Talks between KPA, International Allied Forces to be held
Pyongyang, June 19 (KCNA) -- Talks between the Korean People's Army (KPA) and the International Allied Forces will be held at Panmunjom on June 23. The sides will be headed by a KPA general officer and by a U.S. general officer respectively.
With the military armistice system paralyzed and the armistice agreement left without any real meaning, we have long proposed the establishment of a new peace mechanism and made efforts to have general officer-level talks to discuss preventing armed conflicts and contingencies even before the appearance of the peace-keeping regime. Due to the U.S. unreasonable position, however, the talks have not yet been held.
We are glad that, though belatedly, the United States changed its position and responded to our demand for the talks.
U.S. troop pullout and DPRK-U.S. negotiations called for
Pyongyang, June 19 (KCNA) -- A U.S. institute issued a policy report on June 17 in which it cried for a debate about a phased withdrawal of the U.S. Forces from South Korea, the South Korean Choong-Ang Daily said.
The institute suggested that with a view to setting up a new peace-keeping mechanism in place of the armistice agreement the U.S. should come out to the DPRK-U.S. negotiations on security, apart from the four-way talks.
The report was made by 30 celebrities, including a former U.S. assistant secretary of defence, a senior fellow of the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations and a retired U.S. admiral, the daily said.
North presidium members of Pomminryon meet
Pyongyang, June 19 (KCNA) -- North presidium members of the national alliance for the country's reunification (Pomminryon) met here on June 18.
Discussed at the meeting were measures for a successful holding of the ninth Pan-Korea rally to make a breakthrough in the independent and peaceful reunification of the country by the concerted efforts of the entire nation in the significant year when the cause of great national unity has reached a new historic stage.
The meeting decided to form a north preparatory committee of the ninth Pan-Korea rally led by chairman Paek In Jun and promote the preparations for the rally hand in glove with the south and overseas organisations of Pomminryon at the time when the south and overseas organisations of Pomminryon inaugurated headquarters for the promotion of the rally some time ago and are pushing ahead with the preparations for the rally.
Kim Jong Il's work studied in some 80 countries
Pyongyang, June 19 (KCNA) -- The famous work of General Kim Jong Il "giving priority to ideological work is essential for accomplishing socialism" has been disseminated in different countries for three years after its publication.
The work was reported by over 180 news media of some 70 countries on some 500 occasions. Among them were the Cuban paper Granma, Russian paper Patriot, Bangladesh paper Natun Bangla, the UNI News Agency, the Guyanese TV broadcasting and the Angolan magazine Angop.
The media said that Kim Jong Il illumines the era of independence with his outstanding wisdom, scientific insight and energetic ideological and theoretical activities and that the work is an immortal library which indicates the way of victory of socialism.
Symposiums, explanatory lectures, lecture meetings and reading sessions on the work were held in some 80 countries including Mongolia, India, Nepal, Egypt, Mali, Russia and Guyana on some 500 occasions.
Participants said that the work convinced them that giving priority to ideological work guarantees victory of socialism.
The work constitutes an eternal banner of encouragement to the socialist forces and progressive people of the world and a great ideo-theoretical instrument, they stressed.
They highly praised Kim Jong Il, who is leading the socialist cause to victory with his excellent ideological and theoretical activities, as a great leader in the era of independence.
Statements and articles on the work were made public by political party leaders, famous political and public figures, and pressmen and chiefs of Juche idea study groups in many countries.
KDLA spokesman on Japanese wives' hometown visit
Pyongyang, June 19 (KCNA) -- The spokesman for the Korean Democratic Lawyers' Association (KDLA) released a statement on Thursday accusing Japan of intentionally creating difficulties in the way of hometown visit of the third group of Japanese wives in Korea.
The spokesman said the Workers' Party of Korea and the DPRK government, with a strong sense of humanitarianism, helped two groups of old Japanese women visit their hometowns and meet their parents and relatives though the two countries had no diplomatic relations yet.
