Hit for suppression of KCTU delegates and football players
Pyongyang, August 24 (KCNA) -- The central committee of the General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea (GFTUK) issued a statement on Monday denouncing the South Korean authorities for cracking down on the delegates of the South Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) and its workers football players who went back to South Korea after visiting Pyongyang and holding north-south workers soccer games for reunification.
The South Korean authorities are trying to "thoroughly investigate and take a legal action" against the delegates of the KCTU who participated in the soccer games held in Pyongyang, and "walked away and investigated" Ri Kyu Jae, vice-chairman of the KCTU and chairman of its reunification committee, who visited Pyongyang as the head of the workers soccer team for reunification, for the mere reason that he sponsored an event of workers within the framework of the pan-national rally held in Seoul.
The central committee of the GFTUK resolutely condemns the South Korean authorities' suppression of the delegates and football players, branding it as a despicable anti-reunification, anti-national criminal act of blocking the unity of the workers in the north and south and the reunification movement and throwing a wet blanket over the aspiration of the fellow countrymen for reunification, the statement said, and continued:
The soccer games in Pyongyang were sports events that started in one mind to terminate the tragedy of the division of the nation and achieve the reunification through concerted efforts of the workers in the north and south, and a heroic deed which implanted the hope and ardent desire for reunification in the minds of the 70 million fellow countrymen.
During their visit to Pyongyang, the delegates of the KCTU resolved to achieve the reunification of the country at an early date by pooling the efforts with the workers in the north and made a promise that the workers in the north and south would take the lead in the struggle for reunification.
They did nothing punishable.
The present South Korean ruling quarters are, indeed, an anti-reunification, anti-national group seeking a way out in the country's division and confrontation as the successive ruling quarters did.
The South Korean authorities must unconditionally discontinue the suppression of the delegates of the KCTU and workers football players.
U.S. must drop policy of stifling DPRK
Pyongyang, August 24 (KCNA) -- The members of a delegation of the World Peace Commission of the Asia-Pacific Lawyers Association, who had participated in the international solidarity events on the occasion of the liberation day of Korea (August 15), in a press interview expressed surging indignation at the anti-reunification, anti-DPRK moves of the United States, the very one who divided Korea into two, and the South Korean authorities.
Head of the delegation O. P. Sharma, chairman of the commission, said that the concrete wall is a product of the criminal moves of the United States and the South Korean authorities who are trying to perpetuate the division of Korea.
If the South Korean authorities truly want the reunification, they must discard anti-national attitude of confrontation, abolish the "National Security Law" which defines the fellow countrymen in the north as the "enemy" and pull down the concrete wall at once, he noted, and said:
We will in the future, too, vigorously wage the international solidarity movement for supporting the Korean people's just cause of the reunification of the country and fight out for the demolition of the concrete wall.
A member of the delegation P. S. Shada, secretary general of the commission, said the United States instigated the South Korean authorities to build the concrete wall in its interests.
The United States must drop the policy of stifling the DPRK and refrain from blocking the reunification of Korea any longer, he stressed.
Friendly meeting with foreigners
Pyongyang, August 24 (KCNA) -- A friendly meeting with foreign guests who participated in the international solidarity events on the occasion of the liberation day, August 15, was held at Pyongyang Primary School no. 4 on Monday.
Invited there were vice-chairman of the Latin-American and Caribbean Regional Committee for Supporting Korea's Reunification and general secretary of the Good Green Guyana Robert Williams and vice-chairman of the Ecuadorian Committee for Supporting Korea's Reunification Oswaldo Larriva Alvarado.
Kim Jin Bom, vice-chairman of the Korean Committee for Solidarity with the World People, and other officials concerned and teachers and pupils were present there.
After looking round the educational facilities of the school, the participants saw an art performance of the pupils.
They deepened friendly feelings, talking with each other.
