Release of sit-in strikers at U.S. commercial chamber urged in S. Korea
Pyongyang, March 8 (KCNA) -- Organizations of South Korea are reportedly conducting a campaign for the release of those who had taken over the U.S. chamber of commerce and industry and waged a sit-in strike.
The measure committee of the people's solidarity called a press conference and held a rally on March 2, denouncing the prosecution authorities for seeking to launch an investigation into the sit-in strike after defining it as a "terrorist deed."
The organization formed a "group for the release of those who were arrested for the sit-in strike at the U.S. chamber of commerce and industry", which consists mainly of students, workers and youths.
The group is now conducting a campaign to get signatures of 1,000 public figures and 100,000 people to a petition for the release of those arrested.
The humanities college, the Tongari Federation, the general women students council and other organizations of Kyonggi University held gatherings with students from Feb. 27 to March 1, at which they called for struggling for the release of those arrested students, saying that their struggle was just.
U.S. urged to stop stifling DPRK
Pyongyang, March 8 (KCNA) -- Personages of different countries condemned Bush for his recent remarks against the DPRK.
Sekou Yansane, politburo member of the party for unity and progress and second deputy speaker of the parliament of guinea, in a statement on Feb. 28 denounced Bush for claiming that the DPRK's development, possession and "export" of mass-destruction weapons pose a "threat" to the United States. His outbursts are intended to shackle all the countries to the fetter of "anti-terrorism alliance" and freely control those countries making a stand against the U.S., he added.
If the U.S. invades the DPRK as it did other countries, it will face death, he said, declaring that the Guinean people will always be on the side of the Korean people.
K.M. Khan, member of the parliament and chairman of the Indian Association for Friendship and Culture with Foreign Countries, said in a statement on the same day that there is no ground for the U.S. to describe the DPRK as part of the "axis of evil". The statement urged the U.S. government to stop its reckless moves to stifle the DPRK.
I.N. Ikpahindi, curator of the Abuja state library in Nigeria, in a press statement on Feb. 27 said that bush made remarks against the DPRK without any study or estimation during his tour of Asia, so that he revealed his political vulgarity concentrically, disgraced the United States and made it an object of worldwide protest and derision.
G. Debarajan, international secretary of the c.c., the All-India Forward Bloc, in a press statement on Feb. 25 condemned Bush for having called for "change" of the system chosen by the Korean people themselves during his recent Asia visit even after his remarks about "axis of evil" were rejected at home and abroad.
Army-people gathering for planting trees held
Pyongyang, March 8 (KCNA) -- An army-people gathering for planting trees took place at the revolutionary site on Munsu Hill in the capital city of Pyongyang yesterday.
The hill is a place where President Kim Il Sung planted trees personally on April 6, Juche 36 (1947), mapping out a plan to turn it into a beautiful park and a holiday resort for the citizens.
The gathering called for creditably putting into practice with the might of the army-people singlehearted unity the party's intention to turn the whole country into a forest and a garden of flowers.
After the gathering the participants planted more than 4,500 trees including acacia with pink flowers, larch, Pyongyang poplar and azalea at the revolutionary site.
That day young soldiers of the Korean people's security forces and working people gave an army-people joint art performance, deepening the friendly feelings between the army and the people.
DPRK-Russia Friendship House built
Rason, March 7 (KCNA) -- A DPRK-Russia Friendship House has been built in a peculiar style in the Tumangang Railway Station area in Rason city, the DPRK.
The house is a monumental edifice intended to hand down to posterity the undying feats of President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il for the development of the friendly relations between the DPRK and Russia.
An opening ceremony was held on the spot on Thursday.
In an opening address, Kim Ki Nam, secretary of the c.c., the Workers' Party of Korea, noted that Kim Il Sung laid a foundation for the traditional DPRK-Russia relations of friendship and cultivated the flower garden of bilateral friendship. These relations are being developed more viably by Kim Jong Il, he added.
He expressed belief that the house, which implants the feelings of eternal friendship into the mind of the Korean and Russian peoples, will shine as a symbol of the bilateral friendship.
Andrei Karlov, Russian ambassador to the DPRK, said in his congratulatory speech that the bilateral relations of friendship are being developed rapidly thanks to the will and efforts of Kim Jong Il, chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission, and Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, President of the Russian Federation.
After the ceremony, the participants laid floral baskets and bouquets before a photograph of Kim Jong Il meeting with Putin in the central hall of the house, and paid their respects.
SPA session of DPRK to be convened
Pyongyang, March 8 (KCNA) -- The fifth session of the tenth DPRK Supreme People's Assembly will be convened here on March 27, Juche 91 (2002), under article 92 of the DPRK Socialist Constitution, according to the March 7 decree of the SPA presidium.
International Women's Day observed
Pyongyang, March 8 (KCNA) -- The Korean women are flowers of the society, the country and the revolution as they are possessed of noble spiritual and moral traits under the benevolent care of leader Kim Jong Il. Rodong Sinmun today says this in an editorial dedicated to the international women's day.
It goes on:
President Kim Il Sung, his mother Kang Pan Sok and anti-Japanese war woman hero Kim Jong Suk worked heart and soul to solve the woman issue.
Kim Jong Il is the great teacher and benevolent father guaranteeing the Korean women the most worthy life as social beings and leading them to exalt their dignity and honor to the maximum.
They are fully demonstrating their revolutionary stamina in the worthwhile drive to build a powerful nation.
The Korean women have devotedly defended Kim Jong Il and absolutely held him in high esteem despite ordeals unprecedented in history.
They are performing a big role in all fields and at all posts of the revolution and construction where a gigantic struggle is underway for the building of a powerful nation.
