Secy. Kim Jong Il's work donated to Syrian Political University

Pyongyang, February 9 (KCNA) -- A famous work of Secretary Kim Jong Il was donated to Political University of Syria with due ceremony on February 1 on the occasion of his 55th birthday. The Korean Ambassador to Syria conveyed to the rector the work "The Workers' Party of Korea is the Party of President Kim Il Sung."

More songs to be sung in S. Korea to celebrate Secy. Kim Jong Il's birthday

Pyongyang, February 9 (KCNA) -- Members of a February 16 song propagating team in Kwangju held a meeting to discuss a step for the dissemination of more songs singing of Secretary Kim Jong Il on the occasion of his birthday, the Seoul-based radio Voice of National Salvation quoted the South Jolla Provincial Committee of the National Democratic Front of South Korea as saying. The team decided to disseminate songs praising his greatness and present songs created by the Pukguk Song Orchestra to a concert to be held in celebration of February 16 according to its plan.

IIJI board meets

Tokyo, February 7 (KNS-KCNA) -- The 13th meeting of the board of the International Institute of the Juche Idea was held in Tokyo on February 7 with the approach of the birthday of General Kim Jong Il. Director General Shuhachi Inoue of the Institute in his report said that last year great efforts were exerted to make a deep-going theoretical study of the Juche idea, disseminate it and form more study groups. Vice-Director General Jose Francisco Aguilar Bulgarelli in a report on action programme for 1997 stressed the need to study in depth the recently published works of General Kim Jong Il. He emphasized that with the attraction and vitality of the Juche idea increasing with each passing day, the movement for rebuilding socialism and the cause of global independence is sure to win under the tested leadership of General Kim Jong Il, the great heir to the Juche cause. The meeting decided to adopt a letter to General Kim Jong Il on behalf of the participants in the international seminar on the Juche idea.

Preparatory committee inaugurated in Pakistan to celebrate February 16

Pyongyang, February 9 (KCNA) -- A preparatory committee to celebrate the 55th birthday of General Kim Jong Il was inaugurated with due ceremony in Karachi on February 1. The Rector of the Muslim Law University in Sind was elected Chairman of the committee. Issues of widely propagating the greatness of General Kim Jong Il and holding various celebration events were discussed at the inaugural meeting.

Korea, Bangladesh cooperate in cultural domain

Pyongyang, February 9 (KCNA) -- A 1997-1999 plan on cultural exchange between the governments of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the People's Republic of Bangladesh was signed in Dhaka on February 5. Present at the ceremony on the Korean side were a delegation of the Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries led by Vice-Chairwoman Chon Yon Ok and the Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh and on the Bangladeshi side were Sid Yusuf Hossein, Secretary of the Ministry of Culture= Sharazuen Islam, Director General for the Far Eastern Affairs of the Foreign Ministry= and other officials.

Secy. Kim Jong Il's work published in Ukraine

Pyongyang, February 9 (KCNA) -- Secretary Kim Jong Il's famous work "Let Us Exalt the Brilliance of President Kim Il Sung's Idea on the Youth Movement and the Achievements Made Under His Leadership" was brought out in booklet by the Abers Publishing House of Ukraine on February 1.

S. Korean opposition parties on Hanbo incident

Pyongyang, February 9 (KCNA) -- The joint committee of the South Korean opposition "National Congress for New Politics" and "United Liberal Democrats" for investigation of the Hanbo incident in a press conference on Feb. 6 said that the insolvency of the Hanbo steelworks had already begun from mid-December last year but it was declared so late by outside pressure, a Seoul-based radio reported. A co-chairman of the investigation committee, disclosing the fact, said that the bill of the Hanbo steelworks which amounted for over 100 billion won was just before insolvency on December 18 last year but some city banks which received the bill settled accounts by proxy without condition to prevent insolvency. Such an irregularity cannot be decided by branch chiefs of the banks so there might be decisions by the bank executives' meetings or outside pressure from above bank directors, he noted.

