Kim Jong Il receives chief vice-chairman of Chongryon
Pyongyang, October 31 (KCNA)-- General Secretary Kim Jong Il on Monday received Ho Jong Man, chief vice-chairman of the central standing committee of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon), staying in the socialist homeland.
Ho Jong Man offered warmest congratulations to Kim Jong Il, carrying the unanimous loyalty of all the functionaries of Chongryon and 700,000 compatriots in Japan.
Kim Jong Il expressed thanks for this and had a cordial conversation with him.
He hosted a luncheon for Ho Jong Man.
Gift to Kim Jong Il
Pyongyang, October 31 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il received a gift from the secretary general of the United Left Movement of Dominica.
Secretary general Miguel Mejia on a visit to the DPRK conveyed the gift to an official concerned.
Greetings to PM of Antigua and Barbuda
Pyongyang, October 31 (KCNA) -- Hong Song Nam, premier of the cabinet of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, sent a message of greetings to Lester Bryant Bird, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barzudur, Loveroment and people of Untigua and Barbuda on the occasion and wished him success in his work for the prosperity of the country.
Chairman of foreign affairs committee of Germany and his party arrive
Pyongyang, October 31 (KCNA) -- Hans Ulrich Klose, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Federal Assembly of Germany, and his party arrived here today.
They were greeted at the airport by Chairman of the DPRK-West Europe Friendship Parliamentary Group Ri Jong Hyok, Ri Chong Il, deputy to the Supreme People's Assembly, and Thomas Wulfing, representative of the interest section for the Federal Republic of Germany in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Assistant executive director of WFP arrives
Pyongyang, October 31 (KCNA) -- Jean Jacques Graisse, assistant executive director of the World Food Program, arrived here today.
He was greeted at the airport by Choe Su Hon, vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of the DPRK, and David Morton, resident coordinator of the United Nations and resident representative of the United Nations Development Programme.
Delegation of European Parliament here
Pyongyang, October 31 (KCNA) -- A delegation of the European Parliament headed by Jacques Santer, member of the parliament and ex-president of the European Union Commission, arrived here today.
The delegation was greeted at the airport by deputies to the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly Choe Su Hon, vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Rim Nam Su, vice-Minister of Power and Coal Industries, and Svante Kilander, charge d' affaires a.i. of Sweden to the DPRK.
The SPA arranged a reception for the delegation at Pyongyang Koryo Hotel.
Kim Jong Il encourages artistes
Pyongyang, October 31 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il on October 31 went to the Kim Il Sung stadium where grand sports games of artistes were under way to encourage them.
He was accompanied by Kim Kuk Thae, Kim Jung Rin and Kim Yong Sun, secretaries of the Central Committee of the WPK= Jong Ha Chol, department director of the WPK Central Committee= and Pak Myong Chol, chairman of the Korean Physical and Sports Guidance Committee.
He was greeted on the spot by Jang Chol, vice-chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly and chairman of the central committee of the General Federation of the Unions of Literature and the Arts of Korea= Kang Nung Su, Minister of Culture= and leading officials of culture and arts.
He appeared in the tribune of honor amid warm welcome of the artistes.
The sports games opened this year, the 30th anniversary of the sports games held in the presence of Kim Jong Il, included ball games, field and track events, wrestling, tug-of-war and other games.
Watching the sports games, he was much pleased to see all the artistes struggling and living full of conviction and optimism about future as the anti-Japanese guerrillas did.
He warmly encouraged the artistes who have devoted their wisdom and energy to the party and the revolution.
He said the sports games was one of the very effective ways of training the artistes ideologically and physically and increasing the sense of organisation and discipline among them.
He highly appreciated the exploits of the artistes, saying that they have devotedly worked to accomplish the revolutionary cause of the party without the slightest vacillation and hesitation in those days of unbearable ordeals such as the "arduous march" and forced march.
He said no artistes are as pure in ideology, strong in faith and noble in morality and culture as our artistes, adding that the ideological position of our socialism was strong as there was a contingent of revolutionary and militant artistes.
He expressed great expectation and conviction that all the artistes, always deeply aware of their honorable mission as soldiers standing at the outpost of the ideological front, will bring about a new turn in the creation of revolutionary literature and arts of a high ideological and artistic value that reflect the demand and desire of the popular masses for independence and thus greatly encourage the people in the building of a powerful nation.
Korean people's just struggle supported
Pyongyang, October 31 (KCNA) -- A resolution on peace in East Asia adopted at the 15th meeting of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers held in Havana on October 20 expressed support to the just struggle of the Korean people.
The resolution warmly welcomed the north-south summit talks and the north-south joint declaration.
The joint declaration greatly contributed to detente in East Asia and offered the possibility of achieving the reunification of the Korean peninsula and provided the East Asian people with an opportunity to realize peace and prosperity, it said.
Expressing solidarity with the peoples of north and South Korea and Japan in their struggle to achieve peace and stability in East Asia, the resolution expressed deep concern about the "U.S.-Japan Defence Cooperation Guidelines" aimed at military supremacy.
