Kim Jong Il inspects South Hamgyong Province
Pyongyang, September 17 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Il, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and Chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission, gave field guidance to the work in various fields in South Hamgyong Province from Sept. 14 to 15.
Accompanying him were secretaries of the WPK Central Committee Kim Kuk Thae, Kim Ki Nam and Jong Ha Chol, minister of railways Kim Yong Sam and others.
Leader Kim Jong Il visited different units in the province including the July 6 Railway Factory, the Rahung Concret Sleeper Plant, Songchongang Power Stations, the Yonggwang Youth Fish Farm and the Jungphyong Cooperative Farm in Sinhung county.
The first leg of his visit was the July 6 railway factory.
After being briefed on the history of the factory in front of its panoramic map, he went round production processes to learn about details of its production.
He advanced tasks to be carried out by the factory, saying that its position and role are very important in putting railway transport, the pilot of the national economy, on a new higher stage.
A technical modernization drive for updating all production processes should be energetically pushed ahead and new advanced technology introduced in order to satisfactorily meet the increasing demand for transport and produce more quality goods suited to the new century, he stressed.
He appreciated a performance given by the itinerant art squad of the factory on the worksite.
Then he moved on to the Rahung Concrete Sleeper Plant.
Going round sleeper shop and other workshops to learn about the production of the plant, he gave a pet-talk to workers in the drive for increased production.
He said the plant should be modernized and its capacity further raised to increase the output of sleepers.
Kim Jong Il also inspected newly built Songchongang Power Stations nos.23, 24, 25, 26 and 27.
Looking round the interior and exterior of the modern power stations, he acquainted himself in detail with their construction and operation and expressed thanks to all those who participated in the construction of the stations.
He said it is important to elevate the efficiency of generators and do away with the waste of electricity while building many minor power stations, and indicated concrete ways to do so.
The next leg of his guidance was the Yonggwang Youth Fish Farm newly built in Jadong-ri, Yonggwang county.
Going round the modern fish farm covering scores of hectares, he noted with great satisfaction that the members of the youth shock brigade, who built the Kwangmyongsong Saltern, finished the construction of the excellent farm in a short span of time, and extended thanks to them.
He put forth tasks to be carried out to operate the fish farm, saying that in order to increase the output of freshwater fish it is essential to put pisciculture on a scientific and intensive basis, develop good breed and solve the feed problem.
He visited the Jungphyong Cooperative Farm in Sinhung county.
After seeing the monument to President Kim Il Sung's on-site guidance on the farm, he went round different places of its sixth workteam to learn about the rural construction and farm work.
He said that farm work should be done on a scientific and technological basis as demanded by the Juche method of farming whose validity and advantage have been proven in practice and the principle of the right crop on the right soil and in the right time strictly adhered to according to the topographical features so as to raise the grain yield.
Then he dropped in at servicemen's family whose father is farmer Kim Hyo Bong. There he had a cordial talk with Kim's family members and posed for a picture with them.
Meanwhile, the South Hamgyong Provincial People's Committee and the South Hamgyong Provincial Committee of the WPK hosted a dinner at Sinhung restaurant in honor of Kim Jong Il upon the conclusion of his guidance to the province.
Kim Jong Il met with leading officials of the restaurant to learn about how it serves the people. And he urged them to prepare a variety of delicious noodles in a larger quantity with local special products such as potato starch for the people.
Efforts made to protect ozone layer
Pyongyang, September 17 (KCNA) -- A variety of work was conducted in the DPRK on the occasion of the International Day of Ozone Layer Protection (September 16).
The DPRK natural conservation union conducted lectures and other activities to explain the significance of the ozone layer in the ecological environment, the cause of the ozone layer depletion and its consequences and ways of protecting it.
The Korea scientific and educational film studio produced a scientific film on the protection of the ozone layer.
Scientific researches into the production and use of refrigerating substance to suit the local conditions are being intensified at the environmental institutes and other units to properly implement the convention on ozone layer protection.
