Friendly meeting with Syrian delegation
Pyongyang, April 20 (KCNA) -- A friendly meeting with the delegation of the Revolution's Youth Union of Syria was held here on Monday.Present there were secretary Kim Kyong Ho of the c.c., the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League and other officials of its central committee.Members of the delegation of the Revolution's Youth Union of Syria led by vice-chairman Muhammad Imad al Zououbi on a visit to the DPRK and charge d'affaires ad interim of Syria Basal al-Ha Hussein attended it. Officials of the two youth organizations deepened their friendship, conversing with each other and singing together.
Kim Il Sung Street in Phnom Penh put into better shape
Pyongyang, April 20 (KCNA) -- A ceremony to put Generalissimo Kim Il Sung Street into better shape was organized by Phnom Penh City Hall, Cambodia, on April 12 to mark Sun's Day. The participants kept the area around the street's marker and the street tidy and clean. A floral basket from the city hall was laid before the marker.
The deputy mayor said his excellency Generalissimo Kim Il Sung was the unforgettable great benefactor of the Cambodian people, who had long shown great loving care for the King and people of Cambodia. Generalissimo Kim Il Sung Street is an expression of deep thanks of the Cambodian people for benevolence of the Generalissimo and a symbol of the friendly relations between Cambodia and the DPRK, he said. The city hall will convey the benevolence of the Generalissimo through generations and help upgrade excellent friendly relations between the two countries by keeping the street in good shape, he added.
Pyongyang invites South Korean figures
Pyongyang April 20 (KCNA) -- A consultative meeting of executive officials of the Council for National Reconciliation was held in Pyongyang on Monday. The meeting discussed a number of practical issues related to the implementation of the decision of the second plenary meeting of the council. It was decided at the meeting to hold a "meeting to remember Mr. Kim Ku" in Pyongyang on coming June 26, the 50th anniversary of his assassination and invite figures of various circles in South Korea including those who attended the historical April north-south joint conference with him.
S. Korean worker's struggle for right to existence
Pyongyang, April 20 (KCNA) -- The South Korean Confederation of Trade Unions on April 18 declared that it would call a massive general strike for the vital rights of the workers, according to reports. It said that over 25,000 workers affiliated with 22 trade unions would immediately enter into a strike when the Seoul Subway Trade Union calls a general strike on April 19 and more than 80,000 workers associated with 35 trade unions including the Pusan Subway Trade Union and the "Korea Telecommunications" Trade Union would join them till April 26. It declared in order to give momentum to the struggle rallies would be staged in various parts of South Korea simultaneously till may day including an unemployed rally on April 24. Earlier on April 15, it called on workers, farmers and the poor to intensify their solidarity actions.
1st Kimilsungia Show closes
Pyongyang, April 20 (KCNA) -- The 1st Kimilsungia Show which had opened to commemorate the 87th birth anniversary of the President Kim Il Sung closed on Monday. More than 260,000 people visited it during the period. At the closing ceremony commendations were awarded to the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces, the Ministry of Public Security and the central committee of the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League, other organizations and working people, soldiers and youth and schoolchildren who made distinguished contributions to the success of the show. In his closing speech chairman Jang Chol of the Kimjongilia Federation of Korea stressed that Kimilsungia is the revolutionary flower which instills national dignity and pride into the Korean people and inspires them to renew their pledge to struggle for the accomplishment of the Juche revolutionary cause.
Joint performance of art troupes of DPRK and Russian armies
Pyongyang, April 20 (KCNA) -- A joint performance of the merited choir of the Korean People's Army and the Russian Alexandrov Army Choir and Dance Ensemble was given at the Mansudae Art Theatre on Monday. The program of the performance which began with the Russian side's chorus "Song of General Kim Il Sung," a revolutionary paean of Korea, included Korean and Russian songs and dances and other pieces. The two art troupes composed of many famous people's and merited artistes were acclaimed by the audience for giving the performance of high ideological and artistic level.
Balderdash of U.S. refuted
Pyongyang, April 20 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today comments on the false rumours being spread these days by the United States as regards the withdrawal of its troops from South Korea. The U.S. recently let the South Korean authorities float the rumour that the DPRK "recognized" the presence of the U.S. troops in South Korea as "peace-keeping forces." In this way it tries to build up public opinion that there is a change in the DPRK's stand toward the withdrawal of the U.S. troops.
