Russian ambassador hosts reception
Pyongyang, June 13 (KCNA) -- Russian ambassador to the DPRK Andrei Karlov hosted a reception on June 12 on the occasion of the National Day of the Russian Federation.
In a speech made there he said he was satisfied to note that the traditional friendly and cooperative relations between Russia and the DPRK are steadily growing stronger.
The mutual visits to the DPRK and Russia by President Putin and leader Kim Jong Il are giving a strong impetus to cooperation in political, economic, military and cultural and other fields, he said, adding: Russia and the DPRK are positively cooperating with each other in international arenas and taking a common stand on international issues.
Russia actively supports the north-south joint declaration and hopes that it will produce positive results on the Korean Peninsula in the future.
Jo Chang Dok, vice-premier of the cabinet, in a speech said that the DPRK-Russia ties with a long history and tradition are dynamically developing on the basis of close friendly relations between the heads of the two countries.
The efforts exerted by the Russian people to build powerful Russia under the leadership of respected President Putin are well known to the Korean people, he said, sincerely wishing the Russian people fresh successes in their efforts to increase the defence capability, achieve social stability, boost economy and enhance the international prestige of the country in the future.
Foreign diplomats help farmers
Pyongyang, June 13 (KCNA) -- Chinese ambassador to the DPRK Wu Donghe and embassy officials on June 11 helped members of the DPRK-China Friendship Thaekam Cooperative Farm in their farmwork.
They transplanted rice seedlings with farmers.
during the break they appreciated an art performance given by kindergartners and talked with officials of the farm.
Iranian ambassador to the DPRK Jalaleddin Namini Mianji and embassy officials yesterday helped farmers of the DPRK-Iran Friendship Saenal Cooperative Farm in their farmwork.
That day they handed aid materials to the farms.
Promising weightlifter
Pyongyang, June 13 (KCNA) -- Choe Un Sim, 20, of the Pyongyang city sports group of Korea is a promising woman weightlifter.
She set a new record in the women's 48 kg snatch at the Asian youth and juvenile weightlifting championships in Thailand in April Juche 91 (2002).
Born in Ryonggang county, Nampho city, she joined the Pyongyang city sports group in Juche 87 (1998).
She persisted in her training to attain her high goal, thus giving a good account of herself at national tournaments.
She set new records at the national championships in Juche 89 (2000), the sports tournament for "Mangyongdae Cup" and the sports tournament for "Pochonbo Torch Cup" in Juche 90 (2001).
She is in intensive training to prove successful at the forthcoming international tournaments.
Ri Hoe Chang and GNP condemned
Pyongyang, June 13 (KCNA) -- The solidarity for implementing the south-north joint declaration reportedly released a special statement on June 10 calling for judging Ri Hoe Chang and the "Grand National Party" (GNP) of South Korea and opening the future of the nation by its concerted efforts.
Asking where Ri Hoe Chang and the GNP are going when all the fellow countrymen get united as one to oppose the outsiders' war plot and achieve national reunification, the statement denounced Ri's sycophantic and treacherous deeds.
It said:
If Ri comes to power, the Korean nation will face only war holocaust.
The democratic patriotic forces should closely rally under the banner of the June 15 joint declaration, irrespective of differences in ideology, political view and religious belief, to thoroughly isolate the GNP.
Implementation of June 15 joint declaration called for
Pyongyang, June 13 (KCNA) -- Members of the reunification solidarity in Seoul and more than 200 students under the Seoul district federation of university student councils reportedly held a press conference on June 9 to make public a "declaration of Seoul district representatives for the successful holding of the June 15 grand festival for national reunification."
The declaration said they would wage a vigorous struggle to smash the U.S. moves to provoke a nuclear war, force the U.S. troops out of South Korea and oppose Ri Hoe Chang and other anti-reunification elements.
After the press conference the participants held a demonstration.
Members of the reunification solidarity in Seoul joined in the demonstration with bicycles carrying flags bearing letters "against the U.S. war" and "implementation of the June 15 joint declaration" and the students conducted propaganda activities among citizens.
Then a Seoul district rally for reunification took place at the Jongmyo park.
Meanwhile, at noon bicycle-riders left the gate of Yonsei University and went round different parts of Seoul, calling for implementing the joint declaration and holding a grand festival for national reunification.
