Polish embassy officials help co-op farm
Pyongyang, November 17 (KCNA) -- Charge d'affaires ad interim Mieczyslaw Dedo and other officials of the Polish embassy here helped the Korea-Poland friendship Jangsuwon cooperative farm in the suburbs of Pyongyang in farm work on Tuesday.
The guests carried sheaves of rice.
The charge d'affaires ad interim wished the farm great success in its future work. He said he would work harder for the friendship between Poland and the DPRK.
Japan should be forced to pay for its crimes
Pyongyang, November 17 (KCNA) -- The Japanese fabricated the "five-point treaty of 1905", the unheard-of fraudulent document on November 17, 94 years ago.
Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article says that history does not know such ferocious aggressors as the Japanese who concocted treaties between countries to achieve their aggressive aim.
The "five-point treaty of 1905" was a fraudulent document fabricated by the Japanese imperialists through coercion and threat despite strong opposition of Korea, the article says, and goes on:
It was by the strength of such illegal and high-handed "treaty" that the Japanese illegally occupied Korea and killed more than one million innocent Korean people in cold-blood, carried off more than 6 million young and middle-aged Koreans for use as expendable in their aggressive war and savagely massacred them and committed such unethical crime as walking away at least 200,000 Korean women to use them as sexual slaves for the "imperial army."
They not only plundered Korea of timber, ores and minerals, food, cultural heritage, gold and silver but looted bronze bowls, spoons and chopsticks of its families.
The sufferings and miseries inflicted by them upon the Korean people still remain unhealed although half a century has passed.
Japan seeks to greet a new century without liquidating the hideous crimes committed by the Japanese imperialists in the past and is making more desperate efforts to evade its responsibility.
Noting that its aim is to repeat its crime-woven past, the commentary says that the Japanese reactionaries have become more undisguised in their moves to realize the old dream of "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere."
Still fresh in the memory of the Korean people and army are the crimes committed by the Japanese against Korea. When an opportunity presents itself to settle accounts with Japan, they will certainly make them pay for all the crimes committed in one century: Those committed during over 40 years of its colonial rule over Korea and during the Korean War and anti-DPRK hostile maneuvers after the war and all others.
Repatriation of unconverted long-term prisoners urged
Pyongyang, November 17 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the central committee of the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland issued a statement yesterday demanding the South Korean authorities respond at the earliest possible date to the proposal of the chairman of the c.c., the DPRK Red Cross Society calling for the repatriation of the unconverted long-term prisoners before the end of this year.
The statement said:
The desire of the unconverted long-term prisoners to reunite with their families and relatives has not been realized because of the authorities' savage violation of human rights and their moves for confrontation with the north. They are in a critical condition after contracting a serious illness in their advanced ages.
A failure to realize the repatriation of the unconverted long-term prisoners at an early date will make it quite impossible for them to reunite with their families and relatives who are eagerly waiting for them and bring more serious consequences.
The South Korean authorities are well advised not to block the repatriation of the unconverted long-term prisoners under an unreasonable pretext but respond at an early date to our just proposal calling for their repatriation before the end of this year.
Defoliant sprayed by U.S. troops in DMZ of MDL
Pyongyang, November 17 (KCNA) -- The U.S. troops reportedly sprayed the same defoliant as they used in the Vietnam War at the end of the 1960s in the demilitarized zone of the Military Demarcation Line which divides Korea into the north and south.
It was disclosed by a secret document which was sent to senator John Glen by the U.S. Army Department in 1996.
According to the document, the U.S. troops in South Korea sprayed over 20,000 litres of defoliant on the area covering nearly 6,000 square metres south of the demilitarized zone for the purpose of destroying grass and trees in this area under an operation code-named "1968 plan to destroy plants" in 1968 and 1969 when the Vietnam war was at its height.
The commander of the U.S. forces in South Korea worked out this plan at that time and got an approval from the secretary of state.
In fact, it was the soldiers of the South Korean "ROK" army who were ordered to spray the defoliant but nobody knew it was toxic substance.
