Foreign diplomats visit photo and fine art exhibitions
Pyongyang, December 25 (KCNA) -- Officials in charge of cultural and friendly relations with the DPRK of different embassies here visited the national photo exhibition and the national fine art exhibition yesterday on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of leader Kim Jong Il's election as supreme commander of the Korean People's Army and the 84th birth anniversary of anti-Japanese heroine Kim Jong Suk.
They saw photographs showing the tireless revolutionary activities of Kim Jong Il, his great feats and the efforts of the Korean army and people to build a powerful nation under his army-based leadership. They also looked round art works depicting the immortal leadership feats performed by the three generals of Mt. Paektu for the strengthening of the Juche-based revolutionary armed forces.
Film show arranged
Pyongyang, December 25 (KCNA) -- The central committee of the Korean Democratic Women's Union yesterday hosted a film show on the occasion of the 84th birth anniversary of Kim Jong Suk, an anti-Japanese heroine.
Present on invitation were women from embassies of different countries and missions of international organizations here.
Present were Pak Sun Hui, chairwoman of the central committee of the union, and other officials concerned. The participants saw a Korean feature film "Far Away From Headquarters," which deals with the activities of Kim Jong Suk during the anti-Japanese revolutionary war.
Suppression of Chongryon denounced in Japan
Tokyo, December 23 (KNS-KCNA) -- The citizens' rally was held in Tokyo on Dec. 20 to denounce the Japanese authorities' suppression of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon).
Motofumi Makieda, chairman of the Japan committee for supporting the independent and peaceful reunification of Korea, in a speech at the rally, said that Chongryon is an organization independently formed by the Korean people, who were forcibly taken to Japan during the Japanese imperialists' occupation of Korea, and their descendants.
He expressed indignation at the Japanese police authorities' search.
Saying that in order to promote Japan-DPRK friendship it is important for Japan to liquidate its past and establish the good-neighborly and friendly relations with the DPRK, he noted that the Japanese people should condemn the recent search as it runs counter to this work. Personages from all walks of life in Japan said in their speeches that the search conducted by use of state power is an encroachment upon human rights and national discrimination against the Koreans in Japan and part of the undisguised anti-DPRK hostile policy pursued by the present Japanese government subservient to the United States.
They stressed the need to conduct a nation-wide movement to protest against the Japanese authorities' political crackdown upon Chongryon.
A committee for probing the political suppression of Chongryon was inaugurated at the rally.
Russian ambassador arranges friendly meeting
Pyongyang, December 25 (KCNA) -- Andrei Karlov, Russian ambassador to the DPRK, yesterday arranged a friendly meeting at the embassy on the occasion of the New Year, Juche 91 (2002).
Present on invitation were Paek Nam Sun, foreign minister, Kung Sok Ung, vice-minister of foreign affairs, and other officials concerned.
Staff members of the Russian embassy were on hand.
Speeches were made there.
DPRK foreign minister meets new Polish ambassador
Pyongyang, December 25 (KCNA) -- Paek Nam Sun, foreign minister of the DPRK, on Monday met and conversed with Wojciech Kaluza, new Polish ambassador to the DPRK who paid a courtesy call on him.
Kimilsungia-Kimjongilia green house opens
Pyongyang, December 25 (KCNA) -- The Kimilsungia-Kimjongilia green house under the ministry of railways has opened on Yanggak islet in the River Taedong which flows through Pyongyang.
Its total plottage is 6,000 square meters and its floor space 480 square meters.
The green house accommodates at least 1,200 plants of Kimilsungia and Kimjongilia at a time and sufficiently provides scientific and technical conditions needed for the growth of the flowers.
An opening ceremony took place yesterday.
Historic sites visited by endless stream of people
Pyongyang, December 25 (KCNA) -- An endless stream of people from all walks of life and officers and men of the Korean People's Army is visiting the historic sites associated with Kim Jong Suk, an indomitable anti-Japanese heroine, on the occasion of her 84th birth anniversary (December 24, 1917).
Nowadays many people are visiting Hoeryong, her hometown, in North Hamgyong Province.
There are her statue and native home and other historic sites.
The visitors are recalling with deep emotion her brilliant life. She devotedly defended the leader by protecting the headquarters of the Korean revolution at the risk of her life in every bloody battle during the anti-Japanese armed struggle.
The Korean people have praised her as an anti-Japanese heroine from long ago.
They built up the historic sites associated with her revolutionary activities and erected her statues and historic monuments there in order to hand down her exploits to posterity.
Her statues were erected in Hoeryong city in Juche 58 (1969) and in Kim Jong Suk county in Juche 63 (1974). Her bust is standing in the highest part of the revolutionary martyrs' cemetery which was built on Mt. Taesong in Pyongyang in Juche 64 (1975).
