Kim Jong Il sees art performance of Russian academy ensemble
Pyongyang, April 23 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Il saw an art performance given by the state academy ensemble of the Ministry of Interior of Russia at the Mansudae Art Theatre on Sunday.
The ensemble had participated in the 19th April Spring Friendship Art Festival.
Among the audience were secretaries of the WPK Central Committee Kim Kuk Thae, Kye Ung Thae, Han Song Ryong and Kim Jung Rin, department director of the c.c., the WPK Jong Ha Chol, chairman of the c.c., the general federation of the Unions of Literature and the Arts of Korea Jang Chol, first vice-minister of foreign affairs Kang Sok Ju, first vice department directors of the c.c., the WPK Ri Yong Chol and Jang Song Thaek, and other leading officials of the WPK central committee, generals of the Korean People's Army Hyon Chol Hae and Pak Jae Gyong and servicemen, editor-in-chief of the Rodong Sinmun Choe Chil Nam, director general of the Korean Central News Agency Kim Ki Ryong, chairman of the Radio and TV Broadcasting Committee of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Cha Sung Su and other leading officials of media organizations.
The performance began with "Song of General Kim Il Sung."
Its repertoire included colorful numbers such as choruses "Just War" and "Sortie" and dance "Victorious Soldiers".
The performance ended with "Song of General Kim Jong Il".
It was highly acclaimed by the audience as it was replete with warm DPRK-Russia friendship.
A floral basket from leader Kim Jong Il was conveyed to the artistes in congratulation of their successful performance.
Kim Jong Il receives state academy ensemble of Ministry of Interior of Russia
Pyongyang, April 23 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Il sunday received leading members and artistes of the state academy ensemble of the Ministry of Interior of Russia headed by V. P. Yelseev, which had participated in the 19th April Spring Friendship Art Festival.
Kim Jong Il warmly welcomed their visit to the DPRK and conversed with them in a warm and friendly atmosphere.
The head of the ensemble expressed his heartfelt thanks to Kim Jong Il for giving the ensemble the special privilege by seeing its performance.
Military revolutionary museum visited
Pyongyang, April 23 (KCNA) -- Party and state cadres and leading officials of ministries and national institutions of the DPRK visited the revolutionary museum of the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces on Sunday on the occasion of the 69th birthday of the heroic Korean People's Army.
The visitors looked round with deep emotion the historical relics and materials showing the immortal feats performed by President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il for the army building.
Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il set forth the Juche-oriented military idea and war methods and made tireless efforts for the defence of the country and the strengthening of the people's army and thus recorded a brilliant chapter in the history of building the revolutionary armed forces.
U.S.-S. Korea joint military exercise under fire
Pyongyang, April 23 (KCNA) -- The U.S. imperialist bellicose circle together with the South Korean military launched the provocative "reception, staging, onward movement and integration" war exercise on April 20.
In this regard Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary says:
This military exercise is a very provocative and dangerous war exercise going on under the simulated conditions of an armed invasion of the DPRK.
Quite clear is the aim sought by the U.S. bellicose circle in persistently staging such a madcap war exercise against the DPRK in gross violation of the spirit of the DPRK-U.S. agreed framework which calls for refraining from threatening the other party by force of arms. They seek to bring the DPRK-U.S. and the north-south relations back to those in the era of confrontation before the adoption of the DPRK-U.S. agreed framework and the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration and in the era of the Cold War in a bid to justify their occupation of South Korea and the continued division of Korea and stifle the DPRK by force of arms.
Such the prevailing situation compels the DPRK to take a serious view of the attitude on the part of the South Korean military authorities as they are joining the U.S. imperialists in the war exercise to harm the Korean nation in violation of the spirit of the north-south joint declaration which calls for reunifying the country independently by its own efforts.
Staging sabre-rattling in collusion with the foreign forces is a treachery and a perfidy to the declaration.
No process of reconciliation and cooperation, peace and peaceful reunification can be expected on the Korean peninsula as long as the U.S. imperialists continue pursuing their hostile policy towards the DPRK and escalating their moves to provoke a new war.
The U.S. and South Korean military authorities are well advised to ponder over the ensuing serious consequences of their joint military exercise.
KCNA on Japan's moves for revival of militarism
Pyongyang, April 23 (KCNA) -- Some Japanese politicians' renewed advocation of the revival of militarism is touching off indignation among Asian people.
86 Japanese dietmen and about a hundred assistants to dietmen of Japan officially visited the "Yasukuni Shrine", a symbol of militarism, on April 20.
It is an unbearable mockery and insult to the people of Korea and other Asian countries who, suffered untold disasters due to the Japanese imperialists' past aggression and military occupation.
Whether Japanese politicians visit the shrine or not is a touchstone showing their attitude towards Japan's war of aggression in the past that left indelible blots on the history of the 20th century.
For what are they visiting in groups the shrine to call back the soul of militarists killed in the war of aggression and beautify the history of aggression and crimes?
Japan seems not to know that the revival of militarism leads it to self-destruction.
Whenever an opportunity presents itself they organize official visits to the shrine in a bigger scale in a bid to grossly distort and negate Japan's history. This is a premeditated move to infuse a reactionary view on history into the Japanese people and thus accelerate the militarization of Japanese society.
