Greetings to President of Botswana

Pyongyang, September 30 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, on Sept. 24 sent a message of greetings to Festus G. Mogae, President of Botswana, on the occasion of the 36th anniversary of its independence. The message extended warm congratulations to the president, the government and the people of Botswana on this anniversary.
In the belief that the friendly relations between the two countries would grow stronger, the message sincerely wished the president greater success in his work and the people of Botswana progress and well-being.

Seminar on Arirang held

    Pyongyang, September 30 (KCNA) -- A seminar on the mass gymnastic and artistic performance Arirang, Kim Il Sung Prize laureate, which is based on the Juche-oriented idea of literature and art was held at the Pyongyang Grand Theatre on Sept. 29. At the seminar the speakers said that the creation of Arirang in the present times is a powerful demonstration of the might and everlasting existence of Kim Il Sung's Korea and marked a significant event in the human history of culture.
    Arirang was created as the most valuable treasure of the human culture and art and performed amid worldwide interest, with the DPRK, the homeland of Juche, lauded as the creator of mass gymnastic and artistic performance, they said. It is entirely thanks to the rare intelligence and outstanding leadership of Kim Jong Il, a genius of creation and construction and a great master of art, they said.
    Arirang, fully demonstrating the dignity, spirit and wisdom of the Korean nation, is a masterpiece representing the new century and national treasure of the sun's Korea, the speakers said.
    They called for making fresh success in the production of the revolutionary literature and art works in the era of the army-centered policy on the basis of the achievements and experience in the creation of Arirang.

Second performance given by MBC art troupe

    Pyongyang, September 30 (KCNA) -- The MBC art troupe of South Korea gave its second performance "Pyongyang Special Performance of MBC in 2002" at the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre on Sunday. Among the audience were Kim Yong Dae, chairman of the national reconciliation council, Ryu Mi Yong, chairperson of the c.c., the Chondoist Chongu Party, officials concerned, artistes and working people in the city.
    Kim Jung Bae, president of the MBC, and members of the art troupe also saw the performance.
    The performance raised its curtain with song "Glad To See You" sung together by the artistes of the north and the south.
    Singer Choe Jin Hui sang "Tears of Mokpho," "Don't Weep, Hongdo" and other songs belonging to the period of enlightenment, reflecting the heart-breaking past history of the Korean nation with bitter grief over a ruined nation. And she sang cheerful song "Whistle."
    Im Ung Gyun sang folk songs "Pakyon Falls" and "Milyang Arirang" reflecting the beauty of Korea and the life sentiments of the Korean people and Ri Mi Ja her favorite songs, acclaimed by the audience deeply feeling that the Korean nation, who has lived in one territory with the same blood and culture, is a homogeneous nation that can not live divided.
    When Yun To Hyon sang songs "Morning Dew" and "Arirang," joined by performers of the south, the performance approached a climax.
    When the artistes of the north and the south sang song "See You Again" together, the audience responded with loud applauses, hardening their determination to speed up national reunification by the concerted efforts of the Korean nation under the banner of the June 15 joint declaration. Artistes presented the performers with bunches of flowers in congratulation of their successful performance.

14th Asian Games opens

    Pusan, September 29 (KCNA correspondent) -- The 14th Asian Games was opened with due ceremony in Pusan on Sunday evening. Participating in the games were nearly 10,000 sportsmen from 44 Asian countries and regions including the DPRK.
    Present at the ceremony were Kim Dae Jung, President of South Korea, political and public figures, senior officials of the Asian Olympic Council, Pak Myong Chol, chairman of the DPRK National Olympic Committee, who is heading the DPRK sports delegation, and the heads of the sports delegations of other countries and regions.
    The sports teams entered the stadium.
    Athlets of the north and south of Korea entered it, holding hands with each other, with the Korean Peninsula flag at the head.
    The chairman of the organizing committee of the 14th Asian Games said in a speech that young people of the north and south of Korea were participating in the Asiad with the hope for the reunified country and they would encourage each other and share joys of success with each other.
    The chairman of the Asian Olympic Council made a welcome speech.
    When the opening of the games was declared, the flag of the council was hoisted.
    Athlets from the north and south of Korea lit the Asian Olympic flame with a sacred torch which is the combination of torches lit on Paektu, the holy mountain of the Korean nation, and Mt. Halla in South Korea. The flame was joined by other sacred torches from different countries and regions.
    An art performance was given at the stadium.
    The Asiad will last till October 14.

