Kim Yong Nam arrives in Phnom Penh
Pyongyang, July 17 (KCNA correspondent) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, arrived in Phnom Penh this morning by a special plane to pay an official goodwill visit to Cambodia at the invitation of King Norodom Sihanouk.
Kim Yong Nam was greeted at the airport by Norodom Sihanouk.
Also arriving were minister of foreign trade Ri Kwang Gun, minister of culture Kang Nung Su, vice-minister of foreign affairs Pak Kil Yon and vice-chairperson of the Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries Hong Son Ok and suite members.
Kim Yong Nam and his party were also greeted by President of senate Chea Sim, President of the National Assembly Norodom Ranariddh, deputy prime minister of the government Tol Lah, deputy prime minister in charge of the royal palace Kong Sam Ol, minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation Hor Namhong, Cambodian ambassador to the DPRK Oum Mannorine, vice-presidents of the senate and the National Assembly, ministers and other officials concerned.
Present to meet them were DPRK ambassador to Cambodia Kim Jong Nam and his embassy officials and foreign diplomatic envoys there.
A welcome ceremony took place at the airport.
Kim Yong Nam, together with Norodom Sihanouk, reviewed a guard of honour of the three services of the Cambodian royal army.
At least 100,000 people warmly welcomed Kim Yong Nam and his party along the tens of kilometres-long route to the lodging quarters.
Mass killings of members of "people's defence corps" disclosed in S. Korea
Pyongyang, July 18 (KCNA) -- It has been disclosed in South Korea recently that the Syngman Rhee puppet clique massively killed members of "the people's defence corps" formed with civilians in the area under their control during the last Korean War, according to the South Korean magazine "Hangyore 21".
The "people's defence corps" was reserve forces the clique created while fleeing southward in December 1950, taken aback by the readvance of the people's army.
The puppet clique let right-wing reactionary youth organizations enlist young and middle-aged people in the "corps" at random, asserting that "they should not lose manpower under any circumstances even if Seoul might be lost again to the people's army."
According to information disclosed, out of the 500,000 strong "people's defence corps" nearly 100,000 members died of hunger and were frozen or beaten to death and about 80 percent of it got crippled in 100 days.
Kim Yong Nam concludes visit to Laos
Vientiane, July 17 (KCNA correspondent) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, left Vientiane by a special plane today after wrapping up his 4-day official goodwill visit to Laos.
He was farewelled by Lao President Khamtay Siphandone at the presidency.
On leaving Laos, he sent a message of thanks to Khamtay Siphandone.
Meanwhile, the inter-governmental agreement on the prevention of double taxation on income and property, the agreement on cooperation in the field of public health and a Juche 90-92 (2001-2003) cultural exchange plan were inked in Vientiane.
Kim Yong Nam meets Norodom Sihanouk
Phnom Penh, July 17 (KCNA correspondent) -- President Kim Yong Nam of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly met King of Cambodia Norodom Sihanouk at the royal palace today.
Norodom Sihanouk stressed that Kim Jong Il who is identical to President Kim Il Sung is the wise leader of the Korean people and the hero of the Korean nation.
The Cambodian people pay highest respects to Kim Jong Il in humble reverence and fully support and encourage the Korean people's just struggle for the independent reunification of the country, he said.
He expressed his firm will to strengthen forever the friendly relations between the two countries with a long historical tradition.
Present on the occasion were minister of foreign trade Ri Kwang Gun, minister of culture Kang Nung Su, vice-minister of foreign affairs Pak Kil Yon, DPRK ambassador to Cambodia Kim Jong Nam, vice-chairperson of the Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries Hong Son Ok and suite members.
On hand were deputy prime minister in charge of the royal palace Kong Sam Ol, Cambodian ambassador to the DPRK Oum Mannorine and others.
Stop to U.S. missile interceptor test called for
Pyongyang, July 18 (KCNA) -- The joint measure committee for checking "Missile Defense" system and realizing peace held a rally in front of the U.S. 8th army base in Ryongsan, Seoul, on July 14, denouncing the U.S. for its missile interceptor test, according to the South Korean newspaper Hangyore.
The committee at the rally accused the U.S. of missile interceptor test and strongly demanded the united states immediately stop the test threatening world peace and the authorities not join in the missile defense system.
After the rally over 150 members of the committee made a protest march up to the building of the South Korean "Ministry of National Defense."
