Kim Jong Il inspects women's artillery batteries
Pyongyang, December 25 (KCNA) -- General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea Kim Jong Il inspected women's anti-aircraft artillery batteries of KPA unit No. 969 on Thursday.
He was accompanied by Jo Myong Rok, director of the KPA General Political Department= KPA marshal Ri Ul Sol= and Kim Yong Chun, chief of the KPA general staff.
The visiting party also included Jon Pyong Ho, secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea Central Committee= and Ri Yong Chol and Pak Song Bong, first vice department directors of the Party Central Committee.
The chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission climbed up the height, heard a report from the unit's commander on the situation and saw artillerywomen in weapon-handling training.
Seeing the soldiers skilfully handling the modern weapons with staunch will and high military technique, he expressed great satisfaction and highly praised the soldiers for having been fully prepared politico-ideologically and in military technique and physically so as to defeat any surprise attack of the enemy in time and defend the socialist motherland as an impregnable fortress.
He stressed the need to increase the defence capabilities of the nation more than ever before in face of the daily pronounced new war provocation moves of the u.s. imperialist aggressors and their stooges. He gave the unit important tasks to increase its fighting efficiency in every way.
He then inspected the educational, entertainment and logistic facilities of the women's batteries.
He described the women soldiers as fine revolutionaries and patriots who defend the motherland with all devotion.
he saw an art performance of women soldiers.
he said the spirit of devoted defence, warm patriotism and sacrifice of the heroic Korean People's Army give birth to great strength that enables the soldiers to defeat any formidable enemy in the world at one stroke. "We will be ever-victorious as we have this great army," he added.
He gave the batteries pairs of binoculars and automatic rifles as gifts.
He had a picture taken with women soldiers of the unit.
Kim Jong Il sees KPA joint art performance
Pyongyang, December 25 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Il, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission and Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army (KPA), together with KPA officers and men, appreciated a joint performance given by the KPA merited choir and military band on Thursday.
Seeing the performance with him were director of the KPA General Political Department Jo Myong Rok, chief of the KPA general staff Kim Yong Chun, Minister of the People's Armed Forces Kim Il Chol and other KPA general officers.
Present were also secretaries Jon Pyong Ho, Kim Kuk Thae, Kim Ki Nam and Kim Yong Sun and other senior officials of the WPK Central Committee.
The choir and band put on the stage choruses such as "comrade Kim Jong Il, our Supreme Commander," "the Marshal is the destiny of Korea," "the Fatherland which I defend" and "We will devotedly defend the headquarters of the revolution."
Kim Jong Il congratulated the performers on their successful performance.
Gifts to Kim Jong Il from Cuban leaders
Pyongyang, December 25 (KCNA) - General Secretary Kim Jong Il received gifts from Fidel Castro Ruz, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (CPC) Central Committee, President of the council of state and President of the Council of Ministers of Cuba, and Raul Castro Ruz, second secretary of the CPC central committee, first vice-President of the council of state and first vice-President of the Council of Ministers, with the approach of the New Year.
The gifts were handed to the DPRK ambassador to Cuba by the director of protocol of the Foreign Ministry of Cuba and the deputy head of the independent international relations section of the ministry of the revolutionary armed forces of Cuba.
Wreaths laid before bust of Kim Jong Suk
Pyongyang, December 25 (KCNA) -- Senior party and state officials, working people, servicemen and school youth and children visited the Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery on Mt. Taesong on Thursday to lay wreaths before the bust of Kim Jong Suk, a communist revolutionary fighter, on the occasion of her 81st birth anniversary.
Seen there was a wreath from leader Kim Jong Il.
Kim Yong Nam, Kim Il Chol and Kye Ung Thae were among the senior party, state and army officials visiting the cemetery.
Wreaths were laid in the name of the Workers' Party of Korea central committee, the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly and the cabinet of the DPRK.
Also laid were bouquets and wreaths in the name of the anti-Japanese revolutionary fighters, the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces, commission and ministries of the cabinet, national institutions, working people's organizations, units of the Korean People's Army, scientific, educational, cultural and art, public health and the press organs, the Korean children's union, and party and government organs, factories and farms in Pyongyang.