Synchronizing with it, the South Korean rulers incoherently remarked that the U.S. troops should remain even after the reunification of Korea and that the issue of their withdrawal would not be adopted as a formal agenda item at the 5th round of "four-party talks." Refuting such argument, the news analyst stresses: The DPRK has insisted on the withdrawal of the U.S. forces since they occupied South Korea, and this position is invariable.
The presence of the U.S. forces in South Korea is intended to perpetuate their colonial rule over South Korea and stifle the DPRK by force of arms. So, durable peace and reunification of the Korean peninsula can never be expected as long as the U.S. forces remain in South Korea. The purpose of the "four-party talks" is to ensure peace on the Korean peninsula. Accordingly, the withdrawal of the U.S. troops should be taken as a top agenda item at the talks, and if not, the talks will be unnecessary.
The U.S. will face a bitterer denunciation by peoples if it perpetuates its military occupation of South Korea, going against the will of the Korean people, the paper warns.
S. Korea hit for their preparations for bio-chemical warfare
Pyongyang, April 20 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Korean Anti-Nuke Peace Committee made public a statement on April 19 denouncing the South Korean authorities for pushing their preparations for bio-chemical warfare to a very grave phase.
The South Korean authorities are channeling a stupendous amount of money and huge manpower into increasing their "capacity of bio-chemical warfare", crying for "sophisticated biological and chemical weapons" despite the catastrophic economic crisis. They are massively producing these weapons with the help of the U.S., while introducing those types of weapons from the United States.
The spokesman said: This is a wanton violation of the international law which bans the development, possession and use of biological and chemical weapons. It is a premeditated move of the South Korean authorities to ignite a new war on the Korean peninsula at any cost and use these weapons as well as nukes.
The Korean Anti-Nuke Peace Committee bitterly condemns the South Korean authorities for stepping up the moves to stockpile biological and chemical weapons in collusion with the U.S., branding it as an unpardonable criminal move to plunge the Korean nation into ruin and humankind into disasters.
The South Korean authorities are now spreading a rumour about the north's non-existent "possession of biological and chemical weapons". This is nothing but a foolish attempt to conceal their preparations for bio-chemical warfare. The DPRK will never remain an onlooker to South Korea's bio-chemical war preparations.
The statement expressed the belief that international organizations and organizations of various countries that oppose aggression and war and love peace and the world's peaceloving people would extend full support and encouragement to the Korean people in their just struggle against the criminal bio-chemical war preparations of the U.S. and the South Korean authorities.
Separatist's jargon
Pyongyang, April 20 (KCNA) -- South Korean "Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade" Hong Sun Yong in an article contributed some days ago to the U.S. newspaper on diplomatic policy "foreign affairs" reportedly let loose a string of jargon that the "south-north unification is possible only in distant future" and "it will take a long time to achieve unification."
His remarks are no more than an anti-reunification jargon challenging the aspiration of the Korean people after the independent and peaceful reunification of the country. As is known, the issue of national reunification is the greatest national task of the Korean people which brooks no further delay.
His talk about "distant future" directly mirrors his separatist stand which means, in fact, he does not wish reunification. This behaviour can never be tolerated. What can not be overlooked is that hong sun yong again clamored about somebody's "collapse."He revealed the ulterior intention of the authorities to destabilize the north and destroy our republic when he talked about "possible collapse," heaping abuses on its system under which all people are single-heartedly united.
The South Korean ruling quarters' linking the issue of national reunification with "collapse" of the north's system vividly illustrates that they, deadset against the proposal for reunification through confederacy, which has been consistently maintained by the north, still consider the north-south confrontation as the only way of their survival.
The national separatists are, in actuality, hawkish elements. The war maniacs who pursue only the north-south showdown in disregard of national reunification are fated to meet a severe punishment by the people.
Japan's ambition for reinvasion revealed
Pyongyang, April 20 (KCNA) -- The Foreign Ministry of Japan in its diplomatic white paper for 1999 published on April 17 said that it was necessary to cope with diversified threats, taking issue with the DPRK over "missile launch", according to a news report.
In the white paper Japan said that "a factor of potential instability, including North Korea's missile launch, has become a reality in the recent one year to bring about new instability in the region" and that "Japan will be more strongly urged to play a major role in establishing a new international order". This sophism is a revelation of the design of the Japanese reactionaries to step up massive arms buildup and modernization of aggression forces of militarism and realize vaulting ambition for reinvasion under the signboard of "regional security" based on the fiction of "threats" from the DPRK.
