Kim Jong Il sees performance Arirang
Pyongyang, August 16 (KCNA) - General Secretary Kim Jong Il saw the closing mass gymnastic and artistic performance Arirang and congratulated the creators and performers on the successful presentation on Thursday, the 57th anniversary of the country's liberation.
Seeing the performance with him were Kim Yong Nam, Kim Yong Chun, Kim Il Chol, Ri Ul Sol and other senior party and state officials, chairwoman of the c.c., the Chondoist Chongu Party Ryu Mi Yong and leading officials of party and military organs and working people's organizations.
The performance was also appreciated by officials of party, military and power bodies, social organizations, ministries, national institutions, science, education, culture and art, public health and the press, servicemen and working people in the city.
Arirang has been performed on over 90 occasions since the premiere was given on April 14 amid great interest and expectation of all the Korean people and the world's progressive people. The performances were enjoyed by an estimated four million Korean people, servicemen and overseas compatriots and a large number of foreigners from the five continents.
The performers fully demonstrated the heroic spirit, indomitable will and the might of the singlehearted unity of Kim Il Sung's nation building a powerful state of Juche under Kim Jong Il's leadership.
After the performance Kim Jong Il waved back to the enthusiastically cheering performers and audience and congratulated the performers on their successful performance.
He expressed great satisfaction with the creators and performers who successfully created and completed the masterpiece of the workers' party era, which vividly reflected the spirit of Korea, in a matter of a little over one year with a patriotic will to fully demonstrate the might of Korea, the homeland of Juche, and have successfully performed it with extraordinary enthusiasm and will. He highly appreciated their distinguished service which would remain shining long in the history of the country.
He said Arirang was a great masterpiece of Juche-oriented culture and art of which the Korean nation was proud of in the new century and was also a valuable national treasure to be bequeathed to posterity. He also said it was a great pride for the Korean party and people to have such an excellent cultural treasure.
Noting that culture and art were a powerful ideological weapon dynamically pushing ahead with the revolution and construction, he set forth highly important tasks which would serve as guidelines in further developing the nation's Juche-oriented culture and art.
Document on talks between delegations of DPRK and Russia signed
Pyongyang, August 16 (KCNA) -- Minutes of the talks between the delegation of the DPRK Ministry of Foreign Trade and the delegation of the Amur regional administration of the Russian Federation were signed here yesterday.
Kim Yong Jae, vice-minister of foreign trade, and Nikolai Savin, deputy governor of the Amur regional administration who is leading the Russian delegation, signed the document.
Wreaths laid at Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery
Pyongyang, August 16 (KCNA) -- Wreaths were laid at the Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery on Mt. Taesong on Thursday morning to commemorate the 57th anniversary of the liberation of the country.
Present at the wreath-laying ceremony were Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Ri Kwang Gun, minister of foreign trade, and officials concerned, generals and officers of the Korean People's army and working people in the city.
Also present were diplomatic envoys of different countries here, chief Pak Kwang Gi and members of the Pyongyang mission of the National Democratic Front of South Korea.
Amid the playing of the wreath-laying music, wreaths were laid in the joint name of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly and the cabinet of the DPRK, in the name of the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces, the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Foreign Trade, the Ministry of Railways and the Ministry of Forestry, in the joint name of the Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries and the Korea-Russia Friendship Association, and in the joint name of the Pyongyang City Committee of the WPK and the Pyongyang City People's Committee.
And a wreath was laid in the name of the diplomatic corps here.
Working people from all walks of life and servicemen laid bouquets and flowers at the cemetery.
Wreaths laid before liberation towers
Pyongyang, August 16 (KCNA) -- Wreaths were laid before the Liberation Tower and the Cemetery of Fallen Fighters of the Soviet Army in Sadong district, Pyongyang, on Thursday on the occasion of the 57th anniversary of Korea's liberation.
Present at the wreath-laying ceremonies were Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Ri Kwang Gun, minister of foreign trade, and officials concerned.
Charge d'affaires Oleg Dabydov and staff members of the Russian embassy here were on hand.
Amid the wreath-laying music wreaths were placed before the Liberation Tower and the Cemetery of Fallen Fighters of the Soviet Army in the joint name of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, the Presidium of the DPRK SPA and the DPRK cabinet.
Also laid were wreaths in the name of the embassy of the Russian Federation here.
Laid there were wreaths in the name of the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Trade, in the joint name of the Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries and the Korea-Russia Friendship Association and in the joint name of the Pyongyang City Committee of the WPK and the Pyongyang City People's Committee.
A wreath in the joint name of the Sadong district, Pyongyang, committee of the WPK and the Sadong district, Pyongyang, people's committee was placed at the cemetery.
Working people in the city laid bouquets and flowers before the tower and the cemetery.
That day members of the consulate general of Russia in Chongjin laid bouquets before the Liberation Tower and the Cemetery of Fallen Fighters of the Soviet Army in Chongjin.
Earlier, wreaths were laid before the liberation towers, monuments to the fallen fighters of the Soviet Army, statues of soldiers of the Soviet Army and cemeteries of fallen fighters of the Soviet Army in local areas in the joint name of provincial and city people's committees. And members of the Russian embassy here laid bouquets and flowers before them.
