Preparatory committees for Sun's Day inaugurated
Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- A Russian preparatory committee commemorating Sun's Day and the 58th birthday of General Secretary Kim Jong Il was inaugurated in Moscow on January 11.
Oleg Shenin, chairman of the Council of the Union of the Communist Parties-the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, was elected chairman of the preparatory committee.
The committee issued an appeal to all the political parties and public organizations the world over.
The appeal said:
The progressive political parties and organizations of Russia call upon all the progressive political parties, movements and public organizations around the world to organize preparatory committees to commemorate on a larger scale the birthdays of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, the outstanding leaders of the Korean people and the world progressive people, and hold events on up-to-the-standard level on the holidays.
A Bangladesh standing committee for celebrating the birthday of Kim Jong Il was inaugurated in Dhaka on January 10.
The chairman of the central committee of the Worker's Party of Bangladesh was elected chairman of the standing committee.
New Year postcards extolling Kim Jong Il mailed
Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- New Year postcards wishing General Secretary Kim Jong Il a long life in good health were delivered to families in Kwanak district, Seoul, Seoul-based radio Voice of National Salvation quoted the Seoul city committee of the national democratic front of South Korea as saying.
Printed in the front of the postcard in the name of the Thaeyang society were a portrait of Kim Jong Il against the background of the sunrise above Mt. Paektu and letters reading he is the sun of the 21st century upheld by the Korean nation.
Written in the back were words of a song "New Year's greetings to the respected leader Kim Jong Il."
Hanminjon spokesman demands probe into massacre of civilians
Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- A spokesman of the National Democratic Front of South Korea (Hanminjon) made public a statement on January 11 in connection with the disclosure of the fact that the "ROK" army and police murdered 1,800 patriots at the Taejon prison and committed a massacre at the Taegu prison at the bidding of the U.S. military during the last June 25 War, according to radio Voice of National Salvation from Seoul.
The massacre is just an example of the unheard-of ogreish bestialities committed by the U.S. aggressor troops and military police against the patriots and guiltless people everywhere in the country during the last war, the statement said, and went on:
The United States, the prime mover of the massacre operation, is keeping mum about its crime and the South Korean authorities try to hush up the case, saying that the disclosed document is not enough to probe the truth.
Our people can never overlook the brutal murder at the Taejon and Taegu prisons and the moves of the U.S. and the authorities to cover up the truth.
The United States should properly judge the resolute will of our people to fight for anti-U.S. independence, admit its crimes in issuing an order for massacre and apologize for it and pull its troops, the source of evil, out of South Korea without delay.
The authorities should give up their foolish traitorous attempt to keep the hideous massacre of people buried into oblivion and immediately clarify its truth before all the people.
"Cabinet reshuffle" in S. Korea
Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- The South Korean chief executive appointed former president of the "United Liberal Democrats" Pak Thae Jun as Prime Minister to replace Kim Jong Pil who returned to the fold of the "ULD" and this was followed by a partial "reshuffle" of the administration on Jan. 13, a Seoul-based radio reported.
He replaced seven cabinet ministers and minister-level figures, including those of the "Ministry of Finance and Economy", the "Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade" and the "Ministry of Administrative Autonomy", the "Head of the Government Policy Coordination Office," etc, asserting that the "reshuffle" was aimed at a "sustainable reform of state policies".
The "reshuffle," however, is designed to bridge over the confusion and crisis of the ruling quarters and consolidate the foundation of their rule through the "National Assembly election" scheduled for April.
Anachronistic attempt to stifle DPRK
Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the U.S. State Department Rubin was reported to have said at an interview on Jan. 12 "there is no shadow of doubt that North Korea is developing and deploying missiles capable of attacking the U.S. forces and its allies."
This laid bare its criminal attempt to escalate its moves to stifle the DPRK in the New Year, too, under the pretext of fictitious "ballistic missile threat" from the DPRK while making a big fuss about it.
From the outset of the year he asserted that the U.S. is "taking a serious approach toward this 'threat,'" peddling again the fiction of "North Korean missile threat." This is nothing but the green light to escalating moves to stifle the DPRK this year, too.
At the interview, he talked rubbish that "North Korea's missile development and deployment" is a "most serious challenge to the security in northeast Asia" in a bid to justify the U.S. criminal policy to stifle the DPRK.
The U.S. oft-repeated ballyhooing about "North Korean missile threat" will only reveal more glaringly its black-hearted intention to stifle the DPRK under this pretext and realise its anachronistic ambition for domination.
