Anniversary of Kim Jong Il's work marked

    Pyongyang, July 23 (KCNA) - A Pyongyang meeting was held at the People's Palace of Culture yesterday to celebrate the 10th anniversary of leader Kim Jong Il's work on some problems in improving and strengthening public health. The work published on July 22, Juche 81(1992) clarifies specific ways of improving and strengthening public health including the issues of bringing about a new turn in prophylactic treatment and putting the country's medical science and technology on the world's level.
    Kim Su Hak, minister of public health, in a report said that the work serves as an important guideline as it gives comprehensive answers to the theoretical and practical problems arising in the efforts of the working-class party and state to free the popular masses even from the fetters of all diseases and thus make them independent.
    The reporter recalled that over the last decade the validity and vitality of the work have been clearly proved in practice.
    Present at the meeting were Choe Thae Bok, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, officials concerned and medical workers in Pyongyang. 　　　

Anniversary of Kim Jong Il's work observed

    Pyongyang, July 23 (KCNA) - Firmly adhering to the revolutionary principle is a sure guarantee for defending and exalting their dignity and honor, while independence is what keeps the country and the nation alive. Rodong Sinmun today says this in a signed article dedicated to the 10th anniversary of leader Kim Jong Il's work on strictly maintaining the revolutionary principle and stand. It goes on:
    The work published on July 23, Juche 81 (1992) underlines the importance of maintaining the revolutionary principle and indicates overall tasks and ways for all the party members and other working people, cadres, intellectuals and youngsters, in particular, to firmly observe the principle.
    The army and people of Korea have firmly defended the ideology, system and the cause of the DPRK invariably holding high the red flag of socialism because they have fully embodied the idea, theory and policies clarified in the work.
    Any country and people advancing along the road of revolution and justice chosen by themselves, not budging from the revolutionary principle even a bit can fully demonstrate their sovereignty and dignity despite any trials and difficulties. But if not, they would muck up the gains of revolution made at the cost of blood and become slaves of imperialism. This is a bitter lesson taught by the history of the socialist movement.
    The DPRK is building a powerful nation in acute political, ideological and military confrontation with the imperialists.
    The master key to achieving victory in this confrontation lies in strictly maintaining revolutionary principle and stand. 　　　

Korean books donated to Nepal

Pyongyang, July 23 (KCNA) - Korean books including famous works of President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il were donated to the Janakpur city office, Nepal, with due ceremony on July 16. Present at the ceremony were the mayor and other officials of the city, people of various social strata, the DPRK ambassador and embassy officials. 　　　

Pochonbo Electronic Band

    Pyongyang, July 23 (KCNA) - The Pochonbo Electronic Band of the DPRK is well known to the world. It was established in June Juche 74 (1985).
    The band, made up of talented artistes, has created a lot of famous songs and presented them in the unique way of electronic music to open a new horizon in the world's electronic music.
    It has also made the greatest success in composing songs.
    A large number of famous songs created by the band, all of which are strong in Juche character and national character and high in ideological and artistic value, serve as mental pabulum that enables the Korean people to overcome any trials and difficulties.
    The song My Country is best, in particular, was chosen as the theme of the multi-part feature film the Nation And Destiny, which is appreciated as one of the world's masterpieces. 58 parts of the film have been released so far.
    Other songs including Let Pigeons Fly High, Whistle and Women Are Flowers are also popular not only at home but also among overseas Koreans and in other countries.
    Through several overseas performance tours, the band has fully displayed the pride and honor of the Korean nation.
    In recent years, it has created and presented many masterpieces such as Arirang of Powerful And Prosperous Nation and we are one, greatly encouraging the Korean people in their efforts to build a powerful nation and achieve reunification. 　　　

Maritime sports brisk in Korea

    Pyongyang, July 23 (KCNA) - July and August are months of maritime sports in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Swimming pools, wading pools and bathing beaches in Pyongyang and other parts of the country are crowded with people everyday.
    The Panwoldo swimming pool on the Taedong River in Pyongyang, draws thousands of school youth and children everyday.
    The DPRK is encouraging maritime sports as it is surrounded by seas on three sides and has many rivers and streams.
    Now many youth and children are learning swimming, river-crossing, flag signaling, boating, etc.
    Maritime sports are also conducted by working people.
    During the months factories, enterprises and schools hold various events of maritime sports according to their geographical conditions.
    Among the events, the national swimming tournament of school youth and children is drawing special public interests. 　　　

