G.S. Kim Jong Il inspects KPA unit no. 224
Pyongyang, February 26 (KCNA) - General Secretary Kim Jong Il inspected
unit no. 224 on Tuesday.
He was accompanied by Director of the KPA General Political Department Jo Myong Rok, Chief of the KPA General staff Kim Yong Chun and staff members of the KPA Supreme Command.
At a forward command post, General Secretary Kim Jong Il learned about the topographical features and things of the area and about military deployment and acquainted himself with the enemy's situation, looking towards enemy-controlled Kanghwa and Kyodong islands, some 2,000 metres away from the post.
He said that since the imperialists have escalated preparations to stifle the socialist homeland by military force, it is necessary to exercise utmost revolutionary vigilance. He then made clear what the unit has to do.
Seeing a weapon-handling training of soldiers, he voiced great satisfaction at the servicemen prepared to be a-match-for-a-hundred combatants and encouraged them.
Going round the unit's educational, cultural and logistic facilities, he said the KPA has a powerful weapon which cannot be made with any military science and technique, that is unity between officers and soldiers.
General Secretary Kim Jong Il saw an art performance given by the unit's servicemen and gave them a pair of binoculars and an automatic rifle as gifts before posing for a photograph with them.
He also inspected KPA unit no. 230 on the same day.
The unit was visited by President Kim Il Sung in September 1979.
General Secretary Kim Jong Il highly appreciated the achievements of the unit and had a picture taken with servicemen of the unit.
Meeting of fruit-growers held
Pyongyang, February 26 (KCNA) -- A meeting of fruit-growers was held in Pyongyang on February 25.
It was attended by Hong Song Nam, Vice-Premier of the Administration Council, Choe Song Suk, Chairperson of the Central Committee of the Union of Agricultural Working People of Korea (UAWPK), and officials concerned.
Kim Chang Sik, first vice-chairman of the state agricultural commission, delivered a report, which was followed by speeches.
The reporter and speakers said that President Kim Il Sung put his heart and soul into developing the fruit-culture of the country to provide the people with a more affluent and happy life.
They noted that General Kim Jong Il has wisely directed the fruit-growing work, covering the course of on-the-spot guidance of the President with a view to putting his far-reaching plan into reality.
They pointed out that remarkable achievements have been made in the development of the fruit-culture under the wise guidance of the party and the leader and put forward measures to drastically increase fruit production by developing the nation's fruit-culture true to the behests of the president and the intention of the party.
Wreaths before O Jin U's bust
Pyongyang, February 26 (KCNA) -- Wreaths were laid before the bust of communist revolutionary fighter O Jin U in the Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery on Mt. Taesong on February 25 on the occasion of his third death anniversary.
Present at the wreath-laying ceremony were Director of the General Political Department of the Korean People's Army (KPA) Jo Myong Rok, Chief of the general staff of the KPA Kim Yong Chun, KPA generals and officers and bereaved family members.
Wreaths and bunches of flowers were laid before his bust in the name of the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces and KPA units.
"Security Vaccum", war signboard for arms buildup
Pyongyang, February 26 (KCNA) -- Of late the commander of the U.S. Forces in the pacific, when referring to the situation in Iraq, said the U.S. Forces in East Asia, including Japan and the Korean Peninsula, had been reduced to a strangely low level, and the commander of the U.S. Forces present in South Korea, too, made the remarks that "the combat power of the U.S. Forces" present in South Korea "became weak."
Earlier, the U.S. Air force authorities voiced apprehensions of "Security Vaccum" in South Korea as the independence, an aircraft carrier of the U.S. Seventh Fleet, was deployed at the Persian Gulf due to the crisis in Iraq.
The U.S. has about 40,000 troops and many sophisticated lethal weapons and combat equipment deployed in South Korea.
It is the height of impudence for the U.S. to talk about "Security Vaccum".
Its loud-mouthed "Security Vaccum" is no more than a deceptive signboard to justify its large-scale arms buildup in South Korea.
Lurking behind the argument of "Security Vaccum" is a sinister design of the U.S. for "simultaneous wars" in the two areas.
With this war strategy the U.S., considering that "strength" is almighty, is amassing its forces in the Persian Gulf, while reinforcing armed forces in South Korea.
