Kim Jong Il inspects Taehongdan county integrated farm
Pyongyang, March 27 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il gave guidance to the Taehongdan county integrated farm in Ryanggang Province. He visited its power station, branch farm and demobilized soldiers' village.
He was accompanied by Kye Ung Thae and Kim Yong Sun, secretaries of the Central Committee of the WPK, and Jang Song Thaek, first vice director of a department of the WPK Central Committee.
He went first to Taehongdan Power Station no. 1.
He acquainted himself with the construction and operation of the power station and encouraged its employees in the drive for increased production. He noted with great satisfaction that Taehongdan county has not only fully met its needs for electricity for production by building many power stations on its own efforts but realized the electrical heating of houses for thousands of families and schools and is forcefully pushing ahead with the construction of new power stations.
He highly praised party members and other working people in the county for improving the standard of their living by fully displaying the revolutionary spirit of self-reliance.
He said that the efficiency of investment should be ensured by cutting down the norm of electricity use as much as possible and effectively using produced electricity.
He then went to the Sinhung branch farm.
He acquainted himself in detail with its potato farming last year.
He said that, in hearty response to the WPK's policy on effecting a revolutionary turn in potato farming, the Taehongdan county integrated farm registered a lot of successes and set forth highly important tasks which would serve as guidelines in drastically boosting potato harvest.
Efforts should be concentrated on the cultivation of potato, a high-yield crop in the alpine area to significantly increase the grain production, he said, adding that it is imperative to take proper measures to transport, store and process potato in advance in keeping with the drastic increase of potato production.
If the Taehongdan county integrated farm is to have high and stable harvests at all times, it is important to prevent damage by wind, he said, stressing that the size of fields should be fixed properly and more windbreak forests be created.
He learned about the level of mechanization of the farm work and set forth a task to convert it into a model communist farm in a short span of time where comprehensive mechanization is fully realized.
Now that the state has supplied the farm with a sufficient number of modern farm machines including large lorries and tractors with strong horsepower, he said it should meticulously organize the work to make an effective use of them and realise the comprehensive mechanization in a short period so as to build an ideal communist village, a paradise for people, on the Paektu plateau before others.
He looked round the demobilized soldiers' village in the Sodu branch farm.
He dropped in at the house of Min Won Sik, a demobilized soldier, and looked round its kitchen and rooms, taking care of his family's life down to all details as his real father would do.
He posed for a photograph with min won sik and his wife who had thrown themselves in his arms.
On the same day, he appreciated an art performance given by agricultural workers of the Taehongdan county integrated farm in a field education room of the Sodu branch farm.
Hong Song Nam congratulates Nepalese Prime Minister
Pyongyang, March 27 (KCNA) -- Premier of the DPRK cabinet Hong Song Nam sent a congratulatory message to Girija Prasad Koirala on his appointment as Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Nepal.
The message extended sincere congratulations to the Prime Minister and expressed the belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would continue to develop.
It also wished him greater success in his responsible work.
Vietnamese President on relations with DPRK
Pyongyang, March 27 (KCNA) -- Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong spoke of the relations between Vietnam and the DPRK when he met DPRK Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun and his party on March 25. He said that the Vietnamese party, government and people would strive to steadily strengthen the friendly and cooperative relations with the Korean people in the future.
He stressed that the Vietnamese people would always stand on the side of the Korean people and support them in socialist construction and the cause of national reunification.
He highly appreciated the achievements made by the Korean people under the wise guidance of the great leader Kim Jong Il.
Ostriches widely bred in Korea
Pyongyang, March 27 (KCNA) -- Ostriches, known to be habitable only in the tropical zone, are now bred in Korea.
They are in good condition.
Ostriches weigh 40 to 50 kg on an average after five months.
Ostriches are expected to lay eggs after may or June this year.
All this suggests a good prospect of ostrich breeding.
Even a few years ago, ostriches were bred mainly at zoos.
In recent years the state has taken a series of measures to breed ostriches on a large scale.
Researchers and experts in this field have studied and perfected breeding methods suited to their living conditions in Korea and adapted them to climatic and soil conditions in different areas of the country.
A large modern ostrich farm was built in Korea in October last year.
A work is now under way in local areas to specialize in breeding ostriches.
Idea of giving great importance to military serves
Pyongyang, March 27 (KCNA) -- It is the revolutionary philosophy of General Secretary Kim Jong Il to accomplish with arms the Korean revolution started with arms, says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article.
