DPRK delegation leaves to attend 10th session of UNCTD
Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- A DPRK delegation led by Kang Jong Mo, Minister of Foreign Trade, left here today to participate in the 10th session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTD) to be held in Thailand.
The delegation was seen off at the airport by Kim Ryong Mun, vice-Minister of Foreign Trade, and Buchari Effendi, Indonesian ambassador here.
Meanwhile, the delegation is expected to visit Indonesia and Malaysia as a DPRK government trade delegation.
Castro's special envoy here
Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- Alberto Velazco San Jose arrived here today in the capacity of a special envoy of Fidel Castro Ruz, President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Cuba.
He was met at the airport by Choe Su Hon, vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Jose Manuel Inclan Embade, Cuban ambassador to the DPRK.
Film show for foreign embassy officials held
Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- The Ministry of Culture and the Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries gave a film show on Monday here on the occasion of the birthday of General Secretary Kim Jong Il.
Invited to the film show were embassy officials concerned with cultural and friendship affairs of different countries here. Vice-Minister of Culture Jo Chan Gu and officials concerned were present.
The participants saw a Korean documentary film on Kim Jong Il's on-the-spot guidance in Juche 87 (1998) and a Korean feature film "We Live Here."
Anniv. of creation of Chongsan-ri spirit and method observed
Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- A national meeting was held at the People's Palace of Culture here today to mark the 40th anniversary of the creation of the Chongsan-ri spirit and Chongsan-ri method by the President Kim Il Sung.
The Chongsan-ri spirit and method is a revolutionary work method of Juche created by the President while developing the anti-Japanese guerrilla style of work, the traditional work method of the Worker's Party of Korea, in keeping with the new realities of socialist construction. He created this spirit and method in February Juche 49 (1960) when he gave 15-day on-site guidance to Chongsan-ri and Kangso county, South Phyongan Province, at that time.
It is the spirit and method whereby to make superiors help their subordinates, find a correct solution to any problem in realities and place the political work, the work with man, above all and give full play to consciousness and creative initiative of the popular masses so as to carry out the revolutionary tasks.
Underlying this spirit and method is a profound idea that calls for placing the interests of the popular masses above anything else and solving everything in their interests and going among them to enlist their strength and wisdom and solve the problems raised.
In his report at the meeting, choe thae bok, secretary of the WPK central committee, said the creation of the Chongsan-ri spirit and method provided a method of leading the masses for the first time in history, the method that enables them to become true masters of state and society. It also brought about an epochal turn in establishing a political mode suited to the nature of the Korean socialist system, he noted.
He further said:
This spirit and method was formulated as the work method of President Kim Il Sung and has been applied in the revolution and construction under the tested leadership of the respected Kim Jong Il. In the course great achievements have been made in the Korean people's building of socialism.
During the years of "arduous march" and the forced march, the most rigorous period ever in the Korean people's history of revolutionary struggle, Kim Jong Il strictly adhered to and applied this work method of the President in all fields of revolution and construction, and thus overcame difficulties before them and turned misfortune into blessing and adversity into favourable conditions.
The reporter called for holding fast to the method as an all-powerful sword and pushing ahead with revolution and construction under the guidance of Kim Jong Il so as to build a powerful nation of Juche.
Attending the meeting were Kim Yong Nam, Hong Song Nam and other senior party and state officials.
9th Int'l Figure Skating Festival for Paektusan Cup to be held
Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- The 9th International Figure Skating Festival for Paektusan Cup is to be held here on the occasion of the birthday of General Secretary Kim Jong Il.
Man and woman figure skaters of different countries including Korean skaters will be participating in the festival. The festival will be divided into single (men and women), pair and ice dance events and exhibition performances are to be given.
The festival will contribute to further strengthening friendship, cooperation and solidarity among the world progressives and sportsmen aspiring after independence in the idea of independence, peace and friendship and developing sports exchanges among them.
