Kim Jong Il enjoys art performance
Pyongyang, March 13 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il enjoyed a performance given by art propaganda squads of the navy and air force commands of the Korean People's Army on March 12.
Members of the art propaganda squads put on the stage a chorus "Sound of Horse's Hoof on Mt. Paektu," a male solo and pangchang "Where Is the Dear General," a solo and agitation "Let Us More Tightly Hold the Weapon of the Revolution," a poem and chorus "Let Us Uphold Our Supreme Commander With Arms" and other colorful numbers of various art styles.
Through the performance, the squad members vividly showed the invincible might of the KPA and the firm faith and will of the people's army soldiers to devotedly safeguard the headquarters of the revolution and accomplish the Juche revolutionary cause at any cost with arms under the guidance of General Secretary Kim Jong Il.
They also eloquently proved the validity and vitality of the WPK's policy on conducting art propaganda activities as anti-Japanese guerrillas did and clearly demonstrated the might of the soldier-artistes who are creditably performing their militant mission as honorable fighters on the forefront of the ideological front, sharing sweets and bitters with soldiers.
Kim Jong Il expressed great satisfaction with the successful performance given by the members of the art propaganda squads as artistes of the revolutionary army and highly praised their achievements in giving courage and confidence in sure victory to soldiers by conducting brisk revolutionary and militant art propaganda activities with intense loyalty to the party and the leader.
He acquainted himself in detail with their activities and set forth highly important tasks which would serve as guidelines in more thoroughly converting activities of all art propaganda squads of combined units into the anti-Japanese guerrilla style.
The performance was appreciated by director of the general political department of the KPA Jo Myong Rok, chief of the general staff of the KPA Kim Yong Chun, Minister of the People's Armed Forces Kim Il Chol and other KPA general officers.
It was also appreciated by secretary of the Central Committee of the Worker's Party of Korea Kim Yong Sun and first vice-directors of departments of the party central committee.
Greetings to Mauritius President
Pyongyang, March 13 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, on March 9 sent a message of greetings to Cassam Uteem, President of Mauritius, on the occasion of the 32nd anniversary of the independence of Mauritius and the 8th anniversary of the proclamation of the republic.
The message wished the President and people of Mauritius greater success in their work for achieving progress and prosperity of the country.
Hoeryong chestnut
Pyongyang, March 13 (KCNA) -- The Songbuk, village, situated 10km northwest of county town of Hoeryong in North Hamgyong Province, cherishes a national pride: A chestnut tree rare to occur in northern Korea. Called as Hoeryong chestnut and listed as a national living monument, it grows in the cold latitudes far beyond its normal zone.
Dating from 1920, it is 8.8m tall, 35cm across at the base of the trunk and 9.2m across the tree-top. The branches are gray and the boughs grayish brown, and the twinges are shorter and thinner than average.
The first frost comes around September 29 and the last around April 30.
The buds sprout between May 25 and June 5 and the blossoms come out between June 10 and 22. The fruit ripens in late September through early October and the tree sheds leaves in late October. The cluster of chestnut is round-shaped and average-sized, and a fruit weighs some 10 grammers.
Because of its location on the northern off-limits of chestnut distribution, the tree is of academic interest in studying the occurrence of plants in relation to the ecosystem.
Loving care shown on soldier-builders
Pyongyang, March 13 (KCNA) -- Soldier-builders of the Korean People's Army who participated in the reconstruction of the Mujigae (rainbow) tunnel visited Pyongyang some days ago to inspect the native home of President Kim Il Sung in Mangyongdae, the Kumsusan Memorial Palace, the three-revolution exhibition and other places.
Their visit is associated with the paternal loving care and solicitude of General Secretary Kim Jong Il for the soldier-builders.
The reconstruction of the Mujigae tunnel on the Pyongyang-Wonsan Motorway began at a time when the Korean people were making the "arduous march", tiding over ordeals.
For the sake of traffic convenience in this period, General Secretary entrusted the KPA with the reconstruction of the tunnel.
When the project started, he frequently acquainted himself with the project and solved all the knotty problems even under the difficult conditions of the country.
In a year when the project was in full swing, he saw to it that special food was served for the soldier-builders on several occasions, saying that they were taking much trouble under the difficult conditions.
