FM spokesman on satellite launch and missile development
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- The spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea today issued a statement denouncing the hostile forces for getting most frantic in their peaceful satellite anti-DPRK campaign on the pretext that its peaceful satellite activity is "missile launch."
The statement says:
The hostile forces around the Korean peninsula, describing the DPRK's launch of satellite in August last year as missile launch, claim that the DPRK is to re-launch a long-range missile and cry for what they call "countermeasure" in an effort to increase pressure upon the DPRK.
Underlying the anti-DPRK campaign is a very sinister political aim at tarnishing the image of the peace-loving DPRK in the international arena and isolating it through internationalization of the pressure upon it = the campaign is very dangerous in that it may undermine the principle of impartiality in international relations.
As already known, the DPRK has not only a satellite activity program for peaceful scientific researches into space but also a missile development program for the nation's defense capabilities.
In August last year the DPRK succeeded in launching "Kwangmyongsong 1" with its own efforts and technology. That is the first shining fruition of the DPRK's satellite launch program.
The two programs belong to the sovereignty of an independent country from A to Z. So, as far as the issue is concerned, the DPRK is not bound by any international law.
As far as satellite activity is concerned, the countries around the DPRK launched into it before the latter. The United States has more than 1,900 satellites in the space, Japan some 50 satellites and other surrounding countries not a small number of satellites.
The universe is the shared property of humankind and there is no discrimination in the peaceful use of it. That is the publicly recognized principle of international law enshrined in all the international resolutions which have hitherto been adopted.
There is no law which stipulates that a specified country is free to make and launch satellites as it wishes, while other country is not allowed to conduct satellite activity.
If satellite activity should be called into question, it may be done only when the number of the satellites launched by the DPRK is equal to that of the satellites launched by the surrounding countries at least. Only then can it be said that the debate on the satellite activity is impartial on an equal footing.
As mentioned above, the forces hostile to the DPRK have no justification to take issue with the DPRK over the satellite issue. Therefore, they set themselves against the DPRK's peaceful satellite activity, making every possible effort to describe it as "missile launch."
Judging from the principle of impartiality, the same can be said of the missile issue.
Most of the countries around the DPRK have developed missiles before the latter. They have far more missiles than it.
Why do they argue that only our missiles pose "threat"?
There would be no reason for us to fire missiles at the U.S. if they are not a warring party and if they do nothing harmful to us, even if our missiles can reach the U.S. mainland.
If we fire missiles at the U.S. without any reason, will the U.S. stay idle?
There is no need to mention who first posed grave threat.
We have been compelled to develop missiles entirely because the U.S., a warring party, occupied South Korea by force of arms, continued deploying missiles and other sophisticated military equipment there from long ago and still harbors a wild ambition for military invasion of the DPRK. This is a self-defensive measure we have adopted unavoidably.
For the U.S. to slander the DPRK over missile issue reminds one of a thief crying "stop thief." This is a trick to continue inciting antagonism towards the DPRK, create "fear of crisis," make Japan bear the financial burden for the development of the "theatre missile defense" system and sell more weapons to South Korea.
Japan is now making much more ado over the missile issue than others.
It is long since that Japan has been within range of missiles of other countries. However, it is now making a fuss, highly sensitive only to our missiles.
The reason is clear.
Japan has not liquidated the past crimes it committed against us, though it is at the turn of the century.
That is why Japan is fearful of our missiles only, though there are many missiles around it.
If Japan truly feels threat from our missile, it must know that the key to the problem is in its own hands.
If it is short-sighted, confined to its selfish interests, it will meet an irrevocable failure.
We will continue our effort to catch up with neighboring countries in the field of peaceful satellite activities. As regards the missile issue, we are always ready for negotiation if the hostile nations honestly ask for it out of an intention to alleviate our concern.
We make it clear once again, however, that on behalf of the dignity of the nation, we will resolutely counter any unfair attempt to discriminate against us.
KPA athletes prove successful at Military World Games
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- Jin Ju Dong, wrestler of the Korean People's Army, won a gold medal in the freestyle 54 kg category at the 2nd Military World Games, according to a report.