The U.S. arms buildup in South Korea is an unpardonable crime of worsening military confrontation between the north and south of Korea and bringing the situation on the Korean Peninsula to the brink of war.
Worse still, the U.S. is more openly stepping up arms buildup behind the scene of the "four-way talks."
If the U.S. truly wants to establish a peace-keeping mechanism on the Korean Peninsula, it should take away the war signboard.
Anniversary of bureau of external propaganda marked
Pyongyang, February 26 (KCNA) -- A meeting was held on Feb. 25 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Bureau of External Propaganda.
The Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea sent a congratulatory message to the officials and employees on the occasion of the anniversary. The message said that President Kim Il Sung and General Kim Jong Il founded the Bureau of External Propaganda in keeping with the demand of the time on Feb. 16, Juche 57 (1968).
The bureau, over the past 30 years since its foundation, has widely introduced the Juche idea and invincibility of Korean socialism in many regions and countries of the five continents of the world through the circulation of publications and exhibitions, the message noted, and went on:
The officials and employees have made various kinds of propaganda articles by themselves in the spirit of "arduous march" and the revolutionay spirit of soldiers though the country's economic conditions are difficult at present.
Director of the Bureau Kang Jong Chol, who made a report, and other speakers called on the officials and employees to widely introduce abroad the greatness of President Kim Il Sung and General Kim Jong Il and the fruitful success made by the Korean people under the wise leadership of the WPK and leader, in line with the important tasks set forth in the congratulatory message of the WPK Central Committee.
Foreign Ministry spokesman on diplomatic solution to Iraqi crisis
Pyongyang, February 26 (KCNA) -- The spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry hailed a solution to the touch-and-go Iraqi crisis in a peaceful way, not by military force.
We are pleased that the Iraqi crisis, which caused worldwide concern, has been solved in a diplomatic way so that the Persian Gulf region may evade a war disaster, the spokesman said in an interview with KCNA today.
He said:
The solution proves clearly again that "strong arm" and "policy of strength" are not panacea.
If a country wants to dominate the world with "stick of strength", acting the "master of the world," at a time when the Cold War has come to an end, peace and detente have become a universal trend and humankind is seeing in the 21st century, it is an anachronistic daydream.
During the Persian Gulf crisis, the United States reinforced its armed forces in south korea on the basis of the"two wars strategy" and on the pretext of "vacuum" in security.
The U.S. military threat and reinforcement, which got on our nerve, are part of its persistent efforts to find an excuse to indefinitely keep its armed forces on the Korean Peninsula and in its vicinity.
The United States must discard the old thinking pattern of the cold war period, stop recklessly trying to wreck peace with a strong arm on the Korean Peninsula and in other regions and act with discretion.
Ulmil pavilion, heritage of architecture
Pyongyang, February 26 (KCNA) -- The capital city of Korea, Pyongyang, boasts of many age-old legacies of architecture demonstrating the resourcefulness and talents of the nation.
The Ulmil pavilion on Moran Hill says of the history of the patriotic struggle of the ancestors who defeated foreign aggressors from the period of the Koguryo Dynasty.
The pavilion was built as the north command post at the inner-wall of the Pyongyang fort of the Koguryo Dynasty around the middle of the 6th century.
The pavilion standing on the 11 metre-high stones-laid foundation and the walls on its either side were reconstructed in 1714, which clearly shows the architecture of the Ri Dynasty.
The stand of the pavilion was made of square stones in the form of stairs, which is magnificent and stable.
Under the lower part of the poles supporting the crane-shaped roof are stones. Engraved on the king post are sculptures.
The pavilion was destroyed by the U.S. bombing during the last Fatherland Liberation War. After the ceasefire the pavilion was successfully rehabilitated and is preserved as it was under the policy of national cultural relics preservation laid down by the Workers' Party of Korea.
Self-supporting bases prove their worth
Pyongyang, February 26 (KCNA) -- The coal mining complexes in Sunchon, Pukchang, Anju, Onsong and other areas are increasing coal production by creating favourable production conditions.
The Kaechon area coal mining complex which boasts of 10 self-reliant production bases is the case in point.
