DPRK FM spokesman on its principled stand toward DPRK-U.S. relations
Pyongyang, March 3 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry gave an answer to a question put by KCNA today as regards the U.S. side's reaction to the recent statement issued by him.
He said:
As already reported, on Feb. 21 we issued a statement of the spokesman for the Foreign Ministry clarifying our principled stand toward a torrent of hardline remarks made By the new U.S. administration against the DPRK.
The tenor of the statement is that if the U.S. propose dialogue we will respond to it with dialogue and if the U.S. comes out in confrontation we will counter it with confrontation.
However, the United States is spreading the rumour that the DPRK is "threatening" it in a bid to shift the responsibility for the possible worsening DPRK-U.S. relations onto the DPRK.
We have neither intention nor capacity to browbeat anyone.
It is none other than the DPRK which is exposed to threat owing to the conservative hardline stand expressed by the U.S. administration.
The same is true of the issue of offering light water reactors to the DPRK.
The prospect for the provision of LWRS under the DPRK-U.S. agreed framework is becoming more gloomy and this gravely threatens the DPRK's right to existence as it is suffering acute shortage of electricity.
Under this situation it is self-evident that it is difficult for the DPRK to unilaterally and indefinitely keep in force such measures as moratorium on the launch of satellites and missiles taken by it with good faith for DPRK-U.S. dialogue, to say nothing of the DPRK-U.S. agreed framework.
Of course, we take note of the statement of the authorities of the U.S. administration that they would implement the agreed framework.
What we need now is not empty words but practical actions.
A year ago, we advanced a concrete proposal for the solution to the issue of the loss of electricity caused by the delayed lwr offer and the U.S. side said that it would set forth an alternative proposal.
The U.S. side should put forward as soon as possible a solution to the issue of loss of electricity for which it is responsible.
The U.S. is keen to impose unilateral sacrifice and loss upon the DPRK while shunning the fulfilment of its commitment and evade its responsibility by bringing the charge of "threat" against it. The U.S. should know that this wrong great-power chauvinist conception and trite trick will never go down with the DPRK.
The DPRK which has sincerely implemented the agreed framework has a legitimate right to call the U.S. side to account for its insincere attitude towards its implementation and an unshakable will to exercise it.
All Koreans urged to check Japanese reactionaries' moves to tamper with history
Pyongyang, March 3 (KCNA) -- Public organizations of the DPRK appealed to the 70 million fellow countrymen in the north, south and abroad to unite and solidarize with each other and wage a nationwide dynamic struggle to check the Japanese reactionaries' moves to tamper with history and force them to apologize and compensate for this crime.
25 public organizations including the central committee of the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland, the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, the central committee of the General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea and the DPRK Committee for Investigation into the Damage Done by the Japanese Imperialists During Their Occupation of Korea in an appeal issued today dismissed the Japanese reactionaries' assertion made in history textbooks that the "Korea-Japan annexation treaty" was "lawful" and "valid" and that occupation of Korea and those wars of aggression Japan committed against Asian countries brought "benefits" to them, as an extremely provocative and dangerous crime as it is aimed to infuse militarism and the idea of overseas aggression even into the younger generation.
Saying that the Korean people who still clearly remember the Japanese imperialists' unprecedented crimes can never remain a passive on-looker to the Japanese reactionaries' brazen-faced moves to distort history and revive militarism, the appeal continues:
Let all the Koreans rise up as one to resolutely frustrate the Japanese reactionaries' criminal moves to tamper with history and cut off their tentacles of overseas aggression let us disclose to the world the illegality of the "Ulsa five-point treaty" and all other "treaties" and "agreements" forced by the Japanese imperialists upon Korea and their shameless political robbery. We extend support and encouragement to our fellow countrymen in South Korea who are voicing strong protest against the Japanese reactionaries' moves to tamper with history and expressing towering resentment against Japan. We believe that they would positively respond to our appeal.
The appeal also calls on the people of all other Asian countries who undergone pain and sufferings under the jackboots of the Japanese imperialist aggressors to turn out in a joint struggle to frustrate the Japanese criminal moves to distort history.
The appeal expresses belief that the peace-loving people in all the countries of the world would express positive solidarity with the Korean people in their struggle to check the Japanese reactionaries' moves to tamper with history and force them to apologize and compensate for the crime.
Senior party and state officials plant trees
Pyongyang, March 3 (KCNA) -- Many trees are being planted in Korea on the occasion of tree planting day.
