Kim Yong Nam greets Mongolian President
Pyongyang, July 11 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, yesterday sent a message of greetings to Nachagyn Bagabandy, President of Mongolia, on the occasion of the 79th anniversary of the Mongolian people's revolution, their national holiday.
The message sent warm congratulations to the President and through him to the Mongolian people on the day.
Convinced that the traditional relations of friendship between the two countries will continue to grow stronger and develop in the interests of the two peoples, it wished him success in his work for the prosperity of the country and the friendly Mongolian people happiness and prosperity.
Libyan guests leave
Pyongyang, July 11 (KCNA) -- Abdulrahman Mohamed Shalgham, secretary of the general people's committee for foreign liaison and international cooperation of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, and his party left here today at the end of the 4-day visit to Korea.
They were seen off at the airport by Paek Nam Sun, Minister of Foreign Affairs, officials concerned, Ahmed Amer al Muakkaf, secretary of the people's bureau of Libya and diplomatic envoys of different countries here.
During their stay they visited the Kumsusan Memorial Palace where the President Kim Il Sung lies in state for perpetuity and paid homage to him. They also visited Mangyongdae, his birthplace, the Tower of the Juche Idea and Pyongyang metro, and so on.
Anniversary of Korea-China treaty marked
Pyongyang, July 11 (KCNA) -- The Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries and the central committee of the Korea-China Friendship Association gave a reception at the Okryu Restaurant on July 10 on the occasion of the 39th anniversary of the Korea-China treaty of friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance.
Minister of Public Health Kim Su Hak, chairman of the central committee of the Korea-China Friendship Association, said in his speech that the great leader President Kim Il Sung and the respected premier Zhou Enlai signed the Korea-China treaty of friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance 39 years ago, thus performing such immortal exploits as developing in depth the Korea-China friendship on a new legal basis.
The Chinese people have achieved great successes in the efforts to push ahead with the socialist modernization drive with Chinese characteristics and achieve the reunification of the whole country under the leadership of the communist party headed by the respected Jiang Zemin, he said, and went on:
The Korean people will as always make all efforts to strengthen and develop the Korea-China friendship provided and cultivated by preceding leaders of the two countries and consolidated by the respected Kim Jong Il's unofficial visit to the People's Republic of China.
Chinese ambassador to Korea Wang Guozhang said in his address that over the last 39 years, the two parties and two peoples have united close and supported each other in accordance with the spirit of the treaty and conducted brisk exchange and cooperation in political, economic, cultural, scientific and technological and other fields, thus positively contributing to the dynamic advance of socialist construction in the two countries and the defence of peace and stability in the Korean peninsula and the Asia-Pacific region.
Referring to the great Kim Jong Il's historic meeting and talks with Jiang Zemin and leading officials of the party and the state of China during his unofficial visit to China in May, he pointed out that the leaders of the two countries shared the need to further develop the China-Korea friendly and cooperative relations from a prospective view.
Noting with great pleasure the achievements made by the Korean people in socialist construction, he sincerely hoped that the fraternal Korean people would turn their country into a more beautiful and prosperous one under the leadership of general secretary Kim Jong Il.
Gigantic project for harnessing nature makes headway
Pyongyang, July 11 (KCNA) -- Kaechon-Lake Thaesong waterway project, a gigantic nature-harnessing work, is now making brisk headway.
This is aimed to build a lock-gate across the River Taedong in Taegak-ri, Kaechon city, and make a man-made waterway extending more than 160 km from it to Lake Thaesong. It will sufficiently provide irrigation and industrial water to the western part of the country.
The project is being pushed ahead under the difficult conditions where its builders are hard pressed for everything including machines and equipment, fuel and various other materials.
Particularly, the work of digging a 160-km-long waterway, building a barrage, dozens of tunnels and many structures and laying ducts under ground is almost done manually.
The project is unprecedented in terms of amount of work to be done.
The scale of the project is 5 times the Phyongnam irrigation project which was undertaken to store water in Lake Yonphung and 4 times the Kiyang irrigation project aimed to draw water on the lower reaches of the river taedong up to Lake Thaesong.
Hundreds of pumping stations have so far been operated to pump up water at low areas to store water at minor reservoirs. But water of the River Taedong will be diverted through a man-made waterway. When the project is completed, water of the River Taedong will automatically flow to some 20 reservoirs located in areas much lower than the level of the waterway. Then there will be no need to operate any longer 530 odd water pumps.
The completion of the project will make it possible to satisfactorily solve the problem of water in the granaries on the west coast and build minor power stations at the Taegak barrage and the waterway to generate electricity and develop fish farming.
A new "river" will appear between the Taedong and Chongchon rivers to add to the beauty of the country's landscape.
