Letter to Kim Jong Il from unconverted long-term prisoners
Pyongyang, January 3 (KCNA) -- On the occasion of the New Year Juche 90 (2001) leader Kim Jong Il received a letter on Monday from 63 unconverted long-term prisoners who came back to the homeland in September last year.
The unconverted long-term prisoners wholeheartedly extend new year greetings in humble reverence to Kim Jong Il, the great sun of the 21st century and the destiny of the country and the nation, the letter said.
The letter noted that under his leadership they now enjoy the most dignified and happiest life as men of strong faith and will and indomitable patriotic champions of reunification and our country is highly dignified and honoured to advance history in the centre of world politics.
You have bestowed all sorts of love and affection upon us since our repatriation to enable us to live in happiness for the rest of our lives. So, we feel as if we had regained our youth and enjoy the happiest life, the letter pointed out, and went on:
The new century will shine as the Kim Jong Il century and our country will demonstrate all over the world its might as a powerful reunified country as it is led by you.
True to your leadership we unconverted long-term prisoners will keep to the road of revolution we had taken under the guidance of President Kim Il Sung to the last moments of our life.
You are the destiny of the Korean revolution and the future of our fatherland and humankind.
We sincerely wish you a long life in good health.
Letter to Kim Jong Il from Ri In Mo
Pyongyang, January 3 (KCNA) - Leader Kim Jong Il received a letter from Ri In Mo, the incarnation of faith and will, on Monday on the New Year Juche 90 (2001).
I make a deep bow carrying my best wishes for a long life to you Kim Jong Il on this significant morning of the new year's day of the hopeful new century, the letter said, and went on:
I, who was supposed to hardly live even a week longer when I was crossing the demarcation line in panmunjom, have enjoyed happiness and comfort for eight years under your loving care.
Last year was a year of a great event when the golden age of the revolutionary cause of Juche opened and the honour and dignity of Kim Il Sung's nation were demonstrated all over the world under your outstanding and tested leadership, a significant year when a new turning point was made in the destiny of the Korean nation.
You concluded the year 2000 as the most brilliant year in the history of the party and the country, racing against time, so that the 20th century of ordeals and misfortune for a ruined nation and division could be brilliantly decorated as a century of victory and glory.
The destiny of our fellow countrymen will depend on you only in the new century, too, as in the last century.
I sincerely wish you a long life and good health, carrying the ardent desire of myself and my family.
Results of negotiations for revision of "status of forces agreement" rejected
Pyongyang, January 3 (KCNA) - The National Alliance for Democracy and Reunification made public a statement on December 29, 2000, rejecting the results of South Korea-U.S. negotiations for revision of the "status of forces agreement," according to Seoul-based "Yonhap News" (internet).
The statement said that the revision of the "agreement" through negotiations is no more than the creation of a new mechanism craftily misrepresenting and violating our sovereignty.
The six-year-long negotiations finally ended in retrogressive revision, the statement said, adding that the organisation will fight till national sovereignty is restored.
Day of Buddha's attainment of great wisdom marked
Pyongyang, January 3 (KCNA) -- Masses were held at temples across the country on January 2 to commemorate the day of Buddha's attainment of great wisdom, 2545 B.E.
Present at masses were office bearers of the central committee and provincial, city and county committees of the Korean Buddhists Federation, chief priests of temples, monks and believers.
At masses rituals were followed by speeches.
Speakers called upon the Buddhists to make a positive contribution to building a powerful socialist nation in response to the joint editorial for this year.
They expressed their firm will to open a decisive phase in the movement for national reunification this year, the first anniversary of the publication of the north-south joint declaration.
Japan urged to redress its past
Pyongyang, January 3 (KCNA) -- Japan has entered the 21st century after evading through all sorts of gimmicks the settlement of what it committed, bringing unspeakable misfortune and sufferings to humankind. In this connection rodong sinmun today in a signed commentary says that the Korean people will certainly make Japan apologize and compensate for its crimes in the new century.
