"World queen of marathon" arrives
Pyongyang, September 4 (KCNA) -- Jong Song Ok, the world's "queen of marathon" produced by Korea, arrived here by air this afternoon.
All people have turned out to give warm welcome to Jong, a praiseworthy daughter of the nation who took the first place at the women's marathon race of the 7th World Athletics Championships and thus significantly adorned the 20th century and demonstrated to the whole world the dignity and honor of the Korean nation.
She flew the flag of the DPRK high on the international arena to demonstrate the honor of the Korean nation and glorify socialist Korea.
Present at the airport to meet her were working people, school youth and children and sportsman in the city.
Seen among the cheering crowds were boards carrying such slogans as "Warm congratulation to runner Jong Song Ok, daughter of Korea who has adorned 20th century brilliantly " and "Warm welcome to athlete Jong Song Ok who came first at the marathon race of the world Athletics Championships " alighting from the plane, Jong stood on the ramp of the plane and shouted "hurrah," looking up to the portraits of the President Kim Il Sung and General Secretary Kim Jong Il who brought her up to be a praiseworthy daughter of the nation and a world's "queen of marathon."
At the airport she was met by vice-president of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly Yang Hyong Sop, secretary of the Worker's Party of Korea Central Committee Kim Ki Nam, Minister of Public Security Paek Hak Rim, Minister of Physical Culture and Sports Pak Myong Chol and others and her family members and relatives.
Artistes and children put fragrant garlands around her neck and gave her bunches of flowers.
The crowds warmly welcomed Jong Song Ok, chanting "well done, Jong Song Ok" and "Jong Song Ok, Jong Song Ok" and waving national flags of the DPRK and bunches of flowers.
Then, a car carrying the "queen of marathon" moved toward the city where one million citizens have turned out to welcome her.
This evening, a banquet sponsored by the spa presidium and the DPRK government and a gala of Pyongyang school youth and children are to take place in celebration of her success.
Jong Song Ok fully demonstrates stamina of Korea
Pyongyang, September 4 (KCNA) -- "DPRK athlete Jong Song Ok captured the championship at the women's marathon race of the World Athletics Championships, displayed her strong will power and demonstrated to the world the stamina of Korea."
This is the unanimous voice of the world public about Jong Song Ok who emerged like a comet in the athletic world and startled the people.
Jong Song Ok won a gold medal at the women's marathon race of the 7th World Athletics Championships held in Seville, Spain, and demonstrated to the world the wisdom and stamina of Kim Il Sung's nation. Her proud deed is evoking a big response from mass media and figures from all walks of life of the world.
On August 30 AFP reported that an unexpected scene was presented at this world marathon race saying that Jong Song Ok, athlete of north Korea, was the first to reach the finish line before other world ace marathoners who were expected to be its winner.
Noting that she clocked 2 hrs. 26 mins. and 59 secs by breaking her former record, it said she displayed strong will power despite heat and high humidity.
On the same day, Japanese Nihonkeizai Shimbun carried a report under the title "North Korean Jong Song Ok wins, 'she was confident of her victory'" saying that unknown North Korean players often won victory. No one paid attention to her at the women's marathon just as at the Atlanta Olympic Judo event where Japanese Ryoyo Tamura failed in the final.
However, she was so confident as to say that she ran for more than 2 hours among many other players, thinking she could win the gold medal, it said.
Reporting that 25 year-old DPRK runner Jong Song Ok took the first place leaving a Japanese runner behind, AP quoted her as saying that the source of her strength was that she ran with a yearning for the great leader Kim Jong Il.
The New York Times reported that DPRK athlete Jong Song Ok startled not only her opponents but athletic experts and won the marathon. She cached up an Ethiopian runner who had retained the Olympic marathon title and stood on the height of marathon, it noted.
Xinhua and the People's Daily and Itar-Tass and Mainichi Shimbun, Tokyo Shimbun, Sankei Shimbun and Kyodo news service and other mass media of several countries of the world are giving wide publicity to the news that Jong Song Ok appeared like a comet in the world athletic domain and became a champion of the women's marathon race.
