International art festival will be held in Pyongyang
Pyongyang, March 27 (KCNA) -- The 16th April Spring Friendship Art Festival will be held here to commemorate significant Sun's Day, the birthday of President Kim Il Sung.
The festival has been held every year from the President's 70th birthday in April Juche 71 (1982).
Participating in the forthcoming festival are many art troupes and circus troupes consisting of international and national concert prize winners and famous actors and actresses from 86 organisations of 45 countries in the five continents of the world, and overseas Korean artistes and local artistes.
Put on the stage are music, dance, instrumental music, acrobatics and other colorful events.
The festival, which significantly adorns the first Sun's Day, will contribute to further developing friendship, solidarity and cultural exchange among men of culture from different countries of the world in the idea of independence, peace and friendship.
Rodong Sinmun on continued presence of U.S. troops in S. Korea
Pyongyang, March 27 (KCNA) -- The U.S. Defense Department spokesman and military officials including the Defense Secretary repeatedly announced their intention to keep the U.S. troops in South Korea.
Commenting on this, a news analyst of Rodong Sinmun today says:
What the United States seeks in this is to maintain its military prerogative of supreme command and colonial domination over South Korea for an indefinite period, start a military adventure against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and thus realise its Korea strategy with strength.
Reinforcing its armed forces in South Korea, the U.S. recently reorganised its 8th Army, the nucleus of the forces, into a field army system.
This means that the U.S. military adventures have entered the stage of ignition.
As long as the U.S. continues war moves against the DPRK, leaving its troops in South Korea, the abnormal hostile relations between the DPRK and the United States cannot be removed.
It is high time the United States withdrew its troops from South Korea without losing face.
It would be well advised to take a bold decision to withdraw its troops with reason.
Preparatory committees for commemorating Sun's Day formed abroad
Pyongyang, March 27 (KCNA) -- Preparatory committees for commemorating Sun's Day were inaugurated in Nepal, Guinea, Tanzania, Jordan and Mexico and by the Socialist Unionist Party of Syria.
At an inaugural ceremony of the Nepali national preparatory committee on Mar. 22, Beni Bahadur Karki, chairman of the national council of parliament, was elected as chairman of the preparatory committee and senior officials of different political parties and public organisations as its members and a declaration of its inauguration was adopted.
Beni Bahadur Karki said that the great President Kim Il Sung made great efforts to develop the friendly relations between the peoples of the two countries, performing immortal exploits and that they would remember and respect him forever.
The chairman of the Guinea-Korea Friendship Association was elected as chairman of the Guinean preparatory committee, the commissioner of Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania as chairman of the Tanzanian national preparatory committee, the chairman of the Arab committee for solidarity with the Korean people and support for Korea's reunification as chairman of the Jordanian preparatory committee and the secretary general of the Mexican committee for supporting Korea's peaceful reunification as chairman of the Mexican preparatory committee.
Riyad Suleiman Iwad, member of the political bureau and director of the material research department of the central committee of the Socialist Unionist Party of Syria, was elected chairman of the party's preparatory committee.
It was decided at the inaugural ceremonies to hold colorful events including meeting for remembering President Kim Il Sung, seminar and film show on the occasion of Sun's Day.
Pyongyang declaration signed by Malagasy parties
Pyongyang, March 27 (KCNA) -- The Pyongyang declaration "Let us defend and advance the cause of socialism" was recently signed by the national chairman of the Malagasy Party for Defence of Socialism and the chairman of the Malagasy Party for Defence of Popular Rights.
241 political parties have signed the declaration as of March 18.
Koreans' etiquette of salutation
Pyongyang, March 27 (KCNA) -- Koreans have observed the polite manners of salutation from ancient times. The main manner is to bow head or body.
This manner is divided into slight, deep and half bows, and slight bow is popular among Koreans.
The slight bow is a form of expressing greeting on one's feet. The deeper bending, the higher respect. This form is taken by both men and women.
Deep bow is a form of bending down on knees with hands touching the floor. It is used as a greeting to superiors and generally on New Year's Day and birthday.
Half bow is a form used by superior as sign of answer to subordinate's greeting as well as between friends.
In this form they bend body and head slightly while walking or stopping.
People at the same age can exchange words or facial expressions as a sign of greeting.
They usually say, when meeting, "How do you do?", "How are you?" "I'm sorry to interupt you," "It's long since I saw you last," etc. And, when departing, "Good Bye", "I wish you good health," "I'm afraid you will take much trouble," "See you again," etc.
"Sanctions" must be abandoned
Pyongyang, March 27 (kcna) -- The United States decided to ease "sanctions" against some countries.
Commenting on this, Minju Joson today says:
What it seeks in this is to fend off international denunciation and criticism against its policy of "sanctions" and attain the design it has invariably pursued through "sanctions."
Its decision on easing some of "sanctions" against Cuba and Viet Nam does not mean that it has completely abandoned its policy of "sanctions."
The U.S. must abandon all its anachronistic policy of "sanctions."
In particular, it must at once lift "sanctions" it has stubbornly imposed upon the DPRK, the bulwark of socialism, for scores of years with a view to isolating and stifling it. The lifting of the "sanctions" is also an obligation of the United States under the DPRK-U.S. framework agreement.
If it persists in "sanctions," turning a blind eye to this stark reality, it will be held wholly responsible for all consequences arising therefrom.
It must act with discretion, mindful of this.
Korean books donated to India
Pyongyang, March 27 (KCNA) -- A ceremony for donating Korean books took place at the building of the centre of Indian trade unions on march 24 to commemorate Sun's Day.
Famous works of President Kim Il Sung and General Kim Jong Il, the President's reminiscences and other Korean books were handed to the chairman of the centre of Indian Trade Unions who is a politburo member of the central committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and member of the parliament by the Korean ambassador to India.
The chairman said that the respected President Kim Il Sung is an outstanding thinker and theoretician and a great statesman who made great achievements in ideology, theory and leadership.
He added that he would build up trade unions more firmly, following the ideas, theories and methods expounded by President Kim Il Sung and General Kim Jong Il in their works.