Gift to Kim Jong Il
Pyongyang, April 24 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il received a gift from Callao city, Peru.
Its Mayor Alexander Kouri on a visit to Korea handed it to an official concerned.
Kim Yong Dae meets Peruvian guests
Pyongyang, April 24 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Dae, vice-president of the presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, met and had a talk in a friendly atmosphere with Alexander Kouri, Mayor of Callao of Peru, and his party at the Mansudae Assembly Hall today.
On the occasion the mayor wished the Korean people greater successes in the struggle for overcoming difficulties and hardships and achieving prosperity of the country.
The Peruvian government and people will make efforts in the future, too, for an earlier reunification of Korea, he stressed.
Present at the talk was Kim Jin Bom, vice-chairman of the Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries and chairman of the Korean Association of Friendship with Latin American and Caribbean Region.
Choe Thae Bok meets parliamentary delegation of Belgium
Pyongyang, April 24 (KCNA) -- Choe Thae Bok, chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, met and conversed in a friendly atmosphere with a parliamentary delegation from different political parties of Belgium led by Willy Burgeon, honorary president of Wallon regional parliament, at the Mansudae Assembly Hall today.
Mayor of Callao, Peru and his party welcomed
Pyongyang, April 24 (KCNA) -- A rally was held in Nampho yesterday to welcome mayor of Callao, Peru, Alexander Kouri and his party.
Pang Yong Dok, chairman of the Nampho city people's committee, in his speech said that the establishment of friendly city relations between nampho and Callao, port cities, reflected the daily strengthening relations of friendship between the two peoples.
He said:
The Peruvian government and people are now consolidating the political stability of the country and achieving progress in different fields and the Korean people are rejoiced over the achievements of the friendly Peruvian people as over their own and sincerely wish the Peruvian people a fresh advance in their efforts for the country's prosperity and development.
The two peoples have long been intimate friends and the Korean people will make positive efforts to expand and develop the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries in the idea of independence, peace and friendship.
Alexander Kouri in his speech said that the establishment of friendly city relations laid a solid foundation for further development of the friendly relations between the two countries and marked a historical event in developing mutual cooperation and interchange.
Peru and Korea have many common things in defending the sovereignty, he said, stressing:
The exchange of experience gained in cultural, scientific, technological and other fields will be a significant occasion in the development of relations between the two cities.
He sincerely hoped the revolutionary spirit of the Korean revolutionary forerunners would shine down through generations.
Relations of friendly cities established
Pyongyang, April 24 (KCNA) -- An agreement on the establishment of relations of friendly cities between Nampho, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and Callao, the Republic of Peru, was signed in Nampho yesterday.
The agreement was signed by Pang Yong Dok, chairman of the Nampho city people's committee, and Alexander Kouri, Mayor of Callao, Peru.
Kim Il Sung's whole life dedicated to people
Pyongyang, April 24 (KCNA) -- The Korean people's veneration for the President Kim Il Sung is growing stronger as days go by.
The President devoted his whole life to the people, regarding it as his maxim to believe in the people as in heaven.
He, who embarked on the road of the revolution for the sake of the people at the age of 13 always gave primary consideration to the people as far as the revolution and construction were concerned.
Right after the liberation of Korea on August 15, Juche 34 (1945) he did not drop in at his native home in Mangyongdae he left 20 years ago, but visited the Kangson Steel Works where he sat knee to knee with its workers and discussed state affairs.
His on-the-spot guidance reached every nook and corner of the country after that visit.
One day, he stayed all night with a peasant in a remote farmhouse to take measures to bring an affluent life to the people in the locality. The other day he went to a steel works and instructed its officials to blow up the oven of first stage-iron processing harmful to the health of its workers.
Upon dismounting the tribune of honor of the military parade held on the square in celebration of the victory in the Fatherland Liberation War, he visited a brickyard to provide dwelling houses to the people.
His love and devoted services for the people are clearly evidenced by the fact that he gave on-the-spot guidance to at least 18,000 units for the happiness of the people from the day of the liberation of Korea till July 8, Juche 83 (1994), the last year of his life.