The chairman of the communist party-KPML (R) of Sweden, the president of the International Olympic Committee and political and public figures of different countries sent messages of congratulations to her.
Kim Jong Il sees performance by April 25 Film Studio
Pyongyang, September 4 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il saw a performance given Friday by artistes of the April 25 Film Studio of the Korean People's Army (KPA) upon their return from a local performance tour.
Watching it with him were director of the general political department of the KPA Jo Myong Rok, Minister of the People's Armed Forces Kim Il Chol, KPA generals Hyon Chol Hae and Pak Jae Gyong and its general officers.
In the audience were secretaries of the WPK Central Committee Jon Pyong Ho, Kim Kuk Thae, Kim Ki Nam and Kim Yong Sun, department directors, first vice department directors and other senior officials of the party central committee, and Jong Ha Chol, chairman of the Radio and TV Broadcasting Committee of the DPRK, Choe Chil Nam, editor-in-chief of Rodong Sinmun, Kim Tok Yong, general director of the Korean Central News Agency, and senior writers, editorial writers, journalists and editors in the fields of literature, arts and mass media.
The artistes presented a loyal report on their successful local performance tour to Kim Jong Il and again put on the stage the light comedy "comrade," a great masterpiece which made a truthful artistic representation of the perfect unity between the officers and men of our army that has reached the highest plane as a result of the brilliant inheritance of WPK's glorious tradition of comradeship.
Kim Jong Il said having successfully carried forward the revolutionary spirit of the anti-Japanese guerrilla army, the KPA has grown up to be invincible ranks which have achieved the perfect unity between the officers and men on the basis of revolutionary comradeship. Possessed of such a powerful weapon as the unity between the officers and men which is not attainable with any military science and technique, our army is ever-victorious, he added.
He expressed thanks to the artistes of the April 25 Film Studio of the KPA, greatly satisfied with their big successes made in revolutionary and militant performances before soldiers and working people.
Noting that they successfully presented 200 performances during their local tour, greatly contributing to the education of soldiers and people, he highly appreciated their revolutionary art activities.
He underscored the need for the creators and artistes of the film studio to become vanguard fighters in the revolutionary education of the soldiers and people as befits an artists' unit of the revolutionary army.
He put forth highly important tasks which will serve as a guideline in conducting more energetic art creation and activities.
Cuban ambassador gives reception
Pyongyang, September 4 (KCNA) -- Cuban ambassador to Korea Jose Manuel Inclan Embade gave a reception at the embassy Friday on the occasion of the 39th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the DPRK and Cuba.
Invited to the reception were vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Pak Kil Yon and other officials concerned.
Speeches were made at the reception.
Friendly meeting held
Pyongyang, September 4 (KCNA) -- A friendly meeting was held at the DPRK-Libya friendship Aeguk Moran Garment Factory on Friday on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the great Sept. 1 Revolution in Libya.
Invited to the meeting were secretary Ahmed Amer al Muakkaf and members of the People's Bureau of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya here.
Officials concerned were present there.
The guests looked round production processes of the factory and enjoyed an art performance given by its art circle members.
Legitimate self-defensive measure
Pyongyang, September 4 (KCNA) -- The special communique on the proclamation of the Military Demarcation Line at the West Sea of Korea was announced by the general staff of the Korean People's Army. It is quite a legitimate self-defensive measure to ensure peace and ease the tense situation in the Korean peninsula and defend the dignity and sovereignty of the DPRK, declares Rodong Sinmun in a signed commentary today.
Stressing that the DPRK regards its dignity and sovereignty as life and soul, the paper says the measure demonstrated once again the revolutionary will of its people and army not to allow any encroachment upon its dignified sovereignty and inviolable territory and waters.
