1st-day meeting of 3rd round of inter-Korean ministerial talks held
Jeju Island, September 28 (KCNA) -- The third round of north-south ministerial talks was held on Jeju Island today amid the growing interest and expectation at home and abroad for the implementation of the north-south joint declaration.
Present at the talks from the north side were members of its delegation led by Jon Kum Jin, senior councilor of the cabinet of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and suite members and from the south side were members of its delegation with Pak Jae Gyu, Minister of Unification, as chief delegate and suite members.
Jon Kum Jin made a keynote speech at the talks.
Following the historic Pyongyang meeting, the inter-Korean relations have confidently entered an important historic turning phase of settling all problems independently by concerted efforts of the Korean nation, he said, referring to the stirring events made in over 100 days after the publication of the north-south joint declaration.
He noted:
Talks between the Red Cross organizations of both sides as well as inter-Korean ministerial talks have been put on a regular basis and working contact for economic cooperation started. In particular, talks between the military authorities of both sides were held. As a result, inter-Korean relations have confidently entered a new era of dialogue, an era of cooperation and unity.
Two more meetings of separated families and relatives are due this year following their meeting with August 15 as an occasion, the issue of linking and opening railways and road between the north and the south is on the order of the day, those from the south side toured the Mt. Paektu area and athletes of the north and the south jointly entered the Sydney Olympic games, he said, touching upon the events which took place in over 100 days.
We, he noted, proudly feel that all this is a brilliant fruition of the determination and will of the leaders of the two sides who are of the same patriotic idea.
He stressed that the respected Kim Jong Il sent as gifts fresh Songi mushroom that was specially picked up on Mt. Chilbo, a famous mountain on the east coast, to President Kim Dae Jung and his wife and public figures of the south side on the occasion of Chusok, the autumn festival, to convey the compatriotic feelings of the people in the north to their fellow countrymen in the south and have them feel national flavor.
He said that the north-south joint declaration has been deeply implanted in the mind of the fellow countrymen as the most correct milestone promising the reunification and prosperity of the nation and that reconciliation, cooperation and unity are becoming a trend of national history which no force can check.
Laying stress again on the will and readiness of our side to sincerely promote cooperation in the settlement of the pending issues between the north and south, he added: We should discharge our mission, understanding and cooperating with each other true to the noble spirit of the north-south joint declaration on pooling the strength of our nation.
Chief delegate of the south side Pak Jae Gyu spoke next.
He, referring to events following the publication of the north-south joint declaration, expressed his readiness to push ahead with the settlement of the pending issues.
At the talks proposals to promote as planned what are now being carried out or should be done were presented and both sides' views on them were exchanged.
Through the three rounds of the north-south ministerial talks both sides showed the vitality of the joint declaration in practice, giving people at home and abroad a new hope and confidence in the bright prospect of north-south relations and convinced all the fellow countrymen that only national independence and unity are the most reasonable way of national reunification.
National public presentation of scientific and technological achievements
Pyongyang, September 28 (KCNA) -- A national public presentation of scientific and technological achievements was held on September 26 and 27 on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the Worker's Party of Korea.
Presented were about 150 valuable materials on scientific and technological achievements made by scientists, technicians and university teachers across the country in their efforts to bring the nation's science and technology on to the world level at an early date and to solve scientific and technical problems in the building of a powerful nation.
Among them were achievements made through positive development and application of ultra modern science and technology including the method to modernize the production process of integrated circuit and boost its productivity, establishment of technique of sterilizing and refining material by fiber, technique of manufacturing medicine for curing virus diseases by the genetic engineering method and the method of increasing the quality of foodstuff by physical and chemical means.
S. Korean tourists visit Mt. Paektu
Pyongyang, September 28 (KCNA) -- A group of South Korean tourists to Mt. Paektu visited the areas of Mt. Paektu from September 23 to 26.
The members of the tourist group looked round the log cabin in which the headquarters was situated when the President Kim Il Sung led the anti-Japanese war to victory and visited the time-honored native home in the secret camp on Mt. Paektu where the respected leader Kim Jong Il was born.
And then they made an excursion to Mt. Paektu.
