World Judo title holder warmly welcomed

    Pyongyang, August 6 (KCNA) -- People's Sportswoman Kye Sun Hui who placed first at the 2001 World Judo Championships returned home yesterday. She won fame as "a morning star of world women's judo" at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, came first at the international all-star judo tournament held in February this year and bagged a gold medal at the world championships.
    She was met at Pyongyang railway station by Kim Jung Rin, secretary of the central committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Kwak Pom Ki, vice-premier of the DPRK cabinet, and officials concerned.
    That day tens of thousands of working people, school youth and children heartily welcomed her, a proud daughter of the nation, along the route.
    As an open car carrying her passed by the crowd, they cheered her, shouting "admirable Kye Sun Hui" and "welcome, welcome".

U.S. interceptor missile test under fire

    Pyongyang, August 6 (KCNA) -- The interceptor missile test conducted by the United States in July comes under fire by a signed commentary of Rodong Sinmun today. The commentary says:
    The recent interceptor missile test proves that the U.S. "Missile Defence" system (MD) has gone over to the full-fledged stage of establishment from the phase of discussion.
    The U.S. is keen to rapidly push forward the missile modernization in a bid to go absolutely superior to other big powers in the field of nuclear and missile development.
    The U.S. is now peddling the non-existent "missile threat" from the DPRK to hide its ulterior intention.
    The U.S. insists that as the DPRK "threatens it" with missiles, it should establish the MD as soon as possible to cope with it.
    Washington is accusing the DPRK of being a "state posing missile threat" and a "rogue state" in a bid to justify its moves for domination.
    But facts go to prove that the U.S. is the state posing the biggest nuclear and missile threat and the most dangerous rogue state in the world.
    It is none other than the U.S. which conducted interceptor missile test despite the unanimous protest at home and abroad, thus arousing uneasiness and worry among the world public.
    The DPRK is left with no option but to take a counter-measure for self-defence now that the U.S. is going ahead with the MD under the pretext of the "missile threat" from the DPRK and posing a real threat to it.
    The DPRK will have nothing to lose although all the items agreed upon between the DPRK and the U.S. collapse.

Greetings to Jamaican prime minister

Pyongyang, August 6 (KCNA) -- Hong Song Nam, premier of the DPRK cabinet, sent a message of greetings to p. j. Patterson, prime minister of Jamaica, on the occasion of the 39th anniversary of its independence. Expressing the belief that the friendly relations between the two countries would continue to develop on good terms in the future, too, Hong in the message wished the prime minister and people of Jamaica success in their efforts for the prosperity of the country.

Japanese government urged to take humanitarian measures for Korean A-bomb victims

    Pyongyang, August 6 (KCNA) -- The Anti-Nuke Peace Association of Korean A-Bomb Victims issued a statement yesterday 56 years after A-bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. In the DPRK there are thousands of A-bomb victims at present. they are persons who were forcibly taken to Hiroshima and Nagasaki for labor, military service and other missions and had to undergo backbreaking toil and suffered from A-bombs under the colonial rule of the Japanese imperialists, and their descendants.
    The statement said:
    We, A-bomb victims, demand the Japanese authorities make state compensation to us. This demand is intended to prevent the repetition of the disasters of last century by making the present Japanese government take responsibility and compensate for the war of aggression conducted by the Japanese imperialists in the past and for damage from it.
    The Japanese government did not give any humanitarian aid to Korean A-bomb victims in 56 years, though it has done to Japanese victims.
    This year it sent a fact-finding team to the DPRK to acquire the details, but has not yet taken any practical measure, the statement said, and continued:
    The chief executive of Japan has recently asserted that he would visit "Yasukuni Shrine." Meanwhile, Japan is moving to replace its "peaceful constitution" with war constitution and refusing to accept the strong domestic and foreign demand for revision of junior middle schoolers' history textbooks in which its history of aggression is distorted.
    Such moves are aimed to conceal its past crimes and evade apology and compensation for them.
    The Japanese government should renounce this wrong attitude at once and promptly take humanitarian measures necessary for the Korean A-bomb victims.
    If it keeps dragging time on, abusing the humanitarian issue for any political purpose, it will come under stronger protest and condemnation not only from the victims but from the world community.

