Kim Yong Nam meets Spanish economic delegation
Pyongyang, July 25 (KCNA) - Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, met and had a friendly talk with the visiting Spanish economic delegation led by Narcis Serra, president of the public administration of the Congress, at the Mansudae Assembly Hall today.
Kim Jong Gi, vice-minister of foreign trade, was on hand.
Jong Ha Chol meets Chinese delegation
Pyongyang, July 25 (KCNA) - Jong Ha Chol, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Koreaa, met and had a friendly talk with the delegation of the All-China Journalists Association led by Li Cun Hou, executive secretary of the association, at the Mansudae Assembly Hall today.
On hand were Kim Song Guk, chairman of the central committee of the Korean Journalists Union, and Tian Baozhen, minister-counsellor of the Chinese Embassy here.
Floral basket and congratulatory letter to Kim Jong Il
Pyongyang, July 25 (KCNA) - Leader Kim Jong Il, Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army, received a floral basket and a congratulatory letter from the military attaches corps here on the occasion of the 49th anniversary of the victory in the Fatherland Liberation War.
They were handed today to Kim Il Chol, minister of the People's Armed Forces, by Yan Jiangfeng, military attache of the Chinese Embassy here who is doyen of the corps.
Day of victory in war commemorated
Pyongyang, July 25 (KCNA) - A concert of youth and students "Song of Victors" took place at the Central Youth Hall here on July 24 to celebrate the 49th anniversary of the victory in the great Fatherland Liberation War.
Put on the stage were female solo and chorus "Our Victory Day-July 27," chorus "Song of Defending the Country" and other numbers praising President Kim Il Sung who led the war to the victory.
Also presented were songs reflecting the unshakable faith and will of youth and students to make a long march of revolution under the banner of the army-based policy held high by leader Kim Jong Il.
They included women's trio and chorus "Our Supreme Commander Is Best" and mixed quartet "Let Us Become the Soldiers of the Supreme Commander".
The performers also sang wartime songs that instilled faith of victory and courage into the army and people of Korea and powerfully inspired them to wipe out the enemy.
Kim Jung Rin, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Koreaa, officials concerned, war veterans and youth and students in Pyongyang appreciated the concert.
New x-ray examination support system developed
Pyongyang, July 25 (KCNA) - The Kim Man Yu Hospital has developed a new computer-aided x-ray examination support system and introduced it to treatment.
The system is based on fluoroscope and photography, tomography and animation photography. It has 43 assisting and supporting options.
The system helps examine troubles in digital, objective and diverse manners and raise the rate of correct diagnosis 17 percent.
Remarkable progress has been made in examining such diseases as vertebral diseases and internal organs in a living body.
Many successes are being registered in curing patients with the help of the system.
Foreign ministry spokesman on DPRK-Japan relations
Pyongyang, July 25 (KCNA) - A spokesman for the foreign ministry of the DPRK today answered a question put by KCNA as regards the present DPRK-Japan relations.
He said:
The DPRK-Japan talks for the establishment of diplomatic relations have stalled since the 11th talks in 2000.
There still exist abnormal relations between the two countries as Japan has not yet redeemed its inglorious past. This is not in the interests of the people of the two countries nor helpful to ensuring peace and stability in northeast Asia.
Prompted by this common understanding, the two governments have had unofficial contacts to study each other's stand on the issue of improving the bilateral relations and exchange their views on it.
In this process a progress was made in a series of humanitarian issues including the resumption of the undertaking to know whereabouts of missing Japanese at Japan's proposal and the opening of red cross talks.
The foreign ministers of the DPRK and Japan are expected to have talks during the ministerial meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum slated to be held in Brunei on July 31.
At the talks the ministers will confirm the bilateral stand on the principled issues and outstanding issues arising in establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries and exchange views on ways to do so.
Anniversary of Cuban people's uprising marked
Pyongyang, July 25 (KCNA) -- A meeting and a photo exhibition were held here on July 24 to mark the 49th anniversary of the Cuban people's July 26 armed uprising.
Present at the meeting were minister of education Pyon Yong Rip, chairman of the DPRK-Cuba Solidarity Committee, vice-chairman of the Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries Kim Jin Bom, officials concerned and working people in the city.
Present on invitation were charge d' affaires ad interim Violeta Goodridge Culzac and officials of the Cuban Embassy here.
Speeches were made at the meeting.
Prior to the meeting, the participants looked round photos showing the Cuban people's struggle to frustrate the U.S. imperialists' blockade and defend the sovereignty of the country and the gains of socialism.
Eye doctor of high repute
Pyongyang, July 25 (KCNA) - Professor and doctor Jong Kyong Se, 66, is an authority in medical circles.
He, chief of a chair of Pyongyang University of Medicine, has made great achievements in ophthalmologic studies and treatment over the past four decades.
Noteworthy in his achievements is that the transparent healing rate in keratoplasty conducted by him was over 83.7 percent.
His success was highly estimated at international academic symposia in Germany, Bulgaria and other countries.
