Greetings to Jiang Zemin
Pyongyang, December 19 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, today sent a message of greetings to Jiang Zemin, President of the People's Republic of China, on the occasion of its historic day of restoring its sovereignty in Macao.
The message said: The return of Macao to China following Hong Kong's hand-over is an important event to be recorded in the Chinese history. This practically testifies to the validity of the reunification policy based on the conception "one country, two systems" pursued by the communist party and government of China.
Pleased with the return of Macao to China, Kim Yong Nam took this opportunity to sincerely wish the fraternal Chinese people greater success in their struggle for the prosperity and reunification of the country under the leadership of the Communist Party of China led by Jiang Zemin.
Korean books presented in Guyana
Pyongyang, December 19 (KCNA) -- A ceremony of presenting Korean books was held at the library of the University of Guyana on Dec. 13 on the occasions of the 8th anniversary of the great leader Kim Jong Il's election as Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army and of the 82nd birth anniversary of Kim Jong Suk, a great communist revolutionary fighter.
Present there were political and public figures including Prime Minister of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana Samuel Hindy, teachers of the university and the DPRK ambassador to that country.
The ambassador handed Korean books including immortal works of the President Kim Il Sung and Marshal Kim Jong Il to the vice-president of the university.
Removal of concrete wall demanded
Pyongyang, December 19 (KCNA) -- The appeal sent by the DPRK government, political parties and organizations to their counterparts all over the world 20 years after the concrete wall was built by the South Korean authorities, is supported by various countries.
Ten Peruvian parties including the Peruvian Communist Party (Red Motherland) in a joint statement issued on Dec. 9 said that if the South Korean authorities truly wish reconciliation and cooperation with the north, they should pull down immediately the concrete wall, a product of their anti-north confrontation.
It continued:
The United States raised a shout of joy at the removal of the Berlin wall, a symbol of the confrontation between the east and the west and of the Cold War. Hence, it should be held accountable for the concrete wall still remaining on the Korean peninsula.
The statement called upon the governments, political parties and organizations all over the world to undertake an international solidarity campaign for the removal of the concrete wall and the reunification of Korea.
The Nepalese Committee for Supporting the Korean Reunification in a statement issued on Dec. 11 supported the Korean people's call for the removal of the concrete wall, noting that it is a constant source of threatening peace and security not only in Korea but in Asia and the world.
Miracle in Korea
Pyongyang, December 19 (KCNA) -- Gennady Berdyshev, vice-chairman of the Ukraine-DPRK Association, who visited the DPRK several times, said in his impressions of Korea as follows:
As visitors to Pyongyang from various countries are unsparing in their praises, the west-sea barrage which was built in five years is a product of the Korean people's self-reliance and a great monumental edifice that can be constructed only in the country where the leader, the party and masses are united single-heartedly.
The DPRK launched a satellite despite several years of national disaster and the blockade of the imperialist allied forces, thus demonstrating its spirit and might.
This clearly showed the DPRK's power and the might of the single-heartedly united people.
All the people are struggling with the conviction that if they are firmly rallied around the great Kim Jong Il, it is quite possible to build a powerful nation in the near future. This is the source of strength of the Korean people advancing full of faith and optimism even under the difficult conditions.
The Korean people are now performing exploits as pacesetters of the times at important posts of the socialist construction under the care of Kim Jong Il. I was deeply moved to see young Koreans building the Pyongyang-Nampho motorway.
In the DPRK where the trait of living and struggling like heroes is prevailing in the whole society, the people are forging ahead for a great victory with faith and optimism about future, albeit they are hard pressed for everything.
I would like to confidently say that all the Korean people are the heroes and heroines and one should come to this great country, if he wishes to see this spirit and might of Korea, he urged.
Big rallies in S. Korea
Pyongyang, December 19 (KCNA) -- The South Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) held big rallies in 14 cities of South Korea including Seoul, Pusan and Kwangju at 2 on the afternoon of Dec. 18 demanding the authorities meet such just demands as reduction of working hours and payment of wages to union officials, according to a radio report from Seoul.
The organization strongly condemned the "government" for refusing to take any step for the cutdown of working hours.
Noting that the results of the "special prosecution's" investigation into the case of "inducing the mint company trade union to strike" ended in declaring the prosecution not guilty, the trade unions repeatedly called for investigating the case again.
The KCTU vowed to stage big rallies throughout South Korea on dec. 28 and intensify its struggle to push through its demands.
And the federation of South Korean trade unions which had staged a limited strike on Dec. 17 declared that it would enter into a general strike on Dec. 23 in solidarity with it.
What is main factor of instability
Pyongyang, December 19 (KCNA) -- Recently the director general of the Japan Defense Agency, reportedly took issue with the DPRK over the "missile deployment," claiming that it remains a "main factor of instability" harmful to security in northeast Asia.
Minju Joson today describes his allegation as something prompted by a foolish calculation, a sinter intention of the Japanese reactionaries to justify their efforts for reckless overseas expansion and conversion of Japan into a military power.
The news analyst says:
In actuality, the main factor of instability in northeast Asia is the U.S.-Japan-South Korea "military cooperation."
The U.S. tries to get hegemony of the region.
