Kim Yong Nam receives credentials from new Beninese ambassador
Pyongyang, February 11 (KCNA) -- Michel Adechian, newly appointed Beninese Ambassador E.P. to the DPRK, presented his credentials to Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, at the Mansudae Assembly Hall today.
Present there was Pak Tong Chun, vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Kim Yong Nam had a talk with the ambassador after receiving the credentials.
Yang Hyong Sop meets special envoy of Cuban President
Pyongyang, February 11 (KCNA) -- Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, today met and had a friendly talk with Alberto Velazco San Jose, 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, at the Mansudae Assembly Hall.
Present there were Choe Su Hon, vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Jose Manuel Inclan Embade, Cuban ambassador to the DPRK.
Kim Yong Nam meets Pakistani ambassador
Pyongyang, February 11 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, met and had a talk with Pakistani Ambassador E.P. to the DPRK Fazal Ghafoor who paid a farewell call on him at the Mansudae Assembly Hall today.
Present there was Pak Kil Yon, vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Palestinian ambassador hosts reception
Pyongyang, February 11 (KCNA) -- Shaher Mohammed Abdlah, Palestinian ambassador to the DPRK, yesterday hosted a reception on the occasion of the birthday of General Secretary Kim Jong Il.
Addressing the reception, the ambassador said:
Kim Jong Il was born on Mt. Paektu, the holy mountain of the revolution, and grew up, hearing gun reports during the anti-Japanese war. In that course he nurtured an iron will and qualities as a brilliant commander and a strong and noble will to accomplish the Korean people's revolutionary cause of Juche. He went on to say:
Under his wise and seasoned leadership the Korean people have developed advanced technology and made such a miracle as launching a satellite on their own efforts despite manifold difficulties. This is a good example showing small countries what they should do to be free from the imperialist and colonial domination on their own efforts.
The Palestinian Arab people greatly treasure the friendly and cooperative relations with the DPRK. I am firmly convinced that the friendship between the two countries provided by President Yasser Arafat and our brother the President Kim Il Sung will further develop under the leadership of General Secretary Kim Jong Il, he stressed.
Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, in his speech said that Palestinian friends' celebration of the February holiday with the Korean people is a manifestation of the Palestinian people's deep respect and reverence for Kim Jong Il.
We will make strenuous efforts to continue to develop the friendly and cooperative relations with Palestine on good terms, true to his intention, and stand firm on the side of the Palestinian people in their indomitable struggle to win back their legitimate national rights including the right to return to their homeland and the right to found an independent country, he emphasized.
Among those present on invitation were Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun, department director of the Central Committee of the WPK Kim Yang Gon and other officials concerned.
National symposium on birthday of Kim Jong Il
Pyongyang, February 11 (KCNA) -- A national symposium marking the 58th birthday of General Secretary Marshal Kim Jong Il was held at the People's Palace of Culture yesterday.
Present were Choe Thae Bok, Yang Hyong Sop and others.
The symposium heard speeches on the subjects of "the respected comrade Kim Jong Il is the great leader who is glorifying the socialist fatherland of Juche with his army-first politics," "the wise leadership in strengthening the party and enhancing its leading role in conformity with the new era of the Juche revolution," "the peerlessly brilliant commander who trained the people's army as an invincible army replete with the spirit of devotedly defending the leader" and "the outstanding guidance in making a breakthrough in building a powerful nation with the second grand chollima advance."
The speakers said that the army-first political mode of Kim Jong Il is a political mode of training the army as the pillar of revolution on the principle of giving priority to the military and enhancing its role to the maximum so as to bring about a new great advance in accomplishing the cause of socialism as a whole.
They went on:
The authority and might of the Worker's Party of Korea, led by him, will be strengthened in every way and shine long and the future of the Korean revolution under the leadership of the great party is promising.
His exploits in having trained the people's army as a strong army of devotedly defending the leader to safeguard the destiny of the nation and carry forward and accomplish the revolutionary cause of Juche will shine for all ages.
The speakers highly praised the greatness of Kim Jong Il who aroused all the people to the second grand Chollima advance with his outstanding ability of leadership in the arduous days of ordeals to open a new era of prosperity on this land.
They pointed to his exploits in opening a new historic turning-point in carrying out the cause of global independence.
They said that it is the basic guarantee for glorifying the new century as the great one of Kim Jong Il to hold him in higher esteem and strengthen our country as a socialist fortress of Juche where his idea has been completely embodied true to the last instructions of the fatherly leader Kim Il Sung.