He, on the basis of the rich experience in successfully treating many blind and other ophthalmic cases, authored "ophthalmology" (five volumes), "ophthalmic operation," "major troubles of human body and eye" and many other books.
He has also trained several dozen doctors and masters of medicine.
He is still engaged in teaching and scientific researches.
Greetings to Maldivian President
Pyongyang, July 25 (KCNA) - Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, sent a message of greetings to Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, President of the Republic of Maldives, today on the occasion of the day of its independence.
The message extended sincere congratulations and best wishes to the president, government and people of Maldives.
Expressing the hope that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would grow stronger, it wished the president good health and happiness and the Maldivian people progress and prosperity.
Diplomatic envoys visit Panmunjom
Pyongyang, July 25 (KCNA) - Diplomatic envoys here yesterday visited Panmunjom in the run-up to the 49th anniversary of the victory of the Korean people in the great Fatherland Liberation War.
Being briefed on the fact that the Korean people and People's Army defeated the imperialist allied forces and won a brilliant victory in the Fatherland Liberation War under the commandership of President Kim Il Sung, they went round the rooms where armistice talks were held and the armistice agreement was signed and a room where the former military armistice commission met.
They looked round the monument to the President's signature to a historic document on national reunification, the last in his life.
They made an entry in the visitor's book.
Shaher Mohammed Abdlah, Palestinian Ambassador to the DPRK, wrote that the visit to Panmunjom made him to know well about the sufferings the Korean people have undergone owing to the national division.
Do Thi Hoa, Vietnamese Ambassador to the DPRK, wrote that the Vietnamese people would extend full support to the Korean people in their just cause in the future, too.
On the same day the guests saw the concrete barrier built in the area south of the Military Demarcation Line and visited the Koryo Museum and the mausoleum of King Wang Kon, the founder of Koryo.
Working contact for ministerial talks proposed to south side
Pyongyang, July 25 (KCNA) - Kim Ryong Song, head of the north side delegation to the inter-Korean ministerial talks, today sent a telephone message to Jong Se Hyon, chief delegate of the south side delegation, proposing to hold a working contact of delegates to the talks.
The telephone message said:
Both sides are now at the crucial juncture in implementing the historic June 15 joint declaration and its follow-ups April 5 joint press release.
Feeling regretful for the unforeseen armed clash that occurred in the West Sea recently, we are of the view that both sides should make joint efforts to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents in future.
We consider that it is not only in line with the common interests of the nation but with the basic spirit of the June 15 joint declaration calling for settling the issues by the Korean nation itself to pay attention to the present inter-Korean relations, resume the deadlocked dialogue between the authorities at an early date and thus take positive steps to bring these relations back to track and promote reconciliation, unity and cooperation.
Proceeding from this stand, our side proposes to hold a working contact of delegates to the inter-Korean ministerial talks, first of all, in mt. Kumgang early in August with a view to holding the 7th inter-Korean ministerial talks in Seoul and smoothly discussing the issues of implementing the April 5 joint press release including the issue of relinking the railway between the north and the south and the issue of separated families and relatives, etc. on which an agreement had already reached between the two sides and issues of mutual concern.
We express the expectation that your side will positively response to this constructive proposal of our side.
Anti-nuclear war rally in S. Korea
Pyongyang, July 25 (KCNA) - Members of the Association Against the U.S., War and Nukes and an organization of young people reportedly held a rally in Ryongsan, Seoul, to demand the removal of threat of a nuclear war and the withdrawal of the U.S. forces from south Korea.
Kwon O Chang, co-representative of the Solidarity for Implementing the South-North Joint Declaration, addressing the rally, denounced the U.S. for seeking to exterminate the Korean nation through the worst nuclear war.
Though the U.S. imperialists possess nuclear bombs, we have great national unity more powerful than those bombs, he said, calling Koreans to unite and reunify the country independently on the basis of the June 15 joint declaration.
Hong Tok Yong, co-representative of the headquarters of the People's Movement for the Withdrawal of the U.S. Forces, said that only when the 70 million Korean people are united as one can they drive the U.S. forces out of south Korea.
A resolution of the rally called for reunifying the country by the Korean nation's efforts, noting that the implementation of the June 15 joint declaration is being hamstrung by the U.S. hostile policy and its moves for a nuclear war against the north.
Unabated campaign for legalization of Hanchongryon
Pyongyang, July 25 (KCNA) - More than 40 deputies to the tenth-term South Korean Federation of University Student Councils (Hanchongryon) were reported to have identified themselves and voluntarily appeared at a police office on July 19 in protest against police's crackdown upon their organization.
Carrying id cards, they attended a press conference that morning to issue a declaration of 1,000 members of the democratic social organizations calling for the lifting of the labeling of Hanchongryon as an enemy-benefiting organization and its legalization.
Their campaign was conducted according to the decision of the executives of Hanchongryon to launch a positive action against the authorities' issue of subpoenas to the deputies for crackdown upon them.
At the end of the conference they, together with more than 200 students under Hanchongryon, went to the national police office by subway.
