For. guests visit exhibition of mementoes on Kim Jong Suk's activities

    Pyongyang, December 22 (KCNA) -- Women of various embassies and missions of international organizations here visited the Exhibition of Mementoes on the Revolutionary Activities of the great communist revolutionary fighter Kim Jong Suk on December 21 on the occasion of her 83rd birth anniversary. They were deeply moved to look round photos showing revolutionary activities of Kim Jong Suk, woman commander of Mt. Paektu, and books dealing with her ideological and theoretical exploits.
    The wife of the Lao ambassador said that Kim Jong Suk set a noble example in devotedly defending the leader by dedicating herself to safeguard the headquarters of the revolution during the historic "arduous march" in the period of the hard-fought anti-Japanese revolutionary struggle.
    The acting representative of the UNDP noted that Kim Jong Suk was a great revolutionary fighter who devoted all her life to the victory of the Korean revolution.
    The wife of the Syrian charge d'affaires ad interim said that the revolutionary exploits she performed for the sacred cause of the country's liberation and the freedom and happiness of the people will be immortal.

Exploits of Kim Jong Il and Kim Jong Suk lauded

    Pyongyang, December 22 (KCNA) -- Yehiya Jakariya Hairallah, chairman of the Egyptian Committee for the Study of the Juche Idea, issued a statement on Dec. 16 on the occasion of the 9th anniversary of the leader Kim Jong Il's election as Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army and the 83rd birth anniversary of the great communist revolutionary fighter Kim Jong Suk. In the statement he said that in the DPRK the revolutionary cause of President Kim Il Sung is being fully and creditably carried forward thanks to the immortal feat of Kim Jong Suk for the country and people.
    The Korean people led by Kim Jong Il, successor to the president, are now dynamically advancing along the road chosen by themselves, meeting all challenges of history, he said.
    M.M. Verma, director of the Indian Centre for the U.N. Studies, in his statement on Dec. 14 said:
    The DPRK has defended socialism in fierce confrontation with the imperialists and laid a solid foundation for the building of a powerful nation. It is a victory of the great army-first politics of Kim Jong Il.
    The KPA led by him will always emerge victorious.

Cuban ambassador hosts reception

    Pyongyang, December 22 (KCNA) -- Jose Manuel Inclan Embade, Cuban ambassador to the DPRK, yesterday hosted a reception at the embassy on the occasion of the 9th anniversary of the leader Kim Jong Il's election as Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army. Invited to the reception were Kim Il Chol, Minister of the People's Armed Forces, Pak Kyong Son, vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Kung Sok Ung, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, generals and officers of the KPA.
    Jose Manuel Inclan Embade in his speech said Kim Jong Il's election as Supreme Commander of the KPA was the greatest historic event.
    We will make positive efforts to boost the friendly relations between Cuba and the DPRK true to the intention of the two leaders, he said.
    Kim Il Chol said in his speech that Cuban brothers and sisters' joining the Korean people in celebrating the significant day makes them feel once again how profound the Cuban people's reverence and trust in Kim Jong Il are and how particular and deep the class and comradely ties between the two armies and peoples are, and went on:
    We will as ever make positive efforts to steadily boost the traditional relations of friendship and cooperation with Cuba, true to the noble intention of Kim Jong Il.

Foreign diplomats visit exhibition and museum

Pyongyang, December 22 (KCNA) -- The military attaches' corps here yesterday visited the exhibition of gifts of the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces and embassy officials in charge of cultural and friendly relations the revolutionary museum and the exhibition of the ministry on the occasion of the 9th anniversary of the leader Kim Jong Il's election as Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army and the 83rd birth anniversary of the great communist revolutionary fighter Kim Jong Suk. Displayed at the exhibition are gifts presented by servicepersons of the Korean People's Army as a token of their reverence and tribute to the revolutionary feats performed by the great leader President Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il and Kim Jong Suk who made immortal contributions to founding and strengthening the Juche-oriented revolutionary armed forces and demonstrated the dignity and might of Juche Korea with their dynamic leadership over the army.

Singing gathering of youth and students held

    Pyongyang, December 22 (KCNA) -- A singing gathering of Pyongyang youth and students to vow their loyalty was held at the Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery on Mt. Taesong yesterday to mark the 9th anniversary of the leader Kim Jong Il's election as Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army and the 83rd birth anniversary of the great communist revolutionary fighter Kim Jong Suk. Present there were Won Tong Gu, department director of the c.c., the Workers' Party of Korea, Ri Il Hwan, first secretary of the c.c., the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League, and others.
    It began with the reading of the part of reminiscences of the great leader President Kim Il Sung "With The Century" dealing with Kim Jong Suk's feats and a chorus "Mother Will Always Be With Red Flag."
    Through the poem reciting and singing the performers evinced their resolution to struggle to accomplish the revolutionary cause of Juche, united close around Kim Jong Il, always holding him in high esteem as they unswervingly glorified Korean socialism in the difficult period of the "arduous march" and the forced march.

