Congolese delegation here
Pyongyang, January 22 (KCNA) -- A delegation of the transition National Council of Congo led by its president Justin Koumba arrived here today.
It was met at the airport by Choe Thae Bok, chairman of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, and officials concerned.
Floral basket laid before statue of Kim Il Sung
Pyongyang, January 22 (KCNA) -- Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso sent a floral basket to the statue of the President Kim Il Sung which stands on Mansu Hill.
The ribbon hanging from the basket read: "The great President comrade Kim Il Sung will live forever." A delegation of the transition National Council of Congo led by its president Justin Koumba laid a floral basket before Kim Il Sung's statue and paid homage to him today.
Present there were Choe Thae Bok, chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, and others.
Preparatory committees formed abroad
Pyongyang, January 22 (KCNA) -- Preparatory committees for celebrating the 58th birthday of General Secretary Kim Jong Il have been formed in many countries.
Deputy prime minister in charge of the Royal Palace of Cambodia, Kong Sam Ol, was appointed as chairman of the Cambodian preparatory committee on the instruction of King Norodom Sihanouk.
The speaker of the National Assembly of Madagascar, the former president of the Party of the Congress for the Independence of Madagascar and the chairman of the Madagascar-Korea Friendship and Solidarity Committee were selected as co-chairmen of the preparatory committee of Madagascar, the chairman of the State Standing Investigation Committee of Tanzania as chairman of the national preparatory committee of Tanzania, and the national chairman of the National Movement of the Genuine Lumumbist Combatants of Democratic Congo as chairman of the preparatory committee of Democratic Congo.
The preparatory committees plan to hold various events including film shows and photo exhibitions, and actively introduce the leadership exploits of General Secretary Kim Jong Il through mass media during the celebrating period.
Solidarity with Korean people expressed in Italy
Pyongyang, January 22 (KCNA) -- The Italian Committee for the Reunification and Peace of Korea held an annual meeting in Rome on Jan. 15 and discussed and decided issues on expanding and strengthening the organization and developing its solidarity activities onto a new higher level.
Present at the meeting were Roberto Gabriele, general secretary of the Central Committee for Peace and Socialist Movement in Italy and vice-chairman of the International Liaison Committee for Reunification and Peace in Korea and other personages from all walks of life including representatives of social organizations of Italy.
It was said at the meeting that the recent establishment of diplomatic relations between Italy and the DPRK calls for bringing an epochal turn in movement for solidarity with the Korean people.
A letter of solidarity to General Secretary Kim Jong Il was adopted there.
A statement was also adopted and an action program for this year was discussed and decided there.
The statement demanded the South Korean authorities remove the "security law" and the concrete wall in South Korea, which block Korea's reunification, and guarantee free travels between the north and south.
It also demanded that the U.S. withdraw all its military personnel and weapons from South Korea, dismantle its military bases there, immediately dissolve the illegally faked up "UN command" and strip the U.S. soldiers of the UN helmets at once.
Literature praising Kim Jong Il scattered
Pyongyang, January 22 (KCNA) -- About 100 copies of literature highly praising General Secretary Kim Jong Il as the lodestar of national reunification were scattered on the road before the Masan "city office" on the morning of January 2 on the New Year, Seoul-based radio Voice of National Salvation quoted the south Kyongsang provincial committee of the National Democratic Front of South Korea (Hanminjon) as saying.
Pictured in the front of the literature is the rising sun giving out red glow above Mt. Paektu and under the title "We Pray for Long Life and Good Health of Marshal Kim Jong Il, the Sun of the 21st Century" "Song of General Kim Jong Il" is brought into bold relief.
Printed in the back are letters "Reunification dawns with the sunrise of the new millennium. Let us work hard to bring earlier the day when we will welcome Marshal Kim Jong Il, the sun of the nation and lodestar of reunification, in the square of reunification the new millennium society for national reunification" against the background of workers, peasants, youth and students greeting the sun with hearty cheers.
U.S. anti-DPRK smear campaign dismissed
Pyongyang, January 22 (KCNA) -- The U.S. is floating a strange rumour that the DPRK has already rounded off the "bomb explosion test" whose results are "applicable to nuclear bomb detonating test."
Dismissing this, Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary says:
The U.S. is making much fuss after dreaming up a sheer cock-and-bull story. This is aimed to make "nuclear and missile threat from North Korea" a fait accompli and support its assertion that its moves to establish the "missile defense" system is a "measure necessary" to cope with this "threat."
The U.S. seeks through the "missile defense" system to deploy missiles in its mainland and different regions and countries of the world in a bid to have a military edge over other powers.
At the same time, it tries to draw world public attention to the DPRK and divert elsewhere watchful eyes focussed on Washington. But this can not go down with anyone.
The U.S. is chiefly to blame for the nuclear and missile threat. It is the U.S. which tops the list of nukes and missiles.
The U.S. is in the belligerent relationship with the DPRK.
It has neither declared a halt to providing nuclear umbrella to South Korea nor shown any willingness to withdraw its troops from South Korea.
Its nuclear weapons and missiles, wherever they are deployed, will be targeted at us.
The U.S. should stop its reckless moves to establish the "missile defense" system and drop its wild dream of world domination.
Prompt repatriation of unconverted long-term prisoners urged
Pyongyang, January 22 (KCNA) -- The president of the International League of Women for Peace and Freedom in a letter to the South Korean "Minister of Unification" said that the ILWPF, which is struggling against violence and injustice and for the defence of peace, is making active efforts for peace in the Korean peninsula, the most unstable region in the world, with great concern about its situation.
