Letter to Kim Jong Il from festival participants
Pyongyang, April 19 (KCNA) - General Secretary Kim Jong Il received a letter of thanks from the participants in the 17th April Spring Friendship Art Festival on Sunday.
The letter said: It is the greatest honor for us to commemorate April 15 Sun' s Day, the birth anniversary of the President Kim Il Sung, with the Korean people. We pay our profound respects to your excellency respected Kim Jong Il, who have provided this wonderful festival and showed deep concern and great solicitude for its success. We will earnestly participate in the April Spring Friendship Art Festival, which opens in a grand style in the best season every year in the noble idea of independence, peace and friendship, and add luster to the new century with a beautiful flower garden of arts.
Festival prize awarding ceremony held
Pyongyang, April 19 (KCNA) -- A prize awarding ceremony of the 17th April Spring Friendship Art Festival was held here on April 18. Festival prizes were awarded to art groups and artistes that displayed admirable artistic talent at the festival.
Group prizes were awarded to the Russian Alexandrov Army Choir and Dance Ensemble, the Chinese art troupe, the Russian Beryozka Dance Troupe, the Mongolian art troupe, the art troupes of Koreans in Japan and in china.
Special prizes went to 8 artistes including Viktor Fyodorov of the Russian Alexandrov Army Choir and Dance Ensemble, Mira Koltsova of the Russian Beryozka Dance Troupe, Mitsuko Ogashiwara of the Art Troupe of the Society for Japan-Korea Music and Art Exchange, Kim Hong Chol of the Korean art troupe in Japan and Choe Un Bok of the Korean art troupe in China. Individual prizes were conferred upon 8 artistes including Li Chengzhou of the Chinese art troupe.
Creative prizes went to 16 vocal numbers including a choir "Song of General Kim Jong Il" by the Russian Alexandrov Army Choir and Dance Ensemble, three men's chorus "Nostalgia" by the Mongolian art troupe, 7 instrumental music pieces including concert "Waltz" by the Mongolian art troupe, 16 dance pieces including "Shahy Mehhil" by the India Katak Dance Troupe, "Rainbow" by the Russian Beryozka Dance Troupe and "Luan Hua Hua" by the Chinese art troupe, 12 acrobatic performances including "Light Finger" by a Cuban acrobat and 8 other artistes.
Diplomas, cups, prize money, gold and silver medals were also awarded to the recipients of prizes.
Joint meeting of artistes
Pyongyang, April 19 (KCNA) --A joint friendly meeting between Korean artistes in Pyongyang and participants in the 17th April Spring Friendship Art Festival was held at the Central Youth Hall on Sunday. Participants in the meeting talked about the festival which decorated Sun' s Day significantly, and deepened friendship, singing and dancing together.
"Law on broadcasting" for tightened gag on the press
Pyongyang, April 19 (KCNA) -- The self-proclaimed "people's government" of South Korea is reportedly attempting to institute a new "law on broadcasting" within May in a criminal effort to tighten the gag on the press. The enactment of the "law" will give a "government"- sponsored "broadcasting committee" sweeping powers to supervise all the activities of broadcasting institutions.
It is stipulated in the "law" of the "government" that broadcasting institutions should deliver some portion of their revenue from advertising industry to the "government"- sponsored "broadcasting committee," and that the "Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation," a private broadcasting institution, should deliver 7 % of the revenue from advertising. This is designed to raise the function of "government"- sponsored "broadcasting committee" and back it up financially.
On April 14 "MBC," commenting on the "government's" intention to tighten the gag on the press, said that there are many doubts on the hurried moves of the "government" to enact the "law on broadcasting" which has many poisonous provisions intended to control broadcasting.
Chief of NDFSK Pyongyang mission issues statement
Pyongyang, April 19 (KCNA) -- Pak Kwang Gi, chief of the Pyongyang mission of the National Democratic Front of South Korea (NDFSK) issued a statement on April 17 on the threshold of the 39th anniversary of the April 19 Popular Uprising.
He said that the heroic April 19 Popular Uprising was the eruption of the pent-up rancor and wrath of the South Korean people upon the colonial fascist rule of the U.S. and the Lee Syng Man "government," and mentioned its motive and circumstances. He went on: The popular uprising in April 1960 was the first victory of the South Korean people in the struggle against the U.S. and their stooges. Many years have passed since then. But, the freedom, liberation, a new politics and new society aspired after by the uprising have not yet been realised in the south.
