Kim Jong Il visits North Phyongan Province
Pyongyang, January 25 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il visited North Phyongan Province on January 24 to direct its land leveling and rezoning.
He was accompanied by Kim Kuk Thae, Kim Ki Nam and Kim Yong Sun, secretaries of the Central Committee of the WPK, vice marshal of the Korean People's Army Ri Yong Mu, vice-chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK Pak Yong Sok, member of the Central Committee of the WPK and chairman of the central auditing commission of the WPK, first vice-directors of departments of the WPK Central Committee and KPA general officers.
He toured various places of the province including Thaechon and Nyongbyon counties to acquaint himself with details of the land leveling and rezoning.
Looking over a vast expanse of standardized fields which people's army soldiers and people have obtained by successfully finishing the vast and difficult first-stage project in a short span of time before this spring as scheduled in spite of cold winter with a single determination to realize the party's far-reaching plan for land leveling and rezoning, he was very satisfied with it and highly praised their brilliant successes.
He said that, thanks to the successful progress of the land leveling and rezoning in North Phyongan Province in the wake of Kangwon Province, a vista was opened to implement the behest of the great leader President Kim Il Sung and make an epochal turn in agricultural production.
This success is a clear demonstration of the invincibility of the Korean socialist system, he added.
It is very amazing that even under the difficult conditions in which they are hard pressed for everything as it is today, soldiers and people have displayed such fortitude and optimism about the future and brought about such a great change as removing small patches of land, a trace of poverty and backwardness handed down through generations, he said, and noted that this eloquently shows once again that nothing can break the revolutionary will of the Korean people to build an economically powerful socialist nation on the strength of self-reliance.
He set forth highly important tasks which would serve as a guideline in stepping up the land leveling and rezoning, giving a face-lifting to the appearance of the country and radically increasing the agricultural production.
He noted that the land leveling and rezoning must be done through an all-people movement and stressed that the reality in Kangwon Province vividly proves the validity and vitality of the WPK's policy.
He pointed out that all provinces, cities and counties across the country should drawn on the experience of Kangwon and north Phyongan provinces in land leveling and rezoning and finish this work in a short span of time.
As the land leveling and rezoning in North Phyongan Province is almost near the completion, the next target is South Hwanghae Province on which efforts must be concentrated in order to complete its land leveling and rezoning in a flash, he said, adding: By finishing land leveling and rezoning in provinces one by one, we must turn all the farmlands of the country into high-yielding socialist cooperative fields where work is done by machines in a few years to come and hand them to posterity.
In order to make the land leveling and rezoning pay off in practice, he said, more modern farm machines must be manufactured and supplied and various kinds of good manure be mass produced so as to steadily increase the fertility of the soil.
If the agricultural production, the mainstay in building a powerful nation, is to be steadily increased, it is imperative to continue to adhere to the party's agriculture-first policy, channel state efforts to it and carry through the Juche farming method, he stated.
He said it is very good that North Phyongan Province has turned out in making preparations for the years farming from its beginning in order to glorify this year, the 55th anniversary of the party's foundation, with signal victory in the crucible of greatly increased activity of Chollima.
He solved knotty problems arising in this year's farming.
Credentials to Kim Yong Nam from new Vietnamese ambassador
Pyongyang, January 25 (KCNA) -- New Vietnamese Ambassador E.P. to the DPRK Do Thi Hoa presented his credentials to Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, at the Mansudae Assembly Hall today.
Present was vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Pak Kil Yon.
Kim Yong Nam conversed with the ambassador after receiving his credentials.
Greetings to Indian President
Pyongyang, January 25 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, today sent a message of greetings to Indian President K. R. Narayanan on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the Republic of India.
The message noted that the Indian people have devotedly struggled to defend the dignity and sovereignty of the nation and achieve the independent development and prosperity of the country for 50 years since the foundation of the republic.
Saying that the two countries have consolidated the bonds of friendship, deepening mutual understanding and cooperation with the common desire to build a new prosperous world in the idea of independence, peace, friendship and non-alignment, it expressed the belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would further develop.
Meanwhile, premier Hong Song Nam and Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun sent messages of greetings to their Indian counterparts Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Jaswant Singh.
