Ground-breaking ceremony for construction of vegetable and flower green house
Pyongyang, September 10 (KCNA) -- The Pyongyang-Euro-Asia Joint Venture Company Green House of vegetables and flowers will be built.
The green house with a plottage of tens of thousands of square meters will mass produce vegetables and flowers with advanced technology.
A ground-breaking ceremony was held on the spot on Sept. 8.
Present at the ceremony were minister of agriculture Kim Chang Sik, officials concerned, members of the joint venture delegation of the Holland Euro-Asia group headed by president Bin Yang, members of the joint committee for construction and others.
Greetings to Kim Jong Il from V. Putin
Pyongyang, September 10 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Il, Chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK, Sunday received a message of greetings from V. Putin, President of the Russian Federation, on the occasion of the 53rd anniversary of the DPRK.
Extending the sincerest congratulations to Kim Jong Il on the 53rd anniversary of the DPRK, the message said:
It is with warm feelings that I recollect my recent meetings with you in Moscow.
These meetings will doubtlessly contribute to boosting the traditional friendly relations and mutually beneficial cooperation between Russia and the DPRK.
The results of the recent talks make me very optimistically appreciate the fact that the cooperation between the two countries has the prospect of further developing in international affairs including the north-south dialogue in the spirit of the Moscow declaration signed by us.
I wish you good health and success in your activities for the wellbeing of your country and the Korean people, a close neighbour, peace and happiness.
DPRK 53 years old
Pyongyang, September 10 (KCNA) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea marked its 53rd anniversary Sunday.
President Kim Il Sung proclaimed the foundation of the DPRK 53 years back.
The DPRK is the only legitimate state set up in accordance with the unanimous will of all the Korean people in the north and the south of Korea on the basis of the brilliant revolutionary tradition of power construction established by the president in the period of the anti-Japanese revolutionary struggle.
The government of the DPRK is a true people's power which represents and defends the interests of the working people including workers and peasants and a fully independent socialist power.
The foundation of the republic enabled the Korean people to emerge as a dignified people who hew out their destinies independently as the true masters of the state and society for the first time in history.
Having their genuine republic, the Korean people could emerge victorious in the three-year Fatherland Liberation War (June 1950-July 1953) fought to repel the U.S. imperialists' armed invasion and reliably defend the national sovereignty and gains of the revolution.
They achieved signal achievements in the postwar rehabilitation and socialist revolution and construction. In those periods the DPRK rose as a socialist power independent, self-supporting and self-reliant in defence and the people's power grew stronger than ever before.
The people's army and people of Korea, united closer around their leader, firmly defended socialist Korea in the 1990s when they were forced to carry out the "arduous march" and the forced march due to the imperialists' moves to isolate and stifle the DPRK.
KCNA dismisses U.S. religious organization's sheer lie
Pyongyang, September 10 (KCNA) -- The International Committee for Religious Freedom of the United States recently recommended the U.S. secretary of state to officially brand the DPRK as a "state where religious freedom is suppressed."
This again discloses the U.S. criminal intention to tarnish the DPRK's image on absurd charge of suppression of religion and increase political pressure upon it.
As the DPRK has already clarified, some U.S. religious organizations are spreading sheer lies about the religious situation in the DPRK after playing into the hands of the Bush administration in its pursuance of the hostile policy towards the DPRK.
The DPRK makes it clear once again that freedom of religion and religious activities are fully guaranteed by law in the DPRK.
It is, therefore, preposterous for them to talk about "suppression of religion" in the DPRK and it is an expression of blatant interference in the internal affairs of the sovereign state.
Before trying to seek evidence to prove "suppression of freedom of religion and religious activities" in the DPRK they had better recall the historical facts that the United States sent Americans under the guise of religion to commit shuddering crimes in the past and many churches and temples were reduced to ashes by the U.S. forces' indiscriminate air raids and a large number of religionists were killed by GIs.
It is, in fact, the United States where religious freedom is most shamelessly misrepresented and believers are most cruelly suppressed.
It is the united states where religious fanaticism drove many believers including children and women to group suicides and priest luther king, famous religious activist, was assassinated in broad daylight for advocating the emancipation of black people and human rights.
The U.S. clamor about "religious suppression" in other country is, therefore, nothing but sheer hypocrisy to cover up its shameless nature.
