Kim Jong Il sees performance given by Russian dance troupe
Pyongyang, June 29 (KCNA) - General Secretary Kim Jong Il saw a performance given by the visiting Russian Moiseyev State Academy Folk Dance Troupe at the Mansudae Art Theatre Friday.
The moment he entered the auditorium, the whole audience enthusiastically welcomed him with rousing cheers.
Artistes of the troupe presented a basket of flowers to him, offering congratulations to him.
He was accompanied by director of the general political department of the Korean People's Army Jo Myong Rok, minister of the People's Armed Forces Kim Il Chol, secretaries of the Central Committee of the WPK Choe Thae Bok, Kim Kuk Thae, Kim Jung Rin, Kim Ki Nam, Kim Yong Sun and Jong Ha Chol, senior officials of the party and the army, power organs, administrative and economic bodies and working people's organizations and in the fields of science, education, health, culture, art and media and KPA servicemen.
Also among the audience were head of the troupe Yelena Shervakova, Russian ambassador to the DPRK Andrei Karlov.and embassy officials.
The performance given by the troupe during the 20th April Spring Friendship Art Festival deeply impressed the Korean people.
This time it put on the stage colorful dance pieces including Russian dances "Russian suite" and "partisans", Azerbaijan dance "shepherds", Argentinian dance "malambo" and Ukrainian dance "gopak".
The Russian artistes truthfully represented the optimistic life and national emotion of the Russian people and peculiar aspects of life of different countries and nations with their refined artistic skills and elegant and enthusiastic rhythms.
The performance ended with the loud singing of "Song of General Kim Jong Il" in Russian and Korean.
The performance was highly acclaimed by the audience.
Kim Jong Il sent a floral basket to the performers congratulating them on their successful performance.
Kim Jong Il receives Russian artistes
Pyongyang, June 29 (KCNA) - General Secretary Kim Jong Il yesterday received Yelena Shervakova, head of the Russian Moiseyev State Academy Folk Dance Troupe on a visit to the DPRK, and its other leading members and principal actors and actresses.
On hand were director of the general political department of the Korean People's Army Jo Myong Rok, minister of the People's Armed Forces Kim Il Chol, secretaries of the WPK Central Committee Choe Thae Bok and Jong Ha Chol, vice-director of the international department of the C.C., the WPK Ji Jae Ryong and Russian ambassador to the DPRK Andrei Karlov.
Kim Jong Il warmly welcomed the visit of the troupe to the DPRK and thanked them for giving a splendid performance before having a warm and friendly talk with them.
The head of the troupe courteously conveyed to him a letter of thanks from Igor Moiseyev, founder and permanent leader of the dance troupe, and sincerely thanked him for inviting them to visit the DPRK again and appreciating their performance despite the pressure of work.
Gift to Kim Jong Il from Chinese delegation
Pyongyang, June 29 (KCNA) - General Secretary Kim Jong Il received a gift from the visiting delegation of the world affairs press of China.
The gift was handed to an official concerned by president of the press Wang Chengjia who is the head of the delegation.
Photo exhibition on anniversary of National Day of Luxembourg
Pyongyang, June 29 (KCNA) -- A photo exhibition was held here on June 27 and 28 on the occasion of the 135th anniversary of the National Day of Luxembourg.
After Kim Yong Ho, chairman of the Korea-Luxembourg Friendship Association, made a speech, members of the association and working people in the city looked round photos introducing Luxembourg.
Paddy fields in DPRK hard hit by lissorhoptrus oryzophilus
Pyongyang, June 29 (KCNA) -- Damage by lissorhoptrus oryzophilus is spreading to all parts of the DPRK.
According to information available from officials concerned of the Ministry of Agriculture, 85 percent of the paddy fields of the country are hard hit by those insects that appeared in all parts of the country in mid-April due to the lack of pesticide.
Hardest hit are all the paddy fields on the west coast, the nation's food basket, and the area south of Hamhung on the east coast.
In those areas, the number of insects per 1 m2 reportedly trebles that in the same period of last year.
Though hard pressed for everything, officials and working people in the agricultural field are working hard to minimize the damage by insects.
First all-people rally held in S. Korea
Pyongyang, June 29 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, on June 28 sent a message of sympathy to Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.
The message says:
Upon hearing the sad news that a recent flood hit hard the southern region of Russia, claiming many human lives and material losses, the message expressed deep sympathy and consolation to the president, the Russian government and the inhabitants in the flood-stricken areas.
He sincerely hoped that thanks to the active measures and efforts of the Russian government the people in the area would recover from the flood damage and their living return to normal at an early date.