Socio-historical movement elucidated by Juche idea

    Pyongyang, September 30 (KCNA) -- The Juche idea clarified from a new angle that the socio-historical movement is a creative movement of the popular masses to transform nature and society. It means that popular masses actively transform nature and society through their creative wisdom and energies.
    This can be explained by the fact that man is a creative being whose intrinsic nature is creativity. Having such creativity, man transforms nature and society to be more useful for him, changing the old and creating the new.
    Human history proves that the socio-historical movement is a creative movement of the popular masses.
    Since the beginning of human history, the masses of the people have been conquering nature, making what is necessary for their existence and development by their creative labor and effecting social progress by their creative activity to change the old.
    Their continuous creative activity has advanced society.
    The process of their creative activity, which advances human history, is accompanied by struggles and is a process of preparing them as more powerful beings.
    The masses of the people have increased their creative ability while at the same time transforming nature and developing society.
    The history of social productive forces is the history of the growth of men's creative capability to conquer nature and the history of social revolutions is the history of the process to strengthen the revolutionary power of the masses to reshape society.
    With growth in the creative ability of the masses, the socio-historical movement makes further progress.

Rodong Sinmun calls for glorifying era of army-based policy

    Pyongyang, September 30 (KCNA) -- The Juche idea is an immortal banner leading the army-based revolutionary cause of the Workers' Party of Korea to shining victory, says Rodong Sinmun Monday in an editorial. Apart from the Juche idea one cannot say of the WPK's idea of attaching importance to military affairs, the idea that calls for protecting the destiny of the popular masses with arms and its tremendous vitality, the editorial says, and goes on:
    The army-based line, the great guiding line in the era of the army-centered policy, is a revolutionary strategic line based on the Juche idea and the army-based policy of the WPK is an original political mode based on the Juche idea. Kim Jong Il has mapped out all the lines, policies, strategies and tactics in the era of army-based policy on the principle of giving priority to the army, guided by the Juche idea. The army-based line based on the Juche idea serves as guidelines for all fields including the party, power, economic and cultural construction and the revolutionary spirit of soldiers based on the idea and theory of Juche represents the spirit of the times on which people's viewpoint, ways of activities and work style are based.
    This line is the essence of the revolutionary idea of Kim Jong Il and the fundamental principle to govern all its systems and contents.
    The present era of the army-based policy is the times in which the validity and vitality of the Juche idea and the idea and line of the army-based policy based on it are most strikingly demonstrated. The army-based revolutionary cause of the WPK is an invincible cause which makes progress and wins victory with the might of the idea and the army. It is an unshakable will of Kim Jong Il to accomplish the Korean revolution that started in the forest of Mt. Paektu under the banner of the Juche idea.
    The editorial calls on all the people to vigorously accelerate the revolution and construction, considering the Juche idea to be a permanent strategic objective in the revolution, and thus make the era of the army-based policy shine as the most glorious era of creation and innovation in the history of the WPK and the revolution.

Multi-media programs developed

    Pyongyang, September 30 (KCNA) -- Pyongyang Jang Chol Gu University of Commerce has succeeded in developing many multi-media programs of high practicability. Typical of them are "Korean National Cuisine," "Korean National Costumes," "Tour of Mt. Kumgang" and "Tour of Mt. Myohyang."
    "Korean National Cuisine" is very popular among the people as it gives a detailed and diverse introduction of traditional food of Korea.
    The program has three parts -- staple food, non-staple food and beverages and dessert -- and gives explanations of more than 400 kinds of typical national dishes.
    It also gives hundreds of cooking methods, common knowledge and origins of dishes together with animations and various finding functions.
    "Korean National Costumes" introduces the detailed method of making elegant Korean skirt (Chima) and coat (Jogori) with their models systematized on the basis of a historical and scientific analysis.
    The program shows the customs of wearing classic Chima and Jogori in the chronological order, as well as contemporary costumes, their designs and processing methods.
    Also edited in the program are relics, drawings, mural paintings, lyrics, poems, old sayings and origins.
    "Tour of Mt. Kumgang" introduces scenic spots and places, special animals and plants in the mountain, history and culture related to the mountain and tour courses together with animations, music and sounds.
    "Tour of Mt. Myohyang" shows the international friendship exhibition, such scenic spots in the mountain as Sangwon, Manphok, Chonthae and Chilsong ravines, historical relics such as Pohyon temple and Sangwon Buddhist hermitage and the wonderful view of Ryongmun cavern.
    These programs were highly estimated at the Korean computer software exhibition in china for they introduced national traditions of Korea and its beautiful scenery.

