U.S. urged to drop its hostile policy toward DPRK
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- The United States is behaving quite contrary to its call for an "unconditional dialogue" with the DPRK, says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary.
The commentary says:
The special envoy for peace negotiations on the Korean peninsula recently blustered that if North Korea does not fully honour its commitment under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty the assistance to the construction of light water reactors will be suspended. U.S. deputy secretary of defense Wolfwoitz asserted that the DPRK is posing "biggest military threat," arguing that the U.S. is exposed to serious threat of conventional weapons of North Korea.
Rice, adviser to the U.S. President for National Security, asserted that if the DPRK refuses to "reduce its conventional weapons" the U.S. has no willingness to resume dialogue with Pyongyang. The chairman of the senate foreign relations committee even went so far as to assert that the U.S. has capacity to destroy North Korea at one sweep.
The U.S. loudmouthed "threat of nuclear, missile and conventional weapons" of the DPRK is totally unfounded and it is an open challenge to the DPRK.
The dialogue for the improved DPRK-U.S relations has not yet been resumed for which the U.S. is totally to blame.
The DPRK and the U.S. cannot sit at the negotiating table as long as the latter has a dagger in its belt and no success can be expected even if such dialogue takes place.
Although the U.S. is talking about the "resumption of dialogue," it is persisting in all sorts of malignant anti-DPRK diatribes.
The "issue of the reduction of nuclear, missile and conventional weapons" is a precondition for dialogue that the U.S. unilaterally imposed upon the DPRK.
As for the issue of suspending assistance to the LWR construction raised by the U.S., in fact it has already been suspended. That was why the DPRK stated that the issue of compensation for the delayed provision of the LWRs should be included in the agenda for the DPRK-U.S. negotiations.
After putting up the precondition for dialogue unacceptable to the DPRK the U.S. seriously provoked it, aggravated the situation and shifted the responsibility for the deadlocked dialogue onto the DPRK side in a bid to attain its aggressive goal at any cost.
The DPRK has no intention to respond to the proposal for the resumption of the dialogue while allowing its dignity to be hurt and its sovereignty to be infringed upon.
The DPRK makes it clear once again that it will never be interested in any dialogue with the U.S. unless its new administration drops its hostile policy toward the DPRK.
If the U.S. is truly interested in the improved relations with the DPRK, it should drop its wrong policy toward the DPRK.
Grand festival for national reunification in Seoul
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- A grand festival for national reunification was held in Seoul on August 15 with the attendance of over 10,000 people including students under the South Korean Federation of University Student Councils, according to a news report.
The participants held a ceremony marking the 56th anniversary of the national liberation, a competition in singing songs on reunification, etc. to vow to implement the June 15 joint declaration.
Prior to it, more than 500 people participated in the short distance marathon race.
WFTU calls for solidarity with S. Korean working people
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- The World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) called upon its affiliated trade unions to further strengthen solidarity with South Korean working people struggling for the rights of trade unions, democratic freedom and the abolition of the notorious "security law" in particular.
A declaration which was issued by the WFTU on the occasion of the month of international solidarity with the Korean people said:
The WFTU wishes the Korean working people success in their struggle to reunify the country as early as possible by implementing the north-south joint declaration.
In this sense, it regards it as the main key to take an effective measure to get the U.S. forces occupying South Korea for over half a century withdrawn immediately in order to ease the situation on the Korean peninsula.
All the provocative military exercises should discontinue at once.
The Korean peninsula should be proclaimed as a nuclear- free zone.
The high-handed sanctions of the United States and its allies against the DPRK should be lifted at once.
Anti-Japanese meetings and demonstrations in Seoul
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- Meetings and demonstrations of citizens were reportedly held in different parts of Seoul on August 15 to demand rewritting of Japan's distorted history textbooks and protest against the Japanese chief executive's visit to the "Yasukuni Shrine".
The council for measures for the settlement of the issue of the "volunteers' corps" in South Korea held a meeting at Thapgol Park on the occasion of August 15 with the attendance of more than 200 people and staged a demonstration protesting against his visit to the shrine.