While tightening military tie-up with shared ambition for domination over the world, the U.S. and Japanese reactionaries move to use South Korea as their shock brigade.
With a view to prolonging their remaining days the South Korean authorities join hands with the U.S. and Japanese reactionaries to do harm to the fellow countrymen, the people in the North Korea. The U.S., Japan and South Korean authorities set up the "tripartite military cooperation system" and under this step up preparations for a war of aggression to this end. This creates a touch-and-go situation in and around the Korean peninsula and exerts very negative influence upon the development of the situation in northeast Asia as a whole.
The Japanese reactionaries try to deceive the world and flee from their responsibility, prompted by their bad habit of groundlessly taking issue with others and drawing water to their mill. They will get nothing but more disgrace and shame from their foolish act.
Anniversary of Kim Jong Il's work observed
Pyongyang, December 19 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today dedicates a signed article to the 20th anniversary of the publication of General Secretary Kim Jong Il's work "Let Us Carry through the Party's Strategic Policy on Living Our Own Way" on December 19, Juche 68 (1979).
The work comprehensively clarifies the essence of the strategic policy of the Worker's Party of Korea on living our own way, its significance, principle and ways.
Referring to the tremendous vitality of the work, the article says that the wise leadership of the respected Kim Jong Il who has applied the Korean-style political mode, has been fully demonstrated over the past five years in which his great revolutionary exploits are recorded.
He was so wise as to solve everything in accordance with the aspiration and demand of the Korean people and the interests of the Korean revolution and to make sure that a revolutionary spirit of self-reliance prevailed throughout the country.
It is an unwavering principle sustained by the Marshal to fully reflect the Korean people's aspiration and interests in all lines and policies and activities of the party and the state to embody them.
Through his endless on-the-spot guidance he gets familiar with the overall situation of the country and people's demands and lays down proper tasks and ways to meet them.
A vigorous drive is now under way to revitalize our independent economies one by one and preserve the national character peculiar to the Korean people in all spheres of social life.
He has regarded it as an iron will to overcome trials with the strategy of self-reliance and accelerate socialist construction through self-reliance.
The Korean people are struggling with the spirit of self-reliance taught by the Marshal as an all-purpose precious sword.
His wise leadership has been fully demonstrated when he has strengthened the revolutionary ranks to the maximum.
He has consistently pushed ahead with the work of strengthening the driving force of the revolution, thus significantly increasing the might of the single-hearted unity of the people around the party and leader.
The whole country is perfectly pervaded with the ardent worship for the leader and heroes and heroines of our era who remain loyal to the party through their good results are being produced.
The Korean people will certainly build a powerful nation of Juche their own way as long as they are under his outstanding and seasoned leadership, concludes the article.
Worldwide changes after end of Cold War
Pyongyang, December 19 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today runs a by-lined article captioned "What changes happened worldwide after end of Cold War."
The article says:
The end of the Cold War failed to bring about peace. As the world commented in those days, dispute during the Cold War was a war by proxy involving superpowers, the soviet union and the U.S. disputes in different parts of the world in the wake of the end of the Cold War are mainly characterized by deep-rooted contradictions, including those among nations and political groupings.
The "pluralism" forced upon many countries by the west led to socio-political confusion and civil wars.
There was a new fierce scramble for sphere of influence in areas marked by vacuum of strength caused in some regions at the end of the Cold War, which was showdown between the superpowers.
The article exposes deceptive "globalization" advocated by the U.S. in a bid to make a unipolar world, describing itself as "the only superpower."
An increasing number of countries join Europe and Russia and other big countries in the struggle against the U.S. highhanded practices, it says, and goes on:
No doubt, in the 90s the international community has become more assertive for independence and democracy.
Every country and every nation wants to live independently freed from any bloc.
The 90s to which humankind bade farewell following the end of the Cold War gives a serious lesion that capitalism cannot be the future of humankind at all but socialism is the only one future of humankind.
The article elaborates on the steady decline of capitalism in the 90s.
It continues:
If the progressive humankind is to build a world reflecting its own desire and aspirations, it should consider independence, peace and friendship its shared idea.
That is a valuable answer given to humankind by the 90s.
Early repatriation of unconverted long-term prisoners urged
Pyongyang, December 19 (KCNA) -- Minju Joson today in a signed commentary demands the South Korean authorities unconditionally and immediately repatriate Kim In So, an unconverted long-term prisoner in South Korea, to the north where his family and relatives wait for him.
The commentary says:
He is now in a critical condition due to prolonged serious illness.
Kim should have already been repatriated to the north under the Korean Armistice Agreement and the international law on the treatment of POWs as he was taken prisoner by the other side of the belligerent parties while fighting to defend the country during the Fatherland Liberation War (from June 1950 to July 1953).
This deplorable condition of Kim was caused by scores of years of prison life forced by the South Korean authorities upon him on charges of violating the "security law."
The South Korean rulers are entirely to blame for this.
The repatriation of the unconverted long-term prisoners including Kim In So to the north is a humanitarian issue and a most urgent matter pending an immediate solution.
The South Korean authorities should bear in mind that if Kim's condition continues to deteriorate and bring irrevocable consequences, they will be held wholly responsible for them.