The grim situation in South Korea without independence and democracy and the danger of war daily increasing in the Korean peninsula are aggravating because the Kim Dae Jung group is pursuing the worst policy of dependence on outsiders and flunkeyist treacheries, while persisting in "cooperation" with the U.S. and Japanese aggressor forces. The moves of the U.S. and Japanese aggressors and the Kim Dae Jung group are the most vicious challenge to independence, democracy, peace and reunification. They should not be tolerated as they go against the current of the times and the development of history.
The U.S. and Japanese reactionaries should ponder over the catastrophic consequences to be entailed by the policy of domination over South Korea, anti-north confrontation and war rackets, and stop rash acts, domination and interference in South Korea. The Kim Dae Jung group should draw a lesson from the disgraceful end of its predecessors that were engaged in dependence on outsiders and flunkeyist treacheries and promptly put a stop to the treacheries and step down.
The NDFSK and patriotic people of all social standings will closely unite to decisively frustrate any vicious challenge of the colonial fascist forces and struggle vigorously for independence, democracy and reunification.
Joint statement of Korean and Peruvian parties
Pyongyang, April 19 (KCNA) -- A joint statement of the parties of the DPRK and Peru was issued on April 16 in connection with the visit of Alberto Moreno, general secretary of the c.c., the Communist Party of Peru (Red Motherland), to the DPRK over April 12-17, Juche 88 (1999) at the invitation of the C.C., the Worker's Party of Korea.
The statement says: While visiting Pyongyang and local areas, Alberto Moreno expressed great admiration for the vigorous strivings of the Worker's Party of Korea and the Korean people to build a powerful socialist nation full of faith and optimism under the seasoned guidance of General Secretary Kim Jong Il.
Both sides had talks during the stay, at which they informed each other of the activities of their parties and exchanged views on issues of common concern, including closer friendly relations between the two parties and international situation, and had a complete unanimity of views on them.
They said that the socialist movement of the world overcame temporary crisis of confusion and frustration and advanced with new vigor along the orbit of independence after the adoption and publication of the historic Pyongyang Declaration in 1992. They expressed firm will to greatly help strengthen and develop the socialist movement of the world by strengthening internationalist unity and solidarity among progressive political parties in the idea of independence and socialism against imperialism.
Both sides denounced the U.S.-led NATO military offensive against Yugoslavia as a brigandish aggressive act against a sovereign state and expressed strong solidarity to the struggle of the Yugoslav people in their struggle against the aggression and for the defence of territorial integrity and sovereignty.
They stressed that at present all progressive political parties of different countries should direct main efforts to checking and frustrating arbitrary practices and aggression by the U.S. and reaffirmed their resolution to wage a vigorous joint struggle to defend peace from the imperialist aggression.
Foreign party delegations visit Pyongyang mission of Hanminjon
Pyongyang, April 19 (KCNA) -- Delegations of the Communist Party of Germany, the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party and the Worker's Party of Mexico visited the Pyongyang mission of the National Democratic Front of South Korea (Hanminjon) on April 18.Chief of the mission Pak Kwang Gi informed guests of the activities of Hanminjon and said that the South Korean people will make a new turning-point in the struggle against foreign forces and for independence and the movement for national reunification. The heads of the delegations highly estimated the activities of Hanminjon and expressed their firm determination to fully support the Korean people's struggle for the country's reunification.
Rodong Sinmun calls for
Pyongyang, April 19 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today dedicates an editorial to the 39th anniversary of the heroic April 19 Popular Uprising of the South Korean people. The April popular uprising that began with the struggle of the Masan citizens against the March 15 "election" rigging, was an eruption of grievances and wrath upon the colonial fascist rule of the U.S. and their stooges and an all-people anti-U.S., anti-fascist resistance for an independent and democratic new politics and new life, the editorial says, and goes on: The independence, democracy and reunification for which the April 19 resistance fighters shed blood and laid down their lives have not yet been realized.
It is the unanimous desire of the Korean nation to terminate the tragedy of the nation's division and achieve the cause of national reunification. Convinced that to implement the three charters of national reunification put forward by the great leader Kim Il Sung and the five-point policy of great national unity advanced by the great leader Kim Jong Il is the way of opening a new epochal phase of national unity and the reunification of the country, all the fellow countrymen in the north, south and abroad should rise up as one in the patriotic cause for their materialization.
