Rallies held to raise high torchlight of Ranam

    Pyongyang, November 25 (KCNA) -- Rallies were held at the Kim Chaek Iron and Steel Complex, the Chonsong Youth Coal Mine and the Rihyon Cooperative Farm in Sadong district, Pyongyang, yesterday to bring a new peak to the production and construction holding high the torchlight of Ranam. Reporters and speakers said at the rallies that the torchlight of the general onward movement in the new century flaring up on this land marks a great historic event in carrying out the cause of building a powerful nation.
    They stressed that leader Kim Jong Il highly praised the militant spirit and work style of the officials and workers of the Ranam coal mining machine complex with which they performed astonishing miracles and feats in putting the plan of the Workers' Party of Korea for building a powerful and prosperous nation into practice and lit the torchlight of Ranam, thus giving an origin to the revolutionary advance in the era of the army-based policy in the first year of the 21st century.
    The participants in the rallies expressed their firm faith and determination to bring about a great revolutionary turn in building a powerful nation holding high the torchlight of Ranam, true to the army-based leadership of Kim Jong Il.

Lifting of "measure for emergency alert" demanded

    Pyongyang, November 25 (KCNA) -- The south headquarters of the National Alliance of Youth and Students for the Country's Reunification reportedly released a commentary on November 19 on the deadlocked 6th north-south ministerial talks. The talks should have been held strictly on the principle of national independence under the situation where the U.S. anti-DPRK hostile policy is getting pronounced but the South Korean authorities have deliberately laid obstacles to the talks, the commentary observed, adding that this will make it impossible for the south-north dialogue for the implementation of the joint declaration to expect any success.
    If the authorities keep to the road of depending on foreign forces, the implementation of the June 15 joint declaration will face serious difficulties, the commentary noted, and continued:
    The South Korean authorities should lift the "measure for emergency alert" and guarantee the security of the south-north talks and realize cooperation between compatriots in the spirit of national independence, not cooperation with foreign forces.
    The commentary called for conducting a more powerful movement for the drop of the U.S. anti-DPRK hostile policy aimed to bar the implementation of the joint declaration, for peace against war and the pullback of the U.S. troops from South Korea and waging an active campaign against ultra-right forces including Ri Hoe Chang and for the repeal of the "security law" in order to open a new vista for the implementation of the joint declaration.

"Annual security consultative meeting" under fire

    Pyongyang, November 25 (KCNA) -- The Kwangju and South Jolla Provincial Federation of University Student Councils (Namchongryon) issued a statement on Nov. 16 condemning the results of the "annual security consultative meeting." Recalling that at the "annual security consultative meeting" the U.S. called for "strengthening the alliance" with South Korea, the statement said that the Korean nation has never wanted the "South Korea-U.S. alliance" which only throws a stumbling block in the way of implementing the June 15 joint declaration under the pretext of "emergency alert."
    It demanded the united states stop at once its moves to obstruct the implementation of the joint declaration and escalate the tensions on the Korean peninsula.
    The U.S. should withdraw its troops from South Korea to the last one and the South Korean authorities should not blindly follow the u.s. but strictly pursue cooperation with compatriots and pay heed to the people's demand.

