Gift to Kim Jong Il
Pyongyang, May 4 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il received a gift from the delegation of the German-Korean parliamentary friendship group on a visit to the DPRK.
The gift was yesterday conveyed to Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, by Hartmut Koschyk, member of the German bundestag and chairman of the group, who is heading the delegation.
Book "Great Strategist in 21st Century" Published
Pyongyang, May 4 (KCNA) -- The Russian Paleya-Mishin Publishing House brought out book "Great Strategist in 21st Century" written by academician, prof. and dr. G. I. Korotkov, chief researcher of the Military History Institute under the Ministry of National Defence of Russia, on the occasion of the 90th birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung and the 70th birthday of the heroic Korean People's Army.
Printed on the first page of the book is a photo of leader Kim Jong Il.
The book consists of 8 chapters titled "defender of peace," "architect of army-based policy," etc.
The author cited detailed facts to explain that Kim Jong Il, carrying forward the tradition of the revolutionary family of Mangyongdae where Kim Il Sung was born, emerged a gifted thinker, talented creator, great victor and wise leader through revolutionary practices in the vortex in the 20th century.
Especially, he introduced in detail the essence of the unique army-based policy of the Workers' Party of Korea and its tremendous vitality.
Kim Jong Il is a prominent military activist and a great strategist in the present era to be specially recorded in the history, he stressed.
Sojourn of Vietnamese President in Pyongyang
Pyongyang, May 4 (KCNA) -- Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong yesterday visited the old home in Mangyongdae where President Kim Il Sung was born and spent his childhood.
They looked round historical mementos preserved in the time-honored house and had a photograph taken in front of the old home.
Tran Duc Luong wrote in the visitor's book that Mangyongdae is the cradle of the Korean revolution and a valuable school to educate the present generation and the generations to come in Korea in the revolutionary traditions and patriotism.
He also saw the mass gymnastic and artistic performance "Arirang" at the May Day Stadium.
Seeing the performance together with the guests were president Kim Yong Nam of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, foreign minister Paek Nam Sun, minister of foreign trade Ri Kwang Gun, DPRK ambassador to Vietnam Ri Hong, officials concerned and working people in the city.
The performance now being given before a capacity audience amidst the expectation and concern of the world as the excellent masterpiece of the new century was acclaimed by the audience for the tested skills of the performers and its high ideological and artistic value.
On the same day, Tran Duc Luong visited the Mangyongdae Schoolchildren's Palace.
He congratulated Kayagum and accordion circle members upon their high artistic skills and posed for a picture with them.
Tran Duc Luong and his party saw a performance given by art circle members of the schoolchildren at the theatre of the palace.
Some members of the party visited the three revolution exhibition.
Steady favorable development of relations with EU desired
Pyongyang, May 4 (KCNA) --The Korean people hope that the relations between the DPRK and EU will develop on good terms in the interests of the two sides as required by the new century, says Rodong Sinmun yesterday in a signed article dedicated to the first anniversary of the DPRK visit of the top-level EU delegation.
It goes on:
The DPRK visit of the EU delegation, the first of its kind in history, marked an epoch-making occasion in improving and boosting the relations between the DPRK and the EU and between the DPRK and EU member nations in conformity with the changed circumstances in the new century.
Early in May last year leader Kim Jong Il paid deep attention to the visit and met with it several times and had talks with it in an amicable and friendly atmosphere.
Through the visit the delegation came to have a correct understanding of the DPRK as well as the DPRK's will to improve and boost the relations with the EU and its member nations. The visit opened a new phase in the efforts to bring the DPRK-EU relations to normal. After the establishment of the relations follow-up measures, including the exchange of ambassadors, have been taken and humanitarian aid to the DPRK of the EU and its member nations and sincere cooperation in the rehabilitation of agriculture are under way. Exchanges and cooperation are brisk in various fields.
The DPRK will continue to work hard to further the ties of friendship and cooperation with the EU and its member nations and other European countries.
OPEC fund general director feted
Pyongyang, May 4 (KCNA) -- The government of the DPRK hosted a reception for general director Y. Seyyid Abdulai of the organization of petroleum exporting countries fund and his party on a visit to the DPRK at the Mansudae Assembly Hall on Friday evening.
Present there were Jo Chang Dok, vice-premier of the DPRK cabinet, vice-minister of foreign affairs Kung Sok Ung, vice-minister of agriculture Kang Kyong Uk, vice-minister of finance Jang Song Il, officials concerned, deputy representative of the un development programme in the DPRK and diplomatic envoys of Indonesia and Nigeria.
Speeches were made at the reception.
DPRK delegation leaves for Malaysia
Pyongyang, May 4 (KCNA) -- A DPRK government delegation of science and technology headed by Ri Kwang Ho, president of the academy of sciences, left Pyongyang today for Malaysia.
