Kim Jong Il receives Kim Ryon Ja and her party
Pyongyang, April 11 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il on Wednesday received Kim Ryon Ja, a South Korean singer in Japan, and her party, who were staying here to attend the 20th April Spring Friendship Art Festival.
He warmly welcomed the singer's visit to Pyongyang and conversed with her in a cordial atmosphere.
Kim Ryon Ja expressed deep thanks to Kim Jong Il for meeting with them though he was very busy.
Kim Jong Il hosted a dinner in honor of the singer and her party.
Functions held to commemorate Day of Sun
Pyongyang, April 11 (KCNA) -- Multifarious functions are going on in the DPRK on the occasion of the 90th birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung.
A meeting of agricultural workers was held yesterday in front of the statue of the President in Chongsan-ri, a historic land.
The meeting demonstrated the firm will of the officials of the Union of Agricultural Workers of Korea and the agricultural workers to carry out the behest of the president to the letter, united close around leader Kim Jong Il, with the steel-strong faith that the president is always with them.
"Leader and students," a meeting of youth and students in Pyongyang, was held at Kim Il Sung University on the same day to tell the stories about his virtues.
The meeting resounded with the stories and songs about the immortal exploits of the president, who worked heart and soul for the youth all his life, and unbounded reverence and earnest yearning for him.
A Korean stamp exhibition opened at the Pyongyang International House of Culture on the same day with due ceremony.
Displayed at the exhibition hall are more than 3,000 kinds of stamps showing the glorious revolutionary history of the president and the immortal feats he performed for the country, the people, the times and humankind.
An opening ceremony of the "Mangyongdae Cup" sports festival was held at the table-tennis gymnasium in Chongchun Street that day.
Participants in the festival will compete in some 50 events in Pyongyang and local areas with attendance of over 100 sports groups.
Day of Sun commemorated abroad
Pyongyang, April 11 (KCNA) -- Meetings were held in Denmark, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic on April 3 and 4 to commemorate the Day of the Sun, the birthday of President Kim Il Sung.
Speeches were made there. The chairman of the Bulgaria-Korea Friendship Association said Kim Il Sung was the great father of the Korean people and the world's progressives who devoted all his life to the people, believing in them as in god.
The chairman of the Paektu Czech-Korean Friendship Association and the vice-chairman of the Central Czech Regional Committee of the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia said Kim Il Sung was the greatest man in the 20th century and his idea and exploits are shining still now.
A congratulatory message to leader Kim Jong Il was adopted at the meeting held in Denmark.
Meanwhile, a seminar on the four viewpoints of the DPRK was held at the enlarged meeting of the secretariat of the c.c., the Czechoslovak Communist Party on April 3 to commemorate the anniversary.
DPRK, Armenia cooperate in culture
Pyongyang, April 11 (KCNA) -- An agreement on cultural cooperation between the governments of the DPRK and Armenia was signed on April 5.
The agreement was inked by a vice-chairman of the Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries who visited Armenia as head of the DPRK government cultural delegation, and a vice-minister of culture, youth and sports of Armenia.
DPRK team proves successful at international football tournament
Pyongyang, April 11 (KCNA) -- The DPRK team placed first at the Albena cup international woman football tournament held in Bulgaria.
In the round-robin tournament the DPRK defeated Romania 5-1, Bulgaria 4-0, Ukraine 3-0 and Russia 2-1.
It won the gold medal game by beating powerful Russia 3-0.
Iranian ambassador hosts party on Day of Sun
Pyongyang, April 11 (KCNA) -- Jalaleddin Namini Mianji, Iranian ambassador to the DPRK, hosted a party yesterday on the occasion of the 90th birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung.
In his speech at the party, he praised Kim Il Sung as a great leader who brought a change in the history of the nation and a prominent commander of the struggle against outsiders, the banner of the anti-imperialist struggle, who liberated the Korean people from outsiders' domination and brought them freedom.
The president made a distinguished contribution to the Korean revolution and the strengthening and development of the non-aligned movement, the ambassador said, adding: he left indelible impressions in the memory of the Iranian people as he provided close and excellent relations between the DPRK and the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, said in his speech:
The DPRK-Iran relations are based on close friendship Kim Il Sung forged with top leaders of Iran and have been verified in the struggle against imperialism and dominationism over the past years.
These relations are now continuing to develop on good terms under the deep care of the leaders of the two countries.
The Korean people sincerely hope that the friendly Iranian people will achieve greater success in their efforts to develop the national economy and build a modern and developed country while defending national sovereignty and consolidating political stability under the guidance of Islamic leader Khamenei and President Khatami.
