Foreigners visit Korean Revolution Museum
Pyongyang, July 17 (KCNA) -- Ambassador Jose Manuel Inclan Embade and officials of the Cuban embassy in Korea visited the Korean Revolution Museum on July 16 in the month of solidarity with the Cuban people.
They looked round the displayed materials and relics, being briefed on the revolutionary history of the great leaders President Kim Il Sung and Marshal Kim Jong Il who wisely led the struggle of the Korean people for the victory of socialism.
On the same day, they saw an acrobatic performance at Pyongyang Circus Theatre.
U.S. massacre of innocent people flailed
Pyongyang, July 17 (KCNA) -- The central committee of the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland issued a statement Friday condemming the recently disclosed massacre of innocent people committed by the U.S. aggression forces in Yongdong area in North Chungchong Province, South Korea, during the past Korean War (June 25, 1950, July 27, 1953).
The statement said:
According to South Korean media, Yankees belonging to the fifth cavalry regiment of the U.S. first cavalry division in July 1950 took more than 400 innocent people to a place and called by a wireless apparatus planes to drop bombs on them and forced them into a tunnel below railway tracks and machine-gunned them to death.
The U.S. imperialists and the South Korean authorities have advertized this massacre as one perpetrated by soldiers of the Korean People's Army.
The DFRF central committee condemns the U.S. aggressors' massacre and their criminal distortion of the history as acts of impairing the dignity and prestige of the DPRK.
The U.S. imperialists and the South Korean authorities should officially apologize at once for having described this massacre and other brutal atrocities as "crimes" committed by the KPA, make a due compensation to their bereaved families and stop at once acts of tampering with the history.
U.S.-S. Korea joint landing drill planned
Pyongyang, July 17 (KCNA) -- Some 1,500 forces belonging to the Okinawa-based U.S. navy and a division of the first marines of the "ROK Army" are to participate in a joint landing drill in the eastern coastal area of the Korean peninsula from July 16, a foreign news report said.
The four-day drill will involve UH-60 blackhawk and CH-53e helicopters as well as various types of offensive amphibious vehicles.
This is a clear indication that the U.S. imperialists and the South Korean authorities are putting spurs to the joint military manoeuvres in land and air and at sea to carry out at whatever cost the "operation plan 5027-98", a scenario for a war against the northern half of Korea.
Cambodian King leaves
Pyongyang, July 17 (KCNA) -- The King of Cambodia, Norodom Sihanouk, today left here by a special plane after 12-day official goodwill visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
He was accompanied by the queen and his entourage.
The guests were seen off at the airport by President Kim Yong Nam of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun, officials concerned and foreign diplomatic envoys here.
The friendly envoy of the Cambodian people was warmly farewelled by a great many Pyongyangites.
The farewell ceremony took place at the airport in honor of the King.
KCNA on Japan Defense Agency white paper
Pyongyang, July 17 (KCNA) -- The Japan Defense Agency in the 1999 white paper "reiterated concern at North Korea's test-firing of a missile" and said "it has caused insecurity in international society," Kyodo News reported.
The white paper is a deceptive document that distorts the reality and misleads public opinion, and it is no more than an unpardonable, criminal document infringing upon our dignity and sovereignty.
As is known to everyone, the DPRK's launch of satellite last August has been fully recognized by world scientists.
However, the Japanese reactionaries continue describing in a far-fetched manner it as "ballistic missile launch" and express "increased concern." this clearly shows how persistent and vicious their anti-DPRK moves are.
What can never be overlooked especially is their cock-and-bull story that "North Korea's launch of ballistic missile has caused insecurity in international community."
It is totally a gangster logic like the thief turning on the master with a club. What has mainly caused insecurity in Asia and international community in actuality is not the DPRK's satellite launch but the ongoing moves to establish the criminal and aggressive "Theatre Missile Defense" system, that can never be justified.
"TMD" system is meant for reinvading the DPRK through preemptive attacks and containing big powers in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Japanese reactionaries are stepping up the moves to turn Japan into a major military power and launch overseas aggression, while accelerating the establishment of "TMD" system allegedly to cope with the DPRK's satellite launch.
This year they passed through the diet a set of bills to implement "Japan-U.S. defense cooperation guidelines" to restore the right of belligerency and put up such war slogan as "TMD" system for overseas aggression. Their reckless war action has reached the extremes.
They are well advised to stop acting rashly, clearly mindful that their aggressive war hysteric will only lead them to destruction.
Folk game: Korean chess
Pyongyang, July 17 (KCNA) -- Janggi (Korean chess) is a traditional game of Korea still popular with the people. Two people sit face to face with a chessboard in between. The person who captures his opponent's kung (king) is the winner.
The origin of the game is still unknown, but it has a long history.
The chessboard measures 60 cm by 70 cm. It has nine vertical and ten horizontal lines.
Each player has a total of 16 chessmen, with one kung (king), two cha (carts), two mal (horses), two sang (elephants), two sa (bodyguards), two pho (guns) and five jol (pawns).
Chessmen come in different colours, including red and blue.
It is a principle to place the chessmen alike but the positions of sang and mal can be changed. Each player must move every chess piece according to its designated route.
Kung and sa can move one block after another in their designated quarter. A cha moves forward, backward, horizontally and vertically while pho goes straight, skipping over a chess piece (a pho cannot skip over another pho). A mal can go one step stright and then diagonally, while sang can take the first step straight and the second and third ones diagonally. However, if another chessman blocks their way they cannot move.
Jol moves right, left or forward, one block each time, but cannot go backward.
A player can remove his opponent's chessmen by replacing them with his own pieces.
If he captures his opponent's kung he says "Janggun". In case the opponent manages to block or evade the attack he says "Monggung". In the opposite case, the latter loses the game. But if the opponent can evade "Janggun" continuously, the game ends in a draw.
Korea's cause of reunification supported
Pyongyang, July 17 (KCNA) -- The Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace recently released a statement in support of the 10-point programme of the great unity of the whole nation and the five-point policy of great national unity for the country's reunification.
The statement expressed full support for the reunification of Korea, saying that they are closely following developments on the Korean peninsula.
It wished the Korean people great success in the struggle for the implementation of the 10-point programme and the five-point policy for nationl reunification.
Thanks to Kim Jong Il from Cambodian King
Pyongyang, July 17 (KCNA) - General Secretary Kim Jong Il received a letter of thanks from Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk on July 15.
The letter expressed profound gratitude to Kim Jong Il for showing the inexpressible profound feelings of friendship and so grateful and precious loving care to the King and his family and the people of Cambodia.
The King paid noblest respects full of friendly feelings to supreme leader Marshal Kim Jong Il.