The article says:
The Korean People's Army is the pillar and the main force of the revolution and national defence is the most important state affair. This is the kernel of the unique idea of giving great importance to the military and the army-first revolutionary line advanced by Kim Jong Il.
The idea of giving great importance to the military and the army-first politics are, first of all, vital to defending the socialist political system.
All the people, thoroughly equipped with the socialist idea, absolutely support the Worker's Party of Korea and socialism in our country and the KPA is demonstrating its invincible might as the armed forces of the party and the leader.
The officers and men of the KPA are intensely loyal to the Supreme Commander, deeply aware that they are the army of the party and the Supreme Commander.
History and reality eloquently prove that neither party nor socialist power can exist without a powerful army and the army is precisely the party and the socialist state.
This idea and politics serve as an all-powerful sword to firmly defend the national sovereignty and dignity.
The KPA officers and men regard it their greatest honor to devote their lives to carrying out the orders of the respected supreme commander, crossing whatever steep mountains once they are issued. And they are thoroughly equipped with the combat methods of anti-Japanese guerrillas and the Juche-motivated war methods and possessed of all the latest offensive and defensive means. This is the proud appearance of the KPA today.
The WPK reacts to the ever more arrogant acts of the imperialists with a hard-line tough stand. And the DPRK is pursuing its dignified Juche-oriented diplomacy from its steadfast independent stand in external relations. All this stems from the might of the military.
This idea and politics also serve as motive force to make a decisive advance in the building of a powerful nation.
In the DPRK the KPA plays the role of a standard-bearer who accepts the party's economic policy before others and proves its validity in practice and who instills the revolutionary spirit of soldiers into the popular masses and powerfully rouses them to struggles and shining exploits.
Noting that there would be neither WPK nor socialist fatherland without the Marshal's idea of giving great importance to the military and army-first revolutionary leadership, the article stresses that the party, army and people will always uphold his idea and politics and build a powerful socialist nation and achieve the historic cause of national reunification and the victory of the revolutionary cause of Juche, guided by them.
U.S. Patriot missiles replaced by latest ones
Pyongyang, March 27 (KCNA) -- The U.S. has replaced all the Patriot missiles deployed in South Korea with the latest ones, according to a radio report from Seoul.
They attribute the replacement to defects found in the warhead and the guided system of the Patriot missile, but there is no doubt that the existing missiles have been replaced with the improved types of missiles as part of the arms buildup.
U.S. hit for apache replacement in S. Korea
Pyongyang, March 27 (KCNA) -- Minju Joson yesterday in a signed commentary termed the replacement of the existing helicopters "Apache" with new type ones in South Korea as fresh arms buildup.
The U.S. announced that it would begin replacing helicopters "AH-64A Apache" deployed in South Korea with helicopters "AH-64d Apache" in April, the commentary noted, and went on:
The U.S., raising a hue and cry over the "nuclear threat" and "missile threat", is shipping war equipment into South Korea.
Recalling that the commander of the U.S. forces in South Korea said new arms system would be deployed in South Korea in a few years to come, the commentary observed:
It is obvious that the arms buildup now under way under the signboard of the "replacement" is aimed at implementing the "operation plan 5027-98" targeted against the DPRK.
Through the DPRK-U.S. agreed framework the U.S. formally assured the DPRK that it would not pose a military threat to the DPRK. But it is massively introducing the latest war equipment into South Korea to browbeat the DPRK, backpedaling its promise. The DPRK will not remain a passive onlooker to it but take a strong counter-measure against this.
Anti-DPRK campaign may imperil DPRK-Japan inter-governmental talks
Pyongyang, March 27 (KCNA) -- Some Japanese politicians and media are busy with a diatribe twisting the nature of the relations between the DPRK and Japan and the pending issues between them at a time when the inter-governmental full-dress talks between the two countries are slated to take place soon.
In this regard, papers here continue carrying signed articles clarifying the nature of the relations between the DPRK and Japan and the pending issues between them.
Rodong Sinmun yesterday in an article titled "fundamental issue is settlement of past crimes" said that if the relations between the DPRK and Japan are to be improved, hostile feelings and distrust pent up between the two countries should be rooted out, and Japan is entirely to blame for this.
