Banquet for WFP Executive Director
Pyongyang, April 8 (KCNA) -- The government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea gave a banquet for Catherine Bertini, Executive Director of the World Food Program (WFP), and her party on a visit to Korea at the Mansudae Assembly Hall on April 7.
Also invited to the banquet was Douglas Casson Coutts, resident representative of the WFP here.
Vice-Premier Kong Jin Thae, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Choe Su Hon, Cice-Chairperson of the State Agricultural Commission Kim Yong Suk and other officials concerned were present.
Speeches were made at the banquet.
Preparatory committee for Sun's Day in S. Korea
Pyongyang, April 8 (KCNA) -- Members of the Sun Society active in Seoul inaugurated a preparatory committee for commemorating Sun's Day on Mar. 15, according to Seoul-based radio Voice of National Salvation.
Members of the society and chiefs of ideology study circles attended the inaugural meeting.
An inaugural letter adopted at the meeting set a month of commemorations from Mar. 20 to Apr. 20 and planned commemorative lectures, photo shows, seminars and other events during the period.
"Military restructuring" in S. Korea
Pyongyang, April 8 (KCNA) -- The South Korean puppets are reportedly seeking to strengthen the "wartime recruitment system," making the provocation of a new war a fait accompli.
It is illustrated by the ongoing "military restructuring."
The "Ministry of National Defense" formed the "committee for the promotion of military reforms" allegedly to coordinate the structure of the puppet army modelled after the U.S. aqmy in conformity with the present situation. It intends to work out a bellicose plan to mobilize all the human and material resources in South Korea for the provocation of a new war.
The plan, on the premise that a new war is certain to be unleashed on the Korean peninsula, envisages that the existing "wartime recruitment system" will be expanded and instituted as one of enlisting all the related resources including organizations and manpower.
The "Minister of National Defense" in a press interview on April 6, cried for "military restructuring," saying it makes it possible to use civilian resources as war potentials in emergency.
The plan is being accelerated now when provocative utterances against the north come from the upper echelons of the military. The fact makes us doubtful about the present South Korean regime's willingness for dialogue and reunification.
The South Korean rulers should draw a proper lesson from the disgraceful ends of the former dictators who pursued confrontation and war against the north, depending on outsiders.
Photo exhibition and film show
Pyongyang, April 8 (KCNA) -- The State External Economic Affairs Commission arranged a photo exhibition and film show at the Taedonggang club for the diplomatic corps on April 7 on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of General Kim Jong Il's election as Chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission.
Invited to it were economic and commercial officials of foreign embassies here.
They looked round the exhibited photos with boundless respect and reverence for General Kim Jong Il.
They saw a Korean documentary film "With Great Brilliant Commander" part one.
Realistic programme for reunification
Pyongyang, April 8 (KCNA) -- Pak Kwang Gi, chief of the mission of the National Democratic Front of South Korea in Cuba, on Apr. 3, had an interview with the Prensa Latina to mark the fifth anniversary of the publication of President Kim Il Sung's famous work "10-Point Programme of the Great Unity of the Whole Nation for the Reunification of the Country".
He said:
The programme is a precious fruit of the patriotic will and tireless efforts of the president. It is the most independent, unbiased and realistic programme for reunification that represents the desire of the fellow countrymen.
No one can speak of reunification and discuss cooperation and exchange as long as the anti-national and anti-reunification "National Security Law" and the plot-breeding "Agency for National Security Planning" remain in South Korea. The present rulers of South Korea should make a resolute decision on abolishing the "law" and dissolving the "Agency".
The NDFSK and the patriotic people from all walks of life in South Korea will hold General Kim Jong Il in high esteem as the lodestar of national reunification and realize the 10-Point Programme, a library of national unity and a great programme for national reunification to speed up the dawn of a reunified country without fail.
Military attaches corps visits Oun Revolutionary Site
Pyongyang, April 8 (KCNA) -- The military attaches corps here visited the Oun Revolutionary Site, which is situated in a Pyongyang suburb, on April 7 on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of General Kim Jong Il's election as Chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission.
The Supreme Commander General Kim Jong Il participated in a military camping and drill there in summer of 1962 and performed immortal feats for the development of the revolutionary armed forces with his energetic ideological, theoretical and military activities.
The military attaches looked round various buildings and training places in the revolutionary site.
Vu Dinh Thang, military attache of the Vietnamese embassy here and doyen of the corps, wrote in the visitor's book that General Kim Jong Il, who fully inherited commanding art of the President Kim Il Sung, set forth original military ideas and performed great feats in army building.
Yan Jiangfeng, military attache of the Chinese embassy, said that General Kim Jong Il is a great General who is well versed in all military domains. It is only too natural that the Korean people and army hold him in high esteem as Supreme Commander and deeply trust him, he added.
Main target of struggle for global independence
Pyongyang, April 8 (KCNA) -- The main target of the struggle for global independence is the world imperialist forces, says Rodong Sinmun in a signed article today.