Kim Jong Il's army-first revolutionary leadership praised
Pyongyang, January 25 (KCNA) -- Chairman of the Juche Idea Study Society of Delhi, India, B. C. Gupta issued a statement on January 17 to support "glorify this year, the WPK's 55th anniversary, with the signal victory in the crucible of greatly increased activity of Chollima," the joint editorial of the newspapers Rodong Sinmun, Joson Inmingun and Chongnyon Jonwi of the DPRK.
Last year, the Korean people made a great turn in the building of a powerful nation and achieved a brilliant victory in the political and military confrontation with imperialists, the statement said, and went on:
General Secretary Kim Jong Il laid a foundation for a new leaping progress by brilliantly leading the struggle for building a prosperous Korea under the most difficult conditions ever in history of socialist construction. With the might of army-people unity he tided over the difficulties caused by the inveterate blockade of the imperialists and consecutive years of natural disasters.
All the achievements made in the DPRK would have been unthinkable without the peculiar army-first revolutionary leadership of Kim Jong Il. His army-first revolutionary leadership is the ever-victorious banner for the Korean people.
S. Korean organizations stage movement for defeating candidates
Pyongyang, January 25 (KCNA) -- The Citizens' Solidarity for General Election and other civil organizations of South Korea are activating the movement for defeating candidates, the "Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation" said.
This movement, which came up as the greatest problem in the New Year, is developing into a "movement of civilians for disobedience." It is expected to bring a great change not only to the political circle but also to the whole society, the radio said.
Those civil organizations contended that the reactionary "election law" is an evil law restricting citizens' suffrage and right to know, which can hardly be seen in other country. And they have taken a stiff position that they can never accept the decision based on this "law" of branding the movement for defeating the candidates as "illegal" but will continue this movement, it added.
Projected Japan-S. Korea confab
Pyongyang, January 25 (KCNA) -- The Japanese reactionaries reportedly plan to hold a Japan-South Korea "security meeting" slated for this year in Ishikawa Prefecture, the central part of Japan, which is the birthplace of Kawara, the present director general of the Japan Defense Agency, and a coastal area facing Korea.
Minju Joson today in a signed commentary says what Kawara seeks in inviting Jo Song Thae, Minister of "National Defence" of South Korea, to Japan is to accord him samurai-style treatment in his house and prepare him as a more faithful pro-Japanese element in a bid to stretch the tentacles of reinvasion deeper to South Korea, with him as a guide.
Recalling Kawara's assertion that to have the "meeting" in Ishikawa Prefecture would create a "favourable atmosphere" for "discussing bilateral security issues" of Japan and South Korea, the commentary continues:
But this is nothing but a window-dressing to conceal the fact that the proposed venue is an ideal place for discussing the issue of military cooperation between the Japan "Self-Defense Forces" and the "ROK" Army, the issue of strengthening "cooperation system" to stifle the DPRK and the issue of rounding off a war scenario against the DPRK, etc.
There is no denying that by holding the Japan-South Korea "meeting" in his hometown and his constituency Kawara seeks to exercise his "influence" and improve his public image and thus win the next term "election," unopposed.
The Japanese reactionaries' scheme to hold the criminal "meeting" of the Japanese and South Korean brass hats in Ishikawa Prefecture deserves a serious attention.
We have to wait and see whether the meeting will be held there or not but we will keep watchful eyes and will never tolerate any military collusion and cooperation between the Japanese reactionaries and the South Korean rulers against us.
Lesson from bloodbath in Sinchon
Pyongyang, January 25 (KCNA) -- A joint New Year editorial of Rodong Sinmun, Joson Inmingun and Chongnyon Jonwi called upon the Korean people to wage an uncompromising struggle against the enemies, always mindful of the lesson from the bloodbath in Sinchon.
Sinchon county, South Hwanghae Province, still exposes to the whole world the disgraceful crimes of the U.S. beyond all human imagination.
The U.S. temporarily occupied Sinchon in mid-October Juche 39 (1950).
From the first day of their occupation they murdered innocent people in cold blood, at least 680 on a daily average, thus killing more than 35,000 in 52 days.
They used straw cutters, axes, saws, sickles, nails as well as rifles and bayonets to slaughter people indiscriminately.
Their brutality and bestiality put Hitler's fascist army to shame.
They laughed at a bloody scene and posed for a "souvenir photo" with cut heads in their hands.
This is the true colors of the U.S. chanting "philanthropy" and "charity" as if they were the invocation.
The DPRK built a museum at the very place, where the U.S. perpetrated atrocities, to bring anti-U.S. and class consciousness home to the people.
