Honorary certificate awarded to Kim Jong Il from Mexico
Pyongyang, February 21 (KCNA) -- The Puebla city government of Mexico awarded the honorary city certificate to leader Kim Jong Il on his birthday.
An awarding ceremony was held at the city office on February 16.
The director of the foreign relations department of the city government said at the ceremony that it presented the honorary certificate, which has been traditionally awarded only to great men, to Kim Jong Il in high recognition of his immortal great contributions to achieving the progress and well-being of humankind despite all the difficulties with his outstanding wisdom and indomitable fortitude.
The deputy mayor conveyed the honorary certificate to the Korean charge d'affaires ad interim to Mexico.
Kim Jong Il sends wreath to bier of late Pak Song Bong
Pyongyang, February 21 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il yesterday sent a wreath to the bier of the late Pak Song Bong, member and first vice-department director of the WPK Central Committee, expressing his deep condolence over his death.
Pak Song Bong died of a sudden illness on Feb. 20, Juche 90 (2001) at the age of 69.
He energetically worked to push ahead with socialist construction and increase defence capabilities, holding a responsible post at a party and state economic institution.
The C.C., WPK released an obituary on Tuesday.
Re-building of Mt. Paektu area makes headway
Pyongyang, February 21 (KCNA) -- Big efforts are being made in the DPRK to spruce up and preserve well revolutionary sites, battlesites and relics.
The re-building of Mt. Paektu area is pushed forward as part of the efforts.
In the period of the Japanese imperialists' military occupation and rule over Korea, President Kim Il Sung waged an anti-Japanese armed struggle to liberate the country on Mt. Paektu, which has been called the ancestral mountain from the olden times, and its surrounding area.
There is also a secret camp where leader Kim Jong Il was born.
For these reasons, the Korean people consider Mt. Paektu as the holy mountain of the revolution and the native place dear to their hearts.
A large-scale rebuilding of Mt. Paektu area is now under way amid the great concern of the people.
There will spring up on Mt. Paektu a waiting room for lecturers and a boarding house for cable-car operators. A project will be undertaken to reinforce the steel towers for cable-car service and Paektu and Hyangdo railway stations will be spruced up.
A hall preserving revolutionary relics and a combined lecture ground and various service facilities for excursionists will appear in the secret camp on Mt. Paektu and power and communications networks will be improved in the secret camps on Mt. Paektu, Mt. Sono, Mt. Kom and Mt. Kanbaek.
Samjiyon county where the Mt. Paektu secret camp is situated will be given a face-lifting.
New streets will appear in township and 2-3 storey apartment houses of diverse shapes will stand on their either side.
Several bridges will span streams and children's parks will be built.
More big service facilities including hotels for excursionists will be built to accommodate an increasing number of visitors while public buildings and dwelling houses renovated and all the buildings will be put under an electric heating system.
Rimyongsu, Phothae and Mubong areas will be dotted with modern dwelling houses and service facilities commensurate with the new century.
When the projects are completed, Mt. Paektu area will turn into a huge open-air museum.
Implementation of north-south joint declaration called for
Pyongyang, February 21 (KCNA) -- A master key to bringing about an epochal phase in the struggle for national reunification this year is to implement the north-south joint declaration to the letter, says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article.
It goes on:
This is because the joint declaration indicates the way of the independent reunification.
The only way for reunification is for the Koreans to join hands with each other and settle the reunification question independently in the basic spirit of the joint declaration.
It is also because the declaration clearly indicates the way of the independent and peaceful reunification, and its implementation guarantees national reconciliation and unity.
In the joint declaration the north and the south agreed to orient toward the reunification based on the co-existence of differing systems. this marks a signal advance in the efforts for national reunification.
There should be no distinction between the north and the south, the authorities and civilians, ruling and opposition parties as far as the implementation of the joint declaration is concerned.
All the fellow countrymen should be responsible for its implementation.
As the Korean nation, which is the driving force for national reunification and responsible for it, has a key to it, the door of the independent and peaceful reunification is bound to be opened.
Press conference at Russian embassy
Pyongyang, February 21 (KCNA) -- A press conference was held at the russian embassy here yesterday on the occasion of "the day of the defenders of the fatherland."
Vladimir Dombrovski, military attache of the embassy, in his speech referred to the bravery and exploits performed by the soviet people in the second world war.
