Secy. Kim Jong Il writes to Korean-American journalist

Pyongyang, July 21 (KCNA) - Secretary Kim Jong Il in Hamhung sent a letter on July 13 to Mun Myong Ja, a Korean-American woman journalist accredited to the White House and in charge of Asian News, who came to the socialist homeland to commemorate the third death anniversary of President Kim Il Sung, father of the nation, and hoped to be received in audience. Secretary Kim Jong Il expressed thanks to her for participating in the events to mark the third death anniversary of the President. He said he remembered that the President in a meeting with the woman said the Korean nation were proud of the prominent woman journalist who makes patriotic activities energetically in an alien land with the pen of justice. He said he was well aware that the woman was making brisk activities for the country and the nation and for national reunification invariably as she had done when the President was alive. He stressed that the Workers' Party and people of Korea were determined to carry forward and complete the President's cause. This time, the Korean people renewed their firm determination to unite around the Party wholeheartedly and defend and exalt the man-centred Korean socialism, a precious legacy of the President, he noted. He said that despite temporary difficulties caused by the imperialists' hostile activities against the DPRK and repeated natural disasters that swept the DPRK, he and his people were firmly resolved to make the country and motherland ever more prosperous as wished by the President. He expressed belief that this resolution would be put into brilliant reality. The reunification of the country is an urgent task facing the Korean people and the President devotedly worked for this national cause all his life, Secretary Kim Jong Il said, adding that the three principles of national reunification, the establishment of a Democratic Confederal Republic of Koryo and the Ten-Point Programme of the Great Unity of the Whole Nation for the Reunification of the Country proposed by the President should be taken as guidelines in the efforts for national reunification. We will do all we can to reunify the country independently and peacefully and on the principle of great national unity as the President wished, he said. In our relations with the United States, we will faithfully implement the agreed points in conformity with the idea and principle of our foreign policy, he said. This is our invariable stand. Our position for establishing good neighbourhood and friendship with Japan is also consistent, he said. I think the settlement of the issues depends on the attitude of the United States and Japan toward us.

Rodong Sinmun on s. Korean puppets' war hysterics

Pyongyang, July 21 (KCNA) -- The south Korean puppets' bellicose utterances have come under fire in Rodong Sinmun today. Recently, the Minister of Defence and Vice-President of an opposition Party, clamouring about the north's threat of provocation against the south, said the north should be prevented from provoking a war. And Kim Young Sam threatened to sternly punish the north through south Korea-U.S. joint defence. In a commentary Rodong Sinmun says their remarks are criminal utterances aimed at further increasing military confrontation and tension and igniting a fratricidal war between the two halves of Korea. The daily says: The south Korean warmongers had better stop running wild, drawing a serious lesson from their latest armed provocation for which they paid. We will keep tabs on the crime of the political mountebanks siding with the warmongers and will also make them pay dearly for what they said. We urged again the U.S. hawks and other reactionaries who have encouraged the south Korean puppets in their reckless war preparations against the DPRK to act with discretion, deeply aware of the grave consequences to be entailed by their anti-DPRK policy.

Review of Rodong Sinmun

Pyongyang, July 21 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today frontpages a letter sent by Secretary Kim Jong Il to Mun Myong Ja, a Korean-American woman journalist. Also frontpaged in the paper is a report that secretary Kim Jong Il sent thanks to seamen of submarine No. 8003 of the navy of the Korean People's Army for setting an example in mass cultural and art activities. The paper reports that a Vice-Chairman of the Central Committee of the National Democratic Front of South Korea and the Chairman of the Federation of Korean Nationals in China published statements supporting the resolution on exalting the revolutionary life and immortal feats of President Kim Il Sung for all ages. Given in the paper is an account of events held abroad to mark the third death anniversary of President Kim Il Sung. The paper conveys news of serious crop damage from a long spell of drought in all parts of Korea. A commentary of the paper denounces the south Korean puppets for getting recklessly frantic in war preparations against the north. The paper carries an article on the policy of national reunification of the Workers' Party of Korea, which is consistent with patriotism and the spirit of national independence. The paper comments on the Japanese reactionaries who described Korea as a factor of instability in the 1997 white paper on defence which was published in Japan.

American visitors here

Pyongyang, July 21 (KCNA) -- Sam Nunn, Former Chairman of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, and James Laney, Former U.S. Ambassador to south Korea, and their party arrived here on Sunday by Government plane to visit Korea. They were accompanied by officials of the state and defense departments. Kim Kye Gwan, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of the DPRK, met them to discuss issues of common concern.