China delivers all amount of food and coking coal to DPRK
Pyongyang, February 11 (KCNA) -- 150,000 tons of food and 400,000 tons of coking coal with which the Chinese government decided in June last year to provide the DPRK free of charge were 4all delivered as of Feb. 2.
In recent years, the Chinese government provided food, oil and other aid materials on several occasions to the DPRK which is suffering from temporary difficulties caused by the isolation and suffocation moves of the imperialists and natural disasters.
The current provision of aid materials by the Chinese party and government again in accordance with the tradition of Korea-China friendship with which the two countries help each other at the time of difficulties will be a precious encouragement to the Korean people in their efforts to build a powerful nation under the wise leadership of the great Kim Jong Il.
Aid equipment to DPRK from UNDP
Pyongyang, February 11 (KCNA) -- Aid equipment needed for the recovery from natural disasters in agricultural sector came to the DPRK from the UNDP.
The equipment was delivered with due ceremony here today.
Present there were Hong Myong Ryol, vice-Minister of Agriculture, and officials concerned and David Morton, resident coordinator of the UN and resident representative of the UNDP.
Speeches were made at the ceremony.
Its participants looked round the equipment.
Torch lit at Rakwon Machine Plant
Pyongyang, February 11 (KCNA) -- A new torch was lit at the Rakwon Machine Plant in the DPRK.
It was lit by General Secretary Kim Jong Il during his on-site guidance to the plant on January 27.
Calling upon the workers there to design and manufacture more machines and equipment of the latest type in the revolutionary spirit of self-reliance to set an example to be followed by the entire country, he said that a new torch should be lit at the plant with a long history to make the whole country hum with activities.
The new torch represents fresh creation and innovation made by the workers there in the spirit of devotedly safeguarding the leader, the do-or-die spirit and the revolutionary spirit of self-reliance and fortitude, the spirit displayed in all grim annals of the Korean revolution.
During the Fatherland Liberation War Juche 39 (1950)-Juche 42 (1953) workers of the factory at that time including 10 party members made hand grenades empty handed to carry out wartime production tasks. They manufactured various types of machines and equipment including excavators and water pumps on the ruins after the war and thus became well-known across the country for creating such miracles.
Young workers of the plant, by carrying forward their style of work, made an oxygen plant with their own technology and efforts in the 1980s, thus demonstrating its tradition of self-reliance all over the country.
The plant, once a small factory, has been turned into a leading machine producer of the country.
The torch held aloft by the workers of the plant is based on the revolutionary spirit of self-reliance displayed by people in Jagang province during the "arduous march" and the forced march and the Kanggye spirit which represents mass heroism. It was kindled after a torch was lit by the workers of the Songjin Steel Complex which gave origin to the same great chollima advance as that in the 1950s after the war in Korea.
The torch lit at the Rakwon Machine Plant will give a great impetus to the second grand chollima advance the Korean people are now making in the Kanggye spirit, following the torch lit at the Songjin Steel Complex.
Friendly meeting held
Pyongyang, February 11 (KCNA) -- The Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries and the DPRK-Iran Friendship Association on Thursday held a friendly meeting here on the occasion of the 21st anniversary of the victory of the Islamic revolution of Iran.
Invited to the meeting were Iranian ambassador to the DPRK Mohammad Ganjidoost and embassy officials.
Hong Son Ok, vice-chairperson of the committee and vice-chairperson of the association, and other officials concerned were present there.
The participants saw an art performance given by schoolchildren of DPRK-Iran friendship Pyongyang Sosong Senior Middle School no. 1 and talked with each other, deepening friendly feelings.
Sports contest for Paektusan Cup
Pyongyang, February 11 (KCNA) -- A sports contest for Paektusan Cup is being held in Pyongyang and local cities.
Players selected from national and local sports groups are participating there.
More than 20 sports events including basketball, volleyball, table-tennis and handball take place according to the seasonal conditions.
This contest has been an annual event to mark the auspicious February holiday since Juche 66 (1977).
The contest in which tens of thousands of players participated for more than 20 years made a great contribution to the sports development of the country.
In this period many sportsmen and sportswomen renewed the previous records of the DPRK in sporting events.
Over the last five years, the contest has taken place without a let-up in spite of the difficult economic situation where the country was hard pressed for everything.
In this course three players chalked up world records, six renewed Asian records and scores of players improved the national records.
The players are improving sports techniques through national championships and the contests for Mangyongdae Cup, Pochonbo Cup and Jonsung Cup along with the contest for Paektusan Cup.
