Korean film month opens in Sweden
Pyongyang, March 13 (KCNA) -- The opening ceremony of a
Korean film month was held in Sweden on March 3 to mark the
85th birthday of President Kim Il Sung.
Chairman of the Communist Party of Sweden Rolf Hagel in
his opening address warmly hailed the 85th birthday of
President Kim Il Sung and said that the setting up of the
month in Sweden represents support of his Party to the
President's cause and solidarity for the Korean people's
struggle.
He said that films will be shown widely in different
areas to mark the President's birthday.
Press review
Pyongyang, March 13 (KCNA) -- Pyongyang-based papers
today frontpage a report that Secretary Kim Jong Il sent
thanks to the employees of the Komdok Mining Complex for
effecting innovation in the production of non-ferrous metal
ores. Rodong Sinmun conveys news that Secretary Kim Jong Il's
inspection of unit 212 of the Korean People's Army was
reported by foreign mass media and that his famous works
have been disseminated and studied abroad.
Appearing in the paper is news that foreign newspapers
published articles on the birthday of Secretary Kim Jong Il.
Seen in the paper is an article on South Korean people's
deep reverence for and praise of him.
Today is the fifth anniversary of the publication of the
great leader President Kim Il Sung's celebrated work "For
the Inheritance and Accomplishment of the Socialist Cause".
Papers dedicate articles to this occasion. Under President
Kim Il Sung's proposition "a firm guarantee for carrying
forward and accomplishing the socialist cause lies in
remaining unfailingly loyal to the leadership of
Secretary Kim Jong Il." and under the banner title "let us
carry forward and accomplish the Juche revolutionary cause
through generations" papers carry articles headlined "praise
of great man" and "earnest request, great behests",
illustrated by pictures.
Rodong Sinmun in an article titled "We started on the
ruins" says that if the driving force of revolution is
strong, a miracle can be wrought on the ruins and victory be
achieved.
A commentary of the paper denounces the political
gangster-like act of the Kim Young Sam group going against
the trend of the time by retrogressively revising the
fascist laws and causing the Hanbo scandal.
Minju Joson in a commentary flails Kim Young Sam
for spreading a false rumor about "threat from the north"
and crying out for "allout security posture".
Rodong Sinmun comes out with a commentary condemning the
Japanese reactionaries for trying to flee from the
responsibility for the crimes against the "Comfort Women for
the Army" and runs an article headlined "Japan must remove
the shadow of the past".
Minju Joson in an article analyzes the sharpening
internal contradictions and discord of imperialism.
South Korean puppets' moves for introducing new military equipment
Pyongyang, March 13 (KCNA) -- The Kim Young Sam group
plan to equip the South Korean puppet army with low altitude
radar systems and high-speed warning and ordering systems, a
Seoul-based radio report said.
The puppets passed a "budget" of some 184 billion won to
purchase the equipment allegedly to detect the intrusion of
northern airplanes as early as possible and inform all units
from the outposts to the headquarters of the joint chiefs of
staff of the situation at the same time.
This shows the Kim Young Sam group are hell-bent on
aggravating confrontation between the north and the south.
Political gangsterism
Pyongyang, March 13 (KCNA) -- Kim Young Sam has carried
out a "cabinet shakeup" and restructuring in the
ruling Party, shifting the blame for the Hanbo scandal on to
some of his underlings. He has also railroaded "the second
version of fascist labor laws" behind the facade of
deceptive "ruling-opposition negotiation." He is insisting
that no phrase should be rectified in the retrogressively
revised "law on the agency for national security planning."
Rodong Sinmun today brands this as a political
gangsterism revealing his treacherous and fascist colors and
an unpardonable challenge to the South Korean people and
labor movement calling for the abolition of fascist laws and
the probe into the Hanbo incident.
The news analyst says:
It has been proved once again that unless the Kim Young
Sam regime is removed, independence and democracy cannot be
achieved in South Korean society, nor can the improvement of
inter-Korean relations and national reunification be
expected, nor can the people be freed from social vices and
subhuman sufferings and misfortunes in the society where the
rich get richer and the poor poorer.
People see in the political gangsterism of the Kim Young
Sam regime the ugly colors of the weak and a miserable end
of the "civilian government."
The South Korean people's struggle for the probe into the
Hanbo incident and the abolition of the antinational and
fascist "law on the agency for national security planning
and labor laws" will grow stronger, and Kim Young Sam will
meet his miserable end.
Japan can never shirk blame
Pyongyang, March 13 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today accuses
the Japanese reactionaries of trying to shirk the blame for
the "Comfort Women for the Japanese Army" issue.
