Greetings to congress of Communist Party of Greece
Pyongyang, December 13 (KCNA) -- The Central Committee of the Worker's Party of Korea today sent a message of greetings to the 16th congress of the Communist Party of Greece.
The message extended warm congratulations to the congress and a comradely salute to all members of the party.
It wished the Communist Party of Greece great success in its congress, expressing the belief that the good friendly and cooperative relations between the two parties would grow stronger and develop in the joint struggle for independence and socialism against imperialism.
DPRK ambassador to China appointed
Pyongyang, December 13 (KCNA) -- Choe Jin Su was appointed as Korean Ambassador E.P. to China, according to a decree of the presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly.
Kim Jong Il praised
Pyongyang, December 13 (KCNA) -- Political figures of different countries are highly praising the great Kim Jong Il as the leader of the world revolution.
Serei Kosal, deputy general secretary of the Funcinpec Party of Cambodia, said that Kim Jong Il has confidently pushed ahead with the grand march to let the Korean people become Kim Il Sung's nation, the most proud one in the world, and build a reunified, prosperous and powerful nation with the most seasoned leadership in human history.
Chaivat Sinsuwong, head of the delegation of the Palang Dharma Party of Thailand, said that it is thanks to the wise leadership of Kim Jong Il that the DPRK has firmly defended and consolidated socialism despite rigorous trials.
Kim Jong Il has protected the destiny of socialism emerging from all difficulties and ordeals of history and he is the great sun of humankind, he stressed.
Ivan Rodriguez, chairman of the central committee of the Dominican Worker's Party, said: The DPRK has firmly defended the national sovereignty and steered the struggle for global independence under the leadership of Kim Jong Il. This reality is a source of great strength and encouragement for humankind.
Kim Jong Il is a veteran statesman in the present times, who is advancing the human cause of independence, the cause of socialism, with rare wisdom, outstanding strategy and matchless grit and the great sun who will glorify the 21st century.
South side's delegation to north-south ministerial talks feted
Pyongyang, December 13 (KCNA) -- Ryang Man Gil, chairman of the Pyongyang City People's Committee, hosted a reception at the People's Palace of Culture on Tuesday in honor of a south side's delegation to the 4th round of the north-south ministerial talks.
He in a speech at the reception said that the talks will become more meaningful as they are resumed in Pyongyang half a year since the historic Pyongyang meeting and the adoption of the north-south joint declaration last June and at the turn of the century.
He underscored the need for the north and the south to pool strength and make joint efforts to put an end to the disgraceful history of distrust and confrontation in the 20th century, which is drawing to its end, and make the upcoming 21st century a glorious century that will witness national reunification and the prosperity of a reunified country.
Unification Minister Pak Jae Gyu who is chief delegate of the south side's delegation in his speech said that he set store by the June 15 joint declaration and reclarified his fixed will to successfully implement it and bring about south-north relations of peace, reconciliation and cooperation.
Kang Nung Su, Minister of Culture, Kim Su Hak, Minister of Public Health, Jon Kum Jin, senior councilor of the cabinet of the DPRK who is heading the north side's delegation to the talks, An Kyong Ho, director of the secretariat of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, officials concerned and delegates of the north side to the talks were present there.
Japan's revised "agreement on mobilization for public security" assailed
Pyongyang, December 13 (KCNA) -- The Japanese Defence Agency and the National Public Safety Commission sought a more sinister aim in revising the "agreement on mobilization for public security," as this means nothing but the other side of "overseas aggression," observes Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary.
The Japanese reactionaries are ascribing the revision of the agreement to an "intrusion of an unidentified ship" and "missile threat," sheer fictions dreamed up to slander the DPRK, the commentary says, and goes on:
It has already been brought to light that the story about an "intrusion of an unidentified ship" spread by the Japanese reactionaries was a drama of their own making. It is only the Japanese reactionaries who still insist that the DPRK's launch of a satellite was a missile launch. "spy infiltration" and "attack of guerrillas" are nothing but fictions fabricated by them as they pleased.
