Pakistani embassy officials help Korean farmers
Pyongyang, June 14 (KCNA) -- Charge d'affaires Ahmed Hussain Dayo and officials of the embassy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan here Wednesday helped members of the Korea-Pakistan Friendship Taesong Cooperative Farm in weeding on a vegetable field.
During break they sang songs with the farmers and talked to each other, deepening friendly feelings.
They delivered aid materials to the farm.
S. Korean unionists stage rally and demonstration
Pyongyang, June 14 (KCNA) -- Over 10,000 unionists under the South Korean Confederation of Trade Unions held a rally and a demonstration in downtown Seoul on Tuesday, according to Radio No. 1 from Seoul.
At the rally they urged the authorities to ensure vital rights of workers including stop to lay-off and change of the status of irregular workers into that of regular workers.
Prior to this, they held a meeting to call a strike in protest against the authorities' restructuring and staged a demonstration.
Police force 15,000 strong was deployed in the scenes of the demonstration to block their strike.
Hanminjon spokesman calls for anti-U.S. resistance
Pyongyang, June 14 (KCNA) -- A spokesman of the National Democratic Front of South Korea (Hanminjon) issued a statement to the press on June 9 on the occasion of the 14th anniversary of the June popular uprising which recorded a brilliant chapter in the history of the South Korean people's anti-American, anti-fascist struggle, according to radio Voice of National Salvation from Seoul.
The June popular uprising was an explosion of the pent-up wrath and resentment against the colonial fascist dictatorial system and an eruption of the Korean people's strong desire for independence, democracy and reunification, he said, and went on:
Due to the United States, however, the desire of the June resistance fighters has not been realised. the anti-U.S. struggle is at once a struggle for independence and democracy and a struggle for national reunification.
All the people who value the destiny of the country and the nation should revive the spirit of the June popular uprising in different parts of South Korea and intensify the anti-U.S. resistance to resolutely smash the aggressive, anti-north and anti-reunification offensive of the U.S. imperialists.
Hanminjon together with patriotic people of different social standings will thwart and frustrate the criminal anti-reunification moves of the U.S. imperialists and open a turning phase of independence, democracy and reunification through a vigorous anti-U.S. struggle for independence and thus realise the desire of the June popular uprising.
DPRK hit by worst drought
Pyongyang, June 14 (KCNA) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is hard hit by the worst drought under the strong influence of the dry continental high pressure.
It is unprecedented in the history of meteorological observation that drought has persisted for over 100 days since March 4, according to information released by the central weather forecast institute of the hydrometeorological service.
According to a historical record, drought lasted for 90 days from July 1, 1727, causing so tremendous losses to all kinds of organisms that the then king even issued an order to release prisoners.
From the climatological point of view this long spell of drought is something unprecedented. It is believed to happen once in 1,000 years.
From early march to this date precipitation in all parts of the country registered at 18.3 mm on an average, only 11 percent of the normal year.
Heat recorded an all-time high in meteorological observation.
Temperature in Kaesong, Sariwon, Hamhung, Wonsan and Hyesan at noon in several days of April and May was 12-13 degrees higher than the normal year. It recorded 3 degrees higher than that in the normal year, taking the country as a whole.
Strong wind 11-18 m/s and over 20 m/s swept several times the areas on the west coast including Pyongyang, Haeju and Sariwon and on the east coast including Hamhung and Wonsan.
Agriculture is hardest hit by this drought, heat and strong wind.
At present, soil in all parts of the country remained dry up to over 25 cm deep, making it hardly possible for such crops as maize, wheat, barley and potato to grow.
No harvest can be expected from hundreds of thousands of hectares of farmland hit by drought and it is hardly possible to sow seeds there again. Rice-transplantation is close to abeyance due to shortage of irrigation water. Rice seedlings already transplanted are withering.
Forest fire is breaking out in dozens of cities and counties in an unbroken chain, causing serious damage to forest resources.
