S. Korean military to blame for armed clash in West Sea
Pyongyang, June 30 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the navy command of the Korean People's Army gave the following answer to the question raised by KCNA on Sunday as regards the false propaganda made by the South Korean military authorities about the armed clash that occurred in the West Sea:
As already reported, there was an unexpected exchange of fire between the two sides due to reckless armed provocations by South Korean naval vessels in the West Sea on June 29, causing losses of human lives and the sinking of a vessel.
This notwithstanding, the joint chiefs of staff of the South Korean Army provided to the media misinformation that two patrol boats of the navy of the Korean People's Army trespassed on the "northern boundary line" along with fishing boats in operation and the navy of the south side opened fire in retaliation against the preemptive firing made by our patrol boats, in a bid to launch noisy false propaganda.
This was a premeditated sheer fabrication made to serve its sinister purpose of laying blame for the incident at our door.
It is well known to the world that the "northern boundary line" which the south Korean military claimed was crossed by our vessels is a bogus line unilaterally and illegally drawn by it in the 1950s and our side, therefore, has never recognized it.
The fact that the South Korean military amassed fishing boats and warships in the controversial waters under the pretext of this bogus line indicates that it admitted its intrusion by itself.
Its talk about "fishing boats engaged in fishing" despite the fact that there was not a single boat of our side in those waters at that time clearly testifies to the falsity of information spread by the south side.
Warships and fishing boats of the south side intruded deep into the territorial waters of our side almost everyday recently, but the navy of the KPA exercised restraint in various ways, prompted by the desire to defuse the military tensions between the north and the south and taking the ongoing world soccer championships into consideration.
Nevertheless, the South Korean military sent more warships to those waters to mount a surprise attack on our side with two times as many warships as our naval patrol boats.
It is common sense that just two patrol boats are incapable of making a preemptive attack on a group of warships numerically superior to them and this is impossible under the situation where they are within the firing range of the opponent's coastal artillery.
The serious military provocation made by the South Korean military authorities is aimed to orchestrate a shocking incident at a time when the World Cup is going on and shift the blame for it onto the DPRK in a bid to chill the desire for inter-Korean reconciliation and reunification growing strong among the South Korean people and impair the international prestige of the DPRK.
Indeed, the armed clash in the West Sea is a product of the anti-reunification and treacherous moves of the South Korean military authorities.
However, the South Korean Army chief is claiming that the north side should take "responsibility" and make "apology," pulling up the DPRK over the incident.
This is the height of impudence.
With no false propaganda can the South Korean military authorities evade the responsibility for their criminal acts.
They should, first of all, admit the illegality of the so-called "northern boundary line."
The media should clearly distinguish between lies and truth and stop acting a waiting maid in the base plot-breeding operation.
Letter to chairman of S. Korean Football Association
Pyongyang, June 30 (KCNA) -- Ri Kwang Gun, chairman of the Korean Football Association, today sent a letter to Jong Mong Jun, chairman of the South Korean Football Association, congratulating the football team of South Korea on its success in the 17th World Soccer Championships.
Noting that the success made by the team is a striking demonstration of the advantages and tenacity of the Korean nation to the world, the letter said:
The successive successes made by your football team in the wake of the victory achieved by our eleven in the London Soccer Championships held in 1966 which stunned the world are a victory common to the nation which convinces the fellow countrymen that they can defeat any strong team in the world and emerge the strongest if they have a will.
This, at the same time, instills into the nation the confidence that they can achieve the independent reunification of the country more smoothly if they pool efforts and wisdom.
The letter expressed expectation that Jong Mong Jun would greatly help the compatriots pool their efforts in the days ahead.
GIS' violence against S. Korean journalists condemned
Pyongyang, June 30 (KCNA) -- On June 26 more than 10 GIS savagely clubbed two South Korean reporters when they were covering a demonstration staged by civic organizations and students in protest against the GIs' killing of schoolgirls and, not content with this, chained their hands and took them away to their base.
In this regard the central committee of the Korean Journalists Union issued a statement on June 29. In the name of all the journalists and other mediapersons in the northern half of Korea the statement bitterly condemned the U.S. imperialists for perpetrating ceaseless killings and violence in South Korea, blocking the independent reunification of the Korean nation.