Senior party and state officials joined working people from all walks of life and school youth and children in planting trees yesterday in the construction site of the monument to the three-point charter of national reunification and the arboretum of the Kumsusan Memorial Palace and in other places.
Rallies were held before planting trees.
Speakers at the rallies renewed their pledge to plant more trees to add beauty to the landscape, protect the environment of the country, increase the wealth of the country and contribute to improving the standard of people's living.
Rallies and tree planting took place in different provinces, cities and counties on the same day.
On this day commanding officers of the Korean People's Army, senior officials of the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces and soldiers of the three services of the KPA held rallies and planted various species of trees in their barracks and in nearby mountains and fields.
Gift to Kim Jong Il from PM of Canada
Pyongyang, March 3 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il was presented with a gift by Canadian prime minister Jean Chretien.
Canadian ambassador to the DPRK Howard Robert Balloch conveyed the gift to an official concerned yesterday.
Book "Personality of Leader" published in Pakistan
Pyongyang, March 3 (KCNA) -- Book "Personality of Leader" was published in Pakistan on the occasion of the birthday of leader Kim Jong Il.
The book was authored by Jabed Ansari, secretary general of the Karachi society for the study of self-reliance.
The book consists of preface and such subtitles as "1. Supreme Incarnation of Loyalty," "2. Outstanding Thinker-Theoretician," "3. Great Statesman Possessed of Extraordinary Leadership Ability," "4. Illustrious Commander Possessed of Rare Military Stratagem and Leadership Art," "5. Great Leader of People" and "Biography of General Kim Jong Il."
The author introduced in detail the personality of Kim Jong Il and his great political mode.
Japan's moves to distort history assailed
Pyongyang, March 3 (KCNA) -- 60 civic and social organizations in Pusan on Feb. 27 formed all citizens' promotion committee for checking Japan's distortion of history and held a demonstration in front of the Japanese consulate general, according to Yonhap News from Seoul.
The committee declared that it would dispatch a protest group and form a joint protest organization made up of mainly bereaved families of pacific war dead to conduct a powerful solidarity struggle if the distorted history books go through the examination.
It thrust to the Japanese consulate general a list of the names of the Japanese prime minister and 17 persons who are responsible for the edition of the distorted history books and who made reckless remarks and a notice to the effect that they would be considered as "persona non-grata" and if they come to South Korea "their safety will not be guaranteed."
S. Korean trade unions federation sets forth "line of movement for 21st century"
Pyongyang, March 3 (KCNA) -- The Federation of South Korean Trade Unions on Feb. 27 held a conference for 2001 and set forth a "line of movement for 21st century" rejecting market-first idea based on neo-liberalism, according to Yonhap News from Seoul.
Laid down in the line are 12 immediate tasks such as building progressive forces to be independent political forces, intensifying a joint struggle with the South Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, guaranteeing basic rights to labour and protecting part-time workers.
The federation at the conference discussed and decided on an amendment to the rules calling for the increase of the total number of its members and adopted a resolution on such issues as cutdown of working hours, protection of part-time workers, stop to the restructuring and 12 percent wage hike.
Diary on Japan's atrocities opened to public
Pyongyang, March 3 (KCNA) -- A U.S. missionary's diary on the atrocities committed by the Japanese imperialists during the march first popular uprising including Jeam-ri Church incident in Kyonggi Province, South Korea, was opened to the public, according to Seoul-based Yonhap News.
The diary was written by missionary noble, wife of Arthur Noble, an American methodist missionary who was in Korea from 1892 to 1934. The Seoul headquarters of the South Korean methodist church obtained it in the U.S. and translated and carried it in a collection of materials titled "march first popular uprising, records of those days".
The Jeam-ri Church incident was a massacre the Japanese imperialists committed in a bid to quell the anti-Japanese resistance in Suwon where the march first popular uprising was at its height.
The incident is vividly recorded in the diary which says that similar massacres were committed in 16 villages and 5 churches in the area surrounding Jeam-ri.
The diary reveals the fact that the then Japanese governor-general attempted to conceal the incident, asking American missionaries to "keep it secret" when the Jeam-ri Church incident created a stir.
Joint statement of historians from north and south
Pyongyang, March 3 (KCNA) -- Historians from the north and the south of Korea who participated in the "north-south joint exhibition of data on the illegality of the Japanese imperialists' occupation of Korea" and a symposium held in Pyongyang on the occasion of the 82nd anniversary of the March First Popular Uprising issued a joint statement on Thursday assailing the Japanese authorities for their moves to tamper with history textbooks.
