Kim Jong Il inspects South Hamgyong Province
Pyongyang, October 18 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Il gave field guidance to industrial establishments in South Hamgyong Province on Thursday.
He first visited the commissioned Kumjingang Power Station and learned in detail about its construction and production.
The difficult and vast construction of this station has been successfully finished by people in Jongphyong county in 18 months. It has made it possible to put the dwelling houses in the county seat under an electrical heating system, satisfactorily irrigate tens of thousands of hectares of paddy and non-paddy fields in the basin of the Kumjin river and obtain several hundred hectares of new arable land.
It is an admirable great miracle that the county has completed by itself the project as gigantic as a large hydropower station, he said, highly praising the youth shock brigade members and other people in the county for their proud feats performed in building such an edifice of eternal value through a heroic drive.
The appearance of the country is changing with each passing day thanks to the devoted efforts of our people ready to flatten even a mountain and empty a sea once they are called upon by the WPK to do so, he said, adding: such inexhaustible mental power clearly proves the faith, will and fighting stamina of the Korean people determined to build a powerful nation by themselves without fail.
He also went round the sideline stock-farm built by the young builders.
Then, he moved to the dam construction site of the Hungbong Power Station. Looking round the vast reservoir area and the site of the dam construction making rapid progress thanks to the energetic efforts of people in Hamju county, he acquainted himself in detail with the construction.
Building power stations in all rivers and streams is one of the gigantic nature-harnessing projects to give facelifting to land, he said, stressing: this honorable work should be creditably carried out in our generation to hand down the people's land of bliss to posterity.
The next leg of his visit was the June 1 Youth Electric Appliance Factory. He highly praised party members and other workers of the factory for having updated the production processes to meet the requirements of the new century and advanced many valuable invention and rationalization proposals through a brisk mass technical innovation drive, true to the WPK's policy of attaching importance to science.
The factory has a big role to play in putting the industry on a Juche-oriented, modern and scientific basis, he said, advancing tasks to be carried out by it.
He posed for a picture with innovators of the factory.
He also inspected the Hamhung Basic Foodstuff Factory.
Since basic foodstuff production bases have been laid, it is important to keep its production going at a high rate, he said, adding: strict measures should be taken to provide a sufficient supply of bean and other raw materials.
Repeatedly giving a high appreciation to the province for having done a lot of work in recent years, he expressed the expectation and belief that its working people would continue to creditably play the role of a shock brigade in implementing the WPK's economic policies.
Accompanying him were officers of CC of WPK and government.
National medical workers' meeting held
Pyongyang, October 18 (KCNA) -- A national meeting of medical workers was held at the People's Palace of Culture in Pyongyang on Oct. 16 and 17.
It reviewed the achievements and experience gained in carrying out tasks set forth in "on the further improvement of the health service," the historic letter sent by Kim Jong Il to the participants in the national meeting of medical workers after arranging it in April Juche 74 (1985) and discussed tasks to bring about a fresh turn in health service to meet the requirements of the new century and ways to carry them out.
Its participants heard a recorded speech "Let us implement the law on public health to the letter" made by President Kim Il Sung at the 4th session of the 6th DPRK Supreme People's Assembly.
A congratulatory message sent by the Workers' Party of Korea Central Committee to the participants in the national meeting of medical workers was conveyed at the meeting.
The message said that even under the hard conditions where they were hard pressed for everything the medical workers have strengthened the sanitary and anti-epidemic work and preventive health service and improved the standard of health care for the residents in the districts in their charge and thus greatly contributed to protecting and promoting people's health by thoroughly carrying out the party's policy of preventive medicine.
The report delivered by minister of public health Kim Su Hak and speeches referred to the successes achieved in the health service over the last 17 years and discussed tasks of improving and strengthening it.
The reporter and speakers underscored the need to bring about an innovation in the preventive health care and improve and strengthen it by thoroughly carrying out the party's policy of preventive medicine and thus successfully enforce the system of free medical treatment. They also called for developing genetic engineering, immunology and molecular biology and intensifying researches aimed to widely introduce the latest scientific and technological successes such as electronic engineering and laser engineering to preventive medical treatment and intensifying the dissemination of information about medical science.
Present at the meeting were premier of the cabinet Hong Song Nam and secretary of the WPK Central Committee Choe Thae Bok and others.
Enhanced UN leading role called for
Pyongyang, October 18 (KCNA) -- It is very urgent at present to decisively enhance the leading role of the United Nations in the joint efforts to develop relations among countries and nations on the basis of sovereign equality and establish fair international relationship for global peace and security and sustained development.
The DPRK delegate stressed this at the plenary meeting of the 57th UN General Assembly session on Oct. 8 when agenda item "Report of the UN Secretary General on Its Work" was discussed.
He said that relations among countries are being deteriorated, their confrontation and discord escalated, the purpose and principles of the UN Charter violated and the un itself ignored owing to the recklessly high-handed practices aimed at attaining the unchallenged edge of strength. This is, after all, a challenge to the UN.
