Greetings to Portuguese President
Pyongyang, June 9 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Wednesday sent a message of greetings to Jorge Fernando Branco De Sampaio, President of the Portuguese Republic, on the occasion of its National Day.
The message extended congratulations to the President, government and people of Portugal on the National Day.
Expressing the belief that the friendly relations between the two countries will further expand and develop in various fields, the message sincerely wished the President and people of Portugal greater success in their work for the prosperity of the country.
Russian President to visit DPRK
Pyongyang, June 9 (KCNA) -- Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, President of the Russian Federation, will shortly visit the Democratic People's Republic of Korea at the invitation of General Secretary Kim Jong Il.
Arms buildup in S. Korea
Pyongyang, June 9 (KCNA) -- The U.S. has stepped up their preparations for a war against the DPRK from the first days of their presence in South Korea.
The U.S. organized the "national defence command" and the "national defence constabulary" in October Juche 34 (1945) and a "coast guard" the next year on the basis of the South Korean "national defence preparations program".
And they organized ordinance, engineering, communications and other specialized units one after another.
They made a "law on organizing ROK Army" at the end of November 1948, increased the "ROK" Army to 8 divisions in June next year and set up the air force and marine corps, thus bringing the total number of land, naval and air forces of the "ROK" Army to 160,000 including 50,000-odd policemen in 1949.
They handed to the "ROK" Army over 105,000 rifles and carbines, over 2,000 heavy and light machine guns, over 50 million rounds of ammunition, guns and shells, 5,000 military trucks, 79 warships and at least 20 planes in the same year.
They registered 1.25 million youths and students as reserves and gave them military drill.
The U.S. had the South Korean authorities built offensive positions along the 38th parallel and amassed "ROK" Army there.
And they kept the 24th and 7th divisions of the U.S. Army ready at sea ports and airports of Japan for the Korean War.
Navy and air force bases were built in Japan and pacific ocean islands and aircraft carriers, cruisers and destroyers of the U.S. 7th fleet were sent to the far east.
Also deployed in the regions were 12 flying corps including fighters, bombers and transport planes.
The Korean War broke out after the U.S. premeditated and meticulous preparations.
With nothing can the U.S. shirk off its responsibility for igniting the Korean War.
Reception given on Russian National Day
Pyongyang, June 9 (KCNA) -- Valery Denisov, Russian ambassador to the DPRK, hosted a reception yesterday at the embassy on the National Day of Russia.
Invited to the reception were Minister of Foreign Trade Kang Jong Mo, acting chairman of the Korean Committee For Cultural Relations With Foreign Countries Mun Jae Chol, vice-ministers of the people's armed forces, foreign affairs and fisheries and officials concerned.
Speeches were made there.
Withdrawal of U.S. troops from S. Korea urged
Pyongyang, June 9 (KCNA) -- The Asian Regional Institute of the Juche Idea released a statement on June 5 supporting the memorandum of the DPRK government.
In the statement it strongly demanded the immediate withdrawal of the U.S. troops from South Korea, considering that genuine peace and security of the Korean peninsula are impossible in the U.S. military presence in South Korea.
The statement said:
The U.S. troops stationed in South Korea entirely hold the right of operation and command over the "ROK" Army and are stepping up preparations for a new war, legitimatizing their occupation of South Korea.
At the DPRK-U.S. talks and "four-party talks" the DPRK government, proceeding from the stand of good faith to achieve substantial peace of the Korean peninsula, has consistently proposed withdrawal of the U.S. troops from South Korea and conclusion of a peace accord between the DPRK and the U.S., which are key to the solution of the Korean question.
If the U.S. had accepted any of the DPRK's fair and aboveboard proposals, there would have been no such danger of war as it is today in the Korean peninsula and a durable peace would have already come to the peninsula.
We support the realistic peace proposals put forward by the DPRK government to achieve the independent and peaceful reunification of the country.
U.S. rumour of "threat from N. Korea"
Pyongyang, June 9 (KCNA) -- Talbott, deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of State, officially made a very provocative statement at a press conference on June 4 that the DPRK is the imaginary enemy of the U.S. "National Missile Defense" initiative.
The U.S. authorities are spreading such rumour of "threat from North Korea" to achieve two aims.
One is to retain monopoly of missiles and realize its military domination over the world by establishing the "National Missile Defense" system at any cost under the pretext of the "missile threat" from the DPRK. Another is to isolate and suffocate the DPRK politically and militarily by branding it as a "missile proliferating state."
This brings into bolder relief the long-standing U.S. dominationist ambition and impudence. It also eloquently shows that the U.S. call for "dialogue and cooperation", "peace and disarmament" is nothing but sheer hypocrisy.
This impudence of the U.S. may throw a grave obstacle in the way of improving relations with the DPRK.