As many as 10,000 persons out of the soldiers who had been taken to the shambles of the war of aggression in Vietnam were reported to have died because of the effect of defoliant as of July, 1997. At least 44,000 of them are now suffering severe pain.
One of four residents in S. Korea is poor
Pyongyang, November 17 (KCNA) -- A joint study made by the UN Development Program and the Citizens' Solidarity for Democratic Society of South Korea said that one of four residents in South Korea is poor, according to a radio report from Seoul.
A poor man in South Korea means the one who can hardly afford to eat even once a day.
The result of the study showed that the income of the rich keeps swelling while the income of people in other sections has gone from bad to worse and even the living standard of the middle classes dropped to that of the poor due to the severe economic crisis in South Korea.
Kim Jong Il's works studied and disseminated abroad
Pyongyang, November 17 (KCNA) -- More than 80 mass media of at least 30 countries including India, Egypt, Russia and Guyana carried the full texts or gist of the works of General Secretary Kim Jong Il this year.
His works were published in booklet by world-famous publishing houses including the Academia Publishing House of Cuba, the Lao State Publishing House, the Lima Fredi Publishing House of Peru, the Fabnic Publishing House of Guyana, the Heritage Publishing House of Trinidad and Tobago, the Dar Damascus Publishing House of Syria, the Afzal Publishing House of Pakistan, the Cieszyn Publishing House of Poland, and the Tanius Publishing House of Italy, Juche idea study organizations and associations for friendship with Korean people.
The central committee of the German Communist Party published 1,500 copies of the work of Kim Jong Il "Socialism Is a Science" and distributed them among the communists.
The work "On Preserving the Juche Character and National Character of the Revolution and Construction" was released with due ceremony in Kathmandu, Nepal, with the attendance of high-level government officials and figures of political parties and organizations.
Study and dissemination of the works of Kim Jong Il took place in various forms and methods in at least 40 countries including India, Romania, Italy, Bulgaria, Pakistan, Nigeria, Madagascar, Guinea, Austria and Guyana.
Kim Jong Il, great statesman
Pyongyang, November 17 (KCNA) -- The participants in the Korean book, photo and handicraft exhibition which was held in Portugal said that Kim Jong Il is a great statesman and the people's leader whom the world progressives should hold in high esteem.
Miguel Boiere, mayor of Alcoset, Portugal, said that he felt uneasy and worried about the dark reality of the international communist movement in recent years.
Reading "Socialism Is a Science" and other works written by Kim Jong Il recently, I am convinced that the revolution is sure to win when it is carried out in line with his guiding idea, theory and method, he said, adding:
Indeed, Kim Jong Il is a great master of ideology and theory, the greatest man who is possessed of brilliant and outstanding organizing and leadership ability and a great leader of the present era who will lead the 21st century.
Manuela Bernardo, a leading official of the international department of the Communist Party of Portugal, said that Korea is now displaying its dignity and might in the international arena because it has such a great leader as Kim Jong Il at the head of the Worker's Party of Korea.
Santos Cartos, chairman of the leadership of the Portuguese Federation of Students Cooperation, noted that when big powers are currying favour with the United States, reading its face, Korea, a small country, is exercising its sovereignty, challenging the U.S. This is because there is a peculiar leading method enshrined in Kim Jong Il's policy of attaching priority to the army, he stated.
Blasco Hugo Fernandes, chairman of the Democratic Intervention of Portugal, said that there are no countries in the world but Korea which is united in one mind as an integral whole of the leader, the party and the masses.
Kim Jong Il who is administering affairs of the state, regarding the belief in the people as god as his maxim, is a great statesman and the people's leader whom the world progressives should hold in high esteem.
Meetings held
Pyongyang, November 17 (KCNA) -- Meetings have taken place to vow to learn from the heroes and heroines of the era across the country.
A recent meeting of the frontrankers of the second grand Chollima march called on all the people to learn from the noble ideological and moral traits and indomitable fighting spirit of the heroes and heroines of the era to push ahead with the general onward march for the building of a powerful nation.
The heroes and heroines include Jong Song Ok, Pak Ok Hui, Kim Yu Bong, Ho Yong Gu, Ri Ung Chan and Hyon Yong Ra.
