Message of sympathy to Russian President
Pyongyang, August 11 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, on Thursday sent a message of sympathy to Russian President V. V. Putin in connection with an unexpected explosion in Moscow that caused heavy casualties.
In the message he expressed deep sympathy to the President and the victims, shocked by the news that an unexpected explosion occurred in Moscow recently, causing heavy casualties.
He wished the President success in his responsible work to combat all forms of terrorism and ensure the country's stability.
Kim Yong Nam greets President of Chad
Pyongyang, August 11 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, on August 9 sent a message of greetings to Lieutenant General Idris Deby, President and head of State of the Republic of Chad, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of its independence.
The message extended warm congratulations to him and the government and people of Chad on the occasion.
It wished him and the government and people of Chad big success in their work for the prosperity of the country and expressed belief that the friendly relations between the two countries would continue to develop on good terms in the future too.
Kim Yong Sun meets S. Korean Minister of Culture and Tourism
Pyongyang, August 11 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Sun, secretary of the Central Committee of the Worker's Party of Korea, yesterday met Minister of Culture and Tourism of South Korea Pak Ji Won on a visit to Pyongyang at the People's Palace of Culture.
Present there was Song Ho Gyong, vice-chairman of the Korean Asia-Pacific Peace Committee.
Kim Yong Sun had a conversation with Pak Ji Won in a compatriotic atmosphere.
Friendly meeting with Turkish children campers
Pyongyang, August 11 (KCNA) -- A friendly meeting with Turkish children campers was held at the People's Palace of Culture yesterday.
Invited to the meeting were the Turkish children campers headed by Jeki Sarihan who had participated in the International Children's Camp in Songdowon.
Present there were the general secretary of the DPRK-Turkey Friendship Association, officials concerned and schoolchildren here.
The participants enjoyed an art performance given by Korean schoolchildren and conversed with each other, deepening their friendly feelings.
S. Korean media delegation sojourns here
Pyongyang, August 11 (KCNA) -- Minister of Culture and Tourism Pak Ji Won and the delegation of South Korean media organizations visited the Tower of the Juche Idea and the Mansudae Art Studio yesterday.
They were accompanied by Kang Nung Su, chairman of the DPRK Information Committee, and officials concerned.
Hearing the explanation that the Tower of the Juche Idea was built up as a grand monumental edifice in our times, they looked round the tower and groups of sculptures. They mounted an observation platform of the tower to enjoy a bird's-eye view of Pyongyang.
Pak Ji Won made the following entry in the visitor's book: "It is my strong hope that the June 15 joint declaration will provide the compatriots in the south and the north with an opportunity to see the tower altogether."
The next leg of their visit was the Mansudae Art Studio.
They looked round the Korean painting production group, oil painting production group, etc, listening to the explanation that the studio has turned into a comprehensive fine art creating center of the country.
In the evening the delegation enjoyed a folk dance suite "people in walled city of Pyongyang" which truthfully represents the patriotic devotion made by the people in the walled city of Pyongyang in defending their country and the beautiful manners and customs of the nation by presenting elegant national dances and peculiar national music.
Release of prisoners of conscience demanded
Pyongyang, August 11 (KCNA) -- The People's Solidarity for the Abolition of the "Security Law" called a press conference on Aug. 7 at which it demanded the release of the remaining prisoners of conscience and others, according to the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation from Seoul.
Noting that at least 90 prisoners of conscience and 500 politicians wanted by the police were not on the list of those to be "specially amnestied on the liberation day," the people's solidarity demanded the release of the prisoners and halt to searching for those wanted.
It asserted that the prisoners of conscience suffering from the "Security Law" should be immediately released as the "Security Law" spoils the atmosphere of reconciliation being created between the north and the south in accordance with the June 15 north-south joint declaration.
Koguryo, powerful state with its history of nearly thousand years
Pyongyang, August 11 (KCNA) -- Koguryo was established as the first feudal state in Korea in 277 B.C.
The founder of Koguryo was king Tongmyong (Kojumong).
Koguryo was the strongest state in the history of Korea.
