Liquidation of Japan's past crimes urged
Pyongyang, August 20 (KCNA) -- The chairman of the central committee of the General Federation of the Unions of Literature and the Arts of Korea and a spokesman for the central committee of the Korean Christian Federation issued statements to the press on Thursday supporting the statement released by the DPRK government on the 54th anniversary of the liberation of Korea which disclosed Japan's 100-year-long criminal policy towards the DPRK and made clear its principled stand towards the DPRK-Japan relations.
They fully supported the August 10 statement of the DPRK government, regarding it as an undeniable testimony of Japan's history of crimes and a message of justice and truth.
The chairman of the c.c., the General Federation of the Unions of Literature and the Arts of Korea in his statement said that the most heinous crime Japan committed in Korea was plunder of hundreds of thousands of valuable national treasures and cultural assets created by the Korean nation in its history of 5,000 years.
Japan must honestly apologize for such robbery and immediately return all of those treasures and assets in their original state, he said.
The spokesman for the c.c., the Korean Christian Federation strongly demanded that the Japanese government discard its hostile policy toward the DPRK and clear away Japan's controversial past as soon as possible.
If the Japanese government continues to pursue the hostile policy towards the DPRK, refusing to apologize and liquidate the historical crimes Japan committed against the Korean people in the past, they will surely make it pay a hundred and thousand times for it.
U.S. plans to deploy up-to-date helicopters
Pyongyang, August 20 (KCNA) -- The U.S. imperialists reportedly decided to replace 72 outmoded "Apache" helicopters of their troops present in South Korea with up-to-dated ones equipped with missiles from next year.
They asserted that the latest "Apache," recently developed for attack on tanks and armored cars, is four times higher than the old one in attack capability and "it will be greatly helpful to checking provocative threat by somebody's large mechanized unit."
S. Korean authorities suppress patriotic figures
Pyongyang, August 20 (KCNA) -- The South Korean authorities arrested Ri Kyu Jae, vice-chairman and chairman of the Reunification Committee of the South Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, and religionist Jin Kwan, who returned from their visit to Pyongyang, on charges of violation of the "National Security Law", according to a Seoul-based radio.
The authorities are questioning them, charging that they sponsored a gathering of workers, an event of the August 15 grand pan-national pro-reunification festival.
Meanwhile, they are going to arrest Mun Hui Thae, secretary general of the Kwangju and south Jolla provincial federation under the "National Alliance for Democracy and Reunification," by invoking the evil law for the mere reason that he had a seminar with compatriots of the north abroad.
KCNA on "TMD" system aimed at aggression
Pyongyang, August 20 (KCNA) -- Japan reportedly signed an agreement on starting a joint technological research into the "Theatre Missile Defense" system with the United States.
This bilateral agreement was signed on August 13 after the Japanese cabinet finally approved the "TMD" system program, which made it possible to go ahead with the development of the system in real earnest.
Such grave developments disturbing peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region are arousing deep apprehension and high vigilance from among the regional people.
The Japanese reactionaries asserted that the programme is a "defensive one" allegedly to cope with the DPRK's launch of satellite they have obstinately described as "missile launch." But, it is nothing but a crafty smokescreen to cover up its offensive nature.
As known to everyone, the "TMD" system is a system of reinvasion to make a preemptive attack and contain the DPRK and a war system to prevail over big powers in the Asia-Pacific region.
Then, why did the Japanese reactionaries sign the bilateral agreement on such a criminal war system so hurriedly?
They wanted to send a warning message to china which succeeded in the recent test launch of a missile and more importantly sought to check the DPRK's "relaunch of missile."
Their reckless military threat by the "TMD" system can never work on the DPRK which regards sovereignty as its life and soul.
Launch of satellite or missile is a matter pertaining to our sovereignty.
We will exercise this sovereignty unhesitatingly at our own will, if necessary.
The Japanese reactionaries should properly interpret this unshakable will of ours and stop running amok.
