Exchange between Korea, Bulgaria
Pyongyang, April 1 (KCNA) -- A 1997-2000 plan for scientific, educational and cultural exchange between governments of the DPRK and Bulgaria was adopted in Sofia.
It was signed by Korean ambassador to Bulgaria Pak Yong Gol and Director of a Department of the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry Stanislav Bayev.
S. Korea: another federation of trade unions to be formed
Pyongyang, April 1 (KCNA) -- The Council of Representatives of Public Sector Trade Inions in South Korea declared that the "National Federation of Public Sector Trade Unions" will be formed this month, a radio report from Seoul said.
According to its preparatory committee, the council will be reformed into the largest organization of public sector trade unions, which involves those of thirteen "government-run" investment bodies and over 80,000 unionists.
After its inauguration, the federation will join the South Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the report said.
Papers call for commemorating Sun's Day
Pyongyang, April 1 (KCNA) -- All papers here today editorially call for grandly commemorating Sun's Day.
They say it is a great event for the Korean people in their political life to commemorate April 15, the birthday of President Kim Il Sung, as Sun's Day.
Rodong Sinmun says the day is a common holiday of the Korean people and all other peoples around the world who venerate President Kim Il Sung as sun of Juche.
Sun's Day this year is an auspicious holiday the Korean people are greeting at a time when a new era of the Juche revolution is being ushered in, the daily says. Now the Workers' Party and people of korea are working hard for the final victory of Korean socialism, closely united around General Secretary Kim Jong Il.
The commemoration of Sun's Day has been prepared throughout the country on a wide scale and on a high level and preparatory committees have been formed and various kinds of meetings planned in many countries to commemorate the day, the daily says, and continues:
For the Korean people, significantly commemorating Sun's Day is a sacred, honorable work for holding President Kim Il Sung in high esteem for all ages and a worthwhile undertaking for carrying forward through generations the cause of Korean socialism started by him.
For the commemoration of Sun's Day, all the party members and working people should have a profound knowledge of his distinguished greatness and enduring feats, remain unfailingly loyal and devoted to him and implement his behests to the letter so as to effect a fresh, great upsurge in socialist construction.
They should grandly commemorate Sun's Day with great national pride, thus exalting his great revolutionary life and feats and winning a new victory in the struggle for the accomplishment of the Juche revolutionary cause.
In the meantime, Minju Joson calls for demonstrating again through the commemoration of Sun's Day the invincible might of the Korean people, who venerate President Kim Il Sung as eternal sun of Juche and uphold General Kim Jong Il's leadership with loyalty.
Okryugum
Pyongyang, April 1 (KCNA) -- Today, the DPRK is developing national musical instruments .
Okryugum, a plucking instrument, is one of the new national instruments.
Okryugum is loved by the Koreans, for its charming shape and tone colour and strong musical effect.
It consists of 33 strings with very great compass. It produces a deep tone by making a vibration of strings, colour of the sound peculiar to national instruments. Its resonance box also produces enough volume of the sound. The tone-shifting device gives any harmonic musical effect admirably.
Okryugum can be used for a recital, as well as for orchestra and instrumental ensemble. It is used as both melodic and rhythmic instruments.
Okryugum which has a special function and the acoustic effect of national instruments can admirably perform various musical works demanding a high level of presentation.
Okryugum with a clean, gentle and graceful sound was newly completed, overcoming the limitations of old national instruments with the result that it is popular at home and abroad.
Repatriation of pows demanded abroad
Pyongyang, April 1 (KCNA) -- The world public has condemned the South Korean authorities' inhuman deeds against unconverted long-term prisoners who were taken prisoner in the past Korean war, and urged them to immediately send those pows back to the northern half of Korea where their families and relatives are waiting for them.
The Guyana-Korea Friendship Association, the labour union, the agricultural and general workers union and the national association of workers in commerce and industry of Guyana sent a letter in the joint name to the U.S. President. In the letter they demanded that the United States fully exercise its influence on the South Korean authorities for the repatriation of Kim In So, Ham Se Hwan, Kim Yong Thae and other pows.
Lashing out at the South Korean authorities' violations of the pows' human rights, the Nepalese paper Sremik said it is contrary to international law and usage to keep pows in South Korea so long.
The international committee for the release and repatriation of unconverted long-term prisoners in South Korea sent an appeal to non-governmental organizations and human rights groups in different countries, while the pan-American solidarity committee for supporting the struggle of the national democratic front and people of South Korea published a statement.
The appeal and statement said that the pows should be sent back to the DPRK promptly in conformity with international law.
Release of prisoners of conscience urged in S. Korea
Pyongyang, April 1 (KCNA) -- A brisk campaign for the release of prisoners of conscience is being staged in South Korea.
The family movement for realizing democracy, a human rights group, published a statement on March 15 demanding that the "government" set free all prisoners of conscience unconditionally and immediately, if it is willing to carry out reforms.