Meeting of Hanchongryon deputies suppressed
Pyongyang, April 20 (KCNA) -- The South Korean authorities put down a meeting of deputies to the 7th-term South Korean Federation of University Student Councils (Hanchongryon) scheduled to be held at Hongik University, at the point of the bayonet, said a Seoul-based radio.They stationed 11,000 policemen of 96 companies at major universities, including Hongik, Yonsei and Korea universities, from April 16 to suppress the students, kicking up a search racket. The students under Hanchongryon launched a protest demonstration despite crackdown by the authorities. On Sunday over 900 protesters met at Seoul Railway Station to check the South Korea-U.S. joint wartime reinforcement drill and denounced the U.S. imperialists and the authorities for the north-targeted war exercises.
Students called upon to turn out in reunification movement
Pyongyang, April 20 (KCNA) -- The youth and students department of the central committee of the National Democratic Front of South Korea (Hanminjon) on April 15 made public an appeal to 1 million students on the occasion of the 39th anniversary of the April 19 Popular Uprising, according to Seoul-based radio Voice of National Salvation.
The appeal said that although nearly 40 years have passed since the nationwide April 19 resistance which culminated in destroying the last stronghold of the Lee Syng Man dictatorship and dealing a telling blow to the U.S. colonial rule, the desire of the April 19 resistance fighters has not come true. It urged the students to lift the banner of April 19 again in response to the call of the national history and bring in a spring of struggle so as to make youthful spirit flare like an active volcano on this land where the national spirit is withering away.
Saying that a nationwide anti-U.S., anti-dictatorship resistance should be started, it called upon one million students to turn out to overthrow the Kim Dae Jung dictatorship. It called for waging a dynamic struggle for the withdrawal of the U.S. forces and nuclear weapons from South Korea and for the termination of the colonial domination and interference in internal affairs by the U.S. and thus playing a vanguard role in the movement for anti-U.S. independence.
It also called for foiling the anti-reunification offensive with a patriotic reunification offensive, pulling down the wall of division as vanguard for reunification so as to be the first generation in the reunified country.
Worthy life guaranteed in DPRK
Pyongyang, April 20 (KCNA) -- Fishermen of South Korean origin residing in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea said they were not "kidnapped" by the north but settled down in the north of their own accord.
Kim Sang Sop residing in Sunchon city, South Phyongan Province, the former chief engineer of the South Korean ship "Tongjin 27," said: We were seized by the navy of the Korean People's Army as our ship illegally intruded deep into the territorial waters off the west coast of the DPRK in January 1987. At that time we told it we were catching fish but, in fact, we committed espionage on the North Korea. Our criminal act should have been sternly dealt with by the law of the DPRK. We, however, were told to go back to South Korea thanks to its compatriotic step. But I had no idea of going back to the corrupt society in the south. I settled down in the north where I were provided with all conditions for living.
Another crew member of the ship Kim Yong Hyon who lives in Mundok county, South Phyongan Province, said: Our illegal intrusion into the territorial waters of the DPRK was a very grave crime. But the DPRK government leniently treated us. It told us to go back to South Korea. I had no idea of working as a fisherman in South Korea. I settled down in the north of my own accord to live as a human being.
Nobody forced me to remain in the north.
The truth behind the espionage of "Tongjin 27" was already known to the world, Jong Il Nam, residing in Yangdok county, South Phyongan Province, said, adding: The South Korean authorities, however, are asserting the crewmen of the ship were "kidnapped" by the north. We were forgiven by the DPRK government. How can they claim we "were kidnapped" by the north. We remained in the north according to our faith and will. Living in the north for more than ten years, we have keenly realized that it is a society where we can live a worthy life.
All the crewmen of "Tongjin 27" are now equally well off after making happy homes.
The fishermen of the South Korean origin said that the DPRK is substantially guaranteeing the people dignity and a worthy life. The talk about "those kidnapped" by the north is nonsense.
None of the defectors to the north wants to go back to South Korea from the north, they added.
Library for era of independence
Pyongyang, April 20 (KCNA) - General Secretary Kim Jong Il has conducted ideological and theoretical activities with his tireless mediation, pursuit and rare ardor. His activities are consistent with loyalty and filial piety towards the President Kim Il Sung. Ample evidence of this is that he has devoted great efforts and energies to deepening and developing the President's revolutionary ideas. For example, his work "On the Juche Idea" shows his boundless loyalty, outstanding ideological and theoretical wisdom, rich philosophical knowledge and inexhaustible enthusiasm.