"Benevolent Politics of Our Party" published
Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- The Worker's Party of Korea Publishing House has recently published a book "Benevolent Politics of Our Party."
The book consists of 5 chapters and 11 sections.
The 1st chapter says that the genuine politics means the one which embodies benevolence and it can be realized only in the socialist society led by the true people's leader.
The 2nd and 3rd chapters explain and prove in an all-round way the essence, fundamental principle and ideological and theoretical foundation of the benevolent politics of the WPK.
The 4th and 5th chapters profoundly deal with the fact that the benevolent politics is the traditional political mode of the party and the important way to embody it.
They prove that the benevolent politics was realized in the DPRK where the popular masses became the master of the country and the unity and cooperation became the basis of the social relations.
The book is of important significance in defending the man-centred socialism of Korean style and accomplishing the cause of building a powerful nation.
Public presentation by Ministry of People's Armed Forces
Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- A public presentation on the greatness of General Secretary Kim Jong Il was held by the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces yesterday at the April 25 House of Culture on the occasion of his birthday.
It was stressed that Kim Jong Il leads the cause of building a prosperous country with the army-first policy as an almighty sword and aroses all the people to the second grand Chollima march to open an epochal phase in the building of a powerful nation.
Among the speakers were director of the general political department of the KPA Jo Myong Rok and chief of general staff of the KPA Kim Yong Chun. They said that he trained the people's army as a defender of socialism and the main force of the building of a powerful nation so as to defend the socialist fatherland and promote socialist construction.
They noted that a peculiar music policy of Korean style is now being administered in Korea.
They continued:
The Korean people are stepping up the general march for the building of a powerful nation with a firm confidence, overcoming all the trials and difficulties with revolutionary songs. Their heroic spirit is the proud fruition of the great music policy of the respected Kim Jong Il.
They emphasized that it is the greatest fortune and the highest honor of the KPA soldiers and people to have Kim Jong Il, the greatest man unparalleled in history and the greatest-ever commander at the head of the Worker's Party of Korea, state and army.
Radical change of land
Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- The looks of the country are being changed day by day under the Worker's Party of Korea's far-reaching plan for land development.
Kangwon Province carried out grand nature-harnessing projects to rezone patches of 30-40 Phyong (one Phyong equals 6 feet square) into standardized fields of 800-1,000 Phyong, thus turning more than 30,000 hectares of land into a plain in the previous year alone.
Following Kangwon Province, North Phyongan Province rezoned more than 29,000 hectares of land to obtain over 1,000 hectares of land in a matter of a few months.
In South Hamgyong Province, 32 km-long embankment was built along the sea coast to make the Kwangmyongsong saltern covering nearly 500 hectares, thus turning a long-fallowed land into a major salt producer.
The project for laying 40 km roadbed of the Pyongyang-Nampho Motorway has successfully been finished off and new roads extending more than 780 km have been built across the country.
More than 5,800 km roads have been expanded, the gradient of over 400 km roads lowered and 740 km of twisted roads straightened, thus further improving the road network of the country.
The river improvement projects have been vigorously carried out. 3,600 km waterways were straightened, more than 68 million cubic metres of sand dugged from river and dikes and embankments rebuilt.
Fish ponds using springs and spas have been built across the country to open prospect to supply the people with more fishes and add beauty to landscape surrounding the areas.
Afforestation and tree-planting campaign were carried out across the country. Last year more than 833 million trees were planted in mountains and fields. Areas for growing saplings increased 3.8 times that of the previous year.
The work for changing the appearance of the country is gaining full gear in the New Year, too.
Kaesong white pine
Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- There is a white pine in Yongang-ri, Kaephung county, Kaesong.
The 500-year-old tree is the tallest one in Korea.
Its height is 15 metres and its circumference at the bottom is 3.3 metres. The diametre of shade is 19 metres.
Its bark is white-gray and rather smooth, so the plant easily differs from other pines.
The only one of such species in this country, it serves as a source of further botanical study.