The people of Koguryo displayed patriotic devotion and bravery in every battle to defend their country from aggression and won victory in it as they were skillful in military arts and strong in national dignity and spirit.
In this course Koguryo emerged as a powerful state in the east with developed economy, political system, brilliant culture and strong military power.
Koguryo, which existed for nearly a thousand years until 668 A.D. covered a vast area of northeast Asia including the Korean peninsula. It played a main role in the development of the Korean history in the period of the three kingdoms (Koguryo, Paekje and Silla) and externally demonstrated the resourcefulness of the nation and the power of the country.
The economy and military power of Koguryo grew stronger after it moved its capital to Pyongyang (area around Mt. Taesong today), the sacred place of father Tangun of the Korean nation, in 427.
As Koguryo inherited the metal processing technique from Kojoson (ancient Korea), the skill of making iron farm implements, iron weapons, metal tools, etc, was highly developed from its early days. This was greatly instrumental in strengthening the feudal state.
"Silk route," which takes an important place in the development of human civilization, was also explored by the people of Koguryo and its cradle was Pyongyang at the River Taedong basin.
They used this route to export silk, Insam, leather and other specialties to different countries.
Koguryo had developed national culture. It is evidenced by mural tombs where mural paintings distinct in color and vivid in depiction are well preserved still today. Typical of them are the mural tomb in Anak county, south hwanghae province, and a huge one in Kangso district, nampho.
As seen above, the Korean people have been resourceful and intelligent and have entertained ardent patriotism and strong will since olden times.
Anniversary of Kim Il Sung's work observed
Pyongyang, August 11 (KCNA) -- Papers here today dedicate signed articles to the 40th anniversary of the President Kim Il Sung's famous work "On the Successful Accomplishment of the Technical Revolution."
The work published on August 11, Juche 49 (1960) comprehensively clarifies theoretical and practical issues in carrying out the technical revolution. Among them are issues of fully enlisting the wisdom and creative ingenuity of the masses in the carrying out of the revolution and creating technical innovations in all fields of the national economy.
A signed article of Rodong Sinmun says that the work sets clear targets to promote the technical revolution to suit new circumstances and conditions in which the socialist construction is making progress and successfully realize comprehensive technical reconstruction of the national economy. It indicates a true way of laying solid material and technical foundations of communism.
The work has displayed its tremendous vitality and attraction for the validity, truth and scientific accuracy of ideas and theories expounded in the work, the article says, and goes on:
First of all, the wisdom and creative ingenuity of the masses are fully displayed in the technical innovation drives.
The vitality of the work is also proven by signal achievements made in technical innovation drives in all fields of the national economy.
It is also evidenced by a large contingent of able scientists and technicians active in the country.
It is thanks to them that in recent years the DPRK made such spectacular scientific and technological successes as the launch of a satellite and dynamically pushed forward the socialist construction even under the difficult situation where the "arduous march" and forced march were made.
Implementation of three-point charter of national reunification called for
Pyongyang, August 11 (KCNA) -- The three-point charter of national reunification should be thoroughly implemented to achieve the cause of national reunification, the cherished desire of the nation, says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article.
The article goes on:
The great leader Kim Jong Il formulated the three principles of national reunification-- independence, peaceful reunification and great national unity--and the ten-point program of great unity of the whole nation and the proposal for founding the Democratic Federal Republic of Koryo put forward by the President Kim Il Sung as the three-point charter of national reunification in which fundamental principles and ways of achieving the reunification of the country are systematized in an integral way and comprehensively laid down and, on this basis, indicated the road of accomplishing the cause of national reunification in our generation.
The three-point charter of national reunification is a programme for reunification, an embodiment of the great Juche idea.
The three-point charter shows a true way of solving the problem of reunification independently in conformity with the demand of the Korean nation and the actual conditions of the country, guided by the Juche idea.
The charter is based on the transparent spirit of national sovereignty whereby the nation considers its sovereignty and dignity as what keeps itself alive and reflects noble patriotic desire to reunify the country peacefully through the reconciliation and unity between the north and south and the great unity of the whole nation.
The charter comprehensively deals with the precious experience gained in the successful application of the Juche idea whose scientific accuracy and validity have been proven in practice, and fundamental principles which serve as a basis and a starting-point in solving the issue of reunification and strategic ways of settling it.
