Kim Jong Il sends condolences to Putin
Pyongyang, August 22 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Il, Chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK, today sent a message of condolence to V. V. Putin, President of the Russian Federation, over the deaths of the crewmen of the Russian nuclear-powered submarine "Kursk."
The message says:
I heard the very sad news that all of 118 crew members of the Russian nuclear-powered submarine "Kursk" which had been grounded on the Barents sea floor since August 12 died.
In this connection, I express deep condolences to you and, through you, to the victims, the bereaved families and the Russian people.
I am convinced that you will emerge from sorrow and all obtaining difficulties and make successes in the work to build powerful Russian armed forces.
10th round of DPRK-Japan intergovernmental full-dress talks begins
Tokyo, August 22 (KCNA) -- The 10th round of the DPRK-Japan intergovernmental full-dress talks began in Tokyo today.
Present at the talks were the members of the DPRK government delegation headed by Jong Thae Hwa, roving ambassador of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, from the DPRK side and the members of the Japanese government delegation headed by Kojiro Takano, ambassador of the Foreign Ministry for negotiations for Japan-DPRK diplomatic relations, from the Japanese side.
Three-point charter of Korea's reunification supported
Pyongyang, August 22 (KCNA) -- International secretary Miguel Angel Gonzalez and 9 other members of the leadership of the Colombian Communist Party signed the international signature paper supporting the three-point charter of Korea's reunification on August 14 on behalf of the party membership.
Travelling health care enjoys popularity
Pyongyang, August 22 (KCNA) -- Brisk travelling health care is popular among people in the DPRK.
A good example of this is what has been done by a travelling medical team of the Pyongyang Maternity Hospital in Taehongdan county, Ryanggang Province in the northernmost part of the country, where there are many families of the demobilized soldiers all out to implement the revolutionary policy of the Worker's Party of Korea for potato farming.
The team has rendered assistance to their wives at childbirth and conducted medical examinations of inhabitants of the county.
Equipped with ultrasound scanners and other examination and treatment apparatuses and staffed by skilled doctors, the team has done effective services, enjoying a high appreciation from the working people there.
Meanwhile, its members have taught advanced methods of treatment and valuable experience to medical workers of the county people's hospital and clinics of branch farms, thus helping augment the medical staff of the county.
Such activities of medical workers as visiting emergency cases and work-sites for treatment and conducting health examinations and preventive inoculations for the population under their charge are also brisk in other parts of the country.
KPA athletes prove successful in army pentathlon championships
Pyongyang, August 22 (KCNA) -- Women athletes of the Korean People's Army were reported to have come first by clocking 1 minute 57.8 seconds in women 500m hurdle relay at the 48th World Army Pentathlon Championships held in Denmark from August 14 to 20.
They placed second in the team competition of the women pentathlon by obtaining 15,902.4 points.
The championships brought together army athletes from the DPRK, Norway, Denmark, Brazil, Sweden, China and other countries.
Kim Il Sung registered as Honorary Citizen of Huaraz Province of Peru
Pyongyang, August 22 (KCNA) -- The Huaraz Provincial Council of Peru adopted a decision on registering the President Kim Il Sung as an Honorary Citizen of the province on the occasion of the 52nd anniversary of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Governor of the province Jose Fernando Mendez paid a congratulatory visit to the DPRK embassy in Lima on August 16 and conveyed a certificate and medal to the ambassador.
The certificate reads:
Huaraz province has particular pleasure to register H.E. Kim Il Sung, eternal President of the DPRK, as an Honorary Citizen in high recognition of his great exploits performed in the work for the global cause of independence and the peace and reunification of the Korean peninsula and present this certificate to him on the occasion of the 52nd anniversary of the DPRK.
Kim Jong Il registered as Honorary Citizen of Huaraz Province of Peru
Pyongyang, August 22 (KCNA) -- The Huaraz Provincial Council of Peru adopted a decision on registering the great leader Kim Jong Il as an Honorary Citizen of the province on the occasion of the 52nd anniversary of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Governor of the province Jose Fernando Mendez paid a congratulatory visit to the DPRK embassy in Lima on August 16 and conveyed a certificate and medal to the ambassador.
The certificate reads:
Huaraz province is particularly pleased to register H.E. Kim Jong Il, Chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK, as an Honorary Citizen in high recognition of his great feats performed in the work for the global cause of independence and the peace and reunification of the Korean peninsula and present this certificate to him on the occasion of the 52nd anniversary of the DPRK.
State symphony orchestra performs in Seoul
Seoul, August 21 (KCNA) -- The State Symphony Orchestra of the DPRK successfully staged its performances in Seoul on August 20 and 21.
The performances drew capacity audiences.
Put on stage were orchestras "Arirang" and "My House In My Native Place," violin concerto "Nostalgia," soprano "Let's Go To Mountains and Sea," tenor "Moonlit East Sea," overture of orchestra of the opera "The Barber of Seville" and other colorful pieces.