NDFSK Pyongyang mission chief favours call of political parties and orgs. in north

Pyongyang, February 9 (KCNA) -- Ri Jong Sang, Chief of the Pyongyang mission of the National Democratic Front of South Korea (NDFSK), published a statement on Feb. 8 as regards the adoption of an appeal to the political parties, organisations and compatriots in south korea and overseas at a joint meeting of the political parties and organisations in North Korea. Saying that the proposal for making this "a year of solidarity of the north, the south and overseas for national independence and peace" is a realistic and fair proposal to open a new epochal phase of the reunification of the country, he expressed full support to this proposal. The Kim Young Sam fascist group are now talking about the fictitious "threat from the north" and further strengthening tieups with the U.S. and Japanese imperialists to lead the situation on the Korean Peninsula to the brink of war, he noted. The prevailing situation calls upon the whole nation to unite and wage a nationwide struggle for achieving national independence as early as possible and defending peace. He continued: The NDFSK will wage a vigorous struggle in solidarity with all political parties, organisations and patriotic-minded people to make this "a year of solidarity of the north, the south and overseas for national independence and peace". We will undauntedly struggle for the withdrawal of the U.S. troops and nuclear weapons and other mass-destruction weapons and against large-scale joint military exercises under the banner of independence against the United States. We will valiantly fight to frustrate the Kim Young Sam group's confrontation and war manoeuvres against the north and achieve peace with concerted efforts of the people from all walks of life.

Kim Young Sam group's suppression of "Hanchongryon" under fire

Pyongyang, February 9 (KCNA) -- The north headquarters of the national alliance of youth and students for the country's reunification issued a statement Saturday hitting out at the Kim Young Sam group for demanding prison terms for hardcore members of the South Korean Federation of University Student Councils (Hanchongryon). The statement said the Kim Young Sam group January 24 demanded prison terms of up to ten years for 11 students, including the director of the organizational department of "Hanchongryon" and the director of the fighting department of the Seoul District Federation of University Student Councils (Sochongryon). Lurking behind this move is an ulterior intention of Kim Young Sam to force, at whatever cost, the revised fascist laws upon the South Korean people and get more money from comprador businesses and ruthlessely crack down on the anti-"government" forces by dint of unbounded power of the "Agency for National Security Planning" so as to let his group win the next Presidential election in a fraudulent way and ensure "security" after his retirement, the statement said. The Kim Young Sam group, who consider the fascist repression almighty, should squarely see the trend of times, stop at once the fascist crackdown upon the pro-democracy patriotic forces including "Hanchongryon," unconditionally repeal the fascist laws and stand judged by history, it noted.

NDFSK mission in Syria berates Kim Young Sam group for suppression of labor movement

Pyongyang, February 9 (KCNA) -- The mission of the National Democratic Front of South Korea in Syria recently issued a statement condemning the Kim Young Sam group's retrogressive revision of the fascist laws and suppression of workers, the Seoul-based radio Voice of National Salvation said. The statement noted that the Kim Young Sam group's revision of "Labor Laws" and "Law on the Agency for National Security Planning" in a high-handed way is a violation of the laws and a fascist act denying workers and other people democracy, civil rights and the right to existence. Though the "civilian"-veiled fascist authorities intensify the "new security-oriented" suppression, can they never block the righteous struggle of workers for three rights of labor, democratic freedom and vital rights, the statement said, and went on: We demand that the Kim Young Sam group immediately stop the fascist suppression of labor movement and repeal the evil laws. All the people in south korea including 10 million workers will invigorate the struggle against the retrogressive revision of the evil laws to overthrow the Kim Young Sam's anti-people and anti-national "civilian" dictatorial regime and achieve the rights and freedom for the working masses without fail.