The people and army of the DPRK are fully supporting this step taken to defend the legitimate territorial waters under its military control, it says, and goes on:
The Military Demarcation Line at the West Sea of Korea has been defined as a clear and unquestioned one by the special communique of the KPA general staff. The U.S. forces side has no ground whatsoever to take issue with this most fair and aboveboard self-defensive measure of the DPRK as it fully conforms to the requirements of the Korean Armistice Agreement and the international law. It is all the more reasonable as the United States has refused so far to discuss the matters related to fixing the maritime demarcation line and given up its authority and duty under the KAA of its own accord.
We reiterate that there is no other Military Demarcation Line at the West Sea of Korea than the line we proclaimed.
The South Korean rulers should stop an impudent argument about this matter.
If the U.S. imperialists and the South Korean rulers again insist on the "Northern Limit Line" to make a challenge to the DPRK, they will entirely be blamed for all the consequences arising therefrom.
Minju Joson in an editorial article hails the special communique of the KPA general staff as a decisive step for the firm defence of sovereignty.
Missile threat comes from U.S.
Pyongyang, September 4 (KCNA) -- Papers here today carry signed commentaries holding the United States chiefly responsible for missile threat on the Korean peninsula.
Rodong Sinmun in a signed commentary says that the U.S. has given up its stand to "limit" the range of South Korea-made missile to 180 km, the stand it has ostensibly maintained so far, while instigating South Korea with increased zeal to produce long-range missiles.
The U.S., not content with permitting South Korea to develop and produce 300 km-range missiles, is going to allow it to develop and produce missiles with a range going far beyond the Korean peninsula.
Recalling that the U.S. has already delivered nuclear missiles and other sophisticated war means and equipment of various types to South Korea, the commentary goes on:
Shortly ago the U.S. decided to deliver more than 100 "Popeye missiles" to South Korea and is deploying missile warships, in waters off Korea on a long-term basis.
Such moves merit a more serious attention as they are timed to coincide with the establishment of the "Theatre Missile Defence" system entering a phase of full implementation.
The U.S. warhawks are scheming to establish the "TMD" in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan under the cloak of "security", insisting that DPRK's satellite activities pose a "missile threat."
All these facts go to prove that it is the United States which is chiefly responsible for a missile threat on the Korean peninsula.
If the U.S. sincerely wishes peace and stability in the northeast Asian region, it should discard arms buildup moves such as establishing the "TMD" system and double-standard policy and pull its troops and all military hardware including missiles out of the Korean peninsula and its surrounding areas before talking about someone's missile threat, says Minju Joson.
Supporting grand pan-national pro-reunification festival
Pyongyang, September 4 (KCNA) -- The Federation of South Koreans in Japan for Democracy and Unification (Hanthongron), the South Korean Youth League in Japan, the Society of South Korean Women in Japan for Democracy, the Council of South Korean Students in Japan for National Reunification and other organizations under the "South Korean Residents Association in Japan" held a central meeting of South Korean residents in Japan in Tokyo on Aug. 15 to fully support the grand pan-national pro-reunification festival in Panmunjom, demand the abolition of the "National Security Law" of South Korea and frustrate the war maneuvers of the U.S. and Japanese reactionaries, according to Koreans' newspaper Minjok Sibo issued in Japan.
Prior to the meeting, the participants saw a video cassette "traces of pan-national rally."
Chairman Kwak Tong Ui of "Hanthongryon" in his opening address said the aspiration of the nation for reunification has not yet been realized owing to the separatist forces at home and abroad.
Pointing out that the Aug. 15 grand pan-national pro-reunification festival opened in Panmunjom is, indeed, a significant rally attended by delegates from the north, south and overseas and a rally for opening a turning phase of the reunification movement, he called for achieving national reunification at an early date.
Introduced there were a message from the Japan regional headquarters of the National Alliance for the Country's Reunification and the struggle of South Korean reunification movement forces which held August 15 functions for reunification despite harsh repression by the South Korean authorities.
The meeting heard a keynote report by the director for propaganda of "Hanthongryon" and speeches by representatives of different organizations.
