Korean Social Democratic Party proposes contact
Pyongyang, March 12 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong ho, vice-Chairman
of the Central Committee of the Korean Social Democratic
Party, sent a letter Monday to Secretary Generals of the
"National Congress for New Politics," "United Democratic
Party" and "United Liberal Democrats" in South Korea,
proposing for a contact between political parties at a place
both sides agreed at an early date.
The letter recalled that the joint meeting of political
parties and organisations of the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea on January 30 put forward a proposal to
make this "a year of solidarity of the north, south and
overseas for national independence and peace" and convene a
joint conference of representatives of political parties and
organisations in the north, south and overseas this year,
the 25th anniversary of the publication of the July 4 joint
statement.
Now is the time for politicians of political parties in
the north, south and overseas to have contacts and dialogue
to accomplish the cause common to the nation, the letter
said, and stressed:
a contact between political parties will frankly consult
the questions concerning the convocation of a conference and
all other matters arising in defending the independence and
peace of the country and realising joint action.
The letter called upon political parties of the south
side to affirmatively respond to our proposal for a contact,
deeply understanding our intention and sincere efforts to
defend the sovereignty of the nation, relax the tension,
preserve peace and open a turning phase in the settlement of
the national reunification question with the concerted
efforts of our fellow countrymen.
Withdrawal of "reamendment of labour law" demanded in S. Korea
Pyongyang, March 12 (KCNA) -- The national alliance for
democracy and reunification in a statement Sunday branded
the "reamendment of labour laws" agreed by the ruling and
opposition parties of south Korea as the second
retrogressive revision and declared it cannot accept it,
according to a radio report from Seoul.
The organisation said that the "reamendment" in which
"flexible working hours", "layoff" and other poisonous
articles are not struck out is the outcome of political
netogotiations ignoring the opinion of the people. The
organisation urged democratic rewriting of the labour laws.
The "Korean Confederation of Trade Unions" contended that
the "reamendment of the labour laws" agreed by the ruling
and opposition parties on March 8 is little different from
the evil laws which were railroaded at the end of last year
and declared that it would stage a general strike in may to
delete the poisonous articles threatening the vital right of
workers.
The "Federation of Korean Trade Unions" visited the
buildings of the opposition "National Congress for New
Politics" and "United Liberal Democrats" Monday and made
public a statement, which denounced "the current reamendment
of the labour laws agreed by the ruling and opposition
parties is a product of closet political negotiations
disregarding the basic rights of labour and the vital right".
The organisation warned that it would stage the third
general strike slated for may ahead of the schedule unless
the "reamendment of the labour laws" is immediately
withdrawn and the labour laws are rewritten in line with the
international standard.
Rodong Sinmun slams Kim Young Sam for encouraging confrontation with north
Pyongyang, March 12 (KCNA) -- Kim Young Sam of South Korea,
at a "graduation and commissioning ceremony" of the puppet
military academy on march 10, criticized the north's
"misjudgement and adventure" and its "strategy for
communizing the south" and encouraged a military showdown
with the north, saying the keeping of "allout security
posture" is the only way for checking the "threat from the
north".
Today's Rodong Sinmun says his remarks revealed his
miserable plight and sinister intention to find a way out in
intensifying the fascist suppression of the South Korean
people and escalating confrontation and war preparations
against the north under the criminal pretext of "allout
security". The daily says:
Kim Young Sam's trite call for "allout security" is
something like death-bed struggle.
The "allout security" he has been calling for precisely
means "security of his regime".
The South Korean people, who, through their daily life,
have become aware of what the Kim Young Sam group are
seeking in the anti-north campaign and "security" ballad,
will never be fooled by their call for "security" but
categorically reject it.
The Kim Young Sam group should act with prudence, mindful
that their harsh suppression of the people, anti-north
confrontation and war preparations, which are gaining
momentum under the pretext of "allout security", will only
precipitate their destruction.
Intolerable challenge to people
Pyongyang, March 12 (KCNA) -- Papers here today accuse
the Kim Young Sam regime of reviving the antisocial fascist
labor laws behind the facade of the deceptive "ruling-
opposition negotiation."
The news analyst of Rodong Sinmun says:
The passage of the "newly revised labor laws" through the
puppet parliament is another political gangsterism. It is an
open challenge to the South Korean workers and other people
calling for the total abolition of the evil labor laws, the
probe into the Hanbo incident and the punishment of the
chief culprits. This criminal action will drive South Korean
society into a more serious political confusion and crisis.
