Foreigners tour different parts of DPRK
Pyongyang, April 12 (KCNA) -- Diplomats of various countries and representatives of international organizations here yesterday visited the International Friendship Exhibition on the occasions of Sun's Day, the birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung, and the 8th anniversary of the election of leader Kim Jong Il as Chairman of the National Defence Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The guests looked round the gifts Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il received from party and state heads, prominent figures of political and public circles and people from all walks of life of many countries of the world.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a reception for the guests on the same day.
Meanwhile, the military attaches' corps here visited the metro construction museum.
Another site of mass killings discovered in S. Korea
Pyongyang, April 12 (KCNA) -- One more site of mass killings during the June 25 war was discovered in Pusan, South Korea, on April 8, according to Yonhap News from Seoul.
The Pusan alliance for democracy and national reunification in a data book published in June last year was reported to have observed that at least 10,000 civilians including political prisoners and members of the mediamen's federation jailed in Pusan prison might have been killed and secretly buried by troops and police between July and September 1950.
It is the first time that such a site of mass killings was discovered in Pusan.
The Pusan and South Kyongsang Provincial Association of Bereaved Families of Civilians Killed in the June 25 War carried out a fact-finding work according to the testimony made by Ri Yun Gwan, 74, a witness, in Kuphyong-dong, Pusan, and its results suggested that the massacre of over 150 civilians there was almost certain.
According to his testimony, the army and police dug up three depressions, each over 30 square metres, on a mountain behind Kuphyong Primary School in September 1950 and shot to death more than 150 civilians in prisoner dresses from Pusan prison in a month and secretly buried them there.
He said that at that time the army and police cruelly killed another group of 12 civilians jailed in Pusan prison in this region and he saw 7-8 dead bodies secretly buried on a hill near it.
13th enlarged meeting of executive committee of LAIJI
Pyongyang, April 12 (KCNA) -- The 13th enlarged meeting of the executive committee of the Latin American Institute of the Juche Idea was held in Venezuela on March 28.
The meeting reviewed last year's work of the institute and discussed a plan for actively studying and disseminating the Juche idea in conformity with the requirement of the new century.
Friendly gathering with Finnish delegation
Pyongyang, April 12 (KCNA) -- The Korea-Finland Friendship Association arranged a friendship gathering with members of the visiting delegation of the Finnish National Committee for the Study of the Juche Idea yesterday on the occasion of Sun's Day, the birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung.
Present on invitation were members of the delegation led by secretary general Pekka Rantala.
Participating in the gathering were members of the Korea-Finland Friendship Association and students of Moranbong Senior Middle School no. 1.
The participants talked to each other about the work to develop friendly ties between the two peoples and enjoyed an art performance given by students.
"100-Person Association for Press Reform" formed in S. Korea
Pyongyang, April 12 (KCNA) -- Men of the press in South Korea launched their activities after forming a "100-Person Association for Press Reform" in Seoul on April 6, according to Yonhap News from Seoul.
It groups former and incumbent leaders of newspaper, broadcasting and news agency employees' unions, representatives of press organizations, those affiliated to civic organizations, lawyers and professors.
The organization in an inaugural declaration stated that it "supports a series of activities planned by the press circle and would push forward a press reform by promoting organic coordination and solidarity with those in the field of the press including newspaper, broadcasting and news agency, the academic circle and civic organizations who have shown interests in the movement for press reform and worked hard for it.
The press should admit its mistake in the past when it yielded to power and turn ever a new leaf so as to stand fair and square before the times and the readers, the declaration said.
The organization decided to take concrete measures for the press reform in the future.
Joint measure committee inaugurated
Pyongyang, April 12 (KCNA) -- Over 40 civic and public organizations including the South Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the citizens' solidarity for democratic society and the national alliance for democracy and reunification Monday inaugurated a joint measure committee for checking the U.S. "National Missile Defence" and "Theatre Missile Defence" systems and achieving peace, according to the South Korean newspaper Hangyore.
These organizations at the inaugural ceremony said they shared the perception that the U.S. missile defence strategy sparks worldwide arms race and the heaviest victim of it will be the Korean peninsula which has got the opportunity for peace settlement.
