"Mangyongdae Cup" sports game opens
Pyongyang, April 3 (KCNA) -- The "Mangyongdae Cup" sports game opened on the threshold of Sun's Day. The game takes place each year in Pyongyang and local areas around April 15, the birthday of the President Kim Il Sung, which brings together sports groups from across the country. The participants will compete in nearly 50 events. An opening ceremony was held at the Pyongyang indoor stadium on Friday. Addressing the ceremony, Minister of Physical Culture and Sports Pak Myong Chol underscored the need to achieve fresh success in sports, too, this year, the year of turning-point in building a powerful nation and thereby fully demonstrate the validity and vitality of the policy of the Worker's Party of Korea on physical culture and sports.
Bellicose remarks of U.S. war hawks
Pyongyang, April 3 (KCNA) -- Some time ago, the U.S. conservatives, vociferating about intensified "emergency measures" to cope with "contingencies on the Korean peninsula," replaced U.S. warships based in Sasebo, Japan, with up-to-dated ones, worked out a U.S.-South Korea "plan for joint counteraction" and staged a "drill" for evacuating American civilians from South Korea to Japan. Commenting on this, a news analyst of Rodong Sinmun today says: This shows that the United States has made it a fait accompli to start a war of aggression on the DPRK.
What is all the more serious is the fact that a second Korean war of aggression planned by the U.S. will be a nuclear war. The U.S. conservatives intend to stifle the DPRK through a nuclear war. When the U.S. will unleash a nuclear war against the DPRK is a matter of time. The DPRK and the United States are technically at war. The belligerent relations between the DPRK and the U.S. cannot be avoided because the U.S. is getting frantic in their moves to stifle the DPRK through a nuclear war.
It is the will and faith of the Korean People's Army and people that they will win in any war with aggressors even if they attack the DPRK with nuclear and other modern lethal weapons. If the U.S. conservatives defiantly choose a nuclear war, the DPRK will have no alternative but to take a countermeasure against it. In that case, the United States will be held wholly responsible for all consequences.
Photo exhibition and film show
Pyongyang, April 3 (KCNA) -- A photo exhibition and a film show took place here on April 2 under the sponsorship of the Ministry of Foreign Trade to mark the 6th anniversary of the election of the General Secretary Kim Jong Il to the chairmanship of the DPRK National Defence Commission. Present on invitation were foreign economic and trade councilors here. Participants looked round photos of gifts foreign party and state leaders and personages of different strata sent to Kim Jong Il as token of unbounded respect and reverence for him, and appreciated the Korean documentary film "50th Anniversary of the DPRK."
Frantic war exercise in S. Korea
Pyongyang, April 3 (KCNA) -- The South Korean war hawks announced on April 1 that they would hire 30 T-38 planes for training from the U.S. till the end of the year for war exercise of South Korea airforce pilots, a Seoul-based radio said. They plan to pay 86 million dollars for the hire. They are stepping up war preparations, squandering a colossal amount of fund despite serious economic crisis, which triggers off complaints and protest among people.
Repatriation of unconverted long-term prisoners demanded
Pyongyang, April 3 (KCNA) -- The spokesman for the Korean Measure Committee for Rescuing Unconverted Long-Term Prisoners in South Korea released a press statement on Friday denouncing the South Korean rulers for announcing that they would call the unconverted long-term prisoners "those released from prison after serving its terms for spying for the north" or "security offenders". Such a move is motivated by the ill-intentioned aim to deceive public opinion at home and abroad and harshly persecute and suppress the prisoners without restraint.
This is a vicious challenge to the north's demand for the repatriation of the unconverted long-term prisoners, the statement says, and continues: The South Korean authorities should clearly know that with no harsh moves can they break the faith and will of the unconverted long-term prisoners or shun the just demands of the public at home and abroad for their repatriation. We once again strongly demand that the South Korean authorities stop detaining and persecuting those prisoners under the absurd pretexts but immediately repatriate all of them, including the old men Kim In So, Kim Yong Thae and Ham Se Hwan, who have their families in the north, as unanimously demanded by the conscientious people at home and abroad.
KCNA on agitation for confrontation with north
Pyongyang, April 3 (KCNA) -- The South Korean hawkish elements are letting loose a string of outbursts inciting confrontation with the north, availing themselves of the Japanese reactionary's frantic smear campaign against the DPRK. On March 31, the present South Korean chief executive spanned out such provocative remarks before brashest as talking about "military adventurism" and "infiltration into sea" from the north and imprudently calling on navy "to be fully prepared for sea defence, carrying forward admiral ri sun sin's exploit in the defense of the country."
