Bellicose move

Pyongyang, August 27 (KCNA) -- The South Korean military completed a "plan for reform in national defence," an adventurous war plan, on August 25. According to the plan, the first and third army commands will be reorganised into a ground operation command for operations and intelligence by December and the second army command into a logistic command for improved operation system. At the same time, operations will be commanded swiftly for efficient fighting. Commando units will be reorganised mainly for the purpose of "operations against the north." units for intelligence on the north will be merged for effective assistance to combined operations. A "transport command of the rok army" will be set up by January next year. "Acquisition headquarters" will be instituted in the "defence ministry" so that even minor enterprises should produce war supplies. This plan will be put into practice in real earnest from December. The plan shows that the South Korean military is now reorganising units to suit a wartime system, regarding provocation of war against the north on the Korean peninsula as a fait accompli. Meanwhile, the military has worked out the plan for three-dimensional war, which envisages the mobilization of reserve forces and reinforcement of the production and supply system of war materials. The plan is all the more dangerous in that it was worked out and is being put into practice under the contradictory slogan of "establishment of posture against war" put up by the present chief executive of South Korea, who styles his regime "people's government" and calls for improved inter-Korean relations.

Japan urged to stop adventurous military moves

Pyongyang, August 27 (KCNA) -- The Japanese reactionaries should stop their reckless moves for military power and overseas expansion, clearly seeing the trend of the times, said Minju Joson on Wednesday. Such miltiary moves have reached a grave stage, the paper warned, and said: Japan is further strengthening its military cooperation with the United States allegedly to cope with the crisis. Some time ago, the director of Japan's Defence Agency said that it is "important" to put fresh muscles into the "Japan-U.S. security system" and, to this end, they would try to urgently enforce the laws related to "Japan-U.S.defence cooperation guidelines". Japan-U.S. military tie-up is being tightened in actuality. The Japanese reactionaries, who persist in arms buildup, have joined the United States in "developing new military technology." They are now stepping up nuclear armament at an extremely dangerous stage and seeking to make overseas dispatchment of "self-defence forces" a fait accompli to gratify their militarist design.. On the occasion of nuclear tests in some Asian countries, the Japanese reactionaries have claimed that Japan should prepare itself in advance to cope with "possible nuclear development by North Korea." Their claiming is to justify their nuclear arming. Overseas dispatchment of Japan's "SDF", which started under the pretext of "instability" of regional situation and "international contribution", is not limited.

Symposiums mark National Day

Pyongyang, August 27 (KCNA) -- Symposiums of those in charge of youth and women affairs and men of culture and art were held on Wednesday to mark the 50th anniversary of the DPRK. It was stressed at the symposiums that with the foundation of the DPRK by the President Kim Il Sung the Korean people have been able to turn the country into a powerful socialist state, independent in politics, self-supporting in economy and self-reliant in defence, taking the government as their invincible weapon. The symposium of youths pointed out that under the DPRK government the young Koreans could become valuable flowers of the country and the nation and reliable heirs to the revolution. Speakers at the symposium of women referred to tasks to rally the women closer around General Secretary Kim Jong Il and successfully carry out the revolutionary tasks of the women's union by enhancing the ingenuity and creativeness of its members in conformity with the requirement of the developing situation. The symposium of men of culture and art discussed how to defend and exalt the immortal achievements of the President Kim Il Sung and General Secretary Kim Jong Il in the culture and art field and bring about an epochal turn in the development of culture and art.

Rodong Sinmun flails S. Korean authorities'suppression of students

Pyongyang, August 27 (KCNA) -- On August 22, the South Korean authorities arrested leaders of the General Student Council of Pusan National University including chairman Kim Kwang Su who is also chairman of the Pusan and South Kyongsang Provincial Federation of University Student Councils. On August 24, they detained four deputies to the sixth-term South Korean Federation of University Student Councils (Hanchongryon). Commenting on this fact, a news analyst of Rodong Sinmun today says: South Korea has been turned into a graveyard of independence and a place of bloody suppression of pro-reunification patriotic forces by the repressive rule of the present authorities under the veil of "people." Not content with the frantic crackdown upon August 15 pro-reunification events organised by Hanchongryon, they have launched a campaign to arrest all patriotic students who took part in the events. This shows that the South Korean authorities are enemies of reunification and truculent fascist tyrants. They must stop at once the brutal suppression of students and unconditionally and promptly release the arrested patriotic students and pro-reunification democrats.

S. Korean ruler's empty talk

Pyongyang, August 27 (KCNA) -- The chief executive of South Korea had a talk with pressmen accredited to "Chongwadae" six months after taking office, according to a radio report from Seoul. He said at the talk that he would "push ahead with political reforms desired by people from now on." The reforms are intended to turn "politics of high cost and low efficiency" into "politics of low cost and high efficiency" and to "root out irregularities," he added. He has made such "promises" when he was making a "Presidential Election" campaign and when he won in the "elections" and when he was addressing the inauguration. During the past six months, malpractice's of the preceding regimes have been repeated in South Korea. As a result, economic bankruptcy has worsened, the number of jobless people increased and repression and human rights violations have been further intensified.

