Officials visit gift exhibition of Ministry of People's Armed Forces
Pyongyang, February 14 (KCNA) -- Senior party and state officials including Kim Yong Nam, Jon Pyong Ho and Kye Ung Thae, and leading officials of ministries and national institutions yesterday visited the gift exhibition of the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces on the occasion of leader Kim Jong Il's birthday.
Of many gifts presented to President Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il by officers and men of the three services of the Korean People's Army, more than 1,300 pieces are on display there.
The exhibition serves as the centre of ideological education as it shows the perfect unity between the supreme commander and his soldiers and a new history of love for servicepersons.
The visitors went round the exhibition rooms, hearing an explanation about the gifts representing the KPA officers and men's high praises of the immortal revolutionary exploits performed by Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il and their best wishes for longevity of the leaders.
Photo exhibition and film show by Ministry of People's Armed Forces
Pyongyang, February 14 (KCNA) -- The Ministry of the People's Armed Forces held a photo exhibition and a film show in Pyongyang on Tuesday on the occasion of the birthday of leader Kim Jong Il.
Military attaches of foreign embassies here were present on invitation.
The participants looked round photos showing his noble personality and saw Korean documentary film "February 16, the Greatest Holiday of the Nation."
The documentary shows the historic scenes in which the Korean people and progressive humankind celebrated his birthday as a common auspicious event.
Juche idea study group formed in Guyana
Pyongyang, February 14 (KCNA) -- An inaugural ceremony of the group for the study of the Juche idea of comrade Kim Il Sung of the Guyana University was held in Georgetown on February 10 on the occasion of the birthday of leader Kim Jong Il (February 16).
The ceremony was addressed by Patrick Dial, professor at the Guyana University and first vice-chairman of the Guyanese National Committee for the Study of the Juche Idea of Comrade Kim Il Sung.
It is a great honour of the university to form the group for the study of the Juche idea of comrade Kim Il Sung with young students of the university, he said, and went on:
For its validity and truth the man-centred Juche idea founded by President Kim Il Sung and enriched by Kim Jong Il is a militant banner which the progressives of the world should hold high in the 21st century and a beacon indicating the road ahead of people's struggle.
The great vitality of the Juche idea can be seen through the achievements made by the Korean people in political, economic, cultural and all other fields under the wise leadership of Kim Jong Il.
The ceremony elected leading members of the group and introduced its action program.
A letter to Kim Jong Il was adopted at the ceremony.
DPRK in festive mood
Pyongyang, February 14 (KCNA) -- Multifarious celebrations take place in the DPRK on the occasion of the birthday of leader Kim Jong Il, the auspicious February holiday.
The native home in the secret camp on Mt. Paektu, where Kim Jong Il was born, and revolutionary sites around it are visited by an endless stream of excursionists and people from all walks of life.
Officials of commissions and ministries of the cabinet and national and provincial institutions visit the native home and revolutionary battlesites in the area to deeply grasp the revolutionary traditions of Mt. Paektu.
Symposiums on the extraordinary ideo-theoretical activities and immortal revolutionary exploits of Kim Jong Il are being held across the country and he has been presented with congratulatory messages and letters wishing him longevity and representing the pledge of faith.
Every day media carry special writeups on his revolutionary history while many songs and poems praising him are being created and disseminated.
In the capital city of Pyongyang a national fine art exhibition and a national photo exhibition were opened and the Kimjongilia show and the international figure skating festival are going on in celebration of the February holiday.
Cinema houses throughout the country screen documentary films and feature films showing Kim Jong Il's greatness and revolutionary activities.
Stadiums and gymnasiums are brisk with sports events of the paektusan cup sports contest.
Art performances are given by the mansudae art troupe, the state theatrical company, the state symphony orchestra, the Pyongyang Puppet Show Campany and a chorus contest of officials of national institutions is going on and colorful performances are given by organs and enterprises to add to the festivity.
Streets and villages are festively bedecked.
Reception given by Palestinian ambassador
Pyongyang, February 14 (KCNA) -- A reception was given by Palestinian ambassador to the DPRK Shaher Mohammed Abdlah at his embassy yesterday on the occasion of the birthday of leader Kim Jong Il.
The ambassador in his speech said that under the wise, bold and seasoned leadership of Kim Jong Il the friendly Korean people have worked miracles in all fields, overcoming manifold difficulties with fortitude.
Referring to the moral and material support rendered by the Korean people to the just cause of the Palestinian people, he noted that the comradely friendship between the two countries provided by President Yasser Arafat and eternal President Kim Il Sung would grow stronger under the guidance of Kim Jong Il.
The Palestinian people are firmly convinced that under the leadership of Kim Jong Il the Korean people would certainly emerge as victors and the strong in the future too, despite all difficulties, and reunify the country, he stressed.
DPRK foreign minister paek nam sun in his speech said Palestinian friends joining the Korean people in celebrating the birthday of Kim Jong Il is a manifestation of the Palestinian people's deep respect and reverence for him.