Various fields of the national economy are badly affected by this natural calamity.
The state took measures to mobilize all pumping equipment and manpower for minimizing drought damage and draw sea water into rivers and other steps. But there is little improvement in the situation.
Drought and heat are expected to last for more days to come.
U.S. forces urged to go home
Pyongyang, June 14 (KCNA) -- The political bureau of the Socialist Unionist Party of Syria issued a statement on June 9 on the occasion of the first anniversary of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration and the June 25-July 27 month of international solidarity with the Korean people.
The statement said:
In order to put an end to the division of the Korean peninsula and achieve Korea's reunification, the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration should be implemented to the letter.
The U.S. should stop obstructing the implementation of the declaration with open interference in inter-Korean relations and immediately withdraw its troops from the Korean peninsula.
The statement called upon the world peace-loving people to denounce the foreign interference in Korean affairs and express full support to the Korean people in their efforts to achieve Korea's reunification as early as possible.
Martin Lotscher, chairman of the Swiss Committee for Supporting Korea's Reunification, said in a statement on June 8 that the north-south joint declaration, which calls for solving the issue of national reunification by the concerted efforts of the Korean nation free from any foreign interference, is a milestone for Korea's reunification.
He stressed that his committee would intensify the movement for solidarity with the Korean people in their struggle for withdrawal of U.S. troops from South Korea.
The acting chairman of the Congolese association for friendship among peoples in a statement on June 4 noted that Korea would be certainly reunified under the wise guidance of leader Kim Jong Il, despite foreign forces' obstacles to the implementation of the north-south joint declaration.
A Democratic Congolese newspaper and the Indian newspaper Samachar post dedicated articles to the first anniversary of the joint declaration.
Hanchongryon chairman vows to struggle for implementation of joint declaration
Pyongyang, June 14 (KCNA) -- Choe Sung Hwan, chairman of the 9th term South Korean Federation of University Student Councils (Hanchongryon), in an appeal on June 10 called for opening up a decisive phase of independent reunification under the banner of the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration, according to a news report.
The appeal said that it is the pledge of one million students made to history and the people to struggle for implementing the joint declaration to the letter by the efforts of the Korean nation.
It set a week of commemorating the anniversary of the publication of the June 15 joint declaration from June 11 to 17 and called for organizing all people's celebration functions. And it laid stress on the need to make a grand seminar on national reunification to be held on Mt. Kumgang a new occasion of reaffirming support for the declaration and the will to put it into practice and dynamically propelling the movement for national reunification.
It also underscored the need to purposefully prepare the international war crimes tribunal slated for June 23 to try mass killings of civilians, holding aloft the slogan calling for opposition to the U.S. and the abolition of the "Security Law," and to wage an anti-U.S. struggle for independence.
It called for increasing the role of hanchongryon in escalating the struggle of workers and peasants for the right to existence, and solidarizing with them to demonstrate the will for reunification.
Anniversary of north-south joint declaration observed
Pyongyang, June 14 (KCNA) -- A Pyongyang meeting was held at the People's Palace of Culture today to commemorate the first anniversary of the north-south joint declaration.
Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, made a report.
He said that the June 15 joint declaration, an outcome of the historic Pyongyang meeting and the north-south summit talks, marked a great milestone for national reunification provided thanks to the broad patriotic magnanimity and outstanding political ability of leader Kim Jong Il.
The past one year since the declaration was published was a significant year in which the whole nation took a big stride forward in the patriotic efforts to achieve national independence and unity, he noted, and went on:
The implementation of the declaration in this period has brought about a significant progress in the movement for national reunification.
Trust and reverence for him are growing stronger than ever before in the north and the south and abroad, and it has become an irrepressible desire to reunify the country under his guidance since the publication of the declaration.
The movement for national reunification has vigorously advanced along the orbit of independence to solve the issue of the country's reunification by the concerted efforts of the Korean nation.
