Friendship gathering at Russian embassy
Pyongyang, December 21 (KCNA) -- Andrei Karlov, Russian ambassador to the DPRK, held a friendship gathering at the embassy yesterday on the New Year Juche 91 (2002).
Invited were vice-director Ji Jae Ryong and other officials of the international department of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea.
Members of the Russian embassy were present.
Speeches were made.
The participants talked to each other about further development of friendly relations between the two countries, deepening friendly feelings.
National seminar on Kim Jong Il's great revolutionary leadership exploits
Pyongyang, December 21 (KCNA) -- A national seminar on the greatness of leader Kim Jong Il's army-centered revolutionary leadership exploits was held at the People's, Palace of Culture yesterday.
Presented at the seminar were papers on the greatness of the immortal exploits Kim Jong Il has performed in defending socialism of Korean style and successfully advancing the human cause of independence with this unique army-centered revolutionary leadership.
Recalling that supreme commander Kim Jong Il, basing himself on the principle of the driving force of the revolution, the principle of theory of centering on the leader, set out the idea that a revolutionary army founded and strengthened by the leader should be an army which considers it as its most important mission and task to devotedly defend him and a main force pushing forward the overall cause of the leader, the speakers said that he formulated the unique idea of army building with this idea as its core.
They continued:
His leadership has brought about a fresh revolutionary turn in carrying out the Juche cause of army building. This can be explained by the facts that the KPA has taken on an appearance as a full-fledged army of the leader, the army of the supreme commander and held the firm position as the pillar of the Korean revolution, the main force for accomplishing the socialist cause and that the KPA has played its increased role as the defender of the socialist land and creator of people's happiness.
The army-centered policy of the WPK is a powerful political mode deeply rooted in the life of our people and treasured by them as their faith and it is vital to them.
Korea, which once suffered an eclipse on the world map and always fell victim to big powers in the past, has emerged a powerful socialist fortress and become a focus of the world politics and new world political relations have been established with Pyongyang as an axis. This is thanks to the original army-centered policy of Kim Jong Il and his independent policy.
Reception given by Vietnamese charge d'affaires ad interim
Pyongyang, December 21 (KCNA) -- Tran Van Hieu, Vietnamese charge d'affaires ad interim in Pyongyang, gave a reception at the Taedonggang Club for the Diplomatic Corps yesterday on the occasion of the 57th anniversary of the People's Army of Vietnam and the New Year Juche 91 (2002).
Invited were lieutenant general Han Ung Man and other generals and officers of the Korean People's Army.
Speeches were made.
Sports tournament for Osandok Cup opens
Pyongyang, December 21 (KCNA) -- A sports tournament for Osandok Cup opened here on the occasion of the 84th birth anniversary of Kim Jong Suk, an indomitable anti-Japanese heroine.
It will be held in Pyongyang and Ryanggang and South Hamgyong Provinces. Its participants will compete in different sports events such as basketball, badminton, speed skating and ski.
An opening ceremony was held at the basketball gymnasium in Chongchun street, Pyongyang, yesterday.
Present there were Kim Jung Rin, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, officials concerned, sportspersons and school youth and children in the city.
Acceleration of Juche cause of socialism called for
Pyongyang, December 21 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today frontpages "Let us accelerate the Juche cause of socialism under the uplifted banner of army-based policy," a joint article of the newspaper, the organ of the Workers' Party of Korea, central committee and the politico-theoretical magazine of the WPK central committee Kulloja.
The article says:
The army-based policy is a perfect political mode of socialism based on the Juche idea.
The destiny of the popular masses is defended and hewed out by force of arms and the future is guaranteed by it.
That is the truth of the revolution expounded by the Juche idea and the idea of giving priority to the army. It tells that the army-based policy of the WPK proceeds from the Juche idea and the policy is a unique political mode based on the idea.
The army-based policy pursued by the WPK is a full embodiment of the idea of giving importance to the army to meet the requirements of the present times.
This policy provided a flawless political system, a full embodiment of the Juche idea-based principle of giving priority to the army. Herein lies the source of its tremendous vitality.
The army-based policy is a revolutionary political mode that makes it possible to defend and realize independence of the popular masses to the full.
The invincible socialist policy is very instrumental in defending the independence of the popular masses from the imperialists.
The revolutionary practice in the present era proves that independence of the popular masses would have been unthinkable without a strong army.
The army-based policy of the WPK embodies the Juche idea, the revolutionary doctrine for the defence and realization of the independence of the popular masses, and mirrors the lawful demands for the accomplishment of the socialist cause that is launched and pushed forward in a fierce confrontation with imperialists. Indeed, it is a political mode that makes it possible to carry to completion the cause of independence of the popular masses, the cause of socialism.
The army-based policy is an invincible political mode that makes it possible to strengthen the driving force of the revolution in every way and enhance its role remarkably.
What is most important in building up the driving force of the revolution is the issue of its main force.
A revolutionary army should be a main force of the revolution today when a fierce anti-imperialist, class struggle is under way. Only when the leading role of the revolutionary army is further enhanced is it possible to build the revolutionary ranks as a strong army, an elite force.
The army-based policy of the WPK is the unique political mode created by leader Kim Jong Il in the process of leading the cause of socialism his own way, proceeding from the stand of Juche.
The army-based policy has proved to be an all-powerful treasured sword as it has made a history of certain victory.
The whole course of the Korean revolution is a proud history in which the army-based idea has been fully embodied to bring about great realities.
The army-based idea has resulted in working such miracles as a certain victory at every stage of the Korean revolutionary struggle. The army greatly contributed to the Korean revolution by defeating the two most outrageous imperialisms and defending the socialist system and dignity of the country with credit.
