U.S. use of biological and chemical weapons assailed
Pyongyang, January 29 (KCNA) -- Minju Joson today carries a signed commentary 50 years after the U.S. full-scale use of biological and chemical weapons in the northern half of Korea during the Korean War.
The U.S. imperialists began a germ warfare by spreading contagious bacteria including smallpox. From Jan. 28 to march 1952 they dropped germ bombs and a variety of things carrying germs on over 800 occasions over more than 400 places in the northern half of Korea.
The commentary says:
The U.S. use of germ and biological and chemical weapons took many lives of Koreans and seriously polluted the picturesque Korean land and its ecological environment.
The U.S. has not even admitted its crimes though a half century passed since then. This is little short of revealing its intention to repeat such crimes.
The U.S. units for biological and chemical warfare are armed with about 90 types of chemical bombs and have stockpiled more than 3 million chemical shells. All these facts clearly prove that the U.S. is chiefly responsible for the threat of biological and chemical weapons.
The U.S. is well advised to officially admit the war crimes committed by it by use of biological and chemical weapons in Korea, make an apology to the Korean people and dismantle as soon as possible the nuclear weapons, biological and chemical weapons and other weapons of mass destruction stockpiled in South Korea and the U.S. mainland.
KCNA on U.S. futile attempts
Pyongyang, January 29 (KCNA) -- The United States is now seeking to stage such political farces as "investigation" and "hearing" over the human rights and religious issues of the DPRK, with the mobilization of Ragtags from the United States, Japan and South Korea, including some parliamentarians and the U.S. commission on religious freedom.
It is getting undisguised in its moves to isolate and stifle the DPRK after the emergence of the bush administration.
Such "hearing" and "international meeting" to be held by the U.S. at the beginning of the new year are intended to escalate its unjustifiable pressure on the DPRK.
This is an expression of the anachronistic hostile policy toward the DPRK zealously pursued by the U.S. in a bid to increase pressure upon the DPRK and isolate it by raising even human rights, religious and other minor issues besides nuclear, missile and conventional weapons issues as outstanding ones for discussion between the two countries.
In fact, the U.S. has no right to take issue with any other country over the human rights issue.
It should look into its well-known worst human rights situation, before talking about other country's human rights issue, and frankly make public its truth to the world.
In the United States there are countless people seized with unrest and panic, deprived of elementary human rights and freedom and other vital rights.
The U.S., which rose from the graves of Indians, natives of America, has grown fat at the cost of the blood and sweat of African black slaves and through ceaseless wars of aggression. It is still staging aggression and war, terrorism and intervention everywhere in the world, wrecking peace and wantonly violating human rights.
This is evidenced by its war in Afghanistan conducted under the pretext of "anti-terrorism" operation. in this war the U.S. has massacred a large number of innocent civilians in cold blood only to come in for criticism.
It is sheer hypocrisy and a foolish attempt of the U.S. to pull up the DPRK over its "human rights issue".
The U.S. seeks to put pressure on the DPRK, slandering its system where all human rights are fully ensured. But it is a reckless and futile attempt.
Sports contest for "Paektusan Cup" opens
Pyongyang, January 29 (KCNA) -- A sports contest of officials of national institutions for "Paektusan Cup" was opened to celebrate February 16, the birthday of leader Kim Jong Il.
The sports contest is held in Pyongyang on the occasion of his birthday every year in accordance with the Workers' Party of Korea policy of popularizing sports.
The contest includes basketball, tug of war and Taekwon-do matches.
Present at an opening ceremony on Jan. 28 were Kim Jung Rin, secretary of the central committee of the WPK, officials concerned and officials of national institutions.
Ryom Sun Gil, chairman of the c.c., the General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea, made a speech at the ceremony.
Bush's projected trip to S. Korea opposed
Pyongyang, January 29 (KCNA) -- The Council for National Reconciliation and Independent Reunification of South Korea reportedly voiced strong opposition to Bush's projected trip to South Korea as it would increase the tensions and the danger of war on the Korean peninsula.
