Gift to Secy. Kim Jong Il

Pyongyang, February 10 (KCNA) -- Secretary Kim Jong Il was presented with a gift by Oleg Shenin, Chairman of the Council of the Union of Communist Parties-the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, on his 55th birthday. The gift was handed to the DPRK Ambassador to Russia on January 23.

Juche idea disseminated worldwide

Pyongyang, February 10 (KCNA) -- An international seminar on the Juche idea was held in Tokyo from Feb. 7 to 9. Urgent theoretical and practical issues arising in defending the independence of the world people and building a new peaceful and prosperous world on the basis of the great Juche idea were discussed at the "International Seminar on 21st Century and Human Position". The Juche idea created by President Kim Il Sung has been disseminated throughout the world for its increasing attraction. The first group for the study of the Juche idea was inaugurated in Mali in April 1969 and the International Institute of the Juche Idea (IIJI) established in Japan in April 1978. Now active in the world are the IIJI, Asian, European, African and Latin American regional organizations, 32 national committees and some 1,000 groups for the study of the Juche idea. They often organize seminars and study sessions to deeply study and explain the Juche idea among broad masses. Especially works of Secretary Kim Jong Il have served as textbooks of the Juche idea followers for their life and struggle. Secretary Kim Jong Il clearly indicated the way of shaping the destiny of man and outlined the tasks and methods for building a new independent world in his works including "On the Juche Idea" (March 31, 1982), "the Historical Lesson in Building Socialism and the General Line of Our Party" (January 3, 1992), "Abuses of Socialism are Intolerable" (March 1, 1993), "Socialism is a Science" (November 1, 1994) and "Giving Priority to Ideological Work is Essential for Accomplishing Socialism" (June 19, 1995). Some of the study organizations issue their periodicals. The IIJI publishes magazines Shakuho Bunko and study of the Juche idea, the Asian Regional Institute of the Juche Idea the bulletin the age of Juche and the Latin American Institute of the Juche Idea the bulletin banner of independence.

Gift to Secy. Kim Jong Il from former Portuguese President

Pyongyang, February 10 (KCNA) -- Former Portuguese President Francisco Da Costa Gomes, who participated in celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the International Liaison Committee for Reunification and Peace in Korea, made a gift to Secretary Kim Jong Il on his 55th birthday. He asked the head of the delegation of the Workers' Party of Korea to the celebrations to convey it to General Kim Jong Il.

Gift to Secy. Kim Jong Il from Mexico

Pyongyang, February 10 (KCNA) - Secretary Kim Jong Il was presented with a gift by Alberto Anaya Gutierrez, Coordinator (leader) of the National Executive Committee of the Mexican Workers' Party, on his 55th birthday. The gift was handed to the head of a delegation of the Workers' Party of Korea on a visit to Mexico on February 3. Saying he had the great honour to present the gift to Secretary Kim Jong Il, the Mexican party leader sincerely wished him a long life in good health to continue leading the Korean and world revolution to victory.

Banquet for participants in int'l seminar on Juche idea

Tokyo, February 8 (KNS-KCNA) -- The Central Standing Committee of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon) gave a banquet in Tokyo on February 8 in honour of foreign delegates who participated in the international seminar on the Juche idea which was held on the occasion of the 55th birthday of Secretary Kim Jong Il. At the banquet a welcome speech was made by Ho Jong Man, Chief Vice-Chairman of Chongryon Central Standing Committee, and speeches were made by Jose Francisco Aguilar Bulgarelli, general secretary of the popular force organized in Costa Rica, Vice-Director General of the International Institute of the Juche Idea, Chairman of the Latin American Institute of the Juche Idea and Laureate of the International Kim Il Sung Prize, and Secretary Hwang Jang Yop of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea who is heading a delegation of Korean social scientists.

Review of Rodong Sinmun

Pyongyang, February 10 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today frontpages the order no. 0087 dated February 9, 1997, of Secretary Kim Jong Il, Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army, "On promoting KPA leading officers to higher rank". Also frontpaged in the paper is news that Secretary Kim Jong Il sent thanks to officials, working people and students for doing good things for society and the collective. Secretary Kim Jong Il was presented with gifts by Oleg Shenin, Chairman of the Council of the Union of Communist Parties-the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Alberto Anaya Gutierrez, coordinator (leader) of the National Executive Committee of the Workers' Party of Mexico, and Francisco Da Costa Gomes, Former Portuguese President, on the occasion of his 55th birthday, says the paper. It gives an account of an enlarged meeting of the Executive Committee of the International Liaison Committee For Reunification and Peace in Korea (CILRECO) held in Paris. Seen in the paper is a report of CILRECO made at the meeting and an action program for 1997 which was adopted there. Given in the paper is an account of a brass band march of school youth and children made in Pyongyang to celebrate the 55th birthday of Secretary Kim Jong Il. The paper carries a political essay titled "army-people unity". The political essay says there is no force in the world to conquer Korea where the army and the people are united as one fortress in defending the great leader, the great brilliant commander. The paper conveys news of farming preparations on cooperative farms across the country. It gives accounts of a party arranged by the Central Standing Committee of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan for the participants in the international seminar on the Juche idea and of a meeting held to mark the 20th anniversary of the Foundation of CILRECO. A commentary of the paper denounces the Kim Young Sam fascist clique for imposing penalties on cadres of the South Korean Federation of University Student Councils. The paper in an article headlined "why is Japan stockpiling nuclear material" lays bare the nuclear armament of Japan which is being stepped up in a very dangerous stage.

