Greetings to Ghanaian President
Pyongyang, March 4 (KCNA) -- President Kim Yong Nam of the presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly on Friday sent a message of greetings to Ghanaian President Jerry john Rawlings on the occasion of the 43rd anniversary of independence of Ghana.
Expressing the belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would continue developing in the interests of the two peoples, the message wished the President and people of Ghana success in their work for national unity and the country's prosperity.
DPRK FM congratulates Foreign Minister of Finland
Pyongyang, March 4 (KCNA) -- DPRK Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun sent a congratulatory message to Erkki Sakari Tuomioja on his appointment as Foreign Minister of Finland.
The message expressed the conviction that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would continue to develop on good terms and wished him great success in the performance of his new duty.
Congratulatory message to Prime Minister of Niger
Pyongyang, March 4 (KCNA) -- Hong Song Nam, premier of the DPRK cabinet, sent a congratulatory message to Hama Amadou on his appointment as Prime Minister and head of the government of Niger.
The message expressed belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would further develop and wished him big success in his responsible work.
DPRK Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun also sent a congratulatory message to Nassirou Sabo on his appointment as minister of foreign affairs, cooperation and African integration of Niger.
Officials of Cuban embassy visit Korean Revolution Museum
Pyongyang, March 4 (KCNA) -- Nirsia Castro Guevara, charge d'affaires of the Cuban embassy here, and embassy officials visited the Korean Revolution Museum on March 3 on the occasion of the 14th anniversary of the Korea visit of Fidel Castro Ruz.
The visitors looked round historical mementos and materials on display, being briefed on the immortal contribution to the accomplishment of the cause of global independence made by the President Kim Il Sung and General Secretary Kim Jong Il while wisely leading the Korean people's struggle for complete victory of socialism.
After the visit the charge d'affaires said that the friendship between Cuba and the DPRK based on the deep intimacy between Fidel Castro Ruz and Kim Il Sung would be everlasting.
"Brilliant Commander and His Soldier" published
Pyongyang, March 4 (KCNA) -- Book "Brilliant Commander and His Soldier", a collection of essays which carries Ri In Mo's loyalty and yearning for the President Kim Il Sung and General Secretary Kim Jong Il, was off the press on the occasion of the birthday of General Secretary .
Ri In Mo, the incarnation of faith and will, was an unconverted long-term prisoner in South Korea for 34 years.
He came back to the socialist homeland in March Juche 82 (1993).
The book consists of 33 essays divided into 3 parts "thinking in prison," "brilliant commander and his soldier" and "my best country."
It is a collection of short stories compiled by his wife Kim Sun Im, which are based on what ri wrote when he had time in South Korea and his reminiscences, what he wrote in the north and his impressions of it up to most recent days.
National preparatory committee for Sun's Day formed
Pyongyang, March 4 (KCNA) -- An inaugural meeting of a Colombian national preparatory committee for commemorating Sun's Day was held in Medellin on Feb. 26.
At the meeting chairman of the Latin American and Caribbean Regional Committee for Supporting Korea's Reunification Omar Florez was elected chairman of the preparatory committee.
The meeting discussed programme of colorful functions to be held on the occasion of Sun's Day.
Seminar on experience in party building held
Pyongyang, March 4 (KCNA) -- A seminar of Madagascan political parties on experience in party building was held in Antananarivo on Feb. 26 to mark the birthday of General Secretary Kim Jong Il.
At the seminar speeches were made by the leaders of the Party of the Congress for the Independence of Madagascar, the Socialist Progressive Party, the United Party of Struggle and other political parties.
The speakers said that the historical experience in building the Worker's Party of Korea, a great party founded and led by the President Kim Il Sung and General Secretary Kim Jong Il, is a textbook that should be studied by all the world's political parties aspiring after progress and socialism. Only when a party is built as the WPK was, will the socialist idea emerge victorious, they noted.
They continued:
Formation of the integral whole of the leader, the party and the popular masses is the valuable experience of the WPK building. Herein lies the source of its might.
They said that they would follow the ideology, theory on party building and noble personality of Kim Jong Il and uphold his leadership for the accomplishment of the socialist cause.
A letter to him was adopted at the seminar.
WPK delegation meets foreign political party leaders
Pyongyang, March 4 (KCNA) -- A delegation of the Worker's Party of Korea met political party leaders of various countries who participated in the 9th meeting of the forum of left political parties in Latin America and the Caribbean region which was held in Nicaragua.
