Rodong Sinmun on reckless remarks of U.S. official
Pyongyang, March 12 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary accuses the United States of trying to use "issues of kidnapping and terrorism" as a lever to bring pressure upon the DPRK.
An official of the U.S. State Department, when meeting with a visiting "group of relatives of Japanese nationals allegedly abducted," said that the "U.S. does not have any intention to remove North Korea from the list of countries it believes are sponsoring terrorism."
The DPRK can not but clarify its stand once again as the U.S. persistently keeps the DPRK on its list of terrorist-supporting countries, the commentary says, and continues:
The DPRK has nothing to do with kidnapping and terrorism and it has consistently opposed all forms of these acts.
The U.S. is not entitled to talk about "terrorism" as it is a terrorist kingpin.
This is clearly evidenced by its airstrikes against Yugoslavia and its recent large-scale air-raids on Iraq.
It is now escalating its military drills in South Korea and Japan, while beefing up its forces there. All this is aimed at committing state terrorism against the DPRK.
It is foolish, indeed, for the U.S. to try to achieve a sinister aim by using "issues of kidnapping and terrorism" as a lever to pressurize the DPRK.
Pressure is not a solution to any problem. If the U.S. comes out with pressure and high-handed practices against the DPRK's patience it will have no option but to strongly react to it.
The U.S. is well advised not to resort to dirty moves but face up to the reality and think twice over them.
Paek Nam Sun meets permanent under-secretary of FCO of United Kingdom
Pyongyang, March 12 (KCNA) -- Paek Nam Sun, minister of foreign affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, met and conversed in a friendly atmosphere with permanent under-secretary of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom John Kerr and his party who paid a courtesy call on the former on sunday.
Greetings to 7th Congress of LPRP
Pyongyang, March 12 (KCNA) -- The Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea sent a message of greetings to the 7th Congress of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party yesterday.
The WPK Central Committee in the message said that it believes that the 7th Congress of the LPRP would mark an important occasion in the struggle of the party to strengthen the party, further consolidate the people's democratic system and achieve the prosperity of the country.
Expressing the belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two parties and the two peoples would grow stronger in the future, the message wished the congress great success in its work.
Proposal for holding world conference supported
Pyongyang, March 12 (KCNA) -- The Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, group for the study of the Juche idea held a meeting on March 2 to support the appeal adopted at the seminar on the Juche idea for the independent development of Africa in the 21st century.
The chief of the group, addressing the meeting, fully supported the appeal which calls for holding a world conference of organizations for the study of the Juche idea and its followers the world over next year to celebrate the birthday of leader Kim Jong Il, a guide of the cause of independence in the 21st century, as a grand political festival of progressive humankind.
Meanwhile, the Peru national association for the study of Kimjongilism held a meeting on the same day to support the appeal adopted at the seminar on the Juche idea for the independent development of Africa in the 21st century.
The meetings adopted letters to the international institute of the Juche idea in support of the convocation of the world conference.
Korean stamp corporation
Pyongyang, March 12 (KCNA) -- Today is the 55th anniversary of the publication of DPRK postage stamps (March 12, 1946).
During the period, the Korean stamp corporation created and published over 4,000 kinds of postage stamps reflecting politics, economy, culture and nature, national customs and facts of international significance.
Recently it made a multimedia program based on stamps.
It is the only stamp creating centre in the DPRK.
It deals with and sells stamps, postcards, stamp yearbooks, handbooks and collections of stamps.
It is located in the centre of Pyongyang. Stamps are designed by gifted artists and national contests of stamp designs held on the occasion of national holidays.
Best designs presented are brought out as stamps.
Korean stamps draw the attention of many philatelists and fans for their sound contents and good quality of printing.
Stamp "Mt. Kumgang", "wisteria-flower and pup" and other stamps were highly appreciated at international stamp exhibitions.
The Korean stamp corporation joined International Philatelic Federation in June Juche 54 (1965).
DPRK government cultural delegation leaves
Pyongyang, March 12 (KCNA) -- The DPRK government cultural delegation led by Mun Jae Chol, acting chairman of the committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries, left here today to visit Pakistan, Cambodia, Laos, Egypt and Ethiopia.
