Letter of thanks to Kim Jong Il
Pyongyang, September 22 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il Thursday received a letter of thanks from the
participants in the 7th Pyongyang Film Festival of Non-Aligned and Other Developing Countries.
The letter said:
The Pyongyang film festival marked a very effective occasion in sharing successes and experience gained by progressive people and moviemen who want to live a civilized life in harmony in an independent and prosperous new world in their efforts to create national films and in expanding and developing friendship, solidarity, exchange and cooperation to jointly pave the way for developing a genuine film art.
We were deeply moved to experience your loving care of providing the best conditions to the delegates despite difficult situation of the country and looking after us so that they might not feel any inconvenience.
We are convinced that under your outstanding and tested leadership the korean people will achieve independent and peaceful reunification of the country and build a powerful state in the near future.
Expressing the belief that the people and moviemen of the DPRK will continue to make big successes in their efforts for the prosperity of the country and the development of film art, the letter noted that the festival participants, who value justice, truth, peace and friendship, will always support and encourage the Korean people's just struggle for the independent reunification and development of the country and make joint efforts with the Korean moviemen to develop genuine film of humankind.
DPRK cabinet arranges friendly meeting
Pyongyang, September 22 (KCNA) -- The DPRK cabinet held a friendly meeting at the People's Palace of Culture on Sept. 21 in the wake of successful conclusion of the 7th Pyongyang Film Festival of Non-Aligned and Other Developing Countries.
Invited to the meeting were delegations, delegates and guests of honour from different countries who participated in the festival, foreign diplomatic envoys and embassy officials and members of the delegation of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan.
On hand were vice-premier Jo Chang Dok, Kang Nung Su, Minister of Culture who is the chairman of the festival organizing committee, Jo Chan Gu and Choe Yun Sik, vice-chairmen of the festival organizing committee, Hong Son Ok, vice-chairwoman of the Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries, officials concerned and moviemen.
A speech was made at the meeting.
The participants said that the Pyongyang film festival traditionally held in the idea of independence, peace and friendship is of weighty significance in the strengthening and development of the non-aligned movement and the national film development of new emerging countries.
They exchanged with each other the achievements and experience established in the work of creating progressive films which reflect the struggle and worthwhile life of the people who turn out in the building of a new society for the sake of independence.
They talked about the days of the festival, deepening their friendly feelings.
Independence of country and nation, basis for durable international relations
Pyongyang, September 22 (KCNA) -- Each country should invariably maintain its independence so as to solve any issue arising in international relationship on a fair basis in conformity with its own interests and the common interests of humankind, says rodong sinmun today in a signed article.
The article further says:
Independence of each country and nation is a basis of durable international relationship because it makes it possible to meet the intrinsic demand of country and nation.
Countries establish and develop ties with each other in a purpose to create external circumstances and conditions favourable for defending and realizing their own interests and demand. however, they are different in the interests and demand. Under this situation, the common and fundamental principle for the interests and requirement of all countries is needed to establish and develop the most reasonable and fair, international relations.
Such is the principle of defending and maintaining independence.
Independence also makes it possible to settle any international issue on a fair basis in the interests and demand of each country and nation.
All the matters arising in international relationship should be solved to conform with the aspiration and desire of humankind the world over and with the interests and demand of each nation.
To this end, it is necessary for all countries to firmly maintain and respect independence.
Only doing so, is it possible to check the unreasonable deeds of some countries, who seek to have the last say on any international issue and use it for their national egoism, and solve international issues impartially in conformity with the interests and requirement of all countries and nations.
The present era is that of independence.
Relations of equality, cooperation, reciprocity and non-interference in internal affairs based on independence will be established among nations when each country adheres to the principle of independence in international relationship.
Autumn land management brisk in DPRK
Pyongyang, September 22 (KCNA) -- Autumn land management is in full swing in the DPRK.
According to Kang Mun Gu, director of the land management mobilization control bureau of the ministry of land and environment protection, 107,859,000 trees of different kinds will be planted across the country and 10-15 hectares of sapling growing bases will be created each in counties and towns during this period.
Particular efforts will be made to rehabilitate and rezone land, rivers, roads and anti-tidal dykes damaged by torrential rains, typhoons and tidal waves this year.