The twice retrogressive revision of labor laws eloquently
shows that as long as the Kim Young Sam regime continues
fascist rule in South Korea, there will be no law reflecting
the simplest desire of the workers and other people.
The puppet regime talks as if the revised "labor laws"
reflected the demands of the labor movement in that the
confederation of trade unions will be legitimated when the
laws come into force.
This is an effort to "legitimate" the second version of
evil labor laws that contain many of the disputed points of
the former one in return for "legitimation of the
confederation."
Minju Joson urges the Kim Young Sam regime to clearly see
the fighting spirit of workers, withdraw the retrogressively
revised "labor laws" and step down.
Press review
Pyongyang, March 12 (KCNA) -- Papers here today report
that Secretary Kim Jong Il sent thanks
to public security persons and working people who did good
for society and the community.
Papers inform the readers of the inauguration of the
Egyptian preparatory committee for the 85th birth
anniversary of President Kim Il Sung.
Under the fixed title of "they always worked together for
the people", Rodong Sinmun runs an article entitled "the
motherland marked by sacred prints", illustrated by a photo
of President Kim Il Sung and Secretary Kim Jong Il consulting
with each other.
Papers convey news that publications of different
countries observed the birthday of Secretary Kim Jong Il.
Papers deal with the South Korean people paying deep
tribute to Secretary Kim Jong Il.
Rodong Sinmun editorially calls for effecting a new turn
in the land management.
The press carries news about active preparations for
sowing on cooperative farms across the country.
Given in the press is an account of a national meeting of
active archivists held.
Rodong Sinmun introduces the song and dance ensemble of
the Korean People's Army, singing of the great brilliant
commander.
Papers carry news that the vice-Chairman of the Central
Committee of the Korean Social Democratic Party sent a
letter to political parties of South Korea, proposing a
contact.
Papers inform the readers that the "Korean Confederation
of Trade Unions", the "Federation of Korean Trade Unions"
and the "National Alliance for Democracy and Reunification"
in South Korea vowed to stage a general strike to clear the
"reamended labour laws" of evil points.
Papers in commentaries condemn the passage of the "newly
revised labour laws" through the puppet parliament as an
intolerable challenge to people.
Printed in Rodong Sinmun is a commentary denouncing
Kim Young Sam for calling for a "showdown" of
strength with the north under the pretext of "allout
security" at a "graduation and commissioning ceremony" of
the puppet military academy.
It runs an article saying that Kim Young Sam's "statement
to the people" is a ridiculous political farce of the one
doomed to die.
It carries a commentary denouncing the united states for
beginning to broadcast "Radio Free Asia" in Korean language.
It runs an article on the Japanese policy for armament
expansion and an article titled "impact of 'green currency'"
on the lesson of the collapse of the former Soviet Union
caused by dollars.
U.S. "Radio Free Asia" rejected
Pyongyang, March 12 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today runs a
commentary criticising the United States for beginning to
broadcast "Radio Free Asia" in Korean language.
The Korean language broadcasting shows the U.S. policy of
antagonising and stifling the DPRK remains unchanged, the
news analyst says, and goes on:
It is well illustrated by the fact that the United
States, through the broadcasting, is seeking to infiltrate
American "values" and decadent ideas and culture into the
DPRK, paralyse its people's consciousness of independence
and undermine its socialist position from within.
The Korean people thoroughly despise American "values"
and do not care for Yankee culture at all.
Nobody will listen to the "radio".
Our politico-ideological fortress is indestructible and
no force on earth can break it.
The man-centred Korean socialism, deeply rooted in the
hearts of the people, will emerge victorious for ever,
resolutely meeting every challenge of the imperialists and
reactionaries.
Rajin Port - free trade port
Pyongyang, March 12 (KCNA) -- Rajin Port is located in
the northernmost tip of the east coast of Korea.
Surrounded by the Rajin peninsula, the port is protected
from high waves. Two islets stand in the entrance to the
bay. The waves are 6 metres high at the maximum and 2.1
metres high on an average off the larger islet but zero
within the bay.
The port is not frozen in the winter, affected by a warm
current, and the gap between high and low tides is 20 to 30
cm. It has become a free trade port since Rajin-Sonbong City
was declared a free economic and trade zone.
