Minjurochong delegates and football team from South Korea welcomed
Pyongyang, August 11 (KCNA) -- A meeting of workers in Pyongyang was held at the Central Workers Hall today to welcome delegates of the South Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (Minjurochong) with chairman Ri Kap Yong as chief leader and with vice-chairman and chairman of reunification Ri Kyu Jae as leader and its workers' football team for reunification who have come to participate in the " soccer game of workers in the north and south for reunification."
Chairman Ryom Sun Gil of the central committee of the General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea in his welcoming speech extended warm militant solute to "Minjurochong" delegates and the football team and to all the workers of South Korea including "Minjurochong" vigorously struggling under the slogan of independence, democracy and reunification.
He went on to say:
The " soccer game of workers in the north and south for reunification," the first of its kind since the division of the country that lasted for over half a century, is a great auspicious event in opening an avenue of solidarity and unity between the workers in the north and south. this will be a great patriotic deed for showing a practical example of the working class, the symbol of unity, in reviving the national football game which was traditionally held in Pyongyang and Seoul alternately and achieving national reconciliation and great unity.
Since its founding "Minjurochong" has undauntedly struggled for workers' vital rights, democracy and reunification of the country holding aloft the flag of independence, democracy and reunification.
All the workers in the north will actively support their struggle in every way in the future, too.
The game will mark an important occasion to bring a thaw in the long frozen ties between the workers in the north and the south and, furthermore, serve as a good basis of making a new turning point in the solidarity and unity among all patriotic pro-reunification movement organizations in the days ahead.
He hoped that the first good step taken for solidarity and unity between the workers in the north and the south through this soccer game would pave the broad way for independence, democracy and reunification of the country.
Chairman Ri Kap Yong of "Minjurochong" in his reply speech said that the delegation of " Minjurochong" extended with ardent desire for reunification hearty greetings to the northerners on behalf of 13 million workers and all other South Koreans aspiring after reunification.
We have become fighters who will devote themselves to the reunification, always remembering the welcome accorded to us and the ardent feelings for reunification expressed on every occasion, he added.
The workers in the south have never forgotten such words as hearty aspirations for reunification and compatriots, he said, and asked the workers in the north not to forget that they are always with their fellows who have such feelings.
Wherever we went in Pyongyang, we have seen sincere hope, he noted, stressing:
We have come to Pyongyang at the risk of our lives in order to achieve the reunification of the country, turn this world into one for us workers and join hands with our comrades in the north.
Talks between WPK and New Communist Party of Great Britain
Pyongyang, August 11 (KCNA) -- Talks between secretary of the central committee of the Workers' Party of Korea Choe T
thae Bok and general secretary of the central committee of the New Communist Party of Great Britain Andy Brooks were held in Pyongyang today.
At the talks, the sides informed each other of the activities of their parties and exchanged views on developing the friendly relations between the two parties and a series of matters of common concern.
Mansudae Windasia Joint-Venture Company
Pyongyang, August 11 (KCNA) -- The Mansudae Windasia Joint-Venture Company is massproducing ornaments for women.
Its products include finger-ring, necklace, brooch, bracelet, ring and plastic button of scores of varieties.
The company produces nearly 400,000 items every year.
These ornaments are made of rare metals (gold, silver and copper) and of various kinds of natural jewels such as ruby, sapphire and crystal.
Its products are now in hot demand in Asian and European countries, including China, Japan, France and Italy.
The company situated in the compound of the Mansudae Art Studio, a comprehensive fine art creative centre of Korea, was commissioned in April 1994.
The company has over 400 uptodate facilities of 40 odd kinds, including gilding, casting and grinding machines.
The company has collaborated with the Windasia company of Japan since October 1997.
The Mansudae Windasia Joint-Venture Company receives orders for more than 100,000 items each year.
KCNA on S. Korean warhawks' planned introduction of latest planes
Pyongyang, August 11 (KCNA) -- The South Korean warhawks are reportedly planning to purchase from the united states eight uptodate spy planes equipped with such electronic information-gathering devices as video recording and telecommunications over April 2000-2001.
They are now asserting that they will be able to gather by themselves information on the north for which they relied upon the united states so far through the planes capable of video recording areas as far as north of Sinuiju and observing areas up to south of Pyongyang and Wonsan from the sky 40 to 50 kilometers south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL).
The planned purchase of the planes aimed at further intensifying the aerial espionage on the DPRK, is another grave military provocation to the DPRK.
