Film show given for Day of Sun
Pyongyang, April 13 (KCNA) -- The Pyongyang city people's committee arranged a film show at the Taedonggang club for the diplomatic corps on Friday to commemorate the 90th birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung.
Present on invitation were Chinese residents in the city.
The participants saw "The Great Life in 1994", a Korean documentary which records historical scenes showing the revolutionary feats of the president.
Then, a singing gathering of Chinese residents in Pyongyang was held.
The performers lauded the president, singing Korean songs including an immortal revolutionary paean "Song of General Kim Il Sung", "nostalgia" and "our leader".
Message to Kim Jong Il from Norodom Sihanouke
Pyongyang, April 13 (KCNA) -- King of Cambodia Norodom Sihanouk sent a message to leader Kim Jong Il on April 6 on the occasion of the 90th birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung.
In the message, he said that the minds of the Cambodian people, parliament, government, the royal family and himself are running toward the places of important commemorative events held to pray for the eternal life of the president, who achieved the country's liberation and independence and led the struggle against all sorts of hegemonism all his life.
Basing himself on the Juche philosophy, the president mobilized the Korean people so skillfully for the reconstruction and overall development of the country. And he firmly stood on the side of the world people aspiring after national liberation, independence and the non-aligned movement and set a brilliant example of fraternal solidarity with them, the message noted.
Saying that the peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula, the highest goal of the president, is successfully being realized by Kim Jong Il, it wholeheartedly hoped that this historic mission would be discharged without fail.
Letter to Kim Jong Il from foreign diplomats
Pyongyang, April 13 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il received a congratulatory letter from diplomats in charge of cultural and friendly relations of foreign embassies here on the occasion of the 90th birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung.
On behalf of those diplomats, Stanislaw Skowron, Councillor of the Polish embassy here, conveyed the letter to an official concerned on Thursday.
Gift to Kim Jong Il from IIJI director general
Pyongyang, April 13 (KCNA) -- Vishwanath, director general of the International Institute of the Juche Idea, presented a gift to leader Kim Jong Il on the occasion of the 90th birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung.
The gift was handed to an official concerned by the director general on a visit to the DPRK on Wednesday.
Book "Legends on Kumsusan Memorial Palace" published
Pyongyang, April 13 (KCNA) -- The Literature and Art Publishing House recently brought out book "Legends on the Kumsusan Memorial Palace" vol. 2.
The book contains over 30 revolutionary legends on the greatness of President Kim Il Sung.
Among them are legends praising the president as a great person who knew the providence of the universe and looked far ahead into the distant future with insight, and as the benevolent father who devoted his all to the people.
There are also legends reflecting the Korean people's faith that the president is always with them as they are guided by Kim Jong Il.
The book also carries anecdotes about the president's frugal life, records of mysterious natural wonders, legends on his revolutionary family members in Mangyongdae, old legends on the Kumsusan area and nearly 30 photographs proving that those collected legends are based on historical facts.
Book on Kim Il Sung's feats released
Pyongyang, April 13 (KCNA) -- The Workers' Party of Korea Publishing House recently brought out book "The Great Leader Comrade Kim Il Sung, the Sun of Juche".
The book tells about the enormous feats President Kim Il Sung performed for the history of the Korean nation in his lifetime and their greatness.
It consists of three parts and nine chapters.
Its first part "the great pioneer of the Juche era" says that the president opened the era of Juche in which the Korean people, once maltreated and oppressed, shape their destinies in an independent and creative way as masters of history.
The second part "the great founder of socialist Korea" says that he achieved the historical cause of national liberation, successfully carried out the anti-imperialist, anti-feudal democratic revolution and, on this basis, led the socialist revolution and socialist construction to victory, thus building Korean socialism centred on the popular masses in this land.
The third part "the great lodestar of the nation" deals with the feats he performed in making the Korean nation an independent and powerful nation and creating a new history of national unity.
Cambodian ambassador hosts reception
Pyongyang, April 13 (KCNA) -- Cambodian ambassador to the DPRK Oum Mannorine hosted a reception at the embassy Friday evening on the occasion of the 90th birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung.
The ambassador said that the friendly relations between the two countries which were provided by Cambodian King Norodom Dihanouk and Kim Il Sung are long standing.
He expressed the conviction that the special and excellent bonds of friendship between the two countries would develop forever.
