Joint press release on talks between FMs of DPRK and Japan
Pyongyang, July 31 (KCNA) - A joint press release was issued on the talks between the foreign ministers of the DPRK and Japan.
The release, signed by the two foreign ministers today, reads as follows:
Paek Nam Sun, foreign minister of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and Yoriko Kawaguchi, foreign minister of Japan, had talks in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital city of Brunei Darussalam, on July 31, 2002.
1. Both sides have reached a consensus of views that diplomatic ties should be established between the DPRK and Japan as soon as possible to improve the bilateral relations and ensure regional peace and stability and, to this end, sincere efforts would be made to solve the issue of the settlement of the past and all other issues between the two countries.
In this regard, they agreed to sincerely handle the pending humanitarian issues and solve them as early as possible.
2. Confirming the importance of exerting efforts to defuse the tensions on the Korean peninsula and its surrounding areas, the two sides have shared the view that it is necessary to promote the dialogue between the parties concerned to this end.
3. The two sides have agreed to hold foreign ministry director-level talks within August in order to discuss all the matters related to the establishment of the diplomatic ties and pending issues of mutual concern.
4. The two sides have agreed to cooperate with each other so as to ensure that the next round of the talks between red cross organizations of the two countries will be held within August to contribute to the solution of humanitarian issues.
Press release of KPA navy command
Pyongyang, July 31 (KCNA) - The navy command of the Korean People's Army issued a press release Wednesday accusing the south Korean military authorities of having infiltrated naval vessels again into the territorial waters of the north side.
The press release says:
The south Korean military authorities committed another military provocation by infiltrating warships into our territorial waters in the West Sea on July 31.
Between 12:24 and 14:30, two south Korean naval vessels intruded into our territorial waters south of Tungsangott, Kangryong county.
Earlier, on July 30, four south Korean naval vessels intruded deep into our territorial waters bringing with them tens of fishing boats.
The incidents were premeditated provocations committed by the south Korean military authorities to spoil the new atmosphere of dialogue between the north and the south and bring the situation to the brink of confrontation.
We caution again against such reckless and irresponsible practice of the south Korean military authorities as persistently infiltrating warships into our territorial waters to cause the danger of another naval clash, instead of taking measures to prevent such incidents in the West Sea.
Congratulations to Vietnamese President
Pyongyang, July 31 (KCNA) - Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, sent a congratulatory message to Tran Duc Luong on July 29 upon his reelection as Vietnamese President.
Expressing the belief that the traditional ties of friendship and cooperation between the two countries would continue to develop on good terms in the future, the message sincerely wished him good health, happiness and greater success in his responsible work.
Reception given by Palestinian Ambassador
Pyongyang, July 31 (KCNA) - Palestinian ambassador to the DPRK Shaher Mohammed Abdlah hosted a reception at the embassy last evening on the occasion of the 49th anniversary of the victory in the great Fatherland Liberation War.
Present on invitation were vice-minister of the People's Armed Forces Ryo Chun Sok, vice-minister of foreign affairs Kung Sok Ung and other officials concerned.
Speeches were made at the reception.
Cuban embassy officials do friendly labor
Pyongyang, July 31 (KCNA) - Cuban charge d'affaires here Violeta Goodridge Culzac and embassy officials did a friendly labor at the Korea-Cuba Friendship Factory managed by Ra Sok Ju yesterday on the occasion of the 49th anniversary of the July 26 armed uprising of the Cuban people.
The guests harvested crops together with employees of the factory.
During a break they conversed with employees, deepening feelings of friendship.
Thai parliamentary delegation feted
Pyongyang, July 31 (KCNA) - The Supreme People's Assembly of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea hosted a reception in honor of a delegation of the Senate of the Kingdom of Thailand last evening.
Present on invitation were the members of the delegation led by Pichet Pattanachote, first vice president of the Senate.
Jang Chol, vice-chairman of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, and other officials concerned were on hand.
Speeches were made there.
DPRK-Thai parliamentary talks
Pyongyang, July 31 (KCNA) - Talks took place at the Mansudae Assembly Hall on Wednesday between delegations of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly and the senate of Thailand.
The two sides informed each other of the situation of their countries and exchanged views on the issue of developing friendly and cooperative relations between the two parliaments and some matters of mutual concern.
The talks were held in a friendly atmosphere.
Present at the talks were vice-chairman of the SPA Jang Chol, officials concerned and the members of the Thai Senate delegation led by first vice-president of the Senate Pichet Pattanachote.
Kang Pan Sok commemorated
Pyongyang, July 31 (KCNA) - Working people of all social strata in Pyongyang met at the People's Palace of Culture to commemorate Kang Pan Sok, an indomitable revolutionary fighter and an outstanding leader of the Korean women's movement, on Wednesday, her 70th death anniversary.
Kang Pan Sok, respected as the great mother of Korea, devoted her whole life to the liberation of the country and freedom and happiness of the people.