Among them were Daniel Ortega Saavedra, general secretary of the Sandinist National Liberation Front of Nicaragua= the general secretary of the People's Movement of Honduras, Alberto Anaya Gutierrez, coordinator of the national executive committee of the Worker's Party of Mexico= Miguel Mejia, general secretary of the United Left Movement of Dominica= Narciso Isa Conde, general coordinator of the Revolutionary Force Party of Dominica= Patricio Echegaray, general secretary of the central committee of the Communist Party of Argentine= and Luis Ignacio Da Silva, chairman of the central committee of the Brazilian Worker's Party.
The general secretary of the Sandinist National Liberation Front of Nicaragua expressed full solidarity with the WPK and the Korean people in their efforts for the building of a powerful nation and voiced full support for the WPK policy for the independent and peaceful reunification of the country.
The general secretary of the People's Movement of Honduras said that the Korean people are advancing under the uplifted banner of socialism in face of pent-up difficulties because they are led by the great Kim Jong Il who is carrying forward the cause of the great leader President Kim Il Sung.
Anti-north joint air war exercise
Pyongyang, March 4 (KCNA) -- The U.S. warmongers and the South Korean ruling quarters on March 2 staged a north-targeted joint war exercise in the air over South Korea by mobilizing over 570 fighters, according to military sources.
More than 60 fighter-bombers and assault planes of the U.S. air force in South Korea and at least 170 fighters of the South Korean "ROK" army staged a dogfight exercise in the air above Imja and Oeyon islets and Chunchon and Mt. Hwangbyong of South Korea.
Formations of over 120 fighter-bombers and assault planes carried out a drill of striking ground targets in the air above Asan bay, Ryoju, Nyongwol and Thaebaek under the simulated conditions of an assault on major objects in the north.
Meanwhile, an exercise of "destroying" something and various other drills were staged in the air above Anmi Islet, Kongju, Osan, Kunsan, Jechon and Wonju.
All this clearly shows how desperately the U.S. and the South Korean warmongers are working to ignite a second Korean war according to the "operation plan 5027-98," a scenario for a war of aggression.
Explosion of wrath at aggressors
Pyongyang, March 4 (KCNA) -- Members of the south headquarters of the National Alliance for the Country's Reunification, the South Korean Federation of University Student Councils and other pro-reunification patriotic organizations call for U.S. troop pullout and thorough-going investigation into the truth behind GIs' mass killings of civilians during the last Korean War.
Rodong Sinmun today comments on this.
The news analyst says:
The earnest call is an eruption of firm determination of the South Korean people to make the aggressors pay a thousand fold for the blood shed by Koreans, retake the dignity and sovereignty of the nation and achieve the desire for the country's reunification.
It is quite natural that members of the pro-reunification patriotic organizations in South Korea call for a joint investigation of the north and south into the truth behind GIs' mass killings during the last Korean War.
The last Korean War was a genocide against the Korean people.
The commentary cites concrete facts to prove that the GIs committed hair-raising killings in different parts of South Korea and the North Korea.
It is also quite natural that members of pro-reunification patriotic organizations in South Korea call for the U.S. troop pullout. It is yankees who committed mass killings of the people, including Kwangju massacre, and reduced the South Koreans to slaves of the international monetary fund.
The recent anti-U.S., anti-Japanese demonstration of pro-reunification, pro-democracy forces of South Korea manifested the firm will of the South Korean people not to pardon the U.S. and Japanese aggressors and the South Korean authorities subservient to them at all. The U.S. should have a correct understanding of the situation, make an official apology and compensation for all the atrocities committed so far and go back to their den, as demanded by all the South Korean people.
Japan's servility under fire
Pyongyang, March 4 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary deals with differences between the United States and Japan over the issue of covering expenses for the upkeep of the U.S. forces in Japan.
The commentary says:
The U.S. government is persistently demanding Japan bear a huge financial burden for the upkeep of the U.S. forces in Japan. This is intended to maintain its sphere of influence supported by a military edge in the Asia-Pacific region, without difficulty with the financial assistance of its ally.
The Japanese government annually spends about 500 billion yen for the upkeep of nearly 50,000 U.S. troops in the form of "sympathy budget." Japan, which the U.S. occupation forces call "heaven," is ill-famed for being the best in keeping the foreign forces as it has a government that does not hesitate to sacrifice the interests of its people for its master, the United States.
