Kim Jong Il visits warship of Pacific Fleet
Pyongyang, August 24 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Il, Chairman of the National Defence Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on Friday visited the warship Admiral Panteleyev of the Pacific Fleet, which was anchoring at Vladivostok port.
He was greeted by vice admiral V.V. Teryokhin, captain of the vessel N.V. Ozidny and other commanding officers of the unit.
A grand welcome function took place for him on the vessel.
He reviewed a guard of honor that lined up on the deck.
The national anthems of the two countries were played amid the boom of a 21-gun salute.
He, conducted by the captain, went round the combat and technical equipment and the interior of the vessel and saw a drill of seamen.
He inspired the seamen in their efforts to increase the combat capacity to defend their motherland by force of arms. He signed the guest book, wishing them greater success in their military service.
A souvenir was presented to him on behalf of the vessel.
He left the vessel, warmly seen off by them.
Kim Jong Il visits Vladivostok
Pyongyang, August 24 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Il, Chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission, visited Vladivostok, a port city in the Far Eastern region of Russia, Friday and Saturday.
He arrived there Friday morning.
He was greeted at a railway station by I. V. Ivanov, deputy governor of the maritime territory, P. P. Tarashenko, director of the Pacific region of the federal border service, Yu. M. Kopylov, mayor of Vladivostok, and other senior officials.
He exchanged greetings with them and then went to the "Commercial Seaport" Co. Ltd.
After being briefed on the company by its general manager, he looked round the wharves to acquaint himself in detail with the capacity, technical equipment and the management of the port.
Saying the company is highly honoured with Kim Jong Il's visit to the port, the general manager presented him with a souvenir carrying the best wishes of its employees.
The next leg of his tour was the "Ignat" Trade Center.
He went round every department from the ground floor to the fourth floor, conducted by deputy general manager, to learn in detail about the business at the center.
He was presented with a souvenir by the center.
The maritime territory administration gave a luncheon in honor of Kim Jong Il at "Gawan" Hotel.
Present on invitation were Kim Yong Chun, member of the DPRK National Defence Commission and chief of the general staff of the Korean People's Army, Yon Hyong Muk, member of the NDC, Kim Yong Sun, secretary of the C.C., the Workers' Party of Korea, Kang Sok Ju, first vice-minister of foreign affairs, Pak Nam Gi, chairman of the State Planning Commission, Kim Yong Sam, minister of railways, Jang Song Thaek and Ju Kyu Chang, first vice department directors of the C.C., the WPK, Pak Ui Chun, DPRK Ambassador to Russia, and other suite members.
Present there were I. V. Ivanov and I. L. Belchuk, deputy governors of the maritime territory, A. G. Karlov, Russian Ambassador to the DPRK, V. A. Tregubov, first deputy presidential envoy to the Far East federal district, Yu. M. Kopylov, mayor of Vladivostok, and senior officials of the maritime territory and the city.
The maritime territory administration Saturday hosted a breakfast in honour of Kim Jong Il visiting Vladivostok.
Kim Jong Il left Vladivostok Saturday morning, warmly sent off by senior officials of the maritime territory, the city and commanding officers of the army.
U.S. military moves denounced
Pyongyang, August 24 (KCNA) -- South Korean women and those from Okinawa of Japan, the Philippines, Puerto Rico and the United States and other countries and regions reportedly called a press conference in Seoul on August 20 to denounce the U.S. military moves in various parts of the world.
They had participated in the international conference held in Seoul for three days from August 16 to oppose U.S. militarism.
Referring to its adverse impact on the children and environment in various countries and regions, they asserted that the murder of schoolgirls Sin Hyo Sun and Sim Mi Son by a U.S. armored car is an indication that the policy pursued by the Bush administration since the September 11 incident is sparking global militarization.
A statement titled "We denounce the U.S. Forces for doing damage to our life, regional community and the environment" was read out there.
It urged the U.S. and the governments of the countries and the regions where its forces are present to put an end to the military policy, ensure true security, own responsibility for the living environment polluted due to the U.S. Forces' presence and bear expenses for its rehabilitation and stop violence against women and children.
Pyongyang film festival to be held
Pyongyang, August 24 (KCNA) -- The 8th Pyongyang Film Festival of Non-Aligned and Other Developing Countries will open here amid the great expectation and concern of the world progressives advocating independence and moviemen.
The festival will bring together over 60 organizations from more than 40 countries which will contribute lengthy feature films, documentary and short films.
Films from many countries have already reached the organizing committee of the festival and more are on the way.
Arrangements for the successful holding of the festival have already been completed.
The Pyongyang International Cinema House, the venue of the opening ceremony of the festival, the People's Palace of Culture and Taedongmun, Kaeson, Rakwon and other cinema houses in the city are ready for the festival.
Posters on the festival have been produced.
The first Pyongyang film festival was held in September Juche 76 (1987) in the idea of independence, peace and friendship.