This diatribe launched by them is aimed to find an excuse to step up the moves to become a military power and strengthen the posture for overseas aggression.
Recalling that the Japanese reactionaries revised this agreement with Korea, the first target of their overseas aggression, in mind, the commentary notes: The DPRK is closely following their maneuvers for reinvasion as they are daily escalating and going beyond the danger line.
Historical dictionary to be reprinted
Pyongyang, December 13 (KCNA) -- The first volume of the historical dictionary (second edition) was recently published in two parts at the Science and Encyclopedia Press Group.
After the first edition was published in two volumes in 1971, the press group published the Complete History of Korea (34 volumes and two chronological tables) and the Partial History of Korea (60 volumes) on the basis of the results gained in studying history. The Korean historical science was supplemented by new details through an extensive study on the history of ancient Korea, the first state of Korea, and remarkable successes were made in studying foreign history. It urgently needed the enlargement and revision of the historical dictionary. In this way the three volumes of historical dictionary will be published.
Its first volume will deal with the historical facts from the primitive history of Korea to the modern age, the second volume with the contemporary history and the third volume with the foreign history.
Every volume is divided into two parts, and these three volumes will be published soon.
Protest of Koreans in Tokyo
Tokyo, December 11 (KNS-KCNA)-- Members of the Federation of South Koreans in Japan for Democracy and Unification (Hanthongryon) made a protest in front of the South Korean embassy in Tokyo on December 8, shouting slogans reading:
"Ensure reinstatement of Hanthongryon's members and their free travel," "Abolish the 'Security Law'" and "Implement the June 15 joint declaration."
They applied to the South Korean embassy for their passports in order to participate in the inaugural meeting of the measure committee for the reinstatement of Hanthongryon's members and their trips to South Korea in Seoul on Dec. 6, but the authorities turned down their application.
In a written request to the South Korean ambassador they said it is unacceptable that the embassy refused to issue passports only to the members of Hanthongryon. They demanded that defining Hanthongryon as an "anti-state organization" be cancelled, Hanthongryon's members reinstated and measures taken for visits to South Korea.
Measure committee for reinstatement and home visit formed
Pyongyang, December 13 (KCNA) -- A measure committee for the reinstatement and home visit of members of the Federation of South Koreans in Japan for Democracy and Unification (Hanthongryon) was formed in Seoul on December 6, according to the South Korean newspaper Hangyore (internet).
The committee in its inaugural declaration said that members of Hanthongryon are not yet allowed to visit home and demanded the South Korean authorities repeal the provision that brands Hanthongryon as an "anti-state organization" and ensure their free visit to South Korea.
The committee declared that it would demand a legal action for the withdrawal of the refusal to issue passports to Hanthongryon's members and request the "National Assembly" to adopt a resolution calling for the reinstatement and free travel of members of Hanthongryon and move to enable members of Hanthongryon to participate in events to be held by major South Korean civil organizations.
Mounting anti-U.S. feelings in S. Korea
Pyongyang, December 13 (KCNA) -- The New York Times on December 8 said that anti-U.S. feelings are mounting in South Korea due to the U.S. attitude towards massacres of Koreans in 1950.
Referring to the mass killings by GIs in Rogun-ri, the paper said it has been disclosed that they killed many refugees in three days in the summer of 1950, right after the outbreak of the Korean War.
It said that anti-U.S. feelings have recently mounted in South Korea where many people are now raising questions about the necessity of U.S. troops' continued presence in the Korean peninsula.
The paper said that when talks were held between the U.S. and South Korea in Seoul, survivors of Rogun-ri mass killings and over 200 members of civil organizations held a rally and shouted "Yankee, go home ", holding anti-U.S. slogan placards.
Denunciation of Japan's crimes called for in S. Korea
Pyongyang, December 13 (KCNA) -- The South Korean newspaper Hangyore (internet) on December 9 called on the people to be strong in condemning Japan's crimes including the issue of "comfort women for the army" and urged the government to alter its passive attitude towards the settlement of Japan's past crimes.
