Greetings to President of Burkina Faso
Pyongyang, December 11 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, on December 7 sent a message of greetings to Blaise Compaore, President of Burkina Faso, on its National Day.
He in the message extended warm congratulations to the President, government and people of Burkina Faso on the National Day.
Expressing belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would further develop, he wished the President fresh success in his work for development and prosperity of the country.
53rd board meeting of DPRK-China Hydro-power Company held
Pyongyang, December 11 (KCNA) -- The 53rd meeting of the board of directors of the DPRK-China Hydro-power Company was held in Pyongyang.
Present at the meeting were chairmen and directors of the two sides to the board.
A decision on the issues agreed upon at the meeting was signed today.
Korean nation's pride
Pyongyang, December 11 (KCNA) -- The Korean nation is a resourceful nation with stronger patriotism than any others' and excellent national culture and tradition as the ties of homogeneous nation have been carried forward throughout its history spanning 5,000 years, says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article.
It goes on:
It was the first nation in the east to build a country and has an ancient history as a homogeneous one.
The excavation of the tomb of king Tangun proved that the Korean nation is a civilized nation who built a country over 5,000 years ago. Advantages of the Korean nation are evidenced by the development of metal workmanship, Koguryo mural tombs, the development of astronomy and the creation of Hunminjongum (Korean alphabet), metal type, rain gauge, a tortoise ship and others. All of them instill pride and self-confidence into the nation.
It is the brilliant tradition of the Korean nation that the Korean people have defended the sovereignty of the country and the dignity of the nation generation after generation.
Recalling that Korea remains divided into the north and the south since the middle of the 20th century, the article says:
The 55 year-long history of national division teaches a bitter lesson to all the Koreans that the country should be reunified for the development of the country and the prosperity of the nation.
Health-promoting rhythmic exercise
Pyongyang, December 11 (KCNA) -- Mass rhythmic exercise is widely popular with Koreans of all ages.
The 5-minute, 15-movement routine starts with simple movements and develops into highly rhythmic ones. It has a good effect on the muscular system as it imposes a stretch of the whole body such as the wrist, ankle, arms, legs, shoulders, neck, breast and waist. It also benefits the cardiovascular system through quicker, stronger heart-beats.
The routine is gradually wider and more intensive in movement so that the pulse is at 140 to 150, ending up at 170 to 180. A repetition of this process is prone to increase the breathing capacity and oxygen intake, a favourable impact on the respiratory system.
The exercise is effective for step-down care and ageing prevention. An all-round, brisk muscular movement in time with lively music is liable to decrease the fatty fiber.
Its full benefit will only be felt when its width and intensity meet the norm. In the exact tempo, the movements must be rhythmic, light, flexible and elastic.
For full effect, the public is requested to make the exercise habitual.
Rally calling for vital rights held
Pyongyang December 11 (KCNA) -- A mass rally of the year 2000 was held in Seoul on December 9 with the attendance of at least 3,500 workers and peasants to call for ensurance of their vital rights and abolition of the "Security Law," according to Seoul-based "Radio No. 1."
At the rally, the organizing committee said that the authorities have violated people's right to existence by shifting the responsibility for the economic crisis on to workers and peasants.
The committee demanded the withdrawal of the "neo-liberalist policy," the ensurance of people's vital rights, abolition of the "Security Law" and immediate revision of the unequal "status of forces agreement."
The participants made a demonstration march after the rally.
That day the police authorities sent 30 companies of police to disperse the rally.
Probe into mass killings in Rogun-ri called for
Pyongyang, December 11 (KCNA) -- "Yonhap News" of South Korea reported that civic organizations including the people's movement for the revision of the unequal "Status of Forces Agreement (SFA)" and the Measure Committee for Probe into Mass Killings of Civilians in Rogun-ri held a rally in Seoul on December 6 with the attendance of at least 200 people. The rally demanded investigation into massacres of civilians in Rogun-ri and the total revision of "SFA."
A spokesman for the measure committee called for a thorough-going probe into the incident, accusing the U.S. government investigation team of being keen on playing down and twisting the mass killings of South Korean civilians committed by GIs during the Korean War without properly probing the crimes, though they were brought to daylight.
The executive chairman of the people's movement for the revision of the unequal "SFA" demanded total revision of the agreement including the solution to the environmental issue, charging that the "on-going negotiations on the 'SFA' are not constructive as evidenced by their failure to take up lease period and rent for U.S. military bases in South Korea, their core issues."
Great man who glorified century
Pyongyang, December 11 (KCNA) -- "The 20th century, which is drawing to its end, has recorded many famous men who steered the revolutionary movement of the century. The greatest among them is Generalissimo Kim Il Sung, President of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea," said Alexander Moreno, chairman of the Venezuelan National Association for the Study of the Juche Idea.