He defeated a Ukrainian wrestler with a score of 7:1 at the final.
Another KPA wrestler Ri Yong Sam won a silver medal in the freestyle 58 kg.
Meanwhile, the organizational committee of the 2nd Military World Games selected as a top organizer volleyball player of the KPA Kim Myong Sun who gave full play to wisdom and technique in the games.
Anniv. of Kim Jong Il's reelection as NDC chairman
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- The Guyanese preparatory committee was formed in Georgetown on August 11 to celebrate the 1st anniversary of General Secretary Kim Jong Il's reelection as chairman of the National Defence Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the 51st birthday of the DPRK.
At an inaugural meeting the Minister of Public Service for Presidential Office of Guyana and the leader of Good Green Guyana were elected honorary chairmen and the chairman of the Guyana Committee for Support of Korea's Reunification chairman of the preparatory committee.
The committee set a celebration period from August 11 to September 10 and decided to hold colourful events including a presentation of floral baskets, issue of celebration bulletin, seminar, rally and film show during the period.
S. Korean authorities arrest participants in festival
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- The South Korean authorities arrested more than 480 students who staged a demonstration at Seoul National University as part of the August 15 grand pan-national reunification festival, according to a Seoul-based radio report.
They put the students into custody in 30 police offices in Seoul and began questioning them in an attempt to harshly punish them on charges that the meeting itself was "illegal" and the sponsor of the demonstration was an "enemy-benefiting organization".
Indonesia's Independence Day marked
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- Buchari Effendi, Indonesian ambassador to Korea, gave a reception on Tuesday on the occasion of the 54th anniversary of the independence of Indonesia.
Invited to the reception were vice-president of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK Yang Hyong Sop, Minister of Foreign Trade Kang Jong Mo, vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Pak Tong Chun, vice-chairperson of the Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries Hong Son Ok who is chairman of the Korea-Indonesia Friendship Association, and other officials concerned and foreign diplomatic envoys in the DPRK.
Speeches were exchanged at the reception.
Consultative meeting of international and national organizations
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- Delegates of international organizations and representatives of solidarity organizations from regions and different countries had a consultative meeting here on Tuesday after attending international solidarity functions on the August 15 liberation day to invigorate the solidarity movement for supporting Korea's reunification in 2000, 20 years after the President Kim Il Sung advanced the proposal to found the Democratic Confederal Republic of Koryo and 50 years after the U.S. provoked the Korean war.
At the meeting they stressed the need to more vigorously conduct the solidarity movement for support to Korea's reunification on a worldwide scale so as to make 2000 a year of a new turning phase in the Korean people's cause of reunification.
An action program was adopted for the progressive international bodies and organizations and organizations of friendship and solidarity with the Korean people.
Under this program broad public circles of the world including those organizations will conduct a more powerful solidarity movement for Korea's reunification on a worldwide scale in order to prevent an outbreak of war on the Korean peninsula and achieve its durable peace and security today seeing in the 21st century.
They will also get a proper understanding of the essence and validity of the three charters of Korea's reunification advanced by President Kim Il Sung and the five-point policy of great national unity put forward by the respected Kim Jong Il and extend more broad and worldwide support and solidarity so that Korea's reunification will be realized independently and peacefully by means of confederacy.
The action program called for a widespread international campaign urging the U.S. to make a fundamental switchover in its anachronistic DPRK policy guided by the aggressive logic of "strength."
The action program said:
We will put pressure upon the South Korean authorities to replace the anti-north confrontation policy with that of alliance and reconciliation with the north, remove all political, legal and physical obstacles to great national unity and all sources of war and stop all acts of aggravating the tense situation of the Korean peninsula and extend positive support and solidarity to the people from all walks of life in South Korea in their just struggle for the democratization of society and national reunification.
We will also oppose and reject the Military Alliance of the United States, Japan and South Korea and urge the U.S. and other countries directly responsible for the Korean question to refrain from doing things obstructive but do things helpful to the independent and peaceful reunification of Korea.