The performers truthfully represented the noble national emotion, patriotism and optimism of the Korean people with peculiar tone of national musical instruments, elegant and dynamic melody of modern mixed orchestra of Korean style and sweet and rich voice.
Each number of the program was highly acclaimed by the audiences for leading them to the musical world with high artistry, well-organized ensemble and experienced conduct.
At the end of each performance, South Korean figures from all walks of life mounted the stage to congratulate the orchestra on its successful performance.
The performances were enjoyed by Ri Man Sop, National Assembly speaker, So Yong Hun, representative of the Democratic Party, Ri Hoe Chang, president of the Grand National Party, Kim Jong Gil, Minister of Justice, and other politicians, members of the National Assembly and presidents of leading media organizations, personages of political, social, press, academic and art circles and music lovers of South Korea and citizens in Seoul.
Kanggye government office
Pyongyang, August 22 (KCNA) -- Kanggye, a northern inland city of Korea, has a time-honored remain--Kanggye government office from the Ri dynasty (1392-1910).
Formerly the office cum residence of the Kanggye deputy magistrate (doubling as local garrison commander), it was a courtyard home of many buildings but now only three remain--east house, inner house and hexagonal arbor.
The east house, where the deputy magistrate carried out official duties, runs 21.8 metres long and 9.8 wide and has a floorage of 213 square metres. It is supported all around by two rows of 40 columns with a corridor in between. The inner-row columns are linked by screens, the partitions that could be moved up to a height for a larger space. The corridor is flanked by a backed railing. The columns are very thick for their height and carved with lotus patterns, and those at the four corners have tops shaped like a dragon's head in an imposing yet beautiful scene. The east house was built in 1663 but later burnt down, and rebuilt in 1888.
The inner house, the residence of the deputy magistrate, is 20.05 metres long and 4.6 wide and has columns with a double bracketing system.
The hexagonal arbor was an archery ground for the soldiers defending the northwestern areas.
This unit was severely damaged during the Korean War (1950-1953) but has since been restored to state.
Korean nation urged to pool efforts for its reunification
Pyongyang, August 22 (KCNA) -- It is necessary to abide by the principle of solving the issue of reunification independently by the concerted efforts of the nation responsible for it in order to achieve its cause, said Rodong Sinmun yesterday in a signed article.
The article went on:
The reunification of Korea is its internal affair which should be solved by the efforts of the Korean nation itself.
Korea's reunification, the national cause, does not allow any outside forces to interfere in it. This cause of reunification will face ordeals and difficulties if their interference is connived at and allowed.
Saying that it is the only way for national reunification to believe in the efforts of the nation and rely on them, the article continued:
The Korean nation is fully capable of discussing and solving the issue of reunification with its own energy and wisdom. No matter how difficult and complicated the cause of national reunification may be, it can be accomplished if the 70 million fellow countrymen display all their patriotic enthusiasm and pool their wisdom and energies.
Korea is sure to be reunified independently and peacefully when the north and the south sit face to face and discuss and solve all the problems related to the reunification true to the will and requirements of the nation on the basis of patriotism and in the spirit of national sovereignty.
Reality goes to prove that the Korean nation is capable of solving any difficult problem when it pools its efforts for the nation from the nation-first stand.
It is an invariable supreme principle to solve the issue of national reunification by the concerted efforts of the Korean nation responsible for it. Any attempt of the outside forces to interfere in the internal affairs of the Korean nation should be categorically rejected in order to adhere to this principle.
Any Korean aspiring after patriotism and reunification should swim with the strong trend towards independent reunification which has made a good start with the publication of the historic north-south joint declaration as a momentum.
Defending socialist cause and advancing human cause of independence called for
Pyongyang, August 22 (KCNA) -- The calls of the Central Committee of the Worker's Party of Korea issued on its 55th anniversary underscored the need to defend the socialist cause and dynamically advance the human cause of independence.
Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article says that these calls based on a scientific clarification of co-relations between the socialist cause and the human cause of independence reflect the urgent need of the present times to defend the cause of socialism.
The human cause of independence is a cause of achieving the independence of the popular masses worldwide, the article says, and goes on:
The cause of socialism is a just cause aimed to put an end to the exploitation of man by man and provide an independent and creative life to the masses, while the human cause of independence is a cause to eradicate inequality among countries and nations worldwide and build a free and peaceful new world, free from aggression and subjugation.
The course of victoriously advancing the socialist cause worldwide precisely means a course of carrying out the human cause of independence.
It is important to cherish the unflinching faith in socialism and strengthen support and encouragement to the countries and peoples holding aloft its banner in order to defend the socialist cause and dynamically push ahead with the human cause of independence.
The article highlights the need not to budge even a bit from the steadfast anti-imperialist stand but consolidate the unity and cohesion of all the progressive forces under the banner of anti-imperialist struggle.