On the following day, the "Minister of National Defence" and the newly-appointed "naval chief of general staff" at an inaugural ceremony for the "naval chief of general staff" echoed the agitation for confrontation made by the chief executive, while crying for "national security" and "prosperity of the nation". It is imprudent and shameless, indeed, for the South Korean war hawks to talk about "defence of the country" and "prosperity of the nation" and even mention the name of a famous patriotic admiral of Korea in a bid to agitate for confrontation.
Can the South Korean authorities have the face to talk about the "country" and the "nation" at a time when they are not in a position to properly exercise their political sovereignty and military prerogative after leaving South Korea to the tender mercy of the United States and other outside forces? The famous patriotic admiral defended the sea of the country from the invasion of the Japanese aggressors at the risk of his life. These traitors, however, signed the submissive "fishery accord" whereby they sold off the very sea to the sworn enemy. Do they have even an iota of national conscience and any justification to dare pronounce the name of the admiral?
Their tongue-wagging inciting north-south confrontation by imprudently abusing the fighting exploits of the patriotic ancestors and the name of the nation is an insult to the Korean nation's history of the struggle against outside forces and aggressions as well as a mockery and challenge to the entire nation in the north, south and abroad desirous of achieving national reunification through great national unity. If the South Korean authorities truly have national conscience, they should demand the pullout of the outside aggression forces who have been stationed in South Korea for more than half a century and decisively drop the anti-national policy for north-south confrontation.
Stamps issued to commemorate Sun's Day
Pyongyang, April 3 (KCNA) -- Stamps carrying a picture of the President Kim Il Sung and his old home in Mangyongdae were issued to commemorate the auspicious Sun's Day, April 15. The picture of President Kim Il Sung is printed on a souvenir sheet. In the center of the sheet decorated with magnolia patterns are his picture and letters "Sun's Day" and "The Great Leader President Kim Il Sung." It was in August Juche 35 (1946), the period of building a new country, that the first stamp carrying the president's picture was issued in Korea. This marked the beginning of the glorious history of issuing stamps with his picture and such stamps have since been issued one after another on national holidays and commemorative days including Sun's Day. 250 kinds of stamps carrying the president's picture were released and widely disseminated in more than 120 countries over the past 50 odd years.
Unbounded reverence for President Kim Il Sung
Pyongyang, April 3 (KCNA) -- Many orders, medals and titles of honor were awarded to the President Kim Il Sung by different countries of the world in the last 5 years. This is a clear manifestation of absolute and unbounded reverence of the progressive people of the world for the President who performed immortal exploits in the international communist movement and the cause of global independence.
The permanent secretariat of the organization of socialists in Mediterranean awarded order of its organization first class to the President. The socialist progressive party of Lebanon decided to institute a new special highest order amid full support and approval of its guiding council and award it to the President and sent it to the DPRK.
A special medal of Honorary Citizen of Independent City, Huaraz region, and a medal of Honorary Citizen of Caraz City were awarded to the President in October, Juche 83 (1994), and a medal of the National Association of Mayoresses and an Honorary Medal of Friendship of the Organization of Volunteers of Bolivar were also conferred upon him in Juche 84 (1995) in Peru.
A diploma of the patriarch title of sun, patriarch's dress, necklace, gold wrist chain, baton, cap and seat were handed at a meeting attended by representatives of different parts of Nigeria and its people from all walks of life on April 15, Juche 84 (1995).
Titles of Honorary Professor and Honorary Doctor of Pedagogy were awarded to the President by various universities of Peru including the Huacho National University, and Yika Mbiko prize for genius in economic and social affairs was conferred upon him by Democratic Congo. Certificates of honorary citizenship were awarded to the President by Ika city and 7 other cities of the country.
S. Korean workers strike
Pyongyang, April 3 (KCNA) -- Bus Service Trade Unions went on a strike, in Taejon city, totally paralyzing public bus service on March 31 and April 1, a Seoul-based radio said. The Taejon city branch of the "National Federation of Motor Car Worker's Unions" and the Taejon City Bus Service Trade Union went on a strike after their negotiations with the management over wage hike came to a rupture. The unionists fought, not yielding to crackdown by the South Korean authorities and police. The strike is likely to spread throughout South Korea with 14 city and provincial branches of the "National Federation of Motor Car Worker's Unions" planning to call a strike in solidarity with the strikers, said the radio.