Letter to Hanchongryon
Pyongyang, February 11 (KCNA) -- The central committee of the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League yesterday sent a letter to the South Korean Federation of University Student Councils (Hanchongryon) calling on the South Korean students to take an active part in forming a "nationwide ad hoc committee for probing the truth behind the GIs' massacres."
The letter noted that mass killings of civilians by the U.S. during the Korean war was the most brutal and barbarous massacre and worst violation of human rights that is unjustifiable.
Saying that martyrs who fell down shedding blood during the April 19 Uprising in 1960 and those who called for the spring of Kwangju in 1980 were all young students, the letter called for all the students in the north and south to work off the grudge of our parents and brothers who fell down in cold blood, asking for a thousand-fold revenge.
It called on the South Korean students who have always bravely fought in the van of the struggle for independence, democracy and reunification to display the same spirit to take the lead in probing the GIs' murders and punishing them.
The letter expressed the belief that when the committee involving large numbers of organizations in the north and south is formed, the Korean nation will settle the murder case by the U.S. and give vent to the pent-up grudge of the nation.
Remarks of U.S. Secretary of State blasted
Pyongyang, February 11 (KCNA) -- U.S. Secretary of State Albright pulled up the DPRK over what she called nuclear and missile issues in a recent speech at Russia's diplomacy academy. Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary dismisses this as a nagging of an unskilled diplomat which only betrays the true intention of the U.S. The remarks of the senior official of the U.S. administration in charge of foreign affairs disclosed the attempt of the U.S. to internationalize the Korean issue, the commentary notes, and continues:
The U.S. is trying to woo Russia at any cost to subscribe to its development of the aggressive "National Missile Defence" system and also seek the Russian parliament's ratification of "Start-2."
The U.S. is going to use the issue of the non-existent "nuclear and missile threat from the north" as a card to persuade Russia and as a pretext to provoke a war of aggression against the DPRK. Its aim is to use multi-national forces in a war against the DPRK under the name of UN.
It is not the DPRK but the U.S. which proliferates nuclear weapons and missiles.
It is a brigandish logic and far-fetched assertion for the U.S. to raise a hue and cry over the "nuclear and missile threat" by someone.
The U.S. is well advised to halt its persistent anti-DPRK diatribe and mind its own business.
Russia demands development of good-neighborly relations with DPRK
Pyongyang, February 11 (KCNA) -- The willingness to further expand and develop the DPRK-Russia friendly and cooperative relations was confirmed during the visit to Pyongyang from February 9 to 10 of the Russian Foreign Minister, Igor Ivanov, and his party.
A DPRK-Russia treaty of friendship, good-neighborliness and cooperation was signed here during the visit.
The Russian side appreciated this treaty as an important document which would occupy a page in the history of the friendly relations between the two countries.
In various events held here Igor Ivanov reiterated Russia's stand to develop the bilateral relations in the spirit of the treaty.
He said that there are many fields to improve relations between Russia and the DPRK, and stressed the need to direct efforts to the development of these relations.
He continued:
It is necessary for the peoples of the two countries to develop exchanges in the fields of science, culture and education, and Russia is ready to abide by the spirit of this newly concluded treaty.
The Russian Foreign Minister wrote in the visitor's book at the Kumsusan Memorial Palace that the Russian Federation strongly calls for the development of reciprocal and good-neighborly relations with the DPRK.
During his stay in Pyongyang he expressed deep reverence for President Kim Il Sung, the great leader of the Korean people.
He visited Mangyongdae and wrote in the visitor's book that he came to know well how deeply the Korean people are revering President Kim Il Sung who made great contribution to the strengthening of the Russia-DPRK relations.
He also wrote in the visitor's book at the Kumsusan Memorial Palace that President Kim Il Sung is always alive in the hearts of the Russians as an ardent champion of the friendship and cooperation between the two peoples.
KCNA on remarks of chairman of U.S. joint chiefs of staff
Pyongyang, February 11 (KCNA) -- It was reported that the chairman of the U.S. joint chiefs of staff, Henry Shelton, speaking before a recent senate armed services committee meeting, said that the U.S. has deployed better tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, artillery as well as improved attack helicopters, aircraft and Patriot missile defense systems in South Korea.
This is a very serious development which will drive the military situation on the Korean peninsula to the escalated tensions as it is a provocative criminal act proving that the U.S. is clinging to an ever more bellicose tough policy toward the DPRK.
The United States is talking rubbish about what it called "challenge" and "threat," absurdly asserting that the DPRK was to blame for the failure to solve the issue of guaranteeing peace on the Korean peninsula. We cannot but take a serious note of the fact that it is using this as a pretext for beefing up its military presence in South Korea.