On the peak of the mountain they went down to Lake Chon by cable-car to enjoy a stirring view of the lake. On the lake they spent a pleasant time, singing the song "Our Wish Is Reunification."
They also visited Samjiyon grand monument, the Rimyongsu revolutionary site, the Sinsadong revolutionary battle site, the Taehongdan revolutionary battle site and other areas.
And they went round the lodging quarters for excursionists to the Samjiyon revolutionary battle site, the Taehongdan county integrated farm and other areas and saw art performances given by the Ryanggang provincial art troupe and the art circle members of the Samjiyon Schoolchildren's Palace.
On the 27th the tourist group inspected the international friendship exhibition and the historical relics on Mt. Myohyang and toured the mountain.
Leadership of WPK, guarantee for achieving national reunification
Pyongyang, September 28 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article stresses that the leadership of the Worker's Party of Korea is a firm guarantee for accomplishing the cause of national reunification.
Only when the movement of the Korean nation for reunification of the country is under the leadership of the great WPK, will it break through difficulties and obstacles and win a brilliant victory without turns and twists, the article says, and goes on:
The WPK put forth just lines and policies, orientation and ways of national reunification in each time and stage and aroused the whole nation to their realization. It clarified the three principles of independence, peaceful reunification and great national unity, a reunification program common to the nation. This is the most brilliant historic feats for national reunification.
The guidance of the WPK is an ever-victorious one which leads the cause of reunification to victory, overcoming hardships and obstacles in the movement for national reunification with outstanding strategy and tactics suitable to the developments.
When the separatist forces at home and abroad resorted to the "two Koreas" moves, the WPK wisely led the struggle to implement the five-point policy of national reunification put forward by the President Kim Il Sung and thus frustrated their moves for permanent division of Korea and achieved a brilliant victory of the reunification line over their division line.
The WPK took the initiative to put forward various proposals and ways to create a precondition for independent and peaceful reunification in view of the prevailing situation.
Its leadership is an outstanding guidance to strengthen the driving force of reunification and open a turning phase of national reunification with its policy of national unity and all-embracing politics.
A bright vista for national reunification is opening following the historic Pyongyang meeting and the adoption of the north-south joint declaration, which is a brilliant fruition of the WPK's great magnanimity and all-embracing patriotic politics for reunification.
Symposiums held to mark 55th anniversary of WPK
Pyongyang, September 28 (KCNA) -- Symposiums of youth league officials, trade union officials and social scientists were held in Pyongyang on September 27 to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the Worker's Party of Korea.
It was stressed at the symposiums that the history of 55 years covered by the WPK under the wise leadership of the President Kim Il Sung and General Secretary Kim Jong Il is a history in which the WPK has led the most difficult and complicated Korean revolution always to victory without any slightest vacillation.
The symposium of youth league officials referred to the immortal feats made by the WPK in solving the youth problem over the past years after setting forth the idea of attaching great importance to the young people. And it was stressed there that all the young people should demonstrate their honor of being the shock brigade in building a powerful nation and accomplish the revolutionary cause of Juche generation after generation.
The symposium of trade union officials stressed that the WPK has strengthened and developed the trade unions into a reliable holder and defender of the party. It is the brilliant feats which will remain long in the history of building the mass political organization of the working class, it said.
The symposium of social scientists said that the greatness of Kim Il Sung's feats in building the Juche-oriented revolutionary party lies in the fact that he built the WPK into an invincible revolutionary party in which the monolithic unity of the idea and the leadership is completely realised, an independent party which, is building itself and acting with its own idea and faith, and a mother party, the popular party which takes its roots among the working masses and takes care of their destinies to the last with responsibility.
Basic idea of WPK's external policies
Pyongyang, September 28 (KCNA) -- Independence, peace and friendship are a basic idea of external policies of the Worker's Party of Korea (WPK). To put this idea into practice, the WPK held fast to the independent stand in its external relations.
The DPRK government established diplomatic relations with 143 countries on the principle of complete equality and mutual respect and is developing friendly and cooperative relations with them.
The WPK has consistently held fast to the revolutionary principle of not allowing encroachment upon the sovereignty of the DPRK and any interference in its internal affairs.