Anti-DPRK war scenario
Pyongyang, April 3 (KCNA) -- The Japanese Yomiuri Shimbun recently reported about a "possible scenario" allegedly to cope with "an emergency" on the Korean peninsula, according to a news report. In the scenario the Japanese Prime Minister is supposed to decide on "emergency" on the peninsula and then inform the U.S. President of the decision, it said, and went on: Then follows an attack of the U.S. forces and "ROK" army on the North Korea.
It is synchronized with air raids on objects of the north from U.S. air bases in Okinawa and other Japanese islands. It is also planned in the scenario that the U.S. aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk, 7th U.S. fleet flagship blue ridge and 3rd U.S. marine division will move toward coasts of Korea from Okinawa. The U.S. forces moving to the peninsula will number hundreds of thousands. The U.S. forces will be given logistic and other support by Japan throughout battles. This scenario is directly connected to the discussion on bills on updated "guidelines for Japan-U.S. defense cooperation" now under way at the diet. The scenario of a second Korean war of aggression is clear evidence of desperate efforts of the Japanese reactionaries as well as the U.S. to ignite a war of aggression on Korea.
Day of proclamation of Second Republic of Guinea greeted
Pyongyang, April 3 (KCNA) -- Minju Joson today dedicates a signed article to the 15th anniversary of the proclamation of the Second Republic of Guinea. Noting that the Guinean people have achieved national unity and big success in the struggle to develop the country's economy since the proclamation of the Second Republic, the paper stresses the Korean people are sincerely rejoiced over their achievements. The DPRK and Guinea have developed the friendly and cooperative relations in the idea of independence, peace and friendship, the paper says, and goes on: The Korean people express the belief that the friendly relations between the two peoples will grow stronger and wish the Guinean people greater success in their efforts for the independent development of the country.
Ruse intended to bar people from aspiring
Pyongyang, April 3 (KCNA) -- The presidium member of the consultative council of former South Korean politicians in the north for the promotion of peaceful reunification, Yun Song Sik, in an article on Friday comments on the so-called "measure for multi-faceted channel of assistance to the north" announced by the self-proclaimed South Korean "government for the people." in the article he denounced the "measure" as a ruse intended to keep the people from aspiring after the north and communism.
Noting he cannot but dismiss the "multi-faceted channel" floated by the South Korean authorities this time as a sheer deception, he stresses their ulterior intention is to dampen the people's daily mounting enthusiasm for reunification. Through this measure the South Korean authorities foolishly seek to win favour of the people in a bid to evade their commitment to implement the priorities which were proposed in the letter adopted at the joint meeting of the DPRK government, political parties and organizations, the article says, adding: This was clearly evidenced by the fact that, some days ago, the senior secretary of "Chongwadae" for diplomatic and security affairs, while talking about "assistance to the north", let loose such a stupid self-comforting remark that the "priorities proposed by the north would not be a stumbling block in the way of resuming inter-Korean dialogue".
The South Korean authorities should know their unreasonable meddling in the non-governmental organizations' cooperation with the north is only harmful to them for it is waste of time. If they are to tide over the current crisis, they should not keep the people from aspiring after the north and communism. If they truly want dialogues, they should not foolishly dream of securing the north's concession but immediately stop "cooperation" with outside forces and repeal the anti-reunification "National Security Law" without delay as demanded by the letter of the joint meeting in its proposed priorities.
Unethical deed
Pyongyang, April 3 (KCNA) -- Jong Sun Dok, an unconverted long-term prisoner of South Korea, is now in a critical condition, attacked by cerebral hemorrhage. Telling the case, Minju Joson today says: It shows to what cruel torture, persecution and maltreatment the authorities had put her. Jong was a member of guerrillas. She was active on Mt. Jiri with her husband during the last Korean War (June 1950-July 1953) and bravely fought the enemy until winter of 1963. Getting injured in her leg, she was arrested and had to undergo scores of years of prison life.
She was released 10 odd years ago and then helped other unconverted long-term prisoners. Her critical condition has been caused by the South Korean authority's inhumane misrule and anti-national criminal deeds, the news analyst of the paper says, and goes on: If the South Korean rulers have elementary human conscience and reason, they should stop doing such deeds against ethics and public morals at once and take every possible step for her treatment so that her condition may return to normal. They must also send back those unconverted long-term prisoners of north origin back to it at an early date.