As is already known, the aerial espionage on the DPRK has been mainly carried on by the united states and, not content with it, the South Korean rulers said they would take it upon themselves. this eloquently shows what a reckless phase their bellicose attempt to carry into practice the north-targeted war scenario has reached.
Some days ago, the South Korean hawks announced they were going to purchase from the united states 100 "Popeye" missiles capable of destroying " missile" bases of North Korea and even the long-range artillery in the area along the MDL, in the event of emergency.
The planned introduction of uptodate spy planes which synchronizes with the purchase of the "Popeye" missiles for attack, can never be viewed as an accidental coincidence, as they are under way under a detailed and premeditated operational plan.
It is a silly operational attempt for the South Korean hawks to seek to militarily suffocate the northern half of Korea by making a preemptive missile attack on military objects in the north, including the " missile bases" on the basis of results of " minute espionage" on them.
Therefore, they should not act rashly, clearly mindful that their operational attempt is no more than a daydream and it will bring only destruction to them.
KCNA on Japanese diet's endorsement of bill on " Hinomaru" and " Kimigayo"
Pyongyang, August 11 (KCNA) -- The Japanese diet on August 9 endorsed a bill on approving the "Hinomaru" to be a national flag and the " Kimigayo" a national anthem. the endorsement of the bill sought by the Japanese authorities at last despite denunciation and rejection from the world public is an intolerable insult to the peoples of the countries which were subjected to aggression by Japan in the past, including Korea and other Asian countries, as well as a challenge to the history desirous of a peaceful new century free from war.
As everyone knows, the "Hinomaru" and " Kimigayo" were the standard and song of the Japanese imperialists' aggression army that drenched Korea and other Asian countries with blood. So, they are symbols of disgraceful aggression and war which should have already been thrown into the dustbin of history along with the defeat of the Japanese imperialists.
Nevertheless, the Japanese reactionaries have persistently carried on political and military moves to legalize the revival of militarism and the move for re-invasion, far from liquidating the past though over half a century has passed since Japan's defeat in the Second World War. the diet's endorsement of the bill on the " Hinomaru" and "Kimigayo" is part of the moves.
As it contravens the purpose of Japan's post-war " peace constitution" , it is no more than superconstitutional coup following the adoption of the legislation on the "Japan-U.S. defense cooperation guidelines" .
What can not be overlooked is the fact that the Japanese reactionaries carried out the endorsement in a provocative manner on the eve of August 15, underscoring their denial of the historic defeat and a sort of psychology of retaliation.
They thus openly infused the idea of ultranationalism and revanchism into the Japanese people and did not bother to declare that the time has come to materialize their design for reinvasion of Korea and other Asian nations.
But, Japan should stop the silly acts of challenging the history, clearly mindful that Korea today is not Korea yesterday and Asia today is not Asia yesterday.
"Ulji Focus Lens" joint military exercise to be staged
Pyongyang, August 11 (KCNA) -- The U.S. imperialists and the South Korean warhawks announced that they would stage a provocative " Ulji Focus Lens" exercise, a drill of combined command post, over August 16-27, according to a report from Seoul.
It is planned by the South Korea-U.S. " combined forces command" to mobilize in the exercise over 56,000 ROK army men and 14,000 U.S. Forces in South Korea and U.S. Forces stationed in Japan and Guam island and the U.S. mainland as well as the flagship of the U.S. Seventh Fleet "Blue-Ridge," too.
Foreigners arrive to participate in international solidarity events
Pyongyang, August 11 (KCNA) -- Delegates of international organisations and delegations and delegates of solidarity organizations in different regions and countries arrived here on Tuesday by plane to participate in international solidarity functions to be held on the occasion of August 15.
They were: general secretary of the central committee of the New Communist Party of Great Britain Andy Brooks, president of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers and honorary chairman of the International Liaison Committee for Reunification and Peace in Korea Amar Bentoumi, vice-chairman of the Latin American and Caribbean Regional Committee to Support the Reunification of Korea and general secretary of the Good Green Guyana Robert Williams, vice-chairman of the International Liaison Committee for Reunification and Peace in Korea Paulette Pierson Mathy, delegate of the organization of solidarity of the peoples of Africa, Asia and Latin America Noris Paz Hernandez, delegate of the Afro-Asian People's Solidarity Organization (AAPSO) Vidya Sekera, coordinator of the Asia-Pacific region of the World Peace Council and general secretary of the Bangladesh Peace Council Ali Aksad, a delegation of the World Peace Commission headed by O. P. Sharma who is chairman of the Asia-Pacific Lawyers Association, vice-chairman of the African regional committee of friendship and solidarity with the Korean people and vice-chairman of the Tunisia-DPRK Friendship Association Mustapha Fersi and his party, secretary general of the Nordic Cooperation Committee for Friendship and Solidarity with the Korean People and chairman of the Denmark-the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Friendship Association Anders Kristensen and his party, delegate of the Asian regional committee to support Korea's reunification and chairman of the peace action committee of Nepal Surya Lal, and vice-chairman of the Ecuadorian Committee for Supporting Korea's Reunification Oswaldo Larriva Alvarado.