The Korean people would continue to make positive efforts to boost the friendly and cooperative relations with Palestine, true to the last instructions of Kim Il Sung and the noble intention of Kim Jong Il, he stressed.
Japan's move to evade state responsibility flailed
Pyongyang, February 14 (KCNA) -- The Japanese government intends to settle the unprecedented anti-humanity crimes related to the "Comfort Women for the Army" by paying a petty amount of money collected from citizens after creating the "fund for Asian women." Minju Joson today in a signed commentary dismisses this as a sleight of hand to evade its state responsibility for them.
It is a mockery of the world to talk about "fund" instead of making state compensation and apology and one more insult to hundreds of thousands of former "Comfort Women for the Army" and survivors of the crimes, the commentary notes, and continues:
Japan can never shake off its responsibility for those most hideous crimes in human history.
The world is in the 21st century. Japan will have to pay a very high price for those crimes it committed in the 20th century.
The Japanese government is well advised to stop trying to mislead world public opinion by showing such petty amount of money off and take a sincere option to make state apology and compensation for its past crimes.
Only then can it get recognized as a member of the international community.
NDFSK meets to grandly celebrate February holiday
Pyongyang, February 14 (KCNA) -- The central committee of the National Democratic Front of South Korea on Feb. 8 released a communique on the enlarged meeting of its presidium held on the occasion of the birthday of leader Kim Jong Il, the Seoul-based voice of national salvation reported.
According to the communique, the meeting discussed an agenda "on grandly celebrating the birthday of the great leader general Kim Jong Il as the greatest holiday of the nation."
It was decided at the meeting that the ndfsk central committee would send a congratulatory message to Kim Jong Il on the occasion of his birthday and multifarious events be held in the celebration period from Feb. 10 to 20, the voice of national salvation arrange a special program and other media carry special write-ups.
5th Kimjongilia Show opens
Pyongyang, February 14 (KCNA) -- The 5th Kimjongilia Show opened in Pyongyang to mark the birthday of leader Kim Jong Il.
The show has brought together numerous units from across the country, people from all walks of life and delegations of different countries including horticulturists delegations from Moscow, California state, the United States, and a delegation of the aid association for the Dandong Kimjongilia propagation in China. On display there are over 7,000 Kimjongilia pots.
The show has been an annual event since Juche 86 (1997) sponsored by the Kimjongilia federation of the DPRK.
Kimjongilia is a perennial flower. It came into being in Juche 77 (1988), thanks to Japanese horticulturist Mototeru Kamo's 20-odd years' research and painstaking efforts.
He gave the flower bred by him the august name of Kim Jong Il, the most outstanding and greatest man of the present times, and presented it to him as a gift on the occasion of his 46th birthday.
The flower received a special prize and a gold medal at the 12th international flower show and the grand prize, the highest prize, and a diploma at the '99 Kunming world flower fair and the highest prize at the Jilin flower fair.
Kimjongilia is now in full bloom in more than 100 countries including Cuba, Laos, Pakistan, Uganda, Senegal, Austria, France, Ecuador and the United States.
An opening ceremony was held at the grand people's study house today.
Jang Chol, chairman of the Kimjongilia Federation of the DPRK, said in his opening address that the show is a flower festival of loyalty and faith as it fully shows indomitable spirit and revolutionary optimism of the Korean people all out to build a paradise on this land by their own efforts under the leadership of Kim Jong Il.
Choe Thae Bok, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, and other leading officials were present at the opening ceremony.
Rodong Sinmun on Kim Jong Il's outstanding political ability
Pyongyang, February 14 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today carries a signed article on the outstanding political ability of leader Kim Jong Il who victoriously concluded the struggle to defend socialism in the 20th century and confidently leads the march in the new century.
Noting that his unparalleled political determination was a decisive factor of the victory in that struggle, the article says:
When the imperialists came out with a strong-arm policy during the Korean people's "arduous march," they countered it with a tougher stand and when the former took a step against the latter, they took ten nay a hundred counter-measures against them, humbling their pride. This was possible thanks to his tenacious spirit and political determination.
This victory was a precious fruition of his seasoned political ability and represented a shining victory of his superb strategy.
It was thanks to his seasoned political ability that gripped the hearts of the popular masses that in the period of the "arduous march" the Kanggye spirit could be created, and the torches could be lit at the Songjin Steel Complex and the Rakwon Machine Plant, the socialist system could be firmly defended and a springboard could be laid to build a powerful nation.
He has always set out strategies a thousand times superior to the enemies', thus meting out a thousand-fold setback to them so that even their desperate measure could not help them recover from a tight corner.
His outstanding political ability finds a vivid manifestation in the brilliant wisdom with which he indicates the road of advance in the new century, extraordinary leadership art of skillfully combining principle with creativity to open up a new history of revolutionary changes and boundless magnanimity with which he embraces the entire nation to bring earlier the dawn of national reunification.
He is a prominent statesman, the sun of the 21st century who leads the march in the new century to one victory after another with his outstanding political ability.
Minju Joson supports Chinese party and government's anti-Falun Gong stand
Pyongyang, February 14 (KCNA) -- Minju Joson today in a signed commentary supports vigorous activities and struggle of the party and government of china against the Falun Gong cult.