The council in a recent statement denouncing Bush's junket slated for February held that the U.S. is entirely to blame for unilaterally ditching the DPRK-U.S. agreement, straining the DPRK-U.S. relations with its hard line toward Pyongyang and laying obstacles in the way of the implementation of the June 15 joint declaration and the process to improve the inter-Korean relations.
Japan hit for trying to justify overseas military actions of "SDF"
Pyongyang, January 29 (KCNA) -- The Japan defense agency is now going to stipulate "UN Peacekeeping Operations" as the basic duty of the "Self-Defense Frces" in a new "arms buildup program."
Rodong Sinmun today says in a bylined commentary in this regard:
This move is little short of officially declaring that the duty of the "SDF is overseas aggression, not "defence."
This means that Japan's military strategy has turned into a preemptive offensive strategy from the purely defensive strategy the purpose of which is to repel "aggression" from outside and the theatre of Japan's military operations will extend to any part of the world from the areas surrounding Japan.
Japan keeps huge naval force next to the United States in the pacific region. It decided to build aircraft carriers and introduce a mid-air tanker. Such a decision has nothing to do with the defence of Japan. It is a product of Japan's pugnacious policy of strengthening its position as a military power and dispatching its aggression forces to any part of the world to commit intervention in conflict and use of force.
With a view to justifying such aggressive overseas military operations Japan is trying to abuse the name of the "UN." It is the ulterior intention of Japan to partake in worldwide disputes under the name of the "UN Peacekeeping Forces" to play the role of international gendarme and expand the sphere of domination and markets.
No matter what desperate efforts Japan is making to go under the signboard of the "UN Peacekeeping Forces" it cannot conceal its true colors as an aggressor hell-beat on overseas military expansion.
Senior middle schoolers' mathematic contest held
Pyongyang, January 29 (KCNA) -- The 10th National Mathematic Contest of third and fourth year senior middle schoolers (those of senior middle schools no. 1 included) was held here from Jan. 23 to 27.
The contest drew over 460 schoolers. In the competition they were divided into third and fourth year pupils of senior middle schools no. 1 in all provinces, senior middle schools no. 1 in cities and counties and senior middle schools and individuals.
Many schoolers achieved good results thanks to their high ability to solve problems and splendid idea.
The first place went to the groups of fourth year pupils of Changdok School and third year pupils of senior middle school no. 1 in Sariwon in the provincial category and the groups of third and fourth year pupils of Pyongyang in the city and county category and to a group of fourth year pupils of Pyongyang and a group of third year pupils of South Phyongan Province in the senior middle school category.
Anti-U.S. struggle called for
Pyongyang, January 29 (KCNA) -- The "committee for peace against war and for national independence of the national people's solidarity for national independence, democracy and people's right to existence" inaugurated in South Korea in November last year reportedly held a meeting on Jan. 11 to discuss its future activities.
The meeting called upon the people of lower classes to play a main role in the anti-U.S. struggle for reunification, strengthen the unity of the ranks of the reunification movement and people's movement and urged the committee to perform a major role in the struggle for peace against war and for national independence.
More dendrolites unearthed
Pyongyang, January 29 (KCNA) -- Over 300 species of fossil plants belonging to the third period of miocene believed to be at least 25 million years old were unearthed in the DPRK.
Among them 11 species were discovered for the first time in the world.
Particularly noteworthy were five species of qurcue fossil.
Among them three species were newly named quercus schistophglla, quercus jusonensis and quercus kogonwonensis, for their shapes rare to be seen in the world.
These species are considered to be standard fossil of the miocene in the light of the geological period.
The newly excavated fossil plants are of great academic significance in studying the statigraphic importance and conditions for the formation of underground resources.
Number of books on steady increase at Grand People's Study House
Pyongyang, January 29 (KCNA) -- The number of books is on a steady increase at the Grand People's Study House situated in the central part of Pyongyang.
Leader Kim Jong Il, always deeply concerned for the development of science and technology in the country sent there 753 books of 43 kinds and hardware on eight occasions in just 20 days of this mouth.
200,000 more books are coming to the house every year.
New scientific and technological books including those on it electronic engineering tale-communications science and medicine are be widely read by visitors at home and abroad as well and various other interesting books.
A daily accommodating foreign visitors capacity of the house is over 12,000 persons.