The U.S. should properly judge the trend of the present times and immediately roll back its absurd policy to stifle the DPRK.
New Year stamps
Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications issued a stamp for the New Year Juche 89 (2000). The stamp shows a man holding high a torch against the background of a worker, a farmer and an intellectual riding a steed at full gallop, a flag of the Worker's Party of Korea and a red flag symbolizing the DPRK's single-hearted unity. It represents the mettle of the Korean people who are fully committed to building a powerful nation.
The ministry also released a stamp and a sheet-let featuring the tomb murals of the Koguryo dynasty (277 BC-AD 688).
They carry yellow and blue dragons drawn on the tomb murals in the 6th century.
KCNA on S. Korean development of bio-chemical weapons
Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- The "national health institute" and the "military science institute" in South Korea are reportedly developing anti-anthrax vaccine.
This shows that the South Korean warmongers intend to provoke the second Korean war of aggression together with the foreign forces and use biological and chemical weapons in it and such criminal design is pushed at a dangerous phase.
They are speeding up the development of the vaccine, raising a hue and cry over somebody's possession of anthrax virus. But it is, in fact, nothing but a trite trick to justify their preparations for a biological and chemical war.
As everybody knows, the South Korean authorities spare neither money nor manpower to develop and modernize those weapons in a bid to "secure their own biological and chemical war capacity."
Only recently, they begged the United States to transfer the newly developed germ and poisonous substance manufacturing technology. They are now hell bent on the development and stockpiling of biological and chemical weapons, echoing the U.S. Ballyhooing about the north's "possible use of anthrax virus."
As already known, South Korea adopted a policy on the development of biological and chemical weapons and laid a technical foundation for mass-producing poisonous substance for chemical weapons in the period between the end of the 1960s and early in the 1970s. In the middle of the 1980s the production of poisonous substance reached the stage of industrialization.
It is the South Korean authorities who are to blame for the development of biological and chemical weapons. It is preposterous, indeed, for them to cry hoarse about somebody's "development of biological and chemical weapons" and "threat."
Their moves to escalate the development of biological and chemical weapons should be condemned as treachery of threatening the very existence of the nation.
They are well advised to immediately halt criminal acts aimed to impose the disaster of biological and chemical war upon the compatriots.
Joint New Year editorial supported abroad
Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- The chairman of the National Information Committee of Guinea and the secretary general of the Asian Regional Institute of the Juche Idea recently issued statements to the press in support of the joint New Year editorial of the newspapers of the party, the army and the youth league "glorify this year, the WPK's 55th anniversary, with signal victory in the crucible of greatly increased activity of Chollima."
The chairman of the national information committee of guinea said in his statement that last year the Korean people underwent many difficulties caused by the persistent military and economic pressure of foreign forces and several years of natural disasters, but they could overcome the difficulties and advance victoriously under the wise and energetic leadership of General Secretary Kim Jong Il.
He said:
The DPRK will surely be a powerful and prosperous country as it is wisely led by Kim Jong Il.
The reunification of Korea will certainly be realized according to the policy set forth by Kim Jong Il because it is the irreversible trend of history and the unanimous desire of all the Korean people.
The secretary general of the Asian Regional Institute of the Juche Idea said in his statement that it is the key to opening an epochal phase of Korea's reunification to materialize the three principles of national reunification, the ten-point program of the great unity of the whole nation and the proposal for founding the Democratic Confederal Republic of Koryo set forth by the President Kim Il Sung.
He pointed out that he would positively support the struggle of the Korean people to realize them.
U.S. senior politician's bellicose outbursts slammed
Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- A foreign-policy adviser of republican presidential candidate bush was reported to have criticized the Clinton administration for back pedaling its decision to use armed forces against the DPRK. Furthermore he asserted that the U.S. must take a determined and decisive attitude towards such regime as that
In North Korea and that if elected President, bush would sternly deal with it.
Assailing these provocative remarks, Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary says: These bellicose outbursts represent the stand of the U.S. warlike forces to bring the present hostile relations between the DPRK and the U.S. to the brink of war with their hard-line policy of confrontation, much upset by the progress made in the efforts to improve DPRK-U.S. relations.
The commentary goes on:
The U.S. policy towards the DPRK is influenced by those in the higher power body who persistently advocate military confrontation and war. This bars the DPRK from reposing any trust in the U.S. It is only paying lip-service to the "improvement of relations with the DPRK." This requires the DPRK to heighten vigilance against it.