Revival of Japanese militarism denounced

    Pyongyang, November 25 (KCNA) -- The American Federation for Independence, Democracy and Reunification released a statement on Nov. 15, denouncing Japan for its recent frantic moves to realize overseas expansion and become a military power. The statement says:
    Japan passed the "anti-terrorism special bill" through the diet and adopted laws allowing the overseas dispatch of "Self-Defence Forces" and the forestalling attack in the war time, thus making the peace constitution defunct and finally taking a step forward in its moves for realizing overseas expansion and becoming a military power.
    As soon as the "anti-terrorism special bill" was adopted, the Japanese militarists gave the green light to the overseas expansion and aggression. This is evidenced by the dispatch of their advance fleet of warships and the announcement of a plan for the largest-ever U.S.-Japan military drill in waters around Japan. The 70 million Koreans are greatly angered by this. As a war criminal Japan has neither apologized nor compensated for its monstrous atrocities committed against humanity.
    Yet, it is keen on overseas expansion.
    This only shows the black-hearted design of the revived militarists to swallow up again the Korean peninsula first and then bring Asia under their control.
    The moves stepped up by Japan to become a military power after securing a legal foundation for the overseas dispatch of the "SDF" through the passage of the "anti-terrorism special bill" are posing a serious threat to the peace in the Asian region.
    The American Federation for Independence, Democracy and Reunification will solidarize with the 70 million Koreans and all the peace-loving forces of the world and wage a positive struggle against the revival of militarism in Japan and check its moves to realize overseas aggression and become a military power.

Agreement signed between DPRK and China

Pyongyang, November 25 (KCNA) -- The DPRK-China agreement on border crossing points and their management system was signed in Pyongyang on Nov. 24 between the governments of the DPRK and China. Present there on the DPRK side were Kang Sok Ju, first vice-minister of foreign affairs, and other officials concerned and on the Chinese side were the members of the Chinese foreign ministry delegation headed by vice-minister Li Zhaoxing, Chinese ambassador to the DPRK Wang Guozhang and embassy officials.
Kang Sok Ju and Li Zhaoxing inked the agreement.

Remarks of S. Korean "minister of unification" condemned

    Pyongyang, November 25 (KCNA) -- The secretariat of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland issued its information bulletin no. 813 on Saturday denouncing the South Korean "minister of unification" for his remarks made as regards the deadlocked 6th inter-Korean ministerial talks. Much perplexed by the rupture of the talks, "minister" Hong Sun Yong, chief delegate of the south side to the talks appeared at a "round-table conversation" on Nov. 22 and told sheer lies.
    Such behavior compels the north side to explain which side took a sincere attitude toward the talks and which side was insincere at the talks, the information bulletin said, and went on:
    The north side proposed practical measures to break the deadlock of the north-south talks. At the recent 6th ministerial talks, it made its every possible sincere effort to reach an agreement, taking the initiative of advancing a draft joint press release and giving the talks more days.
    However, the south side approached the talks without any preparation and failed to set out such draft joint press release from its calculation that no agreement would be reached between the two sides.
    During the talks the chief delegate of the south side strained his every nerve only to justify the "emergency alert", arms buildup and military exercises staged against the north. And he was going to run away from the talks, with mere words that he would take note of the north side's reasonable charges.
    From this stand, he self-righteously negated a joint press release agreed upon and worded by working officials of the two sides, which dealt with major points for the bilateral relations including the exchange of the fourth visiting groups of separated families and relatives to be held on Mt. Kumgang in December, and thus brought the ministerial talks to a rupture.
    Hong Sun Yong should honestly apologize to the nation for the deadlocked authorities-to-authorities dialogue, with full responsibility for it.

Paper calls for discarding illusion about imperialism

    Pyongyang, November 25 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary assails former U.S. President Bush for calling for the continued U.S. military presence during his recent visit to South Korea. The commentary says:
    Bush argued that the U.S. will keep its forces in South Korea and other Asian regions until their presence is no longer necessary", while talking about the strategic "importance" of Asia and South Korea.
    This glaringly shows the anachronistic delusion of the U.S. to realize its ambition for Asian domination without fail with the Korean peninsula as a springboard.
    Even after the cold war ended, peace and security in Asia are seriously threatened by the reckless military moves escalated by the U.S. imperialist aggressors in Asia.
    The U.S. is further escalating the tensions on the Korean peninsula.
    Bush's call for the continued U.S. military presence in South Korea is a clear proof of the U.S. wild ambition for Asian domination.
    The U.S. can never conceal its despicable true colours as the arch criminal disturbing the peace on the Korean peninsula.
    The U.S. is well advised to clearly understand who is its opponent and drop its anachronistic policy to stifle the DPRK.