The United States is well advised to mind its own business before pulling up other countries.
Banquet given to mark DPRK foundation anniversary
Pyongyang, September 10 (KCNA) -- The DPRK government gave a banquet at the People's Palace of Culture yesterday in celebration of the 53rd anniversary of the DPRK.
Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, said in his speech that the DPRK has creditably carried out its mission and role as the banner of the Korean people's independence and prosperity and a powerful instrument of the revolution and construction for over 50 years since its foundation.
The DPRK founded by President Kim Il Sung and glorified by leader Kim Jong Il will prosper as the powerful socialist nation of Juche for ever, he said, and went on:
The might of the DPRK has been turned invincible thanks to the outstanding and unique army-first revolutionary leadership and army-first politics of Kim Jong Il.
Under his energetic external activities, the bonds of DPRK-China and DPRK-Russia friendship have been cemented, the international solidarity with our revolution more firmly consolidated and the influence of the DPRK considerably grown over world peace and independence.
Although the united states is making much ado about "missile threat" from the DPRK and recklessly scheming to stifle the DPRK with a hard line, it is an impracticable attempt and preposterous delusion.
Toughness and pressure do not go down with us. It is our invariable position and traditional traits to respond to good faith with good faith and to a hard line with a super hard line.
The Japanese reactionary ruling quarters are well advised to clearly see the trend of the times and act with discretion.
Japan should stop a foolish move to embellish and justify its criminal past at once and take a sincere stand and attitude toward the issue of settling its past.
The independent politics, independent external policy, of the DPRK remain unchanged and we will firmly defend the sovereignty and dignity of the country in any world political cataclysm and convincingly advance along the road we chosen by ourselves.
Present at the banquet were senior party and state officials, chairmen of friendly parties and officials concerned.
Invited to the banquet were foreign diplomatic envoys here and foreign guests.
Cambodian delegation visits DPRK embassy
Pyongyang, September 10 (KCNA) -- The delegation of the Ministry of the Royal Palace of Cambodia headed by Kong Sam Ol, deputy prime minister in charge of the Royal Palace, on September 6 paid a congratulatory visit to the DPRK embassy in Phnom Penh on the occasion of the 53rd anniversary of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea at the instruction of Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk.
The deputy prime minister laid a large floral basket before the portraits of President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il.
The ribbon of the floral basket bore the letters "congratulations on the 53rd anniversary of the foundation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. King of Cambodia Norodom Sihanouk."
The deputy prime minister said that he deemed it his honor to pay a congratulatory visit to the DPRK embassy, authorized by the king. He noted that the king authorized him to visit the DPRK embassy to warmly greet the DPRK on its 53rd anniversary, pay respectful homage to Kim Il Sung and extend the warmest congratulations to Kim Jong Il on this auspicious occasion.
Withdrawal of U.S. forces from S. Korea called for
Pyongyang, September 10 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary brands the U.S. forces present in South Korea as the enemy of peace and reunification, demanding their immediate pullback from South Korea.
It says:
The Bush administration is stepping up the arms buildup in a bid to perpetuate the U.S. forces' presence in South Korea instead of withdrawing them from South Korea, and frantically staging war exercises targeted against the north one after another.
The U.S. imperialists give top priority to their strategy to invade the DPRK in realising their strategy for world hegemony.
They are keen to stifle the DPRK by force of arms and put the whole of Korea under their military control.
The situation, therefore, remains very tense on the Korean peninsula. It stands at the crossroads of war or peace.
The withdrawal of the U.S. forces from South Korea is the most pressing issue in ensuring peace and security on the Korean peninsula and in northeast Asia.
There is no justification for the U.S. forces to stay in South Korea now that the soviet union no longer exists and the agreement on nonaggression between the north and the south and the June 15 joint declaration were adopted.
The U.S. forces should pull out of South Korea at an early date.
Evening gala of youth and students in Pyongyang
Pyongyang, September 10 (KCNA) -- An evening gala of youth and students here was held at Kim Il Sung Square yesterday to celebrate the 53rd anniversary of the DPRK.
The function began when firework was displayed and the "Song on the proclamation of the people's republic" was played.