The DPRK and the U.S. are in dialogue process. Action getting on dialogue partner's nerves should be avoided to advance dialogue and establish cooperative relations.
Nonetheless, the U.S. is intensifying the political and military moves against the DPRK, persistently floating baseless rumour of "missile threat."
Unless the U.S. discards its intention to stifle the DPRK, the latter will have no option but to take a strong countermeasure, which belongs to the DPRK's sovereignty.
In that case the situation will not be in favor of the U.S. and it will be held wholly responsible for all the consequences arising therefrom.
Anti-national and anti-reunification action assailed
Pyongyang, June 9 (KCNA) -- Shortly ago, the "Seoul district court" of South Korea sentenced Buddhist priest Jin Kwan to prison terms on charges that he exchanged facsimile messages with the north side as head of the reunification vanguard of the south headquarters of the National Alliance for the Country's Reunification and spearheaded the pan-national rally held in Seoul last year.
The court also sentenced father Mun Kyu Hyon of the South Korean Catholic Priests' Council For Justice to prison terms on charges that he participated in the August 15 Grand Festival For Reunification during his visit to Pyongyang in 1998.
Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary dismisses these actions as unpardonable crimes that go against the reconciliation, unity and reunification of the nation.
These repressive actions betray their stand of opposing national reconciliation, unity and reunification, the commentary observes, and goes on:
Such legal actions taken against pro-reunification patriots at a time when the fellow countrymen's desire for reunification is mounting higher than ever before can not be construed otherwise than sinister actions to stymie national reconciliation, unity and reunification.
The South Korean authorities should bear in mind that all the fellow countrymen are closely watching their behaviour, the commentary warns.
S. Korean students demonstrate before U.S. embassy
Pyongyang, June 9 (KCNA) -- Students of Seoul National University staged a demonstration in front of the U.S. embassy in Seoul on June 8 against the backdrop of the anti-U.S. sentiment rapidly mounting among the South Korean people these days, according to Yonhap News from Seoul.
They attempted to enter the embassy, chanting "abolish 'Security Law'," "pull back U.S. troops" and other slogans and scattering propaganda literature.
Citizens committee for probing truth behind massacre formed
Pyongyang, June 9 (KCNA) -- 14 citizens' organizations in Taejon and South Chungchong Province of South Korea including the Taejon Citizens' Solidarity For Autonomy on June 1 formed a committee for probing the truth behind the massacre at Taejon prison and started its activities in real earnest, according to a South Korean newspaper.
The committee called a press conference at which it urged the "government" authorities to find out how many prisoners were killed at Taejon prison in July 1950 and who ordered the killing and to probe the truth about massacres of civilians as soon as possible.
The committee declared that it would form a measure committee made up of those from across South Korea, collect testimonies of witnesses and materials related to the case and work to preserve the place where the massacre was committed.
Japan's redress for its past urged
Pyongyang, June 9 (KCNA) -- Japan's redress for its past is a prerequisite for the improvement of the DPRK-Japan relations, and this is the only way to put an end to the inglorious relations between the DPRK and Japan and make them good neighbors, not near yet distant countries, says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article.
It goes on:
The Korean people suffered immeasurable mental, moral, physical and material damage due to Japan, and apology and compensation should be made by it. But, Japan has not made any proper apology for its monstrous crimes.
The relationship between the DPRK and Japan is that between the victim and the assailant.
It is quite natural for the criminal to admit his crimes, face judgement and make an apology and pay compensation to the victim from a legal and moral point of view.
Accusing the Japanese government of whitewashing its crime-woven past in a bid to evade its settlement, the article notes:
Termination of hostile relations between the DPRK and Japan and the opening of diplomatic ties between them can not be expected without Japan's settlement of its past.
There is only one basic principle to govern the process to improve the DPRK-Japan relations. This principle is that Japan's redress for its crimes committed against the Korean people in the past is a prerequisite to improving the relations between the DPRK and Japan.
This principle can never change.
If Japan is to admit and settle its past crimes, it should, first of all, apologize for its military aggression on Korea and for misfortune, sufferings, disasters and damage it imposed upon the Korean people during its occupation of Korea.
It should be a political apology which reflects its sincere repentance for its past crimes and its will not to repeat them and this apology be made by the chief executive of the Japanese government before the normalization of the relations.
Japan should also compensate for the human and material losses it inflicted upon the Korean people.
Japan should make material compensation for the destroyed cultural treasures and return all the looted ones to meet the principled demands of the DPRK.
The improvement of the legal status of the Koreans in Japan should be part of Japan's settlement of its crimes committed against the DPRK in the past.
Not only those who suffered damage directly from Japan but also their descendants are demanding Japan settle its crimes perpetrated against them.
Japan's delay in liquidating its past crimes against the DPRK would add to its crimes.