She, born into a progressive and patriotic family in Pyongyang on April 21, 1892, was the most faithful assistant and reliable revolutionary comrade of Kim Hyong Jik, outstanding leader of the anti-Japanese national liberation movement of Korea. She, together with him, made a great contribution to initiating the Korean revolution.
The revolutionary activities of Kim Hyong Jik and immortal exploits he performed in the anti-Japanese national liberation movement are closely linked with her self-sacrifice spirit. She devoted everything to the struggle, overcoming all kinds of difficulties and ordeals.
Kang is the mother of President Kim Il Sung, outstanding leader of the revolution and sun of the nation.
She helped him in his revolutionary activities, making a precious contribution to ushering in a new historical era of the Korean revolution.
She also initiated the Korean women's movement of Juche and performed imperishable exploits in the cause of women's emancipation from social restrictions.
She organized the anti-Japanese Women's Society, the first revolutionary women's organization of Juche type in Korea, on December 26, Juche 15 (1926) under the guidance of the President and encouraged a large number of women to join in the struggle against the Japanese imperialists by educating them in a revolutionary way.
Yang Hyong Sop, alternate member of the political bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea and vice-president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, in his memorial address said that her life was a brilliant one of an ardent patriot who devoted all to the country, the people and the victory of the revolution. It was also a precious life of a genuine revolutionary who made tremendous contributions to the anti-Japanese struggle for national liberation and the start of the revolutionary cause of Juche by faithfully helping the leader of the nation and the leader of the revolution, he said, and went on:
We have a task to achieve the final victory of the revolutionary cause of Juche as wished by her in her lifetime. All the people and servicemen should faithfully uphold Kim Jong Il's idea and leadership.
Hamhung City Youth Goat Farm
Pyongyang, July 31 (KCNA) - The Hamhung City Youth Goat Farm has renewed its appearance.
Over the past one year the farm organized five more branch farms, built over 40 goat cages, doubled the number of goats and increased milk production 3.5 times.
It also built more than 50 milking rooms, over 30 fodder-making rooms, tens of dwelling houses, some 10 dormitories, a senior middle school, a clinic, a kindergarten, a nursery and a post office.
The milk processing workshop and its branch workshops have been equipped with up-to-date facilities and boosted the output of butter, cheese, yogurt, kefir, etc.
The farm supplies the products to Hamhung citizens every day by refrigerator cars.
The farm is located in a forest some 72 km away from Hamhung city, South Hamgyong Province.
It is made up of tens of branch farms built along the 60 km-long ring-shape road of pasture.
Leader Kim Jong Il visited the farm in may last year and expressed satisfaction at the large-scale and modern farm and indicated a way for the betterment of the farm.
New method of designing national costumes introduced
Pyongyang, July 31 (KCNA) - "The Korean women love elegant, beautiful and simple Korean skirt (chima) and coat (jogori) rich in national style. Baby girls before their first birthday tables, brides on their wedding days and old ladies before their 60th and even centennial birthday tables wear this Korean chima and jogori. Korean women living abroad also like to don these national costumes, regarding them as the symbol of the nation." This is what Pyon Sun Ae, a merited designer at Central District tailor's in Pyongyang, said after successfully completing the new method of designing Korean national costumes in a three-dimensional manner.
This new method won a national patent right. The costumes designed this way are very popular among experts and women as they did away with some shortcomings in designing, preserved the style peculiar to the Korean costumes and are convenient to wear.
The habit of going in chima and jogori is encouraged and the tradition is steadily carried forward and developed.
National dress shops in various parts of the country are making good service and silk mills are turning out silk of various colors to suit the women's contemporary taste.
National costume fashion shows are frequently organized.
Cultural functions for reunification held
Pyongyang, July 31 (KCNA) - The 4th, 5th and 6th cultural functions for reunification on the theme of "to reunification together with June 15 joint declaration" took place in south Korea under the sponsorship of the group for implementing the south-north joint declaration in the spirit of youth Kim Ryang Mu, according to a news report.
The Taejon cultural function for reunification in the period of the movement for pooling the efforts of the Korean nation, the fourth cultural function, was held in Taejon on July 21. Attending it were chongchun, a cultural organization of youth nd children, the June 15 youth society for reunification and other organizations and evacuees in the area. They staged a protest against the United States.
Before the beginning of the function, more than 1,000 persons participated in the signature campaign concerning the murder of two schoolgirls and in the writing on cards calling for the withdrawal of the U.S. Forces.
The fifth cultural function for reunification took place in Mokpho, South Jolla Province, on July 23.
Speeches were made by the chairman of the Southwest District Council of the (south) Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and others. Then followed a concert of workers in the Mokpho area who were going on strike.
The group held the sixth cultural function for reunification in Muan, South Jolla Province, on July 24.
Anti-U.S. rally held in S. Korea
Pyongyang, July 31 (KCNA) - The fifth all-people rally was held in Jongmyo Park in Seoul on July 27 under the sponsorship of the All-People Measure Committee for Sin Hyo Sun and Sim Mi Son, schoolgirls killed by U.S. armored car, according to a news report.
The rally was attended by citizens, students and workers, more than 2,000 in all.
