Wreaths placed before statue and grave of Kang Pan Sok
Pyongyang, August 1 (KCNA) -- Senior party and state officials, working people, people's army soldiers, school youth and children laid wreaths on Saturday before the statue and grave of Kang Pan Sok, an indomitable revolutionary fighter and outstanding leader of the communist women's movement in Korea, at the Chilgol Revolutionary Site and in Mangyongdae on the occasion of the 67th anniversary of her death.
Laid before her statue and grave were wreaths sent by General Secretary Kim Jong Il.
Wreaths were laid in the name of the Central Committee of the Worker's Party of Korea, the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly and the cabinet of the DPRK.
Wreaths and bouquets were also laid in the name of the working people's organizations, ministries, national institutions Korean People's Army units, educational and health organs, party and power organs and farms in Pyongyang.
Present at the wreath-laying ceremonies were Choe Thae Bok, Yang Hyong Sop, Ri Ha Il, Jo Chang Dok and other senior party and state officials.
South Pomminryon headquarters' struggle supported
Pyongyang, August 1 (KCNA) -- The spokesman for the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland (CPRF) in a statement issued on July 31 expressed full support to and solidarity with the struggle of the south headquarters of the National Alliance for the Country's Reunification (Pomminryon), highly appreciating it as a justifiable one for the independence and democratization of the South Korean society.
The headquarters carried out a widespread struggle in Seoul for the repeal of the "security law", the guarantee of civic reunification movement and the successful holding of August 15 reunification events and released a resolution calling for immediate repatriation of the unconverted long-term prisoners, the signing of the DPRK-U.S. peace agreement and the drop of the "operational plan 5027-98" mapped out by the United States.
The statement said such a patriotic struggle greatly pleased and encouraged the fellow countrymen as it represented the aspiration and demand of the entire fellow countrymen. The South Korean authorities should stop at once the despicable moves to totally block and foil at the point of bayonet the '99 Grand Reunification Festival for the Independence and Great Unity of the Nation and the 10th pan-national rally being pushed ahead with by the south headquarters of Pomminryon, the National Alliance for Democracy and Reunification (Jongukryonhap) and other pro-reunification patriotic movement organizations, the statement said.
And they should drop the foolish trick to create an obstacle to the pan-national grand reunification festival through such an anti-reunification organization as the "People's Council for National Reconciliation and Cooperation" whose existence is not recognized, it stressed.
Moves to destroy Jongyojo should be stopped
Pyongyang, August 1 (KCNA) -- The chairman of the central committee of the Korean Educational and Cultural Worker's Union issued a statement to the press on July 31 denouncing the South Korean rulers for scheming to paralyze activities of the National Teachers Union (Jongyojo).
The South Korean authorities alleged that they made Jongyojo legal a few days ago but the right to collective action of the union is not guaranteed. They are scheming to make the union a weak organization without grassroots-level organizations and to alienate teachers from Jongyojo by framing up South Korean teachers union, the statement said, and continued:
This indicates that the South Korean rulers are seeking to make the union defunct and completely disorganize and undermine it.
They are trying to bind Jongyojo hand and foot in a shrewd way, getting nervous at its activities, in a bid to block the struggle of the democratic mass movement organizations and make South Korean society more fascist and reactionary.
The chairman in the name of all the educational and cultural workers in the DPRK condemned the moves of the South Korean authorities against Jongyojo as an unpardonable challenge to the democratic rights and freedom of the South Korean teachers and a deliberate scheme to continue to pursue the anti-national, anti-democratic educational policy.
The South Korean authorities should immediately stop their despicable moves to make Jongyojo defunct behind the scene of deceptive "legitimization" and ensure complete freedom of all the union activities.
Anniversary of Kim Il Sung's work commemorated
Pyongyang, August 1 (KCNA) -- August 1 marks the 8th anniversary of the publication of the President Kim Il Sung's celebrated work "Let Us Achieve the Great Unity of Our Nation."
This is his talk to the senior officials of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland and the members of the north headquarters of National Alliance for the Country's Reunification on August 1, Juche 80 (1991).
In the work he clearly defined the issues of nation and reunification and, on this basis, comprehensively elaborated on the necessity of achieving the great unity of the entire nation to achieve the cause of the country's reunification and the tasks and ways for its accomplishment.
Clarified in the work is a fundamental principle in achieving the great unity of the nation that the Koreans in the north, south and abroad should value the common interest of the nation and subordinate all their efforts to the cause of the country's reunification irrespective of differences in ideology, system and belief.
Papers here today commemorate this day.
Rodong Sinmun in a signed article says that Kim Il Sung's ideas and line on the great unity of the nation represent a banner of patriotism and a great program for national unity and reunification which can be put forward only by him.
The article continues:
Over the past 8 years the work has fully demonstrated its fairness, validity and vitality by powerfully encouraging all the fellow countrymen in the north, south and abroad in the struggle for national unity and reunification.
Kim Il Sung's ideas on great national unity and the cause of the country's reunification have been successfully inherited and materialized by General Secretary Kim Jong Il.
Kim Jong Il opened up a rosy future for the great national unity and the country's reunification by publishing historic works "Let Us Carry Out the Great Leader Comrade Kim Il Sung's Instructions for National Reunification" and "Let Us Reunify the Country Independently and Peacefully through the Great Unity of the Entire Nation."
