Kim Jong Il's work published in Bangladesh
Pyongyang, February 25 (KCNA) -- The famous work of General Secretary Kim Jong Il "Socialism Is a Science" was published in booklet by the Natun Bangla Publishing House of Bangladesh on Feb. 15.
The work proved the scientific accuracy of socialism as an inevitable consequence of the social development and comprehensively expounded the idea of the essential advantage and invincibility of the socialist society.
The publishing house said in its introduction that the work was published on the occasion of the 58th birthday of Kim Jong Il and hoped the work would help the people who aspire after socialism and independence properly understand socialism and learn from it.
4th seminar of political parties on building new society held
Pyongyang, February 25 (KCNA) -- The 4th seminar of political parties on building a new society was held in Mexico on Feb. 14 and 15.
Present there were the coordinator of the national executive committee of the Worker's Party of Mexico, the general secretary of the c.c., the Dominican Communist Party and other party delegations and delegates from over 20 countries including the DPRK, Peru, Libya and Guatemala.
Discussed at the seminar were the reactionary nature of the imperialists' "globalization" policy and its consequences, the measure to check and frustrate it, the necessity of the victory of socialism, the way of consolidating and developing it and the tasks for strengthening unity and solidarity among the international socialist forces.
A special resolution supporting the just cause of the Korean people was adopted at the seminar.
It extended positive support to the Korean people in their struggle to defend and develop the socialist idea under the uplifted banner of socialism.
It also extended invariable support to the Korean people in their struggle for pulling down without delay the concrete wall built by the United States and the South Korean authorities in the area south of the Military Demarcation Line in a bid to perpetuate the division of Korea into the north and south and achieving the reunification of the country in accordance with the proposal for founding the Democratic Confederal Republic of Koryo advanced by President Kim Il Sung at the sixth congress of the Worker's Party of Korea.
Congratulatory visits paid to DPRK embassies
Pyongyang, February 25 (KCNA) -- General secretary of the central committee of the Communist Party of Peru (Red Motherland) Alberto Moreno, the secretary general of the Peruvian Committee for Supporting the Independent and Peaceful Reunification of Korea, Minister of Youth and Sports of Democratic Congo Mutombo Tchibal, the president of the Soekarno Education Foundation of Indonesia, the first vice-president of University Bongkarno of Indonesia and other figures from all walks of life in different countries paid congratulatory visits to the DPRK embassies in their capital cities on the occasion of the birthday of General Secretary Kim Jong Il.
They laid floral baskets before the portraits of the President Kim Il Sung and General Secretary Kim Jong Il and paid their respects to them.
DPRK circus awarded highest prize in Italy
Pyongyang, February 25 (KCNA) -- Aerial acrobatics "flying girls" of the Pyongyang Circus of the DPRK was awarded the highest prize at the International Joint Circus Performance in Italy.
The prize was awarded under the sponsorship of the World Talents Association, the World Circus Association of Italy and the National Circus Federation of Italy before the first performance in Genoa on Feb. 11.
Egidio Palmeri, chairman of the National Circus Federation of Italy, told the audience before the prize-awarding ceremony that the highest prize was awarded to the acrobatics of the DPRK at a significant time when the diplomatic relations were established between Italy and the DPRK.
There are at least 150 circuses, large and small, in Italy with a long circus history but none of them has been awarded the highest prize, and circuses of many countries have come but the prize has never been awarded to circuses of other countries, he said.
He expressed his gratitude to Kim Jong Il, the great leader of Korea, for sending such excellent acrobatics to Italy.
Padric Tonadegui, director of the art department of the organizing committee of the Monte Carlo International Circus Festival, said that it is very natural and just that the highest prize was awarded only to the aerial acrobatics of the DPRK at the international joint circus performance.
Yedi Murillo, chairman of the World Talents Association, noted that as one of organizers of the international joint circus performance he had never felt pride like this time.
No others have rocked the world with so new, unique and fine circus skill as the DPRK did, he said.
A small group of the Pyongyang Circus performed in Milano, Savona and Genoa.
GI's killing of S. Korean woman flailed
Pyongyang, February 25 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland issued a statement on Thursday bitterly denouncing the U.S. aggressor's killing of a South Korean woman.
Mccarthy, a soldier of a unit of the U.S. forces in Phaju city, Kyonggi Province of South Korea, on Feb. 19 was going to toy with the 32-year-old waitress at a bar in Rithaewon-dong, Seoul. When she resisted, the murderer made her bloodstained and strangled her.
The statement said the incident is not a product which comes from immorality and brutal character of a GI but a crime out of the arrogant national discrimination and misanthropy of the U.S., who consider the South Korean people inferior to animals.
