DPRK books donated in Madagascar
Pyongyang, April 13 (KCNA) -- A ceremony for donating DPRK books was held at the Nansan Senior Middle School in Antananarivo, Madagascar, on April 4 on the occasion of Sun's Day.
Famous works of President Kim Il Sung and General Kim Jong Il and reminiscences of the President "With the Century" were handed to the principal of the school.
The principal said that the famous works are textbooks of life and struggle the world's progressive people are avidly reading.
"We will extensively organise studying and reading sessions and seminars on the reminiscences and the works," the principal stressed.
Telegram to G.S. Kim Jong Il from Russian President
Pyongyang, April 13 (KCNA) - General Secretary Kim Jong Il received a telegram from Russian President B. Yeltsin on the occasion of Sun's Day.
In the telegram dated April 10, B. Yeltsin said he was convinced that the development of relations between Russia and the DPRK conforms with the interests of the peoples of the two countries and peace and stability in the Korean peninsula and northeast Asia.
One more financial scandal revealed in S. Korea
Pyongyang, April 13 (KCNA) -- It was recently revealed that Kim Young Sam and other privileged quarters of the "civilian" regime amassed illegal wealth, according to a radio report from Seoul.
In the period from 1994 to 1996, politicians and high-ranking officials of the "civilian" government received fabulous money from 24 financial syndicates in reward for endorsing their operation.
South Korean people from all walks of life are now demanding a thorough probe into the financial scandal and stern punishment on those involved in it.
Young Koreans visit Mangyongdae
Pyongyang, April 13 (KCNA) -- Youths and schoolchildren from across the country marched to visit the old home in Mangyongdae, Pyongyang, where President Kim Il Sung was born, on April 12 with the approach of Sun's Day.
Among them were model youth league members and children's union members who received Kim Il Sung Youth Honor Prize and Kim Il Sung Children Honor Prize and youth and students in Pyongyang.
They were welcomed by a large number of youths, schoolchildren and working people in the city along streets.
Visiting the old home, they acquired a good knowledge of the glorious revolutionary history and ardent patriotism of the great leader who was born into a revolutionary family and cultivated his great revolutionary will for the country and the people.
Reception on Sun's Day and National Day of India
Pyongyang, April 13 (KCNA) -- Indian ambassador to Korea Jagjit Singh Sapra hosted a reception in Pyongyang on April 12 on the occasion of Sun's Day, the birthday of President Kim Il Sung, and the 50th anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of India.
Invited there were Vice-President Pak Song Chol who is a politburo member of the Workers' Party of Korea Central Committee, Vice-Premier of the Administration Council Jang Chol, officials concerned and foreign diplomatic envoys here.
The ambassador said in his speech that President Kim Il Sung was an outstanding statesman, a genuine patriot who performed miraculous feats for the Korean people and the progressive humankind.
The relations between India and the DPRK are characterized by friendship, mutual understanding and relations of cooperation, he said. This is the fruit of President Kim Il Sung's deep concern for the development of bilateral relations between the two countries.
India has supported the Korean people in their efforts to reunify the country, he said, wishing them a great success in their efforts.
Speaking at the reception, Jang Chol said that instituting April 15 as Sun's Day and its significant commemoration are the brilliant realization of the unanimous desire of the Korean people and the world progressive people to uphold President Kim Il Sung for all ages and exalt his revolutionary life and feats generation after generation.
He wished the Indian people who are celebrating the 50th independence anniversary success in the struggle to turn their country into a powerful industrial state with the slogan of self-reliance under the leadership of esteemed Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.
Referring to the long historic traditions of the Korea-India friendship, he added that Korea will make all efforts to further expand and develop the friendly and cooperative relations in conformity with the common desire of the peoples of the two countries this year.
Separate and group performances for Pyongyang festival end
Pyongyang, April 13 (KCNA) -- Separate and group performances of the 16th April Spring Friendship Art Festival which is on in Pyongyang on the occasion of Sun's Day have closed.
During the performances at some ten theatres in the capital from April 9 to 12 veteran international and national concours prize winners, people's and merited artistes and other famous actors and actresses and artistes from different countries performed songs and dances, instrumental music and circus, more than 1,000 numbers in all, on nearly 50 occasions.
Put on the stage were works praising President Kim Il Sung as the sun of humankind, songs lauding General Kim Jong Il and works praising the indomitable communist revolutionary fighter mother Kim Jong Suk and famous music of Korea.
Included in the numbers were foreign art works and circus reflecting the desire of the people to enjoy an independent and creative life to their heart's content in a new, peaceful and free world, freed from war and subjugation in the idea of independence, peace and friendship, and their noble spirit and traditional customs.
The performances were appreciated by more than 100,000 working people, artistes, youth and students, foreigners and overseas Koreans.
The festival continues in the form of joint performance.