In the work he scientifically and theoretically clarified the philosophical principle, socio-historical principles and guiding principles of the Juche idea and proved that the President's revolutionary ideas are an undivided system of ideas, theories and methods of Juche. The work eloquently represents his loyalty to the President. Its composition and ideological contents and logical evolution are consistent with the revolutionary outlook on the leader.
In the work, Kim Jong Il, the great philosopher possessed of extraordinary philosophical judgement and rich philosophical knowledge, gave a perfect exposition of the intrinsic nature of man which no one had found for thousands of years. The work is the result of his unusual ardor and tireless ideological and theoretical activities.
One day, looking up at the Tower of the Juche Idea by the Taedong river-side, he said that if the books he read to formulate the President's revolutionary ideas were stacked up in good order, they would be as high as the pedestal of the tower. His teachings eloquently show that he devoted great efforts and energies to systematizing the president's revolutionary ideas.
Such a great work as the work consummating of the Juche idea was published thanks to his tireless meditation and inexhaustible enthusiasm. So, all the revolutionary people of the world highly praise kim jong il as the greatest genius produced by humankind, taking the work as a "bible" for men in the era of independence.
Reckless suicidal act
Pyongyang, April 20 (KCNA) -- Minju Joson in a commentary today describes the anti-DPRK campaign of the United States guided by its logic of strength as a reckless suicidal act. The "wartime reinforcement drill" staged by the U.S. under the simulated conditions of a real war clearly proved what a dangerous stage it has reached in its moves to start a war of aggression against the DPRK, the commentary says, and goes on: It was the first time that the exercise hitherto known as a mock drill on the table by computers was staged under the simulated conditions of a real war.
Such military movement of the United States timed to coincide with the row kicked up by war hawks through some media about "possible military action that does not rule out even war." The United States is miscalculating that its logic of strength applied to Iraq or Kosovo will work on us, too. If the aggressors impose war on us, the Korean people and People's Army will not miss the opportunity but wreak their inveterate grudge against the aggressors.
Joint fighting program for victory of socialism
Pyongyang, April 20 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today dedicates a signed article to the 7th anniversary of the publication of the historic Pyongyang Declaration "Let us defend and advance the cause of socialism" on April 20, 1992.
The Pyongyang Declaration serves as the correct new fighting program of our era to defend and advance the cause of socialism, the article says, and goes on: The declaration confirmed that socialism is an ideal of humankind, a society representing the future of humankind and a genuine society for the people, proved the validity and invincibility of the socialist cause and comprehensively indicated a noble aim of the struggle for socialism and fundamental ways to implement it.
The declaration is a banner of struggle and victory which vigorously rouses revolutionary political parties and peoples of the world aspiring after socialism to the movement for the revival of socialism. 70 political parties signed the declaration when it was adopted. The number of its signers increased to more than 150 at the end of 1992 and to over 240 at present. The progressive political parties and people of the world are vigorously struggling to revive socialism, taking the Pyongyang declaration as a joint fighting programme.
Anti-"government" struggle declared in S. Korea
Pyongyang, April 20 (KCNA) -- The South Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) on Monday held a rally for declaring a general strike with some 15,000 unionists and students in attendance, according to a radio report from Seoul.Chairman of the KCTU Ri Kap Yong declared that they would wage an anti-"government" struggle, saying that the authorities have driven the situation to a catastrophic phase by refusing dialogue and negotiation.The participants raised 4-point demands including suspension of "restructuring" and layoff and guarantee of the negotiating system of the trade unions under the KCTU.
Greetings to Algerian president-elect
Pyongyang, April 20 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, sent a message of greetings to Algerian president-elect Abdelaziz Bouteflika on April 18. The message expressed the belief that the traditional relations of friendship and cooperation between the two countries would continue to develop favourably and sincerely wished him great success in his responsible work for the national unity and the prosperity of his country.
Delegation of World Council of Churches leaves
Pyongyang, April 20 (KCNA) -- A delegation of the World Council of Churches headed by its general secretary Konrad Raiser left here today.It was seen off at the airport by chairman Kang Yong Sop of the central committee of the Korean Christian Federation.