Kim Jong Il receives letter from Ri In Mo
Pyongyang, January 2 (KCNA) - General Secretary Kim Jong Il yesterday received a letter from Ri In Mo, incarnation of faith and will, on the occasion of the New Year.
The letter described the 1900s as a century of great change and victories and glory in which a history of faith and will unprecedented in the history of the Korean nation spanning 5000 years was made and the people, once trampled down, rose high in the centre of the world.
In this century our people achieved the country's liberation with faith and will, humbled the arrogance of the U.S. imperialists for the first time in history and demonstrated the might and dignity of Juche Korea by overcoming manifold challenges of the imperialists and ordeals, the letter said, and went on:
Our people stood up in the indomitable spirit which no other nations could ever possess in human history because they were fortunate enough to acclaim the peerlessly great three commanders of Mt. Paektu.
You praised me as a man of faith and will which I hardly deserved. But the supreme incarnation of faith and will is precisely you, the illustrious commander, who defended our socialism as firm as an iron wall, standing singlehandedly against the imperialist allied forces of the world, and brought about a great turn in building a powerful nation, thus most brilliantly adorning the 1900s as a century for Kim Il Sung's Korea.
Without you, how our people could stand up after the demise of President Kim Il Sung and greet with joy the New Year 2000 with confidence and optimism about future like today?
Even though I am living in the twilight, I will always follow you with singlehearted loyalty and filial piety to the last moment of my life.
Unanimous are the ardent wishes of our people, who look up to and believe in you only in joy or sorrow or hardships.
They pray for the longevity of you for a bright future of Kim Il Sung's Korea which will always stand as a powerful and prosperous nation.
Letter to Kim Jong Il from O Ik Je
Pyongyang, January 2 (KCNA) -- O Ik Je, vice-chairman of the committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, yesterday sent a letter to the great leader Kim Jong Il on the occasion of the New Year Juche 89 (2000).
He in the letter notes that thanks to the boundlessly profound solicitude of the three commanders of Mt. Paektu, great persons born of heaven, a new society of national independence, a socialist paradise, in which the people enjoy greatest happiness, has been built and a glorious history in the national history has begun in the DPRK to usher in a new era of a powerful and prosperous nation.
The letter continues:
You gave me the chance of rebirth with great loving care and led me with deep paternal affection.
Your idea is what keeps human beings and the world alive and an absolute spirit that moves them forward. Guided by this idea, the DPRK will be ever victorious despite whatever difficulties.
I am convinced that thanks to your leadership, a decisive new phase will be opened for the country's reunification in the coming couple of years of the new millennium and I will devote my life to the independent reunification.
I wholeheartedly wish you a long life in good health.
Floral baskets laid before statue of Kim Il Sung
Pyongyang, January 2 (KCNA) -- The military attaches' corps here yesterday laid a floral basket before the statue of President Kim Il Sung on Mansu Hill and paid homage to him on the occasion of the New Year.
That day, a floral basket was laid before the statue of the President by Pak Kwang Gi, chief of the Pyongyang mission of the National Democratic Front of South Korea (NDFSK), and its members.
Congratulatory message to Kim Jong Il from NDFSK central committee
Pyongyang, January 2 (KCNA) - General Secretary Kim Jong Il received a congratulatory message on Saturday from the central committee of the National Democratic Front of South Korea (NDFSK) on the occasion of the new year 2000.
1999 was a year of proud victory and feats when Juche Korea, under the outstanding and tested leadership of you, the commander of Mt. Paektu, more fully demonstrated the might of the country to the world through the grand canter march toward a powerful nation, the message says, and goes on:
Last year you performed immortal great exploits on behalf of the country, the nation, the era and humankind holding high the banner of justice, the banner of building a powerful socialist nation.
Under the uplifted banner of the greatest and wisest army-first politics last year you made ceaseless inspection of the front and on-site guidance to arouse the entire army and all the people to the advance for the country, revolution and socialism and thus, effected a great turn in the building of a powerful nation.
As you guided the trend of the era with your outstanding idea and leadership, the imperialists' moves to turn the world into a capitalist and "integrated one" were frustrated and the cause of global independence and the movement to rebuild socialism vigorously advanced along the road of independence.
Particularly, the august 15 grand pro-reunification festival held last year was a patriotic event in which the Koreans in the north, south and overseas realized the three-party solidarity and unity for the first time in history to brilliantly adorn the history of the movement for national reunification and demonstrated the ardent desire of our nation and its will of great unity to reunify the country in a few years to come in the new millennium.
Cherishing deep in mind the great honor, great fortune of holding you in high esteem as the leader of the nation, we will immensely strengthen the ndfsk and the ranks of the revolutionary movement into the fighting ranks of Juche that think and act according to your ideas and intention.
Your good health and long life is the ardent wish of our people and a sure guarantee for national reunification, concludes the message.
Kim Yong Nam meets diplomatic envoys
Pyongyang, January 2 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, yesterday met and conversed with diplomatic envoys of various countries in Pyongyang, congratulating them on the occasion of the New Year Juche 89 (2000).
Present were premier of the cabinet Hong Song Nam, vice-president of the presidium of the DPRK SPA Yang Hyong Sop, chairman of the SPA Choe Thae Bok and Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun.
Shaher Mohammed Abdlah, ambassador of the state of Palestine to the DPRK, who is the doyen of the diplomatic corps here, sincerely wished the great leader of the Korean people Kim Jong Il a long life in good health and the Korean people greater success in their struggle for socialist construction and national reunification in the New Year.
Greetings to Algerian Prime Minister
Pyongyang, January 2 (KCNA) -- Hong Song Nam, premier of the cabinet of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, sent a message of greetings to Ahmed Benbitour on his appointment as Prime Minister of the Algerian Democratic and People's Republic.
The message wished the Algerian Prime Minister success in his responsible work, expressing the belief that the friendly relations between the two countries would continue to develop in the future, too.
Greetings to Algerian Foreign Minister
Pyongyang, January 2 (KCNA) -- The DPRK Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun sent a message of greetings to Youssef Yousfi on his appointment as Foreign Minister of the Algerian Democratic and People's Republic.
The message wished the Algerian Foreign Minister great success in his work, expressing the belief that the friendly relations between the two countries would continue to develop on good terms.