Kim Ryon Ja gives performance
Pyongyang, April 11 (KCNA) --As performance was given by Kim Ryon Ja, South Korean singer in Japan, for guests of honour at the Mansudae Art Theatre yesterday after coming here to participate in the 20th April Spring Friendship Art Festival.
Seeing the performance were Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Choe Thae Bok, Jong Ha Chol, Kim Yong Sun, Kim Jung Rin, secretaries of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, and Jang Chol, chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Festival, Kang Nung Su, minister of culture, and officials concerned and artistes.
Put on the stage were Korean folk songs and contemporary songs in folk melody. Kim deeply impressed the audience by singing national songs and songs of reunification amid the warm compatriotic feelings and interest and expectation of the people in the north.
She won a particularly high acclaim of the audience when she truthfully and emotionally sang "We Are One And the Same," a new song reflecting the long-cherished desire of all the Koreans in the north, south and overseas for reunification.
"Arirang" performance praised
Pyongyang, April 11 (KCNA) -- South Korean singer Kim Ryon Ja in Japan and her party who came here to participate in the 20th April Spring Friendship Art Festival had an opportunity to watch some scenes of the mass gymnastic and artistic performance "Arirang" in overall rehearsal at the May day Stadium on Tuesday evening.
After seeing them Kim Ryon Ja had this to say:
I have heard about the "Arirang" performance but, seeing this grandiose and fascinating performance for myself today, I could scarcely believe my eyes.
Thousands of performers acting as one remind one of a machine.
Huge lighting devices are in use and everything is in perfect harmony to increase the artistic effect of the work.
Especially, background scenes are really marvellous.
I cannot understand how can over 18,000 students move as one in one mind without a single mistake.
It is my hope that not only people in South Korea and Japan but many people of the world will come here to see this splendid performance.
Conductor Kim Ho Sik said that he was greatly excited to see the "Arirang" performance.
He added:
I find it not easy to conduct over 10 musicians. So I admire the talents of the creators and artistes who produced such a masterpiece by conducting 100, 000 performers.
Musician Mitsunobu Kono said that "Arirang" can be listed as an acme of human culture and arts as it is staged in three dimensions, turning its background, the ground of the stadium and the air above it into fantastic scenery.
Musician Hiroto Kume said that seeing the flawless scenes of "Arirang," he came to have deeper understanding of the DPRK.
President Kim Il Sung, rich in emotion
Pyongyang, April 11 (KCNA) -- President Kim Il Sung was rich in emotion.
He was fond of songs, saying that songs were symbolic of victory and that revolution emerged victorious when songs were loudly sung.
A song "Nostalgia" was the favorite of the president. He frequently sang the song in those days of the hard-fought anti-Japanese war at the time when he called up emotional memories with Son Won Thae, a Korean resident in the United States, at the advanced age of eighty and before senior party and government officials.
During the Fatherland Liberation War he sang a song "Dear Kangnam" at the request of army soldiers to implant warm patriotism in their hearts.
In the period of postwar reconstruction he overcame manifold ordeals, encouraged by "Song Of Red Flag" reflecting the firm will of the Korean people to defend the red flag of the revolution to the end.
He hummed a song "We Have Nothing To Envy More In The World," looking at a paddy field rustling with golden ears of rice on his way of on-the-spot guidance and sang a folk song when he received a report over the phone that a big shoal of fish was found in the fishing ground of the east sea.
Sometimes he skillfully played a harmonica at a break in a garden and was requested again by his aide and nurse.
He wrote many poems and words of songs.
An ode "Song Of Praise Of The Bright Star" authored by him to congratulate leader Kim Jong Il on his 50th birthday is typical of revolutionary poems and words of songs.
A famous poem "On The Day Of Autumn Of Mt. Myohyang" is popular in the DPRK as it was authored by him with gem-like words to praise the beauty of the mountain.
Indeed, he is always alive in the hearts of the Korean people as a great man of sentiment.
Builder of independent machine-building industry in DPRK
Pyongyang, April 11 (KCNA) -- The Korean people are retrospecting with deep emotion the immortal exploits performed by President Kim Il Sung on the occasion of the Day of the Sun, April 15.
The people are deeply moved by the enormous efforts exerted by him to build an independent machine-building industry.
Right after the liberation of the country there was no machine-building industry to speak of even a negligible number of machine works were severely destroyed during the three-year Korean War provoked by the U.S. imperialists.
The machine-building industry entered a stage of development only after the war.
The president, possessed of clairvoyant wisdom, rebuffed great-power chauvinists' "theory of integrated economy" and advanced his original basic line of economic construction, the line of giving priority to the development of heavy industry while simultaneously developing light industry and agriculture. He led the people to build an independent machine-building industry remaining unaffected by any fluctuation, after putting up the slogan "Iron And The Machine Are The King Of Industry" as a result, tractors, trucks, bulldozers and cranes were produced in a matter of five years after the war which were followed by the manufacture of an 8-meter turning lathe and electric locomotive.
