Kim Jong Il visits Chinese embassy
Pyongyang, March 6 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il visited the Chinese embassy here sunday on the occasion of the new year 2000 at the ambassador's request.
He was accompanied by director of the general political department of the Korean People's Army Jo Myong Rok, chief of the KPA general staff Kim Yong Chun, Minister of the People's Armed Forces Kim Il Chol, secretaries of the WPK Central Committee Kim Kuk Thae and Kim Yong Sun, KPA generals Hyon Chol Hae and Pak Jae Gyong, col. general of KPA Ri Myong Su, first vice department directors of the WPK Central Committee Jang Song Thaek and Choe Chun Hwang, and vice department director of the WPK Central Committee Ji Jae Ryong.
At the embassy he was received by ambassador Wan Yongxiang and leading officials of the embassy.
An official of the embassy presented him with a fragrant bouquet and all its members warmly welcomed him.
Kim Jong Il expressed thanks for the invitation and conversed with the leading officials of the embassy in a cordial and friendly atmosphere.
The ambassador gave a dinner in his honor.
Kim Jong Il posed for a picture with all members of the embassy.
Kim Jong Il sends wreath to bier of Kim Ryong Jo
Pyongyang, March 6 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il on Sunday sent a wreath to the bier of Kim Ryong Jo, People's Artiste of the April 25 Film Studio of the KPA, expressing deep condolences upon his death.
Hong Song Nam meets Chongryon delegation
Pyongyang, March 6 (KCNA) -- Hong Song Nam, premier of the DPRK cabinet, met and conversed with an economic joint venture delegation of Chongryon (General Association of Korean Residents in Japan) led by Nam Sung U, vice-chairman of its central standing committee, in an atmosphere overflowing with compatriotic feelings at the Mansudae Assembly Hall on Sunday.
Present there were Minister of Foreign Trade Kang Jong Mo and officials concerned.
Condolences to FM of Mozambique
Pyongyang, March 6 (KCNA) -- DPRK Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun sent a message of condolence to his Mozambican counterpart Leonardo Santos Simao upon the news that the strongest cyclone and downpour ever in 50 years recently hit the country, causing a great human and material loss.
Expressing deep sympathy and condolences to him and, through him, to the bereaved families and the afflicted people, Paek in the message hoped that the Mozambican government would heal the aftermath of disasters and bring the living of inhabitants in the afflicted area to normal as soon as possible.
Kim Jong Il praised as great sun of 21st century
Pyongyang, March 6 (KCNA) -- Hamilton Green, leader of the Good Green Guyana, had an interview with reporters here before his return home. He visited the DPRK on the occasion of the February holiday.
In the interview he said that it is great fortune and pride of the Korean people to have the great leader Kim Jong Il and that blessed with the illustrious leaders through generations, they are the happiest people in the world.
The revolutionary cause of the President Kim Il Sung who enjoyed deep respect and high admiration not only of the Korean people but also of all the people around the world is creditably being carried forward by Kim Jong Il, he noted.
Kim Jong Il leads the Korean people along the road of victory and glory, shaping the army-first politics, the most peculiar mode of politics that can be found in no other country, he said, and went on:
Guided by him, the Korean people are sure of ever victory and optimistic about their future. No force on earth can break their strong will.
There is nobody but Kim Jong Il who will steer the 21st century and he is the great sun of the 21st century.
Solidarity with Cuban people's just struggle expressed
Pyongyang, March 6 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun on Sunday dedicated a signed article to the 40th anniversary of the revolutionary slogan "Motherland or death, we will win" set forth by Fidel Castro Ruz for the Cuban people.
Under this slogan of faith the Cuban people have smashed the U.S.'s repeated moves of aggression, intervention, subversion and sabotage and honorably defended the fatherland and revolution and the socialist gains, the paper noted, and said:
Today they are reliably defending socialism in the western hemisphere, holding higher the slogan "Motherland or death, socialism or death, we will win," rallied close around the central committee of the Communist Party of Cuba headed by Fidel Castro Ruz.
From the first day of victory in the Cuban revolution the Korean people have invariably stood on the side of the Cuban people and expressed firm solidarity with their just struggle to repulse the outrageous maneuvers of the U.S. and defend the gains of the revolution.
This position still remains unchanged.
The United States should change its Cuba policy, squarely looking at the trend of the times towards support to the Cuban people's indomitable will and just cause.
The just cause of the Cuban people, who are valiantly struggling under the slogan of revolution and faith "Motherland or death, we will win," is sure to win.
Social role of Korean women
Pyongyang, March 6 (KCNA) -- Women, a half of the population in the DPRK, take their share in society.
