Letter of thanks to G.S. Kim Jong Il from Japanese

Pyongyang, January 10 (KCNA) - General Secretary Kim Jong Il received a letter of thanks from Takaaki Hada, elder brother of Ri Hwa Sun who had visited Japan as a member of the first hometown-visiting group of Japanese-Korean women. In the letter he said the recent hometown visit of the Japanese women who are Korean citizens is a product of the loving care and bold decision of General Secretary Kim Jong Il, and extended wholehearted, deep thanks to him. When he visited the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in 1986, he met with his sister thanks to the deep care of President Kim Il Sung and came to know that she was leading a happy life, bringing up her children as excellent pillars of socialism under the warm care of the President, he wrote. All this which is inconceivable in Japan is a product of the guidance of President Kim Il Sung and General Secretary Kim Jong Il, the letter said. Old as he is, he would make every possible effort for solidarity movement to hasten the normalisation of relations between the DPRK and Japan and the independent, peaceful reunification of the North and South of Korea, it added.

Month of winter sports

Pyongyang, January 10 (KCNA) -- A month of winter sports began in the DPRK. During this month, organizations of the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League and Children's Union will widely conduct winter sports activities including "running toward Jong Il Peak", skating, sleighing and march on snowy road. An opening ceremony was held at the ice rink in Pyongyang on January 9.

Meetings held to carry through New Year tasks

Pyongyang, January 10 (KCNA) -- Meetings were held on Jan. 8 and 9 in Ryanggang, north Phyongan and north Hamgyong provinces to launch efforts for thoroughly carrying through the tasks set forth in the Joint New Year Editorial of the papers of the Workers' Party of Korea and the Korean People's Army under the great party's leadership. The meetings called upon all the party members and other working people to firmly defend General Kim Jong Il and, under his leadership, vigorously advance for the final victory of the "arduous march" and decisive victory of Korean-style socialism. The meetings also called for dynamically hastening the forced march for the final victory in all domains of the national economy.

Rodong Sinmun on war scenario against the DPRK

Pyongyang, January 10 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today comes out with a signed article entitled "joint strategy for 'emergency' on the Korean Peninsula." This is, in essence, a new war scenario of the United States, Japan and South Korea against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the author of the article says, and continues: This strategy constitutes the nucleus of the aggressive world military strategy pursued by the United States after the Cold War. In formulating a new military strategy after the Cold War, the United States politicized it as a key lever for realising its design of aggression on Asia to attack the DPRK with the Korean front as a major front and establish domination over the Korean Peninsula. According to it, it has given top priority to the work of strengthening the Korean front. What it seeks in this is to make a collective military attack on the DPRK with Japan and the South Korean authorities as war servants and shock brigades after working out a new U.S.-Japan-South Korea war scenario called "joint strategy" for providing against the "event of contingency" on the Korean Peninsula. This is why it is trying to develop the relations of subordinate U.S.-South Korea and U.S.-Japan military alliances into "future-oriented alliances" and perfect the "cooperation system" for the "case of emergency," while reinforcing its military presence in South Korea and Japan, a legacy from the Cold War. Through the "joint strategy", U.S. hardliners intend to strengthen its military predominance in Asia, realise the U.S.-Japan-South Korea military integration and thus carry out the second Korean war on a large scale with the use of the military strength of Japan and South Korea. Their intention is foolish and very dangerous. This can drive the situation to a catastrophic phase, bringing only death and defeat to its main culprits and accomplices.

Briefing held in India on Joint Editorial

Pyongyang, January 10 (KCNA) -- A briefing was held in the building of the All-India Forward Bloc Central Committee on January 3 on the Joint Editorial of the newspapers Rodong Sinmun and Joson Inmingun titled "Let us push ahead with general march in new year under great party's leadership." At the briefing General Secretary D. Biswas of the central committee of the All-India Forward Bloc said last year the Korean people under the outstanding guidance of General Kim Jong Il registered great successes in building up the socialist system, firmly maintaining independence. General Kim Jong Il, he noted, triumphantly advanced the revolutionary cause of President Kim Il Sung and fully demonstrated the invincible might of the anthropocentric socialism of Korean style, he stressed. He expressed the firm belief that this year the Korean people under the distinguished and tested guidance of General Kim Jong Il will adorn the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea as a grand festival of victors in reliance upon the singlehearted unity. The New Year 1998 will be a historic year that will witness a decisive phase of the independent, peaceful reunification of Korea, he added.

So Jun Sik protests human rights violations against unconvicted prisoners

Pyongyang, January 10 (KCNA) -- So Jun Sik, Chairman of the Human Rights Movement Committee in South Korea, filed a written protest with the South Korean puppet court against violations of human rights of unconvicted prisoners, a Seoul-based radio reported. In the protest lodged through his lawyer on January 6, he expressed indignation at the fact that though Ri Jang Hui, professor of the university of foreign studies, was an unconvicted prisoner, the fascist clique forced him to put on prison uniform and handcuffs even in jail as well as during prosecutor's investigation. He denounced this behaviour as an act of human rights violations infringing upon the dignity and freedom of people. Ri Jang Hui wrote "I am the first generation of reunification", a textbook for primary school pupils. In the autumn last year, So Jun Sik was arrested on charges of sponsoring a human rights film festival. Even in prison, he has continued his struggle, denouncing the crimes of the fascists and defending human rights of innocent people.

Rodong Sinmun urges radical change in S. Korea

Pyongyang, January 10 (KCNA) -- If the cause of national reunification is to be achieved at an early date, a radical change must be made in South Korea, says Rodong Sinmun in a signed article today. The author of the article says: A radical change is badly needed in South Korea to realise independence and democratisation of South Korean society and national reunification, extricate it from the extreme political and economic crisis and confusion and improve the devastated living standard of its people. If a radical change is to be made in South Korea in conformity with requirements of the times and aspirations of the people, the South Korean authorities should above all take the stand of national independence. Nothing will change in South Korea even if regimes or "presidents" are changed. Only when a democratic regime representing the will and desire of the people is established and independent policies are pursued in south korea can a radical change be made in South Korea. The South Korean authorities must rely upon the nation, not upon outsiders, enforce democratic politics, not fascist repressive politics. They must not try to hurt the fellow countrymen in the north hand in glove with outsiders but promote co-existence, co-prosperity and common interests with them and shape policies to achieve national reunification with the united strength of the whole nation. Besides, they must replace the anti-north confrontation policy with a pro-north reconciliatory policy, pull down the concrete wall, repeal the "National Security Law", an anti-reunification fascist law, and disband the "Agency for National Security Planning." by doing so, they must show changes in their policies and their will for reunification. We will follow the behaviour of the South Korean authorities.

Greetings to Romanian Foreign Minister

Pyongyang, january 10 (kcna) -- kim yong nam, foreign Minister of the dprk, sent a message of greetings to andrey Plesh on his appointment as romanian foreign minister. The message expressed the belief that friendly ties Between the dprk and romania will continue to develop on Good terms in the future, too.