Kim Yong Nam receives credentials from new Rwandan ambassador
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, received credentials from Valens Munyabagisha, newly-appointed Rwandan ambassador E.P. to the DPRK, at the Mansudae Assembly Hall today.
Present there was Pak Tong Chun, vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The President conversed with the ambassador after receiving the letter of credence.
State symphony orchestra leaves for S. Korea
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- The state symphony orchestra left here today for South Korea.
The orchestra includes at least 130 famous artistes including people's artistes, merited artistes and international concours winners.
They were seen off at the airport by minister of culture Kang Nung Su and officials concerned.
North side's visiting group of separated families and relatives meets kinsmen again
Seoul, August 17 (KCNA) -- The members of the visiting group of separated families and relatives of the north side had more family-to-family reunions with their kinsmen in Seoul.
After conveying regards from their blood relations in the north and inquiring after their dear family members' health in the south, the members of the visiting group and their families and relatives sang shoulder to shoulder the song "Our Wish Is Reunification" again and again in tears with excitement.
With the approach of the time of parting they hugged each other again, hardly overcoming farewell feelings.
The members of the group called on their families and relatives to work harder to bring earlier the day of reunification, telling them that the reunification of the country can be readily achieved when all the nation pool their strength and wisdom under the banner of the north-south joint declaration under the wise guidance of the respected leader Kim Jong Il.
They and their families and relatives exchanged souvenirs with each other.
That day, the visiting group inspected the Changdok Palace.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Unification of South Korea hosted a reception in honor of the visiting group of families and relatives of the north side.
Visiting group of separated families and relatives of north side returns
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- The visiting group of separated families and relatives of the north side led by Ryu Mi Yong, chairperson of the central committee of the Chondoist Chongu Party, flew back to Pyongyang today.
It was greeted at the airport by Kim Yong Dae, chairman of the central committee of the Korean Social Democratic Party, Jang Jae On, chairman of the central committee of the Red Cross Society of the DPRK, and others. Before departure from Seoul, members of the group bid farewell to their families and relatives in the south.
Visiting group of separated families and relatives of south side leaves
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- The visiting group of separated families and relatives of the south side led by Jang Chung Sik, president of the South Korean Red Cross, left here today by air.
It was seen off at the airport by Jang Jae On, chairman of the central committee of the DPRK Red Cross society, and others.
Before departure members of the group bid farewell to their families and relatives at the Koryo Hotel.
Week of Indian film show opens
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- A ceremony of opening a week of Indian film show was held at the Pyongyang International Cinema House yesterday on the occasion of the 53rd anniversary of its independence.
Present there were Jo Chan Gu, vice-Minister of Culture, and other officials concerned and working people in the city.
Present there were also Binanda Kumar Gogoi, Indian ambassador to the DPRK, staff members of the embassy, diplomatic envoys of various countries here and Indian guests staying in the DPRK.
Speeches were made at the ceremony.
The participants saw Indian feature film "Guiltless Child."
Congratulatory message to Mongolian minister
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- Paek Nam Sun, DPRK Foreign Minister, sent a congratulatory message to Luvsangiin Erdenechuluun on his appointment as Mongolian Minister of External Relations.
The message warmly congratulated him on his appointment, expressing the belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would further develop and wishing him success in his work.
Inciting confrontation with north flayed
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today carries a signed commentary denouncing the South Korean police's recent arrest of Pak Yo Sop, chairman of the General Student Council of Dankook University, and three other leading members of the council on charges of "praising and encouraging the north" on the strength of the "Security Law".
The commentary says:
Now the nation's desire for reconciliation, cooperation and reunification is unprecedentedly mounting after the historic Pyongyang meeting. It is against common sense that the South Korean police arrested patriotic students at this time, still defining the north as an "anti-state organization".
What is required today is to do things helpful to developing dialogue, contact and exchange, improving the inter-Korean relations and settling the reunification issue as stipulated in the north-south joint declaration.
The South Korean police, however, are cracking down on the students on the strength of the "Security Law", going against the trend towards the improved inter-Korean relations and the aspiration of the people. This is an act of deliberately inciting confrontation with the north and putting a brake on the implementation of the declaration.
The anachronistic act of the South Korean police makes us doubt whether the South Korean authorities are willing to implement the declaration or not.
