Reception given at Russian embassy
pyongyang, August 16 (KCNA) -- A reception was given at the Russian embassy here yesterday, the 56th anniversary of the liberation of Korea.
Present there on invitation were Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Ri Kwang Gun, minister of foreign trade, and officials concerned.
Russian military attache Vladislav Prokopenko in his speech said that the liberation of Korea gave a new origin to the development of the relations between the two countries and they have accumulated experience with each other through multi-faceted cooperation and contacts in the past period.
The meeting and talks between President Putin and Chairman Kim Jong Il of the DPRK National Defence Commission and the publication of the joint declaration in Pyongyang last year became a solid foundation for strengthening and developing the bilateral relations, he noted, and went on:
Kim Jong Il's recent historic Russia visit, his talks with Putin and the publication of the Moscow declaration are an event of special significance.
Russia sincerely hopes that the DPRK would build a powerful nation and implement the north-south joint declaration to achieve the peaceful and democratic reunification free from foreign interference at an early date.
Minister of foreign trade Ri Kwang Gun in his speech said that the liberation of the country on August 15, 1945, by the anti-Japanese armed struggle led by President Kim Il Sung and the nationwide struggle of all the Korean people for national liberation centering on it was a historic event which opened a turning phase in shaping their destiny and creating their new life.
The feelings of friendship of the Korean people toward the Russian people who devoted their fine sons and daughters to the cause of the liberation of Korea will as always be cherished, he noted.
He underscored the need to substantially implement the agreements reached between the top leaders of the two countries and provisions of the DPRK-Russia joint declaration, the DPRK-Russia Moscow declaration and the DPRK-Russia treaty of friendship, good-neighborliness and cooperation and further develop the bilateral relations in all fields including politics, the economy, military affairs and culture.
He wished the Russian people fresh success in their work to build powerful Russia under the leadership of Putin.
Reception for delegates to 2001 Grand Festival for National Reunification
Pyongyang, August 16 (KCNA) -- The preparatory committee of the 2001 Grand Festival for National Reunification gave a reception in honour of the delegates to the festival at the Mansudae Art Theatre yesterday evening.
Present at the reception were Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, other cadres and officials concerned.
Invited to the reception were delegates to the festival from the north, south and overseas.
Kim Yong Nam said in his speech that the grand festival for reunification held by fellow countrymen aspiring after reunification is a great national meeting representing the desire of the nation for reunification and its kindred feelings.
He continued:
The north, south and overseas delegates shared kindred feelings with each other and hardened their will for reunification. This is a proud picture of the Korean nation advancing towards the reunification of the country by its concerted efforts and a reflection of the great vitality of the historic June 15 joint declaration.
The Korean nation's movement for reunification has entered a new stage. The Korean nation should always defend its dignity firmly and put spurs to accomplishing the cause of reunification under the banner of the June 15 joint declaration.
He expressed the conviction that the participants in the festival will powerfully promote the seventy million fellow countrymen's cause of reunification by successfully concluding the grand festival for national reunification.
Kim Yong Nam meets delegates to 2001 festival
Pyongyang, August 16 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, met north, south and overseas delegates to the 2001 Grand Festival for National Reunification at the Mansudae Art Theatre yesterday and had a talk with them in a compatriotic atmosphere.
Present there were secretary Kim Yong Sun of the c.c., the Workers' Party of Korea, and officials concerned.
Withdrawal of U.S. forces from South Korea urged
Pyongyang, August 16 (KCNA) -- Korea is the only country in the world which still remains divided among those countries which were partitioned as the outcome of the second world war. This is because of the U.S. military presence in South Korea. Rodong Sinmun today says this in a signed commentary.
It goes on:
Now that the June 15 joint declaration in which the north and the south committed themselves to solve the issue of reunification of the country by the efforts of the Korean nation was adopted and the desire for reconciliation and cooperation between the north and the south and reunification is daily growing stronger, the U.S. forces are left without any justification to stay in South Korea any longer.