After the ceremony, they made public a message addressed to Bush, expressing opposition to the U.S. "missile defence" systems and paid a protest visit to the U.S. embassy.
A public organization "people paving the way for peace and reunification" conducted a campaign for checking the U.S. "National Missile Defence" and "Theatre Missile Defence" systems on the same day.
Premieres given by foreign artistes and overseas Korean artistes
Pyongyang, April 12 (KCNA) -- Foreign artistes and overseas Korean artistes participating in the 19th April Spring Friendship Art Festival gave their premieres at various theatres and halls here yesterday.
They put on stages of the festival songs reflecting their boundless veneration for President Kim Il Sung and highly praising the outstanding trait of leader Kim Jong il as a great man and his distinguished feats.
The Mongolian troupe of famous actors and actresses presented immortal revolutionary paean "Song of General Kim Il Sung" and a male soloist of the art troupe of the Japan-Korea Society for Musical and Artistic Interchange who is an international concours winner sang well Korean song "Cantata to Marshal Kim Il Sung" and a female soloist of the Armenian musical company Korean song "We will always remember all hardships experienced by leader," deeply impressing the audience.
The female singers of the Chinese art troupe put on the stage "Song of General Kim Jong Il" and "Dear General, Where Are You?" and the state academy ensemble of the Ministry of Interior of Russia successfully sang the Korean song "General of Korea" in chorus, winning an enthusiastic applause of the audience.
A Syrian soloist presented song "Our Mind is One," his own words and music.
Foreign artistes staged songs and dances truthfully depicting the customs of life and national emotion of their countries.
International concours winner Alberto Joya of the Cuban art troupe successfully performed piano concerto "Korea is One," the troupe of German players violin solo "We will be Loyal Down through the Generations" while the French art troupe splendidly presented piano solo "waltz" by Chopin.
Overseas Korean artistes put on the stage colourful numbers singing of the revolutionary feats performed by Kim Il Sung including the song and dance "Let Us Sing of Everlasting Sun's Day Together" presented by the art troupe of Koreans in Japan.
Colorful circus numbers were staged at circus theatres.
"Stunt on a Ladder" by the Chinese acrobatic troupe demonstrated high skills.
Highly acclaimed by the spectators were "Cycle Stunts" by Swedish acrobats, which was awarded a special prize at the Wuhan international acrobatics festival, "Hand Feats" by the Finnish acrobatic troupe and "One Man Plastic Acrobatics" by a Cuban acrobat.
Large-scale joint military exercise projected
Pyongyang, April 12 (KCNA) -- The U.S. imperialist aggressor forces announced that they would conduct a "reception, staging, onward movement and integration" (Rsoi) exercise with the South Korean armed forces from April 20 to 26, according to Seoul-based Yonhap News.
More than 10,000 troops including the South Korea-U.S. combined command and the units under it and the U.S. forces stationed in the pacific will reportedly take part in the exercise.
Though this military exercise has been an annual event since 1994, it has gained in scope to be a large-scale war drill since last year with the South Korean "Defence Ministry," the command of the U.S. forces in the pacific under the joint chiefs of staff and the U.S. troops stationed in Japan involved, a news report said.
An official concerned with the military said that this year the exercise would be "staged under the simulated conditions of an actual war."
This fact reveals that the U.S. imperialist aggressors are clinging to a dangerous adventure which may escalate tensions on the Korean peninsula and push the situation to that on the eve of a war.
DPRK representative on counter-measures against U.S. NMD
Pyongyang, April 12 (KCNA) -- The DPRK permanent representative at the united nations made a speech at the meeting of the disarmament commission of the UN held in New York on April 10.
Nuclear disarmament is facing a more serious challenge in the new century, as the new U.S. administration is opting for politics of dominating the world with nukes, defying the demand of the times, he noted, and continued:
U.S. is keen to establish the NMD at any cost despite strong international opposition, holding the role of nukes supreme.
What merits attention is that the new U.S. administration is persistently citing the DPRK as a pretext to establish the NMD.
The U.S. is talking about "a missile threat" from the DPRK in a bid to push the nmd and continues labelling it as a "rogue state."
This is sheer sophistry reversing black and white.