Nowhere else in the world one can find such politicians as the Japanese right-wing politicians who are so shameless as to deny the history of aggression and crimes and falsify historical facts through textbooks in a bid to impart wrong views on history into the younger generation.
This reflects their true intention to repeat Japan's crime-woven history, instead of repenting of it.
They are well advised to think twice over what they are now doing, bearing deep in mind that it will only make the future of Japan more gloomy.
Construction of dwelling houses for 30,000 families in Pyongyang
Pyongyang, April 23 (KCNA) -- Dwelling houses for 30,000 families will be built in Pyongyang, the capital of the DPRK.
To build dwelling houses for 30,000 families would provide citizens with better living conditions.
According to the chief of the Pyongyang city headquarters for the construction of dwelling houses, they set the storeys of houses to suit geographical and regional features and designed houses to get sunlight as much as possible.
The houses will be spaced from streets of the capital and roads, parks and green spaces will take shape according to contemporary taste. and heating, water supply and sewage disposal facilities will be set up between blocks.
Educational and public health facilities and service network will be built for the convenience of citizens.
Houses will be established along the Kwangbok Street, Thongil Street, September 9 Street and youth hero motorway (between Pyongyang and Nampho) and in suburban districts in good harmony with geographical features.
The party members and all other people of Korea are out to build the dwelling houses in a short span of time in the same spirit as in the period of the "arduous march" and the forced march.
Infrastructure projects are now under way.
Several groups of construction experts and tens of thousands of young builders are participating in the construction.
Japan's moves to distort history assailed
Pyongyang, April 23 (KCNA) -- The All-India Agricultural Workers' Union and the All-India Peasants' Union issued a joint statement on April 11 denouncing the Japanese authorities for their moves to distort history.
The statement said that a controversial middle school history textbook revised by an ultra right-wing organization of Japan distorts and covers up the Japanese imperialists' colonial rule over Korea and their crimes against humanity in Korea and other Asian countries and embellishes their aggression.
The Japanese authorities' moves to distort history are a dangerous attempt to cover up their past crimes at any cost, avoid the responsibility and revive militarism to resume overseas aggression, it noted, and went on:
We bitterly condemn the Japanese authorities for their haughty moves to infuse a wrong historical view into the younger generation while avoiding apology, reflection and responsibility for their past crimes.
We demand the Japanese authorities honestly apologize and compensate the Korean people for the past crimes of the Japanese imperialists and immediately stop such a base action as tampering with history.
Protest rallies in South Korea
Pyongyang, April 23 (KCNA) -- The South Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) on April 21 held rallies of over 10,000 workers in 27 cities of South Korea including Seoul in protest against the riot police crackdown upon unionists of the Daewoo Motor Company, according to Seoul-based CBS.
At least 1,000 workers under the KCTU held a rally in Seoul that day and called for the withdrawal of police force from the Daewoo Motor Company, immediate resumption of negotiations between the union and the management side and punishment of the chief of the national police office.
KCTU chairman Tan Pyong Ho said that the irresponsible counteraction of the "government" against the incident is intolerable and that the present "government" should bear the responsibility for the bankruptcy of people's living caused by the unilateral lay-off and restructuring and the chief of the national police office should be held responsible for the violent suppression and immediately resign.
The participants marched through the streets after the rally.
Munsu Fun Fair crowded with visitors
Pyongyang, April 23 (KCNA) -- The Munsu fun fair located in the area of East Pyongyang on the bank of the River Taedong is drawing an increasing number of working people and school youth and children these days.
According to manager Pak Pyong Nam, an average of over 3,000 citizens visit there to have a pleasant rest.
It was commissioned in June Juche 83 (1994).
Covering more than 240,000 square metres, the fun fair has over 10 types of amusement facilities such as revolving planes, umbrella-style merry-go-round, double deck merry-go-round. most of them are revolving amusement facilities.
It also has a cinema with moving seats and a billiard room.
And there is a wading pool which has various facilities-flowing water play, flume ride and surf ride. The wading pool is operated between July and August. Its daily accommodating capacity is over 8,000 people.
The fun fair has sufficient catering facilities.
Greetings to General Secretary of C.C., CPV
Pyongyang, April 23 (KCNA) -- The Workers' Party of Korea Central Committee today sent a message of greetings to Nong Duc Manh upon his election as General Secretary of the Central Committee of Communist Party of Vietnam at its 9th Congress.
The message noted that his election was an expression of the deep trust and expectation of all members of the CPV for him.
Expressing the belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two parties and peoples of the two countries would grow stronger, it wished him success in his responsible work for carrying out the resolution of the 9th Congress of the party.
Kim Yong Nam meets British party delegation
Pyongyang, April 23 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, member of the political bureau of the c.c., the Workers' Party of Korea and President of the presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, met and had a conversation with the delegation of the New Communist Party of Great Britain led by its General Secretary Andy Brooks at the Mansudae Assembly Hall today.
Present was Ji Jae Ryong, vice department director of the WPK Central Committee.
The head of the delegation said that all the achievements made in the DPRK are a fruition of the wise guidance of President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il.
Last year, he noted, many successes were achieved in various fields of the DPRK.
Particularly, the Korean people have shattered the imperialists' moves to isolate and stifle the DPRK and firmly defended socialism, he said. This greatly inspires the world progressives, he said.
The experience of the Korean revolution is precious for all the revolutionary people, which will serve as a guideline, he added.