GFTUK denounces Kim Young Sam group's suppression of labour movement

Pyongyang, February 9 (KCNA) -- The central committee of the General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea (GFTUK) made public a statement on Feb. 8 concerning the continued struggle of workers and other people in South Korea against the retrogressive revision of the "Labour Law" and the "Law on the Agency for National Security Planning". The "Korean Confederation of Trade Unions" and other labour organisations in South Korea declared that they would stage the fourth-stage general strike slated for Feb. 18 ahead of schedule unless the suppression of the labour movement is discontinued and a detailed plan for the reamendment of these "laws" is made public, the statement noted, saying that their struggle is likely to become more fierce because of the insolvency of the Hanbo group. It continued: Upset by this, the Kim Young Sam group have promised to rediscuss the amendments at "National Assembly", suspend the execution of warrants for union leaders and make a thoroughgoing probe into the truth behind the insolvency of the Hanbo group. But this is a deception to win time, harshly suppress workers and other people who call for the nullification of the fascist laws and conceal their true colors as the kingpin of corruption and irregularities. The real intention of Kim Young Sam will never change and it is apparent that he will not repeal the evil law on labour affairs of his own accord. The labour organisations and workers in South Korea should further strengthen joint and solidarity struggle and undauntedly fight to have the fascist laws nullified and bring Kim Young Sam, chiefly responsible for the Hanbo steelworks incident, to justice.

Foreigners visit DPRK embassies

Pyongyang, February 9 (KCNA) -- Personages of political parties and public organizations of different countries and international organizations, including chairman of the Romanian Communist Party Pantagi Alexandru, First Secretary of the C.C., Bulgarian Communist Party Alexander Paunov, Chairman of the World's Asian Workers Organization Peternyuns and General Secretary of the C.C., Workers' Party of Bangladesh Rashed Khan Menon, paid congratulatory visits to DPRK embassies in their countries with the approach of the 55th birthday of Secretary Kim Jong Il. The Chairman of the Romanian Communist Party said General Kim Jong Il was the great leader of the Workers' Party of Korea as well as a great man indicating the road ahead of the movement for reviving socialism worldwide.

Rodong Sinmun on U.S. intention to continue military presence abroad

Pyongyang, February 9 (KCNA) -- The "defence review" meeting of the U.S. Defence Department, held some days ago, shared a view that the U.S. military presence in northeast and southwest Asian regions should continue to cope with "disputes" immediately, since the "possibility" of simultaneous outbreak of war both in the Korean Peninsula and the Persian Gulf region and China's "threat" are still existing. Rodong Sinmun today describes it as nothing but a pre-planned tactics of the United States to legalize the military stationing and arms beef-up in the Korean Peninsula and other Asian Pacific region and the Persian Gulf region for executing its world strategy. To rule over the world by strength is an unchangeable ambition of the united states. Since the vacuum of strength came up after the end of the Cold War, the United States has considered it a gold chance for executing the strategy for ruling the world and rolled up sleeves to that end. The main method it is relying on in materializing the strategy is to keep up and reinforce overseas-based U.S. troops and expand the sphere of military domination through them. The U.S. hardline conservatives' outcries over "simultaneous disputes in Korean Peninsula and Gulf region" and China's "threat" revealed their ulterior intention to make the necessity of the U.S. military stationing sound real so as to create atmosphere favorable to executing their strategy for world domination by strength. But, as the corkscrew in the sack can not be hidden, the U.S. colours as the mastermind boosting war danger and threatening the peace can never be buried. The United States should withdraw its troops from various regions including the Korean Peninsula and abandon the policy of strength in compliance with demands of world people.