If the South Korean authorities have a true will to implement the declaration, regarding it as a milestone in improving the inter-Korean relations and reunifying the country, they should abolish the "Security Law," the anti-reunification evil law, first of all, release the arrested students and take strict measures to prevent any renewed acts contrary to the spirit of the north-south joint declaration.
5th Junior World Taekwon-do Championships to open
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- The 5th Junior World Taekwon-do Championships will be held in Pyongyang from coming August 23 to 26 amid keen interest of Taekwon-do experts and fans.
According to information available from the preparatory committee of the championships, at least 600 ace junior Taekwon-do players and fans and honorary guests from some 40 countries of Asia, Europe and Americas and other parts of the world will participate in the championships in the idea of "independence, peace and friendship."
The championships sponsored by the ITF will be participated in by players aged 13 to 18. They will involve men and women's team and individual events in pattern competition, demonstration sport, sparring matches and special skills.
The Taekwon-do hall in Chongchun Street will be the venue of the championships. Having a large floor for competition, enough seats for spectators, over 120 rooms and training halls, rest rooms and etc., the hall provides players with sufficient facilities.
Korean players won at least 40 gold and many other medals and several cups at the first three championships.
Merited athletes Kim Kyong Sil and Jong Hwi Song and many other athletes displayed their high skills in pattern competition, sparring matches and other events.
Korean junior players bag 33 gold medals in Russia
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- Korean junior sportspersons won 33 gold medals, 15 silver medals and 12 bronze medals in nine events, thus placing second in the team total in the 2nd international sports games "Children of Asia" held in Yakutsk, the capital of the Republic of Sakha of the Russian Federation.
The games held from August 5 to 13 brought together at least 950 players from 15 countries including the DPRK, Mongolia, India and Vietnam and 17 regions.
The Korean women volleyball team beat the Indian team 3-0 in the final match. Pak Yong Jin won a gold medal in the men's Judo contest and Kim Song Gum, So Un Sim, Han Yun Mi, Pak Myong Hui, Hong Ok Son and Choe Hyon Ju bagged gold medals in the women's Judo competitions.
Jong Kwang Hyok, carried off 4 gold medals and a silver medal. He placed first in horizontal bar, men's rings and vaulting horse and second in pommel horse. Pyon Kwang Sun obtained 3 gold medals in total points by coming first in balance beam and uneven bars and second in vaulting horse.
Yang Chung Song, Paek Hyong Il, Kim Thae Chol and Paek Hong Chol came first in freestyle wrestling, Son Un Hui in women's 3,000 m race, Rim Kyong Ok in women's 1,500 m and 800 m races, Kim Song Chol in men's table tennis singles and Kim Pok Hui in women's singles.
Promising Go player
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- Among the Korean sportsmen who put in stellar international occasions in recent years is Pak Ho Gil, an upstart Go player who was the runner-up at the 22nd World Amateur Go Championships in Sendai, Japan, in June.
In this international debut, he romped through the series. He outmaneuvered a Vietnamese rival, an international ace.
Then he thrashed other players from Denmark, Finland, Canada, Chinese Taipei, Russia and the US.
Hailing from Hamhung in South Hamgyong Province, he took a lively interest in Go from his childhood.
As a primary pupil, he practiced Go at the sports group, polishing his skill with rewarding perseverance.
After finishing the Hamhung Sports School, he was taken in by the junior sports team in Juche 85 (1996). He first caught the attention in Juche 89 (1999) when he was ranked at the Paektusan prize games. He established his reputation through his subsequent standings at the Mangyongdae prize, Pochonbo prize and Osandok prize games and the national championships.
Day of Indonesian independence observed
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- Buchari Effendi, Indonesian ambassador to the DPRK, gave a reception on August 17 on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the independence of Indonesia.
Invited to the reception were Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Kang Jong Mo, Minister of Foreign Trade, officials concerned and foreign diplomatic envoys here.
Speeches were made at the reception.
Japan's projected exercise for preventing disasters
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary denounces the Japan "Self-Defence Forces" for planning to stage a "combined exercise for preventing disasters" in Tokyo metropolis on September 3.