The daily goes on:
This is above all attributable to their aggressive and predatory nature. The nature does not change at all because aggression and plunder are a basic attribute of imperialism and its mode of existence.
Modern imperialism is a main obstacle to the trend toward independence in our era. It, realigned as allied forces headed by the united states, is trying more desperately than ever before to block the trend toward independence and maintain the old international order of domination and subjugation.
The imperialists, who are driven into a serious political and economic crisis, are further revealing aggressiveness and belligerency to find a way out in war. They are also trying to bring to their knees the world progressive people by means of military threat and blackmail, economic subjugation and ideological and cultural disintegration, with nuclear weapons in one hand and dollars in the other.
In order to realize global independence, it is necessary to oppose domination and subjugation of the imperialists, establish a fair international order based on independence, check and frustrate their moves of aggression and war and defend peace and security of the world. To this end, all the forces of independence should adhere to the principled stand against imperialism and direct a sharp edge of attack to it.
And they should shatter the imperialists' moves of division and alienation and strengthen friendship and unity of the world progressive people.
Popular state comedy company of Korea
Pyongyang, April 8 (KCNA) -- Popular actors and actresses of the State Comedy Company of Korea give performances at the 2,000-seat theatre of the Pyongyang International Cinema House these days.
Among the performers are people's actress Hyon Mi Sun, merited actor Choe Kwang Ho, Ri Kyong Mu and Ham Yong Sin.
The performance, which enjoys widespread popularity in the country, gives audience joy, optimism and lessons of life.
The comedies are associated with deep care of General Kim Jong Il, who always wants to provide the people with a cheerful life.
He made sure that a comedy company was formed and named it the state comedy company. And he selected famous comedians for the company and saw its performance on some ten occasions to teach in detail how to create and perform Juche-oriented comedies.
Under his deep care the company has become increasingly popular among the people since it was founded in December Juche 83 (1994).
Its performance has encouraged the people throughout the country in the forced march for the final victory.
World wide study of Juche idea
Pyongayng, April 8 (KCNA) -- Twenty years has passed since the International Institute of the Juche Idea (IIJI) was founded in Tokyo in Apr. 1978.
The immortal Juche idea created by President Kim Il Sung and enriched by General Secretary Kim Jong Il is gripping the hearts of the progressive humankind as the days go by.
The Asian Regional Institute of the Juche Idea was organized in New Delhi, the African regional committee for the study of the Juche idea in Conakry, the Latin American Institute of the Juche Idea in San Jose and the European Society for the Study of the Juche Idea in Paris and groups for the study of the Juche idea were formed around the world in line with the aspirations of the times to vigorously study and disseminate the Juche idea on a worldwide scale.
The IIJI and four regional institutes, nearly 30 national committees and over 1,000 groups for the study of the Juche idea are active all over the world.
The regional institutes and study groups are vigorously studying and disseminating famous works of President Kim Il Sung and General Kim Jong Il, an encyclopedia clarifying the truth of revolution and construction and a series of the Juche idea, having close relations with the IIJI.
Birds and bees fly in
Pyongyang, March 8 (KCNA) -- Since olden times Korea has been called a land as beautiful as a golden tapestry for its picturesque mountains and clear water.
All necessary steps have been taken in the Pyongyang area, the centre of the ancient culture named "Taedonggang Culture", to prevent environmental pollution.
The smeltery, shipyard and iron and steel works in the basin of the River Taedong are all furnished with good facilities for purifying the sewage discharged from them and the well-organized environmental monitoring system.
Biota in the area along the River Taedong is becoming diverse, because of its good quality of water. The whole water area is inhabited by a variety of insects and caddis flies and many kinds of living things such as gastropoda, corbicula and freshwater fish propagate themselves.
Following such food chain, the number of fish living in clear water, such as mandarin fish, minnow, bitterling and gray mullet is on the increase and various kinds of water-birds fly in.
The air in the river basin is very clear and fresh.
According to the measurement of density of floating dust, the average annual value per cubic metre of the air is 0.08 mg and is lower than the permissible limit by the environmental standard.
Flora in the river basin is also diverse. In Pyongyang greening is under way every year. The green belt for each citizen is now 58 square metres.
As woods are exuberant and all parts of the city are ablaze with flowers, so many birds and bees fly in.
Pheasant, goldfinch, blacknaped oriole, woodpecker and pigeon that like the fresh air and quiet places build their nests in trees on Moran Hill in the central part of the city. More than 200 species of birds find their way into the area of the West Sea Barrage to inhabit there. Among them are black-faced spoonbill, yellow beaked white heron, red-cheeked cormorant and other rare birds that are sensitive to the ecological environment and small in number in the world.
The time when acacia flowers are in full bloom is a nice season for the beekeepers. The Pyongyang Honey Producers' Cooperative gathers a lot of honey every year.