The women's international war crimes tribunal on Japan's military sexual slavery is open in Japan as the Japanese government has refused to repent of such inhuman deeds though half a century has passed, the paper said, and continued:
Japan is trying to tone down the public opinion with a trifling amount of money by establishing "peace fund for Asian women" in order to deny the government and army involvement in the recruitment of "comfort women" and evade its responsibility for it.
U.S. refuses to apologize for massacre of S. Koreans
Pyongyang, December 13 (KCNA) -- A Japanese paper dated December 8 referred to the fact that the U.S. is refusing to apologize for GIs' mass killings of South Koreans during the Korean War.
The meeting of the South Korea-U.S. "joint measure committee for Rogun-ri incident," which was held in Seoul recently to work out a report on the investigation into mass killings in Rogun-ri, came to an end without any solution to the issue, the paper said, and continued:
The U.S. side acknowledged the shootings of South Koreans but did not withdraw its assertion that there had been no evidence to prove that orders to open fire were given. It also turned down the survivors' testimonies to the strafing by U.S. planes, saying there is no evidence.
Distrust in the U.S. side is growing because of its insincere attitude, it said, adding that the South Korean "National Assembly" adopted a resolution demanding the U.S. government to make a clear probe into the incident on the basis of objectivism.
2nd meeting of young Koreans in China
Pyongyang, December 13 (KCNA) -- The second meeting of the Federation of Young Koreans in China was held on December 8.
Present at the meeting were representatives from organizations of different levels, chairman Yang Yong Dong of the Federation of Korean Nationals in China, the DPRK consul general in Shenyang and others.
Introduced at the meeting were a silk banner and a congratulatory message from the north headquarters of the national alliance of youth and students for the country's reunification and congratulatory messages from the federation of Korean nationals in China and affiliated organizations and overseas Korean youth organizations.
The meeting reviewed the achievements made in consolidating the organization and awakening young people to consciousness and patriotism and in the struggle for the building of a powerful country and reunification and referred to the tasks of the organization.
A resolution was adopted, rules were revised and supplemented and a new leadership organ was elected at the meeting.
A letter to the great leader Kim Jong Il was adopted at the meeting.
Removal of concrete wall called for
Pyongyang, December 13 (KCNA) -- The world public is now strongly calling for the dismantlement of the concrete wall which divides the Korean nation, the only one in the world.
The concrete wall, a giant structure built in more than 240 km-long section south of the Military Demarcation Line on the Korean peninsula, 5-8 metres high, 10-19 metres wide down and 3-7 metres wide up, cuts off 8 counties and 122 villages, three major railways, three highways and more than 220 medium and small roads.
The Mexican paper Combatiente said 50-odd-year-long history of Korean division proves that there has never been a "threat" from the north on the Korean peninsula. The strange existence of the concrete wall is a challenge and debasement upon human justice and conscience, the paper said, adding:
It is a shame to the planet.
The Indian Weekly Public News said that the concrete wall is, in fact, a product of the U.S. "two Koreas policy."
The Iran News noted that all the Koreans in the north, the south and abroad, longing for national reunification, are strongly demanding the removal of the cursed concrete wall which is artificially dividing the Korean nation.
The Tanzania-DPRK Friendship Association and the Tanzanian National Coordinating Committee of the Juche idea Study Groups in a joint statement asserted that the U.S., the very one which bisected Korea, is to blame for keeping the concrete wall and should give an ear to the just demand of all the Korean people and the world peace-loving people for the immediate removal of the wall.
U.S. accused of derailing negotiations
Pyongyang, December 13 (KCNA) -- At least 30 members of the people's movement for the revision of the unequal "Status of Forces Agreement (SFA)" held a rally in front of the headquarters of the U.S. 8th Army in Ryongsan, Seoul, on December 8 to denounce the United States and the South Korean authorities for derailing the negotiations for the revision of the SFA, according to the South Korean newspaper Choong-ang Daily (internet).
The organization in a statement denounced the United States for turning down the just demand of the South Korean people for the total revision of the SFA at the recent negotiations, only talking about reciprocity without making any apology for GI crimes.