DPRK delegate speaks at 51st session of sub-commission
Pyongyang, August 24 (KCNA) -- The DPRK delegate made a speech at the discussion of "modern slave" agenda item six of the 51st session of the UN sub-commission on protection and promotion of human rights on Aug. 16.
He in his speech called attention to the fact that after leaving the indelible disgrace on human history Japan has not liquidated its past unethical criminal acts till now when half a century passed and referred in detail to the brutal atrocities committed by the Japanese during the 40 odd years of their colonial rule over Korea.
He said that the Japanese authorities beautify, embellish and distort their history of aggression instead of making an honest apology for the damage inflicted upon the Korean people.
He demanded Japan frankly reflect on its unethical crimes and make a state compensation in order to prevent the repetition of crimes of violating human dignity and rights.
He noted that the DPRK urges the Japanese authorities to admit state and legal responsibility for the unethical crimes committed against the Korean people, make a compensation for all crimes against the Korean people and ferret out those responsible for the crimes and punish them.
U.S. attitude on LWR project assailed
Pyongyang, August 24 (KCNA) -- As long as the United States delays the construction of Light Water Reactor project as now and fails to take a positive measure to push ahead with the construction as scheduled, the DPRK can not but take a corresponding measure against it, warns Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary.
The commentary says:
The LWR project construction is not the matter to be dealt with by the United States as it pleases. It is an unavoidable commitment of the United States under the DPRK-U.S. agreed framework. But, the United States has till now delayed the construction on one pretext or another.
Under such circumstances, the DPRK can not remain a passive onlooker to it and waste time.
Since the U.S. considers the implementation of the DPRK-U.S. agreed framework, as drinking poison, there is no need for the DPRK to be bound to it.
The DPRK has suffered a huge loss as a result of the
Measure it took to freeze its nuclear activities.
We have no intention to suffer any more. The relevant institutions in the DPRK, including the military, are calling for taking urgent measures against the indefinite delay of the LWR construction.
The United States' persistent dilly-dallying with the construction compels the DPRK to do according to its own decision.
Smooth implementation of the DPRK-U.S. agreed framework is good for the DPRK, but it has nothing to fear when the framework agreement is broken.
Then, the United States and the DPRK may go their own way.
KCNA on Japan's open military challenge
Pyongyang, August 24 (KCNA) -- Director general of the Japan Defense Agency Hosei Norota recently declared that Japan would conduct military exercises in the fiscal year 2000 under the simulated conditions of "anti-guerrilla warfare" to prevent "infiltration" of someone or "defense against missile attack."
Earlier, the Defense Agency decided to include for the first time funds for taking measures against "armed guerrilla" in the budget for the year 2000 and examined several proposals such as spending millions of yen for investigation and research.
Some time ago, the Japanese reactionaries carried out search, hunt, reconnaissance and street battle operation drills under the pretexts of defending airfields and bases of the "self-defense forces" from "attack by the North Korean army."
The Japanese reactionaries are also waging an "anti-guerrilla warfare" and planning military exercises to cope with non-existent "penetration of North Korean agents" and "missile attack." all their moves are open military challenges to the DPRK, which can never be overlooked.
The fiction of "penetration of armed guerrillas of the north" on their lips is, in actuality, no more than a groundless rumour.
They faked up a case of "North Korean operation ships" in march and have since been loudmouthed about the "penetration of guerrillas." As already clarified by the DPRK on several occasions, that was a product of the anti-DPRK plot hatched by the Japanese reactionaries in collusion with the "Intelligence Service" of South Korea.
Not content with spreading the fictions of "nuclear suspicion" and "missile threat" from the DPRK, the Japanese reactionaries are setting afloat the fiction of "penetration of armed guerrillas" by the DPRK. This clearly shows how persistently and viciously Japan is pursuing its hostile policy towards the DPRK.
Their real intention is to tarnish the image of the peace-loving DPRK and instill anti-DPRK feelings into the Japanese people and, moreover, militarily contain the DPRK in case of emergency.