The DPRK considers principle as its lifeline. It will, therefore, never flinch from the principled stand no matter what others may say or no matter which way the wind may blow.
The DPRK will react to the "hard-line" attitude of the U.S. bellicose forces with its strongest will.
The U.S. should change its attitude, deeply mindful of the consequences to be entailed by the confrontation with the DPRK.
Revolutionary banner should be upheld
Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article underscores the need to hold high the revolutionary banner of independence against imperialism.
Apart from the struggle against imperialism, it is unthinkable to build a new independent world, freed from domination and subordination, aggression and war, the article says, and goes on:
The nature of imperialism is aggressive and predatory.
Sovereignty of many countries is violated and human cause of independence, socialist cause, is given serious challenge owing to the aggression and war moves of the imperialists.
Imperialism is the enemy of peace and the main target of the struggle of the people for independence.
Illusion about imperialism is as harmful as poison. If one weakens or abandons the struggle against imperialism one is bound to be conquered by the imperialists.
Arbitrariness and despotism of the imperialists should never be allowed, the article says, and continues:
Armed intervention in internal affairs of a country can be led to the infringement upon the sovereignty of other country tomorrow. Therefore, if one weakens the anti-imperialist struggle, remaining an onlooker to the armed invasion against other countries as it is not aimed directly at one's country, this will only fan the arrogance of the imperialists.
A key to victory in the anti-imperialist struggle lies in unity.
No matter how ferocious they are, the imperialists can never dampen the strength of the progressives who are struggling in unity full of confidence in the cause of independence.
National defense capabilities should be increased. Only when one channels greater efforts into building one's own defense capabilities, is it possible to check and frustrate the aggressive maneuvers of the imperialists.
The Worker's Party of Korea and the DPRK government will faithfully discharge the honorable international duty they have assumed for the human cause of independence, socialist cause, invariably upholding the revolutionary banner of independence against imperialism in the future, too, the article concludes.
Vigilance against imperialists' carrot strategy called for
Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- Accommodation of the carrot strategy, the imperialists' crafty method of aggression, will only lead to slavery, observes Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article.
It calls on the world's revolutionary people to clearly see through the real nature of the imperialists' talk about "peace," "cooperation" and "friendship" and resolutely react to it with a revolutionary principle and an anti-imperialist stand, the article notes, and goes on:
The imperialists, taking advantage of the changed international situation, are making sheep's eyes at different countries, clamoring about "partnership," "improvement of relations" and "cooperation." They are working hard to create an impression that their aggressive nature has changed and they desire friendship and cooperation among countries and peoples and make efforts to establish sound international relations. But this is a sheer deception.
Recalling that erstwhile socialist countries in east Europe and other countries and nations, taken in by the "peace" and "cooperation" touted by the imperialists, had their sovereignty wantonly violated and are now subjected to slavery, the article continues:
The lesson to be drawn by the people is that they should resolutely fight against the imperialists' undisguised military aggression and pressure and should never be taken in by their carrot strategy, either.
We should never be tricked by a broad hoax of the imperialists who seek a sinister aim with smile on their faces but maintain a strong anti-imperialist stand.
Even the slightest illusion about imperialism should never be allowed.
Any illusion about imperialism is as harmful as poison.
"Peace" on their lips means an aggression and war and their loudmouthed "cooperation" and "improvement of relations" are a noose for domination and subjugation.
Progressive countries and peoples are preserving their ideologies, systems and modes, not taken in by the sophism of the imperialists. This is because they are well aware of the imperialists' dominationist intention veiled with the carrot strategy.
Ideological and cultural poisoning by the imperialists should be thoroughly frustrated.
Taking to bourgeois ideology and culture would lead to ideological degeneration and benumbed class awareness and illusion about imperialism. This will entail catastrophic consequences.
1st revolutionary paper "Saenal"
Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- Today is the day of the foundation of "Saenal," the first revolutionary paper in Korea.
The paper was founded by the President Kim Il Sung in the period of the anti-Japanese revolutionary struggle (January 15, 1928).
At that time the paper had played a great role in implanting the anti-Japanese patriotic idea in the mind of broad children, youth and people as well as anti-Japanese underground revolutionary organizations, forming the revolutionary world outlook among them and thus arousing them to the anti-Japanese struggle.