Overseas Koreans arrive to participate in festival
Pyongyang, August 11 (KCNA) -- Overseas Koreans arrived here on Tuesday to participate in the '99 grand pro-reunification festival for the independence and great unity of the nation and the 10th Pan-National Rally.
Among them are a delegation of the U.S. headquarters of the National Alliance for the Country's Reunification (Pomminryon) headed by its permanent chairman Yang Un Sik, a delegation of the Canada regional headquarters of Pomminryon headed by its chairman Jong Hak Phil, a delegation of the Australia regional headquarters of Pomminryon headed by vice-chairman Rim Yong Mo of the National Federation of Koreans in Australia and an art troupe of U.S.-resident Koreans.
Press conference on just released DPRK government statement
Pyongyang, August 11 (KCNA) -- A press conference was held at Pyongyang Koryo Hotel today in connection with the just released statement of the DPRK government which accused Japan once again of its 100-year-long history of criminal policy toward Korea and clarified its principled stand toward the present state of DPRK-Japan relations on the occasion of the 54th anniversary of Korea's liberation. it was attended by Korean and foreign reporters.
Speaking at the press conference, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Pak Tong Chun mentioned the motive of the publication of the statement.
He noted:
Now that Japan is attempting to see the century out without properly repenting of the unprecedented crimes it committed against the Korean people and without dropping the hostile policy towards the DPRK it has pursued throughout the century, the DPRK government recalled Japan's history of crimes and clarified its principled stand toward it.
As mentioned in the DPRK government statement, in a nutshell, the Korea policy pursued by Japan for a hundred years was aimed at exterminating, dividing, alienating, excluding and antagonising the Korean nation. that is why Japan cannot be termed otherwise than the sworn enemy of the Korean people as it committed too many hideous crimes against them to expiate.
The improvement of bilateral relations means, in essence, liquidating the crimes Japan committed against the Korean people and, on this basis, establishing new good-neighbourly relations in the interests of the peoples of the two countries and in conformity with the requirements of the times. but Japan is avoiding liquidation of the past with the century nearing its end.
Though a generation is replaced by another and a new century arrives at the end of the old one, Japan can never flee from its legal and moral obligation to make a thorough apology and compensation to the Korean people for all its past crimes.
He reclarified the principled stand of the DPRK government that Japan cannot see in the 21st century without any difficulty as long as the present serious state of the relations with the DPRK remains unsettled.
Then he answered questions put by Korean and foreign reporters.
Education law adopted
Pyongyang, August 11 (KCNA) -- The education law was adopted in the DPRK recently.
It consists of 6 chapters and 52 articles.
Chapter 1, fundamentals of the education law, stipulates the mission of education, basic principle of socialist pedagogy and main form of education etc.
It defines it as the basic principle of socialist pedagogy to train reliable intellectuals with sound idea, wide scientific and technological knowledge and strong body, the school and social education as the main form of education and intellectualization of the whole society as the long-term task of socialist education.
Chapter 2, universal compulsory free education system, stipulates that citizens have the duty to receive the general middle education and the right to be educated free of charge.
Citizens are obliged to receive universal compulsory middle education (11 years) till the working age.
All forms of education are free.
The state provides general scholarship to students who study at universities and colleges under the regular higher education system, at schools under the genius education system and at blind, deaf and dumb schools and supplies food to all the students according to their educational stages and provides them with school things and daily necessaries at cheap prices.
Chapter 3, educational institutions and workers, and Chapter 4, content and method of education, stipulate that education guidance organs and relevant organs should establish different educational institutions in conformity with educational aim and firmly build up the ranks of educationists in such a way as to fully ensure teaching and properly shape the content of education and adopt best educational method to enhance the educational level.
Chapter 5, provision of educational conditions, and Chapter 6, guidance and control over education, stipulate that to provide satisfactory educational conditions is an important duty of a socialist state and educational guidance system should be established and control over education strengthened in keeping with the demand of developing realities.
The adoption of a new education law provides a signal measure to further develop the socialist education by codifying the achievements made in education and establishing a strict system and order in education.