The meeting adopted a six-point resolution supporting the grand pan-national pro-reunification festival and opposing the war maneuvers of the U.S. and Japanese reactionaries and Japan's move to become a military power.
Dastardly solicitation diplomacy flayed
Pyongyang, September 4 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary flays the South Korean authorities for visiting big powers to beg them to stop the "missile launch" of the DPRK.
The commentary terms foreign junkets made by South Korean ruling quarters to defame the DPRK on the pretext that its satellite activities are a "missile launch" as a revelation of their flunkeyist and treacherous nature.
Noting that the South Korean authorities do not need to care whether the DPRK launches a satellite or develops a missile, it says, and goes on:
Our satellite activities are meant for the conquest of the space and our missile development is an exercise of our sovereignty.
If the South Korean authorities wished to realize national reunification through reconciliation and unity with the north, they would not be afraid of or get nervous about our satellite activities and missile development.
But, considering the growing power of our state and its rising prestige as unfavorable to the execution of their separatist policy and "strategy of invading the north and prevailing over communism," they are getting hectic with solicitation diplomacy intended to impair them in reliance upon others' strength, not feeling ashamed of it.
We would like to send a clear message to the South Korean rulers who solicit others to stop our "missile launch."
There is no need for anybody to say this or that of our own matter.
We do not give up what we would like to do or change our plan under influence or request of someone.
Any compliance with the solicitation of the South Korean authorities to stop the "missile launch" of the north would be tantamount to helping them in their anti-national, anti-reunification acts.
The South Korean rulers are well advised to stop their servile and shameful acts of soliciting other countries to do harm to us.
Meeting of various organizations held
Pyongyang, September 4 (KCNA) -- at least 300 members of the south headquarters of the National Alliance for the Country's Reunification, the South Korean Federation of University Student Councils and the "National Alliance for Democracy and Reunification" held a meeting on Rimjin Pavilion Thursday to welcome the southern delegates who were returning from their visit to the north where they participated in the August 15 grand pro-reunification festival and achieved great success in realizing the three-way solidarity and alliance and to denounce the fascist cliques' anti-reunification suppression, according to a news report.
Then they opened a meeting for the repeal of the "National Security Law," an end to the suppression of non-governmental reunification activities and a welcome to the delegation which visited the north.
In the afternoon they staged a struggle to meet the delegates and a protest meeting at the back gate of the "Intelligence Service" which is repressing the delegates, envoys of national reunification.
They had an evening to welcome a delegation that returned from Longjing and hold a grand national seminar and a night to back the delegation which visited the north in Hanyang University.
Japanese reactionaries refuse to make compensation
Pyongyang, September 4 (KCNA) -- The Japanese reactionaries refused to make an apology and compensation which were claimed by 360 South Koreans who had been taken by the Japanese imperialists as compulsory laborers and "comfort women for the army" during the Pacific War, according to a news report.
The Tokyo high court at a trial on Aug. 30 gave a decision dismissing the South Koreans' claim for an apology and compensation.
The chief judge at the trial ignored the victims, asserting that an individual cannot directly demand compensation for damage from the state concerned.
The same decision was given at the second trial following the first hearing. This clearly proves that the Japanese reactionaries are still going to evade liquidation of their past crimes and treating the South Korean people as colonial slaves.
Demonstration supporting Korean reunification held
Pyongyang, September 4 (KCNA) - A demonstration of Japan-Korea solidarity for supporting the independent and peaceful reunification of Korea was staged in Osaka, Japan on August 10 under the slogan "Stop war establish peace August action of '99 Japan-Korea solidarity".
The demonstration was preceded by a rally.
Addressing the rally, Tokuo Baba, representative of the Osaka Liaison Council of Japan-Korea Solidarity, recalled that recently war bills were adopted one after another at the Japanese diet and called on the workers and other citizens of Japan who oppose the war and love peace to unite and undertake a resolute struggle against these moves.
The ralliers marched through the street, chanting such slogans as "Let's us help achieve the independent and peaceful reunification of Korea".