Foreign minister Paek Nam Sun in a speech said that the president founded the Juche idea, thus clearly indicating the road to be followed by humankind, and led the revolution and construction along the road of victory. In this course the president enabled the Korean people to emerge the most proud and dignified people and performed outstanding feats in the history of the struggle for human emancipation, he added.
The Korean people will, in the future, too, make positive efforts to boost the traditional friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries true to the intention of leader Kim Jong Il.
KCNA refutes U.S. clamour about DPRK's "human rights issue"
Pyongyang, April 13 (KCNA) -- A Representative of the United States reportedly termed the DPRK a "state with serious human rights problem" at the 58th meeting of the United Nations commission on human rights held on April 8.
This can never be tolerated as it directly reflects the U.S. hostile policy toward the DPRK intended to tarnish the DPRK's international image and intensify its offensive to put pressure upon it over "human rights issue."
The U.S. groundlessly pulled up the DPRK over its "human rights performance" through its "annual report on human rights" and whenever an opportunity presented itself.
This indicates that the U.S. has not yet dropped its sinister intention to divorce the Workers' Party of Korea from the Korean people and overthrow their man-centred socialist system, refusing to recognize it.
A saying goes that scratch me and I will scratch you. Given that the U.S. persists in slinging mud at the DPRK, it can not but say what it should say.
As for the issue of violating the people's freedom, it is not the DPRK but the U.S. which should be called to question.
The "U.S.-style freedom" claimed to be standards of the U.S. human rights, is based on the amount of dollars. This reduces people to slaves of money and deprives the overwhelming majority of working people in the U.S. of freedom of elementary human rights and right to existence.
Human rights precisely mean sovereign rights of a state. The U.S. has committed countless crimes of violating the sovereign rights of other countries.
The U.S. can never deny the fact that it carried out over 70 wars and countless cases of military intervention in the past, violating the sovereignty of other countries and the human rights of their people.
Under the pretext of "human rights issue" the U.S. has interfered in the internal affairs of the countries situated in the major regions rich in natural resources and in the areas of military strategic importance and used force of arms allegedly to settle regional issues and disputes.
It is a well-known fact that the U.S. cited "human rights issue" of a country as a pretext to use "force" against it.
All facts go to prove that the U.S. is vociferous about "human rights issues" to meet its political interests. It is talking about the "human rights situation" in the DPRK while keeping mum about its wrongdoings. This can convince no one.
The U.S. styles itself a "human rights judge" though it is the land with the world's poorest human rights record. It, therefore, cannot but stand censured by the international community.
Performances to be given by famous artistes
@Pyongyang, April 13 (KCNA) -- The 20th April Spring Friendship Art Festival will be held between April 14 and 24 in Pyongyang on the occasion of the 90th birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung.
It will be participated in by many world famous art organizations.
Among them is the Moiseyev State Academy National Dance Ensemble of Russia with an about 70 year-long history. It was founded by Moiseyev. It will stage a peculiar program during the festival.
The participants in the festival will also include a group of winners of international and national concours and other famous actors and actresses of Russia.
Top class actors and actresses and other famous artistes selected from the song and dance troupe of the general political department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army and the Chinese circus troupe will perform colourful numbers including Korean songs.
The symphony orchestra of Germany made up of over 80 young musicians will play a series of symphonies in cooperation with the Yun I Sang orchestra.
It will also be participated in by winners of international and national concours and other famous vocalists, musicians, dancers and acrobats of various countries such as Spain, Italy, Mongolia, India, Cuba, Moldova and France.
The festival has become an international assembly of artistes recognized by the world as it is attended by an increasing number of famous actors and actresses every year.
DPRK government economic delegation back home
Pyongyang, April 13 (KCNA) -- The DPRK government economic delegation led by Jo Chang Dok, vice-premier of the cabinet, came back home yesterday from its visit to the far east of the Russian Federation.
They were greeted at the airport by Jong Mun San, chief secretary of the cabinet, and Andrei Karlov, Russian ambassador to the DPRK, and others.
Day of Sun
Pyongyang, April 13 (KCNA) -- Korea commemorates April 15 as the Day of the Sun every year. April 15 is the birthday of President Kim Il Sung, the father of socialist Korea.
