KPA urges U.S. and S. Korea to accept maritime demarcation line at West Sea

Panmunjom, July 21 (KCNA) -- DPRK-U.S. military talks at general officer level took place at Panmunjom today at the proposal of the Korean People's Army (KPA) side over the West Sea incident. In his speech, lt. general Ri Chan Bok, senior delegate of the KPA side, urged the U.S. Forces side to accept the five-point proposal put forward by the KPA side at the last talks lest a grave conflict should recur at the West Sea. He added that both sides should first agree to define a maritime demarcation line at the West Sea as soon as possible.
He said the main principle in defining the maritime demarcation line at the West Sea is that this issue should be settled on the basis of the armistice agreement and international law.
Ri Chan Bok notified the U.S. Forces side of the maritime demarcation line at the West Sea defined by the KPA side on the basis of the armistice agreement and international law.
The maritime demarcation line is an extension line of the provincial boundary line (a-b) between Hwanghae-do and Kyonggi-do stipulated in the armistice agreement. The line links the point (37 degrees 18.5 minutes n, 125 degrees 31 minutes e) equidistant from "a" point and Tungsan point, the tip of Kangryong peninsula under the DPRK control, and from Kul-Op island under the U.S. military control= the point (37 degrees 1.2 minutes n, 124 degrees 55 minutes e) equidistant from Ong island under the DPRK control and from Sogyokryolbi island and Sohyop island under the U.S. military control= and the point (36 degrees 50.75 minutes n, 124 degrees 32.5 minutes e) equidistant from the DPRK and China.
The senior delegate of the KPA side stressed that if the U.S. Forces side wants to resolve the West Sea incident at an early date and prevent the recurrence of a conflict, it must respect the maritime demarcation line based on the armistice agreement and international law and take strict measures lest its warships should intrude beyond this line.
The senior delegate of the U.S. Forces side, failing to eefute the KPA side's statement, said this issue should be discussed at inter-Korean talks.
Strongly repudiating the assertion of the U.S. Forces side the senior delegate of our side stated:
The north-south agreement lays stress on observing the armistice agreement, but it does not stipulate that the issue of maritime demarcation line should be discussed between the north and the south.
Now that the north-south dialogue has come to a rupture and the north-south joint military committee has a stopped its function, the assertion that the west sea issue should be discussed between the north and the south is to avoid the responsibility to observe the armistice agreement.
In the long run, the issue of the West Sea demarcation line should be settled between the parties responsible for implementing the armistice agreement and defending peace and security in the Korean peninsula.
In this regard, the senior delegate of our side recalled that the representative of the U.S. army side to the DPRK-U.S. high-level talks held in Beijing in June and the South Korean vice-minister of national unification at the north-south vice-ministerial level talks in Beijing insisted that the West Sea issue should be discussed at general officers level talks in Panmunjom. The U.S. Forces side failed to answer this.
The senior delegate of our side stressed that the West Sea demarcation line put forward by the Korean People's Army side is the most reasonable and just one from the viewpoint of law and reason.
He declared: firstly, the maritime demarcation line set by us is based on the armistice agreement, the law both sides must observe. Secondly, it takes full account of the requirements of the international law. Thirdly, it takes the conditions of the opposite side into full consideration.
Our senior delegate charged that the "northern limit line" on the lips of the U.S. Forces side is the line which has no legal justification as it is in wanton violation of the armistice agreement and international law and which was marked unilaterally without any agreement with the opposite side.
In response to the charge, the U.S. Forces side admitted that the "northern limit line" was unilaterally marked with no agreement between both sides. And it repeated its brigandish argument that the present "northern limit line" should remain until a new demarcation line at sea is confirmed.
Now that the U.S. Forces side admitted that the "northern limit line" at issue is unjustifiable and agreed to mark a new demarcation line at sea, it is necessary to have working-level contacts to discuss the issue of the demarcation line at the West Sea of Korea, our senior delegate said.
The proposed contacts may be attended by the KPA side and the U.S. Forces side directly responsible for the problem of the demarcation line at the West Sea of Korea and, if necessary, military officials concerned of South Korea, he added. Though the U.S. Forces side agreed to the offer, it insisted on having the contacts within the framework of the north-south joint military committee.
Our senior delegate refuted the argument, saying that inter-Korean talks have long been deadlocked and the committee has not been in operation and so it is impossible for the committee to discuss the issue which brooks no further delay. Lt. general Ri Chan Bok had this to say:
The KPA side urges once again the U.S. Forces side to boldly drop the old concept and go back and carefully study a new demarcation line at the west sea, which was proposed by us, and respond to our proposal to hold the contacts.
Attitude towards the contacts for defining the demarcation line at the West Sea of Korea will show whether the U.S. Forces side truly wants to ease tensions and prevent armed conflict at the West Sea.
If the U.S. Forces side refuses to have the contacts, ignoring our sincere efforts for relaxation of tensions and prevention of military conflicts on the Korean peninsula, this will provide clearer evidence that the general officers' meeting is meaningless. In this case we will no longer wish to waste time, sitting face to face with the U.S. Forces side. Then the general officers' meeting will come to an end.
The KPA side will follow the attitude of the U.S. Forces side.

Reception given by Egyptian ambassador

Pyongyang, July 21 (KCNA) -- Mahmoud Mohamed Farag Zain, ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the DPRK, on July 20 gave a reception at the embassy on the occasion of the 47th anniversary of the July 23 Revolution, the national holiday of the Egyptian people. Invited to the reception were vice-President Yang Hyong Sop of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, Minister of Education Pyon Yong Rip who is also chairman of the Korea-Egypt friendship association, vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Kung Sok Ung, vice-Minister of Foreign Trade Kim Pong Ik and other officials concerned.
Speeches were made there.

