Heads of Japanese party delegations on efforts for improving relations with DPRK

Pyongyang, November 19 (KCNA) -- Head of the delegation of the Three Ruling Coalition Parties of Japan Yoshiro Mori, Chairman of the General Council of the Liberal Democratic Party and member of the House of Representatives, and head of the delegation of the Social-Democratic Party (SDP) Shigeru Ito, Secretary General of the SDP and member of the House of Representatives, in an interview with reporters in Pyongyang, evinced their intention to strive to improve relations between the DPRK and Japan. Yoshiro Mori told reporters that the talks were held in earnest. In this course, we have come to have a common understanding that diplomatic relations should be normalised at an early date, he noted. Difficulties could be surmounted by the magnanimity of the DPRK side at the talks, he said, and added: We are willing to strive to pave the way for improving relations while solving various problems. Shigeru Ito told reporters that at the talks, the both sides arrived at agreements. The point is how to implement them, he noted. Pointing out that it is important to hold inter-governmental talks for normalisation of diplomatic relations at an early date, he said that his party intends to actively cooperate in developing the relations between Japan and the DPRK. Our Social-Democratic Party has a long history of friendly relations with the Workers' Party of Korea, he noted, and continued: Our party plans to dispatch its delegation as soon as possible with a view to contributing to improving relations between Japan and the DPRK. Through this, it will show its willingness to work to improve the Japan-DPRK relations.

National championship closes

Pyongyang, November 19 (KCNA) -- A national championship was held between Oct. 14 and Nov. 17. Kim Myong Hui of the Defence Sports Group renewed the world record in standard rifle 60 shots prone. Men and women of the April 25 Sports Group came first in football and handball and men and women of the sports group of the fisheries ministry in water polo. The April 25 sports group came top in the men's basketball and the women's track and field event= the Amnokgang Sports Group in the women's baksetball and volleyball, the men's track and field event and table tennis= the Pyongyang City Sports Group in the women's table tennis and the men's volleyball. Present at the closing ceremony were Jang Chol, Vice-Premier of the Administration Council, and other officials concerned.

Rodong Sinmun calls for intensified education in socialist patriotism

Pyongyang, November 19 (KCNA) -- Intensifying education in socialist patriotism is very important for a successful implementation of the Workers' Party of Korea's great plans for the building of the country, says Rodong Sinmun today. In an editorial the daily calls for further intensifying education in socialist patriotism among the party members and other working people in keeping with the requirements of the Korean revolution in a new stage of development. The daily says: It is important to this end to know well the strong sense of patriotism of General Secretary Kim Jong Il, who has ever exalted the country, the homeland. He is a peerless patriot and the great leader who has wisely guided the efforts for the prosperity of the country with ardent love and devotion for the country. General Kim Jong Il's patriotism is a basic source for the development of the country and the prosperity of the homeland and a model of socialist patriotism we should follow. It is necessary to make the party members and other working people believe that their country will remain a strong country of Juche under his leadership and encourage them to faithfully carry through his far-reaching plans for the building of the country. It is also necessary to let them know about the country's history, culture and beauty.

Reunification proposal through confederacy supported worldwide

Pyongyang, November 19 (KCNA) -- International solidarity movements supporting the proposal for founding the Democratic Confederal Republic of Koryo (DCRK) put forward by President Kim Il Sung were intensified as never before this year, the 17th anniversary of its publication. Solidarity movements were widely conducted in October every year, a month of support for the proposal for founding the DCRK. At the functions, foreign friends lauded the undying exploits of President Kim Il Sung which brightly shine in the history of the national reunification movement. They said in unison that the Korean people, who are holding General Secretary Kim Jong Il in high esteem as the leader of the Workers' Party of Korea, would certainly achieve the historic cause of national reunification by means of confederacy under his guidance. Solidarity messages and letters addressed to General Kim Jong Il pointed out that the Korean people, guided by him, would certainly reunify their country in the form of confederation based on one nation, one state, two systems and two governments. During this month, political parties, organisations and progressive people of many countries all over the world made public statements, appeals, press statements and resolutions to powerfully encourage the struggle of the Korean people for the country's reunification. Participants in the 52nd U.N. General Assembly Session and the meeting of foreign ministers of non-aligned countries reaffirmed their full support to the efforts of the Korean people to achieve the reunification of their country on the basis of the three major charters of national reunification. During this month, mass media of more than 70 countries reported that it is particularly important that General Secretary Kim Jong Il clarified practical matters to retake the sovereignty of the country on a nationwide scale and achieve the reunification of the country.