It is quite unreasonable that a small country that cannot be compared with the U.S., the self-proclaimed only superpower in the world, in terms of military potentials is posing "threat" to it.
We have never infringed upon the interests of the U.S. nor threatened its security.
The U.S. is insisting on the "threat from North Korea," refusing to drop the outdated anti-DPRK hostile policy, in a foolish bid to achieve its military aim to overpower the DPRK by "force."
What cannot be overlooked is the fact that as Shelton said, the U.S. is making full preparations to hurl its Okinawa-based marines into the Korean peninsula on a short notice and dispatch even its forces to it from its mainland, while beefing up its forces in South Korea.
This is a clear indication that the criminal moves of the U.S. to provoke a new war on the Korean peninsula have reached a very serious phase under a carefully worked out operation plan.
What merits a serious attention is that all this is going on behind the curtain of dialogue.
We can never tolerate such U.S. behaviour as whetting a sword behind us, while paying lip-service to the "improved relations."
The DPRK is fully ready for both dialogue and confrontation.
If the U.S. desperately chooses confrontation disregarding our warning, it will not escape from fatal blows from our strong self-defensive forces.
U.S. urged to make apology and compensation
Pyongyang, February 11 (KCNA) -- The Communist Party of Peru (Red Motherland), the People's Front of Workers, Peasants and Students of Peru, the Socialist Party of Peru, the Peruvian Communist Party, the National Reconciliation Front of Peru, the National Restoration Party of Peru, the Peru-Korea Institute of Culture and Friendship and the Peruvian Committee for Supporting the Independent and Peaceful Reunification of Korea made public a joint statement on Feb. 3 denouncing the mass killings committed by the U.S. and the South Korean ruling quarters against civilians during the Korean War.
In the statement the political parties and organizations strongly demanded that the U.S. government and the South Korean authorities officially apologize to and compensate the Korean people for their hideous crimes against humanity.
They also strongly urged the U.S. government to drop its anachronistic colonial policy such as occupying and domineering over South Korea for over half a century and immediately withdraw its troops and weapons of mass destruction from it.
They appealed to the successive South Korean rulers to discard their way of life as shameless colonial stooges who are prolonging their remaining days fawning on the diabolic U.S. murderers who massacred their fellow countrymen and truly turn to the road for national independence and reunification, though belatedly.
They called upon international and regional organizations, all the governments and political parties, organizations and individuals of the world who value justice and conscience to actively turn out in the international solidarity movement demanding that the U.S. officially apologize to and compensate the Korean people for its hideous crimes against humanity.
Korean people follow Kim Jong Il like their father
Pyongyang, February 11 (KCNA) -- Justin Koumba, president of the Transition National Council of Congo, was interviewed by KCNA in Pyongyang prior to returning home.
He expressed deep impression he got from the visit to the Kumsusan Memorial Palace where the President Kim Il Sung is preserved in state.
He said the palace is really the sacred temple in the world and General Secretary Kim Jong Il, who built the wonderful sacred temple, is the faithful successor to the President's cause.
He went on: During the visit to Korea I was deeply moved by the noble ideological and moral world of the Korean people who trust and follow Kim Jong Il like their father.
Kim Jong Il ceaselessly makes a long and difficult journey for on-the-spot guidance and aquatints himself with all problems, large and small, ranging from the work of national defence to the people's food, clothing and housing.
And then he indicates clear-cut orientations and ways to solve the problems and leads the struggle to realize them.
He loves and devotes himself to the fatherland and the people most ardently. Therefore, the emotion of the Korean people who believe in and follow him is most ardent and beautiful.
Under his wise leadership the Korean people will surely win final victory in the sacred struggle to exalt the sovereignty of the country and the national dignity decisively smashing the imperialists' moves to isolate and stifle the DPRK and their all challenges.
I believe that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries based on the exceptional intimacy of President Denis Sassou Nguesso and President Kim Il Sung will surely continue to develop in the future, too, he said.
Rodong Sinmun on danger of U.S. moves for arms buildup
Pyongyang, February 11 (KCNA) -- U.S. Secretary of Defense Cohen recently dedicated an article to the Washington post clarifying the U.S. position to enforce the policy of arms buildup.
Rodong Sinmun today runs an article in this regard.
Cohen in the article said that the purchase value of military hardware in the current fiscal year would amount to 60 billion dollars.
