Reply message to Kim Jong Il and Kim Yong Nam from Fidel Castro Ruz
Pyongyang, January 3 (KCNA) - General Secretary Kim Jong Il and Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, on Dec. 30, 1998 received a message from Fidel Castro Ruz, First Secretary of the central committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Council of State, in reply to the message of greetings sent to him on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the victory of the Cuban revolution.
In the reply message, Fidel Castro Ruz expressed wholehearted thanks for the greetings and reaffirmed the resolution to continuously strengthen the fraternal relations of friendship and cooperation between the two parties, two countries and two peoples.
He sincerely wished Kim Jong Il and Kim Yong Nam happiness as well as the friendly Korean people welfare.
Chongryon officials meet on New Year
Tokyo, January 1 (KNS) -- A New Year meeting for Juche 88 (1999) was held by officials of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon) at the Korean Hall in Tokyo on January 1.
The meeting was attended by first vice-chairman So Man Sul and chief vice-chairman Ho Jong Man of the Chongryon central standing committee and other officials of Chongryon.
A message of New Year's greetings to chairman of the Chongryon central standing committee Han Tok Su from Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, was read out at the meeting.
The officials at the meeting renewed their determination to uphold the leadership system of Marshal Kim Jong Il with loyalty, maintain and further glorify the undying exploits performed by the Generalissimo Kim Il Sung for the Japan-resident Koreans' movement and effect a fresh change in the patriotic work of Chongryon this year.
New Year meetings of Chongryon officials were also held at local headquarters of Chongryon today.
Senior party and state officials celebrate New Year with people
Pyongyang, January 3 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, Hong Song Nam, Kye Ung Thae, Jon Pyong Ho, Han Song Ryong, Yang Hyong Sop and other senior party and state officials and leading officials of the ministries, national institutions, local party and government bodies on Jan. 1 and 2 visited the Pukchang and Pyongyang thermal-power complexes, the February 8 Jikdong Youth Coal Mine, the Hwanghae Iron and Steel Complex, the Kum Song Tractor Plant, the Mangyongdae branch of the state-run Mangyongdae district farm, the Chongsan Cooperative Farm in Kangso district, the Hungju Power Station, construction site of Pyongyang-Nampho Express Highway and other factories, enterprises, co-op farms and construction sites and congratulated workers, farmers and young builders who turned out in the march of the New Year Juche 88 (1999).
They brought the idea of the joint editorial of the papers of party, army and youth, which indicated the tasks facing the Korean people this year, home to the working people. They called for bringing about a turning point in building a powerful nation by hastening the second grand Chollima March in response to the party's intention to follow up the "arduous march" with a cheerful advance.
Working people and officials in different parts of the country, greeting the New Year with the senior officials, are full of the revolutionary enthusiasm to exalt Kim Il Sung's Korea all over the world as an ideologically, militarily and economically powerful nation of Juche by vigorously advancing along the road of victory under the guidance of Marshal Kim Jong Il.
Koreans resolve to bring turning-point in building powerful nation
Pyongyang, January 3 (KCNA) -- Working people of different social standings and servicemen are making a resolve to let Juche 88 (1999) mark a turning-point in building a powerful nation in hearty response to the joint editorial for the New Year.
Chief secretary of the Jagang provincial party committee Yon Hyong Muk said that working people in the province are replete with resolution to see off the 90s with success under the leadership of leader Kim Jong Il this year, too.
He pointed out that the working people in the province will give full play to the Kanggye spirit so that a turning point in building a powerful nation may begin in Jagang Province.
Labor hero Song Hyon of the Jenam Coal Mine said that colliers will speed up the second grand Chollima March under the guidance of Marshal Kim Jong Il as they built socialist Korea independent, self-supporting and self-reliant in defense from the debris in the spirit of Chollima under the leadership of the President Kim Il Sung.
President of the National Academy of sciences Ri Kwang Ho said that the scientists will make a breakthrough in building a powerful nation, pulling through the difficulties and trials by the strength of science and technology in the same spirit that they successfully launched the first artificial satellite "Kwangmyongsong 1" into the orbit.
General of the Korean People's Army O Kum Chol said that they will intensify military and political training as required by the revolution and present situation and prepare all the officers and men of the army to be brave and merciless fighters each being a match for hundred who fight against the enemies of the revolution to the end.
Our people's army will demonstrate once again to the world the might of the army of the marshal, the peerlessly brilliant commander, by creditably carrying through the militant tasks set forth in the joint editorial, he stressed.