The "Revolutionary Museum of Comrade Kim Jong Suk" and the "Sinpha Revolutionary Museum" were built in the Hoeryong revolutionary historic site and the Sinpha revolutionary historic site in the township of Kim Jong Suk county, Ryanggang Province. and the historic monuments associated with her exploits were erected in different parts of the country including Chongjin city, Kyongsong county and Puryong county in North Hamgyong Province and Samilpho-ri in Kosong county, Kangwon Province.
Recently, monuments to her revolutionary activities were erected in various places including Insan-ri in Rangrim county, Jagang province.
Vehicles for basic foodstuff
Pyongyang, December 25 (KCNA) -- Nowadays silver-white vans carrying letters "kichosikphum" (basic foodstuff) are seen running on the streets of Pyongyang.
They carry tasty bean paste and soy to the citizens of the capital.
The supply is associated with the loving care shown by leader Kim Jong Il who has always paid deep attention to improving the people's diet.
In recent years he saw to it that factories producing tasty basic foodstuff were built in different parts of the city to supply it to the citizens although the country was hard pressed for everything.
And he took concrete measures to keep the production going at a high rate there and recently sent vans there to ensure the speedy supply of the foodstuff to the population.
Kim Jong Il sees art performance given by KPA merited choir
Pyongyang, December 25 (KCNA) - General Secretary Kim Jong Il yesterday saw an art performance given by the KPA merited choir together with soldiers of the KPA.
The merited choir, winner of Kim Il Sung Order, put on the stage a number of pieces of chorus including "The Wind From Mt. Paektu," "Long Trip For Army-Centered Revolution" and "Let's Support Our Supreme Commander With Arms."
Performers passionately sang of the high national dignity and pride of the people's army and people, who are blessed with illustrious leaders and generals generation after generation as they hold Kim Jong Il in high esteem as supreme commander of the revolutionary armed forces, and the immortal exploits Kim Jong Il has performed by leading the work to strengthen and develop the revolutionary armed forces.
They also successfully depicted the iron faith, will and militant spirit of the KPA to devotedly defend the headquarters of the Korean revolution, holding higher the red flag of the revolution, and accomplish the revolutionary cause of Juche and the cause of building a powerful nation with arms under the leadership of Kim Jong Il.
The performance struck a deep impression on the audience.
Kim Jong Il warmly waved to the enthusiastically cheering performers and audience and congratulated the performers on their successful performance.
Jinbukru--historical site
Pyongyang, December 25 (KCNA) -- Jinbukru is a castle built for border guard in order to repel the attack of the foreign aggressors in the days of Ri dynasty.
It is situated in the township of Kapsan county in Ryanggang province. It consists of the battlement structure and two-storied pavilion on it.
Firing holes are seen from the structure. The pavilion consists of 3 kans in front and 3 kans on both sides and has a crane-shaped roof.
The pavilion is peculiarly decorated and the whole building is painted red and blue.
Jinbukru was burnt by the barbarous air raid of the U.S. imperialists during the Korean War. But it was restored to its original state in Juche 69 (1980).
As it was built earlier than the Nam Gate of Kaesong and the Nam Gate of Seoul, Jinbukru has various characteristic features of wall gate architecture in the days of Ri dynasty and bolsters up national pride.
Withdrawal of U.S. forces from S. Korea demanded
Pyongyang, December 25 (KCNA) -- Papers here today comment on the vigorous struggle the South Korean people are now waging for the return of U.S. military bases and the withdrawal of the U.S. forces from South Korea.
Rodong Sinmun in a signed commentary says:
This struggle of the South Korean people was prompted by their desire not to remain a victim of the U.S. colonial policy any longer but live in harmony together with all other compatriots in a reunified land.
The U.S. military presence in South Korea is the biggest stumbling block lying in the way of the reunification of Korea, the main source of war and a harasser of peace.
The best way to prevent a new war in Korea is to force the U.S. forces to pull out of South Korea. There is no justification for the U.S. forces to stay there. It is a very wrong calculation of the U.S. to use South Korea as its military springboard from which to realize its aggression strategy against Korea and the rest of Asia.
The U.S. should lend an ear to the voices of the people demanding it take its hands off South Korea, and make an early decision to withdraw its forces from South Korea.
Minju Joson in a signed commentary says that it is impossible to prevent the danger of war, achieve the independent and peaceful reunification of Korea and defend world peace as long as U.S. forces are present in South Korea.
The commentary goes on:
If the U.S. truly wants peace and independent reunification of Korea and world peace, it should immediately take a measure to withdraw the U.S. forces from South Korea.
If the U.S. seeks to perpetuate its forces' presence in South Korea in a bid to dominate the whole of Korea by force of arms, the anti-U.S. struggle of the Korean nation will mount higher.
The Korean nation will further intensify the nation-wide anti-U.S. struggle to force the U.S. forces to get out of South Korea whether the U.S. likes it or not.