Korean people undaunted by difficulties
Pyongyang, July 9 (KCNA) -- The Korean people are suffering from such difficult living conditions as the shortage of food caused by natural disasters in recent years.
From the beginning of the year all the people and the whole army have concentrated on farming. However, a long spell of dry weather in the sowing season has impeded the growth of the crops.
Worse still, the tidal wave and cold weather which hit different areas, including the east coast and northern inland of Korea, in early June brought heavy damage to the growth of the crops, so the harvest of early crops, including potato, barley and wheat, cannot be expected.
This year, too, therefore, the shortage of food remains a difficult problem.
An increasing number of households are running short of food.
The people are tapping all possibilities and reserves and eking out their living in reliance upon substitute food.
All the families improve methods of processing staple food and lessen the amount of meals in order to support themselves in such adversity.
The Korean people are moving ahead merrilly in the teeth of the present difficulties.
They are convinced that led by General Kim Jong Il, they will certainly emerge victorious.
They, under the slogan "Let's be always cheerful though our way is thorny " Are stepping up socialist economic construction in high spirits.
Vow to carry through Kim Jong Il's telegraphic order
Pyongyang, July 9 (KCNA)-- Meetings took place at institutions, industrial establishments, farms, universities, colleges and senior middle schools across the country to carry through the telegraphic order of General Kim Jong Il, Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army.
Kim Jong Il's telegraphic order "On extending thanks to all the agricultural workers and helpers who finished rice-transplanting" was conveyed at the meetings.
The speakers said at the meetings that the Supreme Commander's telegraphic order is an expression of high appreciation for and trust in all the people who are making the forced march for the final victory.
They stated that the agricultural workers and helpers should manure and tend crops in a proper way and remain loyal to the leadership of the Workers' Party of Korea with increased production of grain.
"Group for Retrospecting President Kim Il Sung" formed in S. Korea
Pyongyang, July 9 (KCNA) -- Members of the Thaeyang Society in South Korea held a meeting on June 15 and formed a "Group for Retrospecting President Kim Il Sung," said Seoul-based radio Voice of National Salvation.
The meeting set a month of retrospecting him from June 15 to July 15 and announced a program of symposiums on his greatness and his works and other events during the period.
China's aid materials arrive
Pyongyang, July 9 (KCNA) -- 100,000 tons of food and 20,000 tons of chemical fertilizers offered by the Chinese government arrived in the DPRK as of July 6.
The Chinese governmnet decided on the free assistance on April 13.
It has rendered free assistance including food to the DPRK, hit by natural disasters, on several occasions for years. Its assistance, which is a manifestation of the willingness of the Chinese party and government to develop the traditional friendship between the two countries, has greatly inspired the Korean people, who are making a forced march for final victory under the wise leadership of the great Kim Jong Il.
The Korean people sincerely hope the fraternal Chinese people will make greater achievements in the efforts for carrying out the tasks set forth at the 15th Congress of the Communist Party of China and the first session of the ninth National People's Congress of China under the leadership of the CPC led by the respected Jiang Zemin.
S. Korean authorities blasted for obstructing inter-Korean festival
Pyongyang, July 9 (KCNA) -- The Korean Student Committee released a statement on Wednesday censuring the South Korean authorities for intentionally creating difficulties in the way of the participation of the South Korean Federation of University Student Councils (Hanchongryon) and the south headquarters of the National Alliance for the Country's Reunification (Pomminryon) in the august 15 grand pro-reunification festival and persistently prohibiting their patriotic acitivities for reunification.
The statement said in part:
The puppet government authorities are not allowing Hanchongryon and the south headquarters of Pomminryon to participate in the festival on the unreasonable grounds that they are "pro-north, enemy-benefiting organizations." Such behavior is apparently an act against the north-south festival and another grave move for confrontation with the north.
Hanchongryon and the south headquarters of Pomminryon should be main participants in the fesitval. Without their participation the opening of the festival is unimaginable.
The South Korean authorities should not turn down their just demand for the participation in the festival but stop the suppression of them at once.
For an atmosphere of the festival, they should also abolish the "National Security Law," which is standing in the way of the country's reunification, unconditionally release patriotic-minded students and pro-reunification activists and expel Kang In Dok, a thorough-paced separatist, from the post of "Minister of National Unification."
Benefits from free medical care
Pyongyang, July 9 (KCNA) -- The Pyongyang Maternity Hospital recently brought a woman back to life.
When woman Ri Tong Gum (31) was carried to the resuscitation section of the hospital in may last she was at point of death.
She was unconscious from bleeding of two litres or more, coupled with malfunction of vital organs.
The section formed a group of competent doctors at once and gave day-and-night medical service to the patient. After eight days the group brought her to consciousness.
Nearly five litres of blood was transfused and a lot of costly medicines served out.
During her hospitalization, the patient received medical benefits amounting to some 50,000 won in Korean currency, which is equivalent to wages of an ordinary worker for scores of years.
Thanks to the best socialist health system of Korea, the patient left the hospital 55 days after, without worries about medical fee.
Territorial problem, dowry for "misalliance" = KCNA commentary =
Pyongyang, July 9 (KCNA) -- Foreign media have commented on the unofficial Russo-Japanese summit held in the Japanese coastal city of Kawana in April and the "New hashimoto Proposal" brought forward by the Japanese Prime Minister at the summit.
According to Japanese sources, the "new proposal," which boilds down to "formula of Hong Kong," envisages that boundaries will be drawn in a certain section of the southern kuriles and the troubled islands be gradually retroceded to Japan.