The South Korean students and people should wage a more powerful struggle for alliance with the north and reconciliation and reunification under the uplifted banner of national independence. They should also valiantly struggle to decisively shatter the new war provocation moves of the belligerent forces at home and abroad, defend the peace and security of the country and check and frustrate the moves of the anti-reunification forces to suppress and destroy the south headquarters of the National Alliance for the Country's Reunification, the South Korean Federation of University Student Councils and other patriotic pro-reunification forces and the moves for anti-north confrontation and smear campaign.
Demo and sit-in strike of S. Korean students
Pyongyang, April 19 (KCNA) -- Students under the South Korean Federation of University Student Councils (Hanchongryon) on Saturday waged a protest demonstration as the police totally blocked Hongik University, the venue of a meeting of deputies to the 7th-term Hanchongryon, a Seoul-based radio reported. The South Korean authorities deployed over 10,000 policemen at the university and other places of Seoul to break up the meeting.
Withdrawal of "bill on reform of cooperatives" called for
Pyongyang, April 19 (KCNA) -- More than 20,000 stockbreeders held a meeting in Seoul against the authority's anti-social "bill on reform of cooperatives" on April 18, according to a radio report from Seoul. Saying that the bill put forward by the authorities was unilaterally decided in the absence of stockbreeders, victims, they strongly urged the authorities to immediately withdraw it. They adopted a resolution carrying their demand and declared they would continue to struggle until the "bill on reform" was withdrawn.
Message of thanks to participants in 17th art festival
Pyongyang, April 19 (KCNA) -- The presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK sent a message of thanks to the participants in the 17th April Spring Friendship Art Festival on Sunday.
The festival was a grand international art festival which brought together artistes from the five continents of the world in the idea of independence, peace and friendship and through which they strengthened solidarity with each other, widely introduced the peculiar tradition and advantages of their national art and contributed to developing friendship and unity, cultural exchange and cooperation among countries, the message said, and continued: The participants in the festival more significantly adorned Sun' s Day and powerfully inspired the Korean people who have turned out to build a powerful nation under the uplifted banner of socialism, meeting all the challenges of history.
The message expressed the belief that all the participants in the festival would in the future, too, exert unsparing sincere efforts to keep the idea and tradition of the April Spring Friendship Art Festival in bloom.
Reckless war gamble
Pyongyang, April 19 (KCNA) -- The recent maneuvers of the U.S. show that the U.S. scheme to provoke a war of aggression to stifle the DPRK by force has been an established fact, Rodong Sinmun today stresses. The U.S. troops and the South Korean Army started on April 13 "joint wartime reinforcement drill" under the simulated conditions of a real war, involving more than 13,000 troops. Meanwhile, the U.S. war hawks, through media, insisted on "possible military action presupposing a war."
Commenting on such moves, the paper says: The United States, which is now attacking Yugoslavia after military strike at Iraq, singles out the Korean peninsula as next target. But, it is mistaken. Its doctrine of strength applied against Iraq and Yugoslavia does not work on us at all. Strength is not the exclusive possession of the U.S. If the U.S. provoke a war of aggression on the DPRK, considering its strength to be almighty, it will face a fate of a tigermoth.
Fascist moves to destroy Hanchongryon under fire
Pyongyang, April 19 (KCNA) -- The South Korean ruling quarters are nowadays getting more frantic in their moves to destroy the South Korean Federation of University Student Councils (Hanchongryon). Commenting on this, Rodong Sinmun today says: Recently the South Korean authorities called a meeting to discuss moves to suppress "Hanchongryon", at which they decided to totally block the meeting of deputies to the 7th-term "Hanchongryon" and hatched plots to arrest and punish all of its hardcore members before its new executive committee is formed, after branding it as an "organization benefiting the enemy" under the "security law."
"Hanchongryon" is a patriotic students' organization that came into existence in reflection of the South Korean people's desire and aspiration for independence, democracy and reunification. Their scheme to repress and stamp out its just struggle by branding the federation as an "enemy-benefiting" one is, therefore, an illegal fascist outrage that can never be justified.
The South Korean rulers' decision to destroy "Hanchongryon" clearly reveals their criminal attempt to disorganize and obliterate at all costs the federation with a strong sense of justice and ardent patriotism. Such a move is aimed at arresting the mounting anti-"government" struggle and tiding over their ruling crisis by directing their suppressive campaign to "Hanchongryon", a vanguard in the movement for independence, democracy and reunification, and obliterating it.
Noble political ethics of great man
Pyongyang, April 19 (KCNA) -- Korea has observed Sun' s Day as the greatest holiday of the nation. The Korean people commemorated this day nearly five years after the death of the President Kim Il Sung. So, they were wrapped in more solemn feelings.