The "military exercise under the simulated conditions of attack from North Korea" planned by the Japanese reactionaries is aimed at re-conquest of Korea.
The Japanese reactionaries are well advised to stop reckless provocative maneuverings against the DPRK, clearly mindful that reinvasion will bring self-destruction to them.
Chief of NDFSK Pyongyang mission refers to its tasks
Pyongyang, August 24 (KCNA) -- The vanguard fighters of the National Democratic Front of South Korea (NDFSK) and the South Korean people from all walks of life will vigorously struggle to realise the historic cause of movement for nation and democracy under the banner of Juche, cherishing the national pride of having General Secretary Kim Jong Il as the sun of the nation and the sun of the 21st century.
Pak Kwang Gi, chief of the NDFSK Pyongyang mission, said this at a press conference on Aug. 23 to mark the 30th founding anniversary of the NDFSK.
He continued:
The founding of the NDFSK provided the South Korean people with a genuine and invincible patriotic vanguard of their own and enabled the revolutionary movement to go along a new road of its development under the leadership of the mass vanguard party.
The NDFSK has developed into an impregnable vanguard entity in which the organizational system and unity of ideology and leadership have fully been established.
The revolutionary movement in South Korea could be developed entirely thanks to the President Kim Il Sung and General Secretary Kim Jong Il, the leaders of the nation, and the great Juche idea that illumines the way for us to follow.
The South Korean people are accelerating the movement for independence, democracy and reunification with the belief that they will certainly gain victory under the leadership of the Marshal, he stressed.
Political and ideological might of KPA merited choir
Pyongyang, August 24 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun Monday carried a political essay saying that the songs of the merited choir of the Korean People's Army are a reflection of the great idea and faith of General Secretary Kim Jong Il who is flying the red flag high and a solemn declaration of victory heralding a rosy future of Korea, a powerful nation.
The political essay titled "Revolutionary songs of army, set hearts afire " described the merited choir, a red flag held high by the great Marshal, as a trumpeter of the Supreme Commander arousing all the servicemen and people to a new struggle and victory and as the forefront field army of the supreme command in the war for defending the red flag without gun fire.
The political essay said:
The songs of the merited choir are an echo of faith ringing out from General Secretary Kim Jong Il, the brilliant commander of Mt. Paektu, revolutionary army songs of Mt. Paektu and a militant banner of revolution produced by his Juche-based politics of music.
Noting that he has recorded five years of hardships as a history of victory with the revolutionary army songs of the merited choir, it continued:
The songs of the merited choir are his appeal to the ranks of single-hearted unity and his signal gun report leading the whole country to a great victory.
It can be said that in the five years of hardships he made "New Year addresses" and "policy speeches" through the songs of the merited choir.
With these songs he strongly called for taking this road of Juche to the end, declared his resolution to build a powerful nation on this land with our hands and served a stern warning to the arrogant imperialists.
He has more tightly taken the songs of the merited choir as a precious sword to win certain victory in the struggle for the reunification of the country and the building of a powerful nation in the 21st century.
It is his intention to equip the whole army with the spirit of being human rifle and bomb displayed by the merited choir and the whole society with the idea of the red flag of the merited choir and make all the people live and struggle in the militant spirit of the merited choir.
The hearts of the whole army and all the people should throb with the songs of the merited choir and take the same steps with them in the advance.
Calling for mercilessly fighting against the enemy, braving hardships and flying the red flag to the end to the tune of the songs of the merited choir, the political essay stressed: We will love and sing forever the songs of the merited choir, Kim Jong Il's songs of advance.
Japan denounced for its massacre
Pyongyang, August 24 (KCNA) -- Today marks the day when the Japanese "Ukishima-maru" incident occurred.
It was 54 years ago that the Japanese militarists took thousands of Koreans aboard the ship with a false promise that they would let them go home and blew it up in the sea, thus massacring hundreds of innocent Koreans.
