August 15 meeting for national reunification hailed in S. Korea
Pyongyang, August 17 (KCNA) -- Some 25,000 south Korean workers, peasants, students and citizens held a function "solidarity for reunification" at Konkuk University on August 14 in congratulation of the opening of the August 15 meeting for national reunification.
Representatives of various organizations told the function that the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration was a great programme of the nation and called for achieving the nation's prosperity and development in line with it.
They also called for the abolition of the security law, the reunification of the country and the building of a society for the people.
Wreath laid before grave of Ryo Un Hyong
Seoul, August 16 (KCNA correspondent) -- Ryo Won Gu, member of the presidium of the c.c., the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland, who was participating in the august 15 meeting for national reunification, visited the grave of her father Ryo Un Hyong in Seoul and laid a wreath before it on behalf of her family on August 14.
Before the grave she said she became an able official of the country under the deep care of President Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Suk and that Kim Jong Il bestowed great affection upon her and sent her to visit her father's grave.
Noting that all the Koreans were joining efforts to reunify the country in an independent way and by the concerted efforts of the Korean nation in line with the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration, she vowed to visit her father's grave again after the reunification of the country.
She met her relatives in South Korea on August 15.
Anti-U.S. demonstrations in S. Korea
Pyongyang, August 17 (KCNA) -- Anti-U.S. demonstrations of civic and social organizations and students have been staged across south Korea two months after two schoolgirls were killed by a U.S. armored car, according to a news report.
An estimated 400 students belonging to the students committee of the Democratic Workers' Party, the Kyonggi-Inchon Regional Federation of University Student Councils and the students' solidarity for action occupied the intersection in front of Namyong railway station in Ryongsan district, Seoul, where the U.S. 8th army command is located, and staged a surprise demonstration on August 8, burning the stars and stripes.
Members of the Taegu-North Kyongsang Provincial Joint Measure Council against the murder of schoolgirls by a U.S. armored car, which includes some 40 civic and social organizations in the area, staged a demonstration in Taegu city, demanding the U.S. murderers be brought to the south Korean court at once.
A "national day of students' action for punishment of U.S. murderers at the south Korean court" was held in Seoul on August 13 with the attendance of more than 1,500 students from 13 student organizations.
Read out at the function was a resolution urging the U.S. Forces' immediate transfer of criminal jurisdiction, amendments to the humiliating south Korea-U.S. status of forces agreement, an open apology from President Bush and the total withdrawal of the U.S. troops from south Korea.
After the function the participants marched towards the U.S. embassy.
Separate art performances given in Seoul
Seoul, August 16 (KCNA correspondent) -- The artistes from the north side participating in the August 15 meeting for national reunification gave separate performances in Seoul on August 15 and 16.
The audiences were deeply moved to see the unique repertoire staged by the artistes.
Appreciating the performance were Han Hwa Gap, delegate of the Democratic Party for New Millennium, Kwon Yong Gil, delegate of the Democratic Workers' Party, Pae Ki Won, justice of the supreme court, Pak Ji Won, chief presidential secretary, Ri Su Song, former prime minister, officials concerned of Chongwadae, national assemblymen, people from all walks of life and more than 1,000 Seoul citizens.
Many figures and citizens also appreciated the performance on Aug. 16.
At the turn of each number, the audience burst into cheers and enthusiastic applause, overcome with emotion.
The performances pervaded with an atmosphere overflowing with compatriotic feelings deeply impressed the audiences for their high ideological and artistic content and refined skills of artistes.
At the end of the performances, they warmly congratulated the artistes on their successes, saying that "it is the great honor to see the splendid art performance of the north", "the arts of the north are the true national arts that reached an acme", "fascinating arts strong in national flavour" and "it is a great fortune to see the world's best dances".
Monument to June 15 joint declaration built in S. Korea
Pyongyang, August 17 (KCNA) -- A monument to the June 15 joint declaration was built on the campus of Seoul National University on August 14, according to Seoul-based Radio No. 1.
The full text of the joint declaration was inscribed on the monument.
The monument, 4 meters in height, was built by the preparatory committee for celebrations of the second anniversary of the June 15 declaration, which is made up of students of the university.