Kim Yong Nam sends message of sympathy to Russian President
Pyongyang, June 29 (KCNA) -- The "first all-people rally for probing the truth behind the murder of middle-school girls Sin Hyo Sun and Sim Mi Son by a U.S. armored car and punishing those responsible" took place before the gate of the U.S. second division in Uijongbu, South Korea, on June 26, according to a news report.
The participants demanded the U.S. military side's official apology and thorough probe into the truth, the authorities' punishment of those responsible, compensation for damage, the overall revision of the unequal U.S.-South Korea "status of forces agreement" and the complete withdrawal of the U.S. forces.
The rally proceeded for five hours in clash with the U.S. troops and police.
When the demonstrators were checked by police, they tore the marker of the U.S. second division off the right side of the gate and cut off wire entanglements over the fence to get access.
The U.S. troops in a flurry blocked the demonstrators with guns and shields and pounced upon two reporters who entered into the U.S. military base through the wire entanglements cut off, deprived them of cameras to break them, and walked them away under the pretext of "illegal entry".
Meanwhile, the U.S. military side set up a barricade and fired water cannon blasts at demonstrators and newspaper cameramen who thronged to take pictures of the walking away of the pressmen and the moves of the U.S. troops.
Enraged at this, the demonstrators strongly urged the U.S. forces to accept their demand, pelting stones at the U.S. forces.
They were determined to fight out for an apology of the U.S. military side end probe into the truth.
The "joint measure committee for the late Sin Hyo Sun and Sim Mi Son, middle-school girls killed by U.S. military car" on June 27 said it would indict a lance corporal of the engineering corps of the u.s. second division, the commander and four others.
KCNA on Japan's unchangeable ambition
Pyongyang, June 29 (KCNA) -- The Japanese chief executive in an interview with the International Herald Tribune on June 19 said "Japan should work to contribute to Asian security by sending its 'self-defence forces' (SDF) overseas."
His reckless remarks lay bare the unchangeable ambition of Japan to realize its old dream of the "Greater East Asia Coprosperity Sphere" aimed to establish an unchallenged domination over Asia.
Japan's overseas dispatch of the SDF can never be tolerated as it means overseas aggression from a to z, not any contribution to Asian peace and security.
This is a criminal act in violation of article 9 of the "peace constitution" which permanently renounces war and the use of force by the state power in any case.
Japan has been active in dispatching the SDF overseas under the pretext of "logistic assistance" to the U.S. "anti-terrorism war" since the "September 11 incident." recently it sent two more warships to the Indian ocean.
Against the backdrop of these moves the Japanese chief executive clamored about the stepped-up dispatch of the SDF.
This only betrays Japan's criminal intention to get more soldiers of the SDF involved in overseas military operations and rush headlong into a war of reinvasion against Asia in real earnest.
Japan's escalation of overseas military actions under the pretext of "logistic assistance" to the U.S. military operation for retaliation is little short of a new criminal act of driving the innocent people to death.
It is the ulterior motive of the Japanese reactionaries to repeat their history of aggression in which Japan harassed the world peace and imposed unspeakable pain and disasters upon the Asian people, escalate it world-wide and launch a war for world domination.
Such moves of Japan for overseas military expansion are heightening the vigilance of the people of Asia and the rest of the world and meeting their strong rebuff.
The Japanese reactionaries are well advised to properly know about Asia today aspiring after independence and peace and drop their foolish attempt to justify the "overseas dispatch of the SDF" under the pretext of "Asian security".
KCNA assails 'RIMPAC" exercise
Pyongyang, June 29 (KCNA) -- U.S.-led joint military exercise "RIMPAC-2002" started in waters near Hawaii on June 25.
It is involved by U.S. forces, Japanese "self-defense forces" and huge marine and air forces of various countries. This is, therefore, the largest multi-national offensive naval maneuver in the pacific region.
RIMPAC-2002 is aimed to set several countries on the move to carry out the U.S. plan for a war of aggression and thus realize its ambition to dominate Asia by "containing" the DPRK and other independent countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
It can not but arouse concern and vigilance among the international community as the exercise was launched at a time when the U.S. is loudmouthed about "preemptive attacks" on independent countries under the pretext of "combating terrorism."
Through the exercise the U.S. seeks to round off the multi-national forces' combat capability and control system and make them serve its war purpose any time.
It is the keynote of the U.S. strategy for dominating Asia to put the whole of Korea under the U.S. control and use the peninsula as a springboard from which to realize its military domination over Asia.
To this end, the U.S. is conducting ceaseless sabre-rattlings against the DPRK after deploying huge armed forces in Japan and in and around the Korean Peninsula.
