International organization members help Korean farmers
Pyongyang, June 5 (KCNA) -- Representative Dilawar Ali Khan and members of the UN Children's Fund Office in the DPRK yesterday helped farmers of the Taesong cooperative farm on the outskirts of Pyongyang in rice transplantation.
That day they conveyed to the farm aid materials.
Rally and demonstration of S. Korean workers
Pyongyang, June 5 (KCNA) -- An estimated 10,000 unionists under the South Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) on Sunday held a rally in university street in Seoul and staged a street demonstration in demand of shorter working hours and provision of jobs for the under-employed, according to a radio report from Seoul.
KCTU declared it would continue the strike by June 10 in protest to the authorities' refusal to meet its just demand.
Three-point charter of Korea's reunification supported
Pyongyang, June 5 (KCNA) -- Participants in the world peace conference held in Athens joined in the international signature campaign for supporting the three-point charter of Korea's reunification.
The signature paper was signed by Honorary Chairman of the World Peace Council Romesh Chandra and delegates of peace movement organizations from different countries including Nepal, Cuba, the United States, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Argentina, Mexico, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Canada on behalf of their organizations.
Meanwhile, political and public figures of Greece including the Mayor of Keratsini took part in the signature campaign on behalf of over 1,200,000 people from all walks of life.
Kim Jong Il acclaimed as Honorary Chairman of Peruvian political party
Pyongyang, June 5 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il was acclaimed as Honorary Chairman of the Socialist Party of Peru.
Written in the certificate awarded to Kim Jong Il by the party are the following letters: The national executive committee of the Socialist Party of Peru decided to acclaim Kim Jong Il, who has made a great contribution to the socialist cause of the world and performed the immortal feats for the Korean revolution and construction, as Honorary Chairman of the party with enthusiastic approval of the party members on January 24, 2000.
The party declares January 24 as Day of Peru-DPRK Friendship, the certificate says.
Anti-U.S. struggle in S. Korea
Pyongyang, June 5 (KCNA) -- An event of creating human belt for Maehyang-ri free from bombing will be held in Maehyang-ri, Ujong-myon, Hwasong county in Kyonggi Province of South Korea on June 6 with attendance of more than 10,000 people from all walks of life, according to a radio report from Seoul.
Residents in Maehyang-ri, members of civic and public organizations, students and other people will participate in the event to the co-sponsored by the People's Movement for Revision of the Shackling "ROK-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement" and the Citizens Measure Committee for Removal of the U.S. Troops' Firing Range In Maehyang-ri.
Its participants are to create a human belt to encircle the firing range, remove wire entanglements and plant plum trees there as a token of "peaceful Maehyang-ri."
Reporting about it, the radio said "great outcry of civilians demanding closure of the U.S. military firing range will go up in the sky of Maehyang-ri full of noise of fighters and bombing of the U.S. air force."
As already reported, the South Korea-U.S. "joint investigation team" despite strong protest of public opinion announced on June 1 that the bombing exercise of the U.S. air-force planes had "no direct relation" to the damage done to inhabitants.
Enraged at this, inhabitants have decided to hold the event in order to stage a stronger anti-U.S. resistance.
World Environment Day observed
Pyongyang, June 5 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today observes the World Environment Day.
The problem of environmental protection presents itself as a crucial issue to be solved by humankind without fail, the paper says, and goes on:
Environment is polluted and degraded in various parts of the world owing to a series of factors. Air pollution is well beyond the tolerance limits and the ozone layer is depleted to cause all sorts of disasters in different countries of the world.
Great attention is being paid to the daily worsening environment worldwide.
The work to protect environment is making successful progress in the DPRK.
The DPRK is well known to the world as a country free from environmental pollution and the lives of the people are protected and their health promoted thanks to the nationwide drive to protect environment.
The Korean people will as ever work hard to protect environment, an issue common to humankind, and develop international cooperation in this field.
Shameless, brigandish allegation
Pyongyang, June 5 (KCNA) -- The announcement of the results of investigation into people's damage in Maehyang-ri by the U.S.-South Korea "joint investigation team" is an intolerable mockery and insult upon the South Korean people, says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary.