Anyone should harbor no illusion about the U.S.
This is a lesson from the bloodbath in Sinchon.
New songs on faith created
Pyongyang, January 25 (KCNA) -- Many songs on faith have been created in the DPRK recently to instill confidence and optimism into the people.
The song "Marshal Is Great Champion" highly praises the personality of the great leader Kim Jong Il firmly defending the DPRK, bulwark of socialism, with arms.
Kim Jong Il has made an endless trip of on-site guidance to increase the nation's defence power and the overall state power.
Last year he laid a solid foundation for building a powerful nation by giving on-the-spot guidance to the work in different sectors of the national economy including land leveling and rezoning in Kangwon and north Phyongan provinces and the construction of the Kwangmyongsong saltern.
The song fully reflects the great vitality of Kim Jong Il's army-first policy and spirit of the times.
Songs "We Live Under Marshal's Care" and "Marshal and the Red Flag" depict the Korean people's firm faith and will to more firmly trust and follow Kim Jong Il as their mainstay and to uphold his leadership with single-hearted loyalty and filial piety towards him despite manifold trials and ordeals.
Many songs, including "Our Marshal Is Iron-willed Brilliant Commander" and "My Country Led by Marshal" represent the Korean people's confidence that socialism is sure to triumph as long as it is steered by leader Kim Jong Il.
These songs greatly inspire the working people in their drive to glorify this year, the 55th anniversary of the Worker's Party of Korea, with signal victory in the crucible of greatly increased activity of Chollima.
Korean people's struggle for reunification supported
Pyongyang, January 25 (KCNA) -- The Mexican Fellowship Union To Honor the Memory of President Kim Il Sung, the Mexican Committee for Supporting Korea's Reunification and the Mexico-DPRK Institute of Friendship and Cultural Interchange issued a joint statement on January 17 in support of an appeal of the government, political parties and organizations of the DPRK and the Korean people's struggle for the country's reunification.
The statement expressed full support to the struggle of the Korean people to reunify the country by dismantling the concrete wall and implementing the three-point charter of national reunification.
It urged the South Korean authorities to open up a favourable phase for dialogue and reconciliation by breaking down immediately the cursed wall of division which has split Korea into two.
The South Korean authorities should respond to the patriotic efforts of the fellow countrymen in the north to make the year 2000 a year of historical turn in achieving national reunification, the statement said.
Three pillars for building powerful nation
Pyongyang, January 25 (KCNA) -- The joint New Year editorial of the papers of the Worker's Party of Korea, the Korean People's Army and the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League defined ideology, the military and science and technology as the three pillars for the building of a powerful nation.
Steadfast ideology, the powerful military and highly developed science and technology, this precisely means a powerful socialist nation of Juche.
This is the truth the Korean people deeply grasped in several years of "arduous march" and forced march.
To attach great importance to ideology is the lifeline of the WPK and the cornerstone of Korean-style socialism.
The Korean people, firmly armed with the spirit of devotedly defending the leader, the core of socialist idea, are carrying through his idea and intention under any circumstances.
Last year the perfect unity between the leader and the people was consolidated and a large army of those strong in ideology and faith was produced despite manifold difficulties and trials.
This is an enormous success that can not be compared with tens of millions of tons of rice.
It is the iron will of the great leader Kim Jong Il to complete the Korean revolution on the strength of the military, which was pioneered with arms.
From the very outset of last year, he made an endless trip of his army-first guidance, inspiring the people's army to play the role of a pacesetter in the building of a powerful nation.
The enemies ran amok after sparking the west sea incident in June last year only to meet a stern punishment by the Korean People's Army. This clearly showed the do-or-die fighting spirit of its soldiers.
It is the fixed stand of the WPK to construct socialism by developing science.
Over a hundred valuable scientific and technological achievements were made and introduced to production last year.
True to the attach-great-importance-to-science idea of the WPK and the government, the scientists and the technicians are all out in the researches aimed to solve urgent scientific and technological problems in the building of a powerful nation.
Key to victory
Pyongyang, January 25 (KCNA)-- General Secretary Kim Jong Il provided the world people with a valuable sword and a key to victory in their efforts to realize global independence through his energetic, scientific, ideo-theoretical activities and outstanding revolutionary practice, says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article.