Special communique of NDFSK Central Committee

Pyongyang, July 21 (KCNA) -- The Central Committee of the National Democratic Front of South Korea (NDFSK) on July 18 made public a special communique on the publication of the resolution on exalting the revolutionary life and immortal feats of President Kim Il Sung in Pyongyang on July 8, the Seoul-based radio Voice of National Salvation said. According to the communique, the NDFSK Central Committee held a special meeting of the standing committee in Seoul on July 11 as regards the publication of the historic resolution. The special meeting was informed of the resolution above all. The meeting said that the Korean nation and humankind received a precious resolution that promises the immortality of the President thanks to Secretary Kim Jong Il, the supreme incarnation of loyalty and filial piety and moral obligation. Saying that Secretary Kim Jong Il is opening a new history of the cause of leader's immortality, the first of its kind in history, and brilliantly recording its pages, the meeting stressed that the President's revolutionary life and undying feats should be exalted for all ages, true to the noble intention of the general. The meeting supported the historic resolution on instituting the Juche era and the Day of Sun, discussed measures to carry the resolution into practice and adopted them with unanimous approval. It expressed the belief that all the vanguard fighters and people from all strata in south Korea will devote all efforts and wisdom to the work to exalt the President's revolutionary life and immortal feats and glorify the great age when the decisive victory will be won in the accomplishment of the Juche cause. In accordance with a decision of the special meeting, meetings are being held at central and local organisations of the NDFSK to support the resolution and take a pledge of loyalty.

Floral baskets from foreign countries and international organisations

Pyongyang, July 21 (KCNA) -- Representatives of foreign governments, political parties and organisations and international organisations and prominent figures of various circles visited Korean missions to commemorate the third death anniversary of President Kim Il Sung. They laid floral baskets and bunches of flowers before the portrait of the President and paid homage to him. Among them were Milos Jakes, Former General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Czechoslovak Communist Party= the Chairman of the Socialist Party of Romania= Ali Messaudi, member of the Political Bureau of the Algerian National Liberation Front, on behalf of the front= Chango Machyo, deputy National Political Commissar of the Secretariat of the National Resistance Movement of Uganda= the General Secretary of the Party for Unity and progress of Guinea, the General Secretary of the Italian Institute of International Relations, the General Secretary of the Movement for Peace and Socialism of Italy, the Permanent Assistant Secretary of the Asia Bureau of the Foreign Ministry of Malaysia, the Austrian Preparatory Committee for Commemorating the Third Death Anniversary of President Kim Il Sung, the Mayor of Wolfsberg, Austria, the Chairman of the African Regional Committee for the Study of the Juche Idea and the deputy Executive Director of the World Food Programme.

Korea, China cooperate in navigation

Pyongyang, July 21 (KCNA) -- An agreement of the 36th meeting of the Korea-China Border River Navigation Cooperation Committee was signed here on Sunday. Attending the signing ceremony were members of the delegations from both sides to the committee.

Song of general Kim Jong Il, song of victory

Pyongyang, July 21 (KCNA) -- People of different social strata in south Korea are struggling for national reunification, singing the immortal revolutionary hymn song of general Kim Jong Il. Cha Min Sok, a member of the Sunflower Society, said the song of general Kim Jong Il is an eruption of deep reverence and worship for the general who is, with the spirit, resourcefulness and courage of Mt. Paektu type, demonstrating the dignity and honor of the nation while having the complicated world under his thumb. A student of Seoul National University, Ri Chol Gyu, said it is the song of reunification and victory. Led by him who is a son of guerrillas and a general of Mt. Paektu, we will win, he added. Kim Sun Jong, residing in Seoul, said the day of reunification is coming nearer when the south Korean people will also live under the leaderhsip of Secretary Kim Jong Il, and called for vigorous efforts for that day. Leaflets, found scattered around Seoul, Uijongbu, Kwangju, Ryoju, Pusan National University and other places, called for efforts to achieve the reunification of the country under his guidance.

Juche era and the Day of Sun

Pyongyang, July 21 (KCNA) -- Korea instituted the Juche era and the Day of Sun to exalt the revolutionary life and immortal feats of President Kim Il Sung for all ages on the occasion of the third anniversary of his death. The Juche era and the Day of Sun are an eternal era and a great holiday for the Korean people, the sun's nation. The Juche era was instituted with 1912, when the President was born as the Sun of Juche, as the first year and his birthday April 15 shall be celebrated as the Day of Sun. His birth (April 15, 1912) was a great auspicious event that opened the age of Juche when the people shape their destiny independently and creatively as the masters of their destiny. The President is the founder of socialist Korea, a great revolutionary, a distinguished statesman and ever-victorious iron-willed brilliant commander who performed the undying revolutionary feats with his brilliant intelligence, extraordinary leadership ability and noble virtues. Humankind have long since used a calendar based on the revolution of the earth around the sun. But the history of new Korea that began with the birth of the President will be counted and recorded forever with the Juche era with 1912 as the first year. The Korean people have long since upheld him as the Sun of Juche. In the 1920s, the early period of the Korean revolution, the young communists and people of Korea called him Kim Il Sung (Il means the sun and sung means to become), hoping that he, who was putting his heart and soul into the revolutionary work, will become a bright sun of Korea. His name had been Kim Song Ju. After the liberation of the country the Korean people turned out in the work to build the country, shouting long live President Kim Il Sung, the sun of the nation !. And they created many literary works including songs he is the sun of the people, great sun of Juche and sun rose in Mangyongdae and the feature films star of Korea and the sun of the nation, which praise him as the Sun of Juche. They will in the future record the history of Kim Il Sung's Korea and Kim Il Sung's nation with the Juche era generation after generation and celebrate the Day of Sun every year most significantly and grandly.