These days, however, Japan has intentionally created obstacles to hometown visit of other Japanese wives by raising the issue of "those who divested themselves of their nationality," the spokesman said, and continued:
Disillusioned with the Japanese authorities, Japanese wives have cancelled their applications for hometown visit and indicted the Japanese side's wrong behavior. Whether they visit their hometowns or not is a matter pertaining to their freedom.
Their hometown visit has been arranged by the DPRK government's humanitarian step to let the Japanese wives meet their families and relatives in Japan after many years of separation.
By refusing to accept "those who divested themselves of their nationality," Japan means negating the nationality of its fellow countrywomen.
We maintain that their hometown visit should take place in accordance with their will and in the humanitarian spirit and that Japan should make clear its position concerning the visit.
Sojourn of S. Korean businessmen
Pyongyang, June 19 (KCNA) -- Entourage of the honorary chairman of the Hyundai Business Group of South Korea visited the International Friendship Exhibition on June 18.
They looked round gifts sent by foreign party, state and government leaders and public figures in the five continents of the world with boundless reverence for President Kim Il Sung and General Kim Jong Il.
After visit, they said the International Friendship Exhibition, where all treasures of the world seem to be exhibited, implants national pride deeper in their mind.
They inspected historic and cultural relics and remains on Mt. Myohyang.
They expressed great satisfaction over the careful preservation of the relics and remains of our nation, which is proud of history of five thousand years and brilliant culture.
Earlier, they visited the Tower of the Juche Idea and the monument to party founding.
First preparatory meeting for national festival held
Pyongyang, June 19 (KCNA) -- The first meeting of the preparatory committee of grand festival for national reconciliation, unity and reunification was held here on Thursday.
Discussed at the meeting was the situation created after representatives of DPRK political parties and organizations met on June 10 and proposed a grand festival for national reconciliation, unity and reunification at Panmunjom on the occasion of the 53rd anniversary of the country's liberation. Measures for successfully holding the festival were also discussed.
It was unanimously stressed that it is most important to create a favorable atmosphere for the August 15 Festival, which will make a fresh turn in the efforts for great national unity and reunification and mark a good occasion in carrying through the five-point policy of great national unity.
The issue of holding such a festival involving compatriots in the north, south and overseas has been raised since 1990.
The failure to hold pro-reunification events at Panmunjom under the cosponsorship of the north and the south is attributable to the fact that the South Korean authorities did not allow South Koreans to participate in them, intensifying the fascist suppression of pro-reunification forces on the strength of the "Agency for National Security Planning" and the "National Security Law" which rejects national reconciliation, unity and reunification.
The participants in the meeting expressed concern over the co-sponsorship of the festival which may be impossible without unconditional elimination of the brakes. And they agreed to take appropriate steps to urge the South Korean authorities to immediately create a climate and atmosphere necessary for smoothly holding the festival in accordance with all the fellow countrymen's desire for national reconciliation, unity and reunification and refrain from suppressing the pro-reunification activities of the south headquarters of the national alliance for the country's reunification and the South Korean federation of university student councils.
They vowed to make all efforts to successfully hold the nationwide festival without fail this year when a new phase is being opened up in the efforts for the great unity of the nation and the reunification of the country.
Foreign crewmen meet at Nampho port
Pyongyang, June 19 (KCNA) -- A meeting of foreign crewmen was held Thursday at Nampho port on the Korean west coast on the occasion of the 34th anniversary of General Kim Jong Il's start of work at the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) Central Committee.
Present at the meeting were captains and crewmen of the Maltese ship "Vogue," the Cambodian ship "Sofia" and the Saint Vincent ship "Sona."
Speakers at the meeting said that Kim Jong Il is the great leader of the WPK and the Korean people and he has wisely led the party, state and army with his energetic ideological and theoretical activities, iron will and matchless grit for 34 years, performing immortal exploits for the fatherland and the people.
Kim Jong Il is a true leader for the people, who is administering politics for the people, they said.
They noted that it is the great happiness and pride not only of the Korean people but also of the world progressives to have Kim Jong Il as leader.
They hoped that the Korean people would firmly unite around him to reunify the divided country and achieve greater success in the struggle to accomplish socialism.
