Statues erected in Democratic Congo with DPRK's assistance
Pyongyang, January 22 (KCNA) -- Statues of Lumumba, first prime minister of Democratic Congo, and Laurent Desire Kabila, former president of Democratic Congo, were erected with the DPRK's assistance.
The statues were unveiled with due ceremonies in Kinshasa on Jan. 17 and 18.
Attending the ceremonies together with more than 15,000 people from all walks of life in the city were President of Democratic Congo Joseph Kabila, members of the government, members of the parliament, commanders from the three services of the army and bereaved families.
Among those present there on invitation were the presidents of Zimbabwe, Gabon and the Congo and high-ranking delegations from African countries, the delegation of the DPRK Mansudae Art Studio, the DPRK ambassador to Democratic Congo and diplomatic envoys in that country.
The acting president of the national assembly of Democratic Congo, in a speech said that the younger generation should invariably carry forward the noble soul of the revolutionary forerunners, adding that this is the real purpose of erecting the statues there.
The President of Democratic Congo unveiled the statues.
Then representatives of people from of all walks of life placed wreaths before them.
Looking round the statues, the presidents, the bereaved families and figures of all strata extended warm thanks to leader Kim Jong Il, deeply moved by the noble sense of obligation he showed by sending the DPRK's excellent creators to Democratic Congo for the erection of the splendid statues of the former leaders of the country.
U.S. wild ambition for world domination under fire
Pyongyang, January 22 (KCNA) -- The United States set up a "Missile Defense Agency" in the department of defense with a view to dynamically pushing forward its Missile Defense Program (MD) on Jan. 4. In this regard, papers here today carry signed commentaries.
Rodong Sinmun says that this action taken by the U.S., timed to coincide with its withdrawal from the ABM treaty concluded in 1972 with the soviet union, indicates that it is putting into practice its criminal ambition to carry out its strategy for world domination by more frantically pushing forward the MD in a bid to strike not only the DPRK but other countries of the world with its missiles.
It goes on:
Heavyweights of the u.s. are now becoming more vociferous about the "missile threat" from the DPRK. This is intended to serve its criminal purpose of pushing ahead with the MD in real earnest under the absurd pretext of "coping with" other's "missile threat" and getting South Korea and Japan involved in it with an eye to realize their reactionary Asian strategy.
It is an aggressive Asian strategy of the united states to seize the DPRK by force of arms and invade Asia and establish its domination over it, using the Korean peninsula as a military springboard. To this end the U.S. organized a new special missile unit and has further modernized the military equipment of the U.S. forces in South Korea and Japan under the pretext of "coping with" the non-existent "missile threat" from the DPRK.
The U.S. move to create MD systems in and around South Korea is a dangerous action to upset the strategic balance in this region and thus provoke a new war.
Minju joson warns that the DPRK will not remain a passive onlooker to the U.S. moves to make the DPRK fall victim to its ambition for world domination.
Friendly meeting held by DPRK Foreign Ministry
Pyongyang, January 22 (KCNA) -- The DPRK Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a friendly meeting for staff members of the Chinese embassy here yesterday on the occasion of the New Year.
Invited to the meeting were ambassador Wu Donghe and staff members of the embassy.
Present there were Kim Yong Il, vice-minister of foreign affairs, and other officials concerned.
The participants conversed with each other about further developing the friendly ties between the two countries, deepening the feelings of friendship.
Anti-communist and pro-American campaign in South Korea blasted
Pyongyang, January 22 (KCNA) -- Anti-communist organizations including the "association of reservists" in South Korea are making anti-communist and pro-American remarks, defiling the pro-reunification patriotic force and groundlessly slandering the DPRK.
Rodong Sinmun today says this in a signed commentary.
The anti-DPRK and anti-reunification campaign staged by the South Korean right-wing reactionary force is an anti-communist and pro-American hysterical farce that can be played only by traitors, stooges of aggressors, against the country and the nation, the commentary says, and goes on:
The U.S. imperialist aggression troops stationed in South Korea are the very one who has divided the Korean nation, the main obstacle to the independent and peaceful reunification of Korea and a group of warmongers who are bringing the danger of a nuclear war to the Korean nation.
It is the most treacherous act that the right-wing anti-communist organizations are serving the U.S. imperialist aggression troops, the arch-enemy of the Korean nation, as their ancestral tablet against public outflow of South Korea toward anti-U.S. independence.