As the U.S. keeps citing the DPRK as a pretext to establish the NMD, the DPRK is left with no option but to take a countermeasure against it.
Under the situation where the U.S. is going ahead with the nmd despite international opposition, the DPRK's counter-measure will not be bound to anything.
There is no limit to the DPRK's counter-measure in its scope and strength and it has potential, capability and will to take it.
The DPRK has little to lose even if an arms race is triggered between the DPRK and U.S. and all provisions of the agreed framework are scrapped due to this.
The DPRK will in the future, too, do its best for the peace in the Korean peninsula, Asia and the rest of the world, but will never tolerate the imposition of any unfair and unilateral peace upon it.
Press conference at NDFSK Pyongyang mission
Pyongyang, April 12 (KCNA) -- The Pyongyang mission of the National Democratic Front of South Korea (NDFSK) called a press conference on April 11 on the occasion of the birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung.
Pak Kwang Gi, chief of the NDFSK Pyongyang mission, addressing the conference, said that South Koreans from all walks of life are retrospecting with deep emotion the revolutionary activities of the president, feats he performed for the cause of national reunification in particular, while significantly commemorating Sun's Day, the first to be observed in the new century.
"The respected President Kim Il Sung is the eternal father of the nation. Let the whole nation hold him in high esteem for all ages with single-mindedness " this is an immutable faith and iron will of the South Koreans, he said.
Referring to the fact that South Koreans from all walks of life revere leader Kim Jong Il as an illustrious great man born of heaven identical to the president, he said that the hearts of the South Koreans are going out to Kim Jong Il in the wake of the historic Pyongyang meeting and their worship of him is growing stronger.
Unshakable is their determination to hold Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il in high esteem forever and dynamically advance along the orbit of Juche, he said, stressing:
The South Korean people will as ever trust Kim Jong Il as their mainstay and a protector of their destinies, follow him to the last and thus greet the day of national reunification.
Third Kimilsungia show opens
Pyongyang, April 12 (KCNA) -- The third Kimilsungia show opened at the Grand People's Study House today.
Displayed there are over 3,500 potted Kimilsungias contributed by the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces, the Ministry of People's Security, the Academy of Sciences, etc. And many units and individuals from various parts of the country.
Present at the inaugural ceremony were choe thae bok, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, officials concerned and people from all walks of life.
Also present there were Sri Hastanto, director general for culture value, art and film of Indonesia, the Indonesian ambassador and officials of his embassy here, foreign horticulturists and overseas Koreans.
Jang Chol, chairman of the Kimjongilia Federation of Korea, made an inaugural address which was followed by a congratulatory speech by Guruh Sukarno, head of the Guruh Sukarno art troupe of Indonesia.
The show will remain open until April 19.
Vietnam aid to DPRK
Pyongyang, April 12 (KCNA) -- A ceremony for presenting the DPRK with 5,000 tons of rice, aid from the Vietnamese government, was held at the People's Palace of Culture today.
Present there were Ri Yong Sok, vice-chairman of the flood damage rehabilitation committee of the DPRK, and other officials concerned.
Also present were members of a Vietnamese government cultural delegation headed by vice-minister of culture and information Vo Hong Quang, who are participating in the 19th April Spring Friendship Art Festival, Do Thi Hoa, Vietnamese ambassador to Korea, and embassy officials.
National symposium held to commemorate Sun's Day
Pyongyang, April 12 (kcna) -- A national symposium was held at the People's Palace of Culture today to commemorate Sun's Day, the birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung.
Present there were senior party and state officials, leading officials of armed forces and power bodies, working people's organizations and national institutions, and officials in the fields of science, education, etc.
It was noted at the symposium that Kim Il Sung is the sun of Juche who founded the Juche idea and ushered in the era of independence and a great statesman who glorified the 20th century with his outstanding ideas and tested leadership.
It was proved there that he was a great brilliant commander, a great benefactor who hewed out and triumphantly led the revolutionary cause of Juche with arms and brought up the Korean people to be revolutionary people strong in national self-confidence and independence.
Speakers referred to the great feats he performed in building the most advantageous man-centred socialism. They underscored the need to glorify his revolutionary ideas and feats for all ages.