Saying that the russian armed forces have the mission to guarantee state military security and defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country, he referred to the newly-set out military principle of the russian federation.
He stressed that the historic meeting and talks between Russian President Putin and leader Kim Jong Il marked a new occasion in developing the relations between the two countries.
The participants saw a documentary film showing the features of the russian armed forces.
Kim Jong Il's works published abroad
Pyongyang, February 21 (KCNA) -- "On Preserving the Juche Character and National Character of the Revolution and Construction," a work of leader Kim Jong Il, was brought out in booklet by the Victorial Publishing House of Pakistan on Feb. 15 on the occasion of his birthday.
The work was published on June 19, Juche 86 (1997).
The work contains in an integral way the history of the Korean people's struggle to adhere to the Juche character and national identity in the revolution and construction and their experience.
The director of the publishing house said that the work is a declaration little short of dealing a heavy blow to the imperialists, and that it can be written only by such an outstanding thinker and theoretician, extraordinary politician and military genius as Kim Jong Il.
Kim Jong Il's work "Socialism Is a Science" was published in booklet by the Wilhelm Pieck Publishing House of Germany on Feb. 15.
The work was published on November 1, Juche 83 (1994).
The work clearly proves the scientific accuracy of socialism as an inevitable result of the social development on the principles of Juche and comprehensively sets out the idea of the intrinsic advantages of the socialist society and its invincibility.
Poem dedicated to Kim Jong Il by Russian
Pyongyang, February 21 (KCNA) -- A poem "ever-lasting red flag of faith" dedicated to leader Kim Jong Il was written by Kantamirov Leonid Pablovic, Russian war veteran and poet.
He in the poem called upon the revolutionaries and peoples of the whole world to follow Kim Jong Il, holding aloft the same ever-lasting red flag of faith as that fluttering in the DPRK.
The history of the working-class revolutionary struggle records red flags of the commune of Paris and the October revolution, the poem said, but it is only the red flag of the Korean revolution that is fluttering still today.
Noting that one can see enduring vitality and spirit of Korea on the red flag of the DPRK, the poem praised Kim Jong Il as its bearer and defender.
The red flag in the DPRK remains fadeless despite rain and snow, making the blue sky in the era of independence turn red.
The red flag, which conveys Kim Jong Il's immortal feats to posterity, is a pride of Korea in the east, honour of our planet, hope of humankind and a bright future of the world, it emphasized.
Best and excellent players selected
Pyongyang, February 21 (KCNA) -- Some sportsmen and sportswomen were recently acknowledged as best and excellent players for the year Juche 89 (2000).
According to the results of the examination by the credentials committee for the technical qualifications of sportspersons, Ri Song Hui, woman weightlifter, was selected as best player. Chosen as excellent players are Kye Sun Hui, woman judoist= Kim Un Chol, boxer= Kang Yong Gyun, wrestler of Greco-Roman style= Pak Ho Gil, Rim Hyon Chol and Kwon Mi Hyon, Go players= Jin Ju Dong and Ri Yong Sam, wrestlers of freestyle, and Hong Myong Hui, athlete.
People's sportswoman Ri Song Hui set a new world record at the 13th Asian women's weightlifting championships held in Osaka, Japan, in may last year and received the cup of the Asia weightlifting federation for the best player.
Jin Ju Dong and Ri Yong Sam bagged gold medals in 54 kg and 58 kg categories respectively at the 14th Asian freestyle wrestling championships held in China.
Rim Hyon Chol and Kwon Mi Hyon came first at the 11th international amateur Go mixed double championships.
The other excellent players gave a good account of themselves at a number of international and national sports games last year.
Greetings to prime minister of Saint Lucia
Pyongyang, February 21 (KCNA) -- Premier Hong Song Nam of the DPRK cabinet sent a message of greetings to Kenny Anthony, prime minister of Saint Lucia, on the occasion of the 22nd anniversary of its independence.
Expressing the belief that the friendly relations between the two countries would continue to develop on good terms in the new century, too, the message wished the people of Saint Lucia progress and prosperity.
South side's delegation here
Pyongyang, February 21 (KCNA) -- A south side's delegation arrived here today to attend the first meeting of the subcommittee for preventing flood damage in the area along the River Rimjin of the committee for promoting economic cooperation between the north and the south.
The delegation was met at the airport by north side's delegates to the subcommittee meeting.