Indeed, the charter serves as a bright beacon indicating the road of achieving the cause of national reunification most quickly and fairly in conformity with the will and interests of the whole nation and a powerful weapon guaranteeing its successful accomplishment.
Projected official visit to "Yasukuni Shrine"
Pyongyang, August 11 (KCNA) -- Ministers of the Japanese cabinet called press conferences separately at which they clarified their will to make an official visit to the "Yasukuni Shrine" on August 15. This indicates that the visit to it is becoming more and more organized and official, observes Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary.
It goes on:
The planned official group visit to the "shrine" is a mockery of and challenge to the Asian people and peace.
"Yasukuni Shrine" is symbolic of aggression and militarism. Therefore, paying "respects" and praying for the soul of those entombed there means supporting aggression and praising militarism.
It is certain that the high-ranking quarters of Japan seek to galvanize public opinion over their official visit to the "shrine" beforehand in a bid to turn the whole land of Japan into a theatre for agitating reinvasion on the day marking the 55th anniversary of the Japanese imperialists' defeat.
The militarist forces of Japan are egging high-ranking officials of its government on to incite dangerous militarist hysteria among the Japanese.
Japan is the only country in the world that has not settled its crime-woven past until now though the world is at the turn of the century.
Yet, Japan is behaving wrong instead of fulfilling its duties. Japan is a country bereft of even an iota of morality and conscience.
The Japanese authorities are seriously mistaken if they think they can calm down world voices demanding Japan's redress for its past by embarking upon reinvasion.
Chosun Ilbo isolated in S. Korea
Pyongyang, August 11 (KCNA) -- A campaign of boycotting Chosun Ilbo is spreading to different fields of South Korean society, said the South Korean paper Hangyore.
According to the paper, on Aug. 7 154 intellectuals held their first meeting to declare that they would refuse to contribute any articles to Chosun Ilbo or to be interviewed by the paper. Participating in the campaign are personages of academic circles, men and women of literature and arts, religious figures, members of the civic movement and others.
That day they released a declaration "We refuse to deal with Chosun Ilbo."
The declaration said:
Without overcoming the hurdle thrown by Chosun Ilbo, we cannot but take a thorny way for a reform and peaceful reunification.
A strong force of the press called Chosun Ilbo is the biggest obstacle to the gigantic trend of the times called reconciliation between the south and the north. This situation urgently calls for a positive movement on the part of the intellectuals.
If Chosun Ilbo neither reflects on its past nor makes any apology to the people and the nation, we will refuse to contribute any articles to the paper or to be interviewed by it.
We will form a "joint measure committee in a month to deal with the lies and false reports carried by Chosun Ilbo" and spread the campaign of boycotting the paper not only to intellectuals but to civic and public organizations.
Three-point charter of Korean reunification supported
Pyongyang, August 11 (KCNA) -- Indian organizations participated in the international signature campaign to support the three-point charter of Korean reunification.
N. K. Shukra, joint secretary of the All-India Peasants' Union, signed the signature paper on behalf of its 14 million members, Sunit Chofra, joint secretary of the All- India Agricultural Workers Union, on behalf of its 2.4 million members and B. J. Zoli vice-chairman of the youth league of the Bharatiya Janata Party of India (the People's Party of India), on behalf of its 2 million members.
Austrian figures support Korean people's cause of national reunification
Pyongyang, August 11 (KCNA) -- Chairman Max Verworner and secretary general Erich Zavadil of the society for the promotion of the relations between Austria and the DPRK jointly issued a statement on August 3 on the occasion of the 3rd anniversary of General Secretary Kim Jong Il's immortal work "Let Us Carry Out the Great Leader Comrade Kim Il Sung's Instructions for National Reunification."
The positive changes taking place on the Korean peninsula would have been unthinkable without the dynamic leadership and devoted efforts of General Secretary Kim Jong Il, they said.
Reiterating their full support to the three-point charter of Korean reunification, they expressed their firm belief that the Korean people would surely reunify the country by themselves under the leadership of Kim Jong Il.