It recalled the crimes committed by U.S. aggression troops in the past including the incidents of cutting hair of a woman in Tongduchon and painting a woman in Uijongbu, sexual violence against six-year-old child, killings of women Yun Kum I, Jon Ji Na and Sin Cha Gum.
The statement stressed that it is the only shame for the nation not to punish the U.S. brutes who disgrace and kill a lot of women in South Korea today.
Japan urged to halt its moves for retrogressive revision of constitution
Pyongyang, February 25 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary assails the formally started Japanese diet discussion on the revision of the constitution.
Recalling that the Japanese highest legislative body formally began a discussion on the revision of the constitution for the purpose of rewriting the existing constitution that has been so far called "peace constitution" into a war constitution, the commentary describes this as a serious development.
It continues:
The deliberation on the revision of the constitution at both houses of the Japanese diet aimed at replacing the "peace constitution" by one for war signifies a step forward in entering a practical phase of legalizing the right of belligerency and the right to participate in a war and declaring aggression and war as a policy.
This fully reveals the militaristic nature of Japan and its aggressive ambition.
The main aim the Japanese reactionaries seek in the constitutional revision is to rewrite its article 9 which deals with the nature and kernel of the "peace constitution."
This article legally bans all war actions by Japan.
In fact, the legislation related to the new "guidelines" adopted by Japan last year rendered the article invalid.
It is the position of the Japanese reactionaries to delete it as they consider it to be a hindrance to them.
Their aim is to lay down it as constitutional requirements to formally adopt a wartime system and war actions as a national policy and mobilize all the manpower, material and military potentials in aggression overseas.
A failure to check the Japanese reactionaries' retrogressive revision of the constitution may plunge the world into a serious turmoil and disasters.
The Japanese reactionaries are well advised to immediately halt their moves for the retrogressive constitutional revision.
S. Korean rulers' crimes in two years of their office denounced
Pyongyang, February 25 (KCNA) -- Minju Joson today carries a signed article denouncing the rulers of the "people's government" in South Korea for their indelible crimes committed against the Korean nation, two years after the South Korean chief executive installed this "government."
It was the most hideous crime committed by the rulers of the "people's government" against the country and nation in the past two years that they sold off independence vital to a nation to foreign forces, the article notes, and goes on:
The South Korean chief executive described his "victory in the Presidential Election" as a victory of the U.S. and begged for permanent presence of the U.S. forces in South Korea and was so mean as to bring the remains of a U.S. missionary Underwood to South Korea to be buried there.
Moreover, he also implored for a "joint investigation" into brutal mass killings committed by GIs during the Korean war, talking about the "friendly relations with the U.S."
He put his predecessors into the shade in pro-Japanese traitorous acts. He repeatedly invited the Japanese "emperor" to visit South Korea, opened its door to Japanese pop culture and abolished the "system of diversified import channel."
In two years of their office the South Korean rulers have increased such social evils as the ever-widening gap between the rich and the poor, dampened the nation's desire for reunification and escalated the danger of war.
There are 8 million jobless people in South Korea and the number of beggars is treble that in the period of the "civilian" rule. Two-thirds of the middle classes in the past have been reduced to the poor classes, bringing the number of the absolute poor to over 13 million.
The South Korean rulers have turned down our sincere reunification-oriented offer in which we proposed a wide-ranging dialogue including high-level talks between the north and the south and set out even ways of implementing priorities to be fulfilled for them.
They are staging war exercises targeted against the north almost every day after branding it as their "principal enemy."
The South Korean rulers have sold off independence vital to the nation to the foreign forces, plunged the South Korean people into distress through their cunning and vicious anti-social rule, blocked the reunification through anti-reunification confrontation moves and increased the danger of war. These crimes are intolerable.
As long as these rulers are allowed to stay in power, the nation can neither recover its dignity and sovereignty from the foreign forces nor achieve national reunification, nor can the South Korean people live as human beings and avoid a scourge of war.
This is the lesson drawn from what they have done in the last two years of their office.
Costa Rican national symposium held
Pyongyang, February 25 (KCNA) -- A Costa Rican national symposium on the Juche idea for peace, independence and development was held in San Jose on Feb. 17 on the occasion of the birthday of General Secretary Kim Jong Il under the co-sponsorship of the Latin American Institute of the Juche Idea and the Costa Rican Institute of the Juche Idea.
Chairman of the Latin American Institute of the Juche Idea Jose Francisco Aguilar Bulgarelli in his report said that application of the Juche idea is the only way of raising the level of the consciousness of independence of the people and realizing the sovereignty of the country and welfare of the people, noting that the sovereignty and the rights of the working people have been infringed upon by the imperialists' policy of neo-liberalism in Costa Rica and other Latin American countries.