The letter expressed full support to the "agreement on reconciliation, non-aggression, cooperation and exchange between the north and south" adopted on Dec. 13, 1991, and demanded the South Korean authorities actively implement the agreement.
It demanded they repatriate the unconverted long-term prisoners, who are detained under the "law on supervision for public peace", to the DPRK unconditionally and immediately.
Recent collections of cultural relics
Pyongyang, January 22 (KCNA) -- The Korean Folklore Museum now displays a recent collection of cultural relics from Koryo (918-1392) and the Ri dynasty (1392-1910).
The collection gives a glimpse of Korean customs and craftsmanship.
Among them, the finest articles of academic interest are a celadon tray with relievoed child figures, a celadon bowl, a brass mirror with a relievoed twin-dragon design, a brass kettle, as well as women's padded jacket, padded pajamas and footware.
The celadon tray with relievoed child figures, 18.5 cm across and 6.8 cm tall, is elegant in shape, color and design. It gradually becomes wide slanting from the bottom that joins the wide-flung top at a nearly vertical angle, the whole effect reminiscent of a full-blown flower. The jade-green tray has a relievo of three adorable children capering in the grapevines.
The celadon bowl, 14.5 cm across and 6 cm tall, is an enticing jade green, coated with transparent glaze. It is a major source of knowledge about early-Koryo celadon.
The brass mirror with a twin dragon relievo is a round, relatively large mirror, 23.7 cm across that is preserved in perfect original state without any trace of damage. The front side is smooth and well polished enough to mirror any object, while the back side has a hook for a string in the middle, the hook surrounded by two flying dragons in bold relief.
The brass kettle, 23.5 cm tall, has a round body with a long thick neck and a spout and handle on opposite side, thus giving an admirable symmetrical effect.
The women's padded jacket and sleeping-gown from the Ri dynasty were collected from Singwang-ri in Haeju city, South Hwanghae Province. Made of silk, the jacket is 66 cm long and larger-sized than others of its kind. It is believed that these relics belong to the later 15th and early 16th centuries, in view of the age of the tomb from which they were discovered and their styles. This fashion of dress is visible only in the tomb murals of Koguryo (277 bc-ad 668), but these dresses are the only real mementos ever discovered, therefore of academic value.
A pair of shoes was also unearthed at Singwang-ri, the first ever kind of footware from a Ri-dynasty tomb. This confirms that the dead were apparently provided with necessary objects such as shoes in the early period of the ri dynasty. Through this an idea of every phase of life in those days can be gained.
S. Korean rulers hit for their move to erect Syngman Rhee's bust
Pyongyang, January 22 (KCNA) -- The spokesman for the central committee of the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland issued a statement today in connection with the furore caused by the recent passage of the "bill on erecting" a bust of Syngman Rhee through the "National Assembly" of South Korea.
Originally the South Korean rulers tried to pass the "bill" through the "National Assembly" in 1998 which marked its 50th anniversary. They failed to do so in face of strong opposition from public circles of South Korea.
This time they decided to erect Syngman Rhee's bust at the building of the "National Assembly" by railroading the "bill" in the absence of 118 "assemblymen" from the ruling and opposition parties.
This is clear evidence that the present "people's government" of South Korea is following in the footsteps of the Syngman Rhee pro-U.S. sycophantic and treacherous regime as such move is intended to openly call back the departed soul of the traitor who met a miserable end, sternly judged by the South Korean people for his hideous crimes against the country and the nation, the statement said, and continued:
It must not go unnoticed that such move was taken by them at a time when public circles are becoming more critical of the present chief executive who initiated to build a "memorial" for Park Chung-hee, a pro-Japanese, pro-U.S. stooge, and held the post of the "honorary chairman" of the "memorial society for Park Chung-hee".
The central committee of the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland brands these base moves of the self-proclaimed "people's government" rulers as an intentional anti-national criminal act to call back the departed soul of the pro-U.S., pro-Japanese ringleaders and virulent challenge to the aspiration and desire of all the fellow countrymen for independence, democracy and reunification, and bitterly denounces them.
Today the South Korean rulers are keen on eulogizing traitors to hurt public feelings. They seek in this to curry favour with the pro-U.S., pro-Japanese forces and garner "votes" from them in the "National Assembly election" slated for April.
They should know well what a miserable end their predecessors met and discontinue at once such a despicable farce as erecting Syngman Rhee's bust and building "memorial" for Park Chung-hee.
DPRK FM spokesman on U.S. missile interceptor test
Pyongyang, January 22 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the DPRK answered a question put by KCNA today as regards the recent U.S. test of missile interceptor.
The test has been unanimously described by foreign news reports, as part of the U.S. drive to develop "National Missile Defense" system on a full scale, he noted, and said:
What matters is the U.S. assertion that such drive is intended to cope with non-existent "missile threat" from the DPRK and other countries.
The DPRK and the U.S. are now negotiating a solution to the issues of common concern including the missile issue. To create a favorable atmosphere for the negotiations as well as for successful high-level talks between the two countries, the DPRK took an initiative of declaring moratorium on missile test-fire in September last.
However, the U.S. conducted the test of missile interceptor this time. It is one more grave challenge to magnanimity and good faith shown by the DPRK in its efforts to settle the outstanding issues through negotiations.
The U.S. behavior has compelled the DPRK to take our moratorium into a serious consideration.
We will make an appropriate decision, watching its future movement.