He founded the immortal Juche idea in his early years and successfully embodied it, thus turning Korea into a powerful socialist country, independent, self-supporting and self-reliant in national defence, and performing immortal feats for the human cause of independence in the idea of independence, peace and friendship.
For his immortal exploits, he is praised as the sun of humankind by the Korean people and the world progressives.
In Korea the Juche year was set with 1912, the year when the president was born, as its first year and April 15 as the Day of the Sun in reflection of the desire of all the Koreans and the world progressives.
On the day of the sun preparatory committees were formed in many countries and multifarious functions are brisk to commemorate the day every year.
The day is more significantly commemorated this year.
Pyongyang is astir with political, cultural and sports events. It will soon host the April Spring Friendship Art Festival which brings together over 90 organizations from at least 60 countries.
The all-round rehearsal of the mass gymnastic and artistic performance "Arirang", the masterpiece of the century, is adding to festivity.
Every nook and corner of country visited by President Kim Il Sung
Pyongyang, April 13 (KCNA) -- President Kim Il Sung had visited every nook and corner of the country to guide various fields of the national economy and units of the Korean People's Army from right after the liberation of the country till the last moments of his life.
It took a total of 8,650 days for him to inspect a total of 20,600 units.
He covered a total of 578,000 kms to provide field guidance which is long enough to go round the earth 14 and half times.
In working out every line and policy in each period and at each stage of the revolution he made it a rule to get familiar with the will of the people not in his office but through field guidance and correctly reflect their requests, interests and hopes in them.
The president visited a total of 87 countries on 54 occasions spending 685 days since the liberation of the country. He covered a total of 522,460 Km for foreign visits.
The president led the cause of socialism to victory in all fields including party, state and army building, social transformation, nature-harnessing, human transformation by a new method of leadership over the masses called on-the-spot-guidance unprecedented in history.
Gifts to Kim Il Sung
Pyongyang, April 13 (KCNA) -- President Kim Il Sung was presented with gifts by the progressive people of the world in praise of his immortal exploits in accomplishing the human cause of independence.
According to data available, he received more than 165,839 gifts from the heads of state and government and party leaders of 169 countries, figures of political parties and public organizations, international organizations, overseas compatriots and South Korean people on 26,960 occasions till March this year after the liberation of the country.
Among them 2,668 gifts were sent by Stalin, Mao Zedong, Fidel Castro Ruz, Mohamed Hosni Mubarak, Norodom Sihanouk and other heads of state on 574 occasions.
836 gifts came from leaders of political parties of different countries including the general secretary of the Spanish Communist Party, the general secretary of the Communist Party of Portugal, the chairman of the central committee of the Communist Party of Netherlands and the general secretary of the Workers' Party of Ireland and 548 gifts from heads of government of Lebanon, Iran, Yemen, Central Africa, Algeria, Sweden, Switzerland, Chile and many other countries.
He also received 71,301 gifts from international organizations, prominent political and public figures, businessmen and individuals of various countries.
Overseas compatriots and South Korean people presented him with 94,935 gifts on 11,283 occasions.
Among the gifts are works of art depicting his image, his famous works which were translated into different languages, songs of praise for the great man, furniture, golden, silver and other handiworks, articles of value, stuffed animals and peculiar animals and plants.
Japan urged to redeem its past crimes
Pyongyang, April 13 (KCNA) -- It is quite natural for the DPRK to force Japan to apologize and compensate for its crimes from the legal and moral points of view and it is its legitimate right, says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article.
It says:
The Japanese imperialists committed most hideous crimes in history against the Korean people.
During the 7 year-long Imjin Patriotic War (1592-1598) Japan devastated Korea and killed Koreans in cold blood. It did mental, human and material damage to the Korean people for over 40 years after occupying it early in the 20th century. This was the worst crime in human history in view of their form, method, content and scope.
Japan kidnapped and drafted by force more than 6 million young and middle-aged Koreans and killed at least one million of them after forcing them to do mediaeval slave labour. This was an unpardonable monstrous crime.
Japan forced nearly 200,000 Korean women into sexual slavery for the "Japanese Imperial Army," the most hideous crime against humanity.
During the last Korean War, too, Japan not only rendered cooperation to the U.S. Imperialist's War of aggression against the DPRK, but took a direct part in it.
Japan plundered Korea after invading it and has repeatedly stood in the way of Korea's reunification and progress for one century.
These crimes earned Japan an ill-fame of being the Korean people's sworn enemy.