He listened to people during his endless on-the-spot guidance and pursued popular policies in which their will was fully reflected.
After the war, he instructed officials to build the floor of the newly-built apartment houses for heating after hearing the simple words of a woman that heated floor of the room was better. And he proposed to adopt a decision of a congress of the Worker's Party of Korea on providing the countryside with water services after seeing a woman carrying a water jar on her head in the 1960s.
That is why the Korean people are holding the President in high esteem as the eternal leader and the great father of the people.
Collection of songs on geography released
Pyongyang, April 24 (KCNA) -- A collection of songs on geography (50 songs) recently came off the press in the DPRK.
Songs in the collection were made stanzaic in the ways of description, question-and-answer and amusement on the basis of content of the teaching materials on the subject of Korean geography for second-and third-year students of senior middle school and according to their age and their psychological characteristics.
Songs are simple and easy to sing.
A song "Grand Mt. Paektu Ranges Found by the Marshal" made stanzaic the names of 8 grand Mt. Paektu ranges by means of explanation.
Another song "Song of History of Names of Provinces" is written in a way of asking and answering.
"Mt. Kumgang, A Pride of My Country" which sings of areas and fine scenery of Mt. Kumgang in 4 seasons is popularly sung by girl pupils when they play skipping, a national folk game.
The words of all songs have clear seeds, deep meaning and popularity.
Pupils consolidate learned knowledge, singing these songs when they make mountaineering, excursions and inspections and play amusement games.
Revolutionary armed forces of Korea
Pyongyang, April 24 (KCNA) -- It is 68 years since President Kim Il Sung founded a revolutionary army of Korea.
The revolutionary army of Korea still in its infancy had to wage a bloody struggle against the Japanese imperialist army one million strong without any state-backing home front and support of any regular army. The revolutionary army of Korea gave the Japanese imperialists the shivers everywhere with its unique tactics and eventually defeated them and liberated the country on august 15, Juche 34 (1945).
Soon after the liberation of Korea, it grew into the Korean People's Army with all arms and services in a short time. It also displayed its invincible might in the fatherland liberation war against the armed invasion by the U.S. imperialists and honorably defended the sovereignty of the country and the nation.
During socialist construction, it creditably safeguarded the security of the country and the people, smashing every maneuver of the U.S. to unleash a new war.
The heroic Korean People's Army has grown stronger since it has had the respected leader Kim Jong Il as the Supreme Commander.
He, possessed of the traits and military qualifications of a brilliant commander, has brought the height of prosperity in the development of the revolutionary armed forces, glorifying President Kim Il Sung's cause of army building.
He made it the supreme program of army building to model the whole army on the Juche idea and set the revolutionary army of Korea invariably defending and glorifying its character of an army of the leader and the party.
In order to build up the KPA as an invincible army he gave on-site guidance to thousands of units of three services of the KPA, forefront posts and military academies.
Today the KPA has grown into the strongest regular army equipped with powerful offensive and defensive means.
Particularly, the ideological and moral traits of the army soldiers are considerably high.
All the soldiers of the KPA are now full of the spirit of devotedly defending the leader and the spirit of being human bombs and suicide bombers with which to lay down their lives on the forefront of revolution for their leader, party and people.
There is no limit in the might of the KPA.
National meeting marks 68th foundation anniversary of KPA
Pyongyang, April 24 (KCNA) -- A national meeting was held today with large attendance at the 6,000-seat theatre of the April 25 House of Culture here to celebrate the 68th foundation anniversary of the Korean People's Army.
Present there were Kim Yong Nam, Jo Myong Rok, Kim Yong Chun, Kim Il Chol, Ri Ul Sol, Hong Song Nam and other senior officials of the party, the state and the army.
Invited were foreign diplomatic envoys and military attaches here.
Kim Il Chol, Minister of the People's Armed Forces and vice-chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission, made a report "the KPA built under the leadership of the great commander is invincible."
He said:
Our revolutionary armed forces have firmly guaranteed with arms the revolutionary cause pioneered by the leader and successfully fulfilled their noble mission assumed before the country and the people, the times and revolution for nearly 70 years since their foundation.