By origin, the "SDF" are aimed at overseas aggression, the commentary says, and goes on:
Their talk about "prevention of disasters" and the like is no more than a sophism to conceal the aggressive aim of the "SDF's" overseas dispatch.
The "combined exercise for preventing disasters" is aimed to participate in a second Korean war.
The Japanese imperialists invaded and occupied Korea under the pretext of "protecting Japanese residents in Korea" in the past, and the present aggression forces of Japan are trying to launch operations for reinvasion of Korea on the plea of "preventing disasters".
Ten odd years ago the Japanese diet passed a bill providing for the Japanese government's overseas dispatch of "teams for rescuing disaster sufferers". Afterwards the law on overseas dispatch of forces was adopted and took effect, and a "bill on revising the law of the SDF" was passed to dispatch "SDF's" planes overseas under the pretext of "rescuing Japanese in foreign countries in contingencies".
The "law on emergencies in areas surrounding Japan" which was adopted and took effect last year invested the "SDF" with the right to participate in war and right of belligerency. What remains to be done by the "SDF" is only to increase the capacity of military operations for reinvasion. That is why the three services of the "SDF" are planning to stage the "combined exercise for preventing disasters".
This shows that the Japanese militarist scenario to reinvade Korea has been more concretized and has entered a stage of implementation.
"Prevention of disasters" is nothing but a subterfuge to mislead public opinion under the signboard of "humanitarianism" and justify the "SDF's" moves to reinvade Korea.
Anniversary of Kim Il Sung's work commemorated
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- A Pyongyang meeting was held on August 17 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the President Kim Il Sung's famous work "Let the entire nation unite and hasten the reunification of the country."
President Kim Il Sung in a speech made before the delegates to the pan-national rally held on August 18, Juche 79 (1990) clarified that founding the Democratic Federal Republic of Koryo on the three principles of national reunification paves the path of solving the issue of Korea's reunification in its own way in conformity with the demand of our nation and the actual situation of our country.
Kim Yong Dae, vice-President of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, said in his report that the President's work serves as a program for reunification based on national independence as it clarifies the fundamental principle and stand to solve the issue of Korea's reunification by the efforts of the nation in conformity with its will and interests.
To achieve the reunification of the country is the top priority task before the compatriots greeting a new century, he noted, and went on:
It is necessary to take concrete and practical steps to solve the reunification issue as specified in the north-south joint declaration.
What is important for opening a decisive phase of Korea's reunification is to thoroughly implement the north-south joint declaration adopted at the historic Pyongyang meeting.
All the compatriots should value the success of the Pyongyang meeting and do their utmost to thoroughly implement the joint declaration.
Present at the meeting were Yang Hyong Sop, alternate member of the political bureau of the Central Committee of the Worker's Party of Korea and vice-president of the presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, officials concerned, working people and school youth and children in the city.
Master key to opening DPRK-Japan relations
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- Japan should properly settle its past, clearly mindful that a master key to opening diplomatic relations between the DPRK and Japan lies in Japan's honest redress for its past, said Rodong Sinmun yesterday in a signed commentary.
It went on:
The Japanese imperialists inflicted unspeakable human and material damage upon the Korean people for over 40 years of their military occupation of Korea.
Making apology and praying for pardon a hundred times would not be enough for Japan to compensate for all the crimes it had committed against the Korean people for such a long period. However, Japan has done nothing to redress its past although half a century has passed since its defeat and it even evades an apology to it to say nothing of compensation.
It is Japan's political and moral obligation and a duty under the international law to admit all its crimes and apologize and compensate for them.
However, Japan's impudent approach to the issue of redressing its inglorious past baffles human imagination.
If Japan does not take a proper attitude toward the issue of the redress for its past but seeks to repeat its bloody past, it will be just like coming home to roost. Regret will not mend matters.
NAM's basic idea will never change
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- The basic idea of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) for independence against imperialism has not changed and will never change, says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article.
It goes on:
Independence against imperialism is the basic idea of the NAM.
The international situation is in the process of steady change. Therefore, the NAM may raise new tactical demands in accordance with the situation. However, the basic idea of the NAM itself can never change.
If the basic idea of independence against imperialism changes, the NAM will split and disintegrate to stop its existence.
Whatever change may take place in the world, the NAM should adhere to the basic idea of independence against imperialism to the end.