S. Korean rulers' moves to build bust of Syngman Rhee
Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- Some days ago, the South Korean "National Assembly" decided to erect a bust of Syngman Rhee at its building. This funny racket is an insult to and mockery of the 70 million fellow countrymen.
It happened when the present chief executive of South Korea proposed the construction of a "memorial" for Park Chung-hee and held the post of "Honorary Chairman" of the "Society for Memorial Service for Park Chung-hee."
Both Syngman Rhee and Park Chung-hee were despicable traitors to the nation.
Syngman Rhee went to the United States to receive an American-style education and become a dyed-in-the-wool pro-American element in the period of the Japanese imperialist colonial rule over Korea. After Japan's defeat, he cooked up a separate "government" in South Korea as a tool of the U.S., thus freezing the division of Korea. He was a war maniac who brought a disaster to the nation by provoking a war. Moreover, the traitor committed all sorts of irregularities and corruption and enforced mediaeval dictatorship to block the democratic development of the South Korean society. He was forced to flee to Hawaii by the April 19 popular uprising where he met a miserable end.
Park Chung-hee, too, was a special class pro-Japanese traitor. He changed even his name into Minoru Okamoto and served as an officer of the "imperial army" for an aggression on the continent, vowing to "die like Sakura (the national flower of Japan) in order to realize the Greater East Asia Coprosperity Sphere" in the period of the Japanese colonial rule over Korea. He enforced military dictatorship for 18 years after seizing the "presidency" through the "May 16 military coup" in 1961. He ran wild to create "two Koreas," turning down the July 4 joint statement agreed upon by the north and south despite the strong aspiration of the nation after reunification. He also met a miserable death in face of the resistance of the South Korean people.
The country and the nation will not pardon those moves to call back the departed soul of the traitors. The compatriots at home and abroad are greatly angered by them.
The spokesman for the central committee of the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland in a statement demanded the South Korean authorities draw a proper lesson from the miserable end of their predecessors and immediately halt such a dastardly burlesque as building a bust of Syngman Rhee and a "memorial" for Park Chung-hee.
Papers in Pyongyang continue to carry articles condemning the South Korean authorities for their traitorous acts.
The spokesman for the central committee of the National Democratic Front of South Korea in a statement demanded Kim Dae Jung's group stop the criminal moves without delay, warning that it will meet the same miserable end as Syngman Rhee and Park Chung-hee did.
All the compatriots will never remain an onlooker to the traitorous moves of the South Korean authorities to call back the departed soul of the traitors for all ages.
Arms buildup in S. Korea
Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- The South Korean ruling quarters deployed a reconnaissance mini helicopter "BO-105 CBS" at the "ROK" Army in January, according to a radio report from Seoul.
They said that the helicopter introduced from a helicopter producer in Europe could independently conduct nocturnal "operation to provide against enemy infiltration" and strike objects jointly with attack helicopters.
Meanwhile, they are imploring the U.S. to allow the increase of missile range to 300 km and development of missile range up to 500 km.
This clearly shows how recklessly they are running amuck in their preparations for a war of aggression against the north from the beginning of the year.
U.S. intention to continue economic sanctions against DPRK assailed
Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary assails U.S. President Clinton for disclosing recently his intention to continue economic sanctions against the DPRK.
The commentary says:
The U.S. has opted to escalate economic sanctions against the DPRK while paying lip-service to "dialogue" and "improved relations."
The improvement of relations cannot go with economic sanctions.
If the U.S. truly wants dialogue and improved relations with the DPRK, it should take all-inclusive, full and practical steps to lift the sanctions.
The U.S. is committed to abandon its anti-DPRK hostile policy and lift economic sanctions against it. But the U.S. describes this as a sort of present to be given to the DPRK.
It is the logic of the U.S. that it is a due obligation of the DPRK to sincerely implement the DPRK-U.S. agreed framework and U.S. lifting of economic sanctions and fulfillment of other commitments would bring "benefits" to the DPRK and it, therefore, needs "repayment."