The statement said:
Japan brutally killed innocent Koreans and plundered Korea of its spiritual and cultural treasures and resources lock, stock and barrel while enforcing a colonial rule over it after militarily occupying it.
This is a universally recognized historical fact.
Japan has so far worked hard to cover up its blood-stained criminal history in the 20th century, talking about "lawfulness" and "validity". And it has now entered into a practical stage of finally deleting the reference to their past aggression from the Japanese history textbooks.
The "society for preparing new history textbooks," an ultra-right reactionary organization, recently presented to the Japanese Ministry of Education and Science history textbooks in which it described the pacific war as a "war for the liberation of Asia" and the occupation of Korea as "justifiable annexation," making no mention about crimes committed by the Japanese imperialists in wars of aggression.
It also deleted references to the Japanese imperialists' aggression from other history textbooks presented to the ministry.
The Japanese reactionaries' moves to tamper with history textbooks are an intolerable insult to the Korean nation and other Asian people and they reveal Japan's sinister intention to call back the departed soul of the Japanese militarists.
All the historians in the north and the south vehemently denounce the Japanese reactionaries' brazen-faced moves to tamper with history and strongly urge them to immediately stop them and apologize to the Korean nation for them.
KCNA on remark of chilling atmosphere of international aid
Pyongyang, March 3 (KCNA) -- The director for researches of the "doctors without borders", a non-governmental organization, in a recent interview with Kyodo absurdly talked about the need to look into the distribution of 500,000 tons of rice Japan donated to the DPRK, asserting that most of food aid to it "has gone to government and army officials only."
His remark is intended to build up public opinion by falsifying truth. This behaviour is unbecoming of a member of the organization whose mission is to avert disputes and conflicts and contribute to international reconciliation and peace. This cannot be construed otherwise than a diatribe aimed to chill the atmosphere of international aid.
As already known, members of various international aid organizations stationed in the DPRK including the world food program of the united nations are witnessing for themselves the distribution of rice, medicines and other aid goods on the spot and confirming transparency in their use.
Nevertheless, the fiction about the diversion of most of the food aid is spread to build up public opinion. This cannot but raise a doubt as to whether it is aimed to seek an ulterior purpose nothing in common with a purely humanitarian aim.
This only goes to prove that the "doctors without borders" plays into the hands of the dishonest forces keen to throw obstacles in humanitarian aid by damaging international understanding of humanitarian assistance to the DPRK.
The "doctors without borders" is well advised to pay due attention to the irresponsible and disturbing remarks made by its members that resulted in impairing its image as an international aid organization and crippling confidence of the international community in it.
The strengthened regional and international cooperation and ties are of great importance in the development of international relations in the new century.
Whoever remains true to the idea of humanitarianism and international mission for the human cause of peace should not allow himself to be embroiled in the political intrigue of the dishonest forces so that he may not leave such a blot as falsifying truth.
Anniversary of agrarian reform law observed
Pyongyang, March 3 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today devotes a full page to an article entitled "great history of socialist solution to land issue" on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the promulgation of the historic agrarian reform law.
Recalling that President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il have given most successful solution to the issue of land which was raised as humankind's historical task, the article refers to their wise leadership and outstanding feats.
The promulgation of the law on March 5, Juche 35(1946) was a declaration on putting a definite end to the exploiting land ownership deeply rooted in the Korean countryside, marked a historic event which brought about an epochal turn in the peasants' destiny and a prelude to the new chapter on the solution to the land issue, the article notes, and goes on:
The solution to the issue is a historic task to guarantee the popular masses an independent life. Properly solving the issue of land ownership is prerequisite to settling the question of land and, furthermore, the socialist rural question.
Pointing to the shining example set by the DPRK in the issue of land, the article says :
Under the wise guidance of Kim Il Sung, the Workers' Party of Korea has successfully solved the land issue by laying down correct guidelines and policies at every stage of the revolutionary development and implementing them to the letter.
Kim Il Sung promulgated the agrarian reform law without delay after the establishment of the Provisional People's Committee of North Korea and solved all problems in carrying out the reform in conformity with the peasants' requirements and will.
He put up the slogan "land to the tillers " and set forth the policy on confiscating the land of the landlords without compensation and distributing it free to the peasants.
As a result, the land revolution was successfully carried out in a matter of 20 odd days only half a year after the liberation of the country.
