with loyalty and filial piety in one mind as taught by the fatherly leader President Kim Il Sung, and this is the first and foremost task of the officials and members of the UAWPK, the speakers noted. The speakers of the public security officers recalled that the General indicated in detail the position, characters and mission of the public security organ and has constantly strengthened and developed it into the party's political defender, which safeguards the party and the leader. They called upon all the public security officers and the officers and men of the Korean People's Security Forces to resolutely safeguard Secretary Kim Jong Il, the respected Supreme Commander, politically and ideologically with their lives and bring a revolutionary turn in the public security and in the defence of the country in the spirit of resolutely defending the leader, the spirit of rifles and bombs and the spirit of suicidal attack so as to live up to the deep trust and expectation of the party with loyalty.

Loyal letter-carrying relay groups arrive in Pyongyang

Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- Loyal letter-carrying relay groups continue arriving in Pyongyang on the occasion of the 55th birthday of Secretary Kim Jong Il. Arriving in Pyongyang as of February 7 were relay groups of youths and children from all parts of the country, which had left the secret camp on Mt. Paektu and officers and men of the Korean People's Army from different posts. Also arriving were relay groups of public security officers, railway employees and the people in South Hwanghae Province. The members of the groups have vigorously run through streets, villages and mountains and fields seething with a general socialist march, carrying flags of portraits of President Kim Il Sung and General Kim Jong Il at the head of their ranks. The relay groups were warmly welcomed by working people, youths and children in the capital.

National photo exhbn. to celebrate February 16

Pyongyang, Feb1urary 8 (KCNA) -- A national photo exhibition opened to celebrate February 16, the 55th birthday of Secretary Kim Jong Il. On display at the exhibition hall were more than 160 photos showing the undying exploits of Secretary Kim Jong Il. The photos reflecting the noble communist moral obligation of Secretary Kim Jong Il, who has devoted all his efforts and energies to realise the Korean people's desire to uphold President Kim Il Sung forever as the sun of Juche, have attracted the attention of visitors. Among them are photos "the great leader comrade Kim Jong Il seeing the portrait of President Kim Il Sung" and "Secretary Kim Jong Il energetically guiding the construction of the Kumsusan Memorial Palace into the sacred temple of Juche." On show are many photos showing the revolutionary activities of Secretary Kim Jong Il, who has made tireless efforts to strengthen and develop the Workers' Party of Korea, step up socialist economic construction, build the revolutionary armed forces, achieve the independent reunification of the country and the cause of global independence. Secretary Kim Ki Nam of the Workers' Party of Korea Central Committee made an address at an opening ceremony at the People's Palace of Culture on Feb. 7.

Press review

Pyongyang, February 8 (kcna) -- Papers here today report that Secretary Kim Jong Il sent thanks to industrial establishments for setting examples in the implementation of the party's revolutionary economic strategy. Papers also report that loyalty-vowing letter relay groups have arrived in Pyongyang, public security officers and officials and members of the union of agricultural working people held symposiums and a national photo exhibition opened to mark the 55th birthday of Secretary Kim Jong Il. Under the banner headline "The Great Leader Comrade Kim Il Sung Will Always Be With Us" papers edit articles on the Korean people remembering President Kim Il Sung's great exploits and missing him on the occasion of the lunar New Year's day and 31 months since his death. Papers carry articles on the invincible vitality of the Chongsanri spirit and method 37 years since the creation of this historic spirit and method.