Implementation of agreement called for
Pyongyang, August 17 (KCNA) -- The 7th inter-Korean ministerial talks bore good fruits in the discussions of the agenda items. What remains to be done is to implement the agreed points.
Rodong Sinmun says this in a signed commentary Saturday.
It goes on:
If the points are to be implemented to meet the expectation and demand of the fellow countrymen, the south side should have the stand of national independence, a patriotic stand.
So more achievements could not be made in the inter-Korean relations and the movement for national reunification in the past owing to the attitude of the south side that regards "cooperation" with outsiders more important than national cooperation.
As it is clear from this precedent, if the agreed points are to be implemented in the reunification movement, it is urgent for the south side to stop slandering the north and coming out against it but seek cooperation with compatriots. It is necessary to depend on the nation. The south side should make a proper understanding of the real meaning of "by our nation itself" and have the patriotic stand of national independence, the sincere stand of doing good things together, getting reconciled and united with the compatriots in the north.
As the good achievements have been made at the talks, we urge the south side not to repeat the inglorious things done in the process of implementing the agreed points in the past but to sincerely implement all the points the sides agreed upon at the talks with the will to implement the June 15 joint declaration.
We will make every possible effort to successfully implement the agreements reached at the talks.
U.S. projected joint war exercise under fire
Pyongyang, August 17 (KCNA) -- Minju Joson today in a signed commentary dismisses the U.S. imperialists' projected joint military exercise Ulji Focus Lens in south Korea as a dangerous saber-rattling intended to strain the situation on the Korean Peninsula and mount a surprise attack on the DPRK.
The commentary goes on: Ulji Focus Lens has been staged since 1976. It is publicly known that each war drill resulted in creating a touch-and-go situation on the Korean Peninsula and each time the U.S. imperialists painted the war manoeuvres as a "commanding staff drill" and "annual drill" in a bid to escape from public censure at home and abroad.
Saber-rattling cannot go with dialogue. The U.S. policy to stifle the DPRK has become more undisguised since the emergence of the present administration.
The U.S. warmongers are keen to destroy the DPRK by force of arms, but this is a day-dream.
The DPRK is ready for both dialogue and war.
The U.S. imperialists will sustain even more disgraceful defeat than what they did in the 1950s if they dare ignite a war.
They should drop their anti-DPRK hostile policy, stop the north-targeted war exercises in south Korea and pull all their aggression forces out of it at once.
DPRK-Japan Red Cross talks to be resumed
Pyongyang, August 17 (KCNA) -- Talks between Red Cross organizations of the DPRK and Japan will be held here from August 18 to 19 amid attention of the two peoples.
The talks are to tackle such humanitarian matters of mutual concern as investigation into missing persons and hometown visit of Japanese women in the DPRK.
Over the past years, progress has been made in the solution of some humanitarian issues. Efforts have been made to know whereabouts of Korean victims, who were reported missing before 1945, and missing persons proposed by the Japanese side while hometown visits of Japanese women in the DPRK were made.
The Korean people hope that the DPRK-Japan relations would be normalized and developed in the idea of independence, peace and friendship to meet the interests of the two peoples.
DPRK delegation returns
Pyongyang, August 17 (KCNA) -- The DPRK delegation returned here today after participating in the August 15 meeting for national reunification.
It was greeted at the airport by Ryu Mi Yong, chairwoman of the central committee of the Chondoist Chongu Party, Kang Nung Su, minister of culture, Kang Ryon Hak, member of the presidium of the c.c., the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland, An Kyong Ho, director of the secretariat of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, leading officials of social organizations and other officials concerned.
The delegation left Seoul this morning.
It published a statement on its departure at the airport.
The statement said that the meeting was of great significance as it contributed to promoting reunification by the concerted efforts of the Korean nation in the basic spirit of the June 15 joint declaration.
It called on all the fellow countrymen to glorify the 21st century as an era of national unity and reunification and prosperity, true to the great preposition "by our nation itself."
Japanese delegation here for Red Cross talks
Pyongyang, August 17 (KCNA) -- A delegation of the Japan Red Cross headed by Hiroshi Higashiura, director of its international department, arrived here today to participate in the talks between the DPRK and Japanese Red Cross organizations.