DPRK-Brazil Friendship Pyongyang Embroidery Institute named
Pyongyang, February 24 (KCNA) -- A ceremony for naming the DPRK-Brazil Friendship Pyongyang Embroidery Institute was sponsored by the DPRK-Brazilian Cultural Association for friendship at the Pyongyang Embroidery Institute on February 23.
Present were Ryang Tal Ju, Vice-Chairman of the Korean Society for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries and Chairman of the Association, officials concerned and employees of the institute.
Speeches were made there.
Party on "Day of Defenders of Motherland"
Pyongyang, February 24 (KCNA) -- Valery Denisov, Russian Ambassador to the DPRK, gave a party on Feb. 23 to mark the "Day of Defenders of the Motherland".
Invited to the party were Jong Chang Ryol, Vice-Minister of the People's Armed Forces, KPA generals and officers and military attaches of foreign embassies here.
Vladimir Dombrovski, military attache of the Russian embassy, and other embassy officials were on hand.
Speeches were made at the party.
Inter-Korean relations should be turned into reconciliation and unity
Pyongyang, February 24 (KCNA) -- The north and the south of Korea, the same nation, should improve relations and achieve reconciliation and unity, says Rodong Sinmun in a signed article today.
The daily goes on:
This is the best way for the existence of the nation and the reunification of the country.
Politicians in South Korea must discard the old concept of confrontation and war, renounce the policy antagonizing the fellow countrymen in the north, pull down all the political and physical barriers bisecting the north and the south and make a policy switchover towards alliance with the north and communism and reconciliation to meet the common aspiration and expectations of the nation.
If the north and the south are to be reconciled and united with each other, the military confrontation must be removed, tensions eased between the north and the south and all the military exercises against the north discontinued in South Korea.
Then, a radical turn will be made in removing the confrontation between the north and the south and achieving national reconciliation and unity.
The daily appeals again to the politicians in South Korea to affirmatively respond to the proposal and initiative of the joint meeting of the political parties and organisations in the north.
Merited choir -- trumpeter of era
Pyongyang, February 24 (KCNA) -- Songs of the merited choir of the song and dance ensemble of the Korean People's Army are now ringing out more loudly in all parts of the country.
"We started on debris", "We will advance confidently," "Toward decisive battle" and other songs are greatly inspiring the Korean people in the forced march of socialism for the final victory.
The choir is a powerful art troupe unfailingly faithful to the ideas and intentions of the Workers' Party of Korea, the demand of the era and the aspiration of the people.
General Secretary Kim Jong Il, enjoying the performances of the choir frequently, said that when he heard its songs, he felt fresh strength and that the choir sang of what he thought and wanted to talk. He noted with great satisfaction that art served politics in such a way.
The steadfast spirit of all the Korean people to defend the leader with their lives, the idea of the red flag, the absolute faith in socialism and the revolutionary spirit of soldiers and the noble feelings of loyalty and filial piety are fully reflected by the songs of the choir. They also mirror the iron will of the great brilliant commander and his matchless grit, strong spirit and deep love for the people.
"Let us hold high the red flag", "We will defend the headquarters of revolution with our lives", "Thunder on Jong Il Peak" and other songs are imposing, majestic, combatant and vigorous enough to stir up the hearts of all the people. The choir sings well folk songs, too.
The choir's artistic talent is excellent. Particularly, its high-pitched tone cannot be matched by any foreign choirs.
The choir performed in many countries.
It comprises veteran singers as well as singers in their twenties.
They are now busy selecting and singing other world-famous songs.
The choir, which is demonstrating its might as a choir of General Kim Jong Il, a matchlessly brilliant commander, is a pride of Korea.
Aerial trapeze flight--"fliers"
Pyongyang, February 24 (KCNA) -- "Fliers," an aerial trapeze flight of the Korean acrobats, is now drawing the attention of audiences.
The acrobatic piece was awarded a gold prize, the highest prize of the 22nd Monte Carlo International Acrobatic Festival, recently held in Monaco.
Created and directed by people's artist Kim Jae Gun, it is performed by a girl Kim Hye Gyong and 8 boys.
It is unique in composition and form. The flight distance is longer than before.
The performance full of youthful vigor and grit reaches the climax with three somersaults by the girl acrobat and about 20 metres of aerial trapeze flight by boy acrobats.
The performers are 29 to 30 years old on an average.
Kim Hye Gyong, 29, is a promising acrobat.
She is a graduate of the fourth term of the Pyongyang Circus School.
Italian party officials visit Pyongyang mission of NDFSK
Pyongyang, February 24 (KCNA) -- Jian Andrea De Angelis Stefano, Director of the Organisational Department of the Movement for Peace and Socialism of Italy, and his party visited the Pyongyang mission of the National Democratic Front of South Korea (NDFSK) on Feb. 23.
Chief Ri Sang Chol and members of the mission greeted them and conversed with them.
The director said that General Kim Jong Il is a great leader of the international communist movement. His famous works have been widely disseminated in Italy, he noted, and stressed:
The South Korean authorities should discard the policy of depending on outside forces and the U.S. troops present in South Korea should be withdrawn.
He expressed solidarity with the South Korean people in their struggle for independence, democracy and reunification. He supported the proposals put forward at a recent joint meeting of the DPRK political parties and organisations.
Korean people's cause of reunification supported by African leaders
Pyongyang, February 24 (kcna) -- President of the State of Eritrea Issayas Afeworki and Equatorial Guinean Prime Minister Angel Serafin Seriche Dougan, when they met with the DPRK Ambassadors to their countries, expressed solidarity for the Korean people's just cause of national reunification.
The Eritrean President said that his government and people support the line of the DPRK government and the efforts of the Korean people to build their country and achieve national reunification in their own way.
The Equatorial Guinean Prime Minister said that the election of General Kim Jong Il as General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea is an expression of the steadfast will of the Korean people to accomplish under his wise leadership the revolutionary cause pioneered by President Kim Il Sung.
Pointing out that in 1994 Equatorial Guinea published a government statement supporting the reunification of Korea, he said that the stand of his government clarified in the statement would remain unchanged.
Korean folk dance "Fan Dance"
Pyongyang, February 24 (KCNA) -- "Fan Dance" is a typical folk dance of Korea. Dancers with fans of beautiful flower pictures or feathers in both hands intermingle and step in circles, folding and unfolding, turning up and down their fans.
The dance represents higher artistic techniques than other dances. Its rhythms are very beautiful and graceful. It has been danced with "peasant dances" and other folk games.
The movements of fans to the tune of graceful melodies add to the noble national sentiments of the Korean people.
Various movements of fans represent the rhythms of the Korean dances.
Dancers usually wear white-colored jacket and skirt.
Impressive is that the color of the dresses of the dancers is in good harmony with that of fans. This fully reveals the spiritual world of the industrious, honest and indomitable Korean people.
The "Fan Dance" has been developed to cater to a modern aesthetic taste and is loved by the people.
FM meets new Czech Ambassador
Pyongyang, February 24 (KCNA) -- Vice-Premier and Foreign Minister Kim Yong Nam today met and had a conversation with Alexander Karich, newly appointed Ambassador E.P. of the Czech Republic to Korea, who paid a courtesy call on him.
IAEA delegation here
Pyongyang, February 24 (KCNA) - A delegation of the International Atomic Energy Agency arrived in Pyongyang today by air to participate in the ninth round of negotiations for implementing the DPRK-U.S. agreed framework.