Progressive humankind, looking back on the 20th century full of twists and turns, are retrospecting the immortal feats Kim Il Sung performed while steering the revolutionary movement of the century.
His greatest feat was that he founded the Juche idea representing the demand of the times, desires and wishes of humankind for the first time in history.
The Juche idea, man-centred new philosophical idea, raises a key philosophical issue with a main emphasis on man and clarifies that man is the master of the world and his own destiny and plays a decisive role in transforming the world and carving out his destiny.
The President set out on the road of revolution in his teens and founded this great idea amidst hard-fought struggle for the liberation of the country and the freedom of the people, not in a quiet study.
The founding of the Juche idea in the 20th century ushered in a new era in which the popular masses became masters and carved out their destinies independently worldwide.
The President put the idea into revolutionary practices and achieved immortal feats.
By leading revolutionary wars against the Japanese and U.S. aggressors to victories, he indicated a new path to be followed by the people of colonial countries in their struggle for national liberation and smashed the myth about "mightiness" of U.S. imperialism for the first time in history.
He successfully carried out the anti-imperialist, anti-feudal democratic revolution and the socialist revolution in the shortest span of time, changing the appearance of the DPRK beyond recognition.
A clear proof of this was that a democratic system was established after the country's liberation, socialist transformation completed in a matter of four-five years despite war ruins, industrialization was realized in 14 years and the country turned into a powerful socialist nation, independent, self-supporting and self-reliant in national defence, the man-centred socialist country, the first of its kind in human history, which has achieved the single-hearted unity of the leader, the party and the masses.
During this period, Kim Il Sung authored more than 3,070 works giving perfect answers to all the theoretical and practical problems in carrying out the Korean revolution and the human cause of independence.
He always found himself among people, giving ceaseless on-site guidance without a day's rest.
It is clearly proved by the fact that he visited more than 18,000 units in over 17,800 days from the day of the liberation of the country till his demise.
He conducted energetic external activities, guided by the idea of independence, peace and friendship, indicating the road to be followed by the era of independence and greatly encouraging the world people in their struggle.
He was the first to put up slogan "World people advocating independence, unite " he met more than 70,000 political party and state heads from 136 countries and other foreigners from the country's liberation till the last period of his life.
During this period he visited 87 countries covering more than 522,440 km.
For his immortal exploits performed for the cause of global independence he received 180 highest orders and medals from over 70 countries and international organizations, honorary citizenship from more than 30 cities, academic degrees such as honorary doctor and professor from famous universities of different countries.
He was also presented with more than 165,700 precious gifts from party and state heads, prominent personages and public organizations of the world.
Today more than 480 units in over 100 countries are named after Kim Il Sung and at least 1,000 organizations are active to study the Juche idea. These are clear evidence of the unbounded reverence of progressive humankind for Kim Il Sung, the great man of the century.
Withdraw "theory of principal enemy"
Pyongyang, December 11 (KCNA) -- The South Korean authorities should behave themselves, clearly mindful that the provisions of the north-south agreements cannot be properly implemented unless those anti-reunification elements seized with war fever are eliminated at once and the "theory of the principal enemy" is withdrawn. Dialogue is meaningless and it is impossible to expect any progress in the inter-Korean relations while the "theory of principal enemy" is advocated.
A spokesman for the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland said this in a statement issued yesterday accusing the South Korean authorities of throwing a new stumbling block in the way of inter-Korean reconciliation and unity and the country's reunification.
Recalling that the South Korean Ministry of "National Defence" recently made public the "military white paper for 2000," in which it defined the DPRK as its "principal enemy," the statement branded this behaviour of the South Korean authorities as a departure from the spirit of the June 15 joint declaration and an unpardonable anti-reunification act of bringing the inter-Korean relations back to the period of confrontation.
The statement continued:
If the South Korean authorities truly value the successes achieved by the historic Pyongyang meeting and the adoption of the north-south joint declaration and want national unity and reunification, they should do away with such leftovers of the era of confrontation as defining the compatriots in the north as the "principal enemy."
Confrontation and war can never go with dialogue and reconciliation.
The facts go to glaringly prove that the attitude the South Korean authorities have adopted since the historic north-south summit talks is nothing but a fig-leaf to disguise their true intention to seek confrontation and division.
We solemnly urge the South Korean authorities to remain true to the spirit of the June 15 north-south joint declaration which they committed themselves to implement before the entire nation and take a sincere attitude to national reconciliation and unity and the country's reunification.