Tradition of patriotism is being carried forward and developed under party's leadership

Pyongyang, November 19 (KCNA) -- The tradition of patriotism established by President Kim Il Sung is being successfully carried forward and developed by General Secretary Kim Jong Il. Rodong Sinmun says this in a signed article today. The paper goes on: Marshal Kim Jong Il is firmly defending the independence of the country and the nation. With the steadfast stand that the national sovereignty can never be exchanged for anything and it must be firmly safeguarded at any cost, he is leading the revolutionary struggle of the Korean people. He established the Korean-nation-first spirit and saw to it that the Juche character and national character are being preserved in the revolution and construction and thus, he thoroughly rejected flunkeyism and instilled the faith in national independence into the minds of the Korean people. He is also wisely leading the struggle for the development and prosperity of the country. He has put his heart and soul into the work to carry out President Kim Il Sung's far-reaching plan for the building of the country and set many examples of patriotism startling the world people on this road. He is leading the whole nation to the struggle to achieve the reunification of the country under the banner of great national unity. Marshal Kim Jong Il's politics is noble all-embracing Politics, politics of unity. It is his idea of great national unity that those who love the country, value national identity and want the Reunification of the country should unite, transcending differences in ideology, political view and system. The noble trait of Marshal Kim Jong Il who is putting his heart and soul into the work to realize the idea of President Kim Il Sung on great national unity and his behests on reunification is moving the hearts of the entire fellow countrymen and powerfully encourging them to the sacred cause of national reunification.

Brutal suppression of human rights film festival in s. Korea exposed

Pyongyang, November 19 (KCNA) -- The south Korean newspaper Hangyore recently carried a detailed report on the Kim Young Sam group's brutal suppression of the human rights film festival sponsored by the "human rights movement committee", a dissident organisation in south Korea, between late September and early October. Pointing out that the film festival was literally a process of "continued hardships", the paper fully exposed the brutal suppression of the festival. According to it, more than 20 films on human rights issue including a documentary film on the April 3, Juche 37 (1948) resistance of the Jeju islanders were screened at the film festival. At the beginning, the sponsors of the festival had planned to hold it at Dongguk University in Seoul. One month before the opening of the festival, however, the fascist clique warned that the university could not be used as the venue of the festival. Therefore, the executive committee of the festival moved the venue to the Christian Federation Hall in Seoul. But, the festival could not be held at this hall due to the blockade by the fascist clique. Thus, it was decided to select Hongik University as the venue. The fascist clique forcibly closed a hall of the university and cut off its electric supply. Not yielding to the obstructive moves of the fascist clique, the sponsors of the festival held it with the active support from the general student council of the university. They installed generators at the lounge of the student hall and in front of the hall and screened films with electricity produced by the generators. Enraged at this, the fascist clique forced the university authorities to lodge a lawsuit with the prosecution against So Jun Sik, executive chairman of the film festival and chairman of the "human rights movement committee", on charges of "infringement on building" and ask for protecting "facilities". Therefore, the police force was hurled into the campus to search the university. Prior to the arrest of So Jun Sik, it walked away the acting chairman of the General Student Council of the University. The paper further said: The true color of the barbarians of the times exposed by the films is little different from the barbaric nature of the present south Korean authorities. That is why they tried hard to block these films from being screened.