A final declaration was adopted there.
We deem it the way of retaking the sovereignty of the nation and building more wonderful, righteous society in Costa Rica to apply the Juche idea, the declaration said, and went on:
We declare we assume the duty to put it into practice.
We declare that we will always be with the Korean people in the struggle to reunify the country and build a powerful socialist country.
TV drama on Jong Song Ok produced
Pyongyang, February 25 (KCNA) -- The TV drama "I Ran Picturing Leader Kim Jong Il In Mind" is now telecast in the DPRK.
An artistic depiction of Jong Song Ok, a marathoner of the Amnokgang Sports Group, is combined with a documentary film on how she dreamt of becoming a marathoner in her childhood and how she trained herself to participate in the championships and how she ran in Sevilla.
She came first at the women's marathon race of the 7th World Track and Field Championships held in Spain last August, emerging as a world marathon queen.
She was born into an ordinary worker's family in Korea.
It was thanks to the loving care of Kim Jong Il that she became a world marathon queen and a praiseworthy daughter of the nation who exalted the dignity of the nation.
No wonder, she, upon winning the race, proudly declared that she ran the whole distance, picturing Kim Jong Il in mind.
He highly praised the fighting spirit of Jong with which she exalted the honor of the nation. Noting with great satisfaction that this was something unprecedented in the history of the nation and a great happy event for it, he showed great loving care which should be remembered by her family generation after generation.
He presented to her a gold watch bearing the august name of the President Kim Il Sung as a citation and gave her a deluxe flat and car as gifts. The titles of the DPRK heroine and people's sportswoman were awarded to her.
A variety of work to convey to posterity the feats of heroine Jong Song Ok is under way in Korea.
Commemorative coins (gold and silver) and stamps depicting her were released and publications such as calendars and calendar card for the year 2000 and "Korean pictorial" carried her large picture.
Posters depicting Jong breasting the tape is seen in every part of the street.
Heroine Jong Song Ok is sweating profusely in training.
Sometimes she even runs up 37 stories to reach her flat, declining to use a lift.
Lebanese national symposium held
Pyongyang, February 25 (KCNA) -- A Lebanese national symposium on the Juche idea and national sovereignty was held in Beirut on Feb. 15 on the occasion of the 58th birthday of General Secretary Kim Jong Il.
Present there were the chairman of the External Relations Committee of the National Assembly of Lebanon, assemblymen, delegates of political parties and public organizations in Lebanon and delegates from Syria and Palestine.
A floral basket was laid before the portraits of the President Kim Il Sung and General Secretary Kim Jong Il in the name of the participants in the symposium.
The secretary general of the c.c., the Lebanon Federation of Workers made an opening address and a report, which was followed by speeches.
The reporter and speakers underscored the need to strengthen joint action of the anti-imperialist independent forces at present.
As it is single-heartedly rallied around Kim Jong Il under the banner of the Juche idea, the DPRK is demonstrating its might as an invincible country upon which any imperialist aggression forces dare not pounce, they said, stressing that only when one strengthens one's own driving force as demanded by the Juche idea can one defend the sovereignty of the country and the nation.
The great Juche idea and the experience in the struggle of the DPRK where it has been embodied are becoming a beacon of the peoples of all countries in the struggle to realize sovereignty, they said, adding that they will in the future deeply study them and apply them to the struggle of the peoples of regional countries and thus bring a turning point in the struggle for sovereignty and actively contribute to accelerating the victory of the cause of global independence.
A bulletin explaining the brief biography of Kim Jong Il and the basic principles of the Juche idea was distributed as a document of the symposium.
A letter to him was adopted there.
Song on Korean people's faith
Pyongyang, February 25 (KCNA) -- The revolutionary "Song of Red Flag" is sung as a song on the Korean people's faith.
Loud singing of this song is heard in every work-site for the building of a powerful nation where the red flag is fluttering.
The song reflects the revolutionary spirit of the Korean people to hold aloft the red flag, the banner of revolution, to the end despite whatever adversity and ordeals.
It was created and disseminated in the 1930s when the Korean people fought the revolutionary war to defeat the Japanese imperialists who occupied Korea.
The song having three bars reflects the anti-Japanese revolutionary fighters' pledge made before a comrade-in-arms who fell in action for revolution. The song curses those who betrayed the revolution, greedy for money and high position, after abandoning the red flag in the bloody battle against the enemy.
The song represents the firm determination to fight to the end under the uplifted banner of the revolution, braving prison and the scaffold.
The Korean people's unshakable resolution is stressed in the refrain of the song which says "Let Cowards Flinch and Traitors Sneer= We'll Keep the Red Flag Flying Here."