The progressive international organizations and the organizations of solidarity with the Korean people will invigorate in a more organized way the international solidarity movement for supporting the independent and peaceful reunification of Korea everywhere in the world in various forms and ways suited to their specific conditions on different occasions such as the June 25-july 27 month of international solidarity with the Korean people and the month of support to the DCRK founding proposal.
Japan urged to accept DPRK's principled stand
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- The DPRK government published a statement on the occasion of the 54th anniversary of the country's liberation, which accused Japan of its 100-year-long history of criminal policy towards Korea and clarified the principled stand towards DPRK-Japan relations.
In the statement the government of the DPRK laid bare the unheard-of crimes Japan has committed against the Korean people over the past 100 years with its policy of stifling Korea, and Clarified its principled stand demanding apology and compensation from Japan for its past crimes.
The chairman of the c.c., the General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea and a spokesman for the Korean Buddhist Federation central committee issued statements to the press on Tuesday expressing full support for it.
In his statement the chairman of the GFTUK central committee said:
During the whole period of their occupation of Korea, the Japanese imperialists forcibly drafted and overdrove more than six million young and middle-aged Koreans, almost all of Korea's manpower, for military service and hard labour and reduced nearly 200,000 Korean women to sex slaves, "comfort women" for the Japanese army.
They robbed Korean working people of all their products produced by blood and sweat, as well as hundreds of thousands of pieces of historical remains and cultural relics in the whole period of their colonial rule.
Since its defeat the successive authorities of Japan have continued to inflict human and material damage upon the Koreans.
Japan's refusal to liquidate the past is, in essence, a revelation of the militarist design to repeat the past crimes as well as of the wild ambition for reinvasion to realize the old dream of the "Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere" at any cost.
The spokesman of the KBF central committee in his statement said:
The Japanese militarists cooked up evil laws such as "order on temple" to violate Buddhists' freedom of religious life and rob Korea of its valuable Buddhist cultural heritage and belongings to temples. They should have been damned for such crimes.
The press statements strongly demanded that Japan squarely look into the requirement of the times and unconditionally accept the principled stand clarified by the DPRK government.
They also hoped that trade unions, working people and religionists in different countries would positively conduct various activities in support of the DPRK government's statement.
KCNA on reckless war racket of S. Korean warmonger
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- The South Korean chief executive at the "National Security Council" on August 16 ordered the civilians, government and army to be united as one to react to a surprise attack of the north, according to a news report.
Prior to it, "Chongwadae" issued an emergency call at 05:00 on Aug. 16, hastily putting everyone on emergency alert.
This reminds one of a criminal who is surprised at his shadow and proves that the present chief executive of South Korea is a top class warhawk who is directly commanding the "Ulji focus lens" joint military exercises now under way on the order of the United States.
His loudmouthed non-existent "surprise attack" from someone and "defence strategy" are no more than a deceptive intrigue to justify his aggressive provocations.
As everybody knows, all the fellow countrymen in the north, south and abroad have made a stride forward in the nationwide struggle to achieve the independence and great unity of the nation and realize the cause of national reunification through the grand pan-national pro-reunification festival held on the occasion of the 54th anniversary of the country's liberation.
The South Korean warhawks have thrown a wet blanket over the movement for the great unity of the nation and openly launched "Ulji focus lens", "99 Hwarang Chungmu" and other military exercises, fully revealing their true colors as the very ones who seek confrontation with the north.
All facts clearly show that the South Korean authorities are not interested in the unity of the fellow countrymen and the reunification of the country at all but seek only confrontation, war and permanent division of the nation.
There is no guarantee that the "Ulji focus lens" joint military exercises which are big enough to ignite a war will not lead to a war against the north.
Those who are fond of playing with fire are bound to be burned to death.
If the South Korean warhawks unleash a war against the north at any cost despite our repeated warnings, they will certainly be destroyed by our powerful self-defence step.
