Congratulatory letter to Kim Jong Il
Pyongyang, December 31 (KCNA) -- The great leader Kim Jong Il received a congratulatory letter from the economic and commercial councillors corps here on the occasion of the New Year, Juche 89 (2000).
It was handed to an official concerned by Sergei Leushikin, commercial councillor of the Russian embassy in Pyongyang, on behalf of the corps yesterday.
Celebrations held
Pyongyang, December 31 (KCNA) -- A delegation of the Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea paid a congratulatory visit to the DPRK embassy in Malabo on Dec. 23 to mark the 8th anniversary of Kim Jong Il's election as supreme commander of the Korean People's Army and the 82nd birth anniversary of the great communist revolutionary fighter Kim Jong Suk.
On the occasion, the deputy secretary general of the party said that the great Kim Jong Il is an outstanding politician and remarkable brilliant commander and thanks to his leadership the Workers' Party of Korea has become a great party and the KPA a strong army in the world.
He continued: Kim Jong Suk was a great woman revolutionary rare to be found in the world. As there was such an excellent political and military activist as her, the Korean people could have the outstanding leader Kim Jong Il and build a powerful country under his leadership.
The International United Confederation of Koreans (International Kothongryon) held a meeting in Tashkent on Dec. 24 on these occasions.
Korean children prove successful at international contest
Pyongyang, December 31 (KCNA) -- Korean children's works proved successful at the 1999 India Shankar international children's painting and composition contest.
Diplomas were awarded to 9 paintings done by Korean children including "W000 are the ants doing?," "Old Story of Grandfather" and "Korean Wrestling" at a prize awarding ceremony held on December 18 in the presence of Krishna Kant, vice-president of India.
Contributed to the contest were over 160,000 paintings and compositions done by children aged 5-16 from at least 100 countries including the DPRK.
Chinese ambassador gives reception
Pyongyang, December 31 (KCNA) -- Wan Yongxiang, Chinese ambassador to the DPRK, gave a reception at his embassy here yesterday on the occasion of the New Year, Juche 89 (2000).
Present on invitation were Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Kim Su Hak, Minister of Public Health who is chairman of the central committee of the DPRK-China Friendship Association, and other officials concerned.
The ambassador said in his speech that the fraternal Korean people have achieved great successes in their efforts through the vigorous grand second Chollima march this year in the revolutionary spirit of self-reliance and fortitude under the leadership of General Secretary Kim Jong Il and the Chinese people greatly rejoice over them.
1999 was a year in which the traditional Sino-Korean friendly and cooperative relations have steadily developed on good terms, he noted, and continued: It is an unshakable stand of the Chinese party and government to steadily boost these relations.
He expressed the belief that these relations would grow stronger and develop under the deep interest and care of Ziang Jemin and Kim Jong Il.
Yang Hyong Sop said in his speech that this year was a significant year in which the DPRK-China friendship that weathered all trials of history has grown stronger and developed in the interests of the two peoples under the new situation.
Noting that it is an invariable stand of the Workers' Party of Korea and the DPRK government to strengthen and develop the DPRK-China friendship generation after generation, he stressed that the DPRK would make positive efforts to boost it in the New Year, too, in keeping with the will and desire of the peoples of the DPRK and China.
Noting with joy that everything is going well in China, he sincerely wished the Chinese people greater success in their work in the New Year.
S. Korean ruler's year-end address criticized
Pyongyang, December 31 (KCNA) -- The South Korean chief executive released a "Year-end special address" shortly ago.
Commenting on the "adress," Rodong Sinmun today describes it as wriggling in a desperate effort to cover up the wretched realities caused by his rule and bridge over a serious ruling crisis.
He announced that he would grant "special amnesty on a large scale" to prisoners.
This is nothing but a petty trick to calm down people's resentment at the ruling quarters and, for the present, enlist more "votes" in the next year's "national assembly election," the paper points out, and goes on:
Included in the list of "special amnesty" are those who have been imprisoned for stealing, but none of the prisoners of conscience, patriots who fought for the country, the nation and reunification.
Though the authorities of South Korea are loudly talking about "harmony," the present political contradiction, conflict, crisis and unrest can not be dispelled as long as the social structure remains unchanged.
What cannot be overlooked is that the South Korean chief executive kept mum about reunification and inter-Korean relations, the matters related to the destiny of the nation, while announcing "some measures" to be taken for the present.
In the long run his "address" is a deceptive word-juggling to put down people's anger and a "funeral music" of the traitor who is breathing his last after being estranged from the country and the nation and opposing national reunification.
KCNA on S. Korean chief executive's pro-U.S. flunkeyism
Pyongyang, December 31 (KCNA) -- The South Korean chief executive visited the second U.S. infantry division in South Korea on December 29 to award "commendations," clear evidence of his pro-U.S. flunkeyism.
That day he said that he would consistently pursue the "engagement policy toward the north", the U.S. Forces in South Korea have defended "peace" on the Korean peninsula for more than 50 years and that closer South Korea-U.S. "cooperation system" should be maintained.
He did not bother to let out outcries seriously provoking the north once again, urging it to discontinue "armed provocations", "development of nuclear weapons" and "missile testfire".
This is nothing but an anti-national outburst intended to justify the U.S. imperialist aggression forces' presence in South Korea, escalate the north-south confrontation and thus prolong his remaining days as a colonial stooge.
Since he came into power he has more zealously done vicious pro-U.S., pro-Japanese flunkeyist treacherous actions than his successive rulers and aggravated the north-south relations by pursuing "engagement policy" of confrontation.
This time he brought into bolder relief his flunkeyist treacherous mentality, visiting a unit of the U.S. Forces even at a time when the year is coming to an end to please his master and agitate confrontation with fellow countrymen.
The Korean nation and history will certainly settle accounts with the South Korean chief executive and will not pardon him for his even more reckless anti-national moves to perpetuate the division of the country in reliance upon outside forces.
Greetings to Fidel Castro
Pyongyang, December 31 (KCNA) - General Secretary Kim Jong Il together with Kim Yong Nam, president of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, on Dec. 25 sent a message of greetings to Fidel Castro Ruz, First Secretary of the central committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, president of the council of state and president of the council of ministers of the Republic of Cuba, on the occasion of the 41st anniversary of the victory of the Cuban revolution.
The message said:
Today the Cuban people, united close around the Communist Party of Cuba led by you, are vigorously advancing along the road of socialism, bravely foiling the hostile forces' continued challenges despite manifold difficulties and hardships.
We highly estimate the successes achieved by the Cuban people in their struggle to frustrate the economic blockade by the U.S. imperialists and step up socialist construction, the message said, adding that the Korean people will as ever extend invariable support and solidarity for the Cuban people's just cause.
The message expressed the belief that the friendship between the two countries which was forged in their anti-imperialist struggle for independence and socialism and has grown strong in the stern ordeals of history, would further strengthen and develop as days go by.