The U.S. right-wing conservatives, displeased with the developments on the Korean peninsula, are putting the brake on this process in a bid to derail it.
The U.S. moves to escalate the tensions on the peninsula are aimed to stifle the DPRK by force and use the peninsula as a strategic base from which to establish unchallenged domination over Asia and the Pacific. To allow the U.S. troops to stay in South Korea is as dangerous as sleeping on the powder keg where a time bomb was planted.
The withdrawal of the U.S. troops from South Korea means removing a stumbling block lying in the process of detente, reunification and national reconciliation on the Korean peninsula.
The U.S. troops' pullback from South Korea would bring durable peace to the peninsula and create conditions favorable for reunification.
The foremost task of the policy of the DPRK towards the United States is to force the U.S. troops to withdraw from South Korea.
The United States should face up to the trend of the times and quit South Korea before suffering the disgrace of being driven out of it. This is good for the U.S. either.
Kim Jong Il greets Jiang Zemin
Pyongyang, August 16 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Il, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and Chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK, today sent a message of greetings to Jiang Zemin, General Secretary of the central committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), President of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and President of the Central Military Commission of the PRC, on the occasion of his 75th birthday.
The message extended sincere and warm greetings and congratulations to him on his birthday.
The message said:
Assuming the heaviest responsibility for the party, state and army of China, you have energetically worked to protect the stability, unity and sovereignty of the country and build socialism with Chinese characteristics.
The Chinese people have made great successes and changes in their efforts to build modern new China and achieve the cause of the country's reunification under the guidance of the CPC with you as its core.
The international position of the PRC has also further been strengthened in accordance with the diplomatic line of independence and sovereignty.
You are deeply respected and loved by your people for your feats performed for the party and people of China.
The CPC reviewed its struggle and experience on the occasion of its 80th founding anniversary and, on this basis, proposed new tasks to further improve and step up the party construction and activities and is waging a vigorous drive to implement them.
It is the consistent stand of the WPK to steadily consolidate and develop the traditional DPRK-China friendship.
Convinced that the DPRK-China friendship would continue to favorably develop in the new century, too, to meet the desire of the two parties and peoples, Kim Jong Il in the message sincerely wished Jiang Zemin greater success in his responsible work for the prosperity of the Chinese nation and the complete reunification of the whole country and good health and happiness.
Full investigation into pollution by oil leakage demanded
Pyongyang, August 16 (KCNA) -- The South Korean Green Federation in a statement issued on August 10 in connection with the pollution caused by oil leakage from the U.S. forces' base in Ryongsan, Seoul, called for forming a civilian-government joint fact-finding group for full investigation into it, according to Seoul-based radio no. 1.
The statement urged the U.S. forces side to open to the public the background against which the pollution was committed for years and damage done by it, punish the chief culprit and fully investigate the environmental pollution caused by the U.S. forces' base whose return is now under debate.
Greetings to President of Gabon
pyongyang, August 16 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, sent a message of greetings to El Hadj Omar Bongo, President of Gabon, on August 13 on the occasion of its independence day.
The message extended warm congratulations to the president, government and people of Gabon on the independence day.
Expressing the belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would further expand and develop, it wished the president and people of Gabon great success in their work for the peace and security of the country.
Joint photo exhibition held
Pyongyang, August 16 (KCNA) -- A joint photo exhibition on the Japanese imperialists' atrocities and moves to distort history was opened at the people's palace of culture today.
Displayed there are many photos disclosing that the Japanese imperialists robbed Korea of human and material resources and denouncing the Japanese authorities for their shameless moves to distort the history of aggression against Korea with a view to reviving Japanese militarism and realizing their ambition for reinvasion.
Among them are photos showing the moves of the Japanese aggressors advocating the "Theory of the Conquest of Korea", a photo of Japan's pirate ship "Unyo-Maru" which intruded into Kanghwa island, photos of Japanese imperialists massacring Koreans in the period of the march first popular uprising and other photos on the Japanese imperialists' crimes.