This work will be carried out through a mass campaign.
Taking the lead are jagang, ryanggang and north hamgyong provinces.
These provinces are making preferential efforts to create useful forests including a forest of economic value and a timber forest.
Many counties and towns are carrying out anti-erosion projects along the damaged rivers, dredging, embankment, stone-laying and turfing.
The autumn land management work is being pushed ahead in other provinces to make an effective use of their specific conditions.
Withdrawal of U.S. troops from S. Korea is urgent need of times
Pyongyang, September 22 (KCNA) -- Savid Bakus, chairman of the Guyana Committee for Supporting Korea's reunification, issued a statement calling for the withdrawal of the U.S. troops from South Korea.
He in the statement says:
With the end of the Second World War the U.S. troops occupied South Korea and thus Korea was divided into the north and south. It is because of foreign interference and obstructive moves that Korea's reunification has not yet been realized though more than half a century has passed.
Now when military threat from the former Soviet Union has been removed with the end of the Cold War, the U.S. is still keeping its troops stationed in South Korea under the pretext of "threat of southward invasion" from North Korea.
The withdrawal of the U.S. troops from South Korea is an urgent need of the times.
DPRK hard hit by torrential rain, typhoon and landslides
Pyongyang, September 22 (KCNA) -- The DPRK was recently hard hit by a torrential rain, typhoon and landslides.
A regional torrential rain and typhoon in September in particular claimed human lives and inflicted enormous disasters upon different sectors.
Greatest natural disasters were reported from north and south Hwanghae provinces, Kangwon Province, north Phyongan Province, Ryanggang Province and north and south Hamgyong pronvinces.
According to the data available at the central statistic bureau, a total amount of damage reached 6,144,276,000 dollars.
Dwelling houses, roads and railways were heavily damaged.
125,000 dwelling houses were inundated or destroyed.
29,000 of them were completely demolished and thousands of them swept away.
Many people were dead or wounded.
A heavy rain and typhoon in Kangwon Province and north and south Hamgyong provinces and other parts destroyed roads and railway lines, cutting off traffic for scores of days.
1,630 kms of roads, 1,930 bridges and 250 railway sections were swept away or destroyed.
And landslide completely destroyed more than 160 sections of railways and roads. as a consequence large quantities of materials and manpower were directed to the rehabilitation work.
Natural disasters caused serious damage to different sectors of the national economy.
Torrential rain and typhoon hit several regions including plain areas in north and south hwanghae provinces and North Pphyongan Province washing away, burying and blowing down the crops in tens of thousands of hectares.
Grounds of concentrates and coal yards in mines and coal mines were submerged and a lot of production machines and facilities were destroyed by the landslide.
Damage investigation is now under way.
Anniversary of Kim Jong Suk's demise commemorated
Pyongyang, September 22 (KCNA) -- Senior party and state officials, servicemen, working people, school youth and children of the dprk and overseas Koreans visited the revolutionary martyrs' cemetery on Mt. Taesong today to lay wreaths before the bust of Kim Jong Suk, a great communist revolutionary fighter, on her 51st death anniversary.
Seen there was a wreath from the great leader Kim Jong Il.
Among the senior party and state officials present at the wreath-laying ceremony were Kim Yong Nam, Kye Ung Thae, Kim Il Chol and Ri Ul Sol.
Amid the playing of music wreaths were laid before the bust in the name of the Workers' Party of Korea central committee, the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly and the cabinet of the DPRK.
Placed also were wreaths, together with bouquets and flowers, in the names of the anti-Japanese revolutionary fighters, the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces, working people's organizations, ministries, national institutions, units of the Korean People's Army, educational, scientific, cultural and art, public health and press organs, the Korean Children's Union organizations, and party and power bodies, industrial establishments and farms in Pyongyang and delegations and home-visiting groups of overseas Koreans.
Group of S. Korean tourists arrives
Pyongyang, September 22 (KCNA) -- A group of South Korean tourists to Mt. Paektu led by Kim Jae Gi, chairman of the central council of Tourists Association of South Korea, arrived today.
It was met by officials of the national reconciliation council.