Paper on Korea's reunification

    Pyongyang, October 15 (KCNA) -- Korea's reunification is the greatest desire and the most urgent task of the Korean nation, says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article. It goes on:
    If Korea still remains divided into the north and the south at a time when the imperialists are escalating their moves for domination under the signboard of "globalization", the Korean nation will never be freed from foreign domination and subjugation.
    Korea's reunification is a vital demand and the supreme task of the nation, whose fulfillment is a matter of the utmost urgency.
    Any Korean concerned about the destiny of the nation should devotedly work to reunify the country.
    National independence is a fundamental principle for reunification and a militant banner the Korean nation should hold aloft.
    The historic June 15 North-South Joint Declaration calls for solving the issue of the country's reunification independently by the concerted efforts of the Korean nation responsible for it.
    The whole nation should implement the declaration to the letter under the leadership of Kim Jong Il.
    This is a short cut to reunifying the country.

Greetings to Equatorial Guinean President

Pyongyang, October 15 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, on October 9 sent a message of greetings to Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, President of Equatorial Guinea, on the occasion of the 33rd anniversary of its independence. The message extended warm congratulations to him and the people of equatorial guinea on the occasion of the 33rd anniversary of its independence.
Expressing belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries with a long tradition would grow stronger to meet the need of the new century, it wished the president and people of equatorial guinea greater success in their work for national unity and prosperity of the country.

Indonesian President on Korea's reunification

Pyongyang, October 15 (KCNA) -- Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri said that the Indonesian government hoped the Korean peninsula would be reunified at an early date, when she met with DPRK ambassador to Indonesia Kim Pyong Hong who paid a courtesy call on her on Oct. 11. Referring to the north-south dialogue, the President stated that Korea would emerge a powerful nation when it is reunified.

Peruvian party leader visits DPRK embassy

Pyongyang, October 15 (KCNA) -- General secretary Alberto Moreno and International secretary Jorge Jaime of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Peru (red motherland) visited the DPRK embassy in Lima on October 9 on the occasion of the 56th anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea. The General secretary referred to the glorious path covered by the WPK founded by President Kim Il Sung and guided by leader Kim Jong Il and highly praised the greatness of the WPK, which has made an immortal contribution to the development of the international communist movement and working-class movement.

S. Korean teachers protest against educational policy

Pyongyang, October 15 (KCNA) -- The "National Teachers Union" of South Korea (Jongyojo) held rallies across South Korea on Oct. 10 in protest against the authorities' educational policy, according to Seoul-based Yonhap news. The organization held a rally of over 3,000 people at the Jongmyo park in Seoul and other "rallies of teachers for checking marketing of education and securing right of equality in education" with the attendance of 20,000 people in 16 cities and provinces.

Eastern coastal area of DPRK hard hit by tidal wave and torrential rain

    Pyongyang, October 15 (KCNA) -- Wonsan area in Kangwon Province of the DPRK was hard hit by tidal wave, torrential rain and strong wind that lasted for over 30 hours from the dawn of Oct. 9 to 12:00 on Oct. 10. The damage is severer than what was done by previous natural disasters. The torrential rain that pounded Wonsan registered 411 mm, 15 times the average precipitation in the first ten days of October over the last 60 years of meteorological observation. It was struck by 114 mm of torrential rain between 03:00 and 05:00 on Oct. 10 and by 1.5 metre-high tidal wave between 05:00 and 06:00.
    Meanwhile, strong wind of 18-20 m/s blew and 3 metre-high sea waves swept over breakwaters, flooding the land.
    This put Wonsan under 1-1.5 meter deep water and 30-50 cm deep silt in a moment. The tidal wave and torrential rain claimed hundreds of casualties and a huge loss of properties in Wonsan alone.
    According to a preliminary estimate made as of Oct. 11, hundreds of industrial buildings were left submerged to make thousands of machines hardly operational.
    Machines and other equipment, raw and other materials, finished goods, vehicles, etc. of industrial establishments in Wonsan including machine, chemical, garment and furniture factories were inundated or washed away.
    All the goods kept in the commercial and service sectors including wholesale houses and shops were either washed away or made useless by mud, rendering the people's living very difficult.
    The damage done to the industrial sector is yet to be estimated.
    Wharf facilities were destroyed, scores of ships were either sunken or damaged and a lot of cargo was washed away.
    Landslide and torrential rain pulled down or submerged houses for tens of thousands of families. Thousands of houses were totally destroyed to cause a big loss of family properties.
    Schools, hospitals, halls and other public buildings were also left inundated.
    The agricultural sector was also hard hit by this natural calamity.
    Sheaves of rice were washed away from thousands of hectares of paddy fields.
    The sudden landslide and flood destroyed roads and bridges, totally suspending transportation and cutting off electricity supply and post and telecommunications.