The Japanese authorities have not yet apologized nor compensated for their past crimes against the Korean people although more than half a century has passed since the Japanese imperialists' defeat, the commentary says, and goes on:
They have so far made a mockery of the Korean people talking about "regret" and "repentance" and even went so far as to assert that they can not redeem their past wrongs after fabricating even the non-existent issue of "kidnapping." This shows what extent the impudence and moral baseness of the japanese authorities have reached.
They have refused to make reparation and compensation though Germany and other former war criminal states had already done. This is evidence showing the impudence and moral baseness peculiar to Japan.
By refusing to admit and apologize for its history of aggression and crimes and sidestepping the issue of making compensation for them Japan seeks to realise in the 21st century its ambition for reinvasion, which it had failed to realise in the 20th century, and keep its crime-woven past buried in oblivion or make it fade away from people's memory forever.
The only way for Japan to win international confidence and live in peace is to redeem its past, the commentary notes, and stresses that the Korean people will never allow Japan to go without redressing its past.
Rodong Sinmun calls for earlier national reunification
Pyongyang, January 3 (KCNA)-- A joint editorial which was published by Rodong Sinmun, Josoninmingun and Chongnyonjonwi in the New Year Juche 90 (2001) said that reunification means patriotism and is the way for achieving the prosperity of the nation.
Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article says that the cause of national reunification is a patriotic cause of the whole nation to establish national sovereignty throughout Korea and achieve national unity in order to bring about the reunification, independence and prosperity of the country.
National reunification means patriotism because it is patriotic to struggle for independence and national unity and it reflects the unanimous aspiration and desire of all the patriotic forces at home and abroad to achieve the complete reunification and independence of the nation, the article notes, and goes on:
Independent reunification alone guarantees the destiny, development and prosperity of the nation and this represents noblest patriotism and great national unity provides the best way of putting an end to the tragedy of national division and achieving reunification.
Reunification also provides a way of achieving national prosperity. the reunification of Korea would make it possible for all Koreans in the north, south and overseas to pool wisdom and energies and use resources and economic potentials of the north and south in a uniform way to build a prosperous reunified country and set up a dignified and prosperous sovereign and independent state, a reunified powerful nation to be admired by the world people.
An important and principled issue in building a reunified country is to thoroughly implement the June 15 north-south joint declaration. genuine patriotism should be displayed in honestly implementing this declaration.
Rodong Sinmun observes anniversary of Kim Jong Il's work
Pyongyang, January 3 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today devotes a signed article to the 9th anniversary of the publication of leader Kim Jong Il's celebrated work "The Historical Lesson in Building Socialism and the General Line of Our Party" on January 3, Juche 81 (1992).
He made an in-depth analysis and review of shortcomings committed in the process of building socialism in the past and clearly elucidated problems in successfully building socialism, the desire and ideal of humankind.
Noting that this work will always serve as a genuine revolutionary textbook and a great militant banner of victory in socialism for the people struggling for socialism in the new century, too, the article goes on:
The work teaches us the precious truth that for the victorious advance of the socialist cause in the new century it is necessary, first of all, to strengthen the driving force of the revolution and enhance its role.
Ideological education should be steadily intensified among the masses to firmly equip them with the socialist idea and their role in the revolution and construction be increased to the maximum in the new century, too.
This is the true way of building Korean socialism with success.
The work also teaches the immovable truth that it is necessary to consistently stick to the fundamental socialist principles in the revolution and construction for the victorious advance of socialism in the new century.
It calls on the revolutionary people to firmly protect independence for the victorious completion of socialism.
The work underscores the need to exercise complete independence in state affairs and solve all the problems arising in the revolution and construction, relying on the strength of the people, adding that doing so is a sure guarantee for protecting the dignity of the country and the nation and achieving the prosperity of the nation.
Submission and dependence on the foreign forces lead to national ruin and this is the historical lesson of the last century, the article concludes.