Gifted table-tennis expert

    Pyongyang, July 23 (KCNA) - Hwang Kon Dong, 60, is one of the gifted table-tennis experts in Korea. He began his career as a table-tennis player at the April 25 Sports Group in Juche 49 (1960).
    Later, he worked heart and soul as a coach and chief coach of the group and the national sports group.
    He trained many ace table-tennis players including world table-tennis queen Pak Yong Sun, Labor Heroine and People's Sportswoman, and Ri Kun Sang, People's Sportsman.
    In 1986 and 1988, he served as a coach of the Asian team in Asia-Europe table-tennis contests.
    In the 41st world table-tennis championships in 1991, he led the unified table-tennis team of the north and south of Korea, first of its kind since the liberation of the country in 1945, to achieve signal success.
    He was awarded the title of Merited Sportsman in 1975 and the title of People's Sportsman in 1990.
    Now he is working as deputy headmaster of the juvenile sports school at Pyongyang indoor stadium and training young table-tennis players. 　　　

Greetings to Egyptian President

    Pyongyang, July 23 (KCNA) - Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Monday sent a message of greetings to President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the July 23 revolution, the national holiday of the Egyptian people. The message extended the warmest congratulations to the president and, through him, to the Egyptian government and people on the occasion of the anniversary.
    Noting that a great change has taken place in all aspects of social life in Egypt over the past 50 years since the victory of the revolution, it sincerely wished the friendly Egyptian people steady progress and prosperity.
    It expressed belief that the historic relations of friendship and cooperation between the two countries would continue to grow stronger. 　　　

Greetings to Egyptian prime minister and foreign minister

Pyongyang, July 23 (KCNA) - Hong Song Nam, premier of the DPRK cabinet, sent a message of greetings to Atef Muhammad Obeid, prime minister of Egypt, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the July 23 revolution of Egypt. The message extended the warmest congratulations to the prime minister, the government and people of Egypt on the occasion of the anniversary, it sincerely wished him and the Egyptian government greater success in the work to achieve social stability and unity and the economic development of the country.
Meanwhile, foreign minister Paek Nam Sun sent a message of greetings to his Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Maher al Said. 　　　

Anniversary of July 23 revolution of Egyptian people observed

    Pyongyang, July 23 (KCNA) - A meeting took place here yesterday to mark the 50th anniversary of the July 23 revolution of the Egyptian people. Minister of education Pyon Yong Rip, chairman of the Korea-Egypt Friendship Association, in a speech said that 50 years ago the Egyptian people waged a persistent struggle to achieve the dignity and sovereignty of the nation and, in the long run, checked and frustrated the imperialists' interference and overthrew the reactionary feudal monarchy servile to them and won the victory in the revolution.
    The Korean people highly estimate the achievements made by the Egyptian people in their efforts to build a new prosperous society under the leadership of President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak, he said, hoping for an early and fair solution to the Mideast issue in conformity with the demand and desire of the arab nations.
    Egyptian ambassador to the DPRK Ahmed Ramy in a speech said that the Arab Republic of Egypt supports the Korean people in their struggle to reunify the country independently and peacefully.
    He wished the friendly DPRK greater progress and prosperity under the wise leadership of Kim Jong Il.
    A congratulatory letter to the Egyptian President was adopted at the meeting. 　　　

DPRK ambassador to Italy appointed

Pyongyang, July 23 (KCNA) - Choe Thaek San was appointed as DPRK Ambassador to Italy, according to a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK. 　　　

Korean people's struggle against imperialism supported

Pyongyang, July 23 (KCNA) - The central organizing committee for the Communist Party of Italy declared that it would always be in solidarity with the Korean people in the struggle against imperialism. The declaration is seen in an information bulletin it distributed on July 16 with the approach of the 49th anniversary of the Korean people's great victory in the Fatherland Liberation War.
The historic victory achieved by the Korean people in the Korean War showed the world that no force can defeat the Korean people in their struggle for freedom, independence and progress, the bulletin stressed. 　　　

Friendly relations with DPRK called for

    Pyongyang, July 23 (KCNA) - President of Yugoslavia Vojislav Kostunica, President of Azelbaijan Geidar Aliyev and President of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Beriz Belkic mentioned relations with the DPRK and the Korean reunification when they received credentials from the new DPRK ambassadors. The President of Yugoslavia said that Yugoslavia hoped to boost the friendly and cooperative relations with the DPRK.
    The government and people of Yugoslavia are deeply interested in Korean reunification and hope that the Korean reunification should be achieved in a peaceful way through dialogue in the spirit of the June 15 north-south joint declaration, he added.
    The President of Azelbaijan voiced his willingness to develop the friendly and cooperative relations with the DPRK on good terms in various fields.
    Referring to the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries, the President of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina hoped that Korea would be reunified in a peaceful way. 　　　