The article said:
The present relations between the DPRK and Japan should be described as those between the victim who suffered tremendous spiritual, moral, physical and material losses but has received neither apology nor compensation for them and the assailant who has not uttered even a word of apology for inflicting such enormous losses upon the former.
The main principle to govern the process of improving the relations between the DPRK and Japan remains unchanged.
It means that Japan's apology and compensation for their past crimes against the Korean people should be a start point in the work to improve the relations between the two countries.
The inter-governmental talks for the improvement of relations should be held on the basis of this principle.
The talks should take up the issue of Japan's apology and compensation to the Korean people, the core of the pending issues between the two countries.
If this basic issue is not discussed, there will be no need for the DPRK and Japan to sit together and waste time.
This being a stark reality, some Japanese politicians and media assert that such unrealistic issues as "suspected kidnapping" and "missile issue" should be taken up by the talks, talking about "people's feelings" and "domestic opposition."
This cannot be construed otherwise than a sinister intention to disturb the process for the improvement of the bilateral relations.
If their mean trick to distort the nature of the relations and pending issues between the two countries and moves to stifle the DPRK are allowed to go on, it may imperil the inter-governmental talks between the DPRK and Japan.
Minju Joson yesterday in an article titled "Japan should redeem its past crimes" said:
The DPRK clarified more than once its principled stand on the improvement of relations between the DPRK and Japan.
But, the Japanese reactionaries are busy distorting its crime-woven past and working hard to link such fictions of their own making as non-existent "suspected kidnapping" and "mysterious ship" with the DPRK on the eve of the opening of the talks. Nothing is more base than these moves.
Settlement of historical outstanding issue no further delay
Pyongyang, March 27 (KCNA) -- The 9th intergovernmental full-dress talks between the DPRK and Japan will be held soon.
In this regard Rodong Sinmun today runs a commentator's article.
Whether the talks can settle all the issues in line with the interests of the peoples of the two countries and their wishes or not depends entirely upon Japan's stand and attitude towards the atonement for the past wrongdoings, says the article.
It goes on:
The soon-to-be-resumed talks should be productive to make progress. If the talks run in name only, failing to make any progress, they are of no use.
To improve the bilateral relations is the desire and demand of the peoples of the two countries for reconciliation, good neighborliness, peace and cooperation.
The improvement of the bilateral relations is, in essence, for Japan to atone for the past crimes against the Korean people and, based on this, establish new good neighbor relations in conformity with the interests of the peoples of the two countries and the requirements of the times.
The core of the efforts to establish diplomatic ties between the two countries is Japan's atonement for the past.
It is also at the core of the settlement of the outstanding issues between the two countries.
At the historic turn of the century Japan's atonement for the past crimes against the Korean people brooks no further delay.
As for Japan's atonement for the past wrongdoings, it is the issue that has remained unsettled for more than half a century. It is not a mere economic and business-like matter of paying compensation and receiving it.
For its political importance and seriousness the atonement for the past wrongdoings is an urgent problem that should be solved within the year 2000.
The crimes the Japanese imperialists committed for nearly half a century are the grisliest ones. They inflicted immeasurable spiritual, moral, human, material and cultural losses upon the Korean people.
The DPRK has regarded Japan as the sworn enemy because Japan still refuses to atone for the past crimes. If Japan's atonement for the past crimes is resolved, other issues will be settled smoothly. Japan should properly understand this and begin the normalization process with atoning for the past crimes, the DPRK's principled demand.
The talks are imminent, but anti-Japanese feelings of the people's army and people and their caution against Japan are growing stronger than ever before because of the recent ill-boding moves in Japan.
The Japanese reactionaries defined the DPRK as their enemy and have amassed their armed forces in the coastal areas of Japan, the western region in particular. They are advocating a war theory, principle of aggression which calls for a "preemptive attack" on the DPRK and its "destruction."
The DPRK, however, is to have talks with Japan, in good faith with magnanimity.
At the soon-to-be-held talks the Japanese reactionaries intend to raise "kidnapping" and "missile" issues under the pretext of "sentiment of the Japanese." This compels the DPRK to cast a doubt about Japan's attitude toward the talks.
The Korean People's Army and people are greatly angry at the insincere stand and shameless attitude of Japan. They insist that they feel no need to have any dealing with Japan but use other means to force Japan to settle the crimes it has committed for one hundred years as well as its past wrongdoings, to satisfy the grudge of the nation.