Greetings to Chinese FM

Pyongyang, September 30 (KCNA) -- DPRK Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun sent a message of greetings to Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan on the occasion of the 53rd birthday of the People's Republic of China. The message said that the fraternal Chinese people have achieved great successes in the socialist modernization drive and in external affairs under the leadership of the Communist Party of China headed by Jiang Zemin.
Noting that the friendship between the DPRK and China continues to develop favorably even under the complicated international situation, the message expressed the hope that the cooperation between the two countries and the two foreign ministries would steadily grow stronger in the future, too, to put the friendly relations between the two countries on a higher level in conformity with the deep care and intentions of the two leaders and wished the PRC prosperity.

Greetings to Nigerian President

Pyongyang, September 30 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, on Sept. 27 sent a message of greetings to Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigerian President and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, on the occasion of the 42nd anniversary of its independence. The message warmly congratulated the president, the government and the people of Nigeria on this anniversary.
It wished the president and the people of Nigeria greater success in their work for building a peaceful, prosperous and powerful country through national unity and solidarity and achieving regional peace and stability, and expressed belief that the excellent friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would continue to grow stronger.

Greetings to President of Cyprus

Pyongyang, September 30 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, today sent a message of greetings to Glafcos Clerides, President of Cyprus, on the occasion of the 42nd anniversary of its independence. The message warmly congratulated the president, the government and the people of Cyprus on this anniversary.
It sincerely wished the president and people of Cyprus new success in their work for the peaceful settlement of the Cypriot issue and the prosperity of the country.

Message of greetings to Chinese leaders

    Pyongyang, September 30 (KCNA) - General Secretary Kim Jong Il together with Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, and Hong Song Nam, Premier of the DPRK cabinet, today sent a message of greetings to Jiang Zemin, General Secretary of the C.C., the Communist Party of China, President of the People's Republic of China and Chairman of the PRC Central Military Commission, Li Peng, Chairman of the standing committee of the National People's Congress of the PRC, and Zhu Rongji, Premier of the PRC state council, on the occasion of the 53rd anniversary of the foundation of the PRC. The message said:
    We extend warm congratulations and greetings to you and, through you, to the communist party, the government and the fraternal people of china on behalf of the WPK, the government and the people of the DPRK on this occasion.
    Since the foundation of the PRC the Chinese people as genuine master of the country have made strenuous efforts to build a modern and civilized powerful socialist country on the vast land of china and achieved many successes in this course.
    The Chinese people are now making positive efforts to significantly mark the 16th congress of the CPC with new successes in the socialist modernization drive under the leadership of the CPC led by General Secretary Jiang Zemin.
    The overall state power of the PRC is growing stronger, progress being achieved in the work for the political stability and unity of the society and the reunification of the whole country and the international prestige of the country rising as the days go by.
    We sincerely rejoice over all the achievements made by the Chinese people and wish them greater success in the future, too.
    The DPRK-China friendship which stood the long trials of history is now favorably developing in keeping with the desire of the two peoples thanks to the concerted efforts of the two sides even under the changed situation.
    It is the firm stand of our party and the government of the DPRK to consolidate and develop this traditional friendship generation after generation.
    Availing ourselves of this opportunity, we express the belief that the friendship will grow stronger in the spirit of the agreements reached at a series of meetings and talks of the two leaders and sincerely wish the PRC progress and prosperity and your people happiness.

MBC art troupe goes back

Pyongyang, September 30 (KCNA) -- The MBC art troupe of South Korea led by its president Kim Jung Bae left here today. It was seen off at the airport by Ri Jong Hyok, vice-chairman of the Korean Asia-Pacific Peace Committee, Song Sok Hwan, vice-minister of culture, Yang Si Un, vice-chairman of the Radio and TV Broadcasting Committee of the DPRK, and officials concerned.
Women artistes gave bouquets to principal members of the troupe.