The participants presented beautiful dances to the tunes of the songs "We sing of our homeland having the leader in high esteem", "Our country is eternal leader's country", "Let's sing of our pride in being under the guidance of the general" and others.
The evening gala demonstrated the elated zeal of the young vanguard to build a rich and powerful nation at an early date, true to the army-first revolutionary leadership of Kim Jong Il, holding President Kim Il Sung in high esteem as eternal President of the DPRK.
Seeing the evening gala were Hong Song Nam, Yang Hyong Sop, Paek Hak Rim and Kim Jung Rin and other leading officials and overseas compatriots, diplomatic envoys of different countries here and foreign guests.
Art performances
Pyongyang, September 10 (KCNA) -- Art performances were given at theatres in Pyongyang and local areas yesterday to celebrate the 53rd anniversary of the DPRK.
An acrobatic performance was given by the Pyongyang circus at the Pyongyang Circus Theatre.
Appreciating it were Hong Song Nam, Kim Il Chol, Kye Ung Thae and other senior party and state officials, the congratulatory group of Korean residents in Japan to celebrate the 53rd anniversary of the DPRK and overseas compatriots.
Diplomatic envoys of different countries here and foreign guests were invited there.
Colourful numbers were put on the stage.
A concert was held at the Moranbong Theatre and a comedic performance given at the Pyongyang Theatre in the capital city on the occasion of the birthday of the DPRK.
Similar art performances took place at the Hamhung Grand Theatre and other local theatres and cultural houses.
Meanwhile, the mass gymnastic display and artistic performance "ever-victorious Workers' Party of Korea", Kim Il Sung Prize laureate, was held at the May Day stadium several times on the same occasion.
Rodong Sinmun on national independence
Pyongyang, September 10 (KCNA) -- The Korean nation should solve the issue of national reunification by its concerted efforts, not depending on the foreign forces, Rodong Sinmun says in a signed article today, and goes on:
A grave difficulty is standing in the way of the movement for independent national reunification conducted to independently solve the issue of national reunification by the concerted efforts of the Korean nation.
The South Korean military authorities and conservative forces, clamouring about "security," are joining the U.S. imperialists in their anti-DPRK smear campaign and staging large-scale war exercises against the north together with them one after another.
They are suppressing reunification movement organizations and patriotic champions of reunification, defining them as "enemy-benefiting."
This is a flunkeyist act to curry favor with foreign forces at the cost of national interests and a treacherous act challenging to the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration.
The struggle of the Korean nation for national reunification is a struggle to establish national sovereignty on a nation-wide scale and a struggle to achieve national reconciliation and unity between the north and south for independent development and prosperity common to the nation.
The Korean nation should firmly maintain the principle of national independence and decisively reject the domination and interference of foreign forces.
The Korean nation is a decisive factor of achieving national reunification as it is its cherished desire.
Withdrawal of U.S. troops urged
Pyongyang, September 10 (KCNA) -- The propaganda department of the central committee of the National Democratic Front of South Korea released a statement calling for the withdrawal of the U.S. troops on September 8, 56 years after the U.S. imperialist aggression troops occupied South Korea, according to Seoul-based radio Voice of National Salvation.
The statement said that September 8, 1945, when the U.S. imperialist aggression troops illegally occupied South Korea, was the "second national humiliation day" that left indelible grudge in the hearts of the Korean people.
The propaganda department of the c.c., the NDFSK vehemently condemns the thrice-cursed criminal atrocities committed by the U.S. imperialist aggression troops with the pent-up hatred of the whole nation and strongly demands the withdrawal of the U.S. troops, the statement said, and went on:
"The U.S. troops, get out of this land at once" this is the unanimous demand and shout of the South Korean people, all the fellow countrymen and world conscience. The U.S. should clearly know the aspiration and will of the Korean people for anti-U.S. independence, abandon its anachronistic policy of aggression at once, withdraw its imperialist aggression troops and stop its colonial domination and interference with a view to ensuring a durable peace on the Korean peninsula.
The Korean people from all walks of life should resolutely rise up in the struggle for the withdrawal of the U.S. imperialist aggression troops, a way out of the nation, transcending differences in ideology, idea, political view, religious belief and property.
