Sin Sang Gyun dies

Pyongyang, August 9 (KCNA) -- Sin Sang Gyun, member of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) Central Committee, deputy to the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly and Department Director of the DPRK Central People's Committee, died on August 7 at the age of 85 after a long illness. The WPK Central Committee and the DPRK Central People's Committee issued an obituary, which says the late sin worked at important posts of the Party and the state for many years and devoted all his wisdom and energy to ensuring the authority of the Party and the leader in every way, building monumental edifices and enhancing economic potentials in the country.

Month of international solidarity with Korean people observed abroad

Pyongyang, August 9 (KCNA) -- The just cause of the Korean people was fully supported in different countries during the month of international solidarity with them. More than 150 telegrams of solidarity and greetings Secretary Kim Jong Il were sent by state and Party leaders and other political and public figures of many countries. Among them were Egyptian and Lebanese presidents, the Libyan head of state, the Zimbabwean speaker of Parliament, the general secretaries of Maltese, Indian and Peruvian communist parties, the Secretary General of the Pakistan People's Party and the National Secretary of the Socialist Workers' Party of the United States. Meetings for opening and closing the month of solidarity, photo exhibitions, film shows, seminars and other solidarity events were held in 60 odd countries and over 500 solidarity actions such as broadcasting, special writeups, statements and press statements and letters were taken. The events and actions were unanimous in highly praising the immortal feats of the President Kim Il Sung who defeated the allied forces of imperialism including the United States which boasted of being the "strongest" in the world, and led the Fatherland Liberation War to victory. They stressed that under the wise leadership of Secretary Kim Jong Il, socialist Korea will advance even though the united states is persistently trying to isolate and stifle Korea. Expressing the belief that Korea will surely be reunified according to his intention, they held that the United States should respond to the DPRK proposal for establishing a new peace-keeping mechanism on the Korean Peninsula which will replace the outdated armistice system. Messages and letters of solidarity and greetings to Secretary Kim Jong Il were adopted at the meetings.

Secy. Kim Jong Il sends wreath to bier of late Sin Sang Gyun

Pyongyang, August 9 (kcna) - Secretary Kim Jong Il on Friday sent a wreath to the bier of the late Sin Sang Gyun, member of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, deputy to the Suprme People's Assembly of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Department Director of the Central People's Committee, expressing deep condolences over his death.

Rodong Sinmun berates U.S. for evading its obligation

Pyongyang, August 9 (KCNA) -- The United States is calling for direct dialogue between the north and the south of Korea as if the dialogue were key to the settlement of the Korean issue. This is a foolish act for fleeing from the responsibility for the aggravated situation of the Korean Peninsula. Rodong Sinmun said this in a commentary today. Synchronizing with the preliminary talks for "four-way talks", the U.S. House Committee of International Relations adopted a resolution concerning the Korean issue. The resolution said a lasting settlement of the Korean Peninsular issue is impossible unless the north and the south have one-to-one dialogue without others' mediation, the daily says, and continues: Having dialogue with the south Korean puppets, who are seeking a way out of the ruling crisis in north-south confrontation, means killing time. Nothing can be resolved through such dialogue. Admittedly, as long as the U.S. troops are kept in south Korea and the U.S. continues trying to stifle the DPRK by force of arms, inter-Korean relations can never be improved nor can peace be ensured in the Peninsula. The U.S. should discharge its obligation for the settlement of the Korean issue, instead of calling for inter-Korean dialogue.

Special resolution on Korean question

Pyongyang, August 9 (KCNA) -- A special resolution on the Korean question was adopted at the 15th Congress of the Christian Democratic Union of Madagascar on August 3. Noting that the Korean people have been suffering from national division for 50 odd years, the resolution said: The United States should withdraw its troops from south Korea in accordance with the resolution of the 30th session of the UN General Assembly, replace the Korean Armistice Agreement with a peace accord and accept the DPRK's just proposal for establishing a new peace-keeping mechanism. The resolution urged the United States and the south Korean authorities to discontinue all the military drills and armed provocations aggravating the tension on the Korean Peninsula and pull down the concrete wall built in the area south of the Military Demarcation Line, symbolic of division. The reunification of Korea should be achieved according to the three principles of national reunification, the proposal for founding the Democratic Confederal Republic of Koryo and the 10-Point Programme of Great National Unity, which were advanced by President Kim Il Sung, it stressed. The resolution expressed the belief that the Korean people will certainly achieve the peaceful reunification of the country by means of confederacy under the wise guidance of Secretary Kim Jong Il.

CNN official here

Pyongyang, August 9 (KCNA) -- Eason Jordan, President of the Newsgathering and International Network of the CNN of the United States, arrived in Pyongyang today. He was met at the airport by Ri Jong Hyok, vice-chairman of the Korean Asia-Pacific Peace Committee.

U.S. House Committee delegation here

Pyongyang, August 9 (KCNA) -- A delegation of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the U.S. House of representatives led by its Chairman Porter Goss arrived here today.