They are true loyal subjects and patriots who have devoted their all to economic affairs, scientific researches, land management and sports conducive to the prosperity and development of the country at such hard times as today.
Meetings were held at the Ministry of Power and Coal Industries, the Ministry of Public Security, the Pyongyang Textile Combine, Kim Chaek University of Technology, institutions, factories, enterprises and universities and colleges.
They called for learning from the firm faith, will and transparent revolutionary spirit of self-reliance to become loyal and filial subjects to implement the ideas of General Secretary Kim Jong Il with credit.
Many monumental edifices built
Pyongyang, November 17 (KCNA) -- Many monumental edifices have been built in Korea this year even under the difficult situation where the country is hard pressed for everything.
A granite fence stretching hundreds of metres and stone gates of peculiar style were built at the Kumsusan Memorial Palace where the President Kim Il Sung is preserved in state.
This realized the desire of the Korean people to hold President Kim Il Sung in high esteem for all ages more satisfactorily and made the palace look more majestic as a sacred temple of Juche.
Many edifices of great significance were built in the field of economic construction.
The Hwanghae Iron and Steel Complex opened a new chapter in the history of the Juche-oriented iron industry. Coal gasworks and gas-fed power plant were commissioned in the Anju area.
The construction of the December 5 Youth Mine and the November 28 Factory and an expansion project at the Anju Footware Factory and a wharf project at Taehung port were completed to provide a sure guarantee for the development of the national economy.
The dam of the Namgang Power Station was reinforced and the Ryulri Youth Reservoir project successfully rounded off.
Minor power stations made their appearance across the country, opening a bright prospect of meeting the nation's needs for electricity.
Kwangmyongsong saltern, salt refineries in Chonnae, Namyang and Yomju, the Manpho city dental branch hospital and the Sonhung Foodstuff Factory and other projects were completed and started operation.
The expansion projects on the fishing farms managed by Ra Hyo Jin and Cha Ju Hyon were completed to add scores of hectares of breeding ground to their production capacity.
Many new fish breeding grounds appeared across the country.
It is noteworthy successes made this year that patches covering tens of thousands of hectares were readjusted into standardized fields for comprehensive mechanization in Kangwon Province and the construction of roadbed of the Pyongyang-Nampho Motorway stretching over 40 km was completed in the main.
These signal successes made in the first year of the drive to build a powerful nation stir up the enthusiasm of the Korean people running at a canter.
Butcher Ri Kun An must be punished
Pyongyang, November 17 (KCNA) -- Minju Joson today in a signed commentary denounces the South Korean ruling quarters for protecting a "torture expert" Ri Kun An against the will of the people.
Ri Kun An is a notorious "torture expert," who labeled innocent people as "spies" by brutal torture and dreamed up a variety of tricks.
As there are countless number of victims of his torture, the public is strongly pushing for his punishment.
The South Korean ruling quarters recently orchestrated a drama in which Ri made a "confession" after 11 years and they try to hush up his case, the commentary says, and goes on:
The sleight of hand employed by the rulers of the "people's government" to protect him simply goes to prove that they are the same butchers as Ri and their intention is to suppress the pro-reunification patriots and other people through cruel torture in the future, too.
Ri Kun An must be punished by history and the people.
Mansudae Art Studio
Pyongyang, November 17 (KCNA) -- 40 years have passed since the foundation of the Mansudae Art Studio (November 17, 1959), a comprehensive art creating center of Korea. The Mansudae Art Studio covering 120,000 square metres is situated in the capital city of Pyongyang.
In the past period, the studio created over 115.32 million art works including a Korean painting "evening glow of Kangson", large embroidery "Mt. Chilbo in autumn" and jade handiwork "bird cage". The sculptural art group, a predecessor of the present studio, won fame as a group of talented creators by erecting the majestic "Chollima statue" and "monument to the victorious Pochonbo battle", reflecting the spirit of Korea, in the 1960s. The studio has attained the height of development in the 1970s.