Our people's army could fulfil its noble mission, demonstrating its invincible might in the protracted Korean revolution thanks to the great leaders, the great commanders who have stood in the van of the revolutionary armed forces.
The Korean People's Army has grown up under the guidance of the great leader Kim Il Sung, great communist revolutionary fighter Kim Jong Suk and the respected Supreme Commander Kim Jong Il and the path covered by it in the past is shining with the exploits performed by the three commanders of Mt. Paektu in the army building and the history of their army-first leadership.
The KPA has grown to be an army strong in ideology and faith, a-match-for-a-hundred army and invincible elite forces fully equipped with powerful offensive and defensive means and Juche-oriented war method, he said.
Pointing out that the policy of attaching great importance to the army is the most important state affair and a strategic line to which we should always hold fast, the reporter said that strengthening the KPA among other things is the way of firmly defending the sovereignty of the Korean nation and militarily guaranteeing the building of a powerful socialist nation.
The guidance of the leader, the Supreme Commander is the life and soul of the KPA and the source of the invincibility and might of the revolutionary armed forces of the Worker's Party of Korea lies in upholding the leadership of Kim Jong Il with loyalty, he said, and continued:
All the KPA officers and men should arm themselves with Kim Jong Il's Juche-oriented idea of military strategy and tactics and war methods, make matchless fortitude their physical quality and strengthen the military discipline so as to perfect their combat readiness.
Referring to the fact that the situation on the Korean peninsula still remains extremely tense, fraught with the danger of war, Kim Il Chol stressed:
It is the unshakable stand and tradition of our revolutionary armed forces to maintain a high degree of the revolutionary principle and vigilance and firmly hold arms of revolution in hands to creditably discharge the mission as the main force in accomplishing the cause of Juche no matter how the situation may change.
Having gone through thick and thin, weathering out the stern tempest of the revolution, the people's army and people of the DPRK will triumphantly counter any tough stance and appeasement tactics of the enemy and make a resolute counter-attack to defend their system and homeland as firm as an impregnable fortress if anyone attempts to violate its sovereignty and revolutionary gains even a bit.
"ROK" army atrocities in Vietnam disclosed
Pyongyang, April 24 (KCNA) -- The April 12 issue of the U.S. magazine Newsweek, repeatedly disclosing the atrocities committed by the "ROK" army soldiers who were driven as cannon fodder to the U.S.'s war of aggression on Vietnam from the 1960s to the 1970s, said that the South Korean authorities got about one billion dollars from the U.S. in return for dispatching troops to south Vietnam.
The magazine quoted Ri Tong Won who was the then "Minister of Foreign Affairs" of South Korea as telling an editor of the magazine that the Vietnam War was a golden opportunity of earning money while pretending to help others.
The magazine reiterated that the "ROK" army killed more than 8,000 civilians in south Vietnam.
Mass killings of "political prisoners" disclosed
Pyongyang, April 24 (KCNA) -- The "ROK" army and police massacred at least 2,000 "political prisoners" in Yongo-ri, Jichon-myon, Chilgok county, North Kyongsang Province, without trial during the last Korean War, and in those days the U.S. military had known it, a Seoul-based radio reported. This fact was disclosed by the recently declassified U.S. military documents and eye-witnesses.
It was brought to light by Associated Press when it found out U.S. military documents including two reports and letters of high-ranking officials related to the massacre in Yongo-ri while investigating the brutal massacres committed by the U.S. in Rogun-ri, Yongdong county, North Chungchong Province.
According to them, the then mass killing was watched by U.S. Army officers and the then "commander of UN forces," Macarthur had known it through a report of the U.S. Army, the report said.
Japan's proper settlement of its past called for
Pyongyang, April 24 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary refutes a wrong opinion floated in Japan as regards the intergovernmental talks between the DPRK and Japan.
Judging from what could be heard from Japan, one cannot but cast a serious doubt about Japan's stand on the liquidation of its past. .
Reiterating the principled stand of the DPRK on Japan's liquidation of its past, the commentary notes:
At the intergovernmental talks between the two countries the DPRK side proposed a preferential discussion and solution of the issues of apology and compensation for human and material losses, return of cultural treasures and compensation for them and improvement of the legal status of the Korean nationals in Japan as the core of the issue of liquidation.