'99 grand pro-reunification festival held in S. Korea
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- The '99 Grand Pro-Reunification Festival for the Independence and Great Unity of the Nation and the 10th pan-national rally were successfully held in Seoul from August 13 to 15 under the sponsorship of the south promotion headquarters for grand pan-national pro-reunification festival in spite of the authorities' fascist repression.
A function on the eve of the grand pan-national pro-reunification festival was held at an open-air theatre of Seoul National University on the evening of August 13 with the attendance of more than 3,000 members of the South Korean Federation of University Student Councils and dissident figures.
An opening ceremony of the 99 Grand Pro-Reunification Festival for the Independence and Great Unity of the Nation and the 10th pan-national rally was held in front of the main building of the university on August 14.
The '99 pan-national meeting for peace and reunification of the country took place at the university on sunday morning.
A joint keynote report and speeches were made and a joint resolution of the '99 pan-national meeting was adopted at the rally.
A pan-national declaration and special resolution opposing war and demanding the repeal of the "National Security Law" and a period to oppression of the non-governmental reunification movement were also adopted at the meeting.
The meeting was followed by a press conference on functions of the south headquarters of the '99 grand pro-reunification festival and the 10th pan-national rally.
Over 6,000 members of dissident organizations and students held an inauguration ceremony of the pan-national rally at Seoul National University in the afternoon and attempted to come out of the university to have the "pan-national rally of three-way solidarity among compatriots in the south, north and overseas" at Panmunjom.
They were barred from coming out of the university by fascist police. They went back into the building of the university and held their own events including a meeting of the National Alliance of Youth and Students for the Country's Reunification and a stage for singing of reunification till dawn of Monday.
"99 Ulji focus lens" enters full-dress stage
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- The provocative "99 Ulji focus lens" joint military exercises launched by the U.S. forces and the "ROK army" entered a full-dress stage with the issue of the "Ulji order to cope with three emergencies" on Monday, according to a radio report from Seoul.
As soon as an emergency call was issued, the South Korean authorities cooked up and operated a "team of controlling emergency" and proposed to open an emergency "South Korea-U.S. Security Consultative Council" and proclaim a "mobilization order" and convene a "state council meeting."
They called an "emergency measure meeting of the ministry of national defence," kicking up a row of rejudging the military and diplomatic activities intended to "deter provocations" of someone and war potentials for emergency revolt. They were also busy establishing a perfect "combat posture" to undertake a "state all-out war" and the "capacity to carry out joint operations" with the U.S. forces which have been sought by the joint military exercises.
Meanwhile, the U.S. forces under the "South Korea-U.S. combined forces command" and the U.S. 8th army command were hurled into the exercises to get familiar with "procedures of carrying out joint operations" and stage a "war commanding exercise through an automatic information gathering system."
The joint war exercises fully reveal the anti-national, anti-reunification intention of warhawks inside and outside Korea to dampen the ever mounting sentiments of the nation for reunification and seek confrontation and permanent division.
Treatise calling for constitutional revision
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- Leader of the liberal party of Japan Ozawa contributed a treatise urging constitutional revision to the monthly magazine Bunkeishunju.
In the treatise he asserted that "it was necessary to rewrite some defective points of the constitution and that as regards its article 9 which bans the participation in a war there should be articles providing for the "exercise of right to self-defense toward the attack of the armed forces of a third country and possession of armed forces to deter it." He also argued that Japan must contribute to "world peace" with different means including armed forces. In this regard, Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary terms Ozawa's call for constitutional revision as an attempt to change the "peace constitution" into a war constitution. This is intended to rewrite its article to justify the right of belligerency and possession of the combat forces, the commentary observes, and goes on:
It is very dangerous and reckless moves that the Japanese reactionaries are working hard to constitutionally stipulate military operations overseas after ignoring the article banning the participation in a war, the core of the "peace constitution", and legalizing the overseas dispatch of the "Self-Defense Forces."
The Japanese reactionary ruling quarters' call for constitutional revision under the signboards of "collective security" and "maintenance of order by police forces" of global scale is intended to put the helmet of "world police" on the heads of "Self-Defense Forces" and justify its involvement in disputes, state terrorism and a war of aggression as NATO forces did.
