Kim Jong Il receives CPC delegation
Pyongyang, May 10 (KCNA) - General Secretary Kim Jong Il on Thursday met with the visiting delegation of the Communist Party of China led by Jia Qinglin, politburo member of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the Beijing City Committee of the CPC.
On the occasion, Jia Qinglin conveyed warm regards of Jiang Zemin, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and President of China, to leader Kim Jong Il.
Kim Jong Il expressed thanks for it and asked Jia to convey his regards to Jiang Zemin. Then he had a warm and friendly talk with Jia.
He gave a dinner in honor of the delegation.
Present there on invitation were Chinese ambassador to the DPRK Wu Donghe and staff members of the Chinese embassy, together with the members of the delegation.
Secretaries of the WPK Central Committee Choe Thae Bok, Kim Kuk Thae, Jong Ha Chol and Kim Yong Sun, first vice-minister of foreign affairs Kang Sok Ju, first vice department director of the C.C., the WPK Jang Song Thaek, vice-director of the international department of the C.C., the WPK Ji Jae Ryong and generals of the Korean People's Army Hyon Chol Hae and Pak Jae Gyong were on hand.
The dinner proceeded in a cordial atmosphere overflowing with feelings of friendship.
Anecdotes about President Kim Il Sung
Pyongyang, May 10 (KCNA) -- In November, Juche 73 (1984), apricot saplings of new species were planted in the garden of the Kumsusan Assembly Hall where President Kim Il Sung worked at that time.
These saplings indigenous to an East European country were presented to the president. guests from that country visited the DPRK next year.
Seeing him tending the saplings that did not grow well because they were not adapted to the climate and soil of Korea, they asked the president when he expected fruits from the trees and told him that they would bring apricots from their country every year.
A few years later, they revisited the DPRK, bringing with them a cardboard box full of apricots. quite surprised to see trees laden with fruits bigger than what they had brought, they asked him how he could tend the trees so well.
With a smile on his face, he was so modest as to answer them by saying that he tended the trees only thinking of when he would be able to invite people to taste apricots.
It happened on one day of February, Juche 48 (1959).
That day the president inspected the Kangson Steel Works and had a lunch together with its manager.
The president offered green chilli to the manager, saying that it was cultivated by him in the green house. He added that he brought it with him as last time he saw the manager liking it very much.
He told the manager that it would be quite possible to cultivate chilli if the works built a green house depending on waste heat and workers would be very delighted to see green chilli in winter.
Deeply moved and feeling remorseful to hear that, this time the manager could not take green chilli as he liked.
Anti-reunification elements' piffle refuted
Pyongyang, May 10 (KCNA) -- Right-wing conservatives including the "Grand National Party" in South Korea are letting loose piffle that the north side is to blame for the failure to open the second meeting of the committee for the promotion of north-south economic cooperation.
In this regard Rodong Sinmun today carries a signed commentary.
It says:
The meeting failed to open because the south side did not take any responsible action against the sycophantic and treacherous remarks made by the "minister of foreign affairs and trade" of South Korea.
The anti-reunification group including the GNP are quite ignorant of what is going on and are not away from their old conception of confrontation even in the new century.
Speaking ill of the north which has exerted all efforts for reunification is an intolerable insult and provocation to it.
The provocative remarks made by the anti-reunification elements against the north to shift the responsibility for the failure to open the meeting on to it are an indication that they do not wish national reconciliation and reunification and a revelation of a criminal attempt to hamstring the implementation of the April 5 joint press release and escalate the inter-Korean confrontation.
The history and nation will certainly mete out a stern judgement to those who are keen to sow the seed of discord between compatriots and fan up confrontation, going against the desire of the whole nation for the improved inter-Korean ties and the reunification of the country.
Promising swimmer
Pyongyang, May 10 (KCNA) -- Cha Song Jin, 13-year old student of the juvenile maritime sports school in Pyongyang, is a holder of national juvenile freestyle swimming title.
He has retained his championship for four years.
He began learning swimming at the age of 8 and his strong points are fast start and quick strokes.
He strokes more than three times while others do two times.
He came first in juvenile 50m freestyle at the sports contest for "Jangjasan Cup" in Juche 87 (1998).
