Disinterested international aid, cooperation
Pyongyang, December 19 (KCNA) -- The Korean people have been suffering temporary economic hardships, particularly in the agricultural sector, from a few years ago.
Natural disasters which hit the DPRK for a few consecutive years have reduced grain production and caused a serious food shortage in the country.
From the beginning of the year, the Korean people have concentrated all efforts on farming to recover from the disasters and solve the acute food problem by themselves.
All the people and even servicemen were mobilized in this year's farming. They finished the planting of humus-potted maize-seedlings and rice seedlings in time and in a qualitative way, making it possible to boost grain production considerably.
But the crops were damaged by devastating disasters again. A drought and 30'c-above temperature persisted in the country for months and, thereafter, tidal waves swept the nation's main granaries, making them hardly expect harvesting.
This year's disasters caused loss of some 1,200,000 tons of maize and some 600,000 tons of rice in the DPRK. This figure is what a joint survey team of the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization and the World Food Program confirmed in the disaster-stricken areas.
The World Food Program, the European Union and other international organizations and countries have rendered assistance and cooperation to the DPRK in accordance with international practice and humanitarian principles.
The Korean people feel grateful to international bodies, governments, organizations and individuals for their offering food, fertilizers, agricultural medicines, seed and other things necessary for farming.
The UN Food and Agricultural Organization, WFP and other international organizations have called for assistance and cooperation for the DPRK after making on-site surveys.
We appreciate disinterested international assistance and cooperation, which are greatly encouraging the Korean people in their efforts to recover from the disasters.
World honorary citizenship certificate and gold key awarded to G.S. Kim Jong Il
Pyongyang, December 19 (KCNA) -- The Tumbes City Council of Peru on December 8 decided to award the newly-instituted world honorary citizenship certificate and the city's gold key to General Kim Jong Il on the occasion of the 6th anniversary of his election as Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army.
The City Council instituted the world honorary citizenship certificate for General Kim Jong Il unable to award him the honorary citizenship certificate it had given to prominent state leaders and famous persons of the world.
Written in it are words "The Tumbes City Council confers the world honorary citizenship certificate upon his excellency Kim Jong Il, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, on the occasion of the 6th anniversary of his election as Supreme Commander of the Korean people's army."
World honorary citizenship certificate and gold key awarded to Kim Jong Suk
Pyongyang, December 19 (KCNA) -- The Tumbes City Council of Peru on December 8 decided to award the newly-instituted world honorary citizenship certificate and the city's gold key to the communist revolutionary fighter Kim Jong Suk on the occasion of her 80th birth anniversary.
The City Council instituted the world honorary citizenship certificate for Kim Jong Suk, unable to award her the honorary citizenship certificate it had given to prominent state leaders and famous persons of the world.
Written in it are words "The Tumbes City Council confers the world honorary citizenship certificate upon comrade Kim Jong Suk, great mother of korea and heroine of the anti-Japanese war, on the occasion of her 80th birth anniversary."
10-day film show on 80th birth anniversary of Kim Jong Suk
Pyongyang, December 19 (KCNA) -- A 10-day film show has opened on the occasion of the 80th birth anniversary of the communist revolutionary fighter Kim Jong Suk.
In this period, a documentary film "Comrade Kim Jong Suk, indomitable communist revolutionary fighter" and feature films "Bodyguard" and "Wait for me," which deal with her undying exploits and brilliant revolutionary life, will be screened at all cinema houses across the country.
Documentary films on the energentic revolutionary activities of President Kim Il Sung and General Kim Jong Il will also be shown.
Jang Chol, Vice-Premier of the Administration Council and Minister of Culture and Art, was present at the opening ceremony of the film show which was held at the People's Palace of Culture on December 17.
Foreign military attaches visit Mangyongdae Revolutionary School
Pyongyang, December 19 (KCNA) -- Military attaches of foreign embassies in Pyongyang on December 18 visited the Mangyongdae Revolutionary School on the occasion of the 80th birth anniversary of the communist revolutionary fighter Kim Jong Suk.
At the end of the visit, Vu Dinh Thang, military attache of the Vietnamese Embassy and doyen of the military attaches corps, said that, through the visit, they have come to know well about the revolutionary activities of President Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Suk associated with the school.
He noted that he was deeply moved to see the students of the school growing stoutly under the deep care of Supreme Commander Kim Jong Il.
Improved relations between DPRK-Japan entirely depends on Japan's attitude
Pyongyang, December 19 (KCNA) -- Japan continues throwing a wet blanket over the atmosphere for the improved relations between the DPRK and Japan.
Rodong Sinmun today, commenting on this, says whether the DPRK-Japan relations are improved, or not depends entirely upon the attitude of Japan.
At the 62nd meeting of the executive committee of the International Fund for Agricultural Development in Rome the Japanese delegate refused to the end to agree to the project for the DPRK, only that it brought shame on himself. The right-wing forces of Japan raised the "suspected abduction issue" which has nothing to do with the DPRK, inciting hostility toward the DPRK, the news analyst says, and goes on:
We do not consider such acts to represent the viewpoint and stand of individuals.
Those acts harmful to the atmosphere for the improvement of the relations between the DPRK and Japan make the DPRK doubtful about the stand and true intention of Japan.
