Movement for great national unity called for
Pyongyang, January 9 (KCNA) -- O Jong Ryol, permanent chairman of the "National Alliance for Democracy and Reunification" in South Korea, reportedly issued an article on Jan. 1 on the occasion of the New Year calling for conducting a vigorous movement for national independence and great national unity, holding high the banner of the June 15 joint declaration.
He said that only through the concerted efforts of the nation is it possible to defend the joint declaration and go in for peace and reunification.
He underscored the need to conduct a more dynamic struggle for the repeal of the "Security Law" and the withdrawal of the U.S. troops from South Korea. Only when the anti-reunification evil law is abolished and the U.S. troops quit can the South Korean people become masters and can independent and peaceful reunification be achieved, he noted, and went on:
The U.S. troops and their bases in South Korea are chiefly responsible for the continued division of Korea, the failure to implement the June 15 joint declaration, and economic stagnation, to say nothing of tremendous damage done to the civilians.
He called on the alliance to take the lead in the anti-U.S. struggle to probe the truth about mass killings of civilians by GIs and certainly have the Koreans' land returned.
KCNA demands withdrawal of U.S. troops from S. Korea
Pyongyang, January 9 (KCNA) -- A joint editorial issued by the newspapers of the Workers' Party of Korea, the Korean People's Army and the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League of the DPRK on the occasion of the New Year 2002 strongly urged the bellicose quarters of the imperialists to drop their attempt to isolate and stifle the DPRK and immediately withdraw their aggression forces from South Korea.
It is due to the U.S. anachronistic hostile policy towards the DPRK and its forces' continued presence in South Korea that peace, stability and national reunification have not been achieved on the Korean peninsula though the world greeted the second year of the 21st century.
The U.S. administration that emerged last year is escalating its policy to isolate and stifle the DPRK, much displeased with the progress made in the process to improve the DPRK-U.S. relations already in the period of the former government.
This further strained the situation on the Korean peninsula last year and had a baneful impact on the inter-Korean relations that had been favorably developing since the publication of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration.
This goes to prove that though the U.S. is pretending to be interested in the DPRK-U.S. dialogue and improved inter-Korean relations, talking about the end of the Cold War and global peace, it has, in actuality, not got rid of its way of thinking in the era of the Cold War.
It is a product of the cold war that Korea remains divided into two parts and the DPRK and the U.S. have been in the hostile relationship for over half a century.
It is a long time since the Cold War, a reflection of the confrontation between the east and the west and the Soviet Union and the U.S., was over with the collapse of the Soviet Union in the last century.
The U.S. has, therefore, an unavoidable obligation to eradicate the leftover of the cold war era on the Korean peninsula as a party responsible for its division.
The U.S. drop of its hostile policy towards the DPRK, a conclusion of a peace agreement between the DPRK and the U.S. and the withdrawal of its troops from South Korea are the key issues in eradicating the above-said leftover on the Korean peninsula.
The U.S. should stop paying lip-service to the unconditional DPRK-U.S. dialogue and create a favorable atmosphere and condition for dialogue and drop the attempt to isolate and stifle the DPRK.
The U.S. troops should quit South Korea forthwith.
To talk about the issue of "reduction of conventional armed forces" of the DPRK, keeping as ever the U.S. troops in South Korea, is nothing but a brigandish demand for totally disarming it in violation of its sovereignty.
The U.S. troops present in South Korea are the source of all misfortune and sufferings of the Korean people and their withdrawal from South Korea after the end of the Cold War is the job to be done by the U.S. before anything else.
The U.S. is well advised to properly understand the Korean people's desire and will for national reunification and the historical needs of the international community and the times and show its will in its practical activities to solve the Korean issue.
Grand march for national reunification called for
Pyongyang, January 9 (KCNA) -- The cause of Korea's reunification is a worthy patriotic work to relink the severed blood ties of the nation and display the dignity and might of the reunified Korean nation, says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article.
The article calls for pushing forward the grand march for national reunification under the uplifted slogan "reunify the country by united efforts of our nation" laid down in the New Year's joint editorial.