Rodong Sinmun on prison terms for S. Korean students

Pyongyang, February 10 (KCNA) -- The Kim Young Sam group of South Korea recently sentenced ten leading members of South Korea's Federation of University Student Councils (Hanchongryon), Executive Director of the Seoul District Federation of University Student Councils Kim Chang Hak included, to prison terms of up to five Years.Thiscomes under fire in Rodong Sinmun today. Viewing the sentence as an unbearable mockery of and challenge to all the pro-reunification, pro-democracy activists of South Korea, the daily says in a commentary: The fascist clique have alleged that a policeman was killed by "Hanchongryon" leaders during the police crackdown on the students' August 15 events for reunification and charged them with "interference with police in the performance of their duties". It is really a preposterous, brazen-faced charge. It is well known a fact that Kim Young Sam, in a bid to brutally suppress the students' events, ordered the "Agency for National Security Planning" to victimize one or two riot policemen and blame students for their death. The South Korean people will never tolerate the Kim Young Sam group, who have harshly suppressed workers calling for vital rights and democracy and penalized students taking the lead in the movement for national reunification. They must promptly stop trying to stifle "Hanchongryon" and release the patriotic-minded students who were arrested on unreasonable charges.

Order of Secy. Kim Jong Il to promote KPA leading officers to higher rank

Pyongyang, February 10 (KCNA) - Secretary Kim Jong Il, Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army, ordered to promote the military ranks of leading officers of the Korean People's Army (KPA) Kim Kyok Sik, Ju Sang Song, Kim Song Gyu and Pak Jae Gyong to generals and Ri Chang Hwan and Pak Yong Ha to lieutenant generals. The order no. 0087 dated February 9, 1997 said that the glorious military course and undying exploits of the People's Army are associated with the proud feats of the KPA leading officers who have devoted their all to the strengthening and development of the KPA into a revolutionary armed force boundlessly loyal to the Party. The order said that the Party's trust in and expectation for the KPA leading officers, the backbone and hardcore force of its revolutionary armed forces, are very high. It expressed the firm belief that they would as ever uphold the Party and the leader with loyalty and filial piety, further strengthen the People's Army and reliably defend the Juche revolutionary cause by arms.

Picture album "for the people" published

Pyongyang, February 10 (KCNA) -- The Foreign Languages Publishing House brought out a picture album "for the people" in foreign languages on the occasion of the February holiday. The album consists of such systems as "exalting the people-centered socialism," "building a self-reliant national economy", "cultivating socialist culture," "turning the country into an impregnable fortress", "to provide the people with a happy life," "for national reunification", "for independence, peace and friendship" and "to add lustre to the Juche cause for all ages". It contains the revolutionary activities of President Kim Il Sung and Secretary Kim Jong Il, the great leaders who worked heart and soul for the prosperity of the country, the happiness of the people and the independence for humankind under the motto "the people are my god." There are pictures of the great leaders waving to the enthusiastic cheers of the people in the album. It also edits tens of pictures of them working together for the people, for instance, examining the model board of Changgwang Street, giving on-the-spot guidance to the west sea barrage and visiting factories and farm fields. Pictures of monumental edifices built in different parts of the country and the powerful self-reliant economy are also included.

20th anniversary of international liaison committee marked

Pyongyang, February 10 (KCNA) -- A meeting was held in Paris on Feb. 1 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Foundation of the International Liaison Committee for Reunification and Peace in Korea. A congratulatory message from the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea was conveyed at the meeting. Secretary General of the International Liaison Committee Guy Dupre said in his report that the committee has developed into an authoritative international coordination organisation which comprises five regional committees and some 320 national committees. The committee called international meetings every year to voice firm solidarity for the reunification of Korea by means of confederacy and full support for the struggle of the South Korean people, he said. He called for intensifying the international solidarity movement for realising the three mainstays, three charters of Korea's reunification whose keynote is the three principles of national reunification -- independence, peaceful reunification and great national unity --, the proposal for reunification through confederacy and the 10-Point Programme for the Great Unity of the Whole Nation advanced by the President Kim Il Sung. Messages of greetings from political parties, organizations and public figures of different countries, public organizations of the DPRK were introduced and congratulatory speeches were made at the meeting. A letter to Secretary Kim Jong Il was adopted there.