They are taking an active part in state affairs with equal rights with men and playing an important role in various sectors of the national economy.
Women account for 20.1 percent of deputies to the power organs at all levels.
The proportion of women in the composition of labour force of the national economy is nearly 50 percent.
In particular, women are playing a big role in the fields of education, culture and public health as well as commercial circulation, public service, textile, daily necessities and food processing.
Numerous factories, enterprises and educational and cultural institutions are operated only by women and many of them are working at the responsible posts.
The state provides all conditions for all the women to participate in public life.
For example, the labour activity of women workers at the Pyongyang Textile Combine can be seen.
The factory with a plottage of more than 703,500 square meters is a leading textile producer of the country.
It is managed and operated by women who make up 75 percent of the total employees.
It has nearly 20 nurseries and kindergartens, a children's ward and a fishing pond for children. It boasts of a sanatorium, a hospital, shops, a rice cookery and other public service facilities.
It has more than 60 workshops for mothers of children, who enjoy additional benefits from the state.
In February General Secretary Kim Jong Il took measures for solving the attendance and leaving and housing problems and supplying vegetables, meat and other non-staple food for women workers even under the hard economic situation. He also sent 1,140 cultural instruments including accordions and harmonicas for their optimistic life.
Scores of women workers became "Kim Il Sung Order" bearers, labour heroines and merited weavers under the infinite loving care of the party and the state.
Popular song on great leader
Pyongyang, March 6 (KCNA) -- The song "Where Is the Dear General?" Is very popular in the DPRK.
Because this song instills into the Korean people the faith that they are greatly honored to live or die while following their leader in any adversity.
It is the theme song from an opera "A True Daughter of the Party," one of the 5 revolutionary operas.
The opera depicts the struggle of heroine of the republic An Yong Ae who was a young nurse of the Korean People's Army during the Korean War.
The heroine of this opera, Kang Yon Ok, makes her way to a hospital on Mt. Thaebaek in the rear, escorting several wounded soldiers from the front, at the risk of her life. It was only after the retreat of the hospital that they arrived there only to find the letters "to the 2nd rendezvous".
At the climax of the opera the heroine sings this song with strong yearning for the President Kim Il Sung, looking up to the northern sky.
The unshakable faith and will to rush into his arms come what may are fully reflected in the song. The heroine earnestly asks where is the brightly lit Supreme Command where the dear Marshal is sure to be.
The noble spirit displayed by the Korean People's Army and people to win a victory in the hard-fought war, picturing Kim Il Sung in mind, has been carried forward by the rising generation today.
Jong Song Ok emerged as the world's "marathon queen" by displaying matchless spirit though her physical capacity reached its limit. And soldiers of the KPA returned to the socialist homeland a few years ago, defying the appeasement of the enemy. They could do so because they fought, picturing General Secretary Kim Jong Il in mind.
The absolute worship of Kim Jong Il has become the source of strength which enabled the Korean people to carry out the "arduous march" and the forced march in recent years.
Kim Jong Il's birthday commemorated in S. Korea
Pyongyang, March 6 (KCNA) -- The Sonamu Publishing House of South Korea brought out a picture album "Architecture of Pyongyang" on the occasion of the 58th birthday of General Secretary Kim Jong Il, the Seoul-based radio Voice of National Salvation reported.
Carried in the album are sixteen pictures of the President Kim Il Sung and General Secretary Kim Jong Il going round grand monumental edifices in the workers' party era.
It also contains 50 odd pictures of many edifices built in Pyongyang, including the Grand People's Study House, the Pyongyang Maternity Hospital, the Tower of the Juche Idea, the Arch of Triumph and the ice rink.
Attempt of S. Korean "Intelligence Service" to edge itself
Pyongyang, March 6 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary denounces the "Intelligence Service" of South Korea, headquarters of anti-north, anti-reunification operations, for trying to edge itself into the north-south dialogue for national unity and reunification. This is a mockery of the dialogue and an intolerable insult to the partner of the dialogue, the commentary says, and goes on:
Gangsters of the "Intelligence Service" should not be allowed to use the inter-Korean dialogue aimed at promoting the national unity and achieving national reunification as a lever in carrying out their anti-north operations.
The whole nation is now closely watching the moves of the "Intelligence Service," an obstacle in the way of national unity and reunification and a wrecker of the north-south dialogue, and urges it to draw a proper lesson from the crimes committed by the "Agency for National Security Planning."
The north-south dialogue should not resign itself to a plaything of the tricksters as it is aimed to achieve the reconciliation and unity between the north and south and bring in national reunification and prosperity in the new century.