The U.S. attempt at arms buildup is a dangerous act, the news analyst says, and continues:
The U.S. administration announced in January last year a plan for greatest arms expansion after the Cold War, declaring that it will increase military expenditure to 112 billion dollars for six years until the fiscal year 2005.
The U.S. resorting to arms buildup again after the Cold War is a manifestation of its unchangeable essential nature of aggression and a rash criminal act to drive the world into the crucible of arms race.
Its attempt was motivated by an impudent ambition to establish a U.S.-led global order with its arrogant strong-arms policy and hegemonism.
Very dangerous is the U.S. ambition to modernize the U.S. troops still further through the arms buildup and take the position of the "military giant" and have the world under its thumb by force. Particularly, the U.S. plan to intensify the arms expansion policy under the pretext of an "emergency on the Korean peninsula" may cause a new world war by laying a time bomb in the DPRK-U.S. belligerent relations.
It may break down the international disarmament process and bring about a second arms race and Cold War. It is not difficult to imagine what it means and what consequences it will bring.
The U.S. should ponder over the danger of arms buildup and its aftereffect and make its right option.
S. Korean defectors interviewed
Pyongyang, February 11 (KCNA) -- Ri Chol Ho, 43, who defected from the south to the north of Korea with his 12-year old daughter shortly ago, was interviewed by reporters at Pyongyang Koryo Hotel today.
He had made taxi service in Seoul before his defection.
Noting that his family was broken by betrayal and swindles, that are a deep-seated fashion of the rotten and ailing South Korean society, he told reporters:
My defection was motivated by my yearning for the northern half of the country, quite different from the south, where all its people form a big family in clean and sound life environment and General Secretary Kim Jong Il's benevolent and independent politics is administered.
My first impression of Pyongyang is that its streets are clean and citizens are full of life with their faces bright.
Seeing them enjoy folk games, I felt that the north is my genuine motherland where the spirit of the nation is kept.
On the living conditions of people in the south, Ri said:
The south looks gorgeous. However, it is a society in which those with money and power live in clover and the working masses without money and power find no other outlet but suicide.
In the south preoccupied with the idea of submitting to the U.S., people's anti-American sentiment is radically growing after the GIs' mass killing in Rogun-ri during the Korean War was disclosed, the defector noted, saying: They will fight to drive the yankees, aggressors and murderers, out of South Korea.
He further said:
I will do my best to terminate such practices as the misery of life and family I suffered, the South Korean authorities' shocking moves to do harm to the fellow countrymen, continued atrocities of the GIs, and the pro-U.S., pro-Japanese ruling quarters' treachery as soon as possible, and to hasten the day when the 70 million fellow countrymen will lead a happy life in one reunified country, holding Kim Jong Il in high esteem as its President.
His daughter Ri Son Mi said:
I had badly hated my mother for her leaving home.
But here in the north I came to feel, seeing children learn and grow in happiness, that South Korean society is worse than the mother.
Kim Jong Il receives certificate from Peruvian university
Pyongyang, February 11 (KCNA) -- Piura National University of Peru on Feb. 3 decided to award a certificate of Honorary Doctor of philosophy and a gold medal to General Secretary Kim Jong Il on the occasion of his 58th birthday.
An awarding ceremony was held at the university building on Feb. 4.
The President of the university handed the certificate of honorary doctor of philosophy and the gold medal to the DPRK ambassador to Peru.
Written in the certificate is a message that Piura National University awards the title of Honorary Doctor of philosophy to General Secretary Kim Jong Il congratulating him on his 58th birthday and wishing him greater success in the work for well-being of the Korean people.
Kim Jong Il's work published in Pakistan
Pyongyang, February 11 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il's celebrated work "the Worker's Party of Korea Is the Party of the Great Leader Comrade Kim Il Sung" was published by the Afzal Press, Pakistan, in book form on Feb. 1.
The work released on October 2, Juche 84 (1995) says that the history of the WPK founded and developed by President Kim Il Sung is the history of his revolutionary activities.
Graduation ceremony of Kim Il Sung Agricultural College held
Pyongyang, February 11 (KCNA) -- The 6th-term graduation ceremony of Kim Il Sung Agricultural College was held on Feb. 1 under the sponsorship of the Cuban Institute of Friendship With the Peoples.
Present at the ceremony were executive secretary of the Cuban Committee for Supporting Korea's Reunification Roberto Vasquez, officials concerned and teachers and students of the college.
Floral baskets were laid before the portrait of the President Kim Il Sung.
The principal of the college and the Korean ambassador to Cuba made congratulatory speeches at the ceremony.