Wonders of nature

Pyongyang, February 10 (KCNA) -- Korea has seen many wonders of nature. It is said that nature does wonders everywhere Secretary Kim Jong Il goes for on-the-spot guidance. On November 23 last year, the sea lane off Nampho on the West Coast of Korea was very dangerous because it blew 10-13 metres per second, the waves were as high as 2-3 metres and cold rain fell in the morning. Secretary Kim Jong Il, however, went to Cho Island through the rough sea. When he arrived at the island and made for the advanced command post, the rain stopped falling and dark clouds disappeared. When he posed for photographs with the officers and soldiers at a post on Mt. Taedok and unit 154 of the navy of the Korean People's Army, it happened that sleet stopped falling and the sun shone. When he inspected Panmunjom on November 24 last year, the area was enveloped in a fog for 12 hours. He visited the Mangyongdae Revolutionary School on the New Year's Day. That day in Pyongyang rain fell from the early morning and sleet began falling from 8:30 a.m. And the sleet turned into snowflakes and then into snowstorm. The lowest temperature was 1 degree centigrade in the morning and went down to 13 degrees below zero in the afternoon. Secretary Kim Jong Il said he was happy to see the driving snowstorm on the New Year's Day for the first Time and that this would be a year of fortune. He is, indeed, a great man who is not only highly praised by all people but blessed by heaven.

Enlarged meeting of executive committee of CILRECO

Pyongyang, February 10 (KCNA) -- An enlarged meeting of the Executive Committee of the International Liaison Committee for Reunification and Peace in Korea (CILRECO) took place in Paris on Feb. 1. The meeting reviewed the activities of CILRECO last year for ensuring peace and security in the Korean Peninsula and accelerating Korea's reunification and discussed the measures for strengthening the international solidarity movement for supporting the Korean people in their struggle to achieve national independence and defend peace of the country. Secretary General of CILRECO Guy Dupre made a report at the meeting. He analysed the situation prevailing in the Korean Peninsula and referred to achievements in overcoming obstacles to reunification and realising reunification and peace of Korea. The tragic division of Korea is remaining because the U.S. is introducing a great number of troops and military equipment into South korea, interfering in the internal affairs of the Korean People and the present South Korean authorities are resorting to the anti-national and anti-reunification policy, inciting overall confrontation with the north, in reliance on the U.S., he said, and continued: The three mainstays, three charters of Korea's reunification advanced by the President Kim Il Sung are the three principles of independence, peaceful reunification and great national unity, the proposal for founding the Democratic Confederal Republic of Koryo and the 10-Point Programme of the Great Unity of the Whole Nation. The imperialists and reactionaries are now frantically scheming to stifle people's Korea and realize "unification by prevailing over communism", considering the DPRK as a major obstacle in maintaining their control over the Asia- Pacific region. The U.S. is undisguised in its political offensive, economic blockade and military provocations against the DPRK, with the result that a dangerous atmosphere of confrontation is always prevailing in the Korean Peninsula in which a war may break out any time. The South Korean authorities are persistently arguing about "threat from the north", contending that "the north-south issue can be settled only by military force". They are dreaming of "unification by prevailing over communism", taking advantage of the U.S. imperialists' Korea policy as the preceding military dictators did. What attitude and position the U.S. takes towards the reunification of Korea and peace on the Korean Peninsula is important for affirmative solution of the Korean problem. The U.S. has not yet accepted even the proposals of the DPRK for establishing a new peace mechanism to replace the old armistice system and for concluding a tentative agreement. The reporter pointed to the solidarity activities of the committee and the direction of the solidarity movement this year. The committee worked out and distributed bulletins, information and explanatory materials in the basic spirit elucidated in the 1996 action program and appeal early last year and played a coordinating role in encouraging organizations of friendship and solidarity with the Korean people to issue statements and press statements and conduct solidarity activities including demonstrations, lectures, signature campaigns, he said and went on: The solidarity activities this year should be oriented to organizing and developing the international solidarity campaign supporting Korea's reunification by means of confederacy, upholding the three mainstays, three charters of national reunification advanced by President Kim Il Sung, and to creating international opinion and putting pressure upon the U.S. to sign a tentative agreement with the DPRK and, furthermore, a complete peace agreement. The international community should put collective pressure on the U.S. to stop its interference in the internal affairs of Korea, withdraw its troops from South Korea and on the South Korean authorities to repeal the north-south closed-door policy and the "national security law" and remove the concrete wall. It needs to strengthen international support to the patriotic struggle of the workers, students and other people of South Korea. The committee favours the decision and appeal of a joint meeting of DPRK political parties and organisations on making this "a year of solidarity of the north, south and overseas for national independence and peace" and will actively wage a campaign for solidarity with the nationwide struggle of the Korean people to this end. Speeches were made and the 1997 action program of CILRECO was adopted at the meeting.