The president wrought such a miracle as a machine begetting a new machine and a factory begetting another factory, smashing all sorts of mysticism about technique. As a result, the industrialization of the country was realized in a matter of 14 years.
It was thanks to this independent and modern machine-building industry that the Korean people could successfully manufacture machines and equipment requiring up-to-the-minute technology and launch a satellite even in the period of the "Arduous March" and the forced march, thus demonstrating the tremendous might of the state.
Mangyongdae visited by endless stream of people
Pyongyang, April 11 (KCNA) -- All kinds of flowers are in full bloom in Korea in April.
An endless stream of people are visiting Mangyongdae on the occasion of the 90th birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung.
Mangyongdae is situated in the southwestern area of Pyongyang.
It is known as "the best place in Korea in the east" from ancient times from where one can enjoy a bird's-eye view of a multitude of scenery within a radius of 40 Km around it.
Kim Il Sung was born in Mangyongdae.
He grew up to be a great revolutionary, receiving revolutionary education from his parents.
Preserved there are his old home, an ash tree on which he tried to catch a rainbow in his childhood, a sliding rock and a warship rock where he trained his body and mind and other historic relics and sites.
Other historic relics and sites associated with exploits performed by members of his revolutionary family are preserved to their original state.
Mangyongdae has become a sacred place of the revolution and a place dear to the Korean people.
Different species of rare trees and flowers planted by Koreans and foreigners prompted by their sincere desire to spruce up Mangyongdae where the sun of humankind rose are now in full bloom to add beauty to its landscape.
A total of nearly 180 million Koreans including overseas compatriots and 1.9 million foreigners have visited there over the last five decades.
Talks held between delegations of WPK and Danish Communist Party (M-L)
Pyongyang, April 11 (KCNA) -- Talks between the delegations of the Workers' Party of Korea and the Danish Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist) were held here today.
Present at the talks on our side were Choe Thae Bok, secretary of the WPK Central Committee, and officials concerned and on the opposite side were the members of the delegation of the Danish Communist Party (M-L) led by its chairman Jorgen Petersen.
At the talks both sides informed each other of the activities of their parties and exchanged views on the issue of developing the friendly relations between the two parties and on a series of issues of mutual concern.
The talks proceeded in a friendly atmosphere.
Total of 1.24 billion people visit Kim Il Sung's Statue
Pyongyang, April 11 (KCNA) -- A total of 1,241,247,600 Korean people, overseas compatriots and foreigners have visited the Statue of President Kim Il Sung on Mansu Hill in Pyongyang over the last 30 years to pay homage to him since its erection in April Juche 61 (1972).
Servicemen of the Korean People's Army and people from all walks of life mounted Mansu Hill on national holidays, foundation days of their units, anniversaries and auspicious days, laid floral baskets, bouquets and flowers before his statue and paid tribute to him in humble reverence.
The number of visitors sharply increased after his demise, the greatest loss of the nation.
At the dawn of the next day after the sad news was heard, the number of visitors reached more than 300,000 and over 10 million late in July.
Shedding tears of sorrow on the historic hill, the Korean army and people hardened their determination to accomplish the cause of the sun without fail, guided by Kim Jong Il, holding Kim Il Sung in high esteem for all ages as the sun of Juche and the eternal leader of the revolution.
More than 71,500 overseas compatriots visited the socialist homeland, mounted Mansu Hill and laid floral baskets, bouquets and flowers before the president's statue and paid homage to him in humble reverence.
Party and state delegations and prominent figures from various countries, participants in international meetings, art festivals and sports tournaments and other foreigners first visited his statue after their arrival in the DPRK. A total number of the visitors reached 175,100.
Spokesman for DPRK Foreign Ministry on resumption of DPRK-U.S. talks
Pyongyang, April 11 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of the DPRK answered a question put by KCNA today as regards some misinformation about the resumption of the DPRK-U.S. talks as follows:
Recently media of some countries are reporting about the issue of resuming the DPRK-U.S. dialogue as they please.
The stand of the DPRK hoping for the resumption of the DPRK-U.S. talks is well known.
In order to improve the bilateral relations that had been brought back to those in the period of confrontation it is necessary to resume the DPRK-U.S. talks and they will be resumed any time when conditions are created.
The DPRK is of the view that such environment has not yet been created.
Given that there are factors of blocking the resumption of the DPRK-U.S. dialogue, it is necessary to remove them as soon as possible.
As the DPRK clarified more than once, it considers it possible to resume the DPRK-U.S. dialogue, if it is the true intention of the U.S. to respect its dialogue partner and let it have the dialogue on an equal footing.