We deal with the improvement of the DPRK-Japan relations with clairvoyant insight and judgement. The improved relations will make it possible for the two countries to greatly contribute to the building of a new Asia, peaceful, stable and prosperous. If the abnormal relations which were forged in the beginning of the 20th century continue in the 21st century, it will be a disgrace on the governments and peoples of the two countries.
As the lessons of the past show, the stumbling-block in the way of the improved relations between the DPRK and Japan is Japan's policy hostile towards the DPRK and its policy entirely inclined to South Korea.
It is the height of impudence for Japan to talk about the improved relationship with the DPRK, pursuing a policy hostile towards it.
If Japan is truly interested in the normalisation of diplomatic relations with the DPRK, it should stop pursuing the policy hostile towards the DPRK, as well as the policy entirely inclined to South Korea.
National symposium commemorates Kim Jong Suk's birth anniversary
Pyongyang, December 19 (KCNA) -- A national symposium was held in Pyongyang on December 18 to commemorate the 80th birth anniversary of the communist revolutionary fighter Kim Jong Suk. Present were Ri Jong Ok, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea and Vice-President, other senior party and state officials and anti-Japanese revolutionary fighters.
Speakers including vice-premier of the Administration Council Kim Pok Sin and officials of science, education and the press said that Kim Jong Suk is an outstanding woman revolutionary who performed immortal feats in accomplishing the revolutionary cause of Juche. They also praised her as incarnation of loyalty who provided a brilliant tradition of defending the leader at the risk of life, the mother of the revolution who brought up the bright star of Mt. Paektu and the great teacher of the Korean women who created a new history in the women liberation movement.
She venerated President Kim Il Sung as the sun and lived a great life for the party and revolution, for the fatherland and people, going through all kinds of hardships, they stressed.
They said that the tradition of defending the leader at the cost of life, a valuable sword of the Korean revolution, is an exploit performed by Kim Jong Suk for accomplishing the Juche revolutionary cause. She is immortal alive as a peerless general of Mt. Paektu who devotedly defended President Kim Il Sung, they noted.
They said she gave a shining example in absolutely following the leader's ideas and leadership and thoroughly implementing them, and, for the first time in history, strengthened the women's organization into a revolutionary one faithful to the leader's ideas and leadership.
What is the greatest one of her immortal exploits is that she brought up the bright star of Mt. Paektu that is the destiny and future of the sun's nation, and opened the bright future of the glorious Kim Jong Il era, they said.
This will shine long generation after generation along with the Kim Il Sung nation.
The speakers stressed that it is the greatest glory and happiness for Juche Korea to hold in high esteem Kim Jong Suk as model of defenders of the leader, heroine of the anti-Japanese war and eternal mother of the revolution.
Symposiums were held in all provinces.
S. Korean authorities cold-shouldered by masters
Pyongyang, December 19 (KCNA) -- The South Korean authorities, who are now under the trusteeship of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), have been cold-shouldered by their masters, the United States and Japan, which are, indeed, owners of the IMF, according to the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC).
On dec. 9, the South Korean "Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs", in an interview with the New York Times, asked the United States and Japan to grant "aid fund" earlier.
The masters' reaction to South Korea's request, however, was colder than expected. The United States made clear that it had no possibility of an early granting of aid fund it promised to give South Korea besides the IMF's rescue fund. It only urged the puppets to implement their agreement with the IMF.
As regards the implementation of the agreement, the IMF called a press conference on Dec. 13 and referred to the collusion between politics and business in South Korea. It openly criticized the South Korean authorities for maintaining surreptitious tieup between the "government" and banks and businesses.
The authorities, heedless of such cold shoulder, are persistently resorting to mendicant diplomacy.
According to Radio No. 1, the South Korean "Foreign Minister" phoned the acting State Secretary of the United States again on Dec. 13 and begged for aid, saying South Korea's crisis was related not only to the economic sector but to political and security aspects. He also asked the Japanese Ambassador to South Korea to pay "deep attention" to South Korea's financial crisis, saying, "Japan will also be affected by the crisis".
In response to the request of South Korea, the masters have only urged the puppets to thoroughly implement the agreement with the IMF.
The fact eloquently shows how miserable the Kim Young Sam "civilian" regime's fate is. The colonial authorities have sold off even the economic sovereignty, not to speak of the political sovereignty, to outsiders.
Gift to G.S. Kim Jong Il from Japan committee for supporting Korean reunification
Pyongyang, December 19 (KCNA) -- The Japan Committee for Supporting the Independent and Peaceful Reunification of Korea made a gift to General Kim Jong Il.
The gift was conveyed to an official concerned by the visiting Chairman of the Committee, Motofumi Makieda.
Gift to G.S. Kim Jong Il from Mongolian visitor
Pyongyang, December 19 (KCNA) -- The visiting Secretary of State for the Ministry of Foreign Relations of Mongolia, O. Ochirjav, made a gift to General Secretary Kim Jong Il. The Mongolian visitor asked a Korean official concerned to convey the gift to General Secretary Kim Jong Il.
FM meets Mongolian guests
Pyongyang, December 19 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, Vice-Premier and Foreign Minister, today met with the visiting delegation of the Ministry of Foreign Relations of Mongolia led by Secretary of State for the Ministry O. Ochirjav.
Present at the meeting were an official concerned and the Mongolian Ambassador to the DPRK.