The employees of the complex have built such bases in areas deposited with abundant limestone and other raw materials to satisfy the needs for carbide.
Repair shops have been installed in the vicinity of pits and faces to provide mobile repair services to cars, motors and reduction gears.
Timely repairing of mining facilities with simple tools, lathes and drilling machines makes it possible for them to increase the operation rate of transport facilities and shorten the repairing time.
As a result, the coal mines under the complex have increased the transport capacity in January 1.5 times as much when compared with December last year.
In Pongchon Coal Mine, a bearing production base has been built to produce most of bearings in need.
Korean socialism will always shine
Pyongyang, February 26 (KCNA) -- Eduardo Fernandez, International Secretary of the October 8 Revolutionary Movement of Brazil, told KCNA that socialism of Korea would always shine.
He, who is heading a delegation of the party, gave his impressions of Korea:
Korea has kept socialism pure, while standing against imperialism most steadfastly in the world.
The Korean people, who have built self-reliant national economy and solved all the problems by their own efforts, are full of confidence in and optimism about the future.
The current reality of korea in which the revolution and construction are going on on the basis of collectivism is the most essential aspect of the socialist advantages.
We are convinced that socialism of korea built by President Kim Il Sung and exalted by General Kim Jong Il will shine long all over the world and emerge ever victorious.
S. Korean military analyst on north's army
Pyongyang, February 26 (KCNA) -- The Seoul-based radio Voice of National Salvation broadcast an article headlined "features of north's army and its politics attaching importance to military" written by a South Korean military analyst Pak Kyong Su.
He said in the article that the north's army, equipped with powerful means of defence and attack, has fully discharged its mission and duty and, at the same time, exercised great influence on social progress, improvement of the people's living and cultivation of their spirit, enjoying admiration from the world military circles.
The hardcore that creates mental value beneficial to fostering the people's spirit every day and leads social development with physical strength while creditably defending the homeland--this is the features of the north's army known in the world, he stressed.
The admirable features are attributable to the outstanding theory on attaching importance to the military affairs of the leader Kim Jong Il, a military genius, and his tested leadership, based on it, over the military, he said, and went on to say:
The leader Kim Jong Il, considering that all the characters of the army with strong organization, good military discipline, militancy, efficiency and collectivity can be sublimated as a powerful motive force pushing ahead with social progress and change, attained the total integration of the political and military leadership--herein lies the original and excellent nature of his politics of attaching importance to the military affairs.
As led by him, the army in the north has become a school that trains servicemen with strong conviction and will and a university that brings up patriotic and true men who devote all energies to social development.
I think the new principle of attaching importance to the military affairs, the principle that if the army is strong, the people are great and society advances briskly, has been established by the leader Kim Jong Il and its truth has been froved in practice.
Stories associated with a park
Pyongyang, February 26 (KCNA) -- There stands a large park in front of the Pyongyang Maternity Hospital.
It is permeated with the noble love of leader Kim Jong Il, who has devoted his all to providing the Korean people with a better cultural and sentimental life.
On September 13, Juche 68 (1979), leader Kim Jong Il visited the hospital the construction of which was nearing completion, looked round the inside of the building and went to a balcony to enjoy a bird's eye view of its surroundings.
At that time, the now Munsu Street was not yet built. So, a wide area around the hospital was not yet occupied.
Officials told him that buildings were designed to fill the area.
He was lost in deep thought for a while. Then, pointing to the area in front of the hospital, he proposed to turn it into a park.
This perplexed the officials because the area was envisaged in the general blueprint for Pyongyang to be a site for an important building.
He told the officials that if another building was constructed near such a magnificent building as Pyongyang Maternity Hosital, shadows would be thrown around it. Many people, he noted, would visit the hospital to see patients in the future and, accordingly, a park must be built for them. As Korean men felt shy, they would be reluctant to give flowers to their wives in eyes of others, he added.
He stressed that a park covered with green foliage must be built so that husbands could present flowers to their wives and embrace newborn babies in arms, enjoying a pleasant time.
After the hospital was completed, he revisited it and went round the park in front of the hospital.
With deep satisfaction, he instructed those in the city management field should plant many trees and flowers in the park and manage it well.
His paternal love for the people deeply impressed the officials.