"International Kim Il Sung Prize" awarded to Costa Rican party leader

Tokyo, February 8 (KNS-KCNA) -- A ceremony was held in Tokyo on Feb. 7 to award the "International Kim Il Sung Prize" to Jose Francisco Aguilar Bulgarelli, General Secretary of the popular force organized in Costa Rica and Vice-Director General of the International Institute of the Juche Idea (IIJI), who is also Chairman of the Latin American Institute of the Juche Idea. Vishwanath, Secretary General of the Council of the "International Kim Il Sung Prize", read a decision of the council. Upon authorization by the council, Hwang Jang Yop, Secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, who is leading a delegation of social scientists of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, awarded the diploma and medal of the "International Kim Il Sung Prize" and a souvenir to Jose Francisco Aguilar Bulgarelli. Congratulatory speeches were made by Director General Shuhachi Inoue of the IIJI and Prof. Choe Jong Sok of the Liaoning University, China.

Best method for securing durable peace on Korean Peninsula

Pyongyang, February 9 (KCNA) -- To secure durable peace on the Korean Peninsula is vital to defending security of the country, attaining reconciliation, unity and reunification of the nation and, furthermore, to promoting peace and security of the world, stresses Rodong Sinmun in an article today. The author of the article continues: The best method for a peaceful settlement of Korean question at present is to stamp out the obsolete armistice mechanism and establish a new peace mechanism as early as possible. The Korean Armistice Agreement, inked 44 years ago, has been reduced to a mere name. It is entirely thanks to the DPRK's persevering peace-loving policy and restraint that a new war has not broken out on the Korean Peninsula and the armistice status has barely been maintained. If the United States is truly desirous of durable peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and does not want its interests to be encroached upon there is no reason for it to make hesitation in establishing peace mechanism with the DPRK. The United States should, of course, discard the anachronistic policy of stifling the DPRK and affirmatively accede to the DPRK's just proposal for establishing a new peace mechanism on the Korean Peninsula. The Kim Young Sam group have neither qualification nor justification to poke their nose into establishing a new peace mechanism between the DPRK and the United States. What the South Korean puppets should do is only to stop anti-national, anti-peaceful and anti-reunification confrontation and war moves and implement, in a desirable way, the inter-Korean agreement they had confirmed for the nation.

