Japan's bid for UNSC permanent membership rejected
Pyongyang, February 2 (KCNA) -- Japan is wooing the United States from the onset of the New Year in a bid for a permanent membership of the UN Security Council.
Some time ago, the Japanese foreign minister visited the U.S. and had talks with his U.S. counterpart, at which he conveyed Japan's stand toward the reform of the UNSC and asked for the u.s. help in its bid for UNSC permanent membership. the chief executive of Japan, too, will reportedly tour the U.S. to request the U.S. administration's cooperation for that purpose.
Commenting on this, Rodong Sinmun today says:
Japan is accustomed to meeting its interests with the help of a big country. This bad habit prompted the Japanese authorities to stage such mean solicitation diplomacy.
Japan's bid for UNSC permanent membership is intended not for global peace, stability and development but to hold a position of a political power and behave itself as a "superpower" to dominate other countries by abusing the authority of a UNSC permanent member.
Gone never to return are the times when the world's politics and international problems were decided by any specified country. Unbiased opinion asserts that if major international political issues are to be settled on a fair basis, permanent membership of the unsc should be taken by countries with independent view, judgement and say and developing nations.
In this context, no country will like Japan busy entreating for other's help without its own view and independence.
Japan has to do something before seeking a permanent seat of the UNSC. There is order of priority in anything.
The Japanese authorities must redress the crime-woven past above anything else and strive to gain trust from the world community. Without doing so, Japan should not even think of sitting on the UNSC.
Meeting for protection of land and environment held
Pyongyang, February 2 (KCNA) -- A meeting of officials in the field of the protection of land and environment and its related domain was held at the People's Palace of Culture over Jan. 31-Feb. 1.
The meeting discussed the tasks and ways to bring about a fresh turn in radically changing the appearance of land as befitting the land of a powerful nation on the basis of the successes and experience gained in the land management last year under the leadership of the Workers' Party of Korea.
Premier of the cabinet Hong Song Nam made a report there, which was followed by speeches.
The reporter and speakers recalled that the whole party and army and all the people turned out in the land management last year, thus turning tens of thousands of hectares of paddy and non-paddy fields into standardized ones and bringing thousands of hectares of land under the plough.
Mountains and hills were afforested, roads, cities and villages were spruced up and measures taken to better protect valuable treasures of the country from flood damage, they said, adding:
Those successes in the land management and grand nature-harnessing projects are a clear proof of the validity and great vitality of the WPK's policy on the protection of land and environment and a demonstration of the might of the Korean people's single-hearted unity.
Day of music
Pyongyang, February 2 (KCNA) -- The Pyongyang Janghyon Primary School focuses on artistic activities.
The school's pupils wait for every Wednesday and Saturday, the day of music.
On this day the school hums with artistic activities.
Years ago, the school set every Wednesday and Saturday as the day of music. After school pupils were taught how to read musical scores.
The classrooms were furnished with wall pictures of music, other teaching aids and musical instruments to offer the schoolchildren an easy access to music.
Various music contests including a music-reading competition are often held between academic years, classes and individuals to raise the pupils' interest.
Teachers are good players of accordion and guitar and help the pupils to improve the playing skills.
The music day's programme includes music-teaching and musical instrumental ensemble contests.
Pupils from the school exhibited their high level of playing at the Pyongyang city-sponsored demonstration lecture.
They are also making performance tours to the industrial establishments.
New stamps issued
Pyongyang, February 2 (KCNA) -- The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications has issued commemorative stamps that deal with the repatriation of unconverted long-term prisoners.
Last year sixty-three former long-term prisoners, persons of strong faith and will, returned to the socialist homeland amidst the growing interest of all the Koreans and the world public hoping for the earliest reunification on the Korean peninsula with the publication of the historic north-south joint declaration as a momentum.
The unconverted long-term prisoners remained faithful to their pledges made on behalf of the country and people despite of decades of imprisonment and fought for the country's independent and peaceful reunification.