Regarding the Korean Peninsula as a main theatre of its military operation, the U.S. is keen to perfect its offensive operation scenario to invade the DPRK through "RIMPAC" mainly targeted against it.
The prevailing situation where the U.S. is escalating its moves for confrontation to contain the DPRK by "strength", while talking about "dialogue" with it, compels it to heighten vigilance against the moves and further increase its capacity for self-defence.
The on-going exercise is bound to result in straining the situation on the Korean Peninsula and in the Asia-Pacific region and harassing global peace and stability.
The U.S. is well advised to face up to the trend of the times toward a peaceful world free from war, get rid of its cold war mentality and drop its reckless ambition to dominate the world.
"Arirang" given wide publicity by world media
Pyongyang, June 29 (KCNA) -- Two months have passed since the premiere of the mass gymnastic and artistic performance "Arirang" given at the may day stadium on April 29 for foreigners and overseas compatriots.
In this period world media have given wide publicity to the performance staged in Pyongyang everyday before a capacity audience.
The Chinese People's Daily said in its article entitled "DPRK:
'Arirang' welcomes you" that "Arirang", the most typical famous folk song in Korea, truthfully represents the Korean nation's feelings towards love, its hope for a beautiful life, the Koreans' distinct national character and trait, peculiar and rich feelings and the nation's strong aspiration.
It was repeatedly introduced by media of china including Xinhua News, Ryonyong Joson Munbo, Beijing Wanbo, Killim Sinmun, and the Hong Kong papers Wen Heibo, Singtao, Sinpao and Mingpao.
Japanese papers such as Yomiuri Shimbun, Asahi Shimbun, Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Tokyo Shimbun and Chiba Nippo and Kyodo News said that "Arirang" struck the audience when those on the background presented diverse slogans and scenes in succession and young men and women in elegant national costumes staged dances and gymnastic displays on the field of the stadium.
Televisions of India, Indonesia and Malaysia introduced "Arirang" echoing impressions given by different figures under the titles: "Am I dreaming or awake?", "I have seen the acme of human culture" and "this huge extravaganza reflects the decision and will of the DPRK to carry out what it is determined to do.
European media and televisions also gave wide publicity to "Arirang", saying that the gymnastic and artistic performance is a very peculiar and rare extravaganza unprecedented in history in its theme and size".
The Russian RTR and the Romanian pro TV reported that "Arirang" performed by over 100,000 persons is beyond human imagination, saying "performance like 'Arirang' can be seen in the DPRK only".
Greetings to Algerian prime minister
Pyongyang, June 29 (KCNA) -- Hong Song Nam, premier of the DPRK cabinet, sent a message of greetings to Ali Benflis upon his reappointment as prime minister of Algeria.
The message expressed belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would continue to develop on good terms and wished him greater success in his work for socio-political stability and economic prosperity of the country.
Meanwhile, foreign minister Paek Nam Sun sent a message of greetings to Abdelaziz Belkhadem upon his reappointment as Algerian minister of state and minister of foreign affairs.
Greetings to President of Democratic Congo
Pyongyang, June 29 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, on June 26 sent a message of greetings to Joseph Kabila, President of Democratic Congo, on the occasion of the 42nd anniversary of its independence.
Expressing belief that good friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would further develop in conformity with the aspiration and interests of the two peoples, the message sincerely wished the president, government and people of Democratic Congo greater success in the work for national unity, territorial integrity, peace and development.
S. Korean army commits grave provocation in West Sea of Korea
Pyongyang, June 29 (KCNA) -- The South Korean army committed such a grave provocation as firing bullets and shells at patrol boats of the navy of the Korean People's Army on routine coastal guard duty in the West Sea of Korea today, according to a military source.
Warships of the South Korean navy fired hundreds of bullets and shells at our patrol boats when they moved out to stop those warships which had intruded deep into our territorial waters, southwest of Yonphyong islet, together with at least 10 fishing vessels at about 10:10 am.
In retaliation against this, DPRK warships were compelled to take a self-defensive step. As a result, there was an exchange of fire between the two sides, causing losses.
The incident was a premeditated military provocation on the part of the South Korean military from a to z.
Recently, the South Korean army infiltrated warships and fishing boats deep into the territorial waters of the north side almost everyday and they pretended to retreat from there when naval patrol boats of the north sailed there, straining the situation.
The South Korean military authorities sought to invent any shocking incident in the West Sea, thus aggravating the inter-Korean relations that have been in the process of detente.
They can never flee from the responsibility for the armed provocations. They should stop acting rashly, mindful of the grave consequences to be entailed by such provocations.