Greetings to Mexican President
Pyongyang, December 2 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, yesterday sent a message of greetings to Vicente Fox Quesada upon assuming his office as President of the United States of Mexico.
The message extended warm congratulations to him on taking office.
Convinced that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would grow stronger and develop in the interests of the two peoples, the message wished the President success in his responsible work to achieve social well-being and economic progress.
2nd visiting group of separated families and relatives from south leaves
Pyongyang, December 2 (KCNA) -- The second visiting group of separated families and relatives from the south side led by Pong Tu Wan, vice-president of the South Korean Red Cross, left here today.
Members of the visiting group were farewelled by their families and relatives at Pyongyang Koryo Hotel today.
The visiting group was seen off at the airport by Ho Hae Ryong, vice-chairman of the central committee of the Red Cross Society of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Choe Yun Sik, vice-chairman of the Pyongyang City People's Committee, and officials concerned.
At the airport the head of the visiting group released a written statement on the departure of Pyongyang.
2nd visiting group of separated families and relatives of north side back home
Pyongyang, December 2 (KCNA) -- The second visiting group of separated families and relatives of the north side headed by Jang Jae On, chairman of the central committee of the Red Cross Society of the DPRK, flew back today.
They were met at the airport by Kim Yong Dae, chairman of the central committee of the Korean Social Democratic Party, Ryu Mi Yong, chairperson of the central committee of the Korean Chondoist Chongu Party, An Kyong Ho, director of the secretariat of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, and other officials concerned.
They left Seoul after bidding farewell to their families and relatives.
The head of the visiting group issued a statement on the departure from Seoul.
Mt. Kyongam, favorite public haunt
Pyongyang, December 2 (KCNA) -- Mt. Kyongam stands in Sariwon, the capital of North Hwanghae Province.
Located in the city's south western part, it is 140 metres high above sea level. As it is surrounded by the plains on all sides, it looks like a precipice. On the top of the mountain there is a huge rock shaped like a cockscomb. Hence the name Kyongam mountain since olden times.
Every season different flowers blossom and every kind of trees and plants grow here on the mountain, thereby varying its appearance according to seasons. The Kyongam pavilion at the northern foot and other historical relics add a special touch of beauty to the mountain scenery.
In March Juche 55(1966) President Kim Il Sung came here and proposed turning it into a recreation ground in which the people could enjoy scenic attractions. After his visit, recreation and public service facilities, spa resorts, playing ground, artificial falls and a zoo were built. Fruit trees and flowering plants were added to send forth delightful fragrance. It is now a favorite haunt for the local people.
Syrian President on friendly relations with DPRK
Pyongyang, December 2 (KCNA) -- Syrian President Bashar al Assad referred to the friendly relations between his country and the DPRK after receiving credentials from the new DPRK Ambassador E.P. to Syria on November 26.
He said that the relations between his country and the DPRK are strong as they are based on the close intimate relations forged between Hafez al Assad and the President Kim Il Sung.
Noting that Syria and the DPRK have supported each other and fought together, he said that in the future, too, his country would make positive efforts to invariably maintain and develop the friendly relations with the DPRK.
DPRK's stand on Japan's crimes related to "comfort women for the army" clarified
Pyongyang, December 2 (KCNA) -- It is the DPRK government's consistent stand that Japan should make a governmental apology and compensation to the former "comfort women for the army," declared Hong Son Ok, chairperson of the DPRK Measure Committee for Demanding Compensation to "Comfort Women for the Army" and Victims of the Pacific War, when meeting at Pyongyang Koryo Hotel yesterday with ex-Prime Minister of Japan Tomiichi Murayama, chairman of the People's Council for Promoting the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Japan and the DPRK and general director of the "Asia Peace National Fund for Women", who is on a visit to the DPRK from November 30.
She said:
Japan should make a governmental apology and compensation for its state-sponsored crimes. But Japan let a non-governmental organisation pay a petty amount of money to former "comfort women for the army" in a bid to keep its past crimes buried in oblivion and avoid the governmental responsibility for the sexual slave-related crimes.
Typical of this move is the "Asia Peace National Fund for Women" which was created by the Japanese government in 1995.
What is important in Japan's compensation to the former "comfort women for the Japanese imperial army" is not the matter of whether victims receive money or not but the need for the government, the assailant, to own its legal responsibility and compensate for its crimes.
Judging from this, the "civilian fund" cannot find a solution to the legal problem between the Japanese government, the assailant, and the "comfort women", the victim.
In other words, whatever money the Japanese government intends to provide is to come from the "civilian fund" and, therefore, it has nothing to do with the victims of the former Japanese imperial army from a legal point of view.
So, the "civilian fund" plays a mere role of collecting money from ordinary Japanese citizens and conveying it to victims. The "fund" is no more than a "broker" and the fund is nothing but charity.
Therefore, the DPRK government has demanded the Japanese government immediately give up the "civilian fund" unacceptable from a legal and moral point of view, stating that it cannot avoid its responsibility for the human rights abuses it committed against the Korean nation and humankind by forcing over 200,000 women into sexual slavery.
Hong expressed hope that Murayama would clearly understand the feelings of the Korean people and the grudge of the former "comfort women" and conduct activities so that Japan may make a governmental apology and reparation for its past crimes instead of using the "civilian fund".