Noting that the cry for constitutional revision is just a war cry, the commentary calls upon the peace-loving and progressive people around the world to check and frustrate the moves of the Japanese reactionaries to malrevise the constitution.
5th meeting of joint preparatory committee
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- The 5th meeting of the joint preparatory committee of the '99 Grand Pro-Reunification Festival for Independence and Great Unity of the Nation and the 10th pan-national rally was held here on Tuesday to review the festival.
It was noted at the meeting that the pan-national pro-reunification festival took place grandly and significantly as the historic festival of great national unity which was attended by political parties and organizations and people from all walks of life in the north, south and abroad and it was recorded as the most meaningful three-way solidarity function in the history of the festival.
The meeting was unanimous in saying that the successful festival was a victory and precious fruition made by pro-reunification patriotic organizations in the north, south and abroad including Pomminryon (the National Alliance for the Country's Reunification) with their joint efforts.
It underscored the determination to develop the nationwide reunification movement onto a new higher stage and build a reunified country on this land at an early date as the north, south and overseas Koreans pledged at the festival.
It adopted a message estimating the festival on the basis of its review.
History-making event in national reunification movement
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- Papers here today editorially hail the success of the '99 Grand Pro-Reunification Festival for the Independence and Great Unity of the Nation and the 10th pan-national rally.
The grand pan-national pro-reunification festival that ended a few days ago was a historic meeting for reunification in which Koreans from the north, south and overseas made open-hearted discussions on ways of achieving national reunification through national independence and great unity and reached a unanimity of views, says Rodong Sinmun in an editorial.
It continues:
Delegates from a total of 72 political parties and organizations in the north, south and overseas attended the festival, and honorary guests from different countries, who have supported and encouraged the cause of Korea's reunification, participated in the festival to wish the meeting success.
In Seoul, too, students and people from all walks of life held a pro-reunification festival with success despite the South Korean rulers' brutal suppression at the point of the bayonet.
The successful festival brought a great upsurge in the Korean people's pro-reunification movement and dealt a heavy blow to the separatist forces.
All the Koreans in the north, south and overseas are now faced with a heavy yet honorable task to attain the national reunification through national independence and great unity at an early date.
The "tripartite cooperation" among the united states, Japan and South Korea lays a big hurdle in the way of the independent reunification of the Korean nation and is a basic factor of the tense situation on the Korean peninsula.
All the Koreans should resolutely frustrate the aggressive and treacherous tripartite "cooperation" through the powerful patriotic three-way solidarity among compatriots in the north, south and overseas.
The five-point policy of great national unity advanced by the respected Marshal Kim Jong Il serves as a powerful weapon in the hands of all the Korean people in promoting reconciliation, unity and reunification of the nation.
Minju Joson in an editorial calls upon the Koreans at home and abroad to promote independence and great unity of the nation on the strength of the three-way solidarity and unity under the wise leadership of Kim Jong Il and build a reunified and prosperous state on this land and thus thoroughly carry out the instructions of the President Kim Il Sung for national reunification.
Craftiness peculiar to Japan
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- Minju Joson today in a signed commentary dismisses the Japanese reactionaries' fuss about the payment of "temporary fund" to those who served in the former Japanese army as a behaviour of a political dwarf intended to mislead public opinion by creating the impression that they are interested in liquidating the past.
The commentary says:
This move of Japan is basically aimed at evading its responsibility for the governmental settlement of the tremendous damage done to all the Korean people with a petty amount of money and improve its image. But no one will be taken in by such a trite trick of Japan.
There is a brisk movement worldwide to clearly liquidate the past in the century and greet the 21st century with good conscience but only Japan has failed to say a proper word about apology to the Korean people, to say nothing of compensation, thus becoming a target of contempt and derision of the people.
The proposed payment of a petty amount of money to those who served in the former Japanese army, even that to a limited number of persons, is what the Japanese reactionaries conceived as a last resort to save the situation turning unfavorable to them day by day.
If Japan is to truly repent of and liquidate the past it should make honest apology and a comprehensive and full state compensation to the DPRK so that the victims may understand it.