It continues:
Kim Jong Il defined the cause of global independence as one common to humankind and laid down guidelines, policies, tasks and ways to accomplish it, on the basis of a scientific insight into the demands of the times, the trend of the international situation and the prospect of the international relations. He clarified the co-relationship between the struggle to realize independence of the popular masses in each country and the struggle for global independence, the essential nature of the cause of global independence, the features of the independent world and the fundamental principles, tasks and ways to be implemented to realize the cause of global independence.
It is the common aspiration and desire of the world people to achieve independent progress and live in a free, equal and peaceful world free from aggression and war, all sorts of domination and subordination, interference and pressure.
A dynamic anti-imperialist struggle should be waged to accomplish the cause of global independence.
The world people should hold fast to the principled stand towards imperialism and concentrate their struggle on the imperialists in order to realize the cause of global independence.
Even the slightest illusion about imperialism should not be allowed, and one should not be tricked by an appeasement strategy and softening tactics applied by the imperialists with talk about "aid" and "partnership."
The world's progressive people should strengthen unity and cooperation.
Only when they support each other and closely cooperate with each other can they achieve national independence, prosperity and development in each country and successfully accomplish the cause of global independence.
North headquarters of Pomminryon 9 years old
Pyongyang, January 25 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today dedicates a signed article to the 9th anniversary of the foundation of the north headquarters of the National Alliance for the Country's Reunification (Pomminryon) (January 25, 1991).
The foundation of the north headquarters of Pomminryon as a regional organization of Pomminryon gave an important momentum to powerfully promoting and escalating the reunification movement of the Korean nation, the article says, and continues:
The north headquarters of Pomminryon has achieved many successes in dynamically accelerating the reunification movement by realizing solidarity and unity with the south and overseas headquarters of Pomminryon, strictly guided by the three principles of national reunification, the proposal for founding the Democratic Confederal Republic of Koryo and the ten-point program of great unity of the whole nation, and the five-point policy of the great national unity, the reunification programme common to the nation.
There were ten successful pan-national rallies and a grand pro-reunification festival was held with success every year on the occasion of august 15 liberation day amid the expectation and concern of the whole nation.
The north headquarters of Pomminryon set last year as "a year of independence and great unity of the nation" according to a decision of the 7th meeting of co-chairmen of Pomminryon and waged a vigorous movement to open a new phase in progress towards national reunification movement through solidarity and unity with people from all walks of life and reunification movement organizations in South Korea and overseas.
The tripartite solidarity of the compatriots in the north, south and overseas, the first of its kind, was realized as evidenced by functions for national reunification, including the 99 Grand Pro-reunification Festival for Independence and Great Unity of the Nation and the 10th Pan-national Rally held last year.
Saying that this year marks the 55th anniversary of national liberation, the article calls for more vigorously conducting the struggle for independence and great unity of the nation, true to the three-point charter of national reunification and the five-point policy of great national unity, in order to make this year a year of a new historic turning point in the struggle for national reunification.
Probe into truth of GIs' mass killings called for
Pyongyang, January 25 (KCNA) -- The political parties and organizations in the DPRK today issued a joint appeal to the political parties and organizations in South Korea and the compatriots at home and abroad as regards the mass killings of innocent civilians committed by the U.S. during the Korean War.
The appeal called upon them to turn out as one in the just patriotic struggle to make the U.S. pay for the misfortunes, disasters and casualties inflicted by them upon the Korean nation, for the sake of the national dignity and honor.
It also called for a more active nationwide struggle to fully disclose and condemn the U.S. aggressors' monstrous massacres of innocent people committed for many years and let human conscience severely punish all the criminals.
It underscored the need to wage a more dynamic struggle to force the U.S., the criminal, to make an official apology and compensation and intensify the nationwide anti-U.S. resistance to get the U.S. aggressors withdrawn from South Korea and their military bases dismantled.
It appealed to all the compatriots in South Korea and overseas to undertake a valiant struggle for the total repeal of all the unequal "treaties" and "agreements," including the "mutual defense treaty," which were imposed by the United States upon South Korea, holding high the banner of independence.
We earnestly call upon the political parties and organizations in South Korea and all the compatriots at home and abroad to form a "nation wide special committee to probe the truth of the GIs' massacres" and let the fellow countrymen, the victims, play a main role in settling the issues related to the dignity of the nation, including investigation into mass killings, trial of the criminals, punishment of pro-U.S. traitors and compensation, in the nation's interests.