Kim Jong Il praised by O Ik Je
Pyongyang, February 6 (KCNA) -- KCNA received a note from vice-chairman O Ik Je of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland. He wrote it in early November, Juche 88 (1999) before his return home after receiving medical treatment in China under the loving care of General Secretary Kim Jong Il.
In the note O Ik Je wrote about the loving care shown by Kim Jong Il for him and the leader's greatness.
He noted that he was treated under such tender care that details of his treatment were daily reported to Kim Jong Il.
Such love was something which his parents failed to show for him, he added, and continued:
I received news that General Secretary gave an on-site guidance to the Kwangmyongsong saltern. I have never heard in 70 years of my life a leader is so considerate of even salt.
He is, indeed, the greatest of the great men of the whole world.
The most precious truth I have learned in two years of my life under his care is that the capitalist society is the place to where one should not go again and that a socialist society is a place good to live in forever.
True socialism is Juche-based socialism under which I live. Future for mankind in the 21st century is Juche-based socialism gaining victory after victory under the wise leadership of Kim Jong Il.
Under his leadership the people of the DPRK carried out the "arduous march" and the forced march for a final victory and they are sure to emerge victorious in their drive to build a powerful nation.
Noting that the solicitude bestowed by Kim Jong Il upon him is immeasurably great, he vowed to devote himself to the sacred cause of reunification to repay that.
Meeting to celebrate February holiday
Pyongyang, February 6 (KCNA) -- The Sobaeksu Society held a meeting in Yongdungpho district on January 20 and discussed the issue of significantly celebrating the holiday of February, Seoul-based radio Voice of National Salvation quoted the Seoul city committee of the National Democratic Front of South Korea as saying.
At the meeting the chairman called for holding colourful functions and conducting propaganda activities on the holiday of February to enhance worship for General Secretary Kim Jong Il.
The meeting adopted an action program including the work of addressing a letter to Kim Jong Il wishing him a long life in good health, popularizing the "Song of General Kim Jong Il," appreciating video show introducing his greatness and printing postcards.
Joint meeting in China
Beijing, February 4 (KCNA) -- A joint meeting was held on January 31 under the co-sponsorship of the China and Beijing associations for international friendly contact to celebrate the 58th birthday of General Secretary Kim Jong Il.
The Korean film "The Great Leader Comrade Kim Jong Il gives on-site guidance to the work in different sectors" was screened at the meeting.
The vice-president of the China Association for International Friendly Contact in his speech said that last year the Korean people made great achievements in political, economic, military and other fields in the spirit of self-reliance and hard struggle true to the last instructions of the President Kim Il Sung, rallied close around the Central Committee of the Worker's Party of Korea headed by Kim Jong Il and that the Chinese people are rejoiced over them.
He expressed the belief that in the New Year the Korean people would achieve new greater successes in their struggle for socialist construction and national reunification under the leadership of Kim Jong Il.
At the meeting a congratulatory letter and gift to Kim Jong Il were conveyed in the joint name of the China and Beijing associations.
Chongryon officials meet Japanese political party officials
Tokyo, February 4 (KNS-KCNA) -- Chief vice-chairman Ho Jong Man and vice-chairman Nam Sung U of the central standing committee of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan met with secretary general Yoshiro Mori of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan on January 27.
Referring to new developments in the improvement of relations between the DPRK and Japan after the DPRK visit of the Japanese political parties' delegation, the chief vice-chairman and the secretary general called for pooling efforts to put the DPRK-Japan relations on a right track.
They exchanged views on a series of matters including the living, rights and "suffrage" of Korean residents in Japan.
Meanwhile, Nam Sung U met with Hiroshi Tsuruoka, deputy representative of the Komei Party, Tetsuji Kubo, member of the House of Representatives from the Komei Party who had visited the DPRK as a member of the Japanese parties' delegation, and Junichi Fukumoto, member of the House of Councilors on January 31.
He pointed to the issues of friendly exchange between the two countries and the stability and improvement of living of Koreans in Japan.
Papers call for great advance
Pyongyang, February 6 (KCNA) -- Papers here today carry articles calling for a new great upsurge following the torch lit at the Rakwon Machine Plant in order to make a revolutionary advance in the building of a powerful nation.