It is an undeniable just demand.
There is growing opinion in the DPRK that if Japan is not ready to properly solve the issue of Japan's liquidation of its past there is no need to have talks with it and the DPRK should turn to other method as a victim.
Japan should clearly understand the feeling and stand of the army and people of the DPRK and properly handle the issue of liquidation of its past, the historical pending issue between them.
The DPRK's stand on developing the good neighborly relations with Japan on the basis of the redress of its past is entirely just and its stand and will to do so will never change.
Japan is well advised to behave itself, clearly mindful of this, the commentary concludes.
U.S. bellicose forces' false propaganda assailed
Pyongyang, April 24 (KCNA) -- U.S. warmongers recently let Asian Wall Street Journal float the false rumour that the north and south of Korea "do not hope for reunification".
In this regard Rodong Sinmun today says in a signed commentary:
This is an insult to the Korean nation that has lived in one and the same territory as a homogeneous nation for thousands of years and an unbearable challenge to the desire of the fellow countrymen for national reunification.
The United States has systematically hindered the dialogue arranged between the north and south with much effort, dead-set against Korea's reunification in pursuit of its strategic interests.
This rubbish talked by the U.S. as soon as the north-south agreement was made public is intended to create distrust between the north and south and seek a pretext for the permanent U.S. military presence in South Korea.
The United States stoops to any sheer fabrication to achieve its despicable aim.
The United States is directly responsible for the Korean issue. Therefore, the United States is duty-bound to contribute to Korean reunification.
The United States should adopt a decision to withdraw the U.S. troops whose stationing is the leftover of the cold war era and which is a obstacle in the way of the reunification of Korea, from South Korea without delay.
It is high time that the United States made a radical switchover in its anachronistic policy of aggression toward the DPRK.
If the United States continues hindering Korea's reunification against the trend of history, it will not escape from a stern judgement by the Korean people.
KCNA urges Japan to redress its wrong past
Pyongyang, April 24 (KCNA) -- Media of Japan are these days building up public opinion that redress of its past wrongs done against the DPRK should be made in form of meeting "property claims."
This is a crafty move to settle by commercial means the past of Japan which inflicted misfortune upon the Korean nation for nearly half a century. It is also an expression of the very dishonest attitude of Japan which has no will to make a sincere apology and compensation.
We state explicitly that the disgraceful past history of the Japanese can never be mended in form of meeting "property claims."
At the recent DPRK-Japan intergovernmental talks the DPRK side made clear its principled stand on this issue.
If Japan is to redress its past, it should make an apology and compensation for human and material losses inflicted upon the Korean people, return or compensate for the looted or destroyed cultural treasures of Korea and improve the legal status of Korean residents in Japan.
It is impossible to expect improved relations between the DPRK and Japan before the settlement of this issue.
Therefore, the issue should be a main topic of discussion and a basic task of the intergovernmental talks.
This stand of ours has irrefutable validity and reason.
Japan has imposed untold pain and disgrace upon the Korean people for one century of its aggression and hostility toward Korea, especially during its nearly half century-long occupation of Korea.
Japan's redress of its past crimes committed against the DPRK is not a business-like matter but an important political problem. It is also necessary for Japan to get reputation as a member of the international community.
This is very instrumental in making Korea and Japan, near yet distant countries, have ties of near and friendly neighbors.
The issue of Japan's redress of past, clarified by the DPRK, should be settled at the intergovernmental full-dress talks to be held in Tokyo.
Greetings to Rwandan President
Pyongyang, April 24 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, on April 21 sent a message of greetings to Paul Kagame upon his assumption of office as President of the Republic of Rwanda.
The message warmly congratulated him upon his assumption of office as President of the Republic of Rwanda.
It wished him great success in his work to promote national unity and reconciliation and achieve the development of the country and expressed belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the DPRK and Rwanda would continue to develop on good terms.
Reply message to Kim Yong Nam from Putin
Pyongyang, April 24 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, on April 15 received a message from Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin in reply to his message of greetings sent to him on his election as President of the Russian Federation.