Rodong Sinmun today in a commentary notes: The incident proved that the militarist nature of the Japanese remained unchanged and they did not discard the policy of exterminating the Korean nation, though they were defeated.
It is Japan's invariable guideline for aggression that they should exterminate the Korean nation to the last one in order to bring Asia under its control and realize its wild dream of the "Greater East Asia Coprosperity Sphere".
Noting that history can neither be erased nor be obliterated, it stresses:
The Korean people can no longer remain an onlooker to Japan's hostile policy towards the DPRK and its brazen-faced attitude towards its past crimes.
We will fight to the end till we have given vent to our grudge against Japan.
Our people will never pardon Japan which committed such monstrous massacre after its defeat, not content with killing millions of Koreans after taking them to Japan and forcing them to slave.
New films produced in DPRK
Pyongyang, August 24 (KCNA) -- The Korean Film Studio recently produced parts 9 and 10 of the feature film "the Forest Sways."
The film deals with the arduous march which was made in the most grim days of the anti-Japanese revolutionary war.
Its newly-released parts impressively depict the trust and love shown by President Kim Il Sung for anti-Japanese guerrillas and transparent revolutionary outlook on the leader of Kim Jong Suk, an indomitable communist revolutionary fighter who devotedly fought for the safety of the headquarters, following the President only with belief in him. Parts 7 and 8 show the noble traits of Kim Il Sung, a great man, and the steadfast fighting spirit of the O Jung Hup 7th regiment of the Korean People's Revolutionary Army during the anti-Japanese armed struggle which dedicated its all to safeguarding the headquarters of revolution.
The April 25 Film Studio of the Korean People's Army produced parts 45-47 of the multiparty feature film "the Nation and Destiny" (parts 1-3 on Choe Hyon).
Choe Hyon (1907-1982) was a staunch fighter and brave and talented commanding officer who embarked on the revolution in his early years and devoted all his life to the struggle against class enemies.
In the film he, who experienced the miserable bloody fate of the independence army in foreign land and held the weapon of revolution under the care of the outstanding leader, fully displays revolutionary traits and loyalty to the party, the leader, the country and people while conducting military activities in the enemy rear during the Fatherland Liberation War.
The studio also released a feature film "Lifeline" which deals with a real story about what happened during the anti-Japanese armed struggle.
In the film an operative of the guerrillas makes a mistake and is escorted to the headquarters. On the way his escorts fall in a fight with the chasing enemy and he was left alone. But he goes through hardships and difficulties to reach the headquarters at last.
Another feature film "They will always be remembered" dealing with the traditional traits of army-people unity depicts the noble spiritual world and the indomitable fighting spirit of the army and people.
Besides there are films showing the feats of officials and people working hard with all devotion to carry out the policies of the Worker's Party of Korea despite the present hardships and difficulties.
2nd grand Chollima march
Pyongyang, August 24 (KCNA) -- The second grand Chollima march is in full swing in Korea.
The nation's economic potentials have begun to pay off, hardening the Korean people's belief in future victory.
The grand Chollima upsurge took place in the 1950s after the war.
At that time, everything in Korea was destroyed in the three-year war (June 1950-July 1953) provoked by the U.S. They vouched that Korea could not rise again even in 100 years.
However, the Korean people repaired the war damage in three or four years after the war, thanks to the grand Chollima upsurge brought about by the President Kim Il Sung, and realised the industrialization in 14 years, thus demonstrating the dignity of the nation.
In recent years, the situation of Korea was more difficult than that in the postwar period.
Unprecedented isolation and suffocation moves of the imperialists and the serious natural disasters of consecutive years have adversely affected the nation's overall economic performance.
General Secretary Kim Jong Il personally initiated the second grand Chollima march in order to get rid of the grave consequences as soon as possible and demonstrate the might of Juche Korea once again.