The news analyst says:
An experts' panel of the International Labor Organisation
(ILO) in its 1997 annual report March 4 says it does not
regard the "comfort women" issue as a "wartime exception"
and reiterates that this issue belongs to forced labor that
is prohibited by the rules of the ILO.
The report is a bitter criticism of those who insult
justice and human ethics. It shows once again that Japanese
authorities can never shirk the blame for this criminal
issue.
The "comfort women" issue is a heinous unpardonable crime
of Japanese imperialism against history and humanity in that
it ruthlessly violated human dignity and honor. The Japanese
authorities, however, argue that the crime was not committed
by the government and that there is no legal evidence. Far
from admitting the crime, they are trying to erase it.
These days former or incumbent cabinet ministers and
right-wing organisations deny this crime.
This shows how brazenfaced the Japanese authorities are.
With no trick can Japan gloss over this criminal issue.
Useless propaganda
Pyongyang, March 13 (KCNA) -- As is known, the United
States has recently begun broadcasting "Radio Free Asia" in
Korean language.
This is part of ideological and cultural infiltration to
bring under control the Asian countries that build an
independent new society free from imperialist domination and
subjugation. It is an open revelation of the sinister
intention to disunite the socialism of the DPRK from within.
The broadcasting of the radio in Korean indicates that
the united states has not renounced its policy of
antagonising and stifling the DPRK and is pursuing it in a
more undisguised way.
Although the United States broadcasts American values and
Yankee culture over "Radio Free Asia", it has no effect on
the Korean people.
The Korean people have a history and culture of five
thousand years and the most advanced political philosophy in
the world and bring into full play socialist national
culture. They have long since despised American "values" and
decadent Yankee culture.
The hard-fought Fatherland Liberation War against U.S.-
led imperialist allied forces was a showdown of strength as
well as a showdown of ideologies and culture. During the
war, the Korean people confirmed the true values of their
ideology and culture and, at the same time, the reactionary
and immoral nature of American "values" and culture.
No one can deny that South Korean society has turned into
a den of criminals under the sway of corruption and social
vices such as the Hanbo incident because of the influence of
the 50 odd years of U.S. military occupation and American
"values" and decadent culture.
No matter what false propaganda the United States may
spread over "Radio Free Asia," the Korean people will feel
stronger wrath and hatred for the U.S. And harden their
confidence in their ideology, culture and cause.
Achievements made during "arduous march"
Pyongyang, March 13 (KCNA) -- A large number of
praiseworthy edifices have been built during the "arduous
march" in Korea to add lustre to the era.
Last year Anbyon Youth Power Station and Wolbisan Power
Station, symbolic of miracles in the 90s, were built as
monumental edifices while the December Thermal Power Plant
took shape. They provide a sure guarantee for an increase in
the nation's power output.
The workers of the Kim Chaek Iron and Steel Complex built
and commissioned a vacuum refining furnace with their own
efforts and technique.
Many modern factories, pits and workshops took their
appearance. Typical of them are Suwon Mine, the Calcium
Carbonate Factory of the Anju Area Coal Mining Complex, Pit
No.8 of Namyang Coal Mine and the Sunchon Export Building-
Materials Factory.
Meanwhile, export goods production centres for
decentralized foreign trade increased into hundreds of units
across the country, with its output value considerably
growing.
Urban and rural construction was promoted. As a result,
houses were built for over 1,000 families at the foot of mt.
Saedok in Sunchon city, south Phyongan Province while those
for above 100 households took shape respectively in Okto-ri,
Ryonggang county, Nampho municipality and in Kangdong
county, Pyongyang.
Besides, modern dwelling houses for several hundred
households were built in Sinchon, Anak, Unryul and Jangyon
counties and other areas. In south Hwanghae Province alone,
houses for over 3,000 households made appearance.
Signal achievements were also made in land
administration, environmental protection and city management
to renew the looks of the country. Many lands and roads and
rivers extending more than 6,400 km were improved and
forests of above 25,000 hectares created throughout the
country.
Paper on Kim Young Sam's outcry
Pyongyang, March 13 (KCNA) -- Kim Young Sam showed up
at a "graduation and commissioning ceremony" of the puppet
military academy and cried out for "establishing
an allout posture for security" to cope with "misjudgement,
adventurism and provocation of North Korea" and its strategy
of "communizing South Korea."
Minju Joson today brands his outcry as a vicious anti-
DPRK propaganda to incite inter-Korean confrontation and war
fever against the north among the puppet soldiers and a
revelation of his sinister intention to unleash war at any
cost. The news analyst says:
His call for "all effort for security" is aimed at
cracking down on the patriotic pro-democracy forces and
propping up the shaking "civilian" fascist dictatorship on
the pretext of stability of South Korean society.