KCNA assails Japan for peddling "abduction" issue

    pyongyang, August 6 (KCNA) -- Japan recently raised a hue and cry over the "abduction issue" in the international arena. The chief executive and the top diplomat of Japan asked for international understanding of their clamour about the issue of "Japanese abducted" by the DPRK at a recent G-8 summit in Genoa and a recent meeting of the ASEAN regional security forum in Hanoi.
    This is a very foolish and crafty intention to internationalize the bilateral issue between the DPRK and Japan whose talks ground to a halt and put pressure upon the DPRK.
    As already known to the world, what is essential for settling the issue of establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries is for Japan to liquidate the crimes committed against Korea and its people in the past.
    However, Japan is acting without discretion to beautify and justify its inglorious past and bury it forever. The "abduction issue" persistently peddled by Japan is a shameless pretext to evade the issue of liquidation of the past, the core issue of the bilateral relations.
    Japan kidnapped and walked away millions of Koreans in the past. Yet, it is linking the issue of a few missing ordinary persons with the DPRK in a bid to build up public opinion. This is prompted by Japan's base aim to prevent the international community from criticizing it for evading the responsibility for its past crimes and shift the blame for it onto others.
    Japan is beset with a lot of social issues such as murder and abduction at home. It is, therefore, nonsense and an insult to the DPRK's dignity for Japan to describe the issue of missing persons in Japan as the "abduction" committed by the DPRK and pull it up over the issue.
    Japan is well advised not to act rashly, aware that it will be held wholly responsible for the consequences to be entailed by its reckless fuss to internationalize the fictitious "abduction issue".

Release of all prisoners of conscience urged in S. Korea

Pyongyang, August 6 (KCNA) -- The council of Christian churches of South Korea reportedly said in a statement on august 2 that it submitted an appeal to the authorities for the release of all prisoners of conscience and the removal of the police dragnet. Calling for the release of all the prisoners of conscience, the victims of the social conflicts, the council held that the authorities should set free all the prisoners of conscience arrested on charges of violation of the "Security Law" so as to meet the expectation of people for practical results of the successful south-north summit talks.

Greetings to President of Cote D'ivoire

Pyongyang, August 6 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, on August 3 sent a message of greetings to Rorant Gbagbo, President of Cote D'ivoire on the national day of his country. Extending warm congratulations to the president, the government and the people of Cote D'ivoire, the message expressed the belief that the friendly relations between the DPRK and Cote D'ivoire would continue to develop on good terms.
The message wished him and his people greater success in the work for stability and peace of the country.

Congratulations to President of Sao Tome and Principe

pyongyang, August 6 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, on August 4 sent a congratulatory message to Frederico De Meneses upon his election as President of Sao Tome and Principe. The message extended warm congratulations to the president and expressed the belief that the excellent friendly relations between the two countries would continue to develop on good terms.
It wished the president success in his responsible work.

Kim Yong Nam meets Czech ambassador

Pyongyang, August 6 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, met Czech ambassador to the DPRK Alexander Karych, who paid a farewell call on him, at the Mansudae Assembly Hall today. Present there was vice-minister of foreign affairs Choe Su Hon.

Art performance given in honour of Kim Jong Il

    Moscow August 5 (KCNA) -- The presidential orchestra of the Kremlin gave a performance in the Vladimir Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace this evening in honour of leader Kim Jong Il. When he appeared in the auditorium, the audience warmly welcomed him with enthusiastic applause.
    The performance was highly acclaimed by the audience for the high artistic talents of the artistes.
    Kim Jong Il congratulated the artistes on their successful performance and sent a floral basket to them.