General Secretary Kim Jong Il visited the plant on January 27 to light a torch for a fresh great revolutionary advance.
The torch of Rakwon represents a high-pitched drive launched under the energetic leadership of the respected Marshal Kim Jong Il on the basis of the foundation laid by him, Rodong Sinmun says, and continues:
The torch of Rakwon means a torch for creation and innovation which fully reflects the single-hearted loyalty of the workers in Rakwon who have risen up as one to implement his determination, will and intention to glorify this year, the WPK's 55th anniversary, with signal victory in the crucible of greatly increased activity of Chollima.
This torch lit in the wake of the one that flared up at the Songjin Steel Works calls for an all-out charge to put fresh spurs to the second grand Chollima march in the spirit of Kanggye and attain the goal of building a powerful nation at any cost.
It is the call of the party to make a fresh great advance in response to the appeal of Rakwon.
Calling for displaying the spirit of devotedly defending the leader like workers of Rakwon, the paper says everyone should become a human bomb in devotedly defending Kim Jong Il and a pacesetter and vanguard in the present canter march who carries through his noble intention at any cost.
The paper continues:
It is an essential demand for making a fresh great advance following the torch of Rakwon to display to the full the revolutionary spirit of self-reliance and fortitude.
We must break through difficulties and fulfil our pledge made to the party without fail in any adversity in the spirit of devotedly implementing the leader's instructions like the ten party members of Rakwon.
By learning from their revolutionary views on life, everyone should consider this difficult march as a cheerful one and work and construct more and more for the building of a powerful nation and the happiness of the generations to come.
When the torch of Rakwon is seen in flame throughout the country, the speed of the advance of the Korean revolution will be immensely picked up to bring earlier a brilliant victory in the building of a powerful nation.
Japanese reactionaries' fuss about "suspected kidnapping"
Pyongyang, February 6 (KCNA) -- The Japanese authorities are behind the anti-DPRK smear campaign now under way in Japan over the "suspected kidnapping," says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article.
Laying bare the aim of this campaign, the article says:
Now that there are some moves for the normalization of the DPRK-Japan relations the Japanese authorities are floating a sheer fiction of "suspected kidnapping" in a bid to twist the nature of the issue of DPRK-Japan relations and wrest a concession from the DPRK.
This diatribe is intended to divert elsewhere world public criticism of Japan which has neither apologized nor compensated for its hideous crimes committed against humanity in the past.
This is also aimed to soothe the Japanese people's grievances against the Japanese authorities.
A more sinister aim sought by the Japanese reactionaries through this is to fan up hostile feelings toward the DPRK among the Japanese people. Because they need this process before igniting a war of aggression against the DPRK.
Pointing out that this smear campaign over the "suspected kidnapping" is being conducted under a carefully worked out plan, the article demands the Japanese authorities stop this campaign at once.
Halt to moves to develop space weapons demanded
Pyongyang, February 6 (KCNA)-- Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary blasts Japan for getting more zealous in its joint technological research with the U.S. into the "Theatre Missile Defense" system (TMD).
The chief cabinet secretary of Japan at a press conference expressed Japan's intention to go ahead with the joint research with the United States, asserting that the failed test-fire of its "National Missile Defense" system would not affect the research into the TMD. And this is being put into practice.
The commentary dismisses the Japanese reactionaries' zealous participation in the moves to establish the TMD as a dangerous move to accelerate the modernization of their missile forces and Japan's conversion into a military power and realize space weaponization.
Through the TMD Japan seeks to have a military edge and an unchallenged position in the Asian and Pacific region and come out in a war for world hegemony, the commentary notes, and goes on: What merits a serious attention is that the DPRK is the first target of the TMD on which the U.S. and Japan work so hard.
The Japanese reactionaries together with the U.S. have staged madcap war exercises under the simulated conditions of a "contingency" on the Korean peninsula since the very outset of the year in a bid to achieve their objective of stifling the DPRK militarily.
These moves of the U.S. and Japan for the TMD and their saber-rattling only result in escalating the tensions in East Asia and greatly jeopardize the security of the DPRK. This compels the DPRK to further increase its defence capability. It is fully ready for all possible events.
Japan is well advised to halt its moves to develop the TMD and its preparations for reinvasion.