Working-level talks proposed to north preparatory committee of August 15 Festival

Pyongyang, July 6 (KCNA) -- The preparatory committee of the south headquarters of the National Alliance for the Country's Reunification (Pomminryon) for a "grand festival for national reconciliation, unity and reunification" proposed to the north counterpart to have working-level talks on the preparations of the festival, the joint secretariat of Pomminryon said. The south preparatory committee of Pomminryon expressed the determination to work hard for the success of the August 15 festival proposed at the conference of political parties and organisations of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and bitterly denounced schemings of the present "government" of South Korea which is trying to keep Pomminryon and the South Korean Federation of University Student Councils (Hanchongryon), which are the main force and vanguard of reunification movement, from taking part in the festival, as an act of laying a chill on the desires of patriotic-minded people for reunification, the joint secretariat of Pomminryon said. With a view to discussing technical matters on the holding of the festival, the south side proposed to have working-level talks between the preparatory committees of both sides in Beijing in mid-July. The north preparatory committee decided to accept the proposal, considering it to be a patriotic one to make the success of the festival in the teeth of challenges from anti-reunification forces at home and abroad and pave the path of great unity of the entire nation and reunification. It also expressed the expectations that the south preparatory committee would maintain the position as the main force and come to the talks together with representatives of all political parties, groups and social sectors of South Korea which want to participate in the festival with the desires for national reconciliation, unity and reunification.

Despicable trick

Pyongyang, July 6 (KCNA) -- The South Korean puppets are spreading false rumours that some countries around the Korean peninsula are changing their position in favor of U.S. military presence in this part of the world. Rodong Sinmun today brands this as a third-rate trick to justify their sycophantic and traitorous begging for U.S. troops' permanent occupation of South Korea. The news analyst says: There is no one who will lend an ear to the false propaganda of the colonial stooges. The U.S. troops present in South Korea are the chief obstacle to peace in Korea and its independent and peaceful reunification. Far from drawing a lesson from the predecessors' sycophancy and treachery, the present South Korean regime is kowtowing to foreign forces more humiliatingly and depending on them more tenaciously. The chief executive of South Korea went so far as to say the U.S. troops should remain even after Korea is reunified. As their treacherous logic failed to work, the puppets resort to false propaganda to justify the U.S. troops' permanent occupation of South Korea. This reveals that they are despicable sycophants and traitors who have no sense of independence and prolong their dirty political career, serving as colonial slaves of foreign forces. The U.S. military presence in South Korea can by no means be justified.

Institute on S. Korean authorities' anti-north campaign

Pyongyang, July 6 (KCNA) -- The spokesman for the National Reunification Institute issued a statement today on the continued smear campaign conducted in South Korea against the northern system. The campaign comes behind the facade of calls for "improvement of inter-Korean relations" and "reconciliation and cooperation." The spokesman said: Since the change of "government" in South Korea in February, the number of anti-north slanders more than trebled. The South Korean puppets' anti-north propaganda materials are larger than before in quantity and variety. Besides propaganda through radio and newspaper, they scatter anticommunist publications from the sky through balloons. They even insert such materials into humanitarian goods sent to the north through international agencies. What is intolerable is that the anti-north campaign is targeted at the dignified social system of the north. The proportion of slanders at the social system is more than two thirds of the anti-north smear campaign. It is getting more vicious. The developments in South Korea show that the present regime, though calling itself "people's government," is a group of more vicious anti-communist, anti-north fanatics than the preceding regime and that their wish is not improvement of inter-Korean relations, reconciliation and cooperation but aggravation of the tensions and confrontation with the north. The "Agency for National Security Planning" and the "Unification Ministry" stand behind the anti-north smear campaign. It is "Minister" Kang In Dok who is notorious for anti-north slanders. Taking advantage of the temporary difficulties of fellow countrymen, the South Korean puppets are abusing this opportunity for their sinister political purposes. This only goes to reveal their moral vulgarity and despicability. Human scum who defected to South Korea after committing crimes in the north are used in this campaign. This is a third-rate drama and a dirge of the doomed. The South Korean authorities must immediately stop the smear campaign against the headquarters of the Korean revolution, dissolve the anti-communist den "Agency for National Security Planning," operate on the "Unification Ministry" and dismiss Kang In Dok, who plays the role of shock brigade in anti-north confrontation, as "Unification Minister." We sternly warn the South Korean authorities that without such measures there can be no genuine improvement of relations, reconciliation and cooperation between the north and south.

Buddhist prayer services for reunification

Pyongyang, July 6 (KCNA) -- Buddhists held prayer services for reunification at temples across the country on July 4, the 26th anniversary of the publication of the historic north-south joint statement. Rituals of praying for the reunification of the country were followed by speeches. The speakers urged the present South Korean rulers depending on foreign forces and opposing reunification to stop suppressing the pro-reunification forces and remove obstacles to reunification. The "grand festival for national reconciliation, unity and reunification" for which Koreans in the north, south and abroad will get together at Panmunjom on August 15 this year should be made to be an assembly for implementing the five-point policy of great national unity, they noted. The services expressed the firm will of the Buddhists in the northern half of Korea to conduct positive activities of solidarity with the counterparts in South Korea and overseas.