The house with a total floor space of 100,000 square meters has over 600 rooms including 20 reading rooms, 14 lecture rooms.
Its capacity is at least 30 million books.
International conferences and other meetings can be held there.
It has friendly and cooperative ties with over 600 libraries of more than 120 countries and 8 international organizations.
The exchange of books is brisk.
Drawing particular attention of visitors are rooms giving CD service and service for find computer files that started at the outset of the year.
Full play to advantages of Korean socialist economic management called for
Pyongyang, January 29 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today editorially calls for giving fuller play to the advantages of the Korean-style socialist economic management.
The main orientation set by the Workers' Party of Korea to improve and perfect the Juche-based socialist economic management is to apply a method of economic management effective in ensuring the greatest profitability while adhering to the socialist principle.
The key to success in the socialist economic construction is to smash the imperialists' moves and abide by the socialist principle, the editorial notes, and says:
Through life experience, the Korean people have deeply grasped the truth of revolution that when the socialist principle is adhered to, progress can be made in the socialist economic construction despite any storm and stress and worldwide economic crisis.
We should firmly abide by the principle of socialism and solve all the problems arising in the economic management in keeping with the intrinsic nature of socialist society, as in the past, so in the 21st century, too.
The economic management should be improved and perfected in a revolutionary way on the principle of ensuring profitability. This is the main content of the WPK's strategy for economic construction. Ensuring profitability in socialist society means making a substantial contribution to the promotion of the people's wellbeing and to the interests of the whole society.
Our socialist economic system established by President Kim Il Sung is the most advantageous and viable system, and it is necessary to have a proper understanding of the advantages of our socialist planned economy.
Anecdotes about President Kim Il Sung
Pyongyang, January 29 (KCNA) -- It happened on October 8, Juche 51 (1962) when the elections of deputies to the third Supreme People's Assembly took place in the DPRK.
That day President Kim Il Sung was supposed to go to an election district to vote together with workers.
Before leaving, he asked his aide if he took the president's certificate of citizenship with him.
On hearing that it was not with him, the president said that he, too, should abide by the law of the country as a citizen of the DPRK. And he told his aide to bring the certificate though it might cause a delay.
When the aide came back, the president put the certificate into his inside pocket after carefully examining it.
Upon reaching the voting place, he showed his certificate to officials there and received a voting card to vote.
Kim Il Sung looked around the inside of a small railway station in a mountain area at sunset of Feb. 6, Juche 52 (1963) when he was giving on-the-spot guidance.
At that time, a table showing railway fares vertically written in Chinese characters was hanging on a wall there.
He met the station-master and told him that the fares on the table should be written in Arabic figures horizontally to make it easy for the passengers to read the table.
He left there after promising the master to come there again and see a new table.
Early in the morning of the next day he visited the station again and saw the new table. Praising officials of the station for what they did, he instructed that all the railway stations should have such horizontally written tables.
Later easily readable tables of railway fares appeared in all railway stations of the country.
It happened when the president gave field guidance to Kaesong area on September 14, Juche 61 (1972). He asked officials there what was the special food of the area.
None of them could give a correct answer to the questions repeatedly put by him in the course of the on-the-spot guidance.
While visiting factories in the city he met old men who had lived there for years and found out that loach soup was a special food of the city.
And he made sure that a new restaurant was built there to serve only loach soup to the customers.
Central Youth Hall
Pyongyang, January 29 (KCNA) -- The central youth hall is located on the east bank of the River Taedong flowing through Pyongyang.
It is always crowded by youth and students enjoying leisure-time activities.
More than 5,000 youth and students on a daily average come to the hall to conduct circle activities according to their wishes and aptitudes. They acquire a good knowledge of up-to-the-minute science and technology and cultivate their talents through diverse sports and artistic activities.
The hall with a total floor space of at least 51,000 square meters was built on May 18, Juche 78 (1989).
It has more than 740 rooms with modern facilities including a 2,000-seat theater, a 600-seat theatre, a hall available for various purposes with an accommodation capacity of over 1,000 and four 250-seat meeting halls.
International functions such as the April Spring Friendship Art Festival and sports and cultural functions for youth and exhibitions of inventions and rationalization proposals and contrivances were held here.