Assault on journalists denounced in S. Korea
Pyongyang, August 24 (KCNA) -- A Preparatory Committee for the South Korean Internet Journalists Association reportedly held a press conference on Aug. 20 in protest against the U.S. troops' assault made on the journalists who were covering a rally held to demand a probe into the truth behind the GIs' killing of two girl students.
Released at the press conference was a declaration of 1,000 persons including journalists of 20 internet media, 19 newspapers and broadcasting services and members of the media movement organizations.
The declaration demanded a probe into the truth behind the forcible arrest of internet journalists, assault on them and illegal detention of them and the punishment of the culprit.
The organization in the press conference demanded Bush's apology, renunciation of jurisdiction, punishment of the culprit and the revision of the shackling south Korea-U.S. status of forces agreement.
The organization held a rally when the police stopped it from thrusting a protest letter to the U.S. embassy at the end of the press conference.
Hearing on crimes related to "comfort women" held
Pyongyang, August 24 (KCNA) -- A hearing on the theme of "breaking the silence of history" was held in Geneva on August 13 by non-governmental human rights organizations as regards crimes related to "comfort women" for the imperial Japanese army.
The background against which the "war crimes international tribunal of women" dealing with sexual slavery enforced by the imperial Japanese army was organized and its activities, the final judgment made by the tribunal in December of 2001 and its significance and the activities to resolve the issue of the "comfort women" for the imperial Japanese army, etc were introduced and issues of strengthening international solidarity in this field were discussed at the hearing.
Then, its participants listened to the testimonies made by victims and watched a video tape on which the proceeding of the tribunal to try the imperial Japanese army's sexual slavery is recorded.
Participating in the hearing were delegates of non-governmental organizations dealing with the issue of women's rights, including liberation, the international fellowship for reconciliation and the Asian women's human rights council, etc. that had participated in the 54th meeting of the un sub-commission on human rights.
Worship of Kim Jong Il in S. Korea
Pyongyang, August 24 (KCNA) - General Secretary Kim Jong Il's visit to the Far Eastern region of the Russian Federation is shocking the world, which will be a noteworthy event to bring about an epochal turn in building a powerful socialist nation and achieving national reunification and global independence.
Pak Kwang Gi, chief of the Pyongyang mission of the National Democratic Front of South Korea, said this in an interview with KCNA yesterday.
He went on:
A strong wind of worshiping Kim Jong Il is now blowing in south Korea.
The world people are watching his visit with great concern and expectation, convinced that his visit will be a declaration of shameful ruin to the imperialists who crave for monopolistic domination over the world.
The world politics is now centering on Pyongyang where Kim Jong Il is and following the politics of Pyongyang and the trend of the times is following his will.
It is the best fortune of the Korean people and the great honor of humankind to hold him in high esteem as the leader who steers the times and guides the development of history.
The South Korean people will vigorously advance along the road of national independence and great national unity under the banner of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration provided by him, thwart and frustrate the separatist moves of the anti-reunification forces at home and abroad with a valiant struggle and open a new phase of independent reunification.
Japan must redeem its past crimes
Pyongyang, August 24 (KCNA) -- If the DPRK-Japan relations are to be improved, Japan should redeem its past crimes, says Rodong Sinmun Saturday in a signed commentary, 57 years after the Japanese imperialists exploded the naval transport ship Ukishima-maru, killing many Koreans aboard it on their way back to their hometowns.
Japan is an offender who invaded and ruled Korea by force of arms and Korea is a victim of its aggression, the commentary says, and continues:
As recognized by the world, during their colonial rule the Japanese imperialists kidnapped or took away more than 6 million young and middle-aged Koreans for medieval slave labor and nearly 200,000 Korean girls and women for sexual service for the imperial Japanese army and massacred an immeasurable number of revolutionaries, patriots and innocent people.
The Ukishima-maru incident is just part of their atrocities.
However, Japan has neither apologized nor compensated for those past crimes as yet.
Crimes must be redeemed. It is quite natural from the legal and moral point of view.
Pyongyang schoolchildren's art troupe leaves for Macao
Pyongyang, August 24 (KCNA) -- The Pyongyang schoolchildren's art troupe left here today by air to visit Macao, China.
Japanese Foreign Ministry delegation here
Pyongyang, August 24 (KCNA) -- The delegation of the Japanese Foreign Ministry led by Hitoshi Tanaka, director of its Asia-Oceania department, arrived here today by air to participate in the director-level talks of the foreign ministries of the DPRK and Japan.
Maldivian minister of health arrives
Pyongyang, August 24 (KCNA) -- Ahmed Abdullah, minister of health of the Republic of Maldives, and his party arrived here today.
They were greeted at the airport by Choe Chang Sik, vice-minister of public health.
Hong Song Nam meets Japanese delegation
Pyongyang, August 24 (KCNA) -- Hong Song Nam, premier of the cabinet of theDPRK, met the delegation of the Japanese Foreign Ministry led by Hitoshi Tanaka, director of its Asia-Oceania department, at the Mansudae Assembly Hall today. The delegation is here to participate in the director-level talks of the foreign ministries of the DPRK and Japan.