In the following year he set a new juvenile record, drawing the attention of experts.
he had the pleasure to send a letter to leader Kim Jong Il in which he pledged himself to intensify the training to emerge a world champion.
After receiving his letter, Kim Jong Il sent his autographic message to the boy.
Always bearing this loving care deep in mind, cha is undergoing an intensive training to attain his goal. He is now regarded as a promising swimmer.
Members of hq of Jeju Islanders' Movement for S-N Cooperation arrive
Pyongyang, May 10 (KCNA) -- A visiting group of Jeju islanders in South Korea headed by director general Kang Yong Sok of the headquarters of the Jeju Islanders' Movement for South-North Cooperation arrived here today at the invitation of the national reconciliation council of the DPRK.
It was greeted at the airport by Ho Hyok Phil, vice-chairman of the council, and officials concerned.
Kwangmyongsong Saltern
Pyongyang, May 10 (KCNA) -- The Kwangmyongsong Saltern is situated in Songjon bay of Kumya county, South Hamgyong Province on the east coast of Korea.
The saltern, commissioned in October Juche 88 (1999), is the first large salt producer built on the east coast.
The east coast is known to be impossible to build a saltern from old times because the slope of the seabed is steep.
So salt had to be carried to the east coastal areas from the west coastal areas and it was a heavy burden to the state for a long time.
In the period of the "arduous march" and the forced march, people in South Hamgyong Province built a 30 km-long dike with millions of cubic metres of earth and stones by their own efforts for three years and established the Kwangmyongsong Saltern, opening a new history of salt industry in the east coastal areas for the first time in national history.
Its annual production capacity is tens of thousands of tons.
Hundreds of modern dwelling-houses covered by fruit trees around the saltern and chess board-like salt fields form a fairyland in harmony with the sea.
Such a saltern has been built in North Hamgyong Province on the east coast.
CPC delegation leaves
Pyongyang, May 10 (KCNA) -- The delegation of the Communist Party of China (CPC) led by Jia Qinglin, member of the political bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the Beijing City Committee of the CPC, left here today after concluding its 5-day visit to the DPRK.
It was seen off at the airport by Choe Thae Bok, alternate member of the political bureau and secretary of the C.C., the Workers' Party of Korea, officials concerned, Wu Donghe, Chinese ambassador to the DPRK, and embassy officials.
The delegation visited the International Friendship Exhibition, the victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum, Pyongyang Metro, and the Pyongyang Children's Foodstuff Factory on May 8 and 9.
Kim Jong Il calls on CPC delegation at lodging quarters
Pyongyang, May 10 (KCNA) - General Secretary Kim Jong Il today visited the lodging guarters where the delegation of the Communist Party of China led by Jia Qinglin, politburo member of the C.C., CPC and secretary of the Beijing City Committee of the CPC, is staying.
Kim Jong Il was received there by Jia Qinglin and members of the delegation and Chinese ambassador to the DPRK Wu Donghe and his embassy officials.
He expressed thanks to Jia Qinglin again for kindly guiding him with all sincerity during his sightseeing tour of Beijing in May 2000, and had a cordial conversation with him.
Jia Qinglin expressed heartfelt thanks to Kim Jong Il for showing deep care and solicitude to the delegation and calling at its lodging quarters though he was very busy.
Kim Jong Il gave a luncheon in honor of the guests.
U.S. assailed for its interference in DPRK's religious affair
Pyongyang, May 10 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of the DPRK today answered KCNA as regards the U.S. smear campaign against the DPRK over its "religious issue":
Recently, the U.S. commission on religious freedom in an "annual report" again groundlessly termed the DPRK a "state suppressing religion."
The groundless accusations levelled by the U.S. against the DPRK over its religious situation is a stereotyped practice which is, in fact, not worth even a passing note.
In the DPRK religious freedom is fully guaranteed by law.
It is a widely known fact that in the U.S. Islam and other religions are considered as heretical and many religionists are subject to constant watch, persecution and suppression by the authorities.
Such being a hard fact, the U.S. is raising a hue and cry over the non-existent "religious issue" in the DPRK. This can not be construed otherwise than another undisguised provocation and an attempt to interfere in its internal affairs.
The U.S. is well advised to think twice and behave itself.