Reception by Libyan secretary
Pyongyang, July 11 (KCNA) -- Abdulrahman Mohamed Shalgham, secretary of the general people's committee for foreign liaison and international cooperation of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, yesterday gave a reception at Pyongyang Koryo Hotel on winding up his visit to the DPRK.
Invited there were Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun, Minister of Foreign Trade Kang Jong Mo, chairman of the central committee of the General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea Ryom Sun Gil who is also chairman of the Korea-Libya Friendship Association and other officials concerned and foreign diplomatic envoys in Korea.
Present at the reception were the party of the secretary, secretary of the people's bureau of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya in the DPRK Ahmed Amer al Muakkaf and members of the bureau.
The reception proceeded in a friendly atmosphere.
Foreigners visit drought and heat ravaged areas
Pyongyang, July 11 (KCNA) -- Members of international organizations and Non-Governmental Organizations in Korea yesterday looked round drought-stricken areas in Taedong county and Jungsan county, South Phyongan Province.
They acquainted themselves with the situation in which reservoirs dried up and maize, rice and other crops are heavily affected by drought and heat.
Friendly meeting on National Day of Mongolia
Pyongyang, July 11 (KCNA) -- A friendly meeting was held at the Pyongyang Schoolchildren's Palace yesterday on the occasion of the 79th National Day of Mongolia.
Invited there were Damdiny Byamba, Mongolian ambassador to the DPRK, embassy officials and Mongolian guests.
Present were Hong Son Ok, vice-chairperson of the Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries, and officials concerned.
The participants looked round well-furnished circle rooms of the palace, which has been built as a center of after school education of schoolchildren, and enjoyed a performance given by art circle members of the palace.
The participants conversed with each other, deepening the feelings of friendship.
DPRK hard hit by long spell of drought and heat
Pyongyang, July 11 (KCNA) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea has been hard hit by a long spell of drought and heat.
An unusual long spell of heat persisted in almost all areas of the DPRK until July 10 due to the effect of hot and dry air moving from vast areas of the Asian continent.
The temperature in Hamhung and Wonsan on July 2, registered 37 degrees centigrade, that in Pyongyang, Phyongsong, Haeju and Nampho from July 3 to 7 34-37 degrees centigrade and that in Sariwon and Kanggye on July 8 37 degrees centigrade which are an all-time high in the meteorological observation. The average temperature in these areas was 6-12 degrees higher than normal temperature.
Maize, rice and other crops were badly affected by this long spell of heat and drought as crops needed more water this time than any other time.
The high temperature of water registering above 40 degrees centigrade left roots of rice plants rotten and non-paddy crops dried up in many areas on the west coast including Pyongyang, South Phyongan Province, North Hwanghae Province and Nampho city.
Crops in those areas are badly damaged by blight and harmful insects due to drought and heat that hit them in the middle of May.
Non-paddy crops in the intermediary and mountainous areas of the northern inland region such as Jagang and south Hamgyong provinces are hard hit by a long spell of drought and heat.
Crops in paddy and non-paddy fields across the country are seriously affected by this drought and heat this month alone.
In consequence, agricultural production this year is expected to suffer a sharp drop.
Choson Ilbo's diatribe against trend towards national reunification
Pyongyang, July 11 (KCNA) -- After the historic Pyongyang meeting and the north-south summit, all the fellow countrymen in the north, south and overseas are pooling their wisdom and energies for reconciliation, unity and reunification of the nation so as to contribute to the noble cause of national reunification even a bit.
But the South Korean newspaper Choson Ilbo is persistently pursuing confrontation with the north, throwing wet blanket over the ardent desire of the nation for reunification.
Confrontationists of Choson Ilbo were denied news coverage of the north-south Red Cross talks held at Mt. Kumgang in June. Drawing a proper lesson from this they should have apologized for their wrongdoings and turned to a right way.
However, they are now behaving like a thief crying "stop, thief."
At a recent meeting they adopted what they called "resolution" in which they asserted that the north was "taming media" and they would "resolutely react to the north's threat to violate the freedom of the press." In that way they renewed an anti-DPRK diatribe.
This is a virulent challenge to the north-south joint declaration and a premeditated provocation against the north, far from being an issue related to the "freedom of the press".
If Choson Ilbo were a genuine medium, it would reflect on its wrongdoings before decrying others.
At a time when the whole nation is heading for national unity and reunification, true to the north-south joint declaration, only the Choson Ilbo is busy slandering the north and inciting confrontation between the north and south, floating the fiction that "the June 25 War broke out due to the north's invasion of the south".
This smear campaign launched by Choson Ilbo diametrically runs counter to spirit of the north-south joint declaration for reconciliation and cooperation between the north and south and peace and reunification and constitutes an anti-national and anti-reunification crime as it fans up distrust, antagonism, confrontation and division among fellow countrymen.
This act detrimental to national unity and reunification should be sternly dealt with as a treachery.