Postcards distributed in S. Korea
Pyongyang, August 16 (KCNA) -- Postcards praising President Kim Il Sung and General Secretary Kim Jong Il were distributed in Tongdaemun district, Seoul on August 5, stirring up people, according to Seoul-based radio Voice of National Salvation.
Given in the frontal upper part of postcards with the name of reunification activist Choe Ryun were pictures of Kim Il Sung making a speech after his triumphant return home and Kim Jong Il signing the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration backgrounded by bouquets.
In the back of the postcards were letters reading:
"President Kim Il Sung, the sun of the nation and liberator of the country, will always live in the hearts of our people. The future of the nation is bright with General Kim Jong Il, the destiny of the nation and the lodestar of national reunification.
Let us all people make the August 15 meeting for national reunification to be held in Seoul a meeting of the 70 million Koreans for reunification to create a new history of a reunified country."
New saltern appears
Pyongyang, August 16 (KCNA) -- The large-scale August 1 Youth Saltern appeared on the seashore in Odaejin of Orang county, North Hamgyong Province on the east coast in the northern part of the DPRK.
The first output of salt at the saltern went to the people in Ryanggang Province, a northern inland area.
From olden times, the east coastal area had been considered to be unfit for building any saltern as it has unfavorable natural and climate conditions including the steep bottom of the sea and low rate of hours of sunshine.
The area has depended on the salt producers in west coastal areas for thousands of years.
A new history of salt industry began in east coastal areas thanks to the popular policy of the Workers' Party of Korea.
The Kwangmyongsong saltern with an annual production capacity of tens of thousands of tons was completed in Kumya county, South Hamgyong Province in October Juche 88 (1999).
The August 1 Youth Saltern made its appearance in the wake of the completion of the Wonsan bay saltern this year. As a result, all provinces on the east coast came to have their own salterns and there is a bright prospect of meeting their demands for salt by themselves.
The area of salt farms on the east coast is on a steady increase.
Industrial technological service appreciated
Pyongyang, August 16 (KCNA) -- The Industrial Technological Company of the Academy of Sciences is appreciated by its customers for its good technological and trade services.
The company is a seller and exporter of new technologies and technical devices of high economic efficiency and at the world's advanced level.
Its service and varieties of devices are diverse.
There are high demands for devices identifying various things including fingerprint key, computer key and bank card, jet ink (three colors) for computer printer and other it goods.
Nichrome wire used in the oven for heat-treatment of materials for the production of machines, Nano powder made on the basis of plasma technology, and insulating grease and paper for high voltage motors, an oxygen meter, special welding rods, etc. are attracting attention of scientists in the fields of metal and machine industries.
High quality accelerator for concrete hardening, water-proof agent, materials for lagging and other raw materials in the field of construction and machines in the chemical and light industrial fields are massively exported.
The company is giving technological service for the imported equipment and receiving and executing orders placed for services for computers for control and program adjusters and other devices for controlling continuous and interrupted processes and program development.
Greetings to Indonesian President
Pyongyang, August 16 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, today sent a message of greetings to Megawati Soekarnoputri, President of Indonesia, on the occasion of the 57th anniversary of its independence.
I express belief that the good friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries will grow stronger in the future as we agreed at the meeting in Djakarta in July, the message said, wishing her greater success in her work.
Greetings to Gabonese President
Pyongyang, August 16 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, on August 13 sent a message of greetings to el Haji Omar Bongo, President of the Gabonese Republic, on the occasion of the 42nd anniversary of its independence.
Expressing belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would continue to develop favorably, the message wholeheartedly wished him success in his responsible work for durable peace and prosperity of his country.
Appeal to 70 million Koreans
Seoul, August 15 (KCNA correspondent) -- An appeal to the 70 million Koreans was adopted at the August 15 meeting for national reunification which opened here today.
The appeal said that the meeting fully demonstrated ardent desire of the Korean nation for reunification and proud look of its unity.
It went on:
The historic June 15 joint declaration serves as the only banner of national reconciliation and unity for reunification.
We repeatedly confirmed the unanimous desire that the declaration should be implemented to indicate the road to be followed by the nation, come what may.
At the meeting the reunification movement organizations in the north and the south agreed to invigorate the movement for national reunification by pooling efforts and wisdom of the Korean nation and push ahead with nationwide solidarity movement for cooperation among the nation and thus wage an active struggle to defend the comfort of the nation and peace and remove a source of foreign interference and war at an early date.
In order to follow up the achievements gained in the pro-reunification functions of the past, they agreed to hold a meeting of youth and students for reunification in famous Mt. Kumgang of the nation from Sept. 7 to 8 and a similar meeting of women from Sept. 12 to 13 and pro-reunification functions of the relevant organizations in the north and the south on several occasions including the foundation day of Korea which falls an Oct. 3.
The appeal called on all the fellow countrymen to work hard for the reunification of the country, the cause of the nation, with new passion, resolution and faith.
The great proposition "by the concerted efforts of the Korean nation" laid down in the declaration indicates a way to solve the issue of the Korean nation by itself.
The appeal called on the 70 million Koreans to solve all the issues arising in realizing national reunification and prosperity in reliance upon on their efforts in the belief in their strength, will and wisdom, and wage a powerful movement for national reconciliation and unity, peace and reunification through the unity of the 70 million Koreans, who are responsible for reunification.