Foreigners hope for reunification of Korea
Pyongyang, June 13 (KCNA) -- Members of the parliamentary delegation of the Tajik Republic appreciated the mass gymnastic and artistic performance "Arirang," before saying that they were optimistic about the future of a prosperous and reunified Korea led by Kim Jong Il.
Speaker of the Lower House Saidullo Khairulloev who is heading the delegation said that he could keenly feel how strong the Korean people's desire for reunification is.
A scene of a mother and son writhing in separation with the military demarcation line between them reflects the tragedy of national division, which he could not see without tears, he said.
He hoped that the Korean people would achieve great success in realizing the cause of national reunification under the leadership of Kim Jong Il.
Mamadino Ilolov, chairman of the science, education, culture and youth policy committee of the lower house, said that he felt how firm is the Korean people's conviction of the bright future of their country.
Watching a scene reflecting the desire of the Korean people for reunification, I keenly felt that Korea should be reunified independently without interference of foreign forces, he said, and stressed:
Korea is sure to be reunified in the near future.
Seminar of painters held
Pyongyang, June 13 (KCNA) -- A seminar of painters was held in Pyongyang yesterday to commemorate the 30th anniversary of leader Kim Jong Il's famous work "On Developing Korean Painting."
The work was made public on June 13, Juche 61 (1972).
Kim Jong Il in his work explained in detail requirements for developing Korean fine art on the basis of Korean painting and the issue of expanding and strengthening the creative staff and all other theoretical and practical issues arising in it.
It was stressed at the seminar that his work serves as an important document which makes it possible to bring the Juche-oriented fine art into full bloom on the basis of a profound elucidation of the leading position and role of the Korean painting in the Korean fine art.
The seminar referred to a new turn that has taken place in preserving the Juche character and national identity of Korean fine art over the last three decades.
Gift to Kim Jong Il from Vietnamese parliamentary group
Pyongyang, June 13 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il received a gift from the Vietnam-DPRK friendship parliamentary group.
The gift was handed to chairman Choe Thae Bok of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly by Nguyen Duy Quy, member of the national assembly of Vietnam and vice-chairman of the Vietnam-DPRK friendship parliamentary group, on a visit to the DPRK.
Grand festival for national reunification to be held
Pyongyang, June 13 (KCNA) -- A grand festival for national reunification to mark the 2nd anniversary of the June 15 joint declaration is due to be held in Mt. Kumgang, a famous mountain of the nation, on June 14 and 15 of Juche 91 (2002).
The festival will include such multifarious functions as a national conference for unity, a joint photo exhibition of Koreans in the north and the south and overseas, meeting of representatives from all walks of life from the north and the south and abroad, a cultural and art performance for reunification, Tano folk function and a joint tour of Mt. Kumgang.
The festival will offer an occasion of powerfully demonstrating once again the validity and the vitality of the historic north-south joint declaration and the 70 million Koreans' unshakable decision and will to open the door of reunification by their concerted efforts at any cost under the uplifted banner of the joint declaration.
Spokesman for DPRK Foreign Ministry on resumption of DPRK-U.S. dialogue
Pyongyang, June 13 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of the DPRK gave the following answer to a question put by KCNA today as regards the recent remarks made by U.S. Secretary of State Powell about the issue of resuming the DPRK-U.S. dialogue:
On June 11 Powell said that the progress in the DPRK-U.S. dialogue entirely depends on the attitude of North Korea toward major issues.
Those major issues he cited are the DPRK's stop to the nuclear proliferation, elimination of long-range missiles threatening other countries, weakening of the posture of the threatening conventional armed forces, full compliance with the safeguards accord under the NPT, etc.
This is, in essence, just like attaching preconditions to dialogue.
The United States has proposed more than once to the DPRK to resume dialogue without preconditions and to send its special envoy to explain its stand toward this.
In late April we consented to the U.S. proposal for the dispatch of its special envoy.
The DPRK cannot but draw attention to the fact that Powell put up preconditions for the progress of dialogue at a time when the U.S. side is dragging on the dispatch of its special envoy.
If dialogue is to be resumed and make progress under the situation where there is no foundation for dialogue between the DPRK and the U.S. owing to the hostile policy of the Bush administration, the U.S. should totally give up its hostile policy toward us before anything else.