The reply message expressed the belief that the friendly relations between the two countries and the two peoples having a long tradition and the treaty of friendship, good neighborliness and cooperation signed some time ago would develop overall in the future.
It wished Kim Yong Nam good health and success in his responsible activity.
Korean books donated to Peru
Pyongyang, April 24 (KCNA) -- A ceremony for presenting Korean books was held at the building of the People's Front of Workers, Peasants and Students of Peru on April 13.
At the ceremony books including famous works of the President Kim Il Sung and General Secretary Kim Jong Il were handed to Genaro Ledesma Izquieta, chairman of the People's Front of Workers, Peasants and Students of Peru, by the DPRK ambassador to Peru.
After receiving the books, the chairman said that the works of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il are the precious treasure by which the front should be guided and that he would set these precious works as a must book for his party members.
Joint meeting of Yugoslav political parties and organizations
Pyongyang, April 24 (KCNA) -- A joint meeting of political parities and organizations of Yugoslavia was held in Belgrade on April 8 on the occasion of Sun's Day.
Present there were the chairman of the "Josip Broz Tito Center" of Yugoslavia, the chairman of the worker's party, and representatives of the Socialist People's Party, the league of communists and other political parties and organizations.
The chairman of the "Josip Broz Tito Center" in his report said that the feats performed by the great leader Kim Il Sung in the development of the Korean revolution and the world revolution hold a particular place in the history of the communist movement and the working class movement.
One of the greatest feats performed by him for the Korean revolution and the world revolution as a veteran statesman of the world is the successful solution of the issue of succession to the cause of revolution, he noted.
A letter to General Secretary Kim Jong Il was adopted at the meeting.
Juche idea study group formed in Tajikistan
Pyongyang, April 24 (KCNA) -- The February 16 Group for the Study of the Juche Idea Named After "Marshal Kim Jong Il" in Leninabad Region, Tajikistan, was inaugurated in Dushanbe on April 12 with due ceremony on the occasion of Sun's Day.
M. Maxzhonnov, first secretary of the Young Communist League of the Region, was elected chief of the group at the ceremony.
The ceremony renamed the study group the study society and decided to further expand and develop it into a nationwide organisation for the study of the Juche idea.
A letter to General Secretary Kim Jong Il was adopted at the ceremony.
North-south agreement favored abroad
Pyongyang, April 24 (KCNA) -- The Indian Committee for Supporting Korea's Reunification and the All India Indo-Korean Friendship Association issued statements on April 16 in support of the north-south agreement.
The statements said that the north-south agreement was made public thanks to the wise guidance of the great leader Kim Jong Il who is conducting energetic activities to accelerate the independent and peaceful reunification of the country by thoroughly implementing the behest of the President Kim Il Sung on national reunification.
They strongly demanded the South Korean authorities take a correct attitude and stand on the reunification of the country in the spirit of national independence in order to make the projected inter-Korean summit talks successful.
The international secretary of the central committee of the Communist Party-KPML(R) in Sweden and the director of the material research department of the Socialist Unionist Party of Syria supported the inter-Korean summit talks.
Three-point charter of Korea's reunification supported abroad
Pyongyang, April 24 (KCNA) -- An international signature campaign is going on to support the three-point charter of Korea's reunification.
The signature paper was signed by Shaburi Badar, deputy general secretary of the international confederation of Arab trade unions, on behalf of 11 million Arab workers in Damascus, Syria, on April 5, and the general secretary of the Arab Lawyers Union on behalf of the bar associations of at least 20 Arab countries on April 12.
On March 27, the national chairman of the National Movement of the Genuine Lumumbist Combatants of Democratic Congo signed together with 20 movement leadership members the paper on behalf of 400,000 movement members at a special meeting of the political bureau of the movement.
The paper was signed by Baguma Isoque, Minister of State for Water, Land and Environment of Uganda, and party leaders and parliamentarians of Uganda at a meeting held in the building of the parliament of Uganda on April 4.
In Nepal, Sahana Pradhan, chairman of the central committee of the Communist Party (ML), and leaders of other political parties and organizations signed the paper on behalf of their parties and organizations.