Crops damaged by drought in Korea

Pyongyang, July 21 (KCNA) -- Crops are being damaged by a long spell of drought without precedent in Korea. The abnormal high temperature began in some areas in June and gradually spread to all other areas in July, causing a severe drought. In the first 15 days of July, the mean temperature was much higher, the precipitation was less and the rate of hours of sunshine was much higher than in the corresponding period of last year. In some areas, the temperature has been more than 35 degrees centigrade for several days. A record high 37 degrees nine minutes was registered in Hamhung, South Hamgyong Province. The drought is having a grave effect on the growth of crops. According to national statistics as of July 19, hundreds of thousands of hectares of arable land had been affected by the drought. The damage of crops in north and South Hamgyong, North and South Phyongan and North Hwanghae Provinces is exceptionally serious. The amount of water in rivers, lakes and reservoirs has been reduced rapidly. Not only maize and other dry-field crops but also rice stalks are withering with paddy fields becoming dry.

Japan is to blame for instability

Pyongyang, July 21 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun in a commentary today denounces the Japanese reactionaries for taking issue with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the 1997 white paper on defence. They cited suspected development of nuclear weapons and study of missiles to prove that the DPRK is a source of instability in the Korean Peninsula, the Asia-Pacific region and the international community, the news analyst says, and goes on: Their allegation is the height of impudence and a rigmarole reversing black and white. It is not the DPRK but Japan that renders the situation on the Korean Peninsula strained and causes instability in the Asia-Pacific region. The instability which the Japanese reactionaries are raising a hue and cry over is an excuse to justify their efforts to turn Japan into a military power and realise overseas aggression. In describing the DPRK as the source of instability the Japanese reactionaries seek to divert elsewhere the attention of the world people. Their third-rate trick does not go down with anyone. We are sharpening our vigilance against their moves. The Japanese reactionaries should put an immediate halt to their reckless act of rendering the situation in the Asia-Pacific region including the Korean Peninsula strained and bringing it to the brink of war.

WPK's policies blended with spirit of national independence and love for nation

Pyongyang, July 21 (KCNA) -- In his celebrated work on preserving the Juche character and national character of the revolution and construction Secretary Kim Jong Il said that it is the national character and love for the nation and the spirit of national independence which emanate from the national character that can be the foundations of great national unity and national reunification in our country where different ideas and systems exist in the north and the south. He added that all the proposals and policies of the Workers' Party of Korea for national reunification are blended with them. Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article says: This can be said mainly because the realisation of the sovereignty of the nation is set as their basic aim. All the policies of the WPK for national reunification are to put a period to the division of the nation and reunify the country. National reunification means establishment of the sovereignty of the nation. The principle of national independence laid down in reunification policies is the highest expression of the spirit of national independence. From the first days of national division the WPK has always called for national independence. National reunification is the highest level of the love for the country and nation. Neither to allow the sufferings and misfortune of the fellow countrymen any longer nor to bequeath the divided country to posterity is the stand of the WPK. The proposal for founding the Democratic Confederal Republic of Koryo is to reunify the country by recognising and allowing the different ideas and systems existing in the north and south and, on this basis, building a confederal state with regional autonomous systems in the north and south. The proposal is a precious fruition of the WPK's patriotic stand and efforts which emanate from the spirit of national independence and love for the nation. The three major pillars and charters and all other proposals put forward by the WPK for national reunification could be set forth only by President Kim Il Sung and Secretary Kim Jong Il with unshakable independent stand, the noble idea of love for the country, nation and people and rare wisdom and outstanding leadership ability.