Over the past 5 years they have held the President, the father of socialist Korea, in high esteem as the eternal sun of Juche. In this period the revolution and construction have been dynamically pushed forward as was during the President's lifetime. The President's glorious revolutionary history still continues. The credit for this goes to General Secretary Kim Jong Il who, guided by noble political ethics, has devotedly worked for the immortality of the President.
In the last 5 years Kim Jong Il put forward the slogan "Let us arm ourselves more firmly with the revolutionary ideas of the great leader comrade Kim Il Sung " and published "the Worker's Party of Korea is the Party of the Great Leader Comrade Kim Il Sung" (October 2, 1995), "Let Us Exalt the Brilliance of Comrade Kim Il Sung's Idea on the Youth Movement and the Achievements Made under His Leadership" (August 24, 1996), "Let Us Carry Out the Great Leader Comrade Kim Il Sung's Instructions for National Reunification" (August 4, 1997) and other famous works so as to defend the President's revolutionary ideas and exploits in their entirety.
Representing the desire and will of the Korean people, Kim Jong Il, the incarnation of loyalty and filial piety towards the preceding leader, built the Kumsusan Assembly Hall where the President worked until the last period of his life into the Kumsusan Memorial Palace, the sacred Temple of Juche, to preserve him in state.
It was 3 years after the President's demise that Kim Jong Il instituted the Juche era and Sun' s Day in order to exalt the brilliance of the President's revolutionary life and great achievements for all ages. The Juche era was instituted with 1912 as the first year when the President was acclaimed as the sun of Juche, and his birthday April 15 was defined as Sun' s Day.
Kim Jong Il is devoting his all to the immortality of the President. He made sure that the socialist constitution was rewritten at the first session of the 10th Supreme People's Assembly in Juche 87 (1998), in order to hold Kim Il Sung in high esteem as the eternal President of the DPRK.
We are not people to be "exchanged"
Pyongyang, April 19 (KCNA) -- The South Korean chief executive is loudly crying for the "exchange" of the defectors to the north for the north-origin unconverted long-term prisoners.
Refuting this allegation, Ri Sam Dong, 68, who residing in Wonsan city, Kangwon Province, asserted the defectors who enjoy a happy life in the north can never be "exchanged." The defectors to the north are the people who crossed the frontline of their own accord, not under the pressure of others. I had a hard time while serving in the army into which I was forcibly recruited in June 1949. Intensified training and harsh disciplinary punishment made soldiers cripples. I found my life in the army not worth living, he said. In March 1951, when my unit came to the front, I joined the People's Army together with my 30 fellow soldiers.
Ok Yong Chol, 69, in Phyongsong city, South Phyongan Province, said his nearly 50 days in the army was a very difficult period during which he was treated like animals. The gap between officers and men of the army is yawning. I had even a harder time when I was serving in the 35th regiment of the 25th U.S. division under the UN command. I risked my life to cross the front and defected to the north in November 1950. It was not until I joined the People's Army that I realized there was not the slightest gap between officers and men of the army.
Kwon O Ik, 69, in Unchon county, South Hwanghae Province, said he could not endure terrible hunger and cold while serving in the army. Except those shot dead in battles, quite many soldiers of the army died of hunger and cold. I defected to the north in January 1951 and joined the People's Army, fully determined to cross the death-line rather than to meet a tragic death.
Defectors said all of them came to the North Korea of their own accord, asserting they can never be objects of "exchange". They demanded the South Korean authorities unconditionally send the north-origin unconverted long-term prisoners back to their hometowns without delay.
Kim Jong Il receives message from Chongryon
Pyongyang, April 19 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il on Apr. 16 received a message of thanks from the central standing committee of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon) for his remittance of Educational Aid Fund and Stipend.
General Secretary Kim Jong Il sent 119.9 million yen again for the education of the children of Korean residents in Japan, the message said, and continued: You sent us precious foreign currency needed for building a powerful nation as Educational Aid Fund and Stipend for the national education of our children, not forgetting it even when you are working day and night, leading the whole party and army and all people in the van of the second grand Chollima march. Indeed, your favour and love are incomparably deep. You are the great teacher and tender-hearted father who warmly looks after Chongryon officials and Korean residents and their children in Japan.
We Chongryon officials and Korean residents, who repeatedly received your love and solicitude, are full of confidence that victory is sure to come as long as we are led by you and our hearts are burning with the loyal pledge to believe in you as in heaven. We will bring about a fresh turn in the Chongryon work, keeping step with the people in the homeland who are running at a canter on the steed to build a powerful country under your guidance.