These works showed the Korean people a highway of realising the historic cause of national reunification at an early date by the concerted efforts of the entire nation, true to Kim Il Sung's instructions.
The article underscores the need for the entire nation to successfully hold the '99 Grand Pro-Reunification Festival for Independence and Great Unity of the Nation and the 10th pan-national rally due to be held on the occasion of August 15, the day of liberation, and thus demonstrate the nation's will for reunification and the might of great unity to the full.
Letters to S. Korean organizations
Pyongyang, August 1 (KCNA) -- Memorial letters were sent respectively to the national preparatory committee for the promotion of reinstatement of Juksan Jo Pong Am of South Korea and the south headquarters of the National Alliance for the Country's Reunification (Pomminryon) in the joint name of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland (CPRF), the north Pomminryon headquarters and the Council of National Reconciliation on the 40th anniversary of the death of Jo Pong Am, former leader of the South Korean "Progressive Party".
The letters praised Jo Pong Am as a progressive politician and renowned pro-reunification patriot, who devoted himself to the country's peaceful reunification, independence and democratization of the South Korean society, cherishing strong spirit of national independence and ardent patriotism. The letters wished the organizations successes in their activities for re-estimation and reinstatement of Jo Pong Am.
Meanwhile, memorial letters were also sent respectively to the friends and bereaved families of Jo Pong Am in the joint name of the CPRF, the north Pomminryon headquarters and the Council of National Reconciliation.
The letters expressed the hope that the friends and bereaved families of Jo Pong Am would more staunchly keep to the road of patriotism for the country and the nation and the road of alliance with the north and reunification, true to the noble intention of the late jo who devoted himself to the independence and democratization of the society and national reunification.
Shipment of plutonium condemned
Pyongyang, August 1 (KCNA) -- The spokesman of the National Democratic Front of South Korea (Hanminjon) issued a statement on July 28, condemning Japan's shipment of plutonium, according to the Seoul-based radio Voice of National Salvation.
The statement said:
At the instruction of the Japanese authorities transport ships loaded with a lot of plutonium left Britain and France and are expected to reach Japan through sea off Pusan. It is an intolerable challenge to the Korean people and the international community that have opposed it.
The United States and the South Korean authorities are keeping silence about Japan's undisguised moves for nuclear armament but are raising a hue and cry over the non-existent "missile issue of the north". This is a deliberate plot to isolate and stifle the DPRK, which clearly proves that "de-nuclearization" and "peace" on their lips are nothing but a smokescreen to cover up their aggressive schemes.
The United States, the Japanese reactionaries and the South Korean authorities had better mind their own business, not crying over the "missile issue of the DPRK," and stop at once their nuclear blackmail and moves for nuclear armament.
The statement called upon the progressive organizations and figures and peace-loving people of the world to express full support and solidarity with the anti-war and anti-nuclear struggle of the South Korean people.
Moves to release Kim Hyon Chol blasted
Pyongyang, August 1 (KCNA) -- The Citizens Federation for Economic Justice and other civic organizations in South Korea issued a statement on July 27 denouncing the moves of the authorities and the ruling party to seek the release of Kim Hyon Chol, son of former dictator Kim Young Sam, according to a radio report from Seoul.
The federation condemned the examination of amnesty for Kim Hyon Chol as a political trick just to improve the relations with the traitor Kim Young Sam and an illegal act to breach the legal order.
The Citizen's Federation for Democratic Society asserted that the release of Kim Hyon Chol will spark people's protest because he is a felon who got a large amount of secret funds through the abuse of his father's power.
Meanwhile, the Citizens Federation for Political Reform opposed the move for his release, charging that the examination of amnesty for Kim Hyon Chol is a good example of the corruption of the ruling party.
S. Korean authorities' obstruction assailed
Pyongyang, August 1 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun in a signed commentary today assailed the South Korean authorities for laying hurdles in the preparations for the grand August 15 pan-national reunification festival through the "People's Council for National Reconciliation and Cooperation", a government-sponsored organization.
The commentary says:
Some days ago, the council organized what it called the "headquarters for the promotion of '99 fellow countrymen's rally to join hands" and proposed "preliminary talks" to the north. It said unless the north responds to it, it would hold unilaterally a "joint meeting" and "fellow countrymen's rally to join hands" in Panmunjom.
On the very day of the appearance of the council the north branded it as an anti-reunification separatist one and made clear that the north would neither deal with it nor recognize it. This stand still remains unchanged.
The commentary dismisses the proposed "preliminary talks" to the north as an imprudent offer that can be made only by the villains who do not know how to behave.
The council's loudmouthed "joint meeting" and "fellow countrymen's rally to join hands" are nothing but a crafty move to flout and insult the South Korean people and contain the activities of the genuine pro-reunification patriotic organizations, the commentary observes, and goes on:
The South Korean authorities should refrain from their criminal moves to foil the grand August 15 pan-national reunification festival through that council, but clear the south headquarters of the National Alliance for the Country's Reunification (Pomminryon) and the South Korean Federation of University Student Councils (Hanchongryon), the main driving forces of reunification movement, in South Korea, of the charges of being "enemy-benefiting organizations" and ensure the freedom of their activities.