U.S. forces' pullback from S. Korea urgently demanded by times and nation
Pyongyang, July 18 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article dismisses the U.S. moves to keep its troops in South Korea as a criminal act going against the trend of history and the times.
The article says:
The U.S. is persistently pursuing the policy of occupation of South Korea in utter disregard of the strong global trend toward independence and peace.
By keeping their forces in South Korea, the U.S. imperialists seek to realise their wild ambition to invade the DPRK anytime and use the Korean peninsula as a springboard from which to attack other Asian countries and establish their domination over the world.
The U.S. troops' pullback from South Korea is urgently demanded by the history of the Korean nation.
The Korean nation stands strongly opposed to the U.S. imperialists' moves for aggression and interference and categorically demands the unconditional withdrawal of the U.S. imperialist aggression troops from South Korea. It is clearly evidenced by the fact that despite the U.S. ever more pronounced anti-DPRK and anti-reunification moves representatives of the political parties and organizations and personages from all walks of life in the north, south and abroad recently met to significantly mark the first anniversary of the historic June 15 Joint Declaration and renewed their resolution to independently solve the issue of the country's reunification by the concerted efforts of the Korean nation.
The U.S. is left with no justification to claim any longer that the U.S. forces should stay in South Korea to "deter southward advance" of the soviet union and repel the "invasion of the south" by the north.
The Soviet Union does not exist any more and the north and the south of Korea adopted the historic June 15 Joint Declaration in which they stated their will to achieve the independent and peaceful reunification of the country on the basis of reconciliation and unity.
The U.S. is well advised to drop its criminal hostile policy toward the DPRK and immediately withdraw its aggression troops from South Korea, well aware of the will of the Korean nation for independent reunification and the trend of the times.
S. Korean organizations vow to form anti-U.S. solidarity organization
Pyongyang, July 18 (KCNA) -- The people's action for revising the shackling South Korea-U.S. "Status of Forces Agreement" (Kukminhaengdong), together with the all-people measure committee for closing U.S. forces' bombing ground in Maehyang-ri and two other organizations, announced on July 14 that they would form a solidarity council for settling the issue of U.S. forces in South Korea at the end of July, Seoul-based Yonhap News reported.
The Kukminhaengdong said that it would hold an inaugural ceremony in front of the U.S. 8th army base in Ryongsan on July 28, stating that civic organizations are aware that more systematic and organized counteraction is needed to concentrate efforts on settling the issue of the U.S. forces in South Korea with Bush's tour of South Korea slated for October.
It said that if the new organization is formed, it would hold its regular meetings twice a month and, at the same time, stage "exhibition" related to the issue of the U.S. forces in South Korea and an international peace conference to be timed to coincide with Bush's South Korean junket.
KCNA slams on anti-DPRK diatribe
Pyongyang, July 18 (KCNA) -- Kim Tong Sin, minister of "National Defence" of South Korea, in a "report of the defence committee of the national assembly" reportedly blustered that "the north's non-military ground, naval and air provocations would never be tolerated," citing DPRK cargo ships' crossing of the Jeju strait in June.
He disclosed that South Korea readjusted and redeployed combat forces so that they might simultaneously watch movements in both coastal and oceanic waters by shifting the focus of guard to those waters from coastal waters, while reinforcing the guard force for the Jeju strait.
His remarks at the "national assembly" are little short of making official the stand of the South Korean military to keep the north and the south in hostile relationship, regarding the DPRK as its "principal enemy."
The South Korean military authorities are making such a fuss about the crossing of the strait by the north's peaceful cargo ships not because they posed any threat to them.
As the media and public of South Korea admit, the Jeju strait provides a sea route through which many cargo ships of different countries pass freely without permission.
This notwithstanding, the South Korean military authorities called only the voyage of the DPRK's civilian cargo ships into question to kick up a row. They have gone the length of taking measures for such a military action as "readjusting and redeploying combat forces" and making such provocative remarks about "non-military provocations."
South Korea is known to have allowed more than 100 foreign trading ships to cross the strait a day without permission.
But they are making such a fuss over the passage of a few trading ships of the north through the strait.
This cannot be construed otherwise than a move to put a brake on the implementation of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration and push the present inter-Korean relations back to those of confrontation.
Their behaviour will only result in aggravating the inter-Korean relations. The South Korean military authorities will be held wholly responsible for the ensuing consequences.