As long as the anti-reunification traitors take the road of confrontation and war against the fellow countrymen in league with foreign forces, not caring for the implementation of the June 15 joint declaration, national reconciliation, unity and reunification, it is impossible to drive the aggressors out of this land, realize the cherished desire of the Korean nation for reunification of the country and avoid the holocaust of a nuclear war.
The South Korean anti-reunification forces are trying in vain to keep the aggressors and, in collusion with them, block independent national reunification and realize their criminal ambition for invasion of the north.
They should see the trend of the times and immediately stop their criminal action against the country, the nation and reunification.
Transparent anti-imperialist, class consciousness underscored
Pyongyang, January 22 (KCNA) -- Transparent anti-imperialist, class consciousness is very instrumental as it makes it possible to give full play to high revolutionary spirit in a fierce confrontation with imperialists and socialist construction, says Rodong Sinmun today in an editorial.
The editorial goes on:
No enemy can defeat the people who abide by the revolutionary principle and have strong class self-respect and turn out in a struggle to protect their ideology and political system at the cost of their lives.
The present situation calls upon the party members and other working people to have a more keen class judgement and more transparent anti-imperialist fighting spirit than ever before.
In order to shatter to pieces all challenges and plots of the imperialists and consolidate the ideological position of socialism as an unbreakable one it is necessary to steadily develop in depth class education to meet the requirements of the developing revolution.
The U.S. imperialists are watching for a chance to invade the DPRK, stepping up preparations for a war against it.
It is a vital class principle to attach importance to military affairs and increase the nation's defence capabilities in every way under the present touch-and-go situation.
Famous work of Kim Jong Il published in Slovakia
Pyongyang, January 22 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il's famous work "On Preserving The Juche Character And National Character Of The Revolution And Construction" was published in pamphlet by the central committee of the Slovak Communist Party.
Clarified in the work made public on June 19, Juche 86 (1997), are the reason why preserving the Juche character and national character of the revolution and construction is the basic principle which should be maintained in accomplishing the socialist cause as well as tasks and ways of its realisation.
Conveying this work to the Korean charge d'affaires ad interim, the executive secretary of the c.c., the Slovak communist party said: the work expounds the truth that only when each nation preserves the Juche character and national character under the present complicated international situation can it achieve genuine happiness and prosperity, smash the reactionary attempt of "globalization" advertised by the U.S. imperialists and realize human independence.
Our party central committee adopted a decision on setting the work as the book party organizations at all levels must read and on making all party members deeply study the profound idea and content of the work and disseminate it among popular masses. and it is pushing ahead with the work for its implementation.
This year's slogans put up by S. Korean organization
Pyongyang, January 22 (KCNA) -- The solidarity for the implementation of the south-north joint declaration reportedly put up slogans for the struggle on Jan 17 reflecting the strong will to adorn this year marking the 2nd anniversary of the June 15 joint declaration as a year of proud victory to be recorded in the history of the movement for the independent reunification through the implementation of the joint declaration.
The slogans called for bringing about a decisive phase of the movement for national reunification under the banner of national independence and implementing the June 15 joint declaration to shape the destiny of the nation through independent reunification.
They also called for making the sky and earth with calls for national independence and glorifying the honor of the country to the whole world this year which marks the 2nd anniversary of the joint declaration.
Underscoring the need to shatter the U.S. imperialists' moves to block the reunification of Korea through struggle, the slogans called for demonstrating the strength of independence to arrogant bush who looks down upon the Korean nation.
Stressing the need to oppose the militarist expansion of Japanese imperialism, they said that it should make an apology and compensation for its colonial domination over Korea.
They also called for rejecting "cooperation" with foreign forces and realizing cooperation between the north and the south and demanded the withdrawal of the "arch enemy" label and the repeal of the "Security Law."
They appealed to the people to denounce Ri Hoe Chang for currying favor with the U.S. and obstructing the implementation of the joint declaration and liquidate the anti-democracy, anti-reunification and flunkeyist conservative forces.
Calling for achieving the reunification of the country through great national unity, they underscored the need to shatter the South Korea-U.S.-Japan tripartite "cooperation" through the south-north-overseas Koreans' solidarity.
This year's slogans in DPRK
Pyongyang, January 22 (KCNA) -- The DPRK is vigorously conducting the grand onward march this year under the uplifted slogans "Glorify this year of President Kim Il Sung's 90th birthday as a year of a new surge in the building of a powerful nation" and "glorify the greatest holiday of the nation with proud achievements in building an economically powerful nation"
The slogans reflect the revolutionary will of the workers' party and people of Korea to comprehensively deepen the work for glorifying the history and feats of President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il this year.
