G.S. Kim Jong Il inspects KPA unit no. 443
Pyongyang, February 2 (KCNA) - General Secretary Kim Jong Il inspected KPA unit no. 443 situated in the eastern sector of the forefront.
At the unit, he looked round a monument to the President Kim Il Sung's on-site guidance and things associated with the president's activities.
He then saw soldiers of the unit in a weapon-handling exercise. He gave the unit important tasks to increase its fighting efficiency.
He looked round the unit's impregnable defence facilities and barracks and facilities for entertainment, education and logistics.
He gave the unit a pair of binoculars and an automatic rifle as gifts and posed for a picture with the unit's soldiers.
He was accompanied by KPA Vice Marshal Jon Jae Son, Generals Kim Ha Gyu, Hyon Chol Hae and Pak Jae Gyong and staff members of the KPA Supreme Command.
G.S. Kim Jong Il's birthday to be celebrated in China
Pyongyang, February 2 (KCNA) -- A preparatory committee of the General Federation of Korean Nationals in China was formed to celebrate the 56th birthday of General Kim Jong Il.
Yang Yong Dong, chairman of the federation, was elected chairman of the preparatory committee.
10.4 billion dollars interest on S. Korea's foreign debts
Pyongyang, February 2 (KCNA) -- South Korea has to pay dlrs 10,482 million in interest on foreign debts within one year, according to a radio report from Seoul.
As of December 20 last year, it was saddled with 153 billion dollars of debts. Of this figure, short-term foreign debts which would mature in less than one year amounted to dlrs 80.2 billion and middle- and long-term foreign debts which would mature in more than one year ran into dlrs 72.8 billion.
Dlrs 25 billion of the short-term foreign debts will mature toward the end of this year.
Unable to pay the debts, the South Korean authorities have borrowed more money for debt-servicing, which has further driven them into an unretrievable crisis.
U.S. ambition for new bloc in Asia
Pyongyang, February 2 (KCNA) -- The United States has revealed its ambition for forming a new military bloc in Asia for the purpose of dominating the continent, says Rodong Sinmun today.
During his recent trip to Asian nations, U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen tried to strike home to them the "necessity" of intensified military cooperation and the U.S. military "engagement" toward Asia, saying the U.S. would remain a power of Asia.
In a commentary the daily says:
The U.S. is lording it over in Asia, which is of strategic importance. What it seeks mainly is to cobble together a new military bloc. It is illustrated by Cohen's remarks that it is necessary to strengthen military cooperation with Asian nations and a military bloc involving the U.S., Japan, South Korea, etc. Is the mainstay of the U.S. "security" strategy in the Asia-Pacific region.
Besides its forward-deployed troops the U.S. intends to frame up another military bloc with its satellites and use it in the execution of the strategy for the domination of Asia.
Its intention, however, may trigger a fresh arms race in Asia.
The U.S. wants to stifle the Democratic People's Republic of Korea by force of arms and put other Asian nations under its military control.
The Asian people need to exercise utmost vigilance against the U.S. aggressive Asia policy and smash it in time.
The U.S. must give up the anachronistic Asia strategy and seek peace.
Half of workteam members, labour heroes
Pyongyang, February 2 (KCNA) -- Four miners of Ko Kyong Chan Mining Workteam of the April 5 pit of the Kumkol Mine of the Komdok Mining Complex were awarded the title of Labour Hero at the same time.
They are Kim Yong Sik, Jo Pok Il, Paek Chang Son and Jong Tok Su, who were born in Juche 50 (1961) when the President Kim Il Sung visited Komdok to meet workers.
They overfulfilled their annual plans by more than 50 percent for 17 years and rendered distinguished services to increasing mineral production by introducing many technical innovations.
All 12 members of Ko Kyong Chan Workteam participated in the recent national meeting of example-setters in self-reliance and six of them are heroes.
Posters produced
Pyongyang, February 2 (KCNA) -- Posters encouraging the working people in the forced march of socialism have been produced by fine art production centres of Korea.
The Mansudae Art Studio made in a short time nearly 30 posters including "Forward, everybody, in the forced march for final victory " "Let us adorn the 50th anniversary of the DPRK with a grand festival of soicalist victors " and "Let us shore up the coal and power industries, railway transport, the pilot sectors of national economy, and the metallurgical industry "
The posters also include "let us produce more electricity by building minor power stations " and "let us put fish breeding on a scientific basis to produce more fish " Such posters have been made also by the central fine art studio and the Pyongyang University of Fine Arts.
"The weapons of the people's army determine the destiny of socialism and prosperity of the motherland " and "We will take upon ourselves both national defence and agricultural production" and other posters show soldiers fully displaying the revolutionary spirit of soldiers in national defence and socialist construction.
The posters give the people confidence in the victory of the revolution and enthusiam of struggle.