Kim Jong Il sees art performance of KPA song and dance ensemble
Pyongyang, December 20 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il on Tuesday appreciated an art performance given by the KPA song and dance ensemble.
Seeing the performance with him were director of the KPA general political department Jo Myong Rok, chief of the KPA general staff Kim Yong Chun, Minister of the People's Armed Forces Kim Il Chol, member Yon Hyong Muk and vice-chairman Ri Yong Mu of the DPRK National Defence Commission, generals Ri Myong Su, Hyon Chol Hae and Pak Jae Gyong and colonel generals Kim Yun Sim and O Kum Chol and other KPA general officers.
Among the audience were also secretaries Choe Thae Bok and Kim Kuk Thae, department directors and first deputy department directors and other leading officials of the Worker's Party of Korea Central Committee, first vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Sok Ju, chief editor of the Rodong Sinmun Choe Chil Nam, general director of the Korean Central News Agency Kim Ki Ryong and chairman of the DPRK Radio and TV Broadcasting Committee Cha Sung Su.
The numbers of the performance included chorus "Dear General, Where Are You?", a male vocal solo "Long Live the Great Army-First Revolution", dance "In Defence of the Red Flag" and a song and dance "We Will Defend the Headquarters of Revolution with Our Lives".
After enjoying the performance, Kim Jong Il congratulated the artistes on their successful performance and warmly waved to the enthusiastically cheering audience.
Then he advanced highly important tasks to be carried out in the creation of the revolutionary art and artistic activities, expressing the expectation and belief that the KPA song and dance ensemble will continue to take the lead in the work of encouraging the army and people in the heroic struggle.
Kim Jong Il directs newly built medicine institute and syringe factory
Pyongyang, December 20 (KCNA)-- General Secretary Kim Jong Il on Tuesday provided on-site guidance to the medicine institute and the syringe factory newly built by servicemen of the people's army.
Kim Jong Il first visited the medicine institute.
Looking round the outside and inside of the institute, he acquainted himself in detail with its construction and the production of medicines.
He highly appreciated the feats performed by soldier-builders, greatly satisfied to learn that they have constructed such a modern institute as to win the admiration of posterity in the days of the "arduous march" and the forced march.
He also praised all the scientists and technicians for their devotion, greatly pleased with their research and development of new varieties of many highly efficacious medicines.
He said that the scientists, technicians and workers of the institute should actively research and develop highly efficacious medicines agreeable to our people's constitution in the spirit of devoted service for them and put them into production. He indicated specific tasks and ways for the implementation of his instruction.
Then he moved to the syringe factory.
He was briefed on the factory before looking round its production processes. After learning about details of its construction and its production, he expressed great satisfaction with the great job done by the soldier-builders for the people and highly appreciated the feat they have performed by erecting one more precious edifice in the era of the Worker's Party of Korea.
He underscored the need to increase the production of syringes and instillation appliances and provide highly sanitary and cultured conditions.
He earnestly instructed all the functionaries, workers and technicians in the field of pharmaceutical industry to supply more medicines and medical appliances to the treating and preventive institutions so that our people may live in happiness free from any diseases, regarding the age of sixty as the prime of youth and celebrating their longevity at ninety.
Kim Jong Il was accompanied by Jo Myong Rok, director of the general political department of the KPA, Kim Yong Chun, chief of its general staff, Kim Il Chol, Minister of the People's Armed Forces, Yon Hyong Muk, member, and Ri Yong Mu, vice-chairman, of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK, Choe Thae Bok and Kim Kuk Thae, secretaries of the Central Committee of the WPK Pak Yong Sok, chairman of the Party Central Control Committee, Jong Ha Chol, department director, and Pak Song Bong and Jang Song Thaek, first deputy department directors, of the C.C., WPK.
Jiang Zemin on Sino-Korean friendship
Pyongyang, December 20 (KCNA) -- Jiang Zemin, President of the People's Republic of China, when he received credentials from the newly appointed DPRK Ambassador E.P. to his country, said that the traditional Sino-Korean friendship provided by elder revolutionaries of the two countries continues to develop.
Noting that the inter-Korean relations are now improving and the process of Korea's peaceful reunification is progressing, he said the Chinese people are rejoiced over the achievements made by the Korean people.
Seminars on Juche idea held abroad
Pyongyang, December 20 (KCNA) -- National seminars on the Juche idea have been held in many countries.
This year alone such seminars were held in Sri Lanka, Nepal, Japan, Guyana, Democratic Congo and other countries.
Typical of them were the Indian national seminar on the Juche idea for global peace, progress and prosperity, the Costa rican national seminar on the Juche idea for peace, independence and development, the Lebanese national seminar on the Juche idea and national sovereignty, the Ukrainian national seminar on the Juche idea entitled "Juche idea is idea for 21st century" and the Madagascan national seminar on the Juche idea and education.