Kim Il Sung steered the drive for agricultural cooperativization in the direction of uniting the peasants close around the party by closely combining the class line and mass line.
The principle of land distribution, the method of enforcing the agrarian reform and the class policy, all enforced at the time of the land reform, were not picked up from any classics but were confirmed by him on the basis of his deep grasp of the situation in rural areas through his tour of those places including taedong county, South Phyongan Province. The policy on agricultural cooperativization was a unique policy laid down by him after the war.
True to the noble intention of Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il paid deep attention to the rural question as early as in the 1960s and has since energetically led the drive for its solution.
Kim Jong Il toured various local areas and acquainted himself with the situation there and discussed the orientation and ways of settling the rural question with the president before the publication of the rural theses.
Kim Jong Il published the famous work "position and role of the county in socialist construction" right after the publication of the theses and further enriched and developed the theory on regional base clarified in the rural theses.
Noting that a bright prospect was opened in the DPRK for the socialist solution of the land issue, the article says:
Kim Jong Il, considering it as a work of eternal value for the complete solution of the land issue and an important work for building a powerful nation to change the appearance of land beyond recognition in the socialist society, comprehensively expounded the idea and line of the Juche-oriented land levelling and rezoning.
The originality of his idea of this land realignment lies in that he proposed this work as an important socio-political work to completely remove the leftover of feudal land ownership and highlight the characteristic feature of the socialist state.
His dynamic and clear-sighted leadership lies in that he chose one province as a unit for this gigantic undertaking and has pushed ahead with it in a big way throughout the country.
The great victory achieved in the socialist solution to the land issue fully demonstrated the undisputed superiority of socialism to capitalism, it concludes.
Greetings to President of presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina
Pyongyang, March 3 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, on Thursday sent a message of greetings to Zivko Radisic, President of the presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina, on the occasion of its national day.
Expressing the belief that the friendly relations between the two countries would develop in the interests of the two peoples, the message wished the president and the people of Bosnia-Herzegovina successes in their efforts for the stability and re-building of the country.
Foreign minister paek nam sun also sent a message of greetings to his Bosnia-Herzegovina counterpart Jadranko Prlic.
Greetings to Bulgarian President
Pyongyang, March 3 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, today sent a message of greetings to Bulgarian President Peter Stoyanov on the occasion of its national day.
Wishing the president and people of Bulgaria successes in their work for the progress of the country, the message expressed the conviction that the bilateral relations would as ever develop on good terms.
On the same day premier of the cabinet Hong Song Nam and foreign minister Paek Nam Sun also sent messages of greetings to their Bulgarian counterparts Ivan Kostov and Nadezhda Mikhailova.
Memorial service for Han Tok Su held
Pyongyang, March 3 (KCNA) -- A memorial service was held at the People's Palace of Culture today for the late Han Tok Su, chairman of the central standing committee of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryong) who is deputy to the Supreme People's Assembly and twice Labour Hero of the DPRK. It was co-sponsored by the presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly and the central committee of the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland.
A wreath sent by leader Kim Jong Il was seen standing in front of his photograph.
Wreaths in the name of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, the cabinet, committees under the cabinet, national institutions, political parties and working people's and social organizations were also seen there.
It was attended by senior party and state officials, chairman of the friendly party, senior officials of power bodies and public organizations, working people from all walks of life in the city, bereaved families and officials of Chongryon and Koreans in Japan now staying in the socialist homeland.
They paid silent tribute to him.
kim yong nam, president of the presidium of the supreme people's assembly, made a memorial address there.
he said in his address that han tok su was a precious elder of the korean revolution, an organizer of chongryon, a renowned activist of the movement of the overseas compatriots and a true patriot who devoted his whole life to the foundation, strengthening and development of Chongryon, an overseas citizens' organization of the DPRK, national reunification and the prosperity of the country and the democratic and national rights of the Koreans in Japan, true to the idea and leadership of president kim il sung and leader Kim Jong Il.
Kim Yong Nam continued= Han Tok Su's life was a brilliant life shining because of his intense loyalty to his leaders and the life of a patriot who deeply loved his country and nation and devotedly defended them.
Holding the important post of the chairman of Chongryon for 46 years from the very day of its formation, he devotedly worked to embody the idea and leadership of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il in the movement of Koreans in Japan, courageously defying all moves of the reactionaries at home and abroad.
The homeland will always remember Han Tok Su, an excellent revolutionary and a true son of the nation, and his precious patriotic exploits and feats performed for the era and the revolution will shine long along with the history of the country.