Japan urged to abandon hostile policy toward DPRK
Pyongyang, August 20 (KCNA) -- Masao Yoshida, secretary-general of the Japanese Council for Japan-Korea Friendship and Solidarity, who had participated in the international solidarity events on the occasion of August 15, was interviewed by KCNA on Thursday before his departure from here.
Prior to the interview he made public a statement of the Japanese Council for Japan-Korea Friendship and Solidarity.
The statement said that all the Korean people in the north, south and overseas are vigorously struggling for the independent and peaceful reunification of the Korean peninsula and for world peace and development of humankind, not yielding to the moves of foreign forces to isolate the DPRK.
Referring to the statement of the DPRK government, he pointed out that the key-point and urgent task for the improvement of relations between the two countries is for the Japanese government to drop its wrong understanding of the history of damage done to the DPRK and approach it with sincerity.
Japan should immediately stop its moves to stifle the DPRK, he urged, and said: I assure you that the Japanese Council for Japan-Korea Friendship and Solidarity will conduct various solidarity activities so that Japan may make an honest apology and adequate compensation for all the past crimes it committed against the Korean people and take the road of friendship and normalization of diplomatic relations with the DPRK at an early date.
Korean people's cause of reunification supported
Pyongyang, August 20 (KCNA) -- Progressive people of the world vigorously conducted movements supporting the Korean People's Cause of National Reunification in the June 25-july 27 month of international solidarity with the Korean people.
During the month more than 200 solidarity letters and messages were sent to the General Secretary Kim Jong Il by prominent figures of political, social and academic circles and political parties and organizations of different countries, among them the presidents of Egypt and Guinea, the Libyan Head of State, the chairman of the Council of the Union of Communist Parties-the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the general secretary of the Communist Party of Peru (Red Motherland).
An opening ceremony of a solidarity month was held in Moscow on June 25, followed by rallies in more than 40 countries and regions including Cuba, Laos, Bangladesh, Switzerland, Bulgaria and Tanzania, at which letters of solidarity to Kim Jong Il were adopted.
Seminars on immortal works of the President Kim Il Sung and General Secretary Kim Jong Il on Korea's reunification were held in Nigeria, India and Madagascar.
Korean photo exhibitions and film shows were open in Italy, Mexico, Portugal and Democratic Congo while reading sessions, round-table conferences, meetings and other colorful functions were held in many other countries.
Over 40 political parties and organizations including the Communist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist-Leninist), the Tanzanian National Coordinating Committee of the Juche Idea Study Groups and the People's Front of India, and a large number of famous figures issued statements supporting the memorandum of the DPRK government on the immortal exploits performed by President Kim Il Sung in the history of the national reunification movement.
Meetings took place in Nigeria, Guyana and Syria and seminars in Guinea, Malta and Austria.
Many newspapers and magazines of different countries including the Indian newspaper Discovery and the Egyptian newspaper Al Siyassi carried famous works of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il on national reunification, including "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."
More than 100 mass media including the Cuban newspaper Granma and radio FM 90 of Cambodia widely introduced the Korean people who defeated the U.S. imperialists in the Fatherland Liberation War, and the DPRK which is firmly defending the people-centred socialism, decisively smashing the vicious isolation and suffocation moves of the imperialists.
Japanese militarists' visit to "Yasukuni Shrine"
Pyongyang, August 20 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary ridicules a strange farce that took place on August 15 in which Japanese politicians visited the "Yasukuni Shrine," a symbol of militarism, in a long queue.
The commentary says:
The Japanese ruling quarters made no scruple of visiting the "Yasukuni Shrine" and called for following the "soul and will" of the war criminals, describing them as "heroes and internationalist martyrs." This is intended to lay an ideological base of militarism and set out on the road of overseas aggression.
Japan committed monstrous massacre, arson and destruction in the past, obliterating human civilization, disturbing peace in Asia and perpetrating indelible crimes against its people. It should have admitted and apologized for its past crimes in view of the international law and from a moral point of view. However, the Japanese authorities are hell-bent on the moves to realize the wild dream of "Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere" which their predecessors failed to achieve in the past.