The paper carried the articles exposing the Japanese imperialists' colonial predatory policy pursued in Korea and proving that the popular masses could liberate their country only when they fight against the Japanese imperialists with the united strength. Also the history of development of human society and materials for cultural enlightenment were largely edited in the paper.
Later, the paper became the origin of many publications including "Sogwang," the organ of the Korean People's Revolutionary Army, and "Samil Wolgan" which were founded in the period of the anti-Japanese revolutionary struggle, and those founded after the liberation.
Today, "Saenal" is the organ of the central committee of the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League.
The paper published under the present title from Juche 60 (1971) is distributed to senior middle schools across the country.
It carries data necessary for the ideological education including the work for preparing senior middle school students as reliable successors to the revolutionary cause of Juche and for helping them obtain the knowledge of different fields.
U.S. efforts only invite scorn
Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- Japan Defense Agency director general Kawara told his U.S. counterpart Cohen of Japan's intention to reduce Japan's burden for the U.S. forces in Japan at the talks held in Washington on January 6 during his visit to the United States.
But the United States strongly urged Japan to continue backing it for the close partnership under what they called "Japan-U.S. security system".
Despite the U.S. strong objection to the proposed time limit on the use of its military base after its shifting from Futemma, Okinawa Prefecture, to the city of Nago Japan is adamant on a 15-year time limit.
Commenting on this, Minju Joson today in a signed commentary says: The United States is much embarrassed by Japan's attitude.
Japan should consider the United States as her "benefactor" whether she likes it or not.
But Japan is not sensitive to "reason" as the United States wishes her to be.
Japan seems to be ready to donate even her skin to others to meet her own interest but betrays them like a pair of old shoes any time when she finds them no more useful to her.
The United States should draw a bitter lesson from this.
Why should the United States take the trouble of coming to Tokyo across the ocean only to be humiliated even by Japan, its junior ally?
There is no need for the United States to take such trouble.
The United States should withdraw its forces from other regions including South Korea, whose presence is the leftover of the Cold War, as demanded by the trend of the times.
This would be helpful not only to the world peace and security but to itself, either.
KCNA on cock-and-bull stories
Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- The U.S. weekly magazine "Aviation Week and Space Technology" recently quoted the U.S. Defense Secretary as saying that "North Korea is secretly increasing commando capabilities to invade the south," according to Sankei Shimbun.
Meanwhile, Washington Times Jan. 6 said that "China, in disregard of its earlier commitments to strictly control the export of missile parts, continues supplying North Korea with those parts" and that this was disclosed by an intelligence report of pentagon.
Such cock-and-bull stories floated by some U.S. media from the outset of the year are a product of the dastardly plots hatched by those displeased with the rising international prestige of the DPRK.
Both stories are a sheer fabrication. Needless to say, this is intended to tarnish the image of the peace-loving DPRK and find a pretext to escalate the U.S. moves to isolate and stifle it.
What can not go unnoticed is the fact that the U.S. administration authorities were behind those who dreamed up such misinformation as evidenced by the source of those news items.
The point at issue is why the U.S. administration authorities are deliberately spreading such rumours insulting its dialogue partner, at a time when a climate is being created for the improved DPRK-U.S. relations in the wake of last year's Berlin talks.
It is clear to everybody that such diatribe goes against the spirit of the DPRK-U.S. agreed framework and adversely affects the on-going multi-faceted DPRK-U.S. talks.
This compels us to suspect the U.S. talk about dialogue and express deep concern about the true aim sought by it in its "stick strategy."
The dastardly false propaganda launched by the U.S. only goes to clearly prove that it is desperately clinging to the foolish stratagem to justify its ceaseless arms buildup and the moves to provoke a war against the DPRK.
It was part of this stratagem that in recent years the U.S. administration worked out in great haste an additional budget for missile defence and schemed to spend 2.2 billion U.S. dollars of more funds for the establishment of the national missile defense system out of its budget for the year 2001 under the pretexts of "missile launch capacity" of some countries and "threat" posed by them.
If the U.S. is truly interested in peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and in the improved relations with the DPRK, it should stop its arms buildup and moves for a war against the DPRK, which aggravate the situation, and such false propaganda aimed at slandering its dialogue partner.
We are prepared for both dialogue and confrontation.
Greetings to Uzbek President
Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, on Jan. 13 sent a message of greetings to Islam Karimov on his reelection as Uzbek President.
He in his message wished the President success in his responsible work for the independent development and prosperity of the country, expressing belief that the friendly relations between the two countries would continue to develop on good terms.