He gave on-the-spot guidance to more than 20 units in Jagang Province despite the severe cold of 40 degrees centigrade below zero in January last year, and highly praised the fighting spirit and trait of workers there who built a large number of minor power stations by themselves to meet the growing demand for electricity despite manifold hardships and difficulties. Saying the victory is in store with such devoted service made by them, he encouraged them to a fresh grand upsurge.
When he visited the Songjin Steel Complex, he called upon the workers there who upheld the party with increased steel production whenever the situation was difficult, to take the lead in the grand advance in the spirit of Chollima once again.
His guidance also went to Huichon, Tokchon, Manpho and other places, spreading the flames of the grand march all over the country.
This year he provided ceaseless guidance to north and south Hamgyong provinces, Kangwon Province, North Phyongan Province, Jagang Province and other parts of the country so that signal achievements could be made in all parts of the country.
The second grand Chollima march has displayed its great vitality from its start.
Signal achievements have been gained even under the difficult conditions in which the country is hard pressed for everything.
A radical change was made in Kangwon Province by efforts of the whole country and the national economic plan for the first six months of this year was over-fulfilled in terms of gross industrial output value.
The Korean people are filled with the firm determination to build a dignified powerful nation of Juche through this grand advance.
Japanese government urged to make state apology and compensation
Pyongyang, August 24 (KCNA) -- The issue of "comfort women" for the Japanese army should be settled by the Japanese government in a responsible manner out of strong guilty conscience and it should be resolved only through legal reparation and compensation, said the measure committee for demanding compensation to "comfort women" and victims of the pacific war in a report on investigation into the truth of the crimes, which was released Monday.
The report said:
Buildings of "comfort stations", which were set up and operated by the Japanese army in Korea, and a grave of a "comfort woman", ruthlessly murdered by Japanese soldiers, were discovered for the first time in Pangjin-dong, Chongam district, Chongjin city in North Hamgyong Province recently.
During their occupation of Korea, the Japanese imperialists installed "comfort stations" called "Phunghaeru" and "Unwolru" and a venereal disease examination center in Pangjin-ri, Phunghae-myon, Kyonghung county in North Hamgyong Province.
The "comfort stations" were of exclusive service to the Japanese sailors in the "Japanese special naval base in the Rajin area" and the Japanese MPs in Pangjin.
A witness Sin Rak Chon, 69, said: Every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, Japanese sailors came to the "Phunghaeru" and "Unwolru" by ship.
Medical examination of "comfort women" was conducted on every Tuesday by a Japanese naval surgeon from the base.
He injected "no.606" to any woman who caught venereal disease and unhesitatingly employed even the method of treating her with mercury, when the injection was not available.
"Comfort women" aged 15 to 20 on an average had to provide sex each to 30 to 40 soldiers a day.
25 women were employed in "Phunghaeru" and 20 in "Unwolru".
Local residents there testified to the fact that bodies of women were often found on the beach and they were believed to be those of "comfort women" thrown by Japanese soldiers after they died of illness or were murdered.
Materials surveyed and discovered so far confirm that there were the following types of "comfort stations" for the Japanese army:
"Comfort stations" of exclusive service to servicemen of the army and its employees, which were operated by the army.
"Comfort stations" of exclusive service to servicemen of the army and its employees, which were operated by civilians under the army control and supervision.
Army-designated "comfort stations", which could be used by civilians, but provided special facility to the army. The "Phunghaeru" and "Unwolru" were typical "comfort stations" for the army, which were set up and operated by the Japanese army.
A doctor of history, Kim Tok Ho, who has studied the issue of "comfort women" for the Japanese army, said the Japanese army installed "comfort stations" for its soldiers in the area they were stationed, including Pangjin, in order to manage and control them by allaying the complaints of servicemen -- that was to satisfy their sexual desire.
The discovery of the "comfort stations" for the Japanese army in Pangjin-dong was followed by the recent disclosure of a document of the "command of the Japanese army in Korea" which conveyed the story that the Japanese imperialists took 703 Korean women as "comfort women" for the army and posted them in different Japanese army units deployed on fronts in southeast Asia.