The statement called upon the whole nation to bear in mind that its existence and destiny depend on the struggle for the withdrawal of the U.S. imperialist aggression troops, not "liberator" but occupation forces, and rise up as one to drive out them chieftain of the division and the enemy of reunification who is viciously blocking the implementation of the June 15 joint declaration and seeking for permanent presence.
Russian Foreign Ministry hopes for fruitful inter-Korean ministerial talks
Pyongyang, September 10 (KCNA) -- The Russian Foreign Ministry in a press release expressed the expectation that the 5th inter-Korean ministerial talks would gain success, according to Itar-Tass on September 7.
The Russian side has invariably held that the issue of Korea's reunification should be coordinated independently and peacefully by the efforts of the Korean nation itself and consistently supported the continued dialogue between the DPRK and South Korea free from outside interference, the release said, and pointed out:
The position of Russia was reflected again in the Moscow declaration between the Russian Federation and the DPRK on the results of the talks between President Putin and leader Kim Jong Il held in August this year.
The Russian Foreign Ministry expressed expectation that the inter-Korean ministerial talks would reach a constructive agreement in conformity with the interests of all the Korean people, peace and security in the northeast Asia and the many-sided economic cooperation in the region.
DPRK Foreign Ministry spokesman on Japan's rocket test-fire
Pyongyang, September 10 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry today issued a statement assailing Japan's recent test-fire of a large-scale carrier rocket "H-2A". Noting that the test-fire came as a shock to the public at home and abroad and is arousing serious apprehension among them, the statement says:
The rocket is said to be a "perfect prototype rocket" easily convertible into an inter-continental ballistic missile to serve various purposes.
The Japanese authorities themselves are not hiding the fact that the rocket can be "exclusively used for a military purpose" and even the chief of the Japan Defence Agency did not bother to claim that the rocket is to "cope with north Korea's missiles."
Serious moves to revive militarism are now taking place in Japan as evidenced by the fact that history is undisguisedly distorted to justify its past aggression at the tacit connivance of the authorities and the prime minister and other high-ranking officials visited the "Yasukuni Shrine".
It is a well-known fact that Japan, considering the DPRK as its no. 1 "target", is invariably pursuing its hostile policy toward it and steadily revising its national defence guidelines to cope with the "emergency" on the Korean peninsula, pursuant to it.
The Japanese authorities are even asserting that Japan must "independently develop" its missile system.
The recent rocket test-fire was carried out at a time when Japan's moves to revive militarism and covert the country into a military power reached their height. It, therefore, can not be construed otherwise than moves to harass peace and stability in northeast Asia and very serious and reckless moves for military confrontation with the DPRK.
Japan totally discarded the spurious signboard of its oft-repeated "exclusively defensive policy" and plunged itself into a dangerous gamble to realise nuclear weaponization with the test-fire as a momentum.
Given that Japan has a huge quantity of plutonium and high technology enough to manufacture tens of thousands of nuclear bombs anytime and is possessed of even large-scale long-distance carrier means, it is quite clear that it will rush headlong toward militarization and overseas expansion.
What merits serious attention are the attitudes of the U.S. and Japan toward the test-fire.
It is well known that Japan made much ado about the "missile threat" from the DPRK after terming its satellite launch for peaceful scientific research a "missile launch."
This notwithstanding, Japan is now making no hesitation to launch a missile targeted against the DPRK in a bid to incite military confrontation and the U.S. is conniving at and defending it.
It has become, therefore, clearer that the "threat" from the DPRK much touted by them was nothing but a subterfuge to justify their hostile policy toward the DPRK and their moves for militarization.
These double standards of the U.S. and Japan will work on no one.
They should not misjudge the peace-loving DPRK's stand whereby it declared a moratorium on its satellite launch.
Japan's persistent moves to develop missiles and their system targeted against the DPRK have, in fact, reached a dangerous stage. This serious development compels the DPRK to reconsider its moratorium on the satellite launch.
The DPRK's missile program is of a peaceful nature but it will deal a merciless blow to those who dare infringe upon its dignity and sovereignty.
Choe Thae Bok meets French parliamentary delegation
Pyongyang, September 10 (KCNA) -- Choe Thae Bok, chairman of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, today met and conversed with the French delegation of members of the parliament of different political parties headed by Christian Martin, member of the national assembly from the Union for French Democracy.