The delegation was seen off at Pyongyang Railway Station by Pak Sung Chae, vice-president of the academy.
Gift to Kim Jong Il from OPEC fund general director
Pyongyang, May 4 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il received a gift from the general director of the organization of petroleum exporting countries fund on a visit to the DPRK.
General director Y. Seyyid Abdulai handed it to Jo Chang Dok, vice-premier of the cabinet.
KEDO delegation leaves
Pyongyang, May 4 (KCNA) -- A KEDO delegation left today by air after participating in the negotiations of high-level experts for the implementation of the agreement on the provision of light water reactors signed between the DPRK and KEDO.
Asian regional symposium urges Japan's settlement of its past
Pyongyang, May 4 (KCNA) -- The Asian regional symposium demanding Japan's liquidation of its past opened in Pyongyang yesterday.
Hong Son Ok, chairwoman of the DPRK Measure Committee for Demanding Compensation to "Comfort Women for the Army" and the victims of the Pacific War, made a keynote report there.
The report was subtitled: "1. Damage done by imperial Japan in the Asian region," "2. Japan's attitude and stand toward the settlement of its past" and "3. Future tasks to force Japan to make earliest settlement of its past."
The reporter said:
Japan is a war criminal state that killed tens of millions of innocent Asian people through wars of plunder and aggression from the end of the 19th century to the first half of the 20th century.
After the "Meiji restoration" Japan perpetrated ceaseless bloody invasions and wars in a bid to conquer Asia and emerge the "world's empire." crimes it committed against the Asian people including Korean, Chinese and people of the southeast Asian countries were beyond human imagination.
While pursuing a three-point policy which called for killing everybody, setting fire to everything and looting everything in the occupied areas the imperial Japanese army perpetrated such inhumane acts as wounding or killing tens of millions of peaceable civilians in Korea and china.
The forced drafting of Koreans by the Japanese imperialists was barbarism reminiscent of a medieval slave hunting in view of its size, means and method.
After enacting or revising one after another such evil laws as "law on national all-out mobilization," "order for labor conscription of people," "revised order for labor conscription of people," "order for labor conscription of all middle-aged men" and "order for creation of the women's volunteers' corps and labor" the Japanese imperialists drafted at least six million Koreans for unpaid forced labor and lured or kidnapped nearly 200,000 girls and married women to reduce them to sexual slaves for the "imperial army." they killed most of them in cold blood in the end.
During their occupation of Korea the Japanese imperialists did not bother to commit such murder as shooting or burning to death, burying alive Korean revolutionaries, patriots, progressive people and more than a million innocent civilians. They even killed Koreans by hanging and dismembering them.
Material damage done by the Japanese imperialists to the Korean people reached an astronomical figure.
According to drastically curtailed data released by Japan, it plundered Korea of 363 tons of gold, more than 30 million cubic metres of timber, countless quantities of rice and various resources such as iron ore, steel, zinc and magnesite.
Japan's past crimes can be classified into crimes against humanity, slavery and war crimes as it wantonly violated justice and morality of the international community and international law by infringing upon the human rights of Koreans and other Asian people.
Japan has played every possible trick to keep acts of aggression and other crimes it committed in the last century buried into oblivion, refusing even to admit them. it is the only country in the world that greeted the second year of the 21st century without settling its past.
More than half a century has passed since the war, but Japan has neither apologized nor compensated for its hideous crimes committed in the past. On the contrary it has worked hard to embellish and justify them.
Japan has neither honestly apologized nor compensated even a bit to the DPRK, its biggest victim, and those who suffered from its crimes.
The movement to force Japan to redeem its past presents itself as an important issue for us this time of the new century.
It is necessary to create an international consultative body to demand Japan's liquidation of its past.
If such body is inaugurated, it will be possible to discuss and organize worldwide a variety of work for an early realization of Japan's postwar compensation and national and regional organizations will be able to take common steps and strengthen solidarity and thus display greater might in putting international pressure upon the Japanese authorities to liquidate their past.
It is also a common task not only for the countries and peoples who fell victim to Japan's aggression but for the world people to force Japan to admit its history of aggression and crimes and make reparation and compensation for them.
She expressed the expectation that whoever values justice and truth and respects the international law and humanitarian principles would extend positive support and solidarity to this just movement, not allowing Japan to evade liquidation of its past.
Kim Jong Il meets President of Vietnam
Pyongyang, May 4 (KCNA) - Leader Kim Jong Il today met Tran Duc Luong, President of Vietnam, on an official visit to the DPRK.
Present there were foreign minister Nguyen Dy Nien, chief of the presidential office Nguyen Canh Dinh, minister of justice Nguyen Dinh Loc and Vietnamese ambassador to the DPRK Do Thi Hoa.
Kim Jong Il had a talk with Tran Duc Luong in a friendly atmosphere.
Kim Jong Il had a picture taken with the president and his party today.