The Japanese reactionaries are insisting that the visit to the "Yasukuni Shrine" by the prime minister and high-ranking government officials be made a state-function, and the militarists' moves for re-aggression have gone beyond the limit, the commentary observes, and goes on: Their foolish daydream will never come true.
No country and people of Asia will tolerate Japan's re-aggression.
Those who summon the ghost of militarism are fated to meet the same miserable end as the war criminals.
Foreigners meet families of unconverted long-term prisoners
Pyongyang, August 20 (KCNA) -- Delegates of international organizations and solidarity organizations from different regions and countries who had participated in international solidarity events on the occasion of Aug. 15 met family members of unconverted long-term prisoners in South Korea at Yanggakdo International Hotel on August 19.
Kim Hwa Sim and Kim Jong Sim, daughters of old man Kim In So, his sister Kim Pong Son, and Kim Ryong Je, son of old man Kim Yong Thae, spoke at the meeting.
They accused the South Korean authorities of refusing to repatriate the unconverted long-term prisoners under groundless pretexts.
They said that the U.S., a signatory to the armistice agreement, is to blame for the fact that their fathers and brother have not yet been repatriated.
They asked the delegates to work hard to ensure that the unconverted long-term prisoners may be repatriated, clearly knowing that they cannot return owing to unjustifiable acts of the South Korean authorities.
The delegates noted that their organizations would wage a vigorous struggle in various forms and ways for the repatriation of the unconverted long-term prisoners in South Korea.
A letter of complaint of the daughters of Kim In So to the U.N. Commission on human rights and other international human rights organizations was read out at the meeting.
Letter of complaint to U.N. Commission on human rights
Pyongyang, August 20 (KCNA) -- Kim Hwa Sim and Kim Jong Sim, daughters of old man Kim In So, an unconverted long-term prisoner in South Korea, sent a letter of complaint to the U.N. Commission on human rights and other international human rights organizations on August 19.
They said in the letter that their father, who has been hospitalized in Christian hospital in Kwangju, South Korea, since the end of last year due to the aftermath of cerebral hemorrhage is now in a critical condition because of worsening paralysis on one side of his body and his internal trouble.
They noted that their father, as a true POW, should have been repatriated to the north right after the cease-fire according to the international law on the treatment of POWs and a provision on the repatriation of POWs of the Korean Armistice Agreement.
They continued:
Instead of repatriating our father unconditionally as required by the international law, the South Korean authorities are repeating the far-fetched assertion that the unconverted long-term prisoners in the south should be "exchanged" for "POWs of the 'ROK' army" and "those abducted by the north".
This is a brigandish sophism to detain our father in South Korea.
They earnestly requested the U.N. Commission on human rights and other international human rights organizations to take every possible measure to ensure that the South Korean authorities stop the inhumanitarian treatment of their father, a POW, in keeping with justice and the original mission of humanitarianism and their father is repatriated to his hometown as early as possible as unanimously demanded by him and the conscience of the people at home and abroad.
Solidarity meeting supporting Korean reunification held
Pyongyang, August 20 (KCNA) -- A solidarity meeting supporting the Korean reunification was held here on Thursday.
Present there were delegates of international organizations and solidarity organizations from different regions and countries and press officials of different embassies here.
Also present there were overseas compatriots who attended the '99 Grand Pro-Reunification Festival for Independence and Great Unity of the Nation and the 10th pan-national rally.
Choe Thae Bok, secretary of the c.c. of the Worker's Party of Korea and chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, was among those present there.
Mun Jae Chol, chairman of the Korean Committee for Solidarity with the World People, said in his speech that it was the unshakable will and faith of the DPRK government and people to clear all difficulties and obstacles from the way of national reunification with the united strength of the entire nation and accomplish the cause of national reunification in the present generation.
He said that the struggle of the Korean people for national reunification is accompanied by a struggle to prevent an aggression and war and defend the peace on the Korean peninsula and in the rest of Asia and the world.
He emphasized that the DPRK government and people would exert all their efforts for national reunification, invariably upholding the three charters of national reunification and the five-point policy of great national unity amid the support and encouragement from progressive humankind.