Among them are many unassuming patriots who have devoted themselves to education, scientists who have broken a new ground in modern science, women of merit and labour innovators.
The editorial calls upon the Korean women to devote their wisdom and energies to the general onward march to effect a new surge in building a powerful nation, cherishing the high honour and pride of living and making revolution in the era of gigantic creation and change led by Kim Jong Il.
Korean national costume in ancient times
Pyongyang, March 8 (KCNA) -- Researchers of the scientific research room of the Korean Folk Museum recently completed their study aimed to ascertain national costume from the 30th century B.C. to 108 B.C. in the period of ancient Korea, a subject left untouched.
During this period men wore Jogori (jacket) and Paji (trousers) while women donned Chima (pleated skirts) and Jogori long enough to go down beyond the waist and so open-fronted that its front part overlaps on either side.
Such old Chinese documents as "the chronicle of the three kingdoms" and "late Chinese book" have records that people wore Jogori in the period of ancient Korea and Koreans wove silk from the ancient times.
A bone needle with hemp thread, a primitive relic found in Kungsan, Unha-ri, Onchon county, South Phyongan Province, and ancient spinning-wheels unearthed in several primitive sites testify to the fact that Koreans wove hemp and silk as early as in that period.
There were a series of common features in dressing custom in the ancient societies of Korea. There existed such ancient states as ancient Korea, Puyo, Jinguk, Kuryo, etc. In Korea but costumes of their people were basically similar to each other and this became a main fashion of the Korean national costume.
Of course, there was a clear distinction in the use of clothing material, ornament, belt and shoes according to social status.
Historical facts go to clearly prove that Koreans wore one and the same clothes from the early period of their state.
U.S. hit for anti-DPRK moves
Pyongyang, March 8 (KCNA) -- The headquarters of the people's movement for the withdrawal of the U.S. forces in South Korea reportedly published a statement on march 4 denouncing the United States for seeking to intensify its anti-DPRK moves with the world football championships approaching.
The defence ministry of South Korea announced on March 1 that one platoon of the U.S. troops armed with the latest "mobile equipment for detecting biological and chemical weapons" would be shipped into South Korea to cope with "biological and chemical terrorism" during the championships, and U.S. awacs flying over the Korean Peninsula would conduct surveillance over the north and aegis warship would be deployed on the East Sea of Korea.
Referring to this fact, the statement said: Such "unusual kindness" shown by the U.S. for South Korea is intended to find any pretext to ignite a war against the north and put the whole Korean Peninsula under its control.
After all, the U.S. is trying to use even sacred sports events to attain its aims by strengthening its military supremacy and straining the situation.
Strongly protesting such scheme, the statement urged: The U.S. should immediately stop the attempt to intensify its military hostility against the north by taking advantage of the championships and withdraw its forces from South Korea at once.
Successes of DPRK sportswomen
Pyongyang, March 8 (KCNA) -- DPRK sportswomen registered more successes in international contests.
Korean women speed skaters came first in total points in the youth a-class short track contest and took second and third places in total points in the b-class short track contest (various events) in the international speed skating contest for Riten Cup in Italy in last February.
Remarkable successes were registered by sportswomen through their efforts to follow the example "marathon queen" Jong Song Ok set by creating a Seville myth during the seventh world athletic championships.
The DPRK eleven women defeated the world's ace teams and won the title of the 13th Asian Women Football Championships in Taipei, China, last year, creating sensation in the football circles not only in Asia but the rest of the world.
Kye Sun Hui who came first in the 26th Olympic Games bagged gold medals in the world judo championships for 2001 and the Munich international all star Judo tournament.
Kim Hyon Hui emerged a world table-tennis star, Ri Kyong Ok an Asian Judo star and Ha Son Bi a boxing star with "iron fists."
Ro Song Hui and Jang Ok Sun each emerged a world Taekwon-do star and a world synchronized swimming star by displaying outstanding techniques.
Songs in praise of women
Pyongyang, March 8 (KCNA) -- Women are called the flowers of the revolution, the country and society in Korea.
Bright faces and gay laughter of women who are meticulous mothers, kind wives and intimate sisters, bring the happiness to families and harmony to the society.
Many songs are now being sung in praise of women on the occasion of the International Women's Day.
Typical of them are "song of a wife", "i had never dreamed of becoming a wife of a hero" and " girl on a steed" created in recent years.
The songs reflect the beautiful features of the Korean women who help their husbands in work, manage their families assiduously and bring up their sons and daughters to be heroes and heroines, the pleasure of a woman who little dreamed that she would be a wife of a hero and women's diligence in labor.
Many songs were created in praise of women. Among them are "women are flowers", "song of women", "please love your wife", "a swinging girl", "a silk-weaving girl", "girls had whispered", "girls of our factory", "daughters in Pyongyang" and "girl's handkerchief".
U.S. hit for pulling up DPRK over "drug issue"
Pyongyang, March 8 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry on Friday gave the following answer to a question put by KCNA as to the renewed accusation made by the United States against the DPRK over the "drug issue":
Some days ago the U.S. State Department in an "annual report on drug control" groundlessly pulled up the DPRK over the "narcotic manufacture or narcotic smuggling". This is part of the strong-arm policy of the bush administration to slander the DPRK system and isolate and stifle it at any cost and no more than a sheer fabrication.
Production, deal in and use of narcotic, which makes people mentally deformed, are banned by law under the DPRK socialist system where only a sound and noble way of life prevails. And there is a strict order whereby mental stimulant intended for drug production and scientific research can be imported only with the state approval. The DPRK is exchanging good information and having effective cooperation with the international narcotics control board in this respect.
Not content with such mud-slinging at the DPRK, the Bush administration pulled up it even over the "drug issue" only to lay bare his group's ugly colors as lunatics.