It urged Japan to apologize for all the past crimes committed against the Korean and other East Asian peoples including the issue of "comfort women for the army", forced labour, conscription and mass killings of civilians and immediately compensate for them.
Pothonggang Yeung Hoi Joint Venture Company commissioned
Pyongyang, October 31 (KCNA) -- A commissioning ceremony for the Pothonggang Yeung Hoi Joint Venture Company was held here yesterday.
This joint venture of the Pothonggang Company of the DPRK and Hong Kong Lida Trade Company produces instant noodle in bags and plastic cups.
Present at the ceremony were vice-Minister of Foreign Trade Kim Yong Sul, officials concerned, director general of the Pothonggang Yeung Hoi Joint Venture Company and the Hong Kong Lida Trade Company Yeung Hoi, general manager of the Liaoning Zhongtian Estate Development Company Ltd. Huang Mingzhou and other Chinese guests.
The reporter and speakers said that they would make sustained efforts to keep production going at a high rate, raise the quality of products and increase their varieties.
New stamps published
Pyongyang, October 31 (KCNA) -- The Korean Stamp Publishing House recently brought out new stamps on revolutionary activities of General Secretary Kim Jong Il who has made immortal contributions to the cause of national reunification and global independence.
One of them prints a photo of Kim Jong Il meeting with President Kim Dae Jung on a visit to Pyongyang in commemoration of the Pyongyang meeting and the north-south summit, the first of their kind in the history of national division.
Also published were commemorative stamps that carry photos of Kim Jong Il meeting with Chinese President Jiang Zemin and Russian President Putin.
Unconverted long-term prisoner's note
Pyongyang, October 31 (KCNA) -- Unconverted long-term prisoner Ham Se Hwan released a note titled "Participating in torchlight procession."
Referring to the pride of participating in the torchlight procession celebrating the 55th anniversary of the Worker's Party of Korea on October 11, he said that unconverted long-term prisoners were moved to tears by the loving care with which General Secretary Kim Jong Il let them march just behind the column of anti-Japanese revolutionary fighters, calling them men of strong faith and will.
The new words unconverted long-term prisoner have become a pronoun of fighters and they returned to the socialist homeland. The credit for this entirely goes to Kim Jong Il, he noted, and continued:
Kim Jong Il sent tonics to them when they were behind the enemy line with the same loving care as the President Kim Il Sung's. The unconverted long-term prisoners could emerge like phoenixes even on an isolated island as they were under the loving care of the great leaders.
FKTU vows all-out struggle
Pyongyang, October 31 (KCNA) -- The "Federation of Korean Trade Unions" held its first rally to vow an all-out struggle in front of the "National Assembly" in Seoul on October 27, according to Seoul-based MBC.
Noting that there are serious imbalance in income and increasing uneasiness of people about their living due to the present "government's" policy of new liberalization restructuring, the unions decided to launch an all-out struggle to have a four-point demand met including the protection of irregular workers.
The unions declared that they would call a general strike on December 8, if their demand is not met.
Cause of Korea's reunification supported abroad
Pyongyang, October 31 (KCNA) -- Guyanese figures expressed full support to the proposal for founding the Democratic Federal Republic of Koryo in statements released on October 20 on the occasion of its 20th anniversary.
Samuel Walker, chairman of the Guyana Labor Union, said that the proposal for founding the DFRK set forth by President Kim Il Sung is a most fair and aboveboard and realistic proposal for reunifying Korea by federal formula on the conception of one nation, one state, two systems and two governments.
We believe that Korea will be reunified in the near future as it is steered by Kim Jong Il, the great leader of the Korean people, who wisely leads the reunification movement with firm determination and will to achieve national reunification by this formula, he said.
Malamina Shoy Shosi, parliamentary secretary for the Ministry of Local Governments and Regional Development of Guyana, said that the proposal for founding the DFRK advanced by Kim Il Sung, the eternal President of the DPRK, is the most realistic and reasonable offer for Korea's reunification.
Meanwhile, the 25th meeting of the All-India Students Federation issued a statement on Oct. 21 in support of the reunification of Korea.
Servicepersons actively involved in socialist economic construction
Pyongyang, October 31 (KCNA) -- Servicepersons of the Korean People's Army are achieving successes in the socialist economic construction.
They are giving strong help to the fields of power and coal industries, the key branches of the socialist economic construction.
Officers and men of units at all levels under the ministry of the people's armed forces proceeded to the Pukchang thermal-power complex and its related coal mines under the motto "let us take charge of both national defence and socialist construction" and have done a lot of work to boost production.
As a result, at least 140 reserve coal faces have been secured at several coal mines in recent years.
Besides, over 100 electric cars, at least 1,800 coal cars, over 10 electric locomotives, at least 120 freight wagons and electric generators were repaired or reconditioned to be serviceable for the increased production.
Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army Kim Jong Il sent high appreciation and thanks to the servicepersons for their sincere help to the power and coal industries.