Japan urged to draw lesson from girl kidnapping case
Pyongyang, March 6 (KCNA) -- A girl Fusako Sano, 19, made her appearance in Japan on January 28 after she was reported missing ten years ago. When she was 9 years old, she was kidnapped by an unidentified Japanese man on the way to a primary school in Niigata Prefecture and has since been detained in his house.
Commenting on this, Rodong Sinmun today says this case is not something shocking in the Japanese society riddled with all sorts of social evils and crimes.
It continues:
30,000 cases of abduction and missing were reported in Japan last year alone. The Japanese police which claims to be intelligent is at a loss how to settle them. Judging from this, Japan is obviously a den of kidnappers though the Japanese authorities are not in a position to settle ceaseless kidnapping at home, they peddled the "suspected kidnapping" in a bid to slander the DPRK.
In the past the Japanese imperialists invaded Korea like brigands and inflicted innumerable misfortune and sufferings upon the Korean people. They abducted and walked away about 6 million young and middle-aged Koreans and kidnapped nearly 200,000 Korean women in broad daylight and reduced them to sexual slaves for the "imperial army".
Far from making a thousand-fold apology and compensation for these crimes, the Japanese authorities are pulling up the DPRK over the "suspected kidnapping". This is a height of effrontery.
The so-called "suspected kidnapping" is a product of their intentional and premeditated hostile policy toward the DPRK and no more than a sinister trick.
The Korean people will certainly make Japan pay a high price for this.
The Japanese reactionaries must draw a due lesson from the girl kidnapping case.
Peru commemorates Sun's Day
Pyongyang, March 6 (KCNA) -- A Korean photo, book and handicraft exhibition and a film week opened in Peru on February 22 with due ceremony to commemorate Sun's Day, April 15 when General Secretary President Kim Il Sung was born.
On display at the opening ceremony place were pictures, books and handicrafts introducing the achievements made by the Korean people in socialist construction under the leadership of General Secretary Kim Jong Il.
Speakers at the ceremony said that those pictures, books and handicrafts exhibited to commemorate the birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung make them have a better understanding of the developing culture of the DPRK.
Saying that independent politics is peculiar to the mode of politics shaped by Kim Jong Il who is creditably carrying forward the revolutionary cause started by Kim Il Sung, they stressed that only when the world people follow this independent politics of the DPRK can the global peace and security be guaranteed.
The participants saw a Korean film.
Kim Jong Il's birthday celebrated in 60 odd countries
Pyongyang, March 6 (KCNA) -- The progressive people of the world splendidly celebrated February 16, the 58th birthday of General Secretary Kim Jong Il.
Party and state leaders and political parties and organizations of different countries sent gifts, floral baskets and congratulatory cards to Kim Jong Il on his birthday. Among them were the central committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, the central committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, presidents of Congo, Guinea and Democratic Congo, the general secretary of the Party for Unity and Progress of Guinea and the council of ministers of the Cambodian government.
Prominent personages of political and public circles in many countries paid congratulatory visits to the DPRK embassies in their countries and laid baskets and bunches of flowers before the portraits of Kim Jong Il at the embassies. Among them were a delegation of the Khmer Combatants Party for Mulinaka and Liberty of Cambodia, a delegation of the Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea, the general secretary of the Good Green Guyana, the former chairman of the National Council of Nepal and a Cuban woman lawyer, Candelaria Rodriguez.
The national executive committee of the Socialist Party of Peru decided to elect Kim Jong Il Honorary Chairman of the party. Piura National University of Peru awarded a certificate of Honorary Doctor of philosophy and a gold medal to him while the city of Latakia in Syria awarded the Title of Honorary Citizen.
Preparatory committees for celebrating his birthday were formed and conducted brisk activities in 40 odd countries, including India, Nepal, Zimbabwe, Guinea, Russia, Italy, Guyana and Mexico, with an involvement of political party leaders, cabinet ministers and prominent public figures.
Celebration meeting, seminar, lecture meeting, book and photo exhibition, film show and other colorful celebration events took place on over 500 occasions in 60 odd countries.
Prominent personages of different countries published statements and articles or called press conferences to highly praise his greatness.
At least 180 media of 60 odd countries gave special write-ups with his portrait and pictures showing his revolutionary activities and broadcast celebration programs on his birthday.
Organizations of friendship with the Korean people and preparatory committees also released special issues of bulletins.
The celebrations of the February holiday in different countries represented the mind of the world's progressive people praising Kim Jong Il as the great sun of the 21st century.