Vice-Premier Jang Chol meets Cambodian delegate
Pyongyang, April 13 (KCNA) -- Vice-Premier and Minister of Culture and the Arts Jang Chol met and had a talk with the visiting Cambodian government cultural delegate Nouth Narang who is Minister of Culture and Art at the Mansudae Assembly Hall on April 12.
The delegate said that he came to Korea to understand better the greatness of Generalissimo Kim Il Sung.
He noted that the Cambodian people attach great importance to the special relations of friendship between Cambodia and Korea established by King Norodom Sihanouk and Generalissimo Kim Il Sung.
He hoped that the friendly relations would remain forever through many-sided interchange in the interests of the two peoples.
Hymns of praise chanted at festival
Pyongyang, April 13 (KCNA) -- The 16th April Spring Friendship Art Festival is now at its height in Pyongyang.
Foreign artistes have put on the stage many songs created by themselves with ardent yearning for President Kim Il Sung.
A Malagasy soloist Ralai Narivo Noel Harvey sang "Song of the Sun" written and composed by himself. The song carries the idea that the Juche idea of President Kim Il Sung is the rays of the sun lighting the road of all the people and his loving care and benevolence is the heat of the sun giving eternal happiness. The soloist is participating in the festival for the eleventh time.
He has so far put on the festival stage "On the Evening of April 15," "The Great Leader Comrade Kim Il Sung will always be with Us" and other twenty songs created by himself.
A Spanish Songstress Maripepa who is an international concours prize winner sang "Song to the Great Leader" which she herself wrote and composed, praising President Kim Il Sung who enjoyed absolute trust and respect from the world people for his deep noble virtues.
A song "Congratulations to Sun's Day" created by a Pakistani vocal soloist Arif Lohar stresses that President Kim Il Sung is always with us as there is the great leader comrade Kim Jong Il.
A Mongolian group of famous actors and actresses sang well a mixed duet "Kumsusan Memorial Palace where the leader is preserved in state", keeping the audience wrapped in solemn feeling.
The Mongolian artistes created and sang good songs including "Hymn to Dear Comrade Kim Jong Il" and "Looking Up to Kumsusan Memorial Palace" at the previous festivals.
Foreign artistes wrote and composed hundreds of songs by themselves and sang them at the 16 festivals so far.
S. Korean old people protest Japanese government
Pyongyang, April 13 (KCNA) -- An old woman Ri Jong Suk residing in Sokcho who was forced to serve the Japanese army as a "comfort woman" during the Japanese imperialists' occupation of Korea, sent back to the Japanese government an allowance of withdrawal from welfare pension she was given some 50 years later, in a token of protest, according to a radio report from Seoul.
When she visited Japan, she, enraged at the crimes of the Japanese imperialists, returned the allowance of withdrawal from the welfare pension of insurers in which the Japanese government forcibly enlisted "volunteer corps" members and labourers in the name of "welfare."
Last year, Pak Chang Hwan living in Phyongthaek, Kyonggi Province, and 44 other drafted labourers also refused to accept the allowance in protest against the Japanese government.
Easter marked in Korea
Pyongyang, April 13 (KCNA) -- Services and masses of Easter took place at churches and cathedrals on April 12.
Present were laymen and overseas Koreans staying in the homeland.
Foreign laymen were also on hand.
"A joint north-south Chatholic prayer message on Easter for 1998" which was agreed between the north and the south and a sermon on the subject "Easter and stance of saints" were read at a service on Easter at the Pyongyang Pongsu Church.
It was stressed at the sermon that for the revival of the Korean nation, all the Christians in the north and the south should reunify the country in the form of confederation through national unity with the people of all social standings.
The joint prayer message was read at the Chilgol Church and family worship places across the country on the same day.
A mass on Easter at the Jangchung Cathedral in Pyongyang was held on the subject "mass for praying for national reconciliation, unity and reunification" according to the agreement of Roman Catholics in the north, south and abroad.
The participants in the mass prayed for early reunification through national reconciliation and great unity which accords with Roman Catholicism.
That day, local laymen held prayer meetings on Easter at public places.
New papermaking material developed
Pyongyang, April 13 (KCNA) -- Researchers at the botanical institute have recently developed a raw material, which can be substituted for timber in paper production, true to the intention of the Workers' Party of Korea to improve the paper industry rapidly.
Perennial plants which are available in mountains and fields of Korea are used to make various kinds of paper, including good-quality writing paper.
One of the advantages of this raw material is that the actual extraction rate is 1.2 to 1.3 times higher than that of other materials on average and 1.5 times at maximum.
Another benefit is that new processes are not needed for paper manufacture and that the quality of paper is better than that of paper made of timber.
The new raw material is able to reduce by half the consumption of caustic soda. In addition, it considerably decreases the consumption of fuel and electricity.
It can be preserved for a long time without any special treatment.
Researchers have already introduced this material into local factories in more than 10 counties and are striving to attain still greater success.