Also reflected in the slogans is the intention to bring about a new leap forward and innovations in the building of a powerful nation and thus open a new phase.
This year the DPRK will greet the 90th birthday of Kim Il Sung and the 70th anniversary of the Korean People's Army.
All the officers and men of the KPA and people, who are holding in high esteem Kim Il Sung as the eternal sun of Juche and Kim Jong Il as supreme commander of the revolutionary armed forces, are full of enthusiasm to grandly commemorate these significant holidays this year.
Though the country's economic conditions still remain difficult, they are now vigorously pushing ahead with the production and construction to glorify this year commemorating the national auspicious events as a year of glory which will shine forever in the history of the Korean nation, holding high the slogans put up in the joint new year editorial.
Serious shortage of electricity in DPRK
Pyongyang, January 22 (KCNA) -- The DPRK is suffering an increasing shortage of electricity.
This situation is seriously affecting the overall national economy and causing inconvenience to the people.
The shortage of electricity is so acute that it is difficult to normally operate factories and enterprises, make railway tramcar and trolley bus services, etc. and ensure heating and the supply of drinking water and lighting in public buildings and apartment houses and other residential quarters.
The process of rice thrashing and polishing is hard hit by an insufficient supply of electricity in the countryside, rendering the food problem of the country more serious.
All this is attributable to the fact that the economic conditions of the country worsened because of several years of serious natural disasters and vicious moves of those keen to isolate and stifle the DPRK.
This is also attributable to the U.S. administration's failure to honestly implement the DPRK-U.S. agreed framework because under this framework the U.S. is committed to providing two light water reactors, each with a capacity of one million kw to the DPRK by the year 2003 in return for the DPRK's freeze of the construction and operation of its nuclear power facilities for peaceful use.
But for the freezing of its nuclear power bases, they would have paid off profusely by this time and there would have been no such shortage of electricity as what the country is now suffering.
And if the U.S. side had honestly implemented the framework, one of the lwrs would have already operated. The prospect of the completion of lwr construction still remains dim.
But the Korean people are not pessimistic about the future but putting spurs to their march despite the present difficulties.
Korea's beauty spot
Pyongyang, January 22 (KCNA) -- Sea Kumgang of Korea is one of the three beauty spots, including inner Kumgang and outer Kumgang on the world-famous Mt. Kumgang.
It stretches more than scores of kilometers from Suwondan to Hwajinpho, Kosong county of Kangwon province.
The fantastic scenery of sea Kumgang is presented by beautiful lakes and the picturesque coastal and sea water.
One can enjoy the spectacular scenery provided by a vast expanse of sea line, blue waves, curiously looking rock, rocky islets overgrown with pine trees and waves lashing their rock. Scenic places of the sea are most beautiful in sea Kumgang.
Curiously shaped groups of rocks present this spectacular scenery.
They include sea Kumgang gate, Jbawi (mouse) rock, Koyangi (cat) rock, Tongja (boy) rock, Sangjwa rock and other strangely looking rock and Ripsok (standing stone).
Pine trees grow in its middle and on its top, presenting a picturesque scenery of the sea.
There are also such beauty spots as lagoon Samil, lagoons with white sandy beach covered with sweet brier in full bloom, Paduk board, Chonso rock, Pirae temple, etc. known to be places where "genies" played.
The sea abounds in marine resources including sea slug, abalone and sea urchin which draw tourists' attention.
Worldwide criticism of Japan's past crimes
Pyongyang, January 22 (KCNA) -- It is a priority task and an unavoidable obligation Japan has assumed before the times and history to honestly reflect on its crimes before the human conscience and adopt practical measures for compensation to convince the people.
Rodong Sinmun stresses this in a by-lined article today.
The article says:
It is the public opinion of the world that Japan's past crimes should never be tolerated and international pressure should be put on Japan to make a sincere apology and compensation and, through this process, to feel the gravity of its past crimes by itself.
The world calls into question the past crimes of Japan and more bitterly denounces them. It is because the past crimes are too grisly to tolerate Japan and the present Japanese government still refuses to admit them and tries to evade the responsibility and justify them.
The Japanese reactionaries think that Japan's military actions for aggression are warranted.