Saying that it was a thrice-cursed killing which could be committed only by the U.S. military occupationists that GIs drove an armored car over two 14-year-old schoolgirls, killing them on the roadside on June 13, the statement continued:
The assault made by GIS against the South Korean reporters is a clear reminder of their extremely arrogant and high-handed practices. This once again clearly proves that the U.S. is, indeed, the real axis of evil and the root cause of evils.
The recent incident clearly shows the master-servant relationship between the U.S. and South Korea. It is the height of shame that only South Korea is still under the yoke of U.S. domination and subjugation, its sovereignty wantonly violated.
The U.S. should apologize not only to the South Korean people but to all the Korean nation for aggression, plunder and mass killing it has committed for over half a century, the statement urged.
Greetings to Malian minister of foreign affairs and overseas compatriots
Pyongyang, June 30 (KCNA) -- Foreign minister Paek Nam Sun sent a message of greetings to Lassana Traore on his appointment as minister of foreign affairs and overseas compatriots of Mali.
In the belief that the traditional relations of friendship and cooperation between the two countries would grow stronger in the future, too, the message sincerely wished him great success in his new office.
June 15 North-South Joint Declaration favoured
Pyongyang, June 30 (KCNA) -- Swabri Badr, chairman of the Arabic People's Solidarity Committee for Supporting the National Democratic Front of South Korea (Hanminjon) and South Korean people's struggle, and Garib Newaz, president of the Bangladesh People's League, separately released statements on June 15 on the occasion of the second anniversary of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration.
They in statements stressed that the radical change in people's consciousness and the mass movement for reunification in South Korea after the publication of the declaration clearly proved the validity of the line and policy for reunification laid down by leader Kim Jong Il and his wise guidance and the great vitality and significance of the declaration.
Saying that the declaration serves as a milestone for peace and reunification on the Korean Peninsula, they reiterated their firm support and solidarity with all the Koreans' efforts for the implementation of the declaration.
They demanded the immediate withdrawal of the U.S. troops, chiefly responsible for the division of the Korean nation, from South Korea and evinced their resolution to extend positive support to Hanminjon and the South Korean people's struggle.
U.S. denounced for its unchangeable moves to stifle DPRK
Pyongyang, June 30 (KCNA) -- The U.S. President, addressing a graduation ceremony at a military academy, asserted that the U.S. should get ready to make a preemptive attack to combat terrorism, while the U.S. secretary of state blustered that the new military strategy of the Bush administration envisages putting pressure with military operation and it would make a preemptive strike at anyone attempting to use force.
In this regard Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary says that it is the key point of the new "National Security Strategy" of the U.S. to threaten and contain the DPRK with a strategy of "preemptive strike."
This is a declaration of a showdown of strength on the Korean Peninsula and an extremely dangerous attempt to drive the DPRK-U.S. relations to the brink of war, the commentary observes and goes on:
The U.S. imperialists' strategic attempt to mount a preemptive attack on the DPRK and stifle it remains unchanged.
Various services of armed forces in the U.S. mainland and under the U.S. Pacific command have been amassed in South Korea to be ready to go into action. The "RIMPAC - 2002" joint military exercise targeted against the DPRK was launched on June 25. an emergency alarm was sounded to strengthen information gathering and keep close eyes on the DPRK.
"Combating terrorism" by someone and "attempt to use force" called for by high-ranking officials of the U.S. administration are nothing but a subterfuge to invent a pretext to mount a preemptive attack upon the DPRK.
The obtaining situation compels the DPRK to take a strong countermeasure.
The U.S. imperialist aggressors are well advised not to underestimate the DPRK but clearly know who is its rival.
Greetings to President of Burundi
Pyongyang, June 30 (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 Pierre Buyoya, President of Burundi, on the occasion of its national day.
Expressing belief that the friendly relations between the two countries would continue to develop on good terms, the message wished the president and people of Burundi great success in their work for the prosperity of the country and economic development.
Greetings to Chinese foreign minister
Pyongyang, June 30 (KCNA) -- Foreign minister Paek Nam Sun sent a message of greetings to foreign minister of China tang Jiaxuan on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the recovery of sovereignty over Hong Kong by the People's Republic of China.
The message sincerely wished Hong Kong further prosperity in the future, and the Chinese people a new advance in the efforts to achieve the unification of the whole country in accordance with the policy of "one country and two systems."