Japan should have a proper understanding of the resentment and will of the people's army and people and take a correct approach toward the talks. It should not seek to get any "concession" from the DPRK by using issues other than the basic outstanding issue as a ploy for political bargaining and a means for fleeing from the responsibility for the atonement for the past. This attempt is not good for Japan itself, in the long run.
Japan should be mindful of its past lesson and, at the same time, face up to the present realities and come out to the talks with sincerity.
Independence Day of Bangladesh observed
Pyongyang, March 27 (KCNA) -- Papers here yesterday observed the 29th Independence Day of Bangladesh.
Papers in their signed articles referred to the successes the Bangladeshi people have made in the efforts to create a new life despite various difficulties since independence.
Papers noted that the Bangladeshi government, pursuing a non-aligned policy externally, has developed friendly and cooperative relations with many countries.
Rodong Sinmun said the DPRK is convinced that the friendly and cooperative relations between the peoples of the DPRK and Bangladesh will as always develop on good terms.
Minju Joson noted that the Korean people sincerely wish the Bangladeshi people greater success in the work to build a new, independent and prosperous society.
Three-point charter for Korea's reunification supported
Pyongyang, March 27 (KCNA) -- The general secretary of the leading committee of the People's Rally for Socialism of Democratic Congo at its meeting held on March 20 said that the meeting of the executive committee of the International Liaison Committee for Reunification and Peace in Korea called for an international signature campaign for supporting the three-point charter for Korea's reunification.
He stressed that it is the consistent stand of his party that the Korean peninsula should be reunified according to the charter.
Then the general secretary and the members of the leading committee of the rally signed a signature paper supporting the charter on behalf of 2,000 party members.
Korean books presented to Thailand
Pyongyang, March 27 (KCNA) -- Korean books were presented with due ceremony in Bangkok on March 21.
At the ceremony, reminiscences "With the Century" and other famous works of the President Kim Il Sung and immortal works of General Secretary Kim Jong Il including "On the Juche Idea" and Korean books were presented to the Palang Dharma (Righteous Force) Party of Thailand.
Firm solidarity to Korean people's just struggle
Pyongyang, March 27 (KCNA) -- Hannu Harju, chairman of the for peace and socialism-the Communist Worker's Party of Finland, giving his impressions of the DPRK, expressed firm solidarity with the righteous struggle of the Korean people.
He stressed that the Korean people have been able to defend socialism despite manifold hardships because the great Kim Jong Il is pursuing the army-first policy after training the army as the core and main force of the revolution.
The U.S., behaving like an "emperor" on this planet, do not hesitate to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries but they can never overpower the Korean people, he said.
He called on the communists and the progressive people of the world to follow the example of the iron-willed Korean people who uphold their leader with loyalty and strengthen solidarity with them, in the fight to defend the socialist system.
The communists of Finland will always stand on the side of the Korean people and victory belongs to the Korean people, he added.
Preparatory committees formed abroad
Pyongyang, March 27 (KCNA) -- The coming April 15 is Sun's Day. This day this year marks the 88th birth anniversary of the President Kim Il Sung.
On this occasion, preparatory committees are being formed with due ceremony world-wide to commemorate Sun's Day.
The national preparatory committee of Peru for commemorating Sun's Day was formed on February 10. Then followed preparatory committees in scores of countries including Guyana, Colombia, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Congo, Egypt, Uganda, Britain, France and Sweden and their number is on a steady increase.
Sun's Day is the greatest holiday not only for the Korean people but for the world progressives because they strongly wish to commemorate Sun's Day as an auspicious holiday common to humankind, retrospecting contributions made by the President to world peace and security and the prosperity of the progressive mankind all his life.
This desire is reflected in the inaugural functions of the preparatory committees for commemorating Sun's Day.
Speakers at inaugural meetings stressed that President Kim Il Sung is the great sun of the 20th century who fathered the Juche idea, illumining the road progressive mankind should follow.
The inaugural meeting of the all-India national preparatory committee called upon the progressive people of the world to grandly commemorate Sun's Day.
The inaugural meetings set the period from mid-March to mid-April for commemorations and announced action programs to organize meaningful and multifarious April events. They include rallies, symposiums, meetings, photo exhibitions, film shows, etc.
Among the members of the preparatory committees are officials of governments, political parties and social organizations and heads of friendship and solidarity organizations in those countries the committees have been formed.