A congratulatory letter to Kim Jong Il was adopted at the meeting.
Foolish attitude toward DPRK
Pyongyang, June 19 (KCNA) -- Minju Joson today carries a signed commentary denouncing the Japanese reactionaries for hindering the third hometown-visiting group of Japanese women in Korea, branding them as "those who divested themselves of their nationality."
By bringing forward the issue of "those who divested themselves of their nationality" the Japanese reactionaries say that women with the citizenship of the DPRK, not the Japanese nationality, cannot visit their hometowns though they are Japanese women. This is nonsense, the paper says, and goes on:
The Japanese wives in Korea have the nationality of the DPRK but they are of Japanese origin. Accordingly, it can be said that it is the moral obligation of the governments of the DPRK and Japan to realise their wish to visit their hometowns in their old age. That is why the Red Cross organisations of the two countries made joint efforts in the noble humanitarian spirit and had their wish realized.
The Japanese authorities, however, are turning their back on all this and blocking Japanese-Korean women's visit to their hometowns. It is a rude act with no elementary morality and conscience.
In the past days the Japanese imperialists, drafted more than 6 million people from Korea and worked them hard, deprived one million people of lives, forced nearly 200,000 women to serve as "comfort women for the army." but Japan has not yet apologized for the crimes over half a century after the war.
The Japanese authorities are no doubt mad after a political gambling.
Japan must not try to tarnish the DPRK's prestige and improve its public image by faking up such a clumsy phrase as "those who divested themselves of their nationality" and creating artificial obstacles in the way of improvement of DPRK-Japan relations, but behave itself creditably.
S. Korean regime tries to conceal DSC's campus surveillance
Pyongyang, June 19 (KCNA) -- The South Korean fascist regime is reportedly trying hard to cover up the campus surveillance committed by the Defence Security Command (DSC) of the puppet army in late may and early June last year to check the inauguration of the fifth-term South Korean Federation of University Student Councils (Hanchongryon).
The DSC arrested five soldiers on June 16 on charge of offering materails concerning campus surveillance to the Mal magazine and the Hangyore newspaper last summer, while police arrested nine civilians that day on the same charge.
The DSC and police charged that they joined the organization of activists of Inje university, an "underground organization benefiting the enemy," conducted activities for "overthrowing the system" and offered "false materials" to Mal and Hangyore to help Hanchongryon.
Though the materials concerning DSC's campus surveillance already proved true, the army's intelligence tool is still trying to cover it up. This is another evidence that nothing has changed under the rule of the "government of the people."
Warm revolutionary comradeship
Pyongyang, June 19 (KCNA) -- A brisk drive is now being conducted in Korea to follow Kim Kwang Chol, the first DPRK hero in the '90s.
Kim, who was a platoon leader of the Korean People's Army, saved his men by covering with his body a handgrenade on the point of explosion in a military training. His self-sacrificing spirit has become a model of warm revolutionary comradeship.
The tradition of revolutionary comradeship was created by President Kim Il Sung and young communists of Korea in the '20s.
President Kim Il Sung started his revolutionary activities with efforts for making friends and comrades. He regarded it as his principle that only a man ready to die for his comrade can have a true comrade, and set brilliant examples of genuine relationship between comrades in the whole course of his revolutionary activities.
Attracted by his warm humanity and distinguished personalities, Kim Hyok, Cha Kwang Su and other young communists called him "comrade Hanbyol" and "comrade Kim Il Sung".
They invariably remained faithful to him, keeping their oath, in the grim days when it was hard to predict when the revolution would be accomplished triumphantly.
The anti-Japanese revolutionary fighters always shared life and death with each other and even laid down their lives unhesitatingly for comrades during the arduous revolution.
This tradition of revolutionary comradeship based on ardent patriotism created by the president made it possible to build the party, government, army and a new prosperous country after the liberation. With it as source of strength, the Korean people could win a great victory in the three-year fatherland liberation war and defend national sovereignty.
Indeed, the revolutionary comradeship is another mental and ideological feature of Korean society in which the leader, the party and the masses are united in one mind.