Japan's nuclear weaponization under fire
Pyongyang, February 3 (KCNA) -- Two British-flagged transport ships with Japan-purchased plutonium on board left Cherbourg port, France, on Jan. 19. Minju Joson today carries a signed commentary in this regard.
It says:
Japan has shipped Europe-reprocessed plutonium into its country several times since 1970 under the absurd pretext of providing fuel to its nuclear power plants. It claimed that the shipments were for "peaceful purpose."
This is a downright lie.
It is said that 85 tons of plutonium are enough to operate the existing nuclear power plants in Japan. However, the Japanese reactionaries plan to secure approximately 400 tons of plutonium by the year 2020.
This is enough to make 60,000 nuclear weapons.
It is the cherished desire of the Japanese reactionaries to go nuclear. To this end, they have made systematic preparations under all sorts of pretexts.
Japan has all technical conditions for nuclear weaponization. For example, it is necessary to compress nuclear matters by exploding high-performance charging gunpowder in one millionth second to detonate an atomic bomb. But Japan succeeded in developing hi-technology of detonating it in one ten millionth second. It also has all nuclear-related facilities and modern nuclear launch and delivery means.
Having made full preparations for the production of nuclear weapons, Japan intends to produce nukes and launch overseas aggression with those weapons when an opportunity presents itself.
All these facts go to clearly prove that Japan is a harasser of peace and an arch criminal threatening not only peace and security in the Korean peninsula and the Asia-Pacific region but ecological environment and human existence.
Appeal of 2001 meeting hailed in Tunisia
Pyongyang, February 3 (KCNA) -- The Tunisia-Korea Friendship Association released a statement on Jan. 23 in support of the appeal made at the 2001 meeting for the independent reunification of the Korean nation.
Expressing full solidarity with the DPRK in its efforts for national reunification, the statement said:
The Tunisia-Korea Friendship Association fully supports the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration, considering it to be a landmark of Korea's reunification based on the principles of independence, peaceful reunification and great national unity.
We are convinced that the Korean people, under the leadership of Kim Jong Il, will smash all sorts of obstructive moves of the separatists and reunify the country without fail.
S. Korean "Ministry of National Defence's" decision for arms buildup flayed
Pyongyang, February 3 (KCNA) -- The Seoul district federation of university student councils was reported to have issued a statement on January 26 denouncing the South Korean "Ministry of National Defence" for its decision to introduce 36 assault helicopters "AH-X" (two squadrons) and their necessary equipment from the united states by spending 2,100 billion won per year till 2006.
The statement branded this plan as an anti-reunification and treacherous move to keep the country divided through their manoeuvres to start a war and escalate tensions and as a violation of the June 15 joint declaration.
It urged the "ministry" to cancel its plan and come to its senses in order to honestly implement the joint declaration and the joint press statement of the inter-Korean military talks.
Korea's reunification supported
Pyongyang, February 3 (KCNA) -- A seminar titled "Asian and African Peoples' Solidarity with Korea's Reunification and the Just Cause of Palestinian People" held in Nepal on January 28 held that Korea's reunification should be achieved by the efforts of its nation.
Shilendra Kumar Upadhaya, former chairman of the Afro-Asian People's Solidarity Committee of Nepal and ex-foreign minister, said in a speech that it is the greatest desire of the entire Korean nation and the unanimous wish of the world people to see the reunification of Korea attained as soon as possible in a peaceful way without foreign interference.
Hiranya Lal Shrestha, chairman of the Makwanpur, Nepal, committee for supporting Korea's reunification, said that it is an urgent need of the present times that the U.S. forces should pull out of South Korea as quickly as possible, adding that only then is it possible to ensure peace on the Korean peninsula and in the rest of Asia and the world and achieve the independent and peaceful reunification of Korea.
K. P. Oli, chairman of the Afro-Asian People's Solidarity Committee of Nepal, said that Korea should be reunified peacefully as soon as possible by the efforts of the Korean nation free from foreign interference to meet the interests of the Korean people.