Open letters to the south Korean government and U.S. President Bush were read out at the rally.
The letter to the government said that it should lend an ear to the demand of the people, take the lead in wreaking the victims' grudge and demand the transfer of the criminal jurisdiction from the U.S. Forces, an open apology of the U.S. President and a total revision of the south Korea-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement.
The letter to Bush said that the U.S. Forces' side, ignoring the request for U.S. Forces' renunciation of the criminal jurisdiction, recalled home the commander of the U.S. Second Division and let the murderers freely stride along streets.
If Bush and the U.S. military authorities continue ignoring the just demand, they will face bitter resentment and resistance of the south Korean people and the world people of conscience, the letter warned.
At the end of the rally its participants marched to the U.S. Embassy, singing Arirang and other songs.
The demonstrators burned the stars and stripes in the street.
Withdrawal of U.S. Forces from south Korea called for
Pyongyang, July 31 (KCNA) - If the United States truly wants the peace and stability on the Korean peninsula, it should immediately dismantle the UN Command now being used to cover up the U.S. Forces' illegal presence in south Korea and withdraw them from south Korea at an early date. This is what the U.S. should do before anything else.
Rodong Sinmun today says this in a signed commentary.
It goes on:
Though 49 years have passed since the armistice agreement was signed, the Korean peninsula remains as a hotbed of war and the world's only divided territory. The U.S. was an architect of this division.
The U.S. is the aggressor and the kingpin of evil as it is keen to start a war, standing in the way of peace and reunification of Korea.
The U.S. has invariably pursued its policy to stifle the DPRK, stepping up the arms buildup and staging all forms of military exercises in south Korea.
The Bush administration is keen to make preemptive strikes at the DPRK after listing it as part of the "axis of evil" and singling it out as the target of nuclear attack.
These moves have brought the U.S.-DPRK relations, which had shown signs of improvement for some time, back to the state of acute confrontation and compelled the inter-Korean relations that had warmed since the adoption of the June 15 joint declaration to face a grave challenge and undergo twists and turns.
Anti-Americanism and the demand for the U.S. Forces' pullback are mounting higher than ever before in south Korea.
It is in the interests of the U.S. to think and act with reason to meet the need of the era.
Promising runner
Pyongyang, July 31 (KCNA) - Jong Yong Ok is a promising runner of the DPRK.
Born into a miner's family in Anbyon county, Kangwon Province, in January Juche 70 (1981) as eldest daughter, Jong has been very fond of running since she was in childhood.
She began her career as a runner in the sports group under the ministry of commerce in 1996 and proved successful in several tournaments.
In particular, she came first in the women's 5,000m sprint and second in the 10,000m sprint at the 8th Asia junior field and track championships. She also won the gold medal at the 14th international marathon games for Mangyongdae Cup.
Building of peace mechanism called for
Pyongyang, July 31 (KCNA) - South Korean organizations made public statements and an appeal on the occasion of the 49th anniversary of the signing of the Korean Armistice Agrement, according to a news report.
The solidarity for implementing the south-north joint declaration in a statement on July 26 said:
Now that the south and the north agreed upon paving the way for reunification in a peaceful way by adopting the June 15 joint declaration, there is no ground to keep the state of ceasefire any longer.
The south headquarters of the national alliance for the country's reunification in a statement on July 27 said that the United States is escalating the annual joint military exercises while pursuing the hostile policy toward the north and stepping up arms buildup in the south, which is sabre-rattling threatening peace on the Korean peninsula.
A rally took place in Maroni Park in Seoul under the sponsorship of the reunification solidarity on the same day to vow to frustrate the U.S. war moves, implement the June 15 joint declaration and achieve independent reunification on the occasion of the 49th anniversary of the signing of the July 27 armistice agreement. An appeal to the fellow countrymen in the south, the north and abroad was adopted at the rally.
The appeal called for recognizing once again that it is the way of realizing peace on the Korean peninsula and co-prosperity of the nation to put an end to the state of war on the peninsula and sign a peace agreement between the north and the United States and pooling the will and efforts of the 70 million fellow countrymen to get a peace agreement signed.
Memorial meeting of Koreans in Japan
Pyongyang, July 31 (KCNA) - Korean youth and students in Japan met in Tokyo on July 27 to mourn Sin Hyo Sun and Sim Mi Son, south Korean schoolgirls killed by the U.S. Forces' armored car.
A statement denouncing the GIs' murder was adopted at the meeting.
It said that they would join south Korean students and people in demanding an official apology of U.S. President Bush, legal punishment of the murderers and compensation to the victims.
It also stressed that they would fight to the end for the withdrawal of the U.S. Forces from south Korea and the independent and peaceful reunification of the country, strengthening solidarity among youth and students in the north, south and overseas.
It was decided at the meeting to send the statement to various civic organizations of south Korea, the U.S. Forces present in south Korea and the U.S. President.
The meeting also called for participating in the signature campaign launched by south Korea's All-People Measure Committee for Sin Hyo Sun and Sim Mi Son, schoolgirls killed by the U.S. Forces' armored car.