National fine art exhibition opens

    Pyongyang, December 22 (KCNA) -- A national fine art exhibition opened at the People's Palace of Culture yesterday on the occasion of the 9th anniversary of the leader Kim Jong Il's election as Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army and the 83rd birth anniversary of anti-Japanese heroine Kim Jong Suk, the great communist revolutionary fighter. Exhibited there are more than 50 fine art works including Korean paintings, oil paintings and posters showing the leadership exploits Kim Jong Il has performed in army building and Kim Jong Suk's noble revolutionary life and activities.
    Drawing attention of the participants are fine art works such as Korean paintings "Nurturing the Pluck of Markmanship" and "The Respected Supreme Commander Comrade Kim Jong Il on a Visit to a Woman Coastal Battery," which depicts his great personality, and Korean painting "Heart of Lifeguard" depicting the noble trait and feats of Kim Jong Suk.
    Kang Nung Su, Minister of Culture, made an address at the opening ceremony of the exhibition.

Letters carved on rock on Mt. Kumgang

    Pyongyang, December 22 (KCNA) -- Letters praising the immortal army-first leadership feats of the leader Kim Jong Il were carved on a rock on Mt. Kumgang, a famous mountain of Korea, on the occasion of the 9th anniversary of his election as Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army. The letters "Long live the great army-first politics December 24, Juche 89" carved on a rock standing near the entrance to Mt. Kumgang show the unanimous desire of the people's army and people of Korea to highly praise and eternally exalt the great army-first politics of Kim Jong Il, the ever-victorious treasured sword of heroic Korea.
    Each letter is 19 m long and 14 m wide, and a stroke is 2 m wide and 1 m deep. An unveiling ceremony was held on the spot on December 21.
    Choe Won Ik, chief secretary of the Kangwon Provincial Party Committee, said the letters represent the idea that Kim Jong Il's army-first politics serves as a powerful weapon for the victory of the revolution of Juche and a great banner for building a powerful nation. The army-first politics is, indeed, the most powerful political mode and a revolutionary method of leadership in the present times to steer the building of a powerful socialist nation to victory.

Japan's arms buildup plan under fire

    Pyongyang, December 22 (KCNA) -- The Japanese government formally decided on the next "mid-term arms buildup plan," which will be in force for five years from next year, at the recent state security council and cabinet meetings, according to press reports. The Japanese government schemes to produce and deploy new type arms and equipment including refuelling tanker, "F-2" fighters, organize new divisions of the ground "Self-Defense Force" (SDF), build special forces and possess chemical and biological war capabilities in the period of the new "plan."
    Denouncing this move,Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary says: This indicates that the Japanese reactionaries' moves for the buildup of forces of aggression remain unchanged today when disarmament has become a trend of the times.
    The commentary continues:
    What merits particular attention is that the new "mid-term arms buildup plan" is closely linked with the Japanese militarist forces' sinister design to ignite a new war of aggression in Korea.
    The Japanese reactionaries' projected introduction of a refuelling tanker is primarily aimed at a preemptive attack on the DPRK. The same can be said of the planned deployment of "F-2" fighters.
    They are capable of making sorties into the Korean peninsula from the west coastal area of Japan.
    The projected creation of the ground SDF divisions is a link in the chain of the premeditated and systematic moves for reconquest of Korea.
    Their plot to organize special forces also draws attention as the DPRK will be made the main target of the operation of those forces.
    As seen above, the new plan signifies a green light to Japan's reinvasion of Korea.

Preservation of national character called for

    Pyongyang, December 22 (KCNA) -- National character constitutes a precious treasure of the country and the nation in the sacred struggle of the Korean people to achieve national reunification and the great unity of the nation, says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article. If national character fades away due to the split of the nation caused by outside forces, the Korean nation may remain divided forever, the article says, and goes on:
    This can never be allowed.
    National character constitutes a precious treasure of the country and the nation because it represents the spirit of national independence and the national cultural tradition.
    Only when the spirit of national independence is highly displayed is it possible to protect the dignity and honour of the nation and achieve the reunification and prosperity of the country and the nation. The issue of Korean reunification should be solved under any circumstances by the efforts of the Korean nation possessed of the spirit of national independence.
    National character serves as an important cornerstone of the great national unity as the nation was split by foreign forces and differing ideologies and systems exist in the north and the south.