International seminar on Juche idea opens

Tokyo, February 8 (KNS-KCNA) -- An international seminar on the Juche idea was opened in Tokyo on Feb. 7 with large attendance on the occasion of the 55th birthday of Secretary Kim Jong Il. Present at the "International Seminar on 21st Century and Human Position" were Director General Shuhachi Inoue and delegations and delegates from different countries and international and regional organisations, prominent figures of academic and press circles in Japan, Korean social scientists in Japan and officials of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon), more than 500 in all. Speaking on behalf of the Japanese executive committee for the international seminar, Seiichi Shikugawa said that the respected General Kim Jong Il is developing and enriching the Juche idea founded by the respected President Kim Il Sung with new principles and contents and wisely leading the people to the building of a new world with it as guidelines. Today the world progressives and the Juche idea followers highly laud General Kim Jong Il as an outstanding thinker and theoretician of the present era, a great teacher guiding the human cause of independence to victory, he noted. Congratulatory speeches were made at the seminar. Shigeru Ito, member of the House of Representatives and deputy leader of the Japan Social-Democratic Party, stressed the need to discard the old mode of thinking in the Cold War era and greet a new century of peace and cooperation. "In the DPRK all the people are confidently advancing along the road of independence, the road of socialism, closely united around his excellency Kim Jong Il, under the banner of the Juche idea," he added. Mutsuko Miki, wife of a former Japanese Prime Minister, said, "We all should strive for an independent reunification of Korea desired so ardently by the respected President Kim Il Sung in his lifetime." she hoped for an early establishment of diplomatic relations between the DPRK and Japan. Liberal democratic member of the House of Representatives of Japan Toichiro Kuno said that self-reliance is the way indicated by the Juche idea. He expressed the belief that the current international seminar on the Juche idea will actively contribute to proving the truth and validity of the Juche idea and to the struggle for global peace and independence. Chief Vice-Chairman of Chongryon Central Standing Committee Ho Jong Man said that with his brilliant intelligence and energetic ideological and theoretical activities the great leader Marshal Kim Jong Il has further developed the Juche idea as a revolutionary philosophy, a political philosophy which illumines the way of shaping the destiny of man and building a new independent world. The Juche idea is indeed a great doctrine guaranteeing a new independent world and a true man-centred, celebrated idea agreeable to the independent nature of man, he stated. A joint congratulatory message the Workers' Party of Korea Central Committee and the Central People's Committee of the DPRK sent to the seminar was conveyed by Secretary of the WPK Central Committee Hwang Jang Yop, who is leading a delegation of Korean social scientists. And congratulatory messages from Juche idea study organisations and public organisations in different countries, the Tokyo and Okinawa governors and other public and political activists of Japan were also introduced at the seminar. Jose Francisco Aguilar Bulgarelli, General Secretary of the popular force organized in Costa Rica and Vice-Director General of the IIJI, made a report "trend of historical development and development of outlook on value". The law governing the social and historical development has been comprehensively and profoundly expounded, with the popular masses, the driving force, put into main consideration, by the original principle indicated by the respected General Kim Jong Il, and thereby, a fundamental change has taken place in the outlook on social history, he said, stressing that his great feat in bringing about a radical turn in thinking and practice of humankind will be everlasting. He continued: It is an urgent task for humankind to remould the old world of domination and subjugation into a new world in which independence, peace and friendship are prevalent, and it is the trend of the historical development at the present era that humankind is vigorously advancing for the building of an independent, peaceful and friendly new world, conscious of their being the master of the world, the master of their destiny. The present era at a turning point needs a change also in the view on value. This urgent need of the era has been met by the Juche idea. based on the philosophical principle that man is the master of everything and decides everything, the idea regards man as the most precious and valuable being in the world. The value of man should not be estimated by power, money and economic privilege but by his ideological and cultural level, contributions to society and by love and trust he enjoys in society, and the value of material and cultural wealth, too, should be estimated by how one satisfies man's demand out of his social nature and how one contributes to social development. The Juche idea also gives a comprehensive exposition of the value of life. If man, a social being, seeks only the demand for physical life, apart from the demand for socio-political integrity, such a life can be by no means a worthy life peculiar to the social being, even though he enjoys a rich material life. His excellency Kim Jong Il has developed and enriched the Juche idea, provided humankind greeting the 21st century with a textbook of true life, the guidelines of struggle and brightly indicated the road of the era of independence. This is the most distinguished feat performed by him for history and the era and this great exploit will be immortal with human history. Referring to questions in studying and disseminating the Juche idea, he continued: We should first of all deeply study the works of President Kim Il Sung and his excellency Kim Jong Il, comprehensively grasp the Juche idea and explain it among the broad masses in various forms and ways. It is also important to direct deep attention to making the people aspiring after independence respect, love and cooperate with each other, as demanded by the Juche idea. History will vigorously advance towards independence, peace and friendship under the banner of the Juche idea and the people's cause of independence will win victory without fail. Kaoru Nakamaru, Director of the Institute for International Affairs, called for the building of a new world where humankind promote bonds as man and all develop and prosper, irrespective of religious belief, ideas, border and race. The seminar continues.

February 16 holiday celebrated in Tokyo

Pyongyang, February 9 (KCNA) -- A banquet was given in Tokyo February 7 by the Central Standing Committee of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon) to celebrate the 55th birthday of Secretary Kim Jong Il. The banquet was attended by delegations and delegates from various countries who are taking part in the international seminar on the Juche idea, Japanese figures of various circles, foreigners in Japan, Chongryon officials and Japan-resident Korean businessmen. Congratulatory speeches were made at the banquet by former Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama, who is a Social-Democratic Member of the House of Representatives, and a Vice-Director General of the International Institute of the Juche idea, Edmond Jouve. Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea Central Committee Hwang Jang Yop, who is Chairman of the Korean Social Scientists Association and is heading a delegation of Korean social scientists, also made a speech at the banquet.