At a time when the U.S. infiltrated an armed spy ship "Pueblo" and a spy plane "EC-121" into territorial waters and air of the DPRK, provoked the "Panmunjom incident" and demanded compulsory "nuclear inspection" talking about the DPRK's non-existent "nuclear development," the WPK and the DPRK government defended the sovereignty of the country and the nation by maintaining the uncompromising revolutionary principle.
The WPK has waged an active struggle to defend global peace against the imperialists' aggression and war policies.
When the U.S. tried hard to hold an upper hand in strength, stepping up arms buildup behind the curtain of "disarmament" and "detente," the WPK and the DPRK government laid bare their deceptive and dangerous nature and fought against their armed infiltration and war provocative moves.
They also took an initiative in making a proposal for turning northeast Asia including the Korean peninsula into a denuclearized and peace zone and organized the Pyongyang international conference for denuclearization and peace on the Korean peninsula in September Juche 75 (1986).
They have strengthened solidarity with the anti-war, anti-nuke peace movement and vigorously struggled against the setting up of foreign military bases and presence of foreign forces in different countries including non-aligned countries and to make military pressure upon them lifted.
The WPK has pursued the policy of strengthening friendship and solidarity with world people.
The DPRK government has extended an active political encouragement and sincere material aid to the peoples of non-aligned and other developing countries in their efforts to build new societies on the revolutionary principle and in the spirit of comradely cooperation.
It also established good-neighborly relations with capitalist countries which respect its sovereignty and developed economic and cultural exchanges with them on the principle of equality and mutual respect.
So, the DPRK is now enjoying a very high external dignity, and international solidarity with the Korean revolution has been strengthened.
World Maritime Day observed
Pyongyang, September 28 (KCNA) -- Papers here today commemorate the World Maritime Day.
Minju Joson says that the DPRK government is paying deep attention to protect sea environment to suit the geographical features of the country which is bounded on three sides by the sea.
It goes on:
Maritime security and the protection of sea environment are legally guaranteed by the people-oriented policies pursued by the Worker's Party of Korea which values man most and the work is being carried out as a massive movement.
Devices to prevent pollution are being installed in those ships on an ocean voyage and national measures taken to prevent pollution in different maritime establishments including ports.
Rodong Sinmun says that the DPRK will make efforts as ever to sincerely discharge its duty as a member state of the International Maritime Organization.
Working-level delegation for north-south economic cooperation returns
Pyongyang, September 28 (KCNA) -- The north side's delegation came back to Pyongyang by air after participating in the working-level contact for north-south economic cooperation which was held in South Korea.
S. Korean tourist group leaves
Pyongyang, September 28 (KCNA) -- The south side's group of tourists to Mt. Paektu left Pyongyang today.
It was seen off at the airport by officials of the National Reconciliation Council.
It visited Mangyongdae, the Tower of the Juche Idea, the Arch of Triumph, king Tangun's mausoleum and the Mangyongdae Schoolchildren's Palace today.
Unreasonable resolution of IAEA
Pyongyang, September 28 (KCNA) -- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reportedly passed a "resolution on North Korea" calling for permission of nuclear inspection at a regular session recently held in Vienna.
It is a grave challenge to the sovereignty of the DPRK and a very unreasonable action which endangers the DPRK-U.S. agreed framework itself.
We declared more than once that we have neither will nor ability to develop nuclear weapons and, therefore, there can be no "nuclear suspicion" in our country.
This was clearly proved by the U.S. experts' inspection of Kumchang-ri underground facility last year and this year.
Nevertheless, the IAEA is now insisting on "inspection" as it did in the past. It cannot be judged as anything a premeditated and intentional criminal move to lead the situation on the Korean peninsula again from detente to the escalation of tensions.
Lurking behind IAEA's move is a foolish attempt to shift the responsibility for the delay of the light water reactors project on to us.
As known to all, the lwr project according to the DPRK-U.S. agreed framework is not being smoothly stepped up and its prospect is gloomy.
This is entirely attributable to the obstructive maneuvers of the U.S. administration, conservative hard-liners in particular.