Under his warm loving care and solicitude, they pushed ahead with the project in the revolutionary spirit of self-reliance though they did such work for the first time.
When water dripped from the ceiling, they studied and introduced new construction methods and when electricity supply was suspended, they lighted lamps and stepped up the project with hammering, so that they completed the project in three years.
Looking round the rebuilt tunnel in February, Kim Jong Il gave thanks to the whole unit for taking much trouble.
Informed that some soldiers put off their discharge till the completion of the project, he told the commanding officers to send them to universities as they hoped and wanted, and posed for a souvenir picture with soldier-builders.
Japan urged to apologize for Sugishima's espionage
Pyongyang, March 13 (KCNA) -- Takashi Sugishima, researcher of the Japan Market Economy Institute, was detained on November 30 last year by a relevant organ for his espionage in violation of the DPRK's law after coming to it as a member of a delegation. In this regard Rodong Sinmun today carries a signed commentary.
The commentary says:
It was confirmed that he had been engaged in espionage aimed to gather information related to secrets of the party, state and military in the DPRK, relations between the DPRK and U.S., between the DPRK and Japan and other matters related to the DPRK's foreign policy.
Though three months have passed since the disclosure of the case, the Japanese government has neither admitted nor apologized for it.
Sugishima fully confessed and admitted that he committed espionage by use of a portable tape recorder and camera and other devices for his spying activities, the commentary notes, and goes on: this is only part of the undeniable convincing material and legal evidence.
The results of the investigation clearly proves that his espionage was conducted under a carefully worked out plan of the relevant organ of Japan and the South Korean authorities and obviously what he did was anti-DPRK espionage.
He deserves punishment under the relevant law of the DPRK as his espionage against the DPRK has been confirmed.
The Japanese authorities' adamant insistence that his espionage has nothing to do with the government makes the case more complicated and will turn the situation more unfavorable to them.
Japan is well advised to behave itself so that its regret may not come too late.
Struggle for vital right in S. Korea
Pyongyang, March 13 (KCNA) -- At least 1,000 taxi drivers in Jeju Island, South Korea, on March 9 occupied the conference room of the "provincial assembly", expressing dissatisfaction with the deceptive license system of the authorities, a Seoul-based radio reported.
Enraged at the fact that they could not properly operate taxi business owing to the misrule of the authorities, they occupied the conference room in demand of negotiations with the "provincial governor" and went on a sit-in strike.
Then they staged a demonstration on the road in front of the "provincial office", insisting on their just demand and rights.
KCNA on Japan's foolish trick
Pyongyang, March 13 (KCNA) -- Recently officials and some media of Japan have peddled the "Yodo" plane case again in a bid to link it with the U.S. issue of declassifying the DPRK as a "sponsor of terrorism".
It is not hard to guess the trick of the Japanese reactionaries to fish in the troubled waters while unnecessarily meddling in other's affair.
We make clear that the "Yodo" plane case can never be linked with the issue of "sponsoring terrorism" and their persistent allegation is a far-fetched argument which can be made only by those who are steeped in the logic of drawing water to one's own mill.
The truth about the "Yodo" plane case, the so-called airliner "hijacking" by left-wing students of Japan, was disclosed 30 years ago by a KCNA statement issued on April 4, 1970 in which the DPRK explicitly clarified that it could never play the role of Japanese police.
It is, therefore, preposterous for them to describe the DPRK stand and attitude toward those involved in the airliner "Yodo" case as a "support to terrorism." Japan and the United States must be called the world's biggest sponsors of terrorism as they are operating as dens of international exiles after alluring or taking away peoples of the DPRK and many other countries to reduce them to "exiles".
The Japanese reactionaries are well advised to stop such a foolish anti-DPRK diatribe over the worn-out "Yodo" plane case and liquidate their crime-woven past as soon as possible.
Status of forces agreement privileges GI criminals
Pyongyang, March 13 (KCNA) -- The U.S. troops in South Korea are privileged by the South Korean authorities' flunkeyist and treacherous action.
The U.S. troops stationed in Japan and Germany, defeated countries, are bound by law.
But the gi criminals are enjoying extra-territorial privilege in South Korea.
It is guaranteed by the "status of forces agreement" signed between the U.S. and the South Korean authorities.