Palhae relics exhibition opens

Pyongyang, July 6 (KCNA) -- A Palhae relics exhibition opened at the Korean Central History Museum on July 4 to mark the 1,300th founding anniversary of the state of Palhae. On display are nearly 300 cultural relics which date bock to the period of Palhae (698-926). The exhibited relics include an ornamental hairpin, a jewel, a gilt bronze ring, an ink slab and other decorations, household effects, porcelain, labor tools and weaponry. They also include a jar, pieces of a mirror broken and a gilt bronze ornament from tomb ruins. A gold earring, a helmet and other relics show succession of Palhae to Koguryo. Palhae was a powerful state founded by nomadic people of Koguryo on the land where Koguryo had existed. It lasted for nearly 230 years as a "powerful country" in the east.

Month of international solidarity with Korean people opens

Pyongyang, July 6 (KCNA) -- A month of international solidarity with the Korean people opened in different countries. Meetings took place in Romania, Ethiopia and Mongolia from June 27 to July 1. It was noted at the meetings that the Korean people won a brilliant victory in the fatherland liberation war thanks to the brilliant strategy and wise leadership of President Kim Il Sung. The U.S. military occupation of South Korea is the main obstacle to the reunification of Korea, the speakers at the meetings said. The U.S. troops should withdraw from South Korea unconditionally and immediately and the armistice agreement be replaced by a peace agreement, they urged. They also said that the five-point policy of great national unity advanced by General Kim Jong Il should be implemented thoroughly. The meetings expressed support and solidarity for the Korean people in their struggle for socialist construction and national reunification.

S. Korea censured for despicable smear campaign

Pyongyang, July 6 (KCNA) -- The spokesman for the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland was interviewed by KCNA today over the South Korean puppets' Despicable smear campaign. The spokesman said: Some media of South Korea, on the order of the "government" authorities, alleged that the South Korean puppet army captured President Kim Il Sung's car on the River Chongchon during the Korean War and that the car was repaired and taken on a trial run again 48 years later. The barefaced lie came at a time when the June 25-July 27 month of the joint anti-U.S. struggle began and when the fourth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung was drawing near. South Korean people and the progressive people across the world are speaking highly of the prestige and feats of the President, who was the first in history to defeat the U.S. imperialists, who were boasting of being the strongest in the world. The reverence of the entire nation and humankind for him is ever growing. The South Korean puppets' smear campaign is the most vicious and profane provocation to the north and the never-to-be-condoned crime against the nation. We bitterly denounce the South Korean puppets, who invented the downright lie, as a group of the most heinous separatists seeking confrontation with the north. We warn them to stop such criminal plots at once.

Literature scattered in S. Korea

Pyongyang, July 6 (KCNA) -- Many copies of literature, 26 cm long and 18 cm wide, in the name of the patriotic soldiers society were scattered on the ground in front of the barracks of a South Korean puppet army unit on June 18, according to radio Voice of National Salvation from Seoul. Written in the literature were the following letters: the way of changing the destiny of the Korean nation lies in believing in and following Kim Jong Il, the greatest man. Let us bear deeper in our hearts the greatness of illustrious commander Kim Jong Il and entrust all our destiny to him. Let us pledge loyalty to him in order to become true patriotic soldiers for the nation, not U.S. colonial mercenary soldiers.

U.S. shocking crimes

Pyongyang, July 6 (KCNA) -- During the Korean War (June 1950-July 1953) the U.S. imperialists committed horrible crimes beyond human ken. In the three years they dropped on the land of the DPRK nearly 600,000 tons of bombs and napalms, more than 3.7 times as many as in the period of the pacific war, to reduce streets and villages to ruins and kill a large number of people. On Pyongyang alone, 428,700 bombs, more than one per head, were dropped. The brutal bombardment destroyed 8,700 factories and enterprises, some 600,000 dwelling houses, 5,000 schools, 1,000 hospitals and clinics, 260 theatres and cinema houses and thousands of public service establishments. In 1952 they launched a germ warfare in wanton violation of international law. From January to April that year, they dropped a large number of germ bombs and bacteria-contained things on more than 90 cities and counties of Kangwon, south and north Hwanghae, south and north Phyongan, south Hamgyong and Jagang provinces. The Japanese Mainichi Shimbun (January 1952) and media of other countries described the germ warfare as the largest ever in the history of war. During the temporary occupation of some areas of the DPRK, the U.S. imperialists destroyed or pillaged tens of thousands of exhibits including more than 6,700 pieces of valuable historical relics which had been preserved at history museums. In October 1950 they plundered the Pyongyang National Museum of over 100 national treasures and thousands of valuables. During the temporary occupation, they slaughtered more than 35,000 people in Sinchon, or a quarter of the county's population. The murderers buried some of them alive and dismembered and skinned others or cut their bodies with fodder-choppers. Indeed, the sufferings and misfortune they inflicted upon the Korean people are immeasurable.