Medicinal glucose produced from potato

Pyongyang, July 21 (KCNA) -- Recently medicinal glucose has been produced from potato in the DPRK. The glucose produced from the newly developed potato is of great economic value. Its production process and method are simple and production period is short. Hospitals and clinics can, therefore, easily make necessary glucose by themselves. It is now produced at public health establishments of various levels including the people's hospitals and clinics in south Hamgyong, north Phyongan and Jagang provinces.
Medicinal glucose is indispensable for curing toxic bradypepsia of children, diarrhea and serious cases.
Medicinal glucose has so far been made from maize.
Its production from maize needed large quantities of materials and reagent and production process was complicated.

KCNA on Japanese and S. Korean authorities' outcries over "missile launch"

Pyongyang, July 21 (KCNA) -- The chief executives of Japan and South Korea are these days noisily crying for "cooperation" and "counter-measure" over a "missile launch" of someone. This is illustrated by the fact that in a telephone dialogue the South Korean ruler, who came back from his despicable soliciting and mendicant trip to the United States, and the chief executive of Japan brought up again the issue of the "north's missile launch".
In the dialogue they reportedly agreed to check the "north's move to launch a missile through serious U.S.-Japan-South Korea consultations" and "take a corresponding measure in case of a missile launch".
It is foolish of them to assert that the satellite launch pertaining to the legitimate right of a sovereign state is a "missile launch". Why are Japan and South Korea becoming so impatient though they are, not in a position to say anything of it even if it is true. Underlying this impatience are their desperate efforts to hide so many crimes committed by them like a thief who is afraid of his own shadow and their sinister intention to commit more grisly crimes in the future.
Both Japan and South Korea are henchmen who are executing the U.S. aggressive Asia strategy.
Japan is a war criminal who brought immeasurable disasters to Korea and other Asian countries in the past and a dangerous country that is refusing to make any apology and compensation for them but watching for a chance of reinvasion and giving spurs to the moves to turn Japan into a military power.
The South Korean authorities, colonial watchdogs of the U.S., are warhawks and a group of traitors who consider Americans and Japanese as their masters and are seeking a way out in the north-south confrontation and new war moves under their manipulation.
That is why Japan and the South Korean authorities want a new war to break out on the Korean peninsula in the strategic interests of the United States and are persistently trying to find its pretext.
Their fuss over the "missile issue" is intended to invent a pretext for unleashing a war.
They are well advised to discontinue such a foolish deed as jumping from the frying pan into the fire.

Kumipho bathing beach

Pyongyang, July 21 (KCNA) -- Kumipho is an inlet on the shore of Taedong Bay on the west coast. It belongs to Ryongyon county, south Hwanghae Province. From olden times it has been known as one of Korea's scenic spots, and today it boasts an excellent swimming beach for the working people.
A peninsula-shaped cape protrudes into the sea, which forms two small bays on both sides. The eastern side of the cape is favourable for the anchoring of ships, as it is calm and deep. The western side is clear and shallow, and a silver beach and green pine groves stretch along the coast, presenting a natural swimming beach.
The beach is more than four kilometres long, and the sand and the pine groves, as well as the sweet briers blooming red between them, harmonize well with each other, reminding one of a beautiful picture.
The sea off the bathing beach, dotted with islets adds to the natural beauty.
In the past when Korea was under Japanese colonial rule only men of wealth and power could come here to relax, but now the working people, who have become the masters of the country, enjoy it freely.
Along with Monggumpho, Kumipho has prospects of being converted into a world-famous tourist and cultural recreation area.

Secretary Kim Yong Sun meets Japanese delegation

Pyongyang, July 21 (KCNA) -- Secretary Kim Yong Sun of the central committee of the Workers' Party of Korea met and had a talk at the Mansudae Assembly Hall today with the Japanese joint delegation with Osamu Yatabe, chairman of the New Socialist Party and former member of the house of councillors, and Soukou Simabukuro, chairman of the Okinawa Socialist Mass Party and member of the house of councillors, as its co-leaders. Present there was vice department director Song Ho Gyong of the central committee of the Workers' Party of Korea who is also chairman of the DPRK-Japan friendship association.
On the occasion Osamu Yatabe, head of the delegation, called attention to the fact that the Japanese government is working hard to strengthen Japan-U.S. military alliance, claiming that the Asian situation is not "transparent." the Japanese government is offering military bases to the U.S. and paving the way for overseas dispatch of the "Self-Defense Forces," he said.
While making much ado about "missile threats" from the DPRK, the Japanese government effectuated the updated "Japan-U.S. defence cooperation guidelines" at the diet, he said, adding that his party, as well as political parties of Japan, conducts a powerful struggle against the "guidelines."
He went on to say that it is the stand of his party to fight against the Japan-U.S. military alliance and for the dismantling of U.S. military bases in Japan.
Korea's peace and reunification is of weighty importance in that it is related to peace in Asia and northeast Asia in particular, he said, expressing the determination to always support the DPRK's proposals for the indepenent, peaceful reunification.
He wished the Korean people greater success in socialist construction under the guidance of General Secretary Kim Jong Il.
Soukou Simabukuro, head of the delegation, referred to his party's efforts for a peaceful Okinawa freed from the U.S. Forces and nuclear weapons. He vowed to fight for abolition of U.S. bases and the updated "guidelines."
His party will make great efforts for detente in northeast Asia and the peaceful reunification of Korea in particular, he added.