The Korean people are building a powerful nation despite all difficulties and ordeals, singing this song.
This song is chosen by the merited chorus of the Korean People's Army and other art troupes as an important piece of their programs.
Anniversary of Pomminryon south headquarters observed
Pyongyang, February 25 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today dedicates a signed article to the 5th anniversary of the formation of the south headquarters of the National Alliance for the Country's Reunification (Pomminryon).
The formation of the Pomminryon south headquarters is the proud fruition of the patriotic will and strong fighting spirit of those relating to the south side's Pomminryon and the common gains of all the pro-reunification patriotic forces at home and abroad who have supported their struggle in every way, the paper says, and goes on:
The Pomminryon south headquarters, since the proclamation of its formation, has taken the lead in the struggle for the unity of the nation and the reunification of the country as the leading force of the movement for national reunification in South Korea.
The banner of independence, democracy and reunification maintained by the Pomminryon south headquarters and its indomitable struggle enjoy full support from the South Korean people and fellow countrymen in the north and overseas.
People from all walks of life in the north, south and overseas should smash the South Korean authorities' maneuvers for anti-reunification confrontation and war firmly united around Pomminryon.
The paper calls upon the pro-reunification patriotic forces in the north, south and abroad to hold fast to the three-point charter of national reunification and five-point policy of great national unity and to conduct a dynamic movement for their implementation in various forms and ways.
Pomminryon should carry out its mission and role as an umbrella organization of nation-wide pro-reunification patriotic forces, the leading force of reunification and patriotism, by successfully holding pan-national rallies and other pro-reunification festival functions and reunification movement in the firm unity and solidarity of those in the north, south and overseas as it did in the past period.
Anniversary of theses on socialist rural question observed
Pyongyang, February 25 (KCNA) -- The 36th anniversary of the theses on the socialist rural question in the DPRK falls on today.
The President Kim Il Sung released the famous work "Theses on the Socialist Rural Question In Our Country" at the eighth plenary meeting of the fourth Central Committee of the Worker's Party of Korea on February 25, Juche 53 (1964).
The theses scientifically clarifies the main principles and ways of solving the socialist rural question.
Papers here today observe this day.
Minju Joson in an editorial says that with the publication of the theses a powerful ideological and theoretical instrument of final settlement of the rural question, one of the most difficult issues in socialist construction, has been provided and the Korean people have confidently pushed ahead with the socialist rural construction with the most scientific milestone.
It continues:
Under the bright rays of the theses the three revolutions, ideological, technical and cultural, were carried out so dynamically that the socialist agricultural system was consolidated politically and ideologically, materially and technically in the DPRK, the difference between town and the country drastically decreased and the countryside turned into the socialist one good to work and live in.
The greatness and vitality of the idea set forth in the theses have been brought into full play by the energetic and seasoned leadership of the great Kim Jong Il.
His wise revolutionary leadership over the socialist rural construction is the great revolutionary leadership to firmly defend and carry through the theses of Kim Il Sung.
Spokesman for DPRK FM on massive arms buildup
Pyongyang, February 25 (KCNA) -- The spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry today answered a question put by KCNA as regards the U.S. recent massive arms buildup in South Korea and the resultant escalating tensions.
As already reported, chairman of the U.S. joint chiefs of staff Henry Shelton, addressing the senate armed services committee on Feb. 8, disclosed that the U.S. has beefed up its forces in South Korea and the "ROK" army.
According to him, the U.S. has deployed improved tanks, infantry vehicles, latest attack helicopters, aircraft and other sophisticated war equipment and the Patriot missile defense system in South Korea and its marines in Okinawa, Japan and its ground force on the U.S. mainland are fully ready to be hurled into the Korean peninsula on a short notice.
Not content with this, the U.S. has staged madcap joint military drills under various code names with Japan and the South Korean authorities since the very outset of the year allegedly to cope with an "emergency" on the Korean peninsula.
This clearly proves that although the U.S. is paying lip-service to the "peace" on the Korean peninsula and "improved relations with the DPRK" its "policy of strength" to stifle it militarily remains unchanged.
The United States' beefing up of its forces in South Korea and the "ROK" army and massive introduction of the latest war equipment into there and various joint military drills staged by it are dangerous moves driving the situation on the Korean peninsula to an extreme pitch of tension.
The U.S. is apt to talk about "peace" and "security" on the Korean peninsula and the "improved relations" whenever it sits face to face with the DPRK but is stepping up its war preparations to militarily stifle the other partner of the dialogue behind it.
This compels the DPRK to maintain utmost vigilance against the U.S. double-dealing tactics.
We are closely watching the U.S. moves to escalate the tensions getting more undisguised since the outset of the year and fully ready to counter them.