Fundamental principle for development of fair international relations

Pyongyang, August 27 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article says the principle of independence constitutes a foundation for the development of fair international relations. When the countries and the nations hold fast to independence under the changing situation in which the international relations are very complicated, they can fairly solve all the problems arising in the international relations in the interests of the countries and nations and in the common interests of humankind, the article says, and goes on: The principle of independence is a foundation for the development of fair international relations because it makes it possible to realize the essential demands of the countries and the nations and fairly solve the international matters to suit the interests and demands of all countries and nations. When all the countries and nations firmly maintain the principle of independence in the international relations, relations of equality, cooperation, reciprocity and non-interference in other's internal affairs will be formed and developed among countries and nations. The Workers' Party of Korea and the government of the DPRK have developed friendly and cooperative relations with different countries of the world by pursuing the external policy based on the idea of independence, peace and friendship. They will in the future, too, make every effort to develop fair international relations.

August of Korea

Pyongyang, August 27 (KCNA) -- August of the year witnessed a more brisk reunification movement of the nation. In August every year the Korean people worked hard to open a new chapter in the history of the country's reunification movement. A "Grand Festival for National Reconciliation, Unity and Reunification" was held with a large attendance in August of the year. During the festival colorful events took place. Among them were a meeting of north delegates to the August 15 grand pro-reunification festival held to vow to implement the five-point policy of great national unity, a pro-reunification concert of the National Alliance of Youth and Students for the Country's Reunification (Pomchonghakryon), a meeting of compatriots for national reconciliation, unity and reunification, "'98 Pan-National Rally for Peace and Reunification of the Country," and the third joint conference of youths and students at home and abroad for national independence and great unity. The festival was attended by delegates from 68 political parties and organisations in the north, south and abroad and prominent figures of all social standings, more than 2,000 in all. The attendants reached a complete agreement on all matters, including the questions of maintaining the principle of national independence, achieving unity under the patriotic banner, checking and frustrating the anti-reunification forces' confrontation with the north and reunifying the country by confederacy formula. In view of significance and scale the recent festival was a noteworthy event to be recorded in the history of the Korean people's reunification movement, along with the historic April north-south joint conference held 50 years ago. The recent grand pro-reunification festival is the ninth one. The festival held in 1995 confirmed the confederacy formula as a way of reunification common to the nation. The grand pro-reunification festival is held every year under the sponsorship of the National Alliance for the Country's Reunification (Pomminryon) and Pomchonghakryon to mark the anniversary of Korea's liberation from the Japanese imperialist colonial rule.

Damage in economic sector

Pyongyang, August 27 (KCNA) -- Recent months of the abnormal weather which hit Korea brought heavy damage to various domains of the national economy. In the coal mining industry including Kangdong, Anju, Kaechon, South Hamgyong provincial area coal mining complexes, more than 180 pits were submerged in water as a result of downpours. Water-logged coal mines numbered some 30. More than 1,000 facilities, including pump, compressor and transformer, were destroyed. Heavy damage is also reported from ore mining industry including the Ryonghung, Mannyon and Unhung ore mines. Pylons fell and telecommunications networks were destroyed by a strong rainy wind, suspending the supply of electricity and paralysing the telecommunications. As a result, various domains of the national economy are in confusion. Musan, Unryul, Jaeryong and other iron ore producing bases were submerged in water, leaving the facilities destroyed. Tens of vessels were sunken, destroyed and missing and a lot of fishing boats were carried on to the ground by the waves. In the timber industry hundreds of thousands of cubic metres of logs were lost after dams were destroyed. Forest roads and railways were completely destroyed by landslides. Besides, Haeju, Chonnaeri and Komusan cement factories and other building-materials producing centres, land and city management domains and other fields of the national economy have been subjected to heavy damage. Investigations into the damage are underway.

Korean people's cause of justice supported

Pyongyang, August 27 (KCNA) -- The Korean people's cause of justice for the independent and peaceful reunification of the country was supported by the world public during the June 25-July 27 month of international solidarity with the Korean people this year. Over 80 solidarity events took place in different countries after a preparatory committee for the month of solidarity was formed by the Paektusan Czech-Korean Friendship Association on June 8. They included meetings for celebrating the 45th anniversary of the Korean people's victory in the great Fatherland Liberation War, ceremonies for opening and closing the month of international solidarity, photo and book exhibitions, and film shows. During the month seminars on celebrated works of General Secretary Kim Jong Il were held in Syria, Uganda, Nigeria, Peru, Congo, Bangladesh, Madagascar and many other countries. Political parties, organizations and prominent figures of different countries published statements to express full support to and solidarity with the Korean people in their efforts to smash the anti-DPRK moves by the imperialist allied forces and the South Korean authorities and accelerate the reunification of the country through great national unity.

DPRK delegation leaves for summit meeting of non-aligned countries

Pyongyang, August 27 (KCNA) -- A DPRK delegation headed by Vice-President Pak Song Chol left here today to attend the 12th summit meeting of non-aligned countries to be held in South Africa. It was seen off at the airport by secretary of the Central People's Committee Ri Myong Chol and first vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Sok Ju.