The Japanese authorities who have expressed "deep understanding" and "sympathy" as regards the financial burden for the upkeep of the U.S. forces are as servile as the South Korean rulers who finance the presence of the U.S. forces with a colossal amount of money collected from the people, praising them as a "benefactor" and "protector," and prolong their remaining days under their protection.
The U.S. forces present in Japan and South Korea are the root cause of the danger of war. It is, therefore, a way of guaranteeing peace and security on the Korean peninsula and in Japan to force the U.S. forces to pull back from there to the last one.
Only then, will both South Korea and Japan no longer suffer the disgrace of paying the expenses for the upkeep of foreign forces.
Foreign party leader on Korean women's happiness
Pyongyang, March 4 (KCNA) -- Deputy secretary of the Funcinpec Party of Cambodia Serei Kosal, during his stay in the DPRK, expressed his admiration at the Korean women's independent and creative life.
The Korean women, who are responsible for the revolution and construction, are elected deputies to the Supreme People's Assembly and power organs at all other levels to discuss state affairs and working at important posts of the party and the state, he noted, and continued:
The DPRK government is providing all conditions to the women so that they may participate in public life without any worries.
He said that visiting the Pyongyang Maternity Hospital, he clearly realized what great solicitude the party and the state bestow upon the women in the DPRK.
The happiness of the Korean women would have been unthinkable without the wise leadership of the President Kim Il Sung and General Secretary Kim Jong Il, he stressed.
He added that he was convinced of a more bright future of Korea, witnessing the reality in Korea where the political status of women is fully guaranteed and their creative role is on a daily rise.
U.S. "report on human rights" blasted
Pyongyang, March 4 (KCNA) -- Minju Joson today in a signed commentary rails against the U.S. "report on human rights" in which it slandered even the Korean-style socialist political system centred on the popular masses.
It is something against common sense for the U.S. to slander the DPRK over its "human rights situation" as it has no right to say anything of it, the commentary says, and goes on:
The United States is flooded with jobless people and beggars and the number of narcotic and alcohol addicts is on a steady increase and murder, arson and robbery are reported without a let-up. It is, therefore, ill-famed for its poorest human rights performance and most serious violation of human rights.
The DPRK clearly states that there is no "human rights issue" which the United States is talking about.
Human rights are deeply respected and all the people are guaranteed genuine political freedom and rights and provided with ample conditions for their economic, social and cultural life under the Korean-style socialist system.
The U.S. talk about the "human rights problem" in the DPRK intended to slander its socialist system was prompted by its aversion to it.
The United States had better take pains to settle its serious human rights problem before foolishly interfering in other's issue.
Day of Agricultural Workers in Korea
Pyongyang, March 4 (KCNA) -- March 5 is the Day of Agricultural Workers in Korea.
The President Kim Il Sung promulgated the "law on agrarian reform in North Korea" on March 5, Juche 35 (1946), thus realizing the centuries-old desire of the peasants to have land.
This day is marked by them as their holiday every year.
The enforcement of the agrarian reform freed the peasants who accounted for over 80 percent of the population in Korea from feudal exploitation and subjugation and enabled them to become genuine masters of land. It opened up a bright prospect of agricultural production.
With the agrarian reform in force, a series of measures were taken for the improvement of the impoverished living of the peasants.
Pursuant to the wise agricultural policy of the Worker's Party of Korea, agricultural cooperativization was completed in 1958 and the socialist rural economy system based on collectivism established in the DPRK.
The successful carrying out of the three revolutions, ideological, technical and cultural, in the countryside resulted in solidly consolidating the material and technical foundation of agriculture and bringing about a new turn in the spiritual and moral traits and life of the peasants.
But agriculture was hardest hit by consecutive years of natural disaster and an acute shortage of fuel and electricity. The food situation, therefore, still remains difficult.
The agricultural workers are now all out to make preparations for the year's farming in order to overcome the present difficulties.
Trucks and tractors are operated with substitute fuel and compost is carried to fields by carts, ox-pulled sleighs and by farmers on their back.
North and south Hwanghae provinces are busy sowing early ripening spring wheat and barley in paddy and non-paddy fields as the first crop to solve the food problem in early summer.
Cities and counties in north Phyongan province and cooperative farms in the suburbs of Pyongyang are also busy sowing wheat and barley seeds in right season after choosing right soil and selecting high-yielding seeds.
The agricultural workers are thus greeting their holiday with successes in the spring sowing and preparations for farming as required by the Juche method of farming.