G.S. Kim Jong Il inspects KPA combined unit no. 757
Pyongyang, February 4 (KCNA) - General Secretary Kim Jong Il inspected an armoured infantry company of combined unit no. 757 of the KPA.
Appreciating a military training of armoured infantrymen, he noted with great satisfaction that all of them have been firmly prepared to be a-match-for-a-hundred fighters through steady combat trainings and put forward highly important tasks which constitute guidelines in further strengthening and developing the revolutionary armed forces of Korea.
He went round educational, cultural and supply service facilities of the company and showed a meticulous care for their daily life.
He saw an art performance given by the company soldiers.
He gave them a machine gun, an automatic rifle and a pair of binoculars as gifts and posed for a photograph with them.
He was accompanied by KPA Generals Kim Ha Gyu, Hyon Chol Hae, Pak Jae Gyong and staff members of the KPA Supreme Command.
Preparatory committee for celebrating birthday of G.S. Kim Jong Il formed in Ethiopia
Pyongyang, February 4 (KCNA) -- An inaugural meeting of the Ethiopian preparatory committee for celebrating the 56th birthday of General Kim Jong Il was held in Addis Ababa on Jan. 25.
The preparatory committee decided to intensify the study and dissemination of the Juche idea and organize colorful events on the occasion of the birthday of General Kim Jong Il.
"KCTU" vows to enter into general strike
Pyongyang, February 4 (KCNA) -- The "Korean Confederation of Trade Unions" (KCTU) in South Korea in a statement on Jan. 31 strongly denounced the puppet government for scheming to unillateraly force the system of allowing companies to lay off workers, according to a Seoul-based radio report.
The new "government" of South Korea is going to pass a bill on the layoff system and the law of labour exchange through an "interim session of the national assembly" in February without any step for price stability and solving unemployment problem.
The "KCTU" warned that if the bill is railroaded through, it would not participate in labour-management-government consultative council and lead all its affiliated organizations to go on a general strike.
Fruition of self-reliance
Pyongyang, February 4 (KCNA) -- A national meeting of example-setters in self-reliance was held in Korea a few days ago.
It summed up achievements and experience gained in the course of the "arduous march" and discussed how to push ahead with the forced march for the final victory in the high-pitched revolutionary spirit of self-reliance.
The Korean people made brilliant achievements in production and construction under the uplifted banner "only self-reliance is our choice " those in the coal industrial sector built more cutting faces by exploring and using internal reserves to the maximum. As a result, the daily average coal output in the latter half of 1997 was 20 percent higher than the figure in the similar period of the previous year.
Soldiers of the Korean People's Army and workers engaged in the power industrial sector built the Anbyon Youth Power Station with the domestic strength, technique and materials.
Particularly, the construction of minor power stations has been stepped up in recent years, with the result that hundreds of power stations were built throughout the country.
In the railway transport, the 100-odd-kilometre-long Wonsan-Mt. Kumgang Railway Line was laid and great successes were made in the work of improving the technical condition of tracks.
Metal-makers opened up a vista for increasing the steel and iron production by introducing new methods.
The agricultural working people and people's army soldiers laid a solid foundation to increase the agricultural production by making preparations for farming by themselves.
The people engaged in the light industrial sector increased the production of light industrial goods including primary consumer goods by making an effective use of the already-made production foundation.
The "arduous march" in korea produced a large number of units which manage themselves properly by their own efforts.
Cities and counties built their own raw material and production bases and managed their economic life with their own resources, not depending upon others.
Industrial establishments have solved problems of production and life of employees through self-reliance.
The achievements made in the course of the "arduous march" for years under the banner of self-reliance are an eloquent evidence of the invincibility of the cause of Korean-style socialism.
Greetings to Prime Minister of Equatorial Guinea
Pyongyang, February 4 (KCNA) -- Hong Song Nam, acting Premier of the Administration Council, sent a message of greetings to Angel Serafin Seriche Dougan upon his reappointment as Prime Minister of Equatorial Guinea.
The message expressed the belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would continue to develop on good terms and wished him success in his work.
Collection of poems "Korea under bright sun and star" published in Syria
Pyongyang, February 4 (KCNA) -- A collection of poems "Korea under bright sun and star" written by a Syrian poet Jaudat Muhammad Shatin was published by the Dar Dimask Publishing House of Syria on the occasion of the sixth anniversary of the election of General Kim Jong Il as Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army and the 80th birth anniversary of the great communist revolutionary fighter mother Kim Jong Suk.
It says that President Kim Il Sung was born in Mangyongdae and devoted all his life to the people.
The book stresses that General Kim Jong Il, an outstanding leader who was born in the secret camp on Mt. Paektu and is carrying forward the revolutionary cause of President Kim Il Sung, is defending the banner of socialism, aspiration of humankind, to the last.
Financial syndicates companies closed in S. Korea
Pyongyang, February 4 (KCNA) -- The South Korean authorities closed down 10 of the 30 financial syndicates companies in South Korea on January 30, a Seoul-based redio reported.
They also plan to take another closedown measure in February and continue with the closure.
The International Monetary Fund, seeking to establish its economic domination over south korea, has pressed South Korea to open its financial market and close loss-making financial institutions.
Giving in to this pressure, South Korea has closed or sold off some of its financial institutions.
Rodong Sinmun on nation's common reunification programme
Pyongyang, February 4 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today carries an article titled "three charters are nation's common programme for independent, peaceful reunification."