The repatriation, a record unprecedented in human history, gave a fresh impetus to the Koreans' endeavours for powerful nation building and national reunification. It also gave an encouragement to the world's progressives who love justice and truth.
The 80-jon souvenir sheet is dedicated to the former long-term prisoners receiving bouquets from Pyongyang women.
Written on the upper part is the message "the unconverted long-term prisoners taken into the embrace of the motherland, September 2, Juche 89 (2000)" and printed on the lower part is a grand welcoming ceremony that took place at Kim Il Sung Square.
The 1.20-won souvenir sheet contains a photo of welcoming ceremony in front of the monument at Panmunjom to the letters signed by President Kim Il Sung and portraits of all the repatriated. On the upper part is the following message:
"The unconverted long-term prisoners, people of faith and strong will, September 2, Juche 89 (2000)" and pictured on the upper left is the Korean map and on the upper right the medal of national reunification prize.
Korean people's cause of reunification supported
Pyongyang, February 2 (KCNA) -- The secretariat of the Pan-African movement issued a statement on January 20 in support of the joint New Year editorial and the appeal of the 2001 meeting for the independent reunification of the Korean nation.
What merits particular attention in the events in Korea last year was the publication of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration, the statement said, and went on:
The publication of the north-south joint declaration, a landmark of Korea's reunification, is an immortal contribution made by general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea Kim Jong Il to the nation.
The secretariat extends firm solidarity to the WPK and the Korean people in their struggle to achieve the independent and peaceful reunification of the country under the wise leadership of Kim Jong Il.
Convinced that the WPK will grow stronger as the guiding force of the Korean people and the world progressive people, we wish the Korean people greater success in the building of a powerful nation and the cause of national reunification.
Rodong Sinmun on bright prospect of Korea's reunification
Pyongyang, February 2 (KCNA) -- There is a bright prospect of national reunification thanks to the wise guidance of leader Kim Jong Il, says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article.
Kim Jong Il laid down scientific and reasonable idea and policies for achieving the reunification of the country at each stage and in each period of the developing movement for national reunification and has provided tested leadership over the work to steadily advance the cause of reunification despite the separatist forces' moves, the article observes, and goes on:
The historic Pyongyang meeting was held and the inter-Korean summit talks were held, the first of their kind in the history of national division, and the north-south joint declaration, a landmark of national reunification, was adopted to usher in a new era of independent reunification.
This was possible only thanks to the decision of Kim Jong Il who puts into practice anything he is determined to do.
It is his unshakable will and determination to meet the hope and expectation of the fellow countrymen to see a rosy future of the nation in the new century. His guidance serves as a motive force to achieve national reunification and progress without fail.
It is an irresistible trend for the nation to throw in its lot with him and carve out its bright future under his leadership.
Swamps conserved in DPRK
Pyongyang, February 2 (KCNA) -- Multifarious activities are under way in the DPRK to conserve swamps on the occasion of the world day of swamp (Feb. 2).
Scientific knowledge is disseminated in various forms to conserve swamps and seasonal birds inhabiting there.
There are swamps in vast areas extending from the east and west coasts of Korea to alpine areas more than 1,000 metres above the sea level. There grow plants of at least 430 species belonging to 68 families.
Swamps in Korea are characterized by tideland, peat fields, marshlands and lakes in lower reaches of rivers and ponds.
These swamps provide good habitats for rare seasonal birds during their migration, recreation and wintering.
Almost all snipes of scores of species fly to and from the east and west coasts of Korea. They lay eggs in the artic circle after spending winter in Oceania.
Such protected birds as cranes and swans use Taedong gulf, Ongjin and Kangryong and other areas on the west coast of Korea and Tongjong Lake and other areas on the east coast of Korea as their transit and wintering places.
There are 12 swamp sanctuaries in the DPRK including Mundok, Ongjin, Chongdan, Orangchon and Kumya. Surveys, observation and other researches are under way to conserve them.
The DPRK instituted the "law on the protection of environment" and the "law on the protection of useful animals" to conserve under the state concern swamps greatly instrumental in the protection of bio-diversity and its sustained use.