UAWPK chairwoman supports proposal for convening joint conference

Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- Chairwoman Choe Song Suk of the central committee of the Union of Agricultural Working People of Korea in a statement Feb. 7 warmly welcomed the proposal of a joint meeting of political parties and organisations in North Korea held on Jan. 30 for making 1997 a "year of solidarity of Koreans in the north, south and overseas for national independence and peace" and convening a joint conference of political parties and organisations in the north, south and overseas this year. She said that Kim Young Sam broke his commitment that "he would ban rice market opening with his 'Presidency'" and has left the market of South Korea to the mercy of foreign forces. He has launched all sorts of military exercises with foreign troops, turning the land of South Korea into a place for nuclear war exercise, she said, and went on: The way of improving the critical situation of the Korean Peninsula is to wage an active struggle to realise national independence and defend peace. All the Koreans in the north, south and abroad should actively turn out in the struggle to open a new phase of peaceful reunification. She expressed a firm belief that all the peasants and other people of South Korea would pool their patriotic efforts in the nationwide struggle for defending national independence and peace.

Paper on U.S. report

Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- Minju Joson today comments on the report worked out by the U.S. Carnegie Foundation to the effect that South Korea and Japan will be kept under U.S. nuclear umbrella and, in other words, U.S. nuclear weapons will be used in case of "conventional attack" on South Korea. Under the title "U.S. must ponder it over" the analyst says: This report is in ignorance of the DPRK-U.S. framework agreement, in which the U.S. promises not to use nuclear arms against the DPRK. If the agreement is so troublesome to the U.S. and its breaking is in the U.S. interest, we do not mind abandoning the agreement. We have so far fulfilled our obligations sincerely under the agreement that provides for a solution to the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula. The hardline conservatives of the U.S., however, behave badly, throwing a wet blanket over the DPRK's sincere efforts. It is a foolish attempt to intimidate the DPRK with nuclear weapons. We have the powerful singlehearted unity of the leader, the party and the masses as well as invincible revolutionary armed forces fully prepared in politico-ideological aspects and military technique to smash any formidable enemy at one stroke. The United States must act with discretion, mindful of this.

Pride of Korean People's Army

Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today runs an article entitled "it is great pride of our People's Army to have reliable hardcore revolutionaries" on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the publication of "the People's Army has grown into a powerful armed force with a large number of hard-core revolutionaries", a famous work of President Kim Il Sung. In the work, President Kim Il Sung said that it was the great pride of the People's Army to have a large number of hardcore revolutionaries who were experienced and tempered in the struggle and clarified the tasks and ways for strengthening the revolutionary armed force and the internal revolutionary force to the maximum in reliance upon them, the author of the article says, and continues: The history in which the People's Army has grown in number and strength to be a matchlessly strong army with a solid revolutionary backbone is shining not only as a glorious history of President Kim Il Sung but also as a history of the energetic guidance of General Kim Jong Il. From the first days of his guidance over the revolution and construction, General Kim Jong Il attached great importance to training competent political and military cadres of the People's Army and has wisely led this work in each period of the developing revolution. The might of the People's Army is very strong and its revolutionary backbone has more firmly been prepared than ever before. The hardcore revolutionaries trained by the party are true loyalists who keep absolute worship for the General on the noblest level. They are also competent political and military cadres who fight in line with the Juche-based military idea, theory and tactics of the General. The revolution continues and generations change steadily. As long as imperialism exists, we should continuously strengthen the People's Army and, to this end, we should firmly build up its revolutionary backbone generation after generation.

Rodong Sinmun on U.S. anti-Cuban moves

Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today comments on the report headlined "assistance to transition to democracy in Cuba" published by the United States some time ago. Branding the report as an open expression of the arbitrary and despotic way of thinking of U.S. statesmen, the analyst of the paper says: In a nutshell, the report is aimed at forcing Cuba to introduce the American-style political system, "Liberal Democracy", astray from socialism. Such interference in the internal affairs of Cuba for the purpose of overthrowing the state system of Cuba wantonly violates the international law and the U.N. Charter on respecting the sovereignty of nations and refraining from interfering in others' internal affairs. It is also a mockery of and challenge to the nations which are taking the road of independent progress. The United States attached political strings of "aid" to "democratic transition" in Cuba, which is an insult to peoples who value sovereignty as well as the Cuban people. The United States is likely to think that any nation will sell off its sovereignty for dollars. It is a very childish and nonsensical view. Any country or nation that values sovereignty must not allow the anachronistic and shameless violation of its sovereignty and interference in its internal affairs.