The delegation was seen off at the Pyongyang Railway Station by Kim Jin Bom, vice-chairman of the committee, Mahmoud Mohamed Farag Zain, Egyptian ambassador to the DPRK, Kim San, Chanpheng Inthavanh and Dubale Belihu, charges d'affaires ad interim of the Cambodian, Lao and Ethiopian embassies here.
Gift to Kim Jong Il
Pyongyang, March 12 (KCNA) - Permanent under-secretary of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom John Kerr presented a gift to leader Kim Jong Il.
It was conveyed to foreign minister Paek Nam Sun by John Kerr on a visit to the DPRK.
Working consultation held between inter-Korean trade unions
Pyongyang, March 12 (KCNA) -- A working consultation between the General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea and the South Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and the Federation of South Korean Trade Unions was held on Mt. Kumgang on March 10-11.
At the meeting they discussed such issues as setting up a solidarity organization of north and South Korean workers for reunification so as to implement the June 15 north-south joint declaration to the letter and strengthen solidarity and unity between them and organizing functions for marking the first anniversary of the declaration. On Sunday they released a joint statement of north and south Korean workers denouncing the Japanese reactionaries' moves to tamper with history.
The joint statement recalled that recently the Japanese reactionaries wrongly described in history textbooks for middle schoolers the illegal and invalid "Korea-Japan annexation" as justifiable one and the past aggressive pacific war as a "war for the liberation of colonies." And they are seeking to bury into oblivion the vicious crimes Japan committed in that war of aggression, making no mention about them, the joint statement said, and went on:
It would be a foolish dream to be dreamt only by the militarist maniacs of Japan preoccupied by fever of reinvasion if they think such heinous crimes committed by the Japanese imperialists against humanity in the past can be erased through distorted history textbooks.
The representatives of the north and South Korean workers urge the Japanese reactionaries to stop such moves at once and make an apology and compensation to the Korean nation for the past crimes.
The north and south Korean workers will never remain a passive on-looker to the Japanese reactionaries' impudent moves to distort history and revive militarism but staunchly smash them through a continued and valiant joint struggle.
The statement expressed the belief that trade unions in different countries which value justice and peace would express full solidarity with the north and south Korean workers in their struggle to check the Japanese reactionaries' moves to twist the history and make them apologize and compensate for them.
Working-level talks held between peasants' organizations in north and south
Pyongyang, March 12 (KCNA) -- Working-level talks between the Union of Agricultural Workers of Korea and the National Federation of Peasants Associations of South Korea were held on Mt. Kumgang from March 10 to 11.
The talks discussed such issues as holding a north-south peasants' seminar on reunification and folk sports games, etc. On the occasion of the first anniversary of the publication of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration. It released a joint appeal to all the peasants and fellow countrymen at home and abroad on March 11 as regards the Japanese reactionaries' moves to tamper with history.
The appeal dismissed the Japanese reactionaries' attempt to infuse militarism and idea of overseas aggression into the Japanese middle schoolchildren through distorted history textbooks in a bid to realise their old dream of the "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere" at any cost as an intolerable and dangerous criminal act.
It appealed to the peasants to condemn the Japanese imperialists' cruel moves to obliterate the nation and let all the fellow countrymen never forget them, roundly expose the illegality and falsehood of all the "treaties" and "conventions" fabricated by them and disclose to the world the Japanese reactionaries' political plots.
It underscored the need to unfailingly force Japan to make an apology and compensation for all the crimes it committed against the Korean people in the past.
It called for rejecting the Japanese reactionaries' moves to launch reinvasion and firmly defending the dignity and interests of the Korean nation.
It expressed the conviction that all the Asian people who underwent all sorts of calamities and misfortune due to the Japanese imperialists and the world progressives would extend positive solidarity to the Korean peasants in their struggle to frustrate the Japanese reactionaries' moves to distort history.
Vice-president of SPA presidium meets British guests
Pyongyang, March 12 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Dae, vice-president of the presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, met and conversed with John Kerr, permanent under-secretary of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom, and his party at the Mansudae Assembly Hall today.
On the establishment of the diplomatic relations between Britain and the DPRK, John Kerr said that he will work hard for the improved bilateral relations.
Fully supporting the adoption of the north-south joint declaration, he hoped for its smooth implementation.
Present on the occasion were vice-minister of foreign affairs Choe Su Hon and officials concerned.