Vice-President Ri Jong Ok meets WFP Executive Director
Pyongyang, April 8 (KCNA) -- Vice-President of the DPRK Ri Jong Ok met and had a talk with Catherine Bertini, Executive Director of the World Food Program (WFP), and her paprty at the Mansudae Assembly Hall today.
Present were Choe Su Hon, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Douglas Casson Coutts, resident representative of the WFP here.
Fifth anniversary of General Kim Jong Il's election as NDC Chairman marked
Pyongyang, April 8 (KCNA) -- A national meeting took place at the 6,000-seat theatre of the April 25 House of Culture today, a day before the fifth anniversary of the election of General Kim Jong Il as Chairman of the National Defence Commission (NDC) of the DPRK.
It was attended by vice-presidents Ri Jong Ok, Pak Song Chol and Kim Pyong Sik, other senior party, state and army officials, working people in the city and servicemen.
Kim Yong Chun, Chief of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army (KPA), delivered a report titled "Let us Increase nation's defence capacity, united closely around great brilliant commander."
He said in part:
The five years since the election of General Kim Jong Il, Supreme Commander, to the top post of national defence was a period of heroic struggle and feats in which the Korean army and people turned socialist Korea into an impregnable fortress, a militarily strong country, overcoming adversities.
He expounded a unique idea of attaching importance to the military, an idea that the army is precisely the people, state and party. And he ushered in a great heyday of army building by training the KPA as the main force of the Juche revolutionary cause.
All the servicemen have prepared themselves to be a-match-for-a-hundred combatants and the KPA's equipment has become more powerful and modernized. So, the revolutionary armed forces of Korea have become invincible forces equipped with both powerful attack and defence means capable of defeating any formidable enemy at a stroke.
The worker-peasant red guards, the young red guards and other civilian armed forces have been prepared not only to carry out joint operations with regular armed forces but to annihilate the invaders in any place by themselves and reliably defend their workplaces and villages in emergency.
All areas of the country have turned into unconquerable fortresses.
Korea's defence industry has been able to satisfactorily meet by itself the demand for efficient military equipment suitable to modern war.
The Workers' Party, army and people of Korea, which constitute an integrated whole, have defended socialism and exalted the dignity and might of Juche Korea and Kim Il Sung's nation, undaunted by the imperialists' blockade, acute situation and severe trials. It is the victory of General Kim Jong Il's great leadership and a historic miracle which can be wrought only in Korea under His outstanding and tested leadership.
Owing to the reckless arms buildup and war preparations by the separatists at home and abroad, the situation of the Korean peninsula has been rendered very strained.
Our revolutionary armed forces are exercising utmost vigilance against the escalating war preparations by the U.S. and South Korean warmaniacs and keeping themselves in full combat readiness.
If the warmongers continue fostering confrontation and ignite a war in defiance of our repeated warnings, the Korean army and people will annihilate all the enemies with merciless strikes and uproot the source of war on the Korean peninsula.
The South Korean authorities and politicians should draw a proper lesson from the grave consequences of the successive rulers' dependence on outsiders and anti-north confrontation policy. And they should have a stand of national independence and seek uniting with the fellow countrymen in the north and shaping the destiny of the country and the nation together with them.
16th April Spring Friendship Art Festival opens
Pyongyang, April 8 (KCNA) -- The 16th April Spring Friendship Art Festival opened at the April 25 House of Culture in Pyongyang today.
Attending the opening ceremony were Vice-President Ri Jong Ok who is politburo member of the Workers' Party of Korea Central Committee and officials concerned.
Present there were foreign delegations, delegates, art troupes and overseas Korean artistes, who were welcomed by Pyongyangites along the streets from the arch of triumph.
Also present were foreign diplomatic envoys and embassy officials here.
Chairman Jang Chol of the organising committee of the festival made an opening address.
He, who is also Vice-Premier of the Administration Council and Minister of Culture and Art, said the current festival is a very significant international gathering of artistes as it is held for the first time after the institution of April 15, the birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung, as Sun's Day.
He expressed the conviction that the festival will be successful.
Ri Jong Ok in his congratulatory speech said he is much pleased with the fact that the April Spring Friendship Art Festival is fully demonstrating its advantages and vitality amidst the worldwide concern.
The current festival will mark an important occasion in commemorating Sun's Day forever as a traditional anniversary common to humankind, he said.
He added that the government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea will strengthen friendship and unity and further develop cultural exchange with different countries all over the world in the idea of independence, peace and friendship and thus make a great contribution to the building of human culture.
Congratulatory speeches were made by head of a Chinese government cultural delegation Meng Xiaosi who is Vice-Minister of Culture, an Egyptian cultural delegate Hussein Abd El Moneim A. Tolba who is first Vice-Minister of Culture, and l. I. Malev, head of the Russian army song and dance ensemble named after Alexandrov.
Korean artistes gave a performance at the end of the opening ceremony.