Those maniacs of the Choson Ilbo going against the strong trend towards reunification should be severely judged in the name of the nation and thrown overboard.
We once again solemnly declare that the north will not allow anyone obstructing national unity and reunification, be it Choson Ilbo or anything else nor will permit anyone setting a dirty foot in the inviolable land of the north.
New international economic order
Pyongyang, July 11 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article stresses that one of the urgent problems in preventing war and defending peace is to destroy the present unfair international economic order and establish a new and fair international economic order.
The present unfair international economic order established by the imperialists serves as a means of stuffing out the belly of the western monopolies and a factor of rendering the world unstable, the article says, and goes on:
The "globalization" spread over the world under the baton of the imperialists after the end of the Cold War is utterly destroying finance, trade and other fields of developing countries and sweeping away regional character and the peculiar national traditions and customs of each country.
Only when the present unfair international economic order is dismantled and inequality between countries in international economic relations, infringement on sovereignty and the exploitation and plunder of other countries are removed, can the stability of the world be guaranteed and conditions for lasting peace be provided.
The imperialists are seeking to solve the market problem through militarization of the economy, but it results in increasing prices, fanning inflation and causing unemployment.
Whenever the imperialists are faced with economic crisis, they seek to find a wayout in the war. The international situation is still tense due to the imperialists' desperate moves to get rid of the serious economic crisis.
Now that the imperialists are making desperate efforts to keep the present unfair international economic order, only through a resolute anti-imperialist struggle can we destroy the unfair economic order and establish a new and fair international economic order.
KCNA terms Ri Hoe Chang imbecile
Pyongyang, July 11 (KCNA) -- Improper behaviour swimming against the nation's desire for national reconciliation, unity and reunification and the trend of the times were reported in South Korea recently.
Ri Hoe Chang, president of the "Grand National Party" of South Korea, at a recent session of the "National Assembly" dared to defame the authority of the supreme headquarters of our revolution. He went the length of letting loose outbursts intended to put a brake on the north-south joint declaration and incite the north-south confrontation.
His malignant abuses cannot escape denunciation from the whole nation as he betrayed his true colors as an anti-reunification element and arch traitor keen on hurling mud at the historic north-south joint declaration and escalating the north-south confrontation.
It is by no means fortuitous that the public at home and abroad is now laughing with scorn at Ri as a traitor and an imbecile who is unable to foresee even a bit, ignorant of the trend of the times because of his jealousy.
As already known, the historic meeting and talks which culminated in the adoption of the north-south joint declaration in Pyongyang in June marked a great event of the nation as it ushered in a new era of reconciliation, unity and reunification by bringing a thaw in the frozen relations between the north and the south marked by over a half century-long distrust and confrontation.
It is a height of folly for Ri Hoe Chang to dream of seizing "supreme power" quite contrary to the desire of the nation and the strong trend of the times.
It is as clear as noonday that if such traitor comes to power, the South Korean people will not be able to live in peace even a moment but face great misfortune and disasters and the improving north-south relations will return to the time of confrontation.
Those who are seeking north-south confrontation and challenging the desire of the nation and the need of the times are fated to meet a miserable end.
History will surely punish Ri Hoe Chang for his unpardonable crimes against the cause of national reunification. The traitors to the nation will have to pay a dear price.
World Day of Population observed
Pyongyang, July 11 (KCNA) -- Papers here today observe the World Day of Population (July 11).
Rodong Sinmun says that the successful solution of the population issue, one of urgent problems in the world, is an important matter for the existence, development and well-being of humankind in the future as well as for the present time.
In order to settle the population issue it is imperative to keep balance of population growth and socio-economic development, the paper notes, pointing out that it can be solved only when all the problems are settled centering on man.
Minju Joson says that the Worker's Party of Korea and the government of the DPRK solve the growth of population and socio-economic problems that ensue from it according to the Juche-oriented policy of population.
The DPRK, in the future, too, will develop exchange and cooperation with international organisations including the UN Population Fund to solve the population issue prospectively and provide a more stable and cultured living to the people, the paper says.
Congratulatory message to 36th OAU summit
Pyongyang, July 11 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, on July 8 sent a congratulatory message to the 36th meeting of heads of state and government of the Organization of African Unity (OAU).
The message noted that the OAU and African countries set out the common aim to achieve the unity and integration of the African continent, opposed to the interference of the outside forces, and have registered great successes in their positive efforts to accomplish it.
The Korean people highly appreciate the efforts of the African people to build United Africa, new peaceful and prosperous Africa from independent stand on the principle of self-reliance and extend firm solidarity with them, the message said.
Reiterating the Korean people's pledge to continue to make positive efforts to accomplish the human cause of independence, firmly united with the African people in the idea of independence, peace and friendship in the future, too, the message sincerely wished the summit good results.