Kim Jong Il praised
Pyongyang, December 2 (KCNA) -- It is thanks to the outstanding and seasoned army-first revolutionary leadership of the great Kim Jong Il that the Korean people have firmly upheld the banner of socialism despite the imperialists' moves to isolate and stifle the DPRK, said n. Bold who visited the DPRK as a Mongolian representative for the study of the Juche idea.
He said: Kim Jong Il put forward the people's army as the main force of revolution and as a pillar of the country and encouraged it to play a leading role in socialist construction. This army-first politics provided by him is the greatest political mode in the era of independence.
The DPRK is sure to build a powerful nation as Kim Jong Il has provided the army-first revolutionary leadership with his outstanding wisdom, unparalled grit and indomitable will, pursuant to this politics, thus demonstrating the dignity and spirit of socialist Korea.
Noting that the Mongolian people highly praise Kim Jong Il for the exploits he has performed on behalf of the era and humankind, he said that no force on earth can overpower the Korean people, united close around Kim Jong Il.
Lao ambassador hosts reception
Pyongyang, December 2 (KCNA) -- Khamkheng Sayakeo, Lao ambassador to the DPRK, hosted a reception here yesterday on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Lao People's Democratic Republic.
Present at the reception on invitation were Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Kim Yang Gon, department director of the Central Committee of the Worker's Party of Korea, Paek Nam Sun, Minister of Foreign Affairs, officials concerned and diplomatic envoys of different countries here.
Noting that the party, government and people of Laos extend warm congratulations to the fraternal Korean people on their great successes and victories achieved in the course of defending the gains of revolution and building socialism, the Lao ambassador in his speech said that all these successes and victories are the result of the dynamic and outstanding leadership of the President Kim Il Sung and the leader Kim Jong Il of the Korean people.
The Lao people have always supported the Korean people's will to reunify the country independently and peacefully, he said.
He expressed belief that the line of the WPK and the DPRK government and the struggle of the Korean people to implement it would command widespread support as it meets the just aspiration of the world peace-loving people.
Paek Nam Sun in his speech said that the friendship between the DPRK and Laos is strong as it is based on the deep intimate relations Kim Il Sung forged with the respected leader of the Lao people Kaysone Phomvihane. This friendship is daily growing stronger under the deep care of Kim Jong Il and Khamtay Sipandone, chairman of the central committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and President of the LPDR, he added.
The WPK and the DPRK government will as always make positive efforts to steadily strengthen and develop the long-standing friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries in the interests of the two peoples and the cause of socialism in the new century, too, he noted.
Japan's moves for reinvasion denounced
Pyongyang, December 2 (KCNA) -- Recently a "bill on inspection of ships" passed through session of the Japanese House of Councilors.
This bill allows the "Self-Defence Forces" to check up and search and even use armed forces against ships of other countries in case of "emergencies in areas surrounding Japan."
The bill is totally intended for overseas aggression and it shows how frantically the Japanese militarists are getting overheated in reinvasion, Pyongyang-based newspapers today say in commentaries.
Rodong Sinmun says:
In fact, the Japanese reactionaries had excluded this bill from the "emergency legislation" for the implementation of the "Japan-U.S. Guidelines for Defence Cooperation" under the protest from home and abroad when it was adopted. But the recent carriage of the bill proves that Japan has totally thrown away the "peace constitution" which existed only in name and undisguisedly embarked on the road of overseas aggression.
The adoption of the bill poses great danger as it allows Japan's "SDF" to use armed forces against any vessel in any waters at its own will.
The Japanese reactionaries seeking a way for aggression on the continent with the backing of the U.S. have provided a precondition for staging a comeback any moment under the pretext of "coping with emergencies in areas surrounding Japan." Their military aggression will target against vast areas of Asia.
Minju Joson in a commentary brands the approval for the bill as part of the "emergency legislative arrangements" for a war of aggression on the Korean peninsula and its surrounding areas.
It is designed to provide a legal and institutional device for overseas aggression, the commentary notes, warning:
The Japanese reactionaries should stop such reckless reinvasion moves at once if they do not want another bitter defeat.
Japan urged to make apology and compensation
Pyongyang, December 2 (KCNA) -- 33 South Korean "national assemblymen" from the ruling and opposition parties Tuesday submitted to the "National Assembly" a resolution urging Japan to make apologies for and repent of its past harsh colonial rule over Korea before anything else and make compensation suitable to it, according to Seoul based "Radio No. 1."
They demanded the Japanese government declare null and void the "Korea-Japan annexation treaty" and other coercive "treaties" and make apologies for the aggression on Korea and the issue of the "comfort women for the army," punish those responsible for them and make compensation.
Silver jubilee of LPDR observed
Pyongyang, December 2 (KCNA) -- Papers here today observe the silver jubilee of the Lao People's Democratic Republic.
Rodong Sinmun in a signed article says that after the proclamation of the republic, the Lao people became genuine masters of the country and came to embark upon building new prosperous Laos, taking their destiny in their own hands.
It goes on:
The Lao people have achieved great successes in their vigorous struggle to consolidate the people's democratic system and accelerate the socio-economic development, united close around the central committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party headed by Khamtay Siphandone.
The Korean people sincerely congratulate the Lao people on their successes made in the building of a new society and voice solidarity with their just struggle.
The Korean people wholeheartedly wish the Lao people greater success in their future efforts to achieve national unity and build a new independent and prosperous society.
Minju Joson says that the Korean people will continue to strive to boost the friendly and cooperative relations with the Lao people.