February 16 celebrations

Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- Colourful celebrations have been held at home and abroad with the approach of the 55th birthday of Secretary Kim Jong Il. Symposiums on the greatness of General Kim Jong Il are being held in different domains including party cadres training, men of the press, culture and art. National art and photo exhibitions celebrating February 16 were openend, and memorial stamps and postcards will be published. The loyal expeditionary march ranks of people from all walks of life and soldiers of the Korean People's Army have visited the Secret Camp on Mt. Paektu where Secretary Kim Jong Il was born. Loyal letter-carrying relay groups from among 700,000 Koreans in Japan and from different parts of the homeland have arrived in Pyongyang.

Celebration meeting of foreign crew

Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- The crew of a St. Vincent Ship held a celebration meeting at Chongjin Port on the East Coast of Korea Friday on the occasion of the 55th birthday of General Kim Jong Il. Captain and crew said in their speeches that the whole course of the revolutionary activities of General Kim Jong Il shine as a glorious chronicle which is consistent with the sacred struggle to carry forward and accomplish the revolutionary cause of Juche pioneered by the great leader President Kim Il Sung. General Kim Jong Il who has carried forward the President's cause without an inch of deflection is a great thinker and theoretician who enriches the Juche idea, they said, and stressed:

CPRF on political terrorism in Los Angeles

Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- The Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland (CPRF) issued a statement today on the Kim Young Sam group's anti national and unethical activities abroad for confrontation with the north. The statement says: A grand photo exhibition opened in Los Angeles on February 1, cosponsored by the Sinhan Minbo newspaper office of ethnic Koreans in the U.S. and the DPRK-U.S. Friendship Council to mark the 55th birthday of the respected General Kim Jong Il. On February 3, gangsters of the anti-DPRK organisations in the U.S. such as "Koreans' society in south California," "society of people from five provinces in north korea" and "society of the June 25 war veterans" raided the exhibition hall in broad daylight, destroyed exhibits and brutally assaulted the sponsors, who were heavily injured and had to be taken to hospital. This heinous political terrorism was committed under the direct command of the South Korean puppet consulate-general in Los Angeles. The South Korean Agency for National Security Planning under the control of Kim Young Sam is behind this barbarous incident, at which the entire nation and world conscience can hardly repress surging indignation and resentment. The CPRF takes a serious view of this incident which took place in broad daylight in the united states, which boasts of legal order and civilisation. At the same time, the CPRF bitterly denounces the Kim Young Sam regime, the provoker and mastermind of the criminal incident, in the name of the entire nation. It is out of etiquette and patriotism that overseas Koreans opened a photo exhibition with reverence for the great leader of the nation on the occasion of his birthday. All the Koreans uphold and follow Secretary Kim Jong Il as the sun of the nation and the lodestar of national reunification like President Kim Il Sung. The progressives around the world celebrate the birthday of Secretary Kim Jong Il, praising him as the greatest of great men produced by humankind. In different countries, national preparatory committees have been formed and ceremonies of hanging his portrait, celebration meetings, photo exhibitions, seminars, lectures and other events organised. The terrorism in Los Angeles shows the Kim Young Sam group are bereft of national conscience and morality. This incident adds to the indelible crimes committed by Kim Young Sam against fellow countrymen at the time of the state funeral three years ago.

Floral baskets laid before Presidential statues

Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- Working people, soldiers of the People's Army, youth and students laid floral baskets before the Statue of President Kim Il Sung on Mansu Hill in Pyongyang on the lunar New Year's day. Amid the playing of music floral baskets were laid before the Statue in the name of party and power bodies, administrative and economic organs, public organisations and units of the Korean People's Army. Working people, soldiers, youth and students laid floral baskets, bunches and flowers. Floral baskets and flowers were laid before the statues of President Kim Il Sung throughout the country.