The floor was also taken by delegates of international organizations and solidarity organizations from different regions and countries.
Amar Bentoumi, honorary chairman of the International Liaison Committee for Reunification and Peace in Korea and president of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers, in his speech at the meeting pointed out that the main obstacle to the Korean reunification was the presence in South Korea of over 40,000 U.S. forces equipped with nuclear weapons and other sophisticated weapons and it was the main source of the escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula.
Andy Brooks, delegate of the Britain-Korea friendship and solidarity movement and general secretary of the c.c. of the New Communist Party of Great Britain, said that it was the only way of achieving Korea's reunification to establish the Democratic Confederal Republic of Koryo on the basis of the conception of one nation, one state and two systems and two governments.
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, said that Korea should be reunified in accordance with the three charters of national reunification and the five-point policy of the great national unity advanced by the President Kim Il Sung and Marshal Kim Jong Il.
Gennady Berdyshev, vice-chairman of the Ukraine-DPRK Association, expressed the firm belief that the Korean people would surely emerge victorious in their struggle to build a rich, powerful and prospering nation under the guidance of Kim Jong Il.
Several documents were adopted there.
A resolution as regards the tense situation on the Korean peninsula vehemently denounced the undisguised aggressive maneuvers of the U.S. To ignite a new war in Korea as a grave challenge to the human cause of peace.
The resolution strongly urged the United States to immediately halt the arms buildup and military provocations which can lead the situation on the Korean peninsula to a catastrophic crisis, mindful of the consequences to be entailed by a Korean war.
A protest letter to the government of the United States of America urged the U.S. to ponder over the serious implications of its aggressive policy towards the DPRK, warning that if a war breaks out in Korea it will rapidly spread beyond the boundary of the Korean peninsula.
If the U.S. is really concerned about the peace and reunification of Korea it should honestly fulfil its promise and commitment and positively respond to the proposal on signing a peace agreement between the DPRK and U.S., it stressed.
A protest letter to the Japanese government noted that it has failed to frankly repent of and liquidate the crimes committed against the Korean people in the past although the 20th century is nearing its end and pursued a hostile policy towards the DPRK, following the anti-DPRK policy of confrontation pursued by the U.S. and the South Korean authorities.
The letter lodged a strong protest against the present Japanese authorities' anti-DPRK hostile policy, considering it to be a very dangerous aggressive and militarist move to meddle in the Korean issue again and thus pave the way for overseas aggression, forgetting their inglorious past.
Kim Jong Il visits fish farm
Pyongyang, August 20 (KCNA) - General Secretary Kim Jong Il visited the fish farm on August 19 managed by Ra Hyo Jin to see its fish breeding grounds.
He was accompanied by secretaries of the central committee of the WPK Kim Kuk Thae and Kim Yong Sun, members of the party central committee and generals of the Korean People's Army (KPA) Hyon Chol Hae and Pak Jae Gyong.
He went round large terraced fish ponds which depend on spring water flowing from deep mountains and acquainted himself in detail with the fish breeding ground expansion project and fish breeding there.
After looking round newly-built standardized cozy fish ponds covering scores of hectares, he noted with great satisfaction that KPA soldiers successfully finished the vast project for expanding their capacities in a year in a high-pitched revolutionary spirit of soldiers and extended thanks to them.
Seeing the ponds teeming with rainbow trout, carps, grass fish, Kinyom fish and other fish, he extended a high appreciation to the party members and workers of the fish farm for having steadily increased the fish catch every year by putting fish culture on a scientific and technical basis.
He set forth highly important tasks which would serve as guidelines in further developing the fish culture of the country.
He laid stress on the need to radically improve the fish culture through a powerful mass movement.
He noted that places suitable for fish culture must be found to build more fish ponds while making the best use of springs and spas.
He urged all provinces, cities and counties to push ahead with projects to build fish breeding grounds by themselves.
He stressed that scientific researches into fish culture must be deepened and advanced fish-raising methods be introduced to steadily increase the fish haulage.