Great efforts directed to city management in Korea
Pyongyang, September 4 (KCNA) -- Great efforts are directed to the city management in Korea.
The President Kim Il Sung's work "On Improving City Management" made public on September 5, 1962 is a highly important guideline indicating the way to be followed by this domain in its work.
The DPRK instituted this day as the day of city management and significantly celebrates it every year to hand the exploits performed by the President by wisely leading the city management down through generations.
The city management in Korea has become part of the service for the people.
It is a duty for the officials in this field to provide better living environment and facilities to the people.
All the cities in Korea have been enclosed with parks covered with green foliage free from air pollution and they are taking better shape as modern cities day by day thanks to devoted efforts of workers in this field.
Mangyongdae, Moran Hill, Mt. Ryongak, Mt. Taesong, the River Taedong and the River Pothong and other scenic spots have been built better as picturesque cultural recreation grounds for the working people.
Afforestation has been actively conducted in a mass movement. Millions of trees and flowers are planted in urban and rural areas every year.
A lot of plants are found around houses and in streets.
A brisk work is under way to take good care of dwelling houses, public buildings, facilities and roads.
Sun's country praised
Pyongyang, September 4 (KCNA) -- Han Jin, a director of the "Hangyore Hyangtho Society" in South Korea, released an article titled "On sun's country," according to the Seoul-based radio Voice of National Salvation.
In the article he stressed that President Kim Il Sung, the sun of humankind, built in the north in the middle of the 20th century the world's first country of the sun which has been dreamed of by the world people.
The article said:
The whole life of Kim Il Sung is a history of the sun in which he established and glorified the country of the sun, overcoming all sorts of difficulties and trials. Guided by the Juche idea fathered by him, the north rose up as a cradle of the idea of the times which clears the century of darkness.
The north in which man's ideal has been realized and human love is overflowing is the fatherland of the sun, the envy of the world people, and it is an impregnable fortress.
The impregnability of the north lies in single-hearted unity. On the basis of this unity the President built up the fortress with invincible national strength. As a result, the north has become a strong country self-reliant in defence with the invincible army and people.
Guided by Marshal Kim Jong Il who is identical to President Kim Il Sung, the north is shedding its rays as the eternal country of the sun.
Kim Jong Il saw to it that Kim Il Sung, the founder of the country of the sun, was held in higher esteem than when he was alive, and thus performed immortal great exploits unprecedented in history.
As Kim Jong Il has built the north into an impregnable fortress, the country of the sun is invincible and is emerging victorious. Under his army-first policy the north is always winning victories with its matchlessly strong army.
Led by him, the north is dashing toward powerful country where everything is prospering and everyone leads a happy life with nothing to envy, and the day is coming when the country is reunified.
If our people in the south are to enjoy a good fortune of the sun's nation they should follow and hold in high esteem the leader Kim Jong Il who is glorifying the sun's country.
S. Korean authorities' open bidding for purchase of submarines
Pyongyang, September 4 (KCNA) -- The South Korean authorities are reportedly making an open bid for the purchase of three up-to-date submarines by the year 2005, for which Australia, Russia, France and other European countries are competing.
Not content with their moves to purchase missiles from Israel and up-to-date helicopters from the United States while conducting war exercises against the North Korea, the South Korean authorities are channeling a huge amount of money to purchasing the up-to-date submarines.
This touches off great apprehensions at home and abroad as it is a very dangerous behaviour of further keying up the politico-military confrontation on the Korean peninsula to lead it to the brink of war and of fanning arms race among various countries of the world.
As everybody knows, not a few countries in the world have taken a switchover in defence policy with decreased military spending and efficient use of military spending and scaled down the defence budget including fund for purchase of weapons since the end of the Cold War.
But, the South Korean warhawks are continuing to increase the defence budget. They are planning to allocate nearly 86.670 billion U.S. dollars as a defence budget in the period of the 1998-2002 "medium-term defence plan", of which 24.3 billion U.S. dollars are expected to be spent for purchase of weapons.