S. Korean army to stage military exercises
Pyongyang, February 3 (KCNA) -- Several units of the South Korean army plan to stage a large-scale mobile exercise and a mid-winter exercise, according to Seoul-based Yonhap News.
It was reported that the South Korean army unit no. 1750 would stage a mid-winter exercise and a large-scale mobile field exercise with the mobilization of military helicopters in areas around Koyang city, Kyonggi Province, from Feb. 5 to Feb. 9 and its "Paekma" unit a mid-winter exercise in areas around Koyang and Phaju in the same period.
Meanwhile, "Sangsung" unit will reportedly stage a mid-winter exercise with trucks and troops involved in areas around the Kimpho bridge and the Haengju bridge over Jan. 31-Feb. 9.
Officers concerned of the army disclosed that "there would be round-the-clock shooting exercises" during the period.
A couple of Taekwon-do coaches
Pyongyang, February 3 (KCNA) -- Sin Jae Sop, chairman of the Asian Taekwon-do Federation Technical Committee, and his wife Cha Son Yong are a married couple of famous Taekwon-do coaches with a 20-year career.
Born in local areas, they went in for sports, Taekwon-do in particular, in their school days. After finishing senior middle school, they started professional Taekwon-do under the care of a competent coach. they exhibited their prowess in domestic and international competitions and earned a following of fans.
Sin is formidable in sparring and pattern, and cha won a series of gold medals in the 5th world Taekwon-do championships and in the tournaments in Hungary and Yugoslavia. In the same profession, they fell in love and married.
At their initiative, Taekwon-do associations were formed and schools ran their Taekwon-do groups in Poland, Moldavia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. While active as coaches in other countries, they trained many players, and sin, based in Zimbabwe, played a major role in forming the African Taekwon-do Federation.
Kim Jong Il's birthday to be celebrated abroad
Pyongyang, February 3 (KCNA) -- Preparatory committees were formed in the Czech Republic and by the Socialist Party of Benin to celebrate February 16, the birthday of leader Kim Jong Il.
Chairmen of the preparatory committees were elected at their inaugural meetings.
Leader of the Socialist Party of Benin Ali Houdou, who is chairman of the Benin preparatory committee, at the inaugural meeting said that there are many leaders in the world, but no man is as great as Kim Jong Il who shares sweets and bitters with people and conducts tireless dynamic activities for the people's happiness.
The preparatory committees decided to hold multifarious events on that occasion.
Hospitals under construction
Pyongyang, February 3 (KCNA) -- The construction of modern hospitals is now making headway in different parts of the country.
The construction of wards no. 1 and 2 of the General Hospital of Koryo Medicine in Munsu Street of Pyongyang is near completion.
The hospital, a centre of Koryo medical study and treatment, will have surgical and internal hospitals, acupuncture and constitutional institutes and operating-rooms with latest equipment.
It will be instrumental in intensifying Koryo treatment and Koryo medical study throughout the country.
A dental general hospital is under construction in Thongil Street of Pyongyang.
The hospital will do dental service including tooth filling, prevent dental diseases and treat inpatients and outpatients.
The hospital will function as a centre for dental service, maintaining close relations with provincial dental preventive centres to improve dental service.
The Hadan hospital under the ministry of public health now being built in Jongju, north Phyongan Province, will specialize in operation.
new wards will be set up at the Samjiyon county people's hospital in Ryanggang province and the preventive medical centre no. 3 under the ministry of public health and other modern health establishments are under construction in different parts of the country.
Cooperation between DPRK and UNICEF
Pyongyang, February 3 (KCNA) -- The 2001-2003 master plan of operation was signed here today between the DPRK and the UNICEF.
According to the plan, the UNICEF will assist the DPRK in three years to come in education, children's nutrition and health and water sanitation.
The plan was signed by Choe Su Hon, vice-minister of foreign affairs and concurrently chairman of the UNICEF national coordinating committee of the DPRK, and Dilawar Ali Khan, representative of the UNICEF here.