Greetings to Jamaican Prime Minister
Pyongyang, August 5 (KCNA) -- Hong Song Nam, premier of the cabinet of the DPRK, sent a message of greetings to Jamaican Prime Minister P. J. Patterson on the occasion of the 38th anniversary of the independence of Jamaica.
It extended warm congratulations to the President, the government and people of Jamaica on the occasion.
Expressing the belief that the friendly relations between the two countries would continue to develop on good terms in the future, too, the message wished the President success in his work.
Vietnamese Foreign Minister here
Pyongyang, August 5 (KCNA) -- Foreign Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Nguyen Dy Nien and his party arrived here today by air.
The guests were greeted by officials concerned and the Vietnamese ambassador to the DPRK.
Paek Nam Sun meets Vietnamese Foreign Minister
Pyongyang, August 5 (KCNA) -- Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea today met with his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Dy Nien and his party when the latter paid a courtesy call on him and had a conversation with them in a friendly atmosphere at the Mansudae Assembly Hall.
Present there were an official concerned and the Vietnamese ambassador to the DPRK.
FM meets newly appointed Moroccan ambassador
Pyongyang, August 5 (KCNA) -- Paek Nam Sun, Foreign Minister of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, yesterday met and had a talk with Mimun Mehdi, newly appointed Ambassador E.P. of the Kingdom of Morocco to the DPRK who paid a courtesy call on him.
Delegation of South Korean media organizations here
Pyongyang, August 5 (KCNA) -- A delegation of South Korean media organizations arrived here today by air.
Arriving here were Minister of Culture and Tourism Pak Ji Won, chairman of the Newspaper Association and Hangyore president Choe Hak Rae and chairman of the Broadcasting Association and KBS president Pak Kwon Sang, co-heads, president of Kukmin Ilbo Ri Jong Dae, president of Daehan Maeil Cha Il Sok and president of Choongang Ilbo Kum Chang Thae, deputy heads for its members from newspaper organizations, MBC president Ro Song Dae and president of Radio Seoul Song Do Gyun, deputy heads for its members from broadcasting organizations, heads of other South Korean leading media and others concerned.
They were greeted by department director of the C.C., the Worker's Party of Korea Jong Ha Chol, chairman of the DPRK Information Committee Kang Nung Su, chief editor of Rodong Sinmun Choe Chil Nam, general director of the Korean Central News Agency Kim Ki Ryong, chairman of the Radio and TV Broadcasting Committee of the DPRK Cha Sung Su and senior officials of the press.
Rodong Sinmun on WPK's foreign policy
Pyongyang, August 5 (KCNA) -- The Worker's Party of Korea once again identified independence, peace and friendship with the avowed idea of its foreign policy in the calls of its central committee published with the approach of the 55th anniversary of the party.
This reflects the will and determination of the WPK and the DPRK government to consistently adhere to this idea and comprehensively develop it in conformity with the prevailing situation. This observation is made by Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article.
The article goes on:
This idea represents a revolutionary foreign policy tenet to defend Korean-style socialism centered on the popular masses and further glorify it. It is a noble idea common to humankind leading the world people to strengthen international solidarity and genuinely contribute to the accomplishment of the cause of global independence.
Independence is what keeps a country and a nation alive.
Just and equitable relations can be established between countries only when they are based on independence and these relations alone can truly contribute to the independent development of countries and the accomplishment of global independence.
The DPRK not only values its dignity and rights but respects other countries' independence and opposes any attempt and move to encroach upon their sovereignty and interests and interfere in others' internal affairs.
The DPRK is a peace-loving state.
It is entirely thanks to its efforts for peace that a war is averted and peace preserved on the Korean peninsula despite increased tensions.
The DPRK has considered it as an important aim of its external activities to develop friendly relations with the peoples around the world and made every possible effort to this end.
All the anti-imperialist forces of the world for independence can certainly foil the imperialists' high-handed and arbitrary practice and moves for domination and successfully build a new independent and peaceful world only when they firmly unite and carry on their struggle in the idea of independence, peace and friendship.