It goes on:
The struggle of the Korean nation to open up a decisive phase of national reunification this year is a sacred one to triumph under the ever-victorious leadership.
Such national events as opening up the new era of independent reunification took place thanks to the leadership of Kim Jong Il who regards it as his lifelong maxim to carry forward and accomplish the cause of national reunification started and led by President Kim Il Sung.
It is the plan and steadfast will of Kim Jong Il to glorify the 21st century as a century of the Korean nation.
His plan and will for reunification reflect a scientific foresight on the developments and a stratagem to cope with them and provide a guarantee for victory.
The struggle of the Korean nation to bring about a decisive phase of national reunification this year is a worthy struggle waged under the banner of the historic June 15 North-South Joint Declaration.
The joint declaration will always remain a milestone of national reunification.
The adoption of the joint declaration, an all-powerful treasured sword for national reunification, is another immortal feat performed by Kim Jong Il, which will shine forever in the national history.
This year's struggle of the Korean nation is also a nationwide march for reunification with the active attendance of the whole nation desirous of reunification.
Famous Korean juggler
Pyongyang, January 9 (KCNA) -- Kim Thaek Song is a Korean juggler well known at home and abroad.
He is a Labour Hero and People's Artiste of the DPRK.
Some time ago, he was elected chairman of the Korean Magician Association.
He was born into an ordinary worker's family in Jagang province. He cultivated acrobatic skill while working at the Huichon Machine-Tool Factory.
He has been active as a juggler since Juche 53 (1964) when he was recalled to an art organization.
He has produced more than 200 pieces of peculiar magic works through his creative and performing activities for nearly four decades.
His presentation is always highly acclaimed by spectators for his seasoned and agile skill and delicate movement.
He won a grand prize, the highest prize of the festival, in the 10th, 14th and 16th Karlovy Vary International Magic Festival and a special prize in the 13th International Magic Festival to win the title of magic king two times.
His sons Kim Chol and Kim Kwang Chol are also talented jugglers widely known at home and abroad.
He is still devoting his all wisdom and energy to the creation of magic pieces and their performance and the training of young magicians.
Political reform urged in Seoul
Pyongyang, January 9 (KCNA) -- The solidarity council of civic and social organizations which groups over 290 civic and social organizations in South Korea held a New Year's meeting in Seoul on Jan. 4, according to Seoul-based MBC.
The permanent representative of the council charged in the meeting that last year social reform failed to make any progress due to the vicious circle of corruption and the scramble in the political camps and called on the civic organizations to take the lead in the political reform in the New Year.
New method of medical treatment developed
Pyongyang, January 9 (KCNA) -- A new method of medical treatment was developed in the DPRK to draw attention of the medical circle.
This method is very efficacious for the treatment of bone breaking complication, a hard nut to crack in the world.
A small accumulator plate is put on the surface of the region of broken bone and weak electric current sent there to give impulse there. This proves more effective than what was done by operation in the past.
This method does not give any pain to the patient during the treatment. He does not feel any electric current running.
The days of treatment and disability have been cut down by half.
This method and machine are very instrumental in orthopaedy.
This was developed by Kim Yong Dok, a doctor of Pyongyang Municipal People's Hospital No. 1.
Rail welding car manufactured in DPRK
Pyongyang, January 9 (KCNA) -- Recently a new mobile rail welding car was manufactured in the sector of railways.
The car consists of a body of welding head, a welding transformer, an oil hydraulic machine, an automatic controller and a winch, etc.
The welding machine welds heavy rail while melting it under the control of program and the oil hydraulic machine.
380-420v and 150kva are used to weld heavy rails.
The maximum cross section of the welded rail is 10,000 mm2.
One round of welding to link two rails takes just 3 minutes.
It is capable of welding over 10 heavy rails per hour.
This welding machine helps save 70 kwh of electricity per 100 km of railways, 2 tons of several kinds of nonferrous metal and over 750 tons of steel materials per year.
It also helps reduce the resistance of trains in operation 10-15 and the cost of wagon repair 25-45, and sharply increase the life of rails and sleepers.