Meanwhile, members of the Pyongyang mission of the National Democratic Front of South Korea and overseas Koreans' delegation and home-visiting groups staying in the socialist homeland visited the cemetery to lay wreaths and bouquets before the bust.
Floral baskets were also placed before the statues of Kim Jong Suk in the city of Hoeryong, north Hamgyong Province, and in Kim Jong Suk county, Ryanggang Province.
Greetings to Guinean President
Pyongyang, December 25 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, on December 22 sent a message of greetings to Lansana Conte on his reelection as President of Guinea.
The message said that his reelection was a clear expression of his people's trust in and support to him.
Believing that the excellent friendly and cooperative relations between the two peoples will grow stronger and develop, the message wholeheartedly wished him new success in his work for national unity and prosperity of his country.
U.S. warned not to try to test DPRK
Pyongyang, December 25 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today comes out with a signed commentary on "warning" and "calls for stop" clamoured for by the united states over the alleged "missile issue" of the DPRK.
Branding the U.S. clamourings as absurd, the news analyst of the paper says:
It is foolish for the U.S. to expect any change in our attitude.
A source of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency said that after the U.S. intelligence satellite spotted the DPRK making preparations for the test-launching of "ballistic missiles," the u.s. Sent "warning" to the DPRK against this.
We will never be frightened by the U.S. "warning." the U.S. still knows little about the DPRK.
Since we are convinced of the validity of what we are doing, we do not read other's face but will exercise our legitimate sovereignty no matter what others may say. We are fully ready to launch an artificial satellite again when we think it necessary.
It is our character and mode of activities to do anything once we declare we will do it.
The United States had better not try to test our faith and will.
27th art festival of KPA soldiers
Pyongyang, December 25 (KCNA) -- The 27th Art Festival of the Korean People's Army (KPA) soldiers was successfuly held.
Participating in the festival were art propaganda squads of the KPA combined units and groups selected from the Company art contests of the kpa units.
Chorus "Song of General Kim Jong Il," "Salute to You," female vocal solo "Let us boast of the greatest-ever commander," dialogue and poem "history of love" and other pieces were on the stage.
The performers expressed the great pride and happiness of servicemen in having the great brilliant commander down through generations, and their conviction and will to surely win the final victory with the revolutionary weapons in their hands.
They also put on the stage colorful pieces such as mixed chorus and tale "Rumour Spread Throughout the Country," trio and Pangchang "Company is My Dear Home" and an agitative poem "Let us take thousand-fold revenge."
Successes of DPRK players
Pyongyang, December 25 (KCNA) -- DPRK sportsmen and sportswomen have scored successes at international games.
DPRK players snatched gold medals in shooting, Judo, gymnastics and other events of the 13th Asian Games.
Men shooters won in 25 metre standard, free and centre-fire pistol shooting team events, and People's Sportswoman Kye Sun Hui took the 52 kg Judo title.
Labor hero and People's Sportsman Pae Kil Su placed first in the pommel and exalted his dignity as "King of pommel."
A number of other players clinched scores of medals.
Particularly weightlifter Ri Song Hui renewed the world record in women's 58 kg jerk.
DPRK men and women boxers defeated their opponents with knockouts or technical knockouts at the Pan-Asian pro-boxing game held in August. Especially, People's Sportsman Choe Chol Su became a tentative featherweight champion by winning the crown belt and gold cup.
Taekwon-do players including Kim Song Gi and Kim Song Guk placed first in the total by winning in the men's above 80 kg individual sparring, power and team sparring at the 1st "September 10 Cup" International Taekwon-do Tournament held in September.
Han Yong Do, Ri Yong Sam, Jo Hyon Chol and others who participated in the Mongolian "Gobi" international free-style wrestling tournament received 3 gold and 3 silver medals and a bronze medal.
The DPRK players scored good results in other games including the 14th Asian table-tennis championships (September) and the 1st world junior games (July).