It is, indeed, a brigandish logic.
We value independence like our life and soul. We return faith for faith but never tolerate any acts to impair our dignity and independence. It will be a great miscalculation if the U.S. thinks that it can frighten us or isolate and stifle our socialism through economic pressure.
We have defended our idea and system and increased our economic and military potentials despite scores of years of economic sanctions by the U.S.-led imperialist forces. We feel very proud of this. We will remain unfazed, no matter what tough sanctions the U.S. may impose upon us.
The U.S. is well advised to think twice over all the consequences to be entailed by its escalated economic sanctions against the DPRK.
Immediate withdrawal of "bill on prefectural suffrage" urged
Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- Shortly ago, some political parties of Japan submitted to the house of representatives a "bill" on "giving non-Japanese with permanent resident status the right to vote in prefectural elections."
Commenting on this, Rodong Sinmun today says:
The "bill" is a "brainchild" of the South Korean rulers and the Japanese reactionaries who seek to make the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon) and Korean residents victims of Japan's politics.
"Suffrage" means giving Koreans in Japan "right to vote in prefectural elections." It is plausible at the first, but it is, in essence, a political plot to split Koreans in Japan and make them antagonistic to each other and, moreover, collapse Chongryon.
The South Korean rulers' begging for "suffrage" and the Japanese reactionaries' granting it are intended to make Koreans in Japan change their nationalities and to change their surnames to assimilate them to Japanese.
The submission of a "bill on prefectural suffrage" to the house of representatives is an intolerable insult to Chongryon and Korean citizens in Japan.
Chongryon is a dignified overseas compatriots organization of the DPRK and Koreans in Japan are full-fledged overseas citizens of Juche Korea. Forcing them to give up the DPRK nationalities is little different from forcing them to have other nationalities.
It is not because they have no "suffrage" that their human rights are violated and their unstable living conditions are continued with national discrimination. It is entirely attributable to the Japanese authorities' anachronistic policy of humiliating the Korean nation and their moves against the DPRK and Chongryon.
Japan should withdraw the "bill" at once and ensure basic human rights and stable living conditions of Koreans in Japan.
The South Korean rulers should immediately stop their anti-national crime of instigating the Japanese reactionaries and vicious elements of the South Korean residents association in Japan to divide the community of Koreans in Japan.
Chongsan-ri spirit, Chongsan-ri method 40 years old
Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today dedicates an editorial to the 40th anniversary of the creation of the Chongsan-ri spirit and the Chongsan-ri method by the President Kim Il Sung.
This was a historic event which brought about a great turn in the struggle of the worker's party and people of Korea to build socialism and communism, the daily says, and goes on:
Kim Il Sung created the Chongsan-ri method, giving on-the-spot guidance to Chongsan-ri 40 years ago.
It is a work method which calls for solving everything in the interests of the people, always placing their interest above all, and going deep among them and sharing sweets and bitters with them to encourage them to display to the full their revolutionary zeal and creative ingenuity.
The validity and vitality of the Chongsan-ri spirit and the Chongsan-ri method have been fully demonstrated over the last 40 years.
Thanks to the full application of this method, the party work has been definitely converted into a work with people and the WPK has grown stronger and developed to be a viable and militant party.
Thanks to this spirit and method, the DPRK could arouse the people to build an invincible socialist powerful country independent, self-supporting and self-reliant in national defence in a short span of time.
We successfully made the "arduous march" and the forced march, overcoming ordeals unprecedented in history. This was a great victory that could be won only in the Korean revolution thanks to the most powerful method of mass leadership.
The present-day great second Chollima advance for the building of a powerful nation is a historic advance to settle everything with the inexhaustible politico-ideological might of the masses.
As long as they maintain this spirit and method, the WPK and the Korean people will certainly win a final victory in the present general advance.
This spirit and method will shine forever with the triumphant advance in the new era of the Juche revolution, the new era of grandeur and prosperity led by the great Kim Jong Il.