The Christian General Federation of South Korea hosted a special photo exhibition on the stage of Youido Park to take back remains of Koreans scattered in over 3,000 parts of Japan and conducted a two-day signature campaign among citizens.
Over 200 students and teachers of Seoul fine art high school held a meeting demanding Japan rectify the distorted history textbooks before marching through streets.
U.S. has no right to talk about human rights
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article describes the U.S. as a country with the poorest human rights record and its loudmouthed "defense of human rights" as a means of aggression and interference.
Citing facts to prove the poor human rights situation in the U.S., the article says:
Human rights are wantonly violated in the U.S. almost everyday.
According to information released by the U.S. authorities, 265 people are shot and 87 of them are reported dead on a daily average.
A bill on banning sales of arms was submitted to the congress, but monopoly capitalists, well aware that if the bill is passed, it will deprive them of chances of money making, blocked the passage of the bill by bribing congressmen.
In the U.S. 0.02 percent of the population holds 60 percent of the U.S. properties.
46 million people, or 17 percent of the U.S. population, live below poverty line.
The U.S. imperialists obsessed by the vaulting ambition for world supremacy use "human rights issues" as means of interference in the internal affairs of other countries and hegemonism.
It is well known to the world that under the pretext of "defense of democracy" and "defense of human rights" the U.S. dispatched aggression forces to invade Grenada and kill the prime minister of the country and invaded Panama to kidnap the head of state of the country.
Iraq and Yugoslavia, too, fell victim to the U.S. lever called "defense of human rights."
Kim Jong Il's message of thanks to Putin
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Il, Chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission, sent a message of thanks to Russian President V.V. Putin today.
The message says:
Leaving your country, I'd like to express deep thanks to you for cordial hospitality accorded to us.
My deep thanks also goes to the government of the Russian Federation and plenipotentiaries of the Russian President in districts of the federation, who warmly received us in the whole territory of Russia from Hasan, a border village in the Pacific coastal area, to St. Petersburg on the northwestern tip of the country, to administrators of the regions and cities of Russia we stayed in or passed, and to the friendly Russian people.
Our recent meeting in the first year of the new century has provided a historic occasion of further developing the cooperative relations between the DPRK and Russia and ensuring peace and security in Asia and the rest of the world.
I am convinced that the traditional long-standing and close relations of friendship and cooperation between the two countries, which have continued generation after generation and century after century, will grow stronger and develop in the spirit agreed upon between the two sides.
I wish you greater success in your noble work for building strong Russia and the Russian people happiness.
Joint statement of WPK, CMC of WPK and DPRK NDC
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- A joint press statement of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, the Central Military Commission of the WPK and the National Defence Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea was issued today.
The full text of the joint press statement says:
Kim Jong Il, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, Chairman of the National Defence Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army, returned home today after successfully wrapping up his official visit to the Russian Federation.
Making a long journey of more than 20,000 kilometres for over 20 days, he conducted energetic external activities, deepened the intimate relations with President V.V. Putin through meetings and talks and further strengthened the DPRK-Russia friendly ties, thus making immortal contributions to the history of DPRK-Russia friendly relations.
Kim Jong Il's recent visit to the Russian Federation successfully took place and bore a good fruit under the special care shown by Russian President V.V. Putin.
The army and people of the DPRK express appreciation and deep thanks to President V.V. Putin and the Russian people for most warmly receiving Kim Jong Il and according cordial hospitality to him with high respect, kindness and profound trust.
Kim Jong Il's historic visit to the Russian Federation will be brilliantly recorded in the annals of the DPRK-Russia friendship as it is an epochal event which marked a new turning point in further consolidating and developing the traditional DPRK-Russia friendship.
The WPK Central Committee, the WPK Central Military Commission and the DPRK National Defence Commission express the belief that the whole army and people will vigorously step up the revolution and construction, holding high the army-first banner under the wise guidance of Kim Jong Il and thus accelerate the revolutionary cause of Juche and make greater contributions to promoting the common cause of humankind for peace, democracy, national sovereignty and independence.
WFP executive director and her party arrive
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- Catherine Bertini, executive director of the World Food Program, and her party arrived here today.