In the "agreement" the South Korean authorities are to resign jurisdiction over the U.S. aggression troops.
The "agreement" stipulates that though the South Korean police arrest a GI criminal in the very act, they may investigate after sending a written demand for the attendance of a suspect to the U.S. military authority within 48 hours.
Only when investigation is accompanied and recognized by a representative of the U.S. side shall it be effective.
In this case, even though the criminal refuses to make a statement, judging it is unfavorable to him, the police have no say.
And it is stipulated that the U.S. military side has the first jurisdiction of a crime committed by gi "in the execution of his official duties," irrespective of its character.
This exempts the gi from crime.
If a criminal runs away to the unit of U.S. troops, the police go for nothing.
It is not accidental that the South Korean police said right after the arrest of McCarthy who killed a South Korean woman that "it is not easy for them to call him to account if he refuses his crime."
The U.S. criminals in South Korea are transferred to the U.S. military side and given "caution, warning" and light punishment at the most or discharged and sent back to their country.
That is why the South Korean people demand that the "status of forces agreement" be revised and the gi criminal severely punished.
On the contrary, the South Korean authorities advocate and back the U.S. troops, saying that "some concession is unavoidable."
As long as the U.S. aggressor troops remain in South Korea and the South Korean authorities continue flunkeyist and treacherous action, the crimes of the U.S. troops can never be stopped.
Tokyo metropolitan governor's anti-DPRK diatribe
Pyongyang, March 13 (KCNA) -- The DPRK Committee for Investigation Into the Damage Done by the Japanese Imperialists During Their Occupation of Korea issued a statement today bitterly denouncing Tokyo metropolitan governor Shintaro Ishihara for his provocative remarks that "Japan would destroy North Korea at a blow if it resorts to a folly." Dismissing it as an extremely provocative and bellicose outburst against the Korean people and an intolerable mockery of them, the statement says:
His outburst laid bare the hysteric anti-DPRK row kicked up by the right-wing reactionary forces of Japan and their ambition for reinvasion. This clearly shows what a dangerous phase they have reached in their moves to divert the trend for opening the diplomatic relations between the DPRK and Japan and to fan up revanchism and hysteric zeal for aggression in Japan.
The Japanese militarists occupied Korea by force of arms and enforced an unprecedentedly harsh colonial rule over it, inflicting unspeakable misfortune, pain, disaster and loss upon the Korean people for more than 40 years. Yet, the Japanese reactionaries are now watching for a chance of reinvasion instead of making a sincere apology and compensation for their past crimes. They should clearly know that the grudge and hatred of our people's army and people for militarist Japan have reached their zenith.
The ultra-nationalist reactionary forces like Ishihara are well advised to behave with discretion, mindful that if they run amuck like a puppy who knows no fear of the tiger, it will only hasten their miserable self-destruction.
The committee seriously warns the Japanese reactionaries that if they ignite a war of aggression against the DPRK, the Korean people will never miss the chance to give vent to the century-old wrath of the nation against the Japanese on behalf of the whole nation.
Congolese preparatory committee formed
Pyongyang, March 13 (KCNA) -- A Congolese preparatory committee was formed in Brazzaville on March 3 to commemorate Sun's Day, the birth anniversary of the President Kim Il Sung.
The chairman of the Congolese association for friendship among peoples was elected chairman of the committee at the inaugural meeting.
The meeting set a period from March 3 to April 20 for commemorating Sun's Day to learn from Kim Il Sung, the great leader of the Korean people and the world progressive peoples, and decided to organize multifarious commemoration events during the period.
Kim Il Sung lauded
Pyongyang, March 13 (KCNA) -- Serei Kosal, deputy general secretary of the Funcinpec party of Cambodia, highly praised the President Kim Il Sung.
He led the party delegation on a visit to the DPRK.
In his travelogue to the DPRK contributed to the March 3 issue of the Cambodian paper Naktasu he said that he more keenly felt how ardently the fraternal Korean people are holding in high esteem Kim Il Sung who fathered the Juche idea.
Kim Il Sung led to victory the war provoked by outside forces and turned the DPRK into a highly developed country without the assistance of any country, he noted.
He said that during his visit to the DPRK he more keenly felt the excellent relations of friendship between the Funcinpec party and the Worker's Party of Korea.