Japan's arms buildup under fire

    Pyongyang, July 23 (KCNA) - The Japanese government recently approved a plan to modernize warships and military hardware of the maritime self-defense force and the coast guard, claiming that this measure was taken to cope with a threat from someone. Minju Joson today in a signed commentary denounces this as a very dangerous criminal act laying bare the Japanese reactionaries' sinister intention to achieve their invariable aims to emerge a military giant and realize their overseas expansion under the absurd pretext of threats from others.
    Japan's madcap drive to reinforce and modernize the SDF is also aimed to become the world's military power and realize its invariable ambition for overseas expansion at any cost the commentary says, and goes on:
    The Japanese reactionaries are busy with their moves to replace the existing peace constitution by a war constitution under the pretext of coping with emergency and perfect a military mechanism for a war of reinvasion.
    No one can predict what consequences the Japanese reactionaries will bring to mankind when they set out on overseas expansion after emerging a military power.
    It is as clear as noonday that their military moves for expansion to recover from their past defeat will bring horrible disasters to humankind.
    Their moves are as foolish an act as digging their own graves.
    They are well advised not to forget the bitter lesson drawn from their past defeat. 　　　

Japanese authorities' moves to eliminate credit associations of Chongryun under fire

    Pyongyang, July 23 (KCNA) - The Japanese authorities recently appointed Japanese as directors general of the newly established four credit associations of Chongryun (General Association of Korean Residents in Japan). Minju Joson today in a signed commentary dismisses this as an unreasonable action. It goes on:
    This is as brigandish an act as breaking into other's house in broad daylight and expelling its master to lord it over.
    The Japanese authorities' appointment of directors general is in contravention of the law on finance, in violation of the articles of the credit associations and not in line with the law on deposit insurance. It is sheer infraction.
    It is the black-hearted intention of the Japanese reactionaries to create financial unrest among the Koreans in Japan and bedevil the enterprise management of Korean businessmen in a bid to destroy the credit associations and undermine Chongryun and, furthermore, impair the dignity and authority of the DPRK.
    What merits a more serious attention is that they are floating the groundless rumor that the fund of the credit associations of the Korean bank is being remitted to north Korea, while making much ado about this remittance.
    The DPRK makes it clear that it has never received even a single penny from those credit associations.
    It is quite intolerable that the Japanese authorities have used the non-existent issue of remittance of money to north Korea as a pretext for appointing Japanese as directors general of the associations.
    They are well advised to ponder over the consequences to be entailed by their illegal moves and stop working hard to destroy the Korean financial institutions and ensure the free activities of the credit associations of Koreans in Japan. 　　　

S. Korea's GNP accused of inciting inter-Korean confrontation

    Pyongyang, July 23 (KCNA) - So Chong Won made a speech at the National Assembly on July 18 as representative of the Grand National party (GNP) of south Korea. Beginning his speech with the national security issue, he misrepresented the armed clash in the West Sea as a provocation of north Korea, in a bid to incite confrontation with the north among the south Korean people.
    He even sounded warnings to the north and urged it to make a honest apology and take substantial steps to prevent the recurrence of such an incident. Worse still, he cried out for strong punishment.
    His remarks go to show that the ultra-right conservatives of the GNP, elated at the victory in the recent local election, have become too self-opinionated and arrogant to know what the words warning and punishment exactly mean in the inter-Korean relations.
    If the GNP is really a policy-making political party, it should have a correct view of the present situation and act with discretion.
    As the DPRK has already stated more than once, it will remain faithful to the implementation of the June 15 joint declaration, true to the spirit of the historic Pyongyang inter-Korean summit meeting. But the DPRK will be merciless in dealing with any non-compliance with it.
    The GNP should stop making much fuss about the West Sea incident in a bid to achieve aims of its policy and deeply think of how the bogus line socalled Northern Limit Line was invented and how adversely it affects the political and military situation on the Korean Peninsula. It will help them know who is the arch enemy of the Korean nation in the way of peace and reunification and who is the target of warning and punishment.
    The GNP is well advised to stop inciting confrontation between the north and the south, facing up to the trend of the times towards national reconciliation, cooperation and reunification. 　　　

U.S. Religious delegation arrives

Pyongyang, July 23 (KCNA) - A delegation of the United Methodist Church of the U.S. led by its bishop Joel Martinez arrived here today. The delegation was greeted at the airport by Kim Ki Hyong, vice-chairman of the central committee of the Korean Christians Federation. 　　　