14th Pyongyang Int'l Table-Tennis Invitational Tournament closes
Pyongyang, August 5 (KCNA) -- The 14th Pyongyang International Table-Tennis Invitational Tournament that opened on July 31 closed on Friday.
Pak Won Chol (Korea) came first in men's singles, Kim Hyon Hui (Korea) in women's singles, Pak Won Chol and Hwang Song Guk (Korea) in men's doubles, Kim Hyon Hui and Kim Hyang Mi (Korea) in women's doubles and Wang Zhe and Guo Xi (china) in mixed doubles.
The Korean team (A) won men and women's team events.
A closing ceremony was held at the table-tennis gymnasium in Chongchun Street yesterday.
Total revision of "ROK-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement" urged
Pyongyang, August 5 (KCNA) -- The People's Movement for Revising the Shackling "ROK-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement", an organization of the citizens' federation of South Korea, held a press conference in Seoul on August 1 at which it urged the total revision of the shackling provisions including South Korea's jurisdiction over crimes of U.S. forces through the South Korea-U.S. negotiations, Seoul-based "Radio No. 1" said.
Almost all the provisions of the "agreement" are inequitable as they encroach upon the sovereignty of the South Korean people, the organization claimed.
At the end of the press conference it held a rally demanding the revision of the "agreement" in front of the U.S. embassy in Seoul and thrust to it a letter carrying such demands.
Earlier national reunification called for
Pyongyang, August 5 (KCNA) -- The calls of the Central Committee of the Worker's Party of Korea published in the run-up to the 55th anniversary of the WPK serve as a militant appeal made to the whole nation to bring earlier national reunification, says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article.
As pointed out in the calls of the WPK Central Committee, national reunification is a foremost duty and supreme task of the nation and the three principles of national reunification, the proposal for founding the Democratic Federal Republic of Koryo and the ten-point program of great national unity are a three-point charter and three mainstays for Korea's reunification, the article says, and goes on:
The calls say that national reunification should be accelerated through the implementation of the historic north-south joint declaration.
This is a proud declaration on national independence which solemnly calls for independently solving the issue of national reunification by the concerted efforts of the Korean nation responsible for it.
No matter what complicated problems may arise in the way of reunification, the north and the south can surely channel the compatriots' unanimous will for reunification and enormous strength into achieving it if they retain common points in the federal formula and confederal formula and pursue the reunification process in that direction from a standpoint of national independence and patriotism.
The calls urge the whole nation to achieve the independent and peaceful reunification of the country by its concerted efforts.
If the compatriots from all walks of life in the north, south and abroad share the will for reunification and patriotism, strengthen three-party solidarity, support and cooperate with each other and take concerted actions in the efforts for great national unity and national reunification, while preserving their own characteristics, they can build a strong driving force for reunification and successfully accomplish the cause of national reunification.
The process to achieve the independent reunification by the concerted efforts of the nation calls for rejecting outside forces' interference and dependence upon them, the article notes, and goes on: No one should be allowed to interfere in the issue of the country's reunification and achieve his dominationist ambition.
A struggle against aggression and war maneuvers is essential for peace and peaceful reunification and a successful advance can not be expected in the process for peaceful reunification unless all kinds of hurdles in the way of reunification are removed.
It is not a plain sailing for our nation to achieve national reunification. But, the country's reunification, the cherished desire of the nation, is bound to be achieved by the concerted efforts of the entire nation.
U.S. jargon assailed
Pyongyang, August 5 (KCNA) -- The U.S. Republican Party in the 2000 "platform" published at a recent national convention said that "North Korea lies outside of the international system" and "the U.S. will stand by its commitments and will take all necessary measures to thwart, deter and defend itself and its allies against attack, including enemy use of weapons of mass destruction." Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary slamming this jargon says:
The international authority of the DPRK is rising as days go by and, accordingly, its relations with other countries are steadily expanding.
Contacts and negotiations are now under way between the DPRK and other countries over the issue of establishing diplomatic relations.
What the clan of the U.S. Republican Party is talking about the DPRK is nothing but a cock-and-bull story.