They were greeted at the airport by vice-foreign minister Choe Su Hon and David Morton, resident coordinator of the United Nations and representative of the WFP, and Richard W. Corsino, deputy representative of the WFP.
Young North Korean again interviewed after coming back from South Korea
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- Yu Thae Jun, former instructor of the Hamhung coal shop of the coal management bureau of South Hamgyong Province, was again interviewed by mediapersons here on August 14 at his own request after coming back to the DPRK from South Korea.
He recently returned to the DPRK via a third country after being tricked into going to South Korea by the "intelligence service" and his mother An Jong Suk, step younger brother Ri Kun Hyok and maternal uncle An Haeng Gyo, residing in China, who are associated to the service.
In an interview called early in June he already clarified in detail how he was taken to South Korea, how he went through an examination at the "Daesong Company," a camouflaged institution of the South Korean "Intelligence Service" and the "Defense Security Command," .How he underwent brain-washing and why and how he came back to the DPRK.
However, a recent issue of the South Korean Chosun Ilbo maliciously slandered the DPRK, asserting that it is difficult to confirm whether Yu Thae Jun is alive or not, the voice of the person who spoke in the interview in June was not Yu's voice and Yu said long-dead maternal uncle is alive.
Yu Thae Jun dismissed its assertion about him as sheer sophism, saying that he is alive in reality.
Dismissing as intolerable Chosun Ilbo's story that the woman it described as his mother said she could not recognize his voice, he asserted that there will be no mother in the world who can not distinguish her own son's voice from other's.
Her negative comment on my voice might be cooked up by the right-wing conservatives and Chosun Ilbo of South Korea, he asserted.
Strongly protesting against this newspaper's malicious anti-DPRK diatribe, Yu went on to say:
With such scandalmongering paper, which acts rashly, keen on anti-communist, anti-north confrontation, left intact, it is impossible to expect the unity of the Korean nation and the reunification of the country and the proper implementation of the June 15 north-south joint declaration.
The people and genuine media in South Korea should decisively reject Chosun Ilbo, seeing through its true colors as an anti-communist scandalmongering paper.
I also hold that this paper, which releases false reports while falsifying truth and outwitting the reality, should be removed from the honorable media without delay.
Choe Jong Nam, wife of Yu Tha June, told in the press interview:
How can An Jong Suk be regarded as mother or human being as she refused to acknowledge her son's voice in collusion with ultra right-wing conservatives and Chosun Ilbo of South Korea?
I, on behalf of the mothers, send curse and condemnation to An, who has betrayed her homeland and son, mad for money and wealth.
Asking reporters to help him to reunite in the DPRK with his six-year-old son, Yun Ho, who was taken to South Korea by allurement and trick of its "intelligence service", Yu Thae Jun said:
My son has no reason to remain in South Korea. The South Korean authorities should unconditionally and immediately send him back to the DPRK where his parents are waiting for him.
Choe Jong Nam, too, strongly urged the South Korean authorities to send him back to her at an early date, saying that it is two months since she made this demand in the previous press interview.
Reclarifying the truth that he left South Korea on the plea of "international marriage", Yu said:
"International marriage" was just a plea for my escape from the south, and this escape was prompted by my conclusion that it is hard to lead a genuine life with human dignity and rights in the south.
South Korea is a society in which no one can have his future guaranteed and it is a paradise for a tiny handful of the privileged class but a hell for the toiling masses.
He recalled that after five months of strict examination at the "Daesong Company" he was sent to Taegu, North Kyongsang Province, where he was forced to do hard labour, his elementary right and freedom denied.
He went on to say:
I wanted to die and to be buried in my native place, my homeland. This was my feeling at that time. After months' painstaking efforts to escape from the South Korean society, I succeeded with difficulty in getting out of South Korea under the pretext of "international marriage" and returning to the northern half of Korea. I went to the relevant organ to confess my crime.
Yu accused Chosun Ilbo of claiming that his interview with reporters was unusual and "faked-up" as foreign reporters did not participate in the interview and it was not televised.
He asked newspapers and television not to report about him as he felt it unnecessary to inform compatriots at home of his disgraceful past because he is well as usual thanks to the lenient policy, the benevolent politics of the party and the country, he added.