Meetings of subcommittees at int'l seminar

Tokyo, February 8 (KNS-KCNA) -- Meetings of philosophical and socio-political subcommittees were held February 8 at the "international seminar on the 21st century and human position", which was opened in Japan on the 55th birthday of Secretary Kim Jong Il. The meetings heard reports, speeches and question-and-answer sessions. The philosophical subcommittee meeting said the Juche idea, which was originated by President Kim Il Sung and has been constantly enriched by Secretary Kim Jong Il, is exerting a great influence on the process of the world's change with each passing day for its validity and attraction. The man-centred methodology expounded by the Juche philosophy on a fresh basis is really a scientific methodology in knowledge and practical activities that people should acquire as masters of the world and their own destiny, and constitutes a powerful instrument of building a new society and new world, the meeting pointed out. Referring to great confidence and encouragement from the Juche idea and Korean socialism, the meeting expressed the determination to invigorate dissemination of the Juche idea and support to Korean socialism. The socio-political subcommittee meeting said that to build a free and peaceful new world it is imperative to eliminate all manner of privilege and dominationism, the source of domination and subjugation, aggression and war, and establish a new international political order which accords with the social character of mankind. It stressed that the idea indicating the most correct way to this end is just the Juche idea. Progressives around the world should vigorously struggle under the uplifted banner of independence, peace and friendship so as to accelerate a great historic turn towards a free and peaceful new world, said the meeting. Under the energetic leadership of his excellency Kim Jong Il, the present-day great man produced by mankind, the anti-imperialist independent forces are keeping to the banner of independence, peace and friendship even in a whirlwind of fast-changing history and are cementing solidarity and cooperation, dynamically pressing ahead with the cause of global independence, stressed the meeting.

Song praising Secy. Kim Jong Il written in S. Korea

Pyongyang, February 10 (KCNA) -- The Spring Thunder Band Active in Chunchon City wrote and disseminated among people "News of the General", a song praising the General , according to the Seoul-based radio Voice of National Salvation quoting information of the South Korean Kangwon Provincial Committee of the National Democratic Front of South Korea. The song says that there are many good news in the world but the news of the General is the best. Whenever hearing news of his visit to industrial areas, Panmunjom and other places, new times of a reunified country is likely to come in sight. The news of the General is our joy, stresses the song.

Korean senior officials meet Chinese Ambassador

Pyongyang, February 10 (KCNA) -- Vice-President Ri Jong Ok and Vice-Premier and Foregin Minister Kim Yong Nam respectively met and had a talk with Chinese Ambassador to Korea Qiao Zonghuai who paid a farewell call on them at the Mansudae Assembly Hall today.

Social organizations condemn S. Korea's anti-DPRK political gangsterism in U.S.

Pyongyang, February 10 (KCNA) -- Social organizations of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea released statements on Sunday condemning the anti-north confrontation and political gangsterism committed by the Kim Young Sam puppet clique of South Korea in the United States. A photo exhibition was opened in Los Angeles on February 1 with large attendance to celebrate the 55th birthday of the General Kim Jong Il. Two days later, however, the "Society of South Koreans in South California", the "Society of people from North Korean five provinces", the "Society of June 25 war veterans" and other groups of Korean-Americans hostile to the DPRK raided the exhibition hall and destroyed the exhibits in broad daylight under the baton of South Korea's Los Angeles consulate general, a plot-breeding headquarters. The statements said the hostile act was a premeditated and intentional provocation directed by the South Korean "Agency for National Security Planning" on the order of Kim Young Sam. They also described the raid as an outrageous act by gangsters with no shred of national conscience and no sense of reason. The Central Committee of the General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea said the incident was another grave crime by Kim Young Sam, who committed an inhuman crime of the blackest dye when President Kim Il Sung passed away in July three years ago. "We will never tolerate the incident and severely punish the perpetrators," it said. The Central Committee of the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League said the Kim Young Sam group must clearly know that the young people in the north have a revolutionary spirit of sternly punishing those who dare hurt General Kim Jong Il's absolute prestige and dignity even a little bit. The Central Committee of the Union of Agricultural Working People of Korea said the United States, which calls itself a law-governed country, is also to blame for the incident. The U.S. must take a legal action against the perpetrators, it urged.

Gift to Secy. Kim Jong Il from Chinese residents in Korea

Pyongyang, February 10 (KCNA) - Secretary Kim Jong Il was presented with a gift by Chinese Residents in Korea on the occasion of his birthday. The gift was conveyed to an official concerned by Vice-Chairman Pan Yunpeng of the Central Committee of the Association of Chinese Residents in Korea.