Russian paper praises President Kim Il Sung

Pyongyang, July 21 (KCNA) -- The Russian paper Patriot No. 27 devoted one whole page to special write-ups under the title great strategist of era to mark the third death anniversary of President Kim Il Sung. The paper praised the president as a hero who restored the country, an ever-victorious brilliant commander, the creator of Korean-style socialism, the lodestar of the reunification of the country and the world's statesman. It said that he founded the Korean People's Revolutionary Army, aroused the whole nation to the struggle for the independence of the country and liberated it and built the DPRK. The victory in the Fatherland Liberation War is the result of the outstanding leadership of the President who armed the people with the revolutionary theory on military affairs, strategy and experience he created in the flames of the anti-Japanese armed struggle, it noted. The Juche idea authored by him, it said, is being disseminated more broadly worldwide. The Juche outlook on the world is becoming the lodestar of many countries. Outlining his struggle for national reunification, the paper said that the proposal for founding the Democratic Confederal Republic of Koryo which was put forward by him is the only way of settling the Korean question in an independent and peaceful way. He is the lodestar of the revolution, it said, adding that he conducted energetic activities to strengthen the friendship and solidarity with the people of different countries who were advancing under the banner of independence, peace and friendship.

President Kim Il Sung commemorated abroad

Pyongyang, July 21 (KCNA) -- The third anniversary of the President Kim Il Sung was commemorated on a worldwide scale. During the memorial period, various kinds of events lauding his enduring revolutionary achievements and praying for his eternal life took place in many countries in presence of senior Government, parliament, political Party and social organization officials and prominent social activists. Floral baskets were sent to the Kumsusan Memorial Palace and his statue on Mansu Hill by leaders of Cuba, Iran, Madagascar, the Council of the Union of the Communist Parties-the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and other countries and parties. Heads of state of Cambodia, Syria and other countries and the Communist Party of China Central Committee sent floral baskets to DPRK embassies in their countries. High-ranking political figures and delegations of some 60 countries including a Togolese Party and Government delegation made up of nine cabinet members, a 20-member memorial delegation of the Royal General Bureau of Cambodia visited DPRK embassies, laid more than 1,500 wreaths, floral baskets and bouquets underneath portraits of President Kim Il Sung and paid homage to him. Commemorating committees were formed in some 50 countries including Nepal, Angola and Russia involving senior officials of national assemblies, governments, political parties and social organizations. Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk, Honorary Chairman of the Cambodian Committee for Honoring the Memory of President Kim Il Sung, released a statement marking his death anniversary. Commemorating committees of Zimbabwe, Nepal and other countries set a memorial period and adopted statements and declarations calling for launching intensive activities to exalt the President's enduring achievements. The Secretariat of the Pakistan Youth Enlightenment Association placed a portrait of President Kim Il Sung in its office building and the Piura City Council of Peru awarded him and Secretary Kim Jong Il certificates of honorary citizen and gold keys of the city it has conferred on the greatest men in the world. Meanwhile, 35 poems commemorating and revering President Kim Il Sung were written by foreign poets during the memorial period. Memorial services, film shows and other cultural events, some 860 in all, took place in more than 80 countries including Ghana, Uganda and Austria. Danish radio people, Italian TV No. 4 and other foreign radios and televisions broadcast Korean songs such as song of general Kim Il Sung and the leader is always with us. They said the Korean people have traditionally commemorated July 8, the day of President Kim Il Sung's death, as the nation's greatest memorial day, regarding it as their invariable faith and obligation to venerate him as the eternal leader of the nation and the sun.

KSC publishes statement

Pyongyang, July 21 (KCNA) -- The Korean Student Committee in a statement on Monday solemnly declared that the universities in the northern half of Korea would not have dialogue, contact, cooperation and exchange with any of their southern counterparts that seceded from the South Korean Federation of University Student Councils (Hanchongryon) under the manipulation of the Agency for National Security Planning (ANSP). The secession or withdrawal from Hanchongryon by student councils of some universities in south Korea is a foolish act watering the mill of the dying Kim Young Sam group, the statement said, and noted: The withdrawal means abandonment of independence, democracy and reunification for which the south Korean students have long since fought at the cost of blood and a perfidy of the fellow students who put their lives on the altar of patriotism. The statement expressed deep concern over the fact that some university student councils of south Korea have their honor impaired by some faithless and dishonest students manipulated by the puppet ANSP. It also expressed support and solidarity for the just struggle of Hanchongryon.

Kang Sok Ju meets American visitors

Pyongyang, July 21 (KCNA) -- Kang Sok Ju, First Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs who is also Vice-Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly, met and had talks with Sum Nunn, Former Chairman of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, and James Laney, Former U.S. Ambassador to south Korea, and their party at the Mansudae Assembly Hall today. At the talks views were exchanged on issues of common concern in further improving the DPRK-U.S. relations and an agreement was reached on some important problems. The SPA foreign Affairs Committee hosted a reception for the visitors at the Mokran House this evening, at which an art performance was given. The visitors also met and conversed with lieut. General Ri Chan Bok, Chief of the Korean People's Army Panmunjom mission.