Much upset by their appearance, police barred them from coming out of the subway station.
They clashed with police.
Kang Wi Won, executive director of the All-People Measure Committee for the Guarantee of Legitimate Activities of Hanchongryon strongly demanded an immediate end to threatening the deputies to withdraw from it and suppressing them.
On July 20 a cultural festival demanding the legalization of Hanchongryon took place at Yonsei University with citizens and students attending under the sponsorship of the measure committee.
U.S. hawkish forces urged to drop war scenario
Pyongyang, July 25 (KCNA) - The U.S. administration is working out a new national security strategy which calls for mounting preemptive attacks on what it calls terrorist forces and "dangerous nations. And recently Bush called for mounting preemptive attacks on those countries developing weapons of mass destruction and dangerous regimes.
Dismissing this as a serious provocation to the DPRK, Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary says:
It is the core of the U.S. new security strategy to stifle the DPRK through a preemptive attack. The U.S. hawkish forces' call for the attack is a prelude to a new Korean War and a dangerous act which is little short of putting the DPRK-U.S. belligerent relations on a time bomb.
According to the strategy, the task forces on the U.S. mainland and under the U.S. Pacific Command are being redeployed around the Korean Peninsula to be fully ready to go into action.
Bush's recent call for preemptive attacks meant to strike the DPRK is fraught with great danger.
The U.S. is asserting resolute actions and preemptive attacks on the DPRK under absurd pretexts, a blatant challenge, threat and blackmail against it.
The DPRK neither wishes a war nor avoids it.
The DPRK will wipe out those aggressors who infringe upon its inviolable territory to the last man and completely destroy the stronghold of the enemy wherever he may be on the earth.
The U.S. hawkish forces are well advised to drop the self-destructive attempt at preemptive attacks, clearly mindful of who is their opponent.
International support to Korean reunification grows stronger
Pyongyang, July 25 (KCNA) - More than 125.9 million people affiliated to over 320 political parties and organizations in more than 60 countries and regional and international organizations participated in the international signature campaign in the last five months to support the June 15 north-south joint declaration and demand the immediate withdrawal of the U.S. troops from south Korea.
This was launched in response to the appeal of the meeting of the presidium of the International Liaison Committee for Reunification and Peace in Korea held on Feb. 5 in which it called upon the governments, political parties, organizations and international organizations of the world to wage an international signature campaign by October.
Signature papers have been signed by leaders of at least 70 political parties including the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Party for Unity and Progress of Guinea, the Party for Peace and Unity of Russia, the Socialist Party of Ecuador and the Socialist People's Party of Mexico on behalf of over 25,776,700 party members.
Participating in the campaign were 250 other social organizations, organizations for friendship and solidarity and organizations for the study of the Juche idea, among them the Lebanon Federation of Workers, the Egypt-Korea friendship Association, the Union of Jurists of Cuba, the Socialist Youth of Austria and the Finnish National Committee for the Study of the Juche Idea.
Papers were also inked by leaders of regional and international organizations including the president of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers, the honorary chairman and the executive secretary of the World Peace Council and the secretary general of the Organization of Afro-Asian Latin American Peoples Solidarity voicing full support to the Korean people's cause for reunification.
This worldwide campaign is a clear indication that the June 15 north-south joint declaration provided by leader Kim Jong Il's will for reunification and great patriotic decision serves as the most just and realistic way for Korea's reunification, as it enjoys unanimous support and sympathy of the world people.
International solidarity with Korean people
Pyongyang, July 25 (KCNA) - The world revolutionary peoples have voiced solidarity with the just cause of the Korean people in the month of the anti-U.S. joint struggle.
Nadine Rosa Rosso, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Belgian Labor Party, said that the U.S. imperialists ignited a war of aggression against the Korean people on June 25, 1950, but the Korean People's Army defeated the aggressors, who had boasted of being "the strongest" in the world, and won the great victory in the war on July 27, 1953.
He went on:
The Korean people's victory in the war meant a victory of the commanding art of Kim Il Sung, an invincible and iron-willed commander and outstanding strategist. It was also a great victory of the single-hearted unity of the KPA and the people around the Workers' Party of Korea.
Om Prakash Mantri, secretary general of the Asian Regional Committee to Support Korea's Reunification, stated that the Asian people would wage a vigorous campaign supporting the June 15 north-south joint declaration and demanding the immediate withdrawal of the U.S. troops and all their weapons of mass destruction including nukes from south Korea.
Rachmawati Soekarnoputry, president of the Soekarno Education Foundation of Indonesia, said that the U.S. imperialists have occupied a half of Korea for over 50 years and obstructed its reunification. The U.S. should withdraw its troops from south Korea at once for Korea's reunification, he urged.
Dermot Hudson, chief of the British Group for the Study of the Juche Idea and Works of Comrade Kim Jong Il, expressed support for Kim Jong Il's revolutionary line of giving priority to the army which defends the DPRK from blackmail of the U.S. imperialists and their moves to stifle it and guarantees its brilliant victory.