General Kim Jong Il, in his celebrated work "Let Us Carry Out the Great Leader Comrade Kim Il Sung's Instructions for National Reunification," defined as the three charters for reunification the three principles of national reunification, the Ten-Point Programme of the Great Unity of the Whole Nation and the proposal for the founding of the Democratic Confederal Republic of Koryo (DCRK) put forward by President Kim Il Sung.
The three charters, which indicate the basic principles and ways for Korean reunification, are guidelines to be taken in the accomplishment of the cause, the daily says, and continues:
As General Kim Jong Il said, the three principles of independence, peaceful reunification and great national unity are a cornerstone which provides a fundamental position and way for solving the reunification issue by the efforts of the nation and in conformity with its will and interests.
The "10-Point Programme of the Great Unity of the Whole Nation for the Reunification of the Country" is a political platform for achieving harmony and unity of the whole nation and strengthening the driving force of national reunification.
The DCRK founding proposal is a blueprint which shows how the country should be reunified and what the reunified state is like. It makes it possible to reunify the country in a fair way with the north and the south allowed to have their own ideology and system intact.
Indeed, the three charters are replete with the spirit of national independence, the spirit of regarding the nation's dignity and sovereignty as life and soul. They also reflect ardent, patriotic desire to achieve harmony between the north and the south and the unity of the whole nation and win the independent and peaceful reunification of the country.
The three charters serve as the banner the Korean nation should always maintain in the efforts for reunification and the most just and realistic reunification programme common to the nation.
Immortal letters
Pyongyang, February 4 (KCNA) -- Immortal letters were carved in the revolutionary battle sites, monumental creations and scenic spots of Korea.
They are the autographic letters of President Kim Il Sung.
He, with a noble revolutionary obligation to the anti-Japanese revolutionary fighters, left his autographic letters on the revolutionary martyrs cemetery on Jujak Hill of Mt. Taesong in Pyongyang to further exalt their feats.
His autographic letters are found inscribed in the West Sea Barrage which was built across an 8 km-long sea as a creation in the era of the Workers' Party of Korea, and in Mirim, Songchon, Sunchon and Hyangsan barrages and Lake Unpha.
Hanging boards with his autograph reflecting his warm love for posterity have been set up at Kim Hyong Jik University of Education and Kim Chaek University of Technology. His autograph wishing children a happy future is shining at the Mangyongdae Schoolchildren's Palace.
His autograph can be seen in the signboards of Okryu Bridge, Mirim Bridge, Chungsong Bridge (loyalty) and Rungna Bridge on Taedong River in Pyongyang.
"Monument to the rebuilding of Tomb of King Tongmyong" and "Koryo Songgyungwan" are his autographs to redress the history of the Korean nation and give the pride and honour of the nation to fellow countrymen.
His autographic letters are also carved on Mts. Paektu, Kumgang, Myohyang and other famous mountains.
His autographic letters worthy of national treasure are glittering with the history of Korea.
Ridiculous sophism
Pyongyang, February 4 (KCNA) -- Some news media of the United States have been testing the will of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. They have repeatedly claimed that as the DPRK is a main object posing danger to the United States, a forestalling attack should be made on it as a measure to remove the root cause in the bud and that it is high time the attack was launched because the DPRK is in the grip of the "worst ever crisis".
In the past they described the DPRK as "impregnable fortress" and "hardline communist bulwark". But now they are crying for a forestalling attack on it, reiterating what the U.S. conservatives have said.
Uneasiness and terror are what robbers always feel.
If they are to extricate themselves from uneasiness and terror, they have no other choice but to go away along with lethal weapons. But they are now describing the owner as "object posing danger to them" and threatening a forestalling attack. This is really a brigandish logic proper to the murderers and plunderers.
The U.S. has never opened its mouth without calling for "freedom of choice" and "democracy".
What the media have said, however, reveal again that its call is nothing but a hypocrisy and that the U.S. is a rogue state misguided by brigandish logic and thinking.
The U.S. conservative hardliners should stop foolish acts.
The more zealously they abuse and threaten the DPRK, the more clearly their foolishness may be revealed. And such a reckless act will harm themselves.
The right to choice is not an exclusive thing of the United States.
U.S. opposed to early financial aid to S. Korea
Pyongyang, February 4 (KCNA) -- A Seoul-based radio reported that the United States would not readily offer its promised d1.7 billion financial aid to South Korea.
On January 30, the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury said that negotiations on South Korea's foreign debts were reported to be settled, but not enough to solve the issue of the short-term debts, and the time was not mature for financial aid.
The U.S. Congress has also put brakes on financial assistance to South Korea.
It is apprehended that, since the United States is irresolute, the total sum of 8 billion dollars promised by other countries with it might not arrive in South Korea in the near future, the radio added.
DPRK's proposal for reunification by confederal formula supported
Pyongyang, February 4 (KCNA) -- The government of Uganda invariably supports the peace proposal for reunification by confederal formula put forward by President Kim Il Sung and holds that it should be realised so quickly as to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula and put an end to the sufferings of the Korean people from division. President of Uganda Yoweri Kaguta Museveni said this when he met the Korean Ambassador who paid a farewell call on him on Jan. 28.
He expressed the belief that the diligent Korean people would surely tide over the temporary economic hardships caused by serious natural disasters for years under the wise guidance of General Kim Jong Il.
He extended solidarity to the struggle of the DPRK government and people for a fresh leap and advance.