It is the irresistible trend of the times to think more of the fellow countrymen rather than depending on foreign forces, place the interests of the nation above those of foreign forces and strive to solve the issue of reunification by the concerted efforts of the north and the south.
Multi-faceted contacts, dialogues and visits are taking place between the north and the south and the movement for national unity is being further intensified than ever before in the movement for the country's reunification.
The visits and contacts were realized between the authorities, political parties, organizations, politicians, businessmen, mediamen and people of other strata in the north and the south.
Broad-based cooperation and exchange took place and a great advance was made in the humanitarian work between the north and the south.
63 former unconverted long-term prisoners came back to the north at the same time to come into the care of the Workers' Party of Korea and visiting groups of the separated families and relatives were exchanged several times.
All the developments in the last one year represent a laudable feat Kim Jong Il performed on behalf of the country and the nation.
Noting that the keynote of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration is to solve the issue of the country's reunification by the concerted efforts of the Korean nation, the main agent of reunification, the reporter stressed that to this end it is necessary to oppose and reject foreign forces' interference.
He went on to say:
National unity is prerequisite to implementing the declaration. All the Koreans should pool will and efforts with patriotism and the spirit of national independence as a common ideological basis, irrespective of ideology, system, political view, religious belief and all other differences.
He called upon all the political parties, organizations and people from all walks of life in the north and the south to firmly protect the declaration from internal and external challenges and decisively pave the way for reunification by the concerted efforts of the Korean nation this year.
Present at the meeting were secretaries of the Workers' Party of Korea central committee Choe Thae Bok and Kim Yong Sun, chairwoman of the c.c., the Korean Chondoist Chongu Party Ryu Mi Yong, officials concerned and working people in the city.
Gift to Kim Jong Il
Pyongyang, June 14 (KCNA) -- A gift was sent to leader Kim Jong Il by the visiting delegation of the Venezuelan national society for the study of the Juche idea.
It was conveyed to an official concerned by the head of the delegation Omar Lopez, chairman of the society.
Greetings to Iranian President
Pyongyang, June 14 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, on June 12 sent a message of greetings to Seyed Mohammad Khatami upon his reelection as Iranian President.
The message extended warm congratulations to him upon his reelection.
It noted that his reelection is an expression of the deep trust and expectation of the Iranian people towards him.
Expressing the belief that the friendly and cooperative ties between the two countries would grow stronger in conformity with the expectation and desire of the two peoples, it wished him great success in his responsible work and the Iranian people happiness and prosperity.
Inter-Korean joint photo exhibition opens
Pyongyang, June 14 (KCNA) -- An Inter-Korean joint photo exhibition "Paektu-Halla" was opened at the Grand People's Study House here today on the occasion of the first anniversary of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration.
The exhibition is cosponsored by the central committee of the Korean Journalists Union and the Federation of Historians and Juridical Persons' Associations and the Photographic Society of South Korea.
On show there are over 100 photographs introducing landscapes, scenic spots and cultural relics in famous mountains of Korea from Mt. Paektu to Mt. Halla.
Present at its opening ceremony were president of the presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly Kim Yong Nam, department director of the Workers' Party of Korea central committee Jong Ha Chol, minister of culture Kang Nung Su and officials concerned, journalists and editors and artistes in the city.
A delegation of the south side led by Hong Hui Phyo, chairman of the Federation of Historians and Juridical Persons' Associations, was on hand.
Kim Song Guk, chairman of the KJU central committee, said in his opening address that the exhibition would help the fellow countrymen to more deeply feel that both the north and the south are the same beautiful territory of Korea and it is just like an organic body which can never be divided into two.
Hong Hui Phyo said that the adoption of the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration was, indeed, a good historic event which removed the dark clouds hanging over the korean nation. the current exhibition will clearly show why the north and the south of Korea should become one, he added.
After the ceremony the participants looked round the exhibits.