Rodong Sinmun on different linguistic situation
Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- The north and the south of Korea stand in sharp contrast in the use of language which may decide the rise or fall of a nation, said Rodong Sinmun on Monday in a signed article.
History of each nation's rise or fall is just that of its language's rise or fall, the paper noted, stressing that this has been proven by the history of the Korean nation and the present-day realities of the north and the south of Korea.
Citing detailed facts, the paper said:
South Korea is a colony in terms of language.
The present "government" there declared it as a policy to "use international language, common tongue" and "co-use Chinese characters and foreign languages," talking about "era of globalization," and has turned South Korea into the world's worst "colony" in terms of language, a "barren land of national language."
In South Korea at least 26 foreign languages are now used such as English, Japanese, Greek, Spanish and Hebrew. The "Korean dictionary" is called "foreign language dictionary" because over 80 percent of the words are written in foreign languages and Chinese characters.
Almost all the texts of "code of laws," "legal" documents, "formal adjudication," "government papers," etc, have been written in foreign languages and Chinese characters. Worse still, its "nomenclature" is written and sealed in Chinese characters. Kim Dae Jung, its present "President," is also called "DJ."
In the world there is no such place as South Korea where road marks are written in three languages including English and Chinese characters and resident registration cards in two languages.
Mass media of South Korea mainly use foreign and mixed languages and 80-90 percent of brands and advertisements are written in foreign languages and Chinese characters. And businesses are competitively named in English.
Use of foreign languages is rapidly growing in daily life, to say nothing of specialized sectors such as science, literature and art and sports.
According to a survey made by South Korean philologists into 1,643 daily life vocabularies, 95 percent of them are foreign and mixed languages while words peculiar to the Korean language are no more than five percent of the total.
Such practices are serious in the field of education.
More than 70 percent of the terms used in teaching are foreign.
South Korea, where its own written and spoken language can hardly be seen or heard but foreign languages are rampant, is, in the real sense of word, a colony in terms of language.
Its ruling quarters are resorting to the use of foreign languages and Chinese characters and mixed languages, neglecting the Korean language. This is a vivid expression of their flunkeyism, treachery and national nihilism and anti-social, anti-national and anti-reunification conception.
They have contended that the use of foreign languages and Chinese characters is inevitable as the written and spoken Korean language is unsuitable for "globalization", pretty hard in expression and outdated in view of the trend of the times. And they have described the use as a measure taken for "era of international language, common tongue."
In contrast to the south of Korea, the north has firmly preserved the Juche character and national character in the field of language, with the result that the Korean language has been further developed.
It was long ago that foreign languages and Chinese characters were eliminated from its politico-social life thanks to the embodiment of the Juche-based linguistic idea and policy advanced by the President Kim Il Sung and General Secretary Kim Jong Il.
Press media in the DPRK use words easy for everyone to understand and its people the most cultured Pyongyang language.
Under the guidance of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, language, which was once regarded as means of social communication and cultural expression, could take its proper position and play its role as a main ingredient determining each nation, an important matter decisive of rise or fall of the nation, and an instrument for revolution and construction. This was a noteworthy event in human history, the paper concluded.
Kim Jong Il praised by Egyptian party leader
Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- Diya al Din Daud, general secretary of the Nasser Arab Democratic Party of Egypt, met with the KCNA correspondent in Cairo on Feb. 1 on the occasion of the 58th birthday of General Secretary Kim Jong Il.
He said Kim Jong Il is the great statesman and outstanding brilliant commander, who has led the Worker's Party of Korea, the Korean People's Army and people with seasoned leadership and thus built Korea into a socialist country powerful in ideology and military affairs.
He went on: Thanks to his politics centred on man, the popular masses, the Korean people have become most proud and dignified people in the world.
The Korean people pledge absolute loyalty to Kim Jong Il because he puts forward the people as masters of the country and solves all problems by depending on them.