Attending the seminars were the Tajik Minister of Labour and Employment, the chairman of the Party for the New Democratic System of Venezuela, the chairman of the Latin American Institute of the Juche Idea and other senior party, government and parliamentary officials, heads and members of Juche idea study organizations, followers of the Juche idea and personages from all walks of life.
It was stressed there that the Juche idea, a man-centred idea that man is the master of everything and Decides everything, gives great influence to the world's people in the struggle for true human life and social progress.
The participants adopted letters to the great leader Kim Jong Il, final Declarations or Declarations, appeals and resolutions in which they highly praised the Juche idea and expressed their resolution to widely disseminate and embody it.
Japan urged to redress its past crimes
Pyongyang, December 20 (KCNA) -- Japan can by no means shirk its responsibility for the organized crime related to sexual slavery its aggression army committed before and during World War II, said Rodong Sinmun in a signed article on Tuesday.
Referring to the women's international war crimes tribunal on Japan's military sexual slavery recently held in Tokyo, the author of the article said:
As was disclosed again at the tribunal, Japan's past crime related to sexual slavery was organized by its military which can never be justified.
Japan has so far refused to admit its government and military's involvement in the crime related to the issue of "comfort women for the army". However, it has been disclosed in Japan and other countries that they were responsible for forcing women into sexual slavery and sponsoring and enforcing "comfort women" system, the article noted, and went on:
Documents Declassified at the U.S. government archives last year prove that the command of the Japanese imperialist army stationed in Korea took away Korean women as "comfort women" in an organized way.
At the postwar tribunal on Japanese war criminals Suzuki, commander of the 117th division of the imperial Japanese army, admitted that he instructed the forcible drafting of "comfort women" by the order of his superiors at that time when he was active as a regimental commander.
It was also brought to light by document that the Japanese military provided necessary facilities for the drafting of "comfort women" and exempted those escorting them from paying transport fees.
The human history of war knows no such an example as meeting soldiers' sexual desire as a means of war and reducing many women into sex slaves. Japan committed too many hideous crimes in the past to deny them.
Japan should make honest apology and compensation for the past crimes including the crime related to the sexual slavery. If it refuses to do so, it will stand further isolated and condemned by the international community, the article warned.
Many poems and songs created
Pyongyang, December 20 (KCNA) -- More than 3,500 poems and songs of various themes have been created in the DPRK this year.
Typical of them are epics "On the Peak of the 20th Century" and "May the Country Boast Its Youth."
The epic "On the Peak of the 20th Century" by Kim Man Yong sings praises of the army-first revolutionary leadership of the great Kim Jong Il which enabled the Korean people to overcome rigorous ordeals and difficulties in recent years and confidently advance towards the high peak of a powerful nation.
The epic "May the Country Boast Its Youth" by Paek Ui Son and Ryu Tong Ho truthfully depicts the feats young builders performed by building 40-odd km-long the Youth Hero Motorway (Pyongyang-Nampho motorway) as a monumental edifice under the difficult conditions where they were hard pressed for everything.
It is stressed in the epic that Kim Jong Il's idea of attaching great importance to the youth and his love and trust in them serve as a source of strength with which they perform exploits. Also created this year were a collection of poems "Shining Victory Is In Store On the Way To the Front" and epics "Fatherland and Future" and "Love Soldiers" which depict the unremitting revolutionary activities of Kim Jong Il and reflect the faith and will of the Korean people who are advancing towards a powerful and prosperous nation under his guidance. Among the newly created works are such poems and songs as "The Day which I Longed To See Has Come," "Taehongdan" and "Oh This Is My Fatherland," etc, instrumental in the education in socialist patriotism.
Many poems and songs on the unconverted long-term prisoners, who are patriotic fighters for reunification, such as "Phoenixes Back Home," "Meeting," etc, have also been created.
Computer education strengthened in DPRK
Pyongyang, December 20 (KCNA) -- Computer education is being strengthened in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. This year witnessed the improvement of its educational system.
A college of computer science appeared at Kim Il Sung University and colleges of computer technology were founded in Pyongyang and Hamhung. Computer engineering departments and information engineering chairs and courses made their appearance at universities at all levels. And information centers have been built up at Kim Il Sung University, Kim Chaek University of Technology and Pyongyang College of Computer Technology.
The well regulated computer educational system has been strengthened to improve the educational programme and content and coordinate and guide the program development and other researches.
There is increasing public concern for the computer education.
A national computer program exhibition and contest were held this year with the attendance of many senior middle schoolchildren and university and college students.
Through the exhibits and programs the participants showed a bright prospect of developing the nation's computer technology.
Korea's computer education reflecting the practical requirements for ensuring effective education is very instrumental in computerizing the whole country.