Pointing out that, as fish culture is an important work to provide people with more fish, all problems including feed must be solved preferentially, he took measures for their solution.
Amnesty International urges abolition of "NSL"
Pyongyang, August 20 (KCNA) -- The Amnesty International reportedly released a statement Tuesday calling for the abolition of the infamous "National Security Law" in South Korea.
The organization in the statement expressed apprehensions as to the continued arrest of people on the strength of the "NSL" in South Korea, adding that hundreds of people were walked away by police during the recent pan-national rally.
It urged the South Korean ruler to abolish the "NSL" for a stop to the violation of human rights.
NDFSK calls for release of prisoners of conscience and patriots
Pyongyang, August 20 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the National Democratic Front of South Korea (NDFSK) sunday published a commentary on the deceptive "special amnesty" declared by the present South Korean chief executive on the occasion of August 15, according to the Seoul-based radio Voice of National Salvation.
The commentary noted that the present ruling quarters excluded from the recent "amnesty" most of the prisoners of conscience, labour activists, patriotic youth and students including the patriots who have called for independence, democracy and reunification and vital rights, while they "pardoned" and "reinstated" only principal criminals involved in power-backed irregularities and corruption such as Kim Hyon Chol, the second son of former "president" Kim Young Sam, and ordinary prisoners en masse.
The commentary went on to say:
The "special amnesty" is aimed at improving the tarnished image of the "people's government" and calming down the growing anti-"government" sentiment of the people and thus bridging over the worst ruling crisis.
The present ruling quarters must pay heed to the unanimous demand of the people and release all prisoners of conscience and patriots and "pardon" and "reinstate" them.
Meanwhile, a spokesman of the Japanese mission of the NDFSK Wednesday issued a statement calling for an unconditional and prompt release of all prisoners of conscience and repatriation to the north of unconverted long-term prisoners of the DPRK origin.
Symbol of revived Japanese militarism
Pyongyang, August 20 (KCNA) -- The legalization of "Hinomaru" and "Kimigayo" as the national flag and anthem in Japan shows that Japanese militarism has entered a very dangerous stage, says a signed article of Rodong Sinmun today.
This cannot be viewed as a mere issue pertaining to Japan's right, the article notes, and goes on:
The Asian people see "Hinomaru" and "Kimigayo" as symbols of Japanese imperialism which drenched the Asian continent with blood in the past. Nevertheless, Japan legalized them as a national flag and anthem, in a bid to follow in the footstep of Japanese militarism.
Historically, "Hinomaru" and "Kimigayo" are symbols of aggression and war of Japanese militarism, and the Japanese reactionaries have cunningly worked to use them as an instrument in reviving militarism since its defeat.
It is as clear as noonday that their legalization is to justify Japan's past and to rush headlong along the road of militarism.
This will only lead the Japanese reactionaries to self-destruction.
U.S. unreasonable arms supply assailed
Pyongyang, August 20 (KCNA) -- The United States should squarely look at the world trend aspiring after peace and stability and stop at once escalating disputes through its unreasonable arms supply, stated a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of the DPRK today answering a question put by KCNA as regards the U.S. uninterrupted supply of arms to several disputed areas in Africa to foment and escalate disputes there.
Quoting recent U.S. newspaper reports as saying that most of the weapons used in African disputes have been smuggled in by the U.S. and other western countries and although the U.S. adopted a "law on arms deal" in 1996, not a single prosecution has been made so far, he said that this is just an instance betraying the double-faced nature of the U.S.
He continued:
The U.S. is talking more loudly about the peaceful settlement of African disputes than any others, but behind the scenes it is aggravating them by supplying arms to anti-governmental forces in dispute-torn countries.
It makes no scruple of making provocative remarks that it will "use force" in any place of Africa any moment on the pretext of "human rights issue" and "its security."
All these facts clearly prove that no matter how the U.S. may pretend to be interested in ending disputes and ensuring peace in Africa, it is no more than sheer hypocrisy and the U.S. is the arch criminal fomenting and escalating disputes and harassing peace in this region.