New Year greetings to Kim Jong Il from foreigners
Pyongyang, January 2 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il received floral baskets, gifts, congratulatory letters and new year cards from representatives of foreign embassies and international organizations here on the occasion of the New Year Juche 90 (2001).
Those baskets, gifts, letters and cards were conveyed to officials concerned by diplomatic envoys of China, Russia, Cuba, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Iran, Indonesia, India, Libya, Egypt, Palestine, Yugoslavia, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Yemen, Syria, Ethiopia and Nigeria and the resident coordinator of the United Nations and resident representative of the UNDP and the representative of the UNICEF.
Kim Jong Il visits KPA unit no. 932
Pyongyang, January 2 (KCNA) - General Secretary Kim Jong Il, Monday visited KPA unit no. 932 and warmly congratulated KPA officers and men on the New Year's day.
Kim Jong Il went up the command post and learned about the performance of the unit's mission.
Watching soldiers in training, he expressed great satisfaction with the fact that all the servicemen of the unit have grown to be a-match-for-a-hundred fighters fully prepared to beat any formidable enemy and advanced highly important tasks which would serve as a guideline in further strengthening the people's army into invincible revolutionary armed forces.
He watched a cheerful recreation party held by soldiers in a trench on a height during a break in their training.
He was greatly satisfied to see the soldiers of the unit living and struggling full of conviction and optimism with the same vim and vigour with which they took the lead in the "arduous march," and highly appreciated their revolutionary and militant trait and way of life .
He went round entertainment and supply service facilities.
Very pleased that the unit has provided soldiers with good living conditions, he highly praised its success.
He said that all the commanding officers should work hard to increase the supply of a variety of non-staple foodstuffs to soldiers to meet their tastes with warm love for them.
He gave them a pair of binoculars and an automatic rifle as gifts and had a picture taken with them, expressing expectation and conviction that the servicemen of the unit will perform proud feats in their worthwhile service for the defence of the homeland.
Homage paid to Kim Il Sung
Pyongyang, January 2 (KCNA) -- Anti-Japanese revolutionary fighters, servicemen of the People's Army and working people on Monday visited the Kumsusan Memorial Palace to pay homage to President Kim Il Sung on the occasion of the Juche 90 (2001), the first year of the 21st century.
Seen before Kim Il Sung's statue at the palace were a floral basket in the joint name of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, the Central Military Commission of the WPK, the National Defence Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly and the cabinet of the DPRK.
The visitors paid respect to the statue in humble reverence for the president.
Then they entered the hall where he is preserved in state for perpetuity and offered New Year's greetings to him in the humblest reverence.
They looked round orders and medals awarded to him by foreign countries.
They also went round a picture of him with a bright smile on his face and bronze relievos at the mourning hall, a train used by him during his on-site guidance and foreign tour and a car used by him during the last period of his life.
Meanwhile, the chief of the Pyongyang mission of the National Democratic Front of South Korea on Monday visited the palace to pay homage to Kim Il Sung. The foreign diplomatic corps and the military attaches' corps here also visited the palace and paid homage to him.
Congratulatory message to Kim Jong Il from NDFSK
Pyongyang, January 2 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il received a congratulatory message from the central committee of the National Democratic Front of South Korea (NDFSK) on the New Year's day.
The message said:
On this morning of the first year of the new century the vanguard fighters and all the patriotic people in South Korea are wholeheartedly extending the best regards for longevity to you.
Last year was a year of the national historic event when the historic Pyongyang meeting was arranged and the June 15 north-south joint declaration, a declaration of national independence and great national unity, was published.
You also saw to it that sixty-three unconverted long-term prisoners in South Korea were repatriated to the north so that they could enjoy all sorts of glory and happiness.
With the best landmark for national reunification laid by you, the destiny of the nation, all the people in the south could vigorously turn out in the movement for independent reunification, optimistic of the bright future of the reunified country, last year.
They will bring about a new turn in the struggle for independence, democracy and reunification and for the implementation of the June 15 joint declaration and thus glorify this year as a historic year of national reunification.
Saying that Kim Jong Il's good health and longevity is the unanimous desire and great happiness of all the fellow countrymen and the world people, the message sincerely wished him a long life in good health.
Congratulatory message to Kim Jong Il from Chongryon CSC
Pyongyang, January 2 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il received a congratulatory message from Han Tok Su, chairman of the central standing committee of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon), on the New Year's day.
All the officials of Chongryon and the compatriots in Japan sincerely extend the highest glory and the warmest congratulations to Kim Jong Il on the occasion of the first year of the new century, the message said, and went on:
You opened up a new era of the national prosperity in the homeland and created the revolutionary history with the army-first leadership that will remain long in the history of world politics.
You provided the historic Pyongyang meeting and the north-south joint declaration, thus opening the bright future of national reunification.
Noting that last year Chongryon firmly defended and strengthened its organizations and made a new advance in the patriotic movement, it further said:
We will conduct the vigorous movement to make all the compatriots to maintain and honor the Juche character and the national character so as to reliably carry forward the patriotic spirit and strengthen Chongryon into a mass organization of compatriots.
The message wished a long life in good health of Kim Jong Il.
Floral baskets laid before statues of Kim Il Sung
Pyongyang, January 2 (KCNA) -- People across the country, servicemen of the Korean People's Army, former unconverted long-term prisoners, members of the Pyongyang mission of the National Democratic Front of South Korea and overseas compatriots laid floral baskets before the statues of President Kim Il Sung on January 1 on the occasion of the New Year Juche 90 (2001).
Working people from all walks of life, servicemen of the KPA, school youth and children in Pyongyang visited the statue of the president on Mansu Hill.
Seen before the statue was a floral basket sent by General Secretary Kim Jong Il
Amid the playing of music, floral baskets, bouquets and flowers were laid before the statue in the name of the party, armed forces institutions, power organs, social organizations, ministries, national institutions, units of the KPA, institutions at all levels, enterprises, factories, farms and schools in the city.
Also laid before the statue were floral baskets in the name of the former unconverted long-term prisoners, indomitable patriotic fighters for reunification, and the Pyongyang mission of the NDFSK and overseas compatriots.
Floral baskets, bouquets and flowers were laid before the statues of the president in different parts of the city including Kim Il Sung University, Kim Il Sung Military University, the Ministry of People's Security, the Korean Film Studio and the Pyongyang Schoolchildren's Palace.
On the same day servicemen of the KPA, working people and school youth and children across the country visited the statues of the president in their areas to place floral baskets, bouquets and flowers.
Greetings to Sudanese President
Pyongyang, January 2 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, sent a message of greetings to President Omar Hassan Ahmad Al-Bashir on Saturday on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the Independence of Sudan.
The message extended warm congratulations to the president, government and the people of Sudan on its Independence Day.
Expressing the belief that the friendly relations between the two countries will continue to develop on good terms, it sincerely wished the president and the people of Sudan big success in their efforts for defending the national sovereignty and achieving peace, stability and prosperity of the country.
Greetings to Palestinian President
Pyongyang, January 2 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, on Saturday sent a message of greetings to Yasser Arafat, President of the state of Palestine, Chairman of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization and head of the Palestine national authority, on the occasion of the 36th anniversary of the start of the Palestinian revolution.
The message extended warm congratulations to the president and the friendly people of Palestine on this day.
Expressing the conviction that the just struggle of the Palestinian people to achieve comprehensive, fair and lasting peace and establish an independent state with Kuds as its capital city will be sure to win, it wished the president fresh success in his work.