It is the invariable stand and unshakable will of the Korean people to force Japan by every possible means and method to redress its past crimes in the present generation at any cost.
If Japan remains hostile toward the DPRK while turning aside from the issue of redressing its past, it will touch off the Korean people's bitter wrath against Japan and it will not escape from a deserved punishment.
Events held to commemorate Day of Sun
Pyongyang, April 13 (KCNA) -- Performances were given by art circle members of workers and families of office employees from different parts of the country at the People's Palace of Culture and the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre yesterday to commemorate the 90th birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung.
Among those in the audience were Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, Choe Thae Bok and Jong Ha Chol, secretaries of the c.c. the Workers' Party of Korea, and other senior party and state officials.
Put on the stages were colorful programs representing the unbounded reverence for the president, the sun of the nation and founder of socialist Korea, and highly praising his immortal leadership exploits and noble trait.
Also presented there were numbers singing high praises of the greatness of leader Kim Jong Il who has made ceaseless long trips to provide army-based revolutionary leadership for the prosperity of Kim Il Sung's nation.
A school youth and children and kindergartners art exhibition of the Pyongyang fine art festival was opened with due ceremony at the Pyongyang Schoolchildren's Palace that day.
On display at the exhibition are over 500 art works done by school youth and children and kindergartners across the country, school youth and children of overseas compatriots and those from Russia, India, Egypt and Mongolia.
National meeting of KCU held
Pyongyang, April 13 (KCNA) -- A joint national meeting of the Organizations of the Korean Children's Union (KCU) was held in the plaza of the Kumsusan Memorial Palace, the sacred temple of Juche, today on the occasion of the 90th birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung.
Present there were representatives of the KCU organizations of provinces, members of the KCU in Pyongyang and children who are joining the union.
Kim Kyong Ho, first secretary of the central committee of the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League, made a report.
He said that all the members of the KCU offer the highest respect and glory to Kim Il Sung who devoted his all to the younger generation to the last moments of his great life on the occasion of his 90th birth anniversary.
He called on the three million members of the KCU to get fully prepared as true children's lifeguards devotedly defending leader Kim Jong Il and future builders of a powerful nation with unshakable worship of him true to the behest of the president.
A ceremony of admission to the KCU was held there.
The children joining the union took a solemn oath before the banner of the union.
Senior officials, anti-Japanese revolutionary fighters, officials concerned and their parents put red ties around their necks and pinned KCU badges on their chests.
Congratulatory speeches were made there.
Among those present were Kim Jung Rin, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, and officials concerned.
Joint statement of north-south organizations published
Pyongyang, April 13 (KCNA) -- A contact between representatives of different organizations of the north and the south took place in Mt. Kumgang between April 11 and 12.
A joint statement of the organizations was issued yesterday.
It says:
Organizations of the north and south fully support the joint press release issued by the authorities of the north and the south in Pyongyang on April 5 and will render energetic help to its implementation and conduct a movement for reunification this year focussing on removing the danger of war, a product of foreign forces, by the concerted efforts of the Korean nation and creating an atmosphere favorable for the peace and reunification of the country in line with the June 15 Joint Declaration.
The organizations will promote contacts and dialogues for national unity and reunification to put spurs to the movement for reunification this year and join hands with all the organizations supporting the joint declaration in this course.
The organizations will hold functions for reunification in various fields including the June 15 grand festival for national reunification, the August 15 joint national function, the north-south women's meeting for reunification and the north-south students' function for reunification and continue to consult and agree on specific issues such as venues of those events for reunification.
The organizations will strengthen solidarity and unity between them and conduct more brisk cooperation and exchange.
Guinean government delegation arrives
Pyongyang, April 13 (KCNA) -- A Guinean government delegation led by Jean-Paul Aarr, minister of agriculture and stockbreeding, arrived here today on the occasion of the 90th birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung.
The delegation was met at the airport by Kung Sok Ung, vice-minister of foreign affairs.
Chinese government cultural delegation here
Pyongyang, April 13 (KCNA) -- A Chinese government cultural delegation led by Sun Jiazheng, minister of culture, arrived here today to participate in the 20th April Spring Friendship Art Festival.
It was met at the airport by Kim Jun Han, vice-minister of culture who is also vice-chairman of the festival organizing committee, and Wu Donghe, Chinese ambassador to the DPRK.