Kim Il Sung, peerlessly great man
Pyongyang, April 19 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Il Sung is the father of the nation who gave origin to the building of a powerful nation and laid its solid foundation, says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article. The article goes on: Kim Il Sung provided precious guidelines to be held fast to in building a rich and prosperous country and significantly strengthened the driving force in all aspects of politics, economy and military.
The present-day socialist country, independent, self-supporting and self-reliant in defence is the result of his lifelong efforts and total dedication. The solid foundation laid in the country to build a powerful nation is a brilliant fruition of the extraordinary leadership of Kim Il Sung who was possessed of distinguished quality and trait.
He could lay such a solid foundation for the building of a powerful nation as he had strong optimism about the future and a steadfast revolutionary principle of defending the basic interests of the country and the nation to the end, always set grandiose and ambitious goals and led the Korean revolution with rare practical ability.
A victory in building a powerful nation is certain as there is the solid foundation for the building of a rich and prosperous country President Kim Il Sung laid all his life and there is the wise guidance of General Secretary Kim Jong Il.
Gifts to Kim Jong Il
Pyongyang, April 19 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il received gifts from the central committee of the Communist Party of Germany and the workers home of Iran. The gifts were separately handed to officials concerned by Hans Wauer, vice-chairman of the c.c., the Communist Party of Germany who is leading its delegation, and Mohammad Hamzeh, head of the delegation of the Workers Home of Iran, on visit to the DPRK.
Kim Jong Il receives gift from World Council of Churches
Pyongyang, April 19 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il received a gift from the visiting delegation of the World Council of Churches.It was handed to an official concerned by general secretary Konrad Raiser, head of the delegation.
Korean Buddhists meet
Pyongyang, April 19 (KCNA) -- An enlarged plenary meeting of the central committee of the Korean Buddhist Federation was held here on Sunday on the occasion of the 1st anniversary of the publication of General Secretary Kim Jong Il's historic work "Let Us Reunify the Country Independently and Peacefully through the Great Unity of the Entire Nation" on Apr. 18, Juche 87 (1998).
It was attended by the members of its central committee, chairmen of provincial, city and county committees, resident priests of temples as well as representatives of believers in different parts of the country. It discussed its agenda item "on activities and measures of the federation to carry out the five-point policy of the great national unity put forward by the respected Marshal."
A report of most venerable Pak Thae Hwa, chairman of the federation, was followed by speeches. The reporter and speakers called for undertaking actions for national reunification, consistently upholding the five-point policy of great national unity laid down by the Marshal, and achieving strong solidarity among the Buddhists at home and abroad to make the 10th pan-national rally to be held on august 15 this year open a new chapter of independence and great unity of the nation. A relevant decision was adopted at the meeting.
Korean senior officials meet foreign guests
Pyongyang, April 19 (KCNA) -- Senior officials of the DPRK met with foreign visitors on April 18-19.Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly and chairman of the Korean Social Scientists Association, separately met and conversed at the Mansudae Assembly Hall with Vishwanath, secretary general of the International Kim Il Sung Prize Council and director of the board of the International Institute of the Juche Idea (IIJI), and his party and a delegation of the Latin American Institute of the Juche Idea (LAIJI) led by Alva Chavez, director of the IIJI board and an executive member of the LAIJI.
Secretary of the Worker's Party of Korea Central Committee Choe Thae Bok met with a delegation of the Communist Party of Germany led by vice-chairman of its central committee Hans Wauer while secretary Kim Ki Nam conversed with Prof. and Dr. Alexandr Kovalyov of Moscow State University of Russia, who is director of the IIJI board.
Secretary Kim Jung Rin met a delegation of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party led by M. Dalaikhuu, head of the political department of its leadership council, a delegation of the Worker's Party of Mexico headed by Maria Guadalupe Rodriguez, member of its national executive committee, and a delegation of the Revolution's Youth Union of Syria led by vice-chairman Muhammad Imad al-Zououbi.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun met with Mohamed Abdel Wahab El Saket, representative of the Arab League to Korea.
Kim Yong Nam meets delegation of World Council of Churches
Pyongyang, April 19 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, met and had a talk with the visiting delegation of the World Council of Churches led by its general secretary Konrad Raiser at the Mansudae Assembly Hall today. The head of the delegation said that during his visit to Korea, he saw at first hand many achievements made by the Korean people in their struggle for future. He said he was confident that the Korean people have strength and potentiality to tide over the natural disasters that hit their country for several consecutive years.