Gen. Secy. Kim Jong Il, incarnation of people-oriented politics

Pyongyang, November 19 (KCNA) - General Secretary Kim Jong Il is deeply respected by all people for his rare benevolent politics. Regarding the love for the people as the fundamental principle of political activity, he has carried it into practice in all aspects of social life, which is a source of a great many legends on this land. In early August Juche 84 (1995) a flood hit Sinuiju, a border city, and Uiju county, North Phyongan Province, on the River Amnok. No sooner had he been informed that more than 2,000 residents in these areas were exposed to a danger than he issued an order to the units of the three services of the Korean People's Army to save them from the jaw of death. He led the rescue work. Greatly satisified with the fact that all the residents were saved with the help of helicopters, amphibious vehicles and clippers, he took all steps for the stability of their living. In August this year the highest tidal wave in scores of years brought heavy damage to different domains of the national economy. At the time he paid primary attention to the rescue of people and property and rehabilitation work to provide the people in flood-afflicted areas with stable living conditions. "It was like a dream. It has been said that flood is a source of wails and cries. However, we got more than we lost. in addition, new-born babies enlarged the village population. Indeed, Marshal Kim Jong Il is the tender-hearted father of all people." This is what all the people in flood-afflicted areas want to say. When all the Koreans were overwhelmed with bitter sadness at the unexpected death of President Kim Il Sung, General Kim Jong Il felt the pain of the loss more keenly than anyone else did. Even at that time he sent a special plane to carry triplets from a remote mountain village to the Pyongyang Maternity Hospital. One day, ten crewmen of a wrecked ship were exposed to a danger on the East Sea of Korea. General Kim Jong Il issued an order to an air force unit of the KPA to save them immediately. His love for the people saved a girl mechanic on the top of a remote mountain 2,000 metres above sea level, a technician in a mid-east country and a boy in Africa. Encouraged by his great love, the Korean people are confidently pulling through difficulties and trials.

NDFSK spokesman on Hwang's nonsense

Pyongyang, November 19 (KCNA) -- The spokesman for the National Democratic Front of South Korea (NDFSK) released a statement on Nov. 17 after the south Korean authorities gave "nationality" to Hwang Jang Yop, Seoul-based radio voice of National Salvation said. The spokesman said: "Nationality" is not fitting for a lunatic. A person who acquired "nationality" should have a place of residence and neighbours. But Hwang has neither address nor neighbours. He lives a solitary life in a secret room of the "Agency for National Security Planning" and goes out only at night in disguise and with a bullet-proof vest. Permanent residence in south Korea is all he has been given in the colony. It is nothing but a lodging and boarding card the "ANSP" gave to the lunatic and a ticket for a train to his doom. The spokesman berated Hwang for slandering the institution of the Juche Era and asking Japanese officials to refrain from normalizing diplomatic ties with the DPRK and making a compensation to it. The spokesman said: The institution of the Juche Era was only too natural in view of the position of the Juche idea, which ushered in a new era in the history of the Korean nation and human development. The Juche idea has been recognized as the greatest guiding idea by the international community for its immortal truth and great attraction. It was a natural and inevitable requirement of the time, history and the nation that the Juche era was instituted with the year when President Kim Il Sung was born as the first year. President Kim Il Sung founded the Juche idea in his early years and opened up a new history of an independent nation, an era of independence when the working masses emerged as makers of a new world. But Hwang abused the institution of the Juche Era as being "feudalistic" and as being "against common sense". His abuse is as foolish as killing himself. His remarks concerning the normalization of DPRK-Japan diplomatic ties and Japan's compensation are a negation of his assertion that he defected to south Korea for "peace and reunification of the country" and also an indication that he is a stooge of Japan. Hwang also said it is "realistic to expect a switchover in the north's policy". The north has already declared that it will carry forward President Kim Il Sung's cause without slightest declination. It is well known in the world. Hwang's call for "switchover" is nonsense. His remarks only show the uneasiness of "Chongwadae" and "ANSP".

FM meets new Ambassador of Cote D'ivoire

Pyongyang, November 19 (KCNA) -- Vice-Premier and Foreign Minister Kim Yong Nam today met and had a talk with Konan Kramo, new Ambassador Cote D'ivoire to the DPRK, who paid a courtesy call on him.