The Korean people will surely force Japan to pay compensation for its past crimes.
S. Korean teachers on strike
Pyongyang, June 9 (KCNA) -- Struggle of teachers' unions is gaining in scope in South Korea, according to a radio report from Seoul.
The "National Teachers Union" (Jongyojo) demanded normalization of education at schools, guarantee for teachers' union activities on the campus and wage hike by 15.2 percent and have launched the struggle since late May, contending that those demands should be met through collective negotiations.
However, the "Ministry of Education" has refused to accept the demand. Enraged at this, Jongyojo decided to hold a rally for ensuring the collective negotiations in Seoul on June 8 and is working to bring together over 1,900 chairmen of its branches in different parts of South Korea in Seoul.
The South Korean teachers' union also launched a struggle in demand of collective negotiations with the "ministry."
The union began a hunger strike of its leadership on June 5, which was scheduled to start on June 15.
The teachers' unions clarified that they would intensify their struggle including meetings and strikes across South Korea unless the negotiations are held.
FM spokesman on U.S. fiction of "missile threat"
Pyongyang, June 9 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of the DPRK flayed the United States for pulling up the DPRK again over "missile issue."
U.S. President Clinton during his recent visit to Russia employed every possible means to seek modifications in the Russia-U.S. ABM treaty, which he considered as a hurdle in establishing the "National Missile Defence" system (NMD) and cited the "missile threat" from the DPRK as a pretext for the NMD. Answering a question put by KCNA today in this regard, the spokesman said:
The U.S. employs the trite method of sacrificing small countries to please big countries, but it is gravely mistaken if it thinks that will work on the DPRK.
The U.S. moves to establish the NMD aimed to get unchallenged upper hand in strength are censured and condemned not only by its allies and Americans but by the international community as they are very dangerous and reckless moves to vitiate the world strategic stability.
The U.S. is brazen-faced enough to talk about "threat" of the DPRK's peaceful satellite launch although it deployed thousands of nuclear missiles in different parts of the world and carries out test-firing almost every day.
The U.S. should ponder over the consequences to be entailed by its insincere implementation of the DPRK-U.S. agreed framework. The countries concerned should properly judge what the U.S. truly seeks in talking about "new threat" from the DPRK.
The DPRK is always ready to demonstrate its will not to pardon anyone infringing upon the sovereignty and dignity of the nation even a bit.
Famous mountains of Korea
Pyongyang, June 9 (KCNA) -- There are many famous mountains in Korea, 80 percent of whose land is mountainous.
Among them are Mt. Paektu, Mt. Kumgang, Mt. Myohyang, Mt. Chilbo and Mt. Kuwol known to the world for their beautiful scenery.
The highest of them is Mt. Paektu (2,750 m) soaring imposingly in the northern inland.
It is called Mt. Paektu (white head) because it looks as if it is covered with snow all the year round.
It consists of many peaks of various forms such as Janggun Peak, Hyangdo Peak and Ssangmujigae Peak with rocks of fantastic shape. On the top of it is Lake Chon, a crater which is more than 14 km round.
There are thick forests around the mountain.
Fascinating is the scenery of the mountain at sunrise.
The area of the mountain is associated with the history of the anti-Japanese revolutionary struggle of the President Kim Il Sung. And there is a native home of General Secretary Kim Jong Il.
That is why it is called a holy mountain of the Korean revolution.
Mt. Kumgang is a world-famous one in the northern part of the Thaebaek mountain range which lies in the central part of Korea.
It is called Mt. Kumgang for its jewel-like scenery in spring when all things in the universe come back to life and all kinds of flowers come into bloom and emit fragrance.
Multifarious and grand landscape scenery can be seen in the vast area of the mountain, 40 km from east to west and 60 km from north to south.
There are upper Paldam pool with a legend that eight fairies of heaven used to come down to have a bath, the Kuryong pond, the Kuryong Falls and many other ponds and waterfalls, rocks of fantastic shape, rocky cliffs and mountain beauty remind us of a painting.
Especially, on the Piro Peak (1,639 m), its main peak, you command a bird's-eye view of 12,000 peaks and valleys of Mt. Kumgang, the East Sea of Korea and landscape of vast area.
The mountain has been well known not only to Korea but to the world as well from thousands of years ago for its superb scenery.
Mt. Myohyang in the western inland is one of the famous mountains. It is called Mt. Myohyang for its beauty and fragrance.
It tops grand and magnificent beauty as many peaks of 1,300 m and over with the Piro Peak (1,909m) as its main one rise like the teeth of a saw.
The mountain boasts of 8 famous views of Hyangsan including meeting and seeing off guests at the Simjin pavilion, moon-viewing at the Bulyong pavilion, waterfall-viewing at the Inho rock and night glow at the Tangun pavilion.