The investigation results said that the bomb dropping by U.S. air force planes is "not directly related" to the injuries of residents.
It was said that although 6 bombs explode at the same time, shock on the coastal area 1.8 km away does not reach the standard and splinters spread no more than 777 metres.
The results alleged that spasm of some residents and abortion of tens of cows and other damage were not caused by bombing.
The U.S. aggression troops, seeking to shirk their criminal responsibility for immeasurable sufferings and tribulations upon the South Korean people, are shameless, brigandish groups, the commentary says, and goes on:
Investigation should have made clear the purpose of dropping live bombs, the organizer and executor of bombing, human and material damage of scores of years and destruction and pollution level of ecological environment and set forth a proposal for damages and withdrawal of the U.S. military base as demanded by Maehyang-ri villagers.
But the "investigation team" limited its object to the current incident and did its work such a way as to prove no damage upon residents.
Not included in the investigation were the use of depleted uranium bullets and radioactive contamination, a serious problem.
Maehyang-ri villagers and organisations concerned expressed indignation, branding the investigation by the "joint investigation team" as perfunctory.
The fact gives again the lesson of blood that the South Korean people can never be freed from misfortunes, tribulations and slaughter any time as long as the U.S. imperialists remain stationed in South Korea.
DPRK proud of world woman weightlifting title holder
Pyongyang, June 5 (KCNA) -- Ri Song Hui, Korean woman weightlifter, has become a topic of discussion among world weightlifters.
She succeeded in her first attempt in jerk 131.5 kg, 0.5 kg more than her previous world record set at the 13th Asian Women's Weightlifting Championships. Her spectacular success created various episodes such as "woman Hercules", "mistake of experts on weightlifting."
Ri clinched a three-gold sweep in a game to create fables about weightlifting.
21 years old people's athlete, Ri was born as the only daughter of an ordinary worker's family. Sports were her hobby from her childhood and she liked track and field events very much in her primary school days. From her age of 12 she received systematic education in weightlifting at the county junior sports school.
For her strong physique, excellent technique and rare fighting spirit she won several national girl's weightlifting tournaments of junior sports schools, setting new national records.
She has been active at the Amnokgang Sports Group since May Juche 86 (1997).
She made a brilliant show of strength and skill at each international tournament over the last three years, taking experts by surprise.
She rewrote her world record in the 58 kg snatch at the 13th Asian Games in 1998 and the 13th Asian Women's Weightlifting Championships in 1999.
It is her firm resolution to retain the world weightlifting title and thus glorify the honor of the country.
She will do herself justice at the coming Sydney Olympic games.
Battle of Pochonbo
Pyongyang, June 5 (KCNA) -- Pochonbo is a local city situated on the bank of the Amnok River, border of northern Korea.
Pochonbo was a strategic vantage where a Japanese imperialist police substation and other administrative establishments were set up and border guard and plunder of natural resources intensified during the period of the Japanese colonial rule.
There was a Pochonbo battle on June 4, 1937, 60 years ago recorded in the history of the anti-Japanese revolutionary struggle.
On this day working people and school youth and children are visiting here.
The Japanese aggressors occupied Korea militarily and strengthened their fascist suppression of the Korean people in the middle of the 1930s, while viciously scheming to stamp out everything national of Korea, saying "Korea and Japan are one community" and "the Japanese and the Korean are of the same ancestry."
It was at this time that the President Kim Il Sung convened a meeting of military and political cadres of the Korean People's Revolutionary Army in March Juche 26 (1937) and set forth the policy of advancing a large unit of the KPRA into the homeland to bring a dawn of national liberation to the people.
He, considering an attack on Pochonbo to be the key to advance into the homeland, gave an attack order to the main unit of the KPRA at 10 p.m. on June 4.
Guerrillas attacked the Japanese imperialist police substation, set fire to the sub-county office, forest conservation office and other enemy's ruling establishments and pasted up "proclamations" and posters in all streets all at once.