The solid legal foundation of protecting the atmosphere such as the "the DPRK law on environmental protection" which was adopted in Juche 75 (1986) and amended and supplemented in Juche 88 (1999) and the "DPRK law on protecting land and environment and controlling their degradation" adopted in Juche 87 (1998) has been laid in the dprk, a signatory party to and implementer of the convention.
U.S. urged to drop its hard-line policy towards DPRK
Pyongyang, September 17 (KCNA) -- The United States is persistently increasing the unreasonable pressure upon the DPRK over the non-existent "missile threat" from it.
Rodong Sinmun today carries a signed commentary in this regard.
Recalling that Donald Greg, president of the U.S. "Korea Association" who is former U.S. ambassador to South Korea, said in a recent interview with CNN that the "missile threat from North Korea is an exaggerated story and North Korea should no longer be called a rogue state", the commentary continues:
The DPRK's missile program is of a peaceful nature from a to z and it, therefore, poses no threat to anyone.
Its development of missiles is a just act for self-defence to protect its sovereignty.
It will not trouble itself to develop missiles if the U.S. does not pose a military threat to the DPRK with sabre-rattlings to invade it after massively deploying nuclear weapons and missiles in and around South Korea.
The U.S. fuss about "missile threat" from the DPRK is nothing but a scenario to scrap the ABM treaty, a cornerstone of the world strategic equilibrium, and spark an unlimited arms race and it is its intention to orchestrate the scenario under the pretext of "threat" from the DPRK.
The real aim sought by the U.S. in its establishment of the missile defence system is to militarily contain Russia and China, its main rivals, and hold world hegemony.
It is anachronistic for the U.S. to project its dominationist ambition and pursue a strong-arm policy, looking down on other countries and acting an international gendarme. This, however, will only lead the U.S. to self-destruction.
The Bush administration should clearly know that its escalated hard-line policy to stifle the DPRK would drive the U.S. to a grave situation.
Recent successes of DPRK sportspersons
Pyongyang, September 17 (KCNA) -- The DPRK sportspersons proved successful in recent international contests demonstrating the spirit of the nation.
DPRK sportswomen bagged five gold medals and the "cup for the best player" in the first Asian women boxing championships held in Thailand last August.
Kye Sun Hui defeated all her rivals in the 52 kg category and won the title in the 2001 world Judo championships held in Germany in July. She placed first in the international Judo aces contest held last February, too.
DPRK Taekwon-do players also won more than 20 medals including 17 gold medals and four cups in the 12th world Taekwon-do championships held in Italy.
Men shooters came first in the men's team skeet shooting of the Asia trap shooting championships for 2001 while football players placed first in the Shanghai four football tournament and Kim Hyon Hui placed second in the 2001 world cup women table-tennis tournament.
DPRK weightlifters bagged 14 gold medals and one silver medal in the fourth world students' weightlifting championships held in Slovakia in June.
Korean players won gold medals in the synchronized swimming of the first Asia swimming championships for each age and the women vaulting horse of the 21st World Universiad held in china and other international tournaments.
The DPRK players are under intensive training to achieve more successes in the coming international tournaments.
Message of greetings to Chilean President
Pyongyang, September 17 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, on September 14 sent a message of greetings to Ricardo Lagos Escobar, President of Chile.
The message sent warm congratulations to him and, through him, to the people of Chile on the occasion of its independence day.
Expressing the conviction that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would continue to develop on good terms, it wished him greater success in his work for the wellbeing of the Chilean people.
New Yemeni ambassador arrives
Pyongyang, September 17 (KCNA) -- New Yemeni ambassador e.p. to the DPRK Abdul Whab Mohamed al Shawkani arrived here today by air.
Second-day session of 5th inter-Korean ministerial talks held
Seoul, September 17 (KCNA correspondent) -- A second-day session of the 5th north-south ministerial talks was held on Sept. 17.
At the talks Kim Ryong Song who is heading the north side's delegation, referred to the purpose and validity of the north side's clarification of its basic stand toward improving the north-south relations and raise of outstanding issues and called for discussing proposals raised by both sides and outstanding issues of bilateral concern in the spirit of historic June 15 joint declaration in view of the importance of the talks.
It was agreed at the talks to let working-level officials draft a joint communique as agreed upon between the two sides.
The talks continue.