At that time, General Secretary Kim Jong Il saw to it that the Mansudae Art Studio was developed to be a comprehensive art creating center which involves all forms of art. The studio thus turned into the nation's leading art producer having about 20 creating and manufacturing groups including painting, sculpture, craft-works, graphic art, industrial fine art and architectural decorative art.
Since then, the creative staff there played a leading role in erecting such grand monumental edifices as the grand monument on Mansu Hill, grand monument on Lake Samji, Tower of Juche Idea, arch of triumph and monument to the victory in the Fatherland Liberation War and in producing such art works of various forms as Korean painting, ceramic craf-twork and embroidery as the masterpieces of the times. They endured particularly distinguished services for giving the most solemn appearance to the Kumsusan Memorial Palace, where the President Kim Il Sung is preserved in state.
The studio boasts over 100 people's artists and merited artists and many skillful creators and producers.
They newly created jewel paintings of Korean style and contributed to the development of the country's art by making some 60 scientific and technological inventions and introduction such as making statue by plastic art and pipe-making method, introduction of artificial granite into the creation of plastic art works and its production method and method of making Koryo celadon by use of inlaying technique.
The studio's level of creating and manufacturing statue, monument and wall painting is universally recognized. The studio has so far created more than 180 statues and monuments and scores of wall paintings on orders from more than 20 countries. The studio annually accepts scores of orders from different parts of the world.
More than 6.25 million art works produced by the studio were distributed to over 100 countries.
Many art works were highly appreciated at some 70 art exhibitions held in more than 30 countries.
A meeting to mark the 40th anniversary of the Mansudae Art Studio took place here yesterday.
A congratulatory message from the central committee of the Worker's Party of Korea to the creators, employees and officials of the studio was read out at the meeting.
Greetings to Latvian foreign minister
Pyongyang, November 17 (KCNA) -- Paek Nam Sun, Foreign Minister of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, sent a message of greetings to his Latvian counterpart Indulis Verzins on the occasion of the National Day of the Latvian Republic.
The message expressed the belief that the friendly relations between the two countries would develop on good terms.
DPRK FM meets newly appointed Cypriot ambassador
Pyongyang, November 17 (KCNA) -- Paek Nam Sun, the DPRK Foreign Minister, met and had a talk with Loria Markides, newly appointed Cyprus ambassador to the DPRK who paid a courtesy call on him today. -
Greetings to Oman Sultan
Pyongyang, November 17 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, sent a message of greetings today to Sultan Qaboos Bin said al said on the occasion of the National Day of the Sultanate of Oman.
The message wished the sultan and the people of Oman greater success in the work for the prosperity of the country.
Water-color woodcut
Pyongyang, November 17 (KCNA) -- A Korean water-color woodcut exhibition was recently held at the Mansudae Art Studio in Pyongyang.
A water-color woodcut is a pictorial design printed from wood blocks and has been applied to traditional Korean and other color paintings. It shows a simple grandeur of design reminiscent of real brushwork, and its effect of pigments and strokes are unmatched by modern printing techniques.
The woodcut in Korea is of great originality. The height of achievement in this art is to be seen in the illustrations of the 80,000 wooden blocks of complete collection of Buddhist scriptures (first print in 1021) that are kept in the archives in the celebrated Mt. Myohyang.
But the art of woodcut gradually declined in importance, before it survived under the guidance of President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il.
The recent exhibition came as a celebration of the lapse of 15 years after Kim Jong Il gave it great encouragement.
During the intervening years, the water-color woodcut unit at the Mansudae Art Studio has produced tens of thousands of works which include reproductions of such ancient masterpieces as "A Man Angling Dragons" (from the 17th century) and "Wild Geese On a Moonlit Night".
Consideration is now given to catering to growing public aesthetic tastes.
Message of sympathy to Vietnamese Prime Minister
Pyongyang, November 17 (KCNA) -- Hong Song Nam, premier of the DPRK cabinet, sent a message of sympathy to Phan Van Khai, Prime Minister of the government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in connection with huge human and economic losses caused by a flood that hit central provinces of Vietnam.
The message expressed the belief that the Vietnamese government and the people would eradicate the aftermath of flood damage at an early date in the spirit of self-reliance and hard work and bring the life of the people in the afflicted areas to normal.