Indeed, Korea is rich in famous mountains.
Truth behind Korean War provocation disclosed
Pyongyang, June 9 (KCNA) -- The History Society of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea made public an article captioned "Facts Tell" bringing to light the truth behind the provocation of the Korean War on the part of the U.S.
The article describes the Korean War as an inevitable product of the U.S. imperialists' strategy for world supremacy and their policy of aggression on Korea.
It goes on:
Taking advantage of its favorable position as the leader of imperialists after World War II, the U.S. considered it as strategic aim of its immediate foreign policy to "lead the world," that is, to achieve world supremacy.
To this end the U.S. declared "Cold War" against the socialist countries and the revolutionary forces around the world, set forth what they called "deterrence strategy" ("blockade strategy") and the then U.S. President Truman declared "Truman doctrine" at a joint meeting of the U.S. House and Senate in March 1947.
The Korean War was an inevitable product of the brigandish world supremacy strategy and policy of aggression on Korea pursued by the U.S. in a bid to colonialize the whole of Korea and realise world supremacy design in the far east with Korea as an advance base.
The U.S. worked out the "plan for northward expedition," noisily called for "northward expedition" and modified and rounded off the plan for the Korean War.
For the execution of their world supremacy strategy and policy of aggression on Korea they worked hard to map out the plan for the Korean War. The "A.B.C. plan" was part of their plan of aggression on the Far East.
It is known to the world that the "A.B.C. plan" was worked out by the Macarthur command at pentagon's instruction from 1948 to early 1950 and approved by the U.S. joint chiefs of staff in around January 1950.
The plan envisaged the three stages of war--the first stage (A) was to begin the war of aggression on Korea involving the U.S. troops and the "ROK" Army, the second stage (B) to spread the war to Manchuria involving the re-armed Japanese Army and the Chiang Kai-shek Army and the third stage (C) to conquer the whole Siberia, including Ural.
Under the "a scenario" the U.S. worked out the "plan for northward expedition" by the "ROK" Army, a detailed military action program for the provocation of a war of aggression in Korea.
While crying out for "northward expedition," the U.S. and the South Korean ruling quarters made an unbroken chain of armed assaults across the 38th parallel, paving the way for full-dress war of aggression on the North Korea.
The U.S.'s new war plan for "northward expedition" was to begin the Korean War before July 1950 and round off the war preparations in the U.S. mainland and Japan, particularly in South Korea just before the outbreak of war.
It also called for making the U.S. troops as well as the "ROK" Army take an active part in the war from its outset and concentrating all forces on breaking through the 38th parallel instead of carrying out landing operations on the east and west coasts of the North Korea which had been envisaged in the "northward expedition" plan.
It elaborated on the diplomatic plan of the U.S. Department of State to give political backing to the military operation plan of pentagon and the U.S. joint chiefs of staff, the intelligence action program of the KLO and the South Korean ruling quarters, etc.
With a view to meeting the demands for their world supremacy strategy and Korea policy of aggression the U.S. imperialists worked out and rounded off the very reckless plan of war of aggression to let the "ROK" Army provoke the war of aggression on the North Korea, promptly hurl the U.S. troops into the front to conquer the whole of Korea in a short time and turn the Korean War into a world war.
The article discloses that the armed intrusion of the U.S. and the South Korean rulers into the area north of the 38th parallel was a prelude to the Korean War.
The U.S. orchestrated a series of "small wars" and armed intrusions into areas north of the 38th parallel against the DPRK from 1947 and escalated them to provoke the Korean War on June 25, 1950.
The number of cases of armed intrusion reached 2,617 in 1949 when their "plan for the northward expedition" entered a phase of implementation and this continued and got more pronounced in the first half of 1950.
The U.S. employed broad hoax to cover up their aggressive nature and shift the responsibility for the war on to the DPRK.
Behind the curtain of this deceptive offensive the U.S. finally rounded off their war preparations.
They, among other things, decided to move up the month for the start of the war to June from July.
Under this decision the U.S. rushed political adviser to the U.S. President Dulles, secretary of defence Johnson and chairman of the U.S. joint chiefs of staff Bradley and others to South Korea and Tokyo to finally examine the preparations for the Korean War and take necessary measures.
Military proposals set out at the "four-party talks" were ratified by Truman and a combat order was issued to the "ROK" Army to invade the north all at once at dawn of June 25.
Robert, head of the U.S. military advisory group, explaining the reason "why the U.S. chose June 25," said that June 25 being Sunday, no one would believe that the U.S. and South Korea started a war on Sunday, as the U.S. and South Korea, both Christian lands, observed Sunday as the lord's day.
With nothing can the U.S. imperialists cover up their true colors as the provoker of the Korean War and escape a severe judgement of history, the article warns.