He must act with discretion, mindful that the adventurous
campaign for confrontation and war with the north will only
precipitate his own destruction.
Historic work indicating way of accomplishment of socialist cause
Pyongyang, March 13 (KCNA) -- Papers here today dedicate
articles to the fifth anniversary of the publication of
President Kim Il Sung's celebrated work "For the Inheritance
and Accomplishment of the Socialist Cause". The work is a
talk he had with anti-Japanese revolutionary veterans and
bereaved children of revolutionary martyrs.
The main idea of the work is that in order to
successfully carry forward and accomplish the socialist
cause, the Juche revolutionary cause, it is imperative to be
loyal to Secretary Kim Jong Il and devotedly defend him.
The work deals with the greatness and undying feats of
Secretary Kim Jong Il, who has the perfect quality and
personality as the successor to the leader and as the leader
of revolution. His extraordinary intelligence, outstanding
leadership ability and noble virtues have been known since
long ago. The work calls for remaining loyal to him and
firmly defending him generation after generation.
President Kim Il Sung in the work said the people and the
socialist motherland cannot exist without Secretary
Kim Jong Il, and stressed the need to sincerely uphold
Secretary Kim Jong Il, firmly defend him, successfully
accomplish the socialist cause and reunify the country under
his leadership.
Rodong Sinmun in a signed article says the work is
instrumental in upholding Secretary Kim Jong Il with faith and
obligation, strengthening the singlehearted unity around him
and steadfastly defending the headquarters of the revolution
with its might.
In today's decisive battle to defend socialism and never
to become slaves of imperialism, all the Korean people are
defending the headquarters of the revolution at the risk of
their lives, rallied close around him. This powerfully
proves how just the idea and theory put forward by the
President in the work are.
Animals and plants in Korea
Pyongyang, March 13 (KCNA) -- Korea is abundant in
animals and plants.
It is good for the animals and plants to live in because
of mountains covering 80 percent of the territory, some
6,000 rivers and streams and the seas surrounding three
sides of the country, as well as many game and forest
reserves.
Special attention has been paid to protecting and
proliferating rare animals such as Korean tiger, bear and
tristram's woodpecker, and useful ones including deer,
Korean water-deer and pheasant. That is why their number is
on a striking increase.
The habitat of Korean water-deer extended from the
west coast to the east coast.
Today there are thousands of kinds of animals in
Korea. Among them vertebrate animals are of some 1,360
kinds, the beasts some 90, birds some 380 and fishes some
850.
The kinds of plants in Korea number some 6,700.
About 100 of them are useful for timber, about
900 for medicine, and about 300 for afforestation. Higher
plants total some 3,800 in variety.
Kumgang stephanandraincisa and Kumgang bellflower
known as one kind of one species in the world and other
indigenous plants live in different parts of the country.
Secy. Kim Jong Il greets Iranian President
Pyongyang, March 13 (KCNA) -- Secretary Kim Jong Il,
Chairman of the National Defense Commission of the Democratic
People's Republic of Korea and Supreme Commander of the
Korean People's Army, sent a message of greetings to
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Akbar
Hashemi Rafsanjani on Mar.12 on the occasion of the islamic
new year.
The message expressed the belief that the friendly and
cooperative ties between both countries would be boosted in
many fields and wished the Iranian President and his people
greater success in the work for the prosperity and progress
of the country.
Slovak Ambassador presents credentials
Pyongyang, March 13 (KCNA) -- Vladimir William Klimo,
Slovak Ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the
DPRK, presented his credentials to vice-President Pak Song
Chol of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea at the
Mansudae Assembly Hall today.
Present there was vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ri In Gyu.
After receiving the credentials, the vice-President had a
talk with the ambassador.
The Ambassador arrived here on tuesday.
Greetings to Prime Minister of Madagascar
Pyongyang, March 13 (KCNA) -- Hong Song Nam, acting
Premier of the Administration Council of the Democratic
People's Republic of Korea, sent a congratulatory message to
Pascal Rakotomavo on his appointment as Prime Minister of
Madagascar.
The message wished him success in his new responsible
work and expressed confidence that the friendly and
cooperative relations between the two countries would
develop on good terms in the interests of the two peoples.
Kim Yong Nam, vice-Premier and Foreign Minister, sent a
message of greetings to Herizo Razafimahaleo on his
appointment as vice-Prime Minister in charge of foreign
affairs.