Historical facts go to prove that Japan committed never-to-be-condoned human rights abuses against the Korean people during their military occupation of Korea.
Now not only the victims and the bereaved families but the united nations, international organizations, human rights organizations and world public are holding Japan legally accountable for its wrongdoings and urging it to make state apology and compensation.
Nevertheless, the Japanese reactionaries are still insulting the victims to sexual slavery for the Japanese army as the "people who voluntarily provided sex to soldiers to earn money" and are resorting to a trite trick to evade the responsibility for war crimes by giving some survivors a petty amount of "comfort fund" which they collected from civilians.
The Korean people will never remain an onlooker to the unjust attempt of the Japanese government to bury into oblivion the history of grave crimes the old Japanese empire committed against the Korean people and turn to crimes against humanity again.
Combating bourgeois ideological and cultural poisoning
Pyongyang, August 24 (KCNA) -- Minju Joson today in a signed article calls for pitching a mosquito net to prevent capitalist yellow wind.
The imperialists are now infiltrating bourgeois ideology and capitalist way of life into revolutionary and progressive countries to destabilize those countries and to attain their dominationism aim, the article says, and goes on:
Bourgeois ideology and culture play the role of a scout in the imperialist invasion. The imperialists are frantically disseminating bourgeois culture by various methods by using up-to-date technological means, a colossal amount of funds and huge manpower.
If people take to bourgeois ideology and culture, they will naturally fall into an extremely loose, corrupt and fast life and will be reduced to vulgar ones devoid of any independent thinking and creative energy.
Those countries which were building socialism collapsed like a wet earthen wall overnight. This was because they neglected the work to check the imperialist ideological and cultural poisoning.
It is a decisive guarantee for defending the sovereignty of the nation and achieving the development of the country to block all channels through which bourgeois ideology and culture can penetrate into society while strengthening the ideological education.
FM meets UNDP president representative
Pyongyang, August 24 (KCNA) -- Paek Nam Sun, Foreign Minister of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, today met and conversed with the outgoing resident coordinator of the United Nations and concurrently resident representative of the UNDP in the DPRK, Christian Lemaire.
Greetings to Ukrainian President
Pyongyang, August 24 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, today sent a message of greetings to Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma on the occasion of the National Day of Ukraine.
The message wished the Ukrainian president and people success in their work for the prosperity of the country and expressed the belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would continue to develop.
Israel's decision to sell missiles to S. Korea
Pyongyang, August 24 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea today answered the question put by KCNA in connection with Israel's recent decision to sell missiles to South Korea.
The spokesman said:
The Israeli paper Ha'Aretz August 19 said the Israeli authorities signed with South Korea a contract on selling "Popeye" air-to-ground missiles worth 100 million dollars.
What must not go unnoticed is the fact that a U.S. munitions monopoly is directly involved in the missile production and the U.S. Defense Department approved the deal. This clearly shows to what extent the U.S. and the South Korean authorities' moves for arms buildup and a new war have gone and what the hostile forces really seek in their anti-DPRK campaign with the far-fetched insistence that the DPRK's peaceful satellite launch was a "missile launch".
The United States is now massively introducing sophisticated military equipment into South Korea through its followers on the pretext of the DPRK's non-existent "missile threat" in a bid to escalate its pressure upon the DPRK.
The United States and the South Korean authorities should no longer raise a hue and cry over the DPRK's "missile issue", but immediately stop introducing sophisticated military hardware which only renders the situation on the Korean peninsula extremely tense.
Moreover, it is quite ridiculous of Israel to emerge a missile supplier to South Korea, after peddling the issue of halting the DPRK's "missile export to Middle East nations."
Israel is not qualified to talk any more about the DPRK's missile issue.
The Israeli government is well advised to ponder over who is its opponent.