Vessels, crewmen, passengers and freight for economic and
trade activities and tourism can enter and leave the port
freely, regardless of nationality, and starting and
producing places. Customs, tonnage and freight tax are not
levied on these ships and goods.
Immovables such as wharfs and warehouses can be leased
through relevant procedures under an agreement with the port
authority.
The port consists of three wharfs, ten quays and two
revetments. The port can accomodate eight 10,000-ton vessels
and five 5,000-ton vessels at one time.
The total plottage of the port is 380,000 square metres,
the freight transit capacity is 4 million tons and the
freight storage capacity is 100,000 tons.
Bright are the prospects of the port. In the future, four
wharfs will be built in the southwest direction. They will
deal with 200,000-ton vessels and above 20,000-ton vessels,
36 at the same time. The traffic capacity will reach 50
million tons in the 2110s and 100 million tons later.
Increasing trade deficit in South Korea
Pyongyang, March 12 (KCNA) -- Trade deficit reached
5.5 billion dollars as of February in South Korea, a
South Korean newspaper reported.
Export in February fell off by 4.9 percent as against the
same period of last year, while import increased with a
trade deficit of 2,101 million dollars.
The trade deficit in the first two months is more than a
quarter of the estimated figure for this year --
19 billion dollars.
This shows well the gloomy situation of the South Korean
economy.
Korea's silk
Pyongyang, March 12 (KCNA) -- Korea has a long history of
silk-weaving.
According to Dr. Jo Hui Sung. A section chief of the
Institute of the History of the Academy of Social Sciences,
the academic circles recently proved that sericulture and
silk-weaving began in the neolithic age in the country.
It is illustrated by neolithic-era relics discovered in
Pyongyang and in Jithap-ri, Pongsan County, north Hwanghae
Province.
Drawn or engraved in the discovered earthenware were
mulberry leaves and silkworms.
Silk has been considered as main fabrics from ancient
times in the country.
Three-moulting silkworm and other species have been
raised from that time.
Korea's silk has been woven mainly with cocoons from
three-moulted silkworms.
It has been shown by products and historical records
including the book "Forest Management" written by Hong Man
Son (1643-1715) and its supplementation "Forest Management
with additions" and the "New Book of Historical Events" by
So Myong Ung (1717-1787).
The examination by an electron microscope of the silk
discovered from tombs dating back to years around the birth
of christ in rakrang district, Pyongyang, indicated that it
was woven with cocoons from three-moulted silkworms.
Lined silk woven with double-ply thread and other kinds
of silk were popular in ancient times and good-quality silk
woven with patterned twill and golden thread in the years of
the koguryo dynasty.
Several silk producers are in operation in different
parts of the country. The silk mills massproduce damask
silk, silk without patterns, polychromatic silk and other
kinds of good-quality silk. Some of the products are
exported to many countries.
Foolish campaign
Pyongyang, March 12 (KCNA) -- Some dishonest people of
the new frontier Party of Japan recently adopted a "policy"
of inaugurating a suprapartisan "society of dietmen"
allegedly to probe the cases of "North Korean agents'
kidnapping" of some Japanese since the early 1970s, the
Japanese Sankei Shimbun newspaper reported.
This is far from deserving a passing note. It is self-
evident that even if some pseudo-politicians of the new
frontier party make a fuss over the formation of a
suprapartisan league of dietmen and the probe into some
cases, it is impossible to clarify the non-existent
"kidnapping cases" and "kidnappers."
We do not need to argue with right-wing conservatives of
Japan who are bereft of normal reason.
However, we can never allow them to impair the
international image of the DPRK with false rumors.
Their ulterior motive is to launch an anti-DPRK campaign
and improve the image of Japan, which the
international community calls "an untrustworthy and
politically and morally filthy country."
The proponents of the strange "society" are extreme right-
wing conservatives including those who were dismissed as a
cabinet ministers for their attempt to justify the state-
sponsored crime related to "Comfort Women for the Japanese
Army." this is indicative of their political corruption.
The pseudo-politicians of Japan must know that they had
better not dream of a foolish attempt at all.
The more foolish campaigns they conduct, the more their
seamy side will be revealed.
Japanese politicians, if they have reason, would be well
advised to reflect on and apologize for the crimes Japan
inflicted on the Korean and other Asian people in the past.