The United States intends to egg the IAEA on to brand the DPRK as a "criminal" in a bid to evade its responsibility for the delay in the project.
The project is a key to the implementation of the DPRK-U.S. agreed framework. The delay in the project means that the fate of the agreed framework is now at stake.
It does not matter to us whether the agreement with continue to exist or not. This is our stand.
The U.S. should clearly know our position and discharge its obligation to the agreement. And the IAEA should not be used for the sinister political purpose of the U.S. any longer.
S. Korean workers under KCTU declare struggle
Pyongyang, September 28 (KCNA) -- Over 300 workers under the South Korean Confederation of Trade Unions on September 23 held a ceremony of declaring the second-half-of-the-year struggle in front of the "national assembly hall," according to the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation.
They said that the workers' vital rights are being threatened by the economic policies of the South Korean authorities including unilateral "restructuring" and declared that they would strongly counter it.
Indonesian nationalist union committee formed
Pyongyang, September 28 (KCNA) -- The Indonesian nationalist union committee for celebrating the 55th anniversary of the Worker's Party of Korea was formed on September 22.
Present at the inaugural meeting were the general secretary of the Indonesian Nationalist Union and the leaders of 11 political parties affiliated with the union.
The committee decided to hold a friendly meeting, film show, photo exhibition and other functions on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the WPK.
Self-reliance youth study society formed in Nepal
Pyongyang, September 28 (KCNA) -- An inaugural meeting of the Nepalese Youth Society for the Study of Self-reliance was held on September 20 in Kathmandu.
The chairman of the district no. 15 council of Kathmandu City was elected chairman of the society at the meeting.
The speakers noted that this youth organization for the study of the Juche idea inaugurated for the first time in Nepal on the occasion of the 55th birthday of the Worker's Party of Korea shows the aspirations and will of the Nepalese youth to learn after the immortal Juche idea created by the President Kim Il Sung and developed and enriched by the great leader Kim Jong Il. They expressed the determination to actively contribute to the independent development and prosperity of Nepal by widely disseminating the truth of the Juche idea among the broad young people.
A letter to Kim Jong Il was adopted at the meeting.
Taekwon-do tournament held in Madagascar
Pyongyang, September 28 (KCNA) -- A Madagascan Taekwon-do tournament was held in Antananarivo province on September 17 to mark the 55th anniversary of the Worker's Party of Korea.
The vice-chairman of the National Assembly addressed the tournament.
He noted that the WPK founded by the President Kim Il Sung and guided by the great leader Kim Jong Il is an invincible revolutionary party.
The WPK headed by Kim Jong Il has strengthened and developed into a party with bright future under his wise leadership, he said.
Then followed the Taekwon-do competitions.
Meeting of friendship and solidarity with Korean people
Pyongyang, September 28 (KCNA) -- A meeting of the Nordic cooperation committee for friendship and solidarity with the Korean people was held in Stockholm on September 23.
Chairman Anders Kristensen of the Denmark-the DPRK Friendship Association, who is secretary of the Nordic cooperation committee for friendship and solidarity with the Korean people, made a report at the meeting.
The meeting reviewed the last year's activities of the committee and adopted a 2000-2001 action programme and an appeal to political parties and organizations and organizations for friendship and solidarity with the Korean people in different countries.
Stressing that Korea's reunification is an important issue related to peace in Asia and the rest of the world as well as the Korean peninsula, the appeal said:
The Nordic cooperation committee for friendship and solidarity with the Korean people recognizes the three-point charter of Korea's reunification as the great banner and the only reasonable way of Korea's reunification most correctly reflecting the realities of the Korean peninsula and the unanimous desire of all the Korean people for reunification and extends full support and encouragement to them in their efforts to reunify the country in an independent and peaceful way by the united efforts of the entire nation.
Calling attention to the fact that the international signature campaign for support to the three-point charter is now being conducted on a world-wide scale in response to the call of the international liaison committee for reunification and peace in Korea, we call upon political parties, organizations and friendship and solidarity organizations in all countries to more actively participate in this campaign supporting the Korean people's cause of reunification.
The meeting elected the co-chairmen and secretary of the Nordic cooperation committee for friendship and solidarity with the Korean people.