Japan is well advised to drop such third-rate farce and make a right decision, though belatedly.
Communist Party of Malta urges Japan to liquidate criminal past
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- The central committee of the Communist Party of Malta issued a statement on August 12 supporting the DPRK government statement which disclosed a hundred-year-long criminal history of Japanese policy toward Korea and clarified the DPRK principled stand on DPRK-Japan relations.
The statement said:
The Japanese imperialists forcibly drafted over 6 million young and middle-aged Korean people, cruelly murdered one million innocent people and kidnapped and took away some 200,000 Korean women as "comfort women for the imperial army" and destroyed and plundered vast natural resources and valuable cultural wealth of Korea during the period of their colonial rule.
It is a natural political and moral obligation and requirement of international law for Japan to liquidate the past full of crimes.
The Communist Party of Malta strongly calls upon the Japanese authorities to make an official apology and full compensation for the crimes committed by Japan against the Korean people in this century, give up their hostile policy toward the DPRK and normalize the relations with the DPRK in conformity with the desire and demand of the Korean and Japanese peoples.
Gifts to Kim Jong Il
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) - General Secretary Kim Jong Il received gifts from delegations and delegates of solidarity organizations from different regions and countries.
The gifts were separately handed to an official concerned by Shizuo Wada, president of the Council for Japan-Korea Friendship Solidarity, who is leading its delegation, Robert Williams, vice-chairman of the Latin American and Caribbean Regional Committee to support the reunification of Korea and general secretary of the Good Green Guyana, Surya Lal, delegate of the Asian Regional Committee to Support Korea's Reunification and chairman of the Peace Action Committee of Nepal, Mustapha Fersi, vice-chairman of the African Regional Committee of Friendship and Solidarity with the Korean people and vice-chairman of the Tunisia-Korea Friendship Association, Anders Kristensen, secretary general of the Nordic Cooperation Committee for Friendship and Solidarity with the Korean People and chairman of the Denmark-the DPRK Friendship Association, and Oswaldo Larriva Alvarado, vice-chairman of the Ecuadorian Committee for Supporting Korea's Reunification, who participated in the international solidarity events on the occasion of Korea's liberation day (August 15).
Gifts sent by the World Peace Commission of the Asia-Pacific Lawyers Association and chairman Keith Bennett of the Britain-Korea Friendship and Solidarity Movement were also handed to an official concerned.
U.S. urged to take war equipment out of different parts of world
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- The United States should take its war equipment out of different parts of the world before pulling up the DPRK over its satellite and missile launch, stated a spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry today answering a question raised by KCNA as regards the U.S. recent acts of sparking an arms race through an unprecedented-in-scale arms export and seriously threatening world peace and stability.
A recent issue of the New York Times, quoting the official statistical report from the U.S. administration, said that last year the United States became the world's biggest exporter of arms by selling dlrs. 7.8 billion worth of weapons to other countries, he said.
As proven by figures and facts, the United States remains the world's number one arms exporting nation though the arms market has shrunk a bit since the end of the cold war. This was admitted by the U.S., too, he said, and continued:
Now that the international situation has become more complicated and bloody armed conflicts are breaking out in different parts of the world one after another the united states is making excessive profits by aggravating the situation through arms sale.
The U.S. made no scruple of using territories of such sovereign nations as Yugoslavia and Iraq as a "weapon testing ground" in a bid to steadily improve the efficiency of mass destruction weapons.
Such being the fact, it is hectic with its moves to bring "international pressure" upon the DPRK to keep it from launching satellites and "developing missiles" on the pretext that they pose a "threat" to it and escalating the tensions on the Korean peninsula by providing the South Korean ruling quarters with sophisticated war means.
Its aim is to repeat its "bombing of Yugoslavia" and its "bombing of Iraq" on the Korean peninsula. The escalating U.S. military threat compels the DPRK to increase its state power and defence capabilities in every way by taking measures to launch satellites and missiles with a view to defending its sovereignty and ensuring peace and security.