Its assertion that "North Korea will be capable of striking the U.S. within a few years" is a provocative diatribe against the DPRK.
The U.S. has an axe to grind when clamoring about the DPRK's non-existent "aggression."
The Korean nation's desire to reunify the country by its concerted efforts is growing stronger than ever before in the north and the south and anti-U.S. sentiment is mounting among the South Korean people like an active volcano.
That is why the U.S. tries to charge the DPRK with a "factor of aggression" in a bid to damage its dignity and authority and paints itself as a "war deterrent" force to stay in South Korea forever.
Moreover, the U.S. is working hard to gain military strategic upper hand by establishing the "missile defence" system under the pretext of "threat" from the DPRK. This is aimed to establish military domination over Asia and worldwide.
U.S. conservative hard-liners should face up to the reality and drop its improper attitude toward the DPRK.
Japan's apology and compensation to Korean A-bomb victims urged
Pyongyang, August 5 (KCNA) -- Ju Song Un, chairman of the DPRK Anti-Nuke Peace Consultative Council of A-bomb victims, issued a statement today, the 55th anniversary of the drop of A-bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki of Japan, in which he declared that it would make Japan apologize and compensate to Korean A-bomb victims.
Recalling that A-bomb victims included tens of thousands of Koreans, he said:
The present Japanese government has sidestepped and evaded the issue of apology and compensation to Korean A-bomb victims under the pretext of the absence of diplomatic relations between the two countries. This means that it will not admit its legal responsibility for its past crimes and furthermore, ignore basic human morality and conscience.
Japan's settlement of its past regarding the Korean A-bomb victims is not an issue which it may do or may not but it is an issue related to international law and moral obligation which the Japanese government should solve unconditionally in a responsible manner.
Japan should quickly respond to the DPRK's demand for the liquidation of its past crimes including the issue of Korean A-bomb victims free from its old way of thinking whereby it has sought its own interests and turned down the demands of the international community.
The Japanese government should immediately make public all information about Korean A-bomb victims and officially express its will to make an apology and state compensation to them.
It should promptly render humanitarian assistance to the aged Korean A-bomb victims who are still undergoing serious physical and mental pain due to A-bomb disasters.
Three-point charter of Korea's reunification favored
Pyongyang, August 5 (KCNA) -- Organizations of India and Guinea joined in the international signature campaign supporting the three-point charter of Korea's reunification.
The signature paper was signed by K. L. Mahendura, secretary general of the All-India Trade Union Congress, on behalf of 3.8 million members of 3,500 organizations under it and 10 federations, K. L. Kapoor, general secretary of the All-India Newspaper Employees Federation, on behalf of 15,000 members, the chairman of the National Youth Council of Guinea on behalf of over 1,193,270 members and the first vice-chairperson of the National Women's Federation of Guinea on behalf of 3.74 million members.
Idea of attaching great importance to science and technology supported abroad
Pyongyang, August 5 (KCNA) -- The science and technology of the DPRK are sure to reach the world's level as it has a large contingent of scientists and technicians loyal to the outstanding leadership of the great Kim Jong Il, a genius of science and technology. Genaro Ledesma Izquieta, chairman of the People's Front of Workers, Peasants and Students of Peru, said this in a statement issued on July 27 supporting a joint article of Rodong Sinmun and Kulloja "Let us build powerful nation, firmly adhering to the idea of attaching great importance to science."
The essence of this idea is to give definite priority to science and technology in all fields of the revolution and construction, direct utmost efforts to them and settle problems in socialist construction by dint of science and technology, he said, and continued:
The joint article is of special significance because it did not just reclarify the consistent policy of the Worker's Party of Korea to develop science and technology but declared once again the firm will and determination to bring science and technology to the world's level at an early date and thus build a scientifically and technically powerful country.
The spectacular success Korean scientists achieved by launching a satellite at one try a few years ago eloquently proves that science and technology in the DPRK have already reached the world's level and, at the same time, whatever task set forth by Kim Jong Il is sure to be fulfilled.