Photos on display clearly prove that forcible drafting of Koreans, the crimes related to "comfort women for the army", mass killings and other hideous crimes against humanity the Japanese imperialists committed in the period of their colonial rule over Korea are being seriously distorted and covered up by the Japanese authorities.
A joint resolution of compatriots in the north and the south and abroad denouncing the Japanese imperialists' atrocities and the distortion of history was read out at the exhibition.
The resolution said that the Koreans in the north and the south and abroad will take the mass killings and plunder committed by the Japanese imperialists in Korea to account and force Japan to make an apology and compensation for them to the last and conduct activities to fully expose their atrocities and the gravity and shamelessness of the moves to distort history.
It demanded the Japanese authorities sincerely apologize for the past crimes, make full ompensation for them and stop the moves to tamper with history at once.
Present at the opening ceremony were Kim Yong Dae, vice-president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, leading officials of public organizations, delegates of compatriots in the north and the south and overseas to the 2001 Grand Festival for National Reunification.
Rodong Sinmun on three charters for national reunification
Pyongyang, August 16 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today carries a signed article hailing the erection of the monument to the three charters for national reunification in Pyongyang on the occasion of the 56th anniversary of Korea's liberation
The monument reflects the firm faith and will of all the Korean people to glorify forever the immortal feats performed by President Kim Il Sung on behalf of the country and the nation and to build a reunified country along the road indicated by the three charters.
Leader Kim Jong Il comprehensively systematized and formulated the three principles of national reunification, The ten-point programme of the great unity of the whole nation and the proposal for founding the Democratic Federal Republic of Koryo put forward by the president as the three charters for national reunification.
The three charters for national reunification helped build strong three pillars for achieving the reunification of the country without fail and provided all the Koreans desirous of reunification with a clear guideline, the article says, and goes on:
The charters are the Korean style programme for reunification as they indicate a true way of independently solving the issue of national reunification in conformity with the demand of the Korean nation and the actual conditions of Korea, guided by the Juche idea.
The charters are scientific as they were provided in the course of the historical struggle for national reunification and their truth has been proven in that course.
Indeed, the charters serve as a bright beacon illumining the way to find the earliest and fairest solution to the issue of Korea's reunification in conformity with the will and interests of the whole nation and a powerful weapon firmly guaranteeing its victory.
The charters enable our nation to wage a vigorous struggle for national reunification with a clear goal and orientation, faith and courage and successfully realise the cherised desire for national reunification by its concerted efforts.
Youth solidarity forum for national reunification
Pyongyang, August 16 (KCNA) -- A youth solidarity forum for national reunification in the new century was held at the central youth hall today as part of the 2001 Grand Festival for National Reunification.
Present there were youth and students in Pyongyang and delegates of youth and students from the north and the south and abroad participating in the festival.
A group of dancers warmly welcomed the delegates, dancing to the tune of songs "Glad To See You" and "My Country Is Best".
At the end of the chorus "Thongil Arirang" and a mixed duet "Youth Is Good Days," delegates of youth and students from the north and the south and abroad made congratulatory speeches at the forum.
They stressed the need for the youth and students in the north and the south and abroad to further strengthen solidarity through their activities to implement the June 15 joint declaration.
Presented at the forum were a quartet of folk song "Our Nation Is Best," female vocal solo "Spring In My Native Place" and a vocal solo and Pangchang "Ballad Of Pheasant Hen," etc.
Youth delegates from the south and abroad came out to join in singing when the hall was pervaded with strong desire for national reunification.
Children presented colorful art pieces including vocal quartet "Rainbow For National Reunification," earnestly calling upon the youth and student delegates to hand the reunified country over to them at an early date.
Greetings to Indonesian President
Pyongyang, August 16 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, sent a message of greetings to Megawati Soekarnoputri, President of Indonesia, today on the occasion of the 56th anniversary of its independence day.
The message extended warm congratulations to the president, government and people of Indonesia on the independence day.
Convinced that the friendly and cooperative ties between the two countries would continue to develop, it wished the president and people of Indonesia greater success in their work for the prosperity of the country.