So, they have gone the length of saying that Japan's aggression had a "strong impact on pushing Korea and other Asian nations to modern civilization" and the Asian people should remember the "benefits" from Japan.
Everywhere they go they try to win over the people through "aid" and "cooperation." in other words, they seek to lull the angry people critical of Japan's past crimes with a few dollars and curry favor with them so as to build a springboard from which to advance overseas.
Today the Asian people and the progressives of the world demand Japan admit, apologize and compensate for its past crimes.
Japan should swim with the trend of the times toward independence in the new century and meet the demands of the people. Only then can Japan's future in the 21st century be guaranteed. If the Japanese ruling quarters persist in their wrong attitude, ignoring the requirements of the times, they will face bitterer curses and denunciation from the world.
Joint meeting of DPRK government, political parties and organizations
Pyongyang, January 22 (KCNA) -- A joint meeting of the DPRK government, political parties and organizations took place at the People's Palace of Culture today.
The meeting discussed immediate measure to promote the unity of the Korean nation and open a new phase in the efforts for national reunification.
Attending the meeting were leading officials of the DPRK government, political parties, organizations and officials concerned.
Vice-president Yang Hyong Sop of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly made a report.
The reporter said:
Today the Korean people are in a new era of history in which they are independently settling the issue of national reunification by their concerted efforts. The fellow countrymen's movement for national reunification has developed into a nationwide movement for independent reunification involving the people from all political parties, all groupings and all walks of life in the north and south of Korea and abroad, guided by the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration.
The Korean people should open without fail a decisive phase of independent reunification with firm faith that national reunification is sure to come and optimism about it under the slogan "reunify the country by united efforts of our nation" this year which marks the second anniversary of the publication of the historic north-south joint declaration.
For the Korean people to open a decisive phase for national reunification by themselves this year it is necessary to improve the inter-Korean relations and give further momentum to the movement for national reunification.
In order to warm the inter-Korean relations it is imperative to seek authorities-to-authorities dialogue and all forms of non-governmental talks and contacts and work harder to boost them.
In order to open a decisive phase for national reunification this year it is necessary to do away with a threat to peace in the country and obstacles to national reunification.
All the Koreans in the north and south and abroad should valiantly turn out in a nationwide anti-war struggle to smash every move of the bellicose elements at home to provoke a new war and preserve peace in the country.
To implement the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration, improve the inter-Korean relations, make progress in the movement for reunification and do away with a threat to peace and obstacles to reunification these are important tasks to be carried out to promote the unity of the Korean nation and open a new phase for national reunification this year by its concerted efforts.
Prompted by this desire to carry out the important tasks by the concerted efforts of the Korean people, the reporter proposed to set this year as a "year of promoting the unity and reunification of the Korean people by themselves," coming June 15 as a "day of opening the door of reunification by the united efforts of the Korean nation" and, as a practical measure for putting it into practice, the period from may to august, the month of national liberation through july, the month of the publication of the July 4 joint statement, as a "period of the campaign for pooling the strength of the Korean people."
The meeting adopted an appeal to the Koreans at home and abroad.
The appeal says that this is the second year of weighty importance in the implementation of the historic June 15 North-South Joint Declaration and "reunify the country by united efforts of our nation" is the slogan to be put up by the Korean people this year for independent reunification.
It also says that the north-south joint declaration is an eternal milestone for national reunification which is a driving force for the grand national march to achieve the reunification of the country and guarantees the rosy future of a reunified country.
Inter-Korean relations are those between the fellow countrymen of the same blood and dialogue should remain true to the spirit of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration and a dialogue to put it into practice, it says.
It calls for attaining the reunification by the united efforts of the Korean nation, adding that the place for a happy living should not be allowed to turn into a battlefield between the fellow countrymen and all the Koreans should not fall victim to a war imposed upon them by outsiders under any circumstances.
It calls for glorifying this year as a year of a new surge in promoting the unity and reunification of the Korean nation by itself under the banner of national independence and the historic June 15 North-South Joint Declaration.
Delegation of Pyongyang city leaves for Russia
Pyongyang, January 22 (KCNA) -- A delegation of Pyongyang city led by Ryang Man Gil, chairman of the Pyongyang City People's Committee, left here today to visit Russia.
It was seen off at the airport by Jon Ho Hyon, vice-chairman of the committee, and Andrei Karlov, Russian ambassador to the DPRK.