Describing measures taken by the Chinese party and government against the Falun Gong cult as timely and just ones, the commentary says:
Anti-China outside forces are exercising pressure on China in this anti-Falun Gong campaign.
It is an independent right of the party and government of china and an internal affair of China in every way to intensify the struggle against the unscientific and inhuman Falun Gong cult and liquidate its effects.
No one has the right to pick a quarrel with china over its fair stand and attitude toward the Falun Gong cult.
A serious lesson left by the Falun Gong issue in china is that if a man takes to unsound ideology, he will be reduced to a mental cripple, moral degenerate who does not care for society and the collective, the fatherland and parents, brothers and sisters, and, finally, to a criminal.
Therefore, a strong campaign should be launched against such unsound ideological and cultural trends encroaching upon the interests of the collective and spoiling the sound atmosphere of society. It is also important to heighten vigilance against the inhuman crimes committed under the cover of religion and the destabilization moves of the dishonest elements to bring the socialist society to collapse.
The vigorous activities and struggle of the Chinese party and government against the Falun Gong cult will make good results.
DPRK women paddlers prove successful in table-tennis tournament
Pyongyang, February 14 (KCNA) -- Women paddlers of the DPRK proved successful in the English open table-tennis tournament.
Kim Hyon Hui and Kim Hyang Mi came first in women's doubles and Kim Yun Mi in under 21 women's singles.
Kim Hyon Hui came second in women's singles.
Colorful celebrations held
Pyongyang, February 14 (KCNA) -- Colorful celebrations representing best wishes to leader Kim Jong Il have been taking place in the DPRK on the occasion of the auspicious February holiday.
A performance "the working class's song of loyalty dedicated to the sun of the 21st century," a meeting of agricultural workers and choruses of officials of ministries and national institutions took place here yesterday to mark the occasion.
Those events proved truth that as there is the February holiday, the Korean nation enjoys such high dignity today and prosperous future is in store for it, and extended the highest glory and warmest congratulations to Kim Jong Il.
At the celebration meeting and art performances the participants and performers loudly sang of the high honour and pride of the Korean people blessed with the illustrious leaders generation after generation.
An oratorical meeting of students in Pyongyang was held on Feb. 12.
National symposium held
Pyongyang, February 14 (KCNA) -- A national symposium was held here today to celebrate the birthday of leader Kim Jong Il.
It was attended by choe thae bok, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, and other senior party and state officials and officials of military organs, working people's organizations and scientific, educational, cultural and art and the press organs and party cadre training institutions and those in charge of preserving revolutionary sites and relics.
Speakers lauded Kim Jong Il as the supreme incarnation of the revolutionary comradeship who steers the revolution and construction to victory by virtue of warm comradeship.
Kim Jong Il, reviewing the glorious history of the Korean revolution which glorified the 20th century through rigorous struggle and with enormous creation as the history of comradeship, advanced a noble view on comrade that revolution means comrade and vice versa and a unique view on the revolution that a new world should be built with comradeship and trust. and he set forth the profound idea that only comradeship can lead to completion the revolution started with it, they said, adding:
The revolutionary cause of Juche is the sacred cause that began and has won victory after victory with comradeship, and our socialism centered on the popular masses is an impregnable socialism where all are closely united on the basis of comradeship.
Referring to the immortal feats Kim Jong Il performed in building an invincible army by virtue of great comradeship, the speakers called for creditably accomplishing the revolutionary cause of Juche under the uplifted slogan of comradeship.
Symposiums were also held by the trade union, women's union and other public organization.
Gift to Kim Jong Il from Chinese organization
Pyongyang, February 14 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il received a gift from the china ice sports association on the occasion of his birthday.
The gift was handed to an official concerned by the head of the Chinese figure-skating team participating in the tenth International Figure Skating Festival for Paektusan Cup.
Floral baskets and congratulatory letters to Kim Jong Il from foreign diplomats
Pyongyang, February 14 (KCNA) -- The diplomatic corps and the economic and commercial councillors corps here today presented floral baskets and congratulatory letters to leader Kim Jong Il on the occasion of his birthday.
The baskets and letters were conveyed to foreign minister paek nam sun and an official concerned by Palestinian ambassador Shaher Mohammed Abdlah who is doyen of the diplomatic corps and trade counsellor of the russian embassy Sergei Lyoushikin who is doyen of the economic and commercial councillors corps.
DPRK Olympic delegation leaves
Pyongyang, February 14 (KCNA) -- An Olympic delegation of the DPRK led by Jang Ung, vice-chairman of the DPRK Olympic Committee who is member of the International Olympic Committee, left here today by train to participate in the Olympic festival which will be held in Moscow.
Greetings to prime minister of Thailand
Pyongyang, February 14 (KCNA) -- Hong Song Nam, premier of the DPRK cabinet, sent a message of greetings to Thaksin Shinawatra upon his appointment as prime minister of Thailand.
Convinced that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would continue to strengthen and develop on good terms, the message sincerely wished him great success in his work.