The general secretary sent the highest glory and warmest congratulations to Kim Jong Il on his 58th birthday, firmly believing that the Korean people would win a brilliant victory in the struggle for building a powerful nation under his wise leadership.
Japan urged to shake off its ill-fame of "enemy state"
Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- Shortly ago, Japan asserted in its foreign policy for 2000 that its major task would be to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council this year. An official concerned of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Japan would like to take responsibility as its permanent member when the reform of the UNSC is under way.
Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article observes:
Japan is behaving as if its permanent membership depended on its decision. This is one more evidence of the craftiness and arrogance of Japan.
Japan is resorting to all sorts of trickery to seat on the UNSC, the article says, and continues:
Japan is not qualified to become its permanent member.
It has not yet shaken off the ill-fame of "enemy state."
Because as a war criminal Japan has not honestly apologized, reflected on and compensated for the untold misfortunes and sufferings inflicted upon the peoples of Korea and other Asian countries after invading them in the past.
It is quite impudent of Japan to seek permanent membership of the UNSC while it is still registered as an "enemy state" in the UN charter.
The world's cautious approach to Japan's bid for UNSC permanent membership is attributable to the speedy revival of militarism in Japan.
Japan kidnapped more than 6 million young and middle-aged Koreans and took away at least 200,000 Korean women as "comfort women for the army." The Japanese reactionaries are strengthening legal and military systems to repeat their past wrong-doings, refusing to admit all crimes.
From the beginning of the year, they have been busy with war confabs and arms buildup and war exercises, all aimed at reinvasion.
If Japan becomes a permanent member of the UNSC, it will disturb the world and put many countries into the danger of their sovereignty being infringed upon by Japan.
Japan had better shake off its ill-fame of "enemy state" before making a bid for permanent membership of the UNSC.
U.S. urged to face international trial
Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- The United States should face an international trial for its crimes committed against humanity during the Korean War (June 1950-july 1953), demands Minju Joson today in a signed commentary.
The commentary says:
The U.S. imperialists are playing tricks to evade their responsibility for their massacres of peaceable civilians, talking about "confirmation" or "accidental blunders."
Prescription is not applied to murder case. Many countries are still searching for and punishing nazi war criminals for their mass killings.
The U.S. imperialists are bound to be punished for their mass killings committed during the Korean War.
Calling for "priority to human rights," the U.S. has used them as a lever to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.
If the U.S. is so much concerned for human rights, it must admit, and apologize and properly compensate for its massacres of innocent people during the Korean War.
Our nation will certainly force the U.S. to stand on the international tribunal to make them pay for the blood shed by Koreans a thousand times.
Projected S. Korea-Britain joint military exercises assailed
Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- Minju Joson today in a signed commentary dismisses joint military exercises planned by South Korea and Britain to stage in June as a dangerous move to aggravate the situation in the country as it is aimed at strengthening military tie-ups to invade the DPRK.
The commentary says:
The South Korean authorities are keen on realising their ambition to invade the north even by drawing U.K. forces into war exercises targeted against the DPRK, to say nothing of the U.S.
They are well advised to stop running wild, clearly mindful that adventurous war maneuvers to invade the north will only hasten their self-destruction.
The British military should discard its wild dream to gain something by participating in a war to be provoked by the U.S. in Korea, and stop egging the South Korean warhawks on to war against the north.
We will never remain an onlooker to the dangerous military moves of the South Korean authorities and Britain but closely follow them.
Kim Jong Il's work published in Austria
Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il's celebrated work "On Preserving the Juche Character and National Character of the Revolution and Construction" was published in booklet by the Josef Gebauer Publishing House in Vienna on Feb. 1.
The director of the publishing house said he deems it the greatest honor and happiness to publish Kim Jong Il's work.
He went on: Kim Jong Il is now leading Korea to build a country powerful in ideology, the military and the economy.
He is the greatest statesman, strategist, genius of creation and construction and outstanding leader of the state acclaimed by humankind.