The WPK's army-based political mode demonstrated the invincible potentials and vitality in defending the cause of Korean-style socialism.
The army-based policy has been vital to the defense of the sovereignty of the country and the nation despite manifold difficulties, served as a treasured sword that paved the way for the building of a prosperous nation in the worst adversity, significantly raised the international authority of the DPRK and demonstrated the dignity of Kim Il Sung's nation.
The article underscores the need to accelerate the revolutionary advance in the new century, true to the army-based guidance.
It calls for putting on a new higher stage the efforts to implement the army-based policy in conformity with the developing reality.
It also underlines the need to direct sustained great efforts to the work to steadily glorify Kim Jong Il's army-based leadership exploits and increase the nation's military potential.
The banner of army-based policy is a revolutionary banner with which the best socialism has been built on this land, the banner of victory with which socialism has been defended in rigorous adversity and an everlasting banner of struggle with which to carry to completion the cause of socialism, it adds.
U.S. withdrawal from ABM treaty denounced in S. Korea
Pyongyang, December 21 (KCNA) -- The solidarity for implementing the south-north joint declaration reportedly released a statement on Dec. 14, denouncing the U.S. for announcing its withdrawal from the "anti-ballistic missile treaty."
The recent U.S. withdrawal reduced to the crisis of abolition the treaty which has controlled nuclear race and contributed to global peace for 30 years, and the world is exposed to nuclear holocaust, the statement said, and continued:
The U.S. withdrawal, in essence, betrays its ulterior intention to establish the MD system at any cost, monopolize a preemptive nuclear attack and remain the only dominator of the world in the 21st century.
The statement stressed that the organization vehemently condemns the U.S. abolition of the ABM treaty and vows to escalate its anti-U.S. struggle together with 70 million fellow countrymen.
Pictorial book of Korean national musical instruments published
Pyongyang, December 21 (KCNA) -- The Korean Literary and Art Publishing House recently brought out the "Pictorial Book of the Korean National Musical Instruments."
The book comprehensively deals with the Korean national musical instruments which made all-round development in the latter half of the 20th century and their ancient history and tradition.
Over a hundred varieties of musical instruments are classified into stringed, wind and percussion ones in the book. Pictures, diagrams and brief explanations are also given there.
Our ancestors made such primitive musical instruments as bone flute and bronze bell as early as in about 2000 b.c.
Later peculiar and good instruments such as flute and Kayagum (Korean harp) were widely used.
Prominent scientists and musicians contrived a lot of national musical instruments and published large-size music books and scores.
At least 70 kinds of musical instruments were recorded in the "music encyclopedia" published in 1493.
The work to improve national musical instruments began at the end of the 1960s to be completed in the main in a short span of time.
The improved national musical instruments of Korea have clear characteristic features as modern ones.
Air crusher developed
Pyongyang, December 21 (KCNA) -- New air crushers have been introduced to the powdered coal system in the thermal power plants in the DPRK.
This helps crush granulated coal by use of compressed air or overheated steam.
It consists of coal feeding container, steam nozzle, accelerating pipe, crushing room, heated air pipe and outlet pipe.
Granulated coal is crushed at the speed of over 1,000 m/s.
When the processed coal is used, combustion efficiency will rise 2 percent over that before and firing compartment will remain stable.
The use of one ton of powdered coal is enough to produce 1,500 kw of electricity.
The crusher is very instrumental in saving heavy oil and boosting the production of electricity as it is based on the existing economic foundation.
Cancellation of apartment house project in U.S. Ryongsan base demanded
Pyongyang, December 21 (KCNA) -- Choe Sung Hwan, chairman of the South Korean Federation of University Student Councils (Hanchongryon), reportedly issued a statement on Dec. 14 denouncing the U.S. troop's moves to push ahead with the project for building apartment houses in its base in Ryongsan, Seoul, and the South Korean "National Defense Ministry's" flunkeyist act of approving it.
The project proved that the U.S. strategy to permanently station in the Korean peninsula has not basically changed, the statement said, and went on:
Citizens are suffering inconvenience in traffic and material and mental pain from the U.S. military base. This is why the whole city of Seoul has so strongly called for the return of the base.
The U.S. should return all the military bases and cancel the plan for building apartment houses in its base in Ryongsan at once. The "Ministry of National Defense" should withdraw its attitude of approving the construction of apartment houses.
One million students under Hanchongryon vow to stand in the van of the struggle for a happy and prosperous reunified country with no U.S. troops, the statement concluded.
Crackdown on Chongryon assailed abroad
Pyongyang, December 21 (KCNA) -- Public organizations in various countries made public statements denouncing the Japanese authorities for suppressing the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon).
The permanent committee of the Belarus-DPRK National Friendship Association named after Kim Il Sung and the national council of the Belarussian movement for "democracy, social progress and justice" in a joint statement on Dec. 10 denounced the Japanese authorities' search of the central headquarters of Chongryon and its affiliated organizations as a political campaign against Chongryon and an intentional act of complicating the international relations in the region.
The Austrian Society For The Promotion Of The Relations With The DPRK in a statement on Dec. 20 said that it cannot but take a serious view of the Japanese authorities' search of Chongryon which was committed at a time when they legalized the overseas dispatch of troops and their anti-DPRK hostile policy is getting undisguised following the terrorist attacks in the U.S. The Japanese authorities should be entirely to blame for the grave consequences to be entailed, said the statement.
The Swiss Committee For Supporting Korea's Reunification in a statement on Dec. 11 demanded the Japanese authorities stop suppressing Chongryon and Koreans in Japan and apologize for it.