This eloquently shows that the South Korean authorities are rushing headlong toward arms buildup behind the scene of the so-called "engagement policy" in an attempt to militarily stifle the north.
Now the Korean peninsula has turned into a biggest-ever hotbed in the world, in which huge armed forces in the north and the south are confronted with each other.
Under such circumstances, even such a trifle confrontation move as taking on the nerve of other side may easily destroy the peace and stability of the peninsula and spark off a war.
Never-to-be-condoned is the criminal move of the South Korean authorities, who are squandering the funds squeezed from the people, in spite of the severe economic crisis, for arms buildup for a war against the north, obsessed with a wild ambition to have a military edge over the north.
What cannot be overlooked is that some European munitions businesses are joining the arms buildup moves of the South Korean warhawks.
They are allegedly hoping for the relaxation of the situation of the Korean peninsula and peace and stability in the region but, in actuality, are offering military equipment to the belligerent South Korean authorities.
Their offering of new-type military equipment to the South Korean authorities for an egoistic purpose is nothing but a criminal act which fans their reckless war preparations and aggravates the war like situation on the Korean peninsula and, furthermore, endangers the peace and stability of the world.
If some European countries truly want peace and stability on the Korean peninsula, they should cancel their tender for the supply of submarines ordered by the South Korean warhawks overheated by war fever.
The South Korean authorities should stop purchase of the up-to-date military equipment and the reckless war preparations at once.
The Korean people and the people's army are watching the arms buildup of the South Korean authorities with high vigilance.
KCNA on real threat from Japan
Pyongyang, September 4 (KCNA) -- The Japanese reactionaries are busy floating nonsensical stories about "possibility of our missile carrying nuclear warheads" and "content of wire-tapped message from suspected ship" of the north.
They said that "the north develops and possesses nuclear warheads to be carried by missiles".
Raising again the issue of "suspected ship" peddled by them in march this year, they let loose the piffle that the communication network of the Japanese Defence Agency bugged the radio message of North Korea ordering its sailors to commit suicidal explosion.
This is no more than a dastardly move to bring the charge of "bellicose" against the DPRK and thus tarnish the image of the peace-loving DPRK and build up anti-DPRK public opinion in the international community.
Japan has always been talkative about the "missile threat" and "threat from North Korea" since our satellite launch in August last year. Seeing through the deceptive trick of Japan, world public circles, however, have maintained that the real threat comes from Japan, not from the DPRK, sharpening their criticism of Japan.
The fiction of "possibility of north Korean missiles carrying nuclear warheads" spread by the Japanese reactionaries against this backdrop may be called act 2 of the burlesque of "missile threat". Now that our "nuclear suspicion" has been cleared, the act 2 will not work on anyone no matter how desperately they may peddle it.
What evokes our surging indignation is that the Japanese reactionaries have gone the length of asserting the "sovereignty of terrorist regime cannot be recognized," labeling the DPRK as a "terrorist regime possible to use nuclear weapons."
This is an unpardonable challenge to our republic and its sovereignty which clearly shows how desperately the Japanese reactionaries are working to defame and hurt our republic.
This is evidenced by their piffle that "the north ordered sailors of a suspected ship to commit suicidal explosion."
As we have already made it clear that the "case of suspected ship" is an anti-DPRK conspiratorial farce orchestrated by the Japanese reactionaries in collusion with the South Korean "intelligence service". Hence, the DPRK has nothing to do with this and it is preposterous, indeed, for them to claim the DPRK issued an "order for suicidal explosion."
With neither frenzy nor fabrications can the Japanese reactionaries mislead the public opinion or cover up their sinister intention.
As is recognized by the world public circles, the main factor of disturbing peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region is Japan's threat and its essential element is Japan's move for nuclear arming.
Japan attempts to contain the DPRK with a nuclear stick and, furthermore, expand the sphere of its domination over Asia. But it is a daydream.
Those who are fond of playing with fire are bound to perish in flames and nuclear war mongers are bound to meet a nuclear holocaust.