People turned out to the streets and enthusiastically welcomed the President, the sun of the nation, with cheers.
He made a historic speech "let's fight for the liberation of the country" before the cheering masses, instilling a hope of national liberation into the hearts of the nation and calling upon all the people to rise up as one in the sacred war for national liberation.
The Pochonbo battle convinced the Korean people that however harsh and persistent the Japanese imperialists' suppression and moves to obliterate the Korean nation might be the Korean people were still alive and would not be their slaves.
It also gave them a hope that the KPRA led by the President would surely win victory in fight against any strong enemy and achieve the liberation of the country.
After the battle the main unit of the KPRA wiped out the pursuing enemies in the areas of Mt. Kouyushui and Jiansanfeng.
The spirit of Pochonbo still remains in the hearts of the Korean people.
The Korean people, marking the 63rd anniversary of the significant victory of the battle in Pochonbo, are hardening their will and faith to bravely overcome the difficulties caused by the imperialists and build a powerful nation.
Fulfillment of ten-point program of great national unity called for
Pyongyang, June 5 (KCNA) -- The 10-point program of great unity of the entire nation advanced by the President Kim Il Sung is an important guideline and great charter of national unity which clearly indicates the way of breaking the deadlock and achieving peace and the peaceful reunification of the country by the concerted efforts of the nation, says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article.
The article goes on:
The President in the 10-point program put forward the idea of achieving the great unity of the whole nation for the independent and peaceful reunification of the country irrespective of differing ideas, beliefs and systems and set out the general target for the great national unity, its ideological base, the principle of the great unity and ways for accomplishing it.
The general target for the great unity of the whole nation is to found a unified state, independent, peaceful and neutral. The unity should be based on patriotism and the spirit of national independence, and it should be achieved on the principle of promoting co-existence, co-prosperity and common interests and subordinating everything to the cause of national reunification. All this reflects the unanimous desire and demand of the whole nation and fully meets the interests of all political parties, groups and people of all social standings.
The program elaborates on the issues of protecting the material and spiritual wealth of individuals and organizations, encouraging their use for the promotion of great national unity, understanding, trusting and uniting each other through contacts, exchange of visits and dialogue, strengthening the solidarity of the whole nation in the north, south and overseas for the sake of national reunification and highly praising those who have contributed to the great unity of the nation and to the cause of national reunification.
The 10-point program is a great banner for the national independence and unity, the most reasonable and realistic program for reunification which makes it possible to solve all the problems in the efforts to achieve national unity and the country's reunification in accordance with the interests of the nation and the most fair political program of national unity acceptable to anyone who loves the country and the nation and wishes the country's reunification.
The 10-point program enabled the Korean nation to carry on a dynamic struggle for national reunification with a clear goal and orientation, confidence and courage, whereas it dealt a heavy blow to the warmongers and separatists at home and abroad who stood in the way of national reconciliation and unity and challenged peace and national reunification.
The great leader Kim Jong Il formulated the three principles of national reunification, the 10-point program of the great unity of the entire nation and the proposal for founding the Democratic Confederal Republic of Koryo advanced by the President as the three-point charter of national reunification, thus providing the Korean nation with a strong mainstay of great unity and national reunification.
Greetings to King of Sweden
Pyongyang, June 5 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, today sent a message of greetings to Carl Gustaf, King of Sweden, on the occasion of its National Day.
The message extended warm congratulations to the king, the government and people of Sweden and sincerely wished the Kingdom of Sweden prosperity.
Message of sympathy to Pakistani chief executive
Pyongyang, June 5 (KCNA) -- Hong Song Nam, premier of the DPRK cabinet, sent a message of sympathy to Pervez Musharraf, chief executive of Pakistan.
Hearing news that a long spell of drought hit Baluchistan and Sind provinces of Pakistan, he in the message sent deep sympathy and consolation to Pervez Musharraf and through him to the inhabitants in the afflicted areas.
He hoped that the government of Pakistan would recover from drought damage and stabilize their living as soon as possible.