Japan is now eager to see Russia's reaction to the proposal.
It, hoping that there will be an affirmative response to the proposal from Russia at an official summit scheduled to be held in Moscow in late autumn this year, has expressed "optimistic expectations of good results."
The fact proves that Japan's deep-rooted desire for territorial expansion has become all the more frantic under the pretext of the conclusion of a "peace treaty" and "solution to the territorial dispute" since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
A Russian radio made clear long ago that since the collapse of the soviet union Japan had been deeply interested in kuriles in a bid to settle its claim for the islands with a new position by boosting its military and economic power and winning a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. Japan also intends to build a nuclear testing ground and nuclear facilities on the islands, said the radio.
Meanwhile, Russia has taken a prudent attitude towards Japan's position. Foreign media describe such an attitude of Russia as an expression of caution.
According to foreign media reports, the deputy chief of the Presidential Administration, who accompanied President Yeltsin in his Japan visit, told inhabitants of Kunashir, one of the troubled islands, that Russia has no waste land, so they should not lend an ear to the rumour that the southern kuriles will be put under other country's jurisdiction in future. After returning home, Yeltsin stated that there were no discussions on change of the border during the visit.
A German newspaper said, "Russia has already been in the grip of an economic crisis. But the retrocession of the kuriles may be as good as a political suicide for Yeltsin.
The Russians, who lost their prestige in the international community after the collapse of the socialist bloc and the Soviet Union, may regard the disclaimer of even an inch of their land as an insult to national dignity."
In actuality, the territorial dispute between Russia and Japan was caused by the war of aggression started by Japan.
In the past Japan unleashed wars of aggression and plunder against not only Russia but Korea and other Asian countries and committed immeasurable crimes including the "comfort women"-related crime.
Though half a century has passed since the end of the war, Japan has still refused to make an apology and compensation. It has served the united states as its shock brigade for aggression on Asia. It has already become a dangerous belligerent force thrusting its aggressive claws into the northeast Asian region including the Korean peninsula.
Shamelessly, however, Japan has sought only a solution to the territorial dispute with Russia under the pretext of the "postwar settlement," fully revealing its political and moral baseness and shamelessness.
A Russian newspaper said no progress was made in Russo-Japanese relations at the Kawana summit due to the territorial problem and that a "dowry," that is the four islands, still remains to be solved in the "marriage" between the two countries. It described the bilateral ties as "misalliance."
Japan, which has not yet cleared itself of the stigma as "enemy state," had better properly make an apology and compenstation for its disgraceful history and refrain from hurting the security of the northeast Asian region and obstructing Korean reunification, instead of getting mad in one-sided love and drawing worldwide ridicule.
S. Korean trade unionists' protest continues
Pyongyang, July 9 (KCNA) -- South Korean trade unions are continuing to protest against the "restructuring" introduced by the puppet clique, according to a report.
More than 3,000 unionists of the tobacco insam company held a rally in Seoul on July 5 and demanded that the puppet clique cancel the plan for privatizing the company at once, saying that if it is privatized, more than 50,000 families of tobacco farmers would be ruined.
The federation of democratic financial trade unions under the (South) Korean Confederation of Trade Unions held a rally for employment stability with the attendance of more than 3,000 unionists on the same day, at which they demanded that the authorities immediately stop the unilateral and forcible financial "restructuring" and ensure job stability.
Over 12,000 unionists of the Hyun Dai Motor Company went on a definite strike on July 6 in protest against the layoff step of the company.
They held a rally and declared that they will stage a general strike together with the federation of metal industrial trade unions from July 14 in case the company does not withdraw this step.
Transport system in Rajin-Sonbong Zone
Pyongyang, July 9 (KCNA) -- The Rajin-Sonbong Zone in Korea, an economic and trade zone called a "golden triangle," is being developed into a gateway and bridgehead in transport system for economic development of northeast Asia.
The zone is connected with all countries and regions of northeast Asia by sea and land.
It has a transport network of railways and roads linked with China and Russia.
The DPRK government is putting efforts into building the zone into an international transit transport base so that it can effectively help toward the development of economic cooperation and exchange among northeast Asian nations.
At present, projects to modernize Rajin port and lift container tranport between Rajin and China and railway freight transport between Rajin and Russia onto a new higher stage are progressing apace.
Last year, Rajin port trebled the capacity of crane haulage and introduced a new gantry crane with foreign investment so as to solve the problem of loading and unloading containers. As a result, the capacity of handling 30,000 containers a year has been created.
At the same time, a system of transporting containers by truck and train is being perfected.
Rajin-Namyang direct freight train services began at the end of last year, opening a transport route for carrying 6,000 containers a year.
As many as 3,000 contalners were transported through the Rajin-Tumen railway tracks and the Rajin-Hunchun road last year.
The DPRK government will actively strive to open new sea routes linking Rajin with cities on the west coast of Japan including Niigata as cooperation and exchange are being expanded and developed among northeast Asian nations.
It is channelling big efforts into increasing the railway transport of freight with Russia.
An annual capacity to pass 6 million tons of freight from Russia into the Rajin-Sonbong zone by train has been created.
The DPRK government began to operate a train exclusively for tourism to attract more investors and tourists to this zone and introduce non-visa entry for the purpose of improving the administrative service system.
The construction of a heliport was completed in Rajin as part of efforts to establish an air transport system and preparations for opening a helicopter route between Rajin and Yanji are under way.
The transport system of the Rajin-Sonbong Zone will be perfected as soon as possible, which will render services to the development of transport system in northeast Asia.