Independence against imperialism is the most justifiable and scientific idea that confirms with the position of the NAM and international relations.
The movement has grown up into the force which cannot be neglected in the international arena and it is the driving force of the peace-loving and progressive forces in the international relations today. This is because the NAM regards independence against imperialism as its invariable basic idea.
The road ahead the NAM with independence against imperialism as its basic idea is clear and its victory is sure to come.
Democratization of UN called for
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- Minju Joson yesterday in an article referred to issues in building a new international order including the democratization of the United Nations and the establishment of a new international economic order.
It is a common task of all countries and nations of the world aspiring after a free and peaceful new world to destroy the old international order and establish instead a new international order based on justice, equality and impartiality, the article said.
Highlighting the need to democratize the UN, it said that at the UN today just demands and proposals put forth by the non-aligned and other developing countries are ignored and the handling of international issues is decided by the assertions of some big powers.
The article recalled that those powers regard the UN as their tool to arbitrarily interfere in the internal affairs of other countries under the pretext of "mediation of crisis," "settlement of dispute" and "protection of human rights," thus rendering situation more complicated.
For democratizing the UN it is imperative to resolutely reject the arbitrary and high-handed practices of the specified countries and their "double standards" and establish the principle of justice, equality and impartiality, the article said, and continued:
The old economic order should be replaced by a new international economic order.
What is important in this respect is to reorganize the unfavorable financial and monetary systems, unequal economic and trade relations including non-equivalent exchange and partial international division of labour and find a reasonable solution to the issue of foreign debts in order to create environment and conditions favourable for the economic development in the developing countries.
No one should pin any hope on "assistance" and "cooperation" to be offered by the imperialists as a token of "generosity" under the cloak of "globalization".
Imperialists' ideological and cultural poisoning should be thoroughly smashed to establish a new international order.
S. Korean young people vow to propagandize Kim Il Sung's feats
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- The Patriotic Youth Society for Reunification held a meeting on July 23 and adopted a resolution on conducting brisk propaganda activities introducing the immortal feats of the President Kim Il Sung in liberating the country on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the liberation of the country, Seoul-based radio Voice of National Salvation quoted the Seoul city committee of the National Democratic Front of South Korea as saying.
The resolution noted it would introduce Kim Il Sung as the great father of the nation who liberated the country through the protracted bloody battles against the brigandish Japanese imperialists on Mt. Paektu and devoted himself to national reunification to the last moment of his life.
It said brisk propaganda activities would include distribution of handbills, mail of reminiscences, video and internet show and putting up of big-character papers and wall newspapers carrying materials of the anti-Japanese revolutionary struggle and the feats of the revolutionary activities of the President.
Rallies and demo in S. Korea
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- The South Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) held a "national meeting of workers to frustrate police suppression" in Seoul on Aug. 15 with 13,000 attending at which it demanded the authorities make an apology for the suppression of the strikes of the trade unions of Lotte Hotel and public insurance and punish those responsible, according to Yonhap News.
Chairman Tan Pyong Ho, addressing the meeting, dismissed the authorities' suppression of vital rights of workers with violence as unreasonable and urged them to immediately stop the crackdown upon civilians.
The participants demanded an immediate settlement of the issue of collective bargaining by the trade unions of Lotte Hotel and public insurance, withdrawal of the police, dismissal of the chief of the police office, an apology by the authorities, a halt to the police search for those on the want list and so on.
Meanwhile, at least 6,000 civilians and students under the "National Alliance for Democracy and Reunification," the National Alliance for the Country's Reunification, the South Korean Federation of University Student Councils held a rally and joined in the meeting of the KCTU.
At the end of the meeting the participants staged an on-street demo, but it was blocked by the police.
Three-point charter of Korea's reunification supported
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- Alberto Anaya Gutierrez, coordinator of the national executive committee of the Worker's Party of Mexico, signed the signature paper supporting the three-point charter of Korea's reunification on behalf of three million party members and supporters on August 10.
Then, he noted with joy that the north-south summit was successfully held and a bright prospect of Korea's reunification was opened up under the wise leadership of the great Kim Jong Il.
The Korean people will surely achieve the reunification of the country under the wise leadership of Kim Jong Il, he stressed.