Earlier, this group staged a signature campaign and a demonstration in demand of the release.
Students under the Inchon and Kyonggi provincial federation of university student councils urged the "government" to release and reinstate the prisoners of conscience in order to save conscience in South Korea.
The Andong citizens' meeting for supporting prisoners of conscience said the release of all the prisoners of conscience including patriotic students of the South Korean federation of university student councils is wanted by the entire fellow countrymen. And it vowed to continue the struggle until the demand for the release is met.
The Korean Catholic Priests' Association for Justice, the Kwangju Catholic Archdiocese Commission for Justice and Peace, the Bar Association for a Democratic Society, the Human Rights Committee of the South Korean Council of Christian Churches and other organizations, through various forms of struggle, made public the lists of prisoners of conscience, and urged the authorities to set free all of them.
The newspaper Hangyore and magazines Mal and Shin Dong-A and other press media said that the release of the prisoners of conscience should not be turned aside and that there is no reason for the pro-democracy figters to be imprisoned.
Arboretum near Kumsusan Memorial Palace
Pyongyang, April 1 (KCNA) -- A large number of trees have been planted in the arboretum near the Kumsusan Memorial Palace, sacred temple of Juche, in the spring tree planting months in Korea.
Working people, youths and students across the country planted about 25,000 trees of 140 odd kinds there in the latest 15 days.
Over the past two years since the beginning of the construction of the arboretum, millions of trees and many kinds of flowers were already planted there and the construction is now nearing perfection.
The arboretum covers 100 hectares between the Kumsusan Memorial Palace and Mt. Taesong.
It consists of a needle-leaf tree forest, an oil-bearing tree forest, a fibre-bearing and paper-making tree forest, a timber forest and a wild fruit tree forest.
It includes several hundred kinds of trees such as pine, fir, picea koraiensis, maple, gingko, apricot and cherry.
Many rare trees from china, Denmark, Sweden, Canada and other countries were also planted there.
Almost all the kinds of trees in the world can be seen in the general forest in the centre of the arboretum.
Covering 10 hectares are a Korean-style park, lotus pond, stroll way, ring-shape road and public service facilities.
The arboretum serve as a pleasure ground and a centre for scientific researches and education.
With the appearance of the arboretum, the Kumsusan Memorial Palace area has been suvrounded by thick forests and all sorts of beautiful flowers.
General Secretary Kim Jong Il extended his thanks several times to working people who did good things for the Kumsusan Memorial Palace.
True colors of S. Korean "ANSP" revealed
Pyongyang, April 1 (KCNA) -- The Propaganda Department of the Central Committee of the National Democratic Front of South Korea released a white paper on March 26 disclosing the true colors of the South Korean "Agency for National Security Planning" (ANSP), Seoul-based radio Voice of National Salvation reported.
The white paper said in part:
Though power changed hands in South Korea, "ANSP" still remains the general headquarters of fascism and anti-reunification plots, an all-powerful tool and wrecker of democracy, contrary to the advertisement about its "limited function."
"ANSP" has the "anti-communist investigation department," "anti-north operation department," "psychological warfare department" and other main departments and branches which embrace hundreds of thousands of agents. It has also its own intelligence school.
After coming to power under the "civilian" veil, Kim Young Sam, bowing to public pressure, reformed "ANSP" in December 1993. In actuality, however, it was reinforced with such anti-communist departments as "anti-north strategy planning department."
"ANSP" thrusts its claws to all the social spheres including politics, administration, judicature, diplomacy, press and inter-Korean relations and to every person.
It has put dissidents under surveillance round the clock and planted its agents among dissident, labor and student organizations to keep a close watch on their activities.
For "power security" it faked up more than 50 "spyring cases" in the 1979-1984 period and invented many cases including the "brother Kim Sam Sok-sister Kim Un Ju case" in the 1990s, too.
Those who were imprisoned by "ANSP" on various charges including those of being "spy" totalled 103 iaen eio in 1994 and 455 in 1996.
"Policies of unification" pursued by the successive rulers were what "ANSP" shaped and systematized.
When north-south high-level talks were underway in 1992, Ri Dong Bok, special advisor to the then "ANSP Minister," broke off the inter-Korean contact, acting advisor to the "Prime Minister" who was the chief delegate of South Korea, and the spokesman. At that time, he overrode the "Prime Minister's opinion" and fabricated even "instructions of the President."
"ANSP" allocates 336 hours to anti-north propaganda every day through three "social and educational TV" channels and eleven radio programs. In 1996, it began the anti-north "religionist broadcasting" and used such right-wing conservative papers as Chosun Ilbo in the propaganda against the north.
It has also resorted to such despicable acts as forcing renegades to speak ill of the north's political system with lies.
The existence of "ANSP" itself is the nation's shame.
To talk about democracy and reunification with it left alone is a mockery of the people. The present rulers of South Korea, who were victimized by "ANSP" in the past, should immediately take a step to dissolve it, true to their words as politicians.