S. Korea tour of Japanese prime minister

    Pyongyang, October 15 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the National Democratic Front of South Korea made public a statement on October 12, condemning the Japanese prime minister for his South Korea visit expected today, according to Seoul-based radio Voice of National Salvation. He branded the Japanese prime minister's tour defying strong protest at home and abroad as an intolerable insult to the Korean nation and part of the vicious moves to reinvade Korea. He vehemently condemned it with surging indignation of the whole nation.
    The purpose of his trip is to whitewash Japan's blood-stained history of monstrous crimes committed against the Korean nation and calm down the growing anti-Japanese sentiment of our people, he said, and went on:
    The Japanese prime minister should properly understand the anti-Japanese feelings of our people in the 10 million signature campaign, immediately cancel his sinister trip plan and sincerely apologize and compensate to our nation for the history of aggression and the present criminal action.
    The National Democratic Front of South Korea will reject the trip of the Japanese prime minister together with all the people and resolutely smash Japan's moves for reinvasion.

Congratulations to Ethiopia

Pyongyang, October 15 (KCNA) -- President Kim Yong Nam of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly on Oct. 13 sent a congratulatory message to Girma Woldegiorgis upon his election as President of Ethiopia. The message extended warm congratulations to him and expressed belief that the traditional friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would steadily grow stronger.
It sincerely wished him great success in his responsible work to achieve peace, stability and prosperity of the country.

National conference of Japanese women

    Tokyo, October 13 (KNS-KCNA) -- A national conference of the Japanese women's liaison council for solidarity with the Korean women was held in Shizuoka prefecture on S sept. 29 and 30. The conference reviewed the activities of the organization in the last one year and discussed the direction of its future work.
    It was agreed at the conference to conduct vigorous activities for preservation of peace, normalization of Japan-DPRK relations, education in correct history, Japan's settlement of past crimes and the rights of Koreans in Japan.
    A resolution was adopted at the conference.

ILO to send fact-finding group to S. Korea

Pyongyang, October 15 (KCNA) -- The General secretary of the international confederation of free trade unions in a message to the International Labour Organization informed it that the South Korean authorities rearrested Tan Pyong Ho, chairman of the South Korean confederation of trade unions, and asked the ILO to intervene in it, according to MBC from Seoul. After receiving it, ILO is expected to send a two-men fact-finding group to South Korea and meet him.

Vietnamese government economic delegation here

Pyongyang, October 15 (KCNA) -- A Vietnamese government economic delegation led by Mai Van Dau, vice-minister of trade, arrived here today. The delegation was greeted by Ri Ryong Nam, vice-minister of foreign trade, and Do Thi Hoa, Vietnamese ambassador to the DPRK, at the airport.

Gift to Kim Jong Il from Nepalese foreign secretary

Pyongyang, October 15 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il was presented with a gift by Narayan Sumsher Thapa, secretary of the ministry of foreign affairs of Nepal, on a visit to the DPRK. The gift was handed to foreign minister Paek Nam Sun by the secretary today.