Japanese authorities should contemplate issuing consequences
Pyongyang, April 3 (KCNA) -- Minju Joson today, commenting on a Japanese civil company's commitment to cooperation with the United States in "contingencies in the areas surrounding Japan," says that the tightening of the Japan-U.S. military tie-up was prompted by the common ambition for domination. Referring to the strenuous efforts of the Japanese authorities for military tie-up with the United States, the news analyst stresses: Their efforts are rendering the situation in the Asia-Pacific region including the Korean peninsula strained.
We cannot but take a serious view of their moves to leave the proper to the tender mercy of the United States for a war of aggression in a bid to make a comeback to Korea. Japan is not an unsinkable aircraft carrier at all. Although Japan is under the U.S. "nuclear umbrella," it cannot escape from our strike. The Japanese authorities had better ponder over what consequence their frenzy for reinvasion will bring about.
Falsity of S. Korea's rigmarole about "economic recovery"
Pyongyang, April 3 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today comes out with its commentator's article laying bare the falsity of the South Korean rulers' advertisement about "recovery of economy." The commentator says: Their advertisement about "economic recovery" is a 3rd-rate sophism to cover up their treacherous crimes in having plunged South Korea into an unprecedented politico-economic crisis and disorder. Such a shameless rigmarole cannot go down with anyone at present. Their advertisement is very fantastic and deceptive.
In the last one year, more than 53,000 companies have gone bankrupt, with the result that the production activities and circulation process of the economy have shrunk and the rate of economic growth has dropped down. The prospect for the economy is gloomy. Although South Korea desperately enforced a "sacrifice exports policy," the volume of goods export in February showed a decrease of 16% over the same period of last year. This is the lowest-ever reduction rate in 14 years. The mounting unemployment goes to eloquently show that the South Korean economy is on the verge of total bankruptcy. Over 10,000 workers are losing their jobs on a daily average owing to the "layoff" and "restructuring" being forcibly enforced to meet the brigandish demands of the international monetary fund. As of March, the number of jobless people reached 2.5 million.
Nevertheless, the South Korean authorities are impudently crying that "the danger of financial crisis" has been "removed" in South Korea with the increase of its foreign exchange holdings and with "its surplus in trade." By and large, its foreign currency safes keep only money borrowed from other countries. To be concrete, there are 28 billion dollars borrowed from the International Monetary Fund, the world bank and the Asian development bank, 4 billion dollars given by the United States as security money for the right of the permanent presence of its aggression forces in South Korea and 3 billion dollars it received from Japan in reward for selling Tok Islet to the Japanese masters.
The "trade surplus" did not come from regular goods export. Goods export has dwindled with the total crisis of the comprador economy. As a result, import of raw and other materials and equipment showed a drastic decline, recording the "trade surplus." As of the end of January this year, South Korea's foreign debts ran into 176.7 billion dollars or an increase of 25 billion dollars as against the end of last year. Even western mass media described the South Korean economy as "a bubble economy," "an earthworm wriggling in mud" and "an ailing cat being injected with the ringer's solution." Nevertheless, the South Korean authorities are crying that such a colonial dependent economy has begun to make "recovery." Their advertisement is the height of shamelessness. A rose cannot bloom in a ditch. The catastrophic economic crisis of South Korea is unavoidable because it is a colonial economy which depends upon others for raw and other materials, fund and technology.
As long as South Korea remains a colonial military base of the U.S. and the rulers persist in the flunkeyist and treacherous economic policies of dependence upon outside forces, its economy will never extricate itself from the catastrophic crisis. The South Korean authorities are hurriedly floating the fiction of "economic recovery", motivated by a criminal intention to cover up the total bankruptcy of the economy, the offspring of their thrice-cursed crimes, calm down the anger of the people and thus maintain their power.
Greetings to Senegalese President
Pyongyang, April 3 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, sent a message of greetings to Senegalese President Abdou Diouf on April 2 on the occasion of the 39th anniversary of its independence. Expressing the hope that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would grow stronger, the message wished the Senegalese president and people bigger success in the work for the prosperity of the country and the building of a new society.
Chongryon first vice-chairman arrives
Pyongyang, April 3 (KCNA) -- Deputy to the Supreme People's Assembly So Man Sul, first vice-chairman of the central standing committee of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon), arrived here today to visit the socialist homeland to mark the birth anniversary of the President Kim Il Sung and to participate in the second session of the 10th SPA of the DPRK. He was greeted at the airport by Kim Yong Sun and Kim Su Ik, director of the bureau of reception for overseas compatriots.