Such arrogant deeds as listing other countries as part of an "axis of evil" and "targets of nuclear preemptive strike" for one's own interests are based on the doctrine that strength is all-mighty, he said, and went on:
All the UN member nations should respect the un and its charter and remain faithful to its purpose and principle.
What is important in doing so is to adhere to justice and the principle of impartiality in international relationship.
Without the principles of international laws and impartiality, is it impossible to find a proper solution to any problem.
All the issues can be solved in a fair way only when the UN Charter is respected and implemented to the letter.
The delegate called for decisively enhancing the function of the UN General Assembly and reforming the UNSC in an overall way to meet the demand of all the un member nations.
Russia-proposed tripartite talks on connection of rail links hailed
Pyongyang, October 18 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the DPRK Ministry of Railways issued a statement on Friday as regards the issue of the connection of rail links between the DPRK and Russia.
The statement said:
Energetic efforts are being made by all parties concerned to connect the inter-Korean railways and Russia's trans-Siberian railroad amid the world interest.
This railway project is an important work as it is greatly helpful to drastically expanding economic links and cooperation not only between the Korean and Russian peoples but also between countries in Northeast Asia and Europe and, furthermore, achieving peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific Region and the rest of the world and the common prosperity of humankind.
We have already opened some areas along the strictly guarded military demarcation line and held ground-breaking ceremonies for the project to reconnect the rail links between the north and south of Korea so as to link to railways between Korea and Russia at an early date. The Russian side, too, is vigorously pushing forward the project to put its railways on a modern basis.
Some time ago, Russia proposed to hold tripartite talks of railway officials of the DPRK, Russia and South Korea, as part of the steps to connect inter-Korean railways and trans-Siberian railroad.
We hail this proposal, considering that it will be conducive to successfully carrying out the Korea-Russia railway connection project in the spirit of the DPRK-Russia Moscow joint declaration.
If the proposed tripartite talks would offer an opportunity to discuss at length various issues arising in connecting the inter-Korean railways and trans-Siberian railroad and produce positive results.
KCNA on world daily's smear campaign against DPRK
Pyongyang, October 18 (KCNA) -- Seoul-based daily review Syegye Ilbo (World Daily) is acting a political waiting maid of the United States.
As already reported, the bureau of investigation of the U.S. Congress recently released a report to the effect that the international community's humanitarian food aid to the DPRK has been distributed to the military and privileged classes on a priority basis. The report does not deserve even a passing note as it is a product of anti-DPRK hostile policy intended to tarnish its international image.
What merits attention is that the daily made a malignant diatribe against the DPRK, taking advantage of this mean smear campaign launched by the U.S. The daily did not bother to use such words as abuse of the international community's good faith and humanitarian spirit and betrayal of the nation.
This only goes to prove that the daily is being reduced to a paper representing the U.S. hostile policy toward the DPRK. It is nothing but a hack paper as it has discarded the elementary mission of the press to champion justice and truth and lead the public opinion to a right path.
Members of several international aid organizations in Pyongyang are watching and confirming on the spot how food and other humanitarian aid materials are distributed.
Such being the hard fact, the daily released the story of hostile nature based on the U.S. congressional report which says that the most of food aid is exclusively used for a military purpose. This can not but be an insult to the international community's humanitarian spirit and a perfidy to the nation.
This only goes to prove that the daily is taking the lead in supporting the U.S. moves to hamstring the international community's humanitarian aid to the DPRK and isolate and stifle it.
By committing such an act of treachery the daily even left a blot on its image though it has to fulfil a mission to report truth free from any distortion.
If the daily wants to fully discharge its mission as a genuine paper it should refrain from doing such a disgraceful act as falsifying truth in line with the U.S. political operation.
U.S. report on religion flailed for distorting truth
Pyongyang, October 18 (KCNA) -- The U.S. State Department in a recent "Report on Religion" alleged that the DPRK is "cracking down on religious activities." The allegation is a brazen-faced and ridiculous remark reminding one of a thief crying stop the thief.
Rodong Sinmun says this in a signed commentary today.
Citing the detailed facts that religious freedom is wantonly violated in the U.S., the commentary says that the freedom of beliefs is guaranteed by law and the churchgoers are free in activities without any restriction in the DPRK.
Turning away from this stark fact, the U.S. is recklessly provoking the DPRK according to its standard of arrogant and hostile thinking in a bid to put a label of "a country cracking down on religion" on it, the commentary says, and adds:
This is an intolerable anti-DPRK provocation.
The U.S. seeks to escalate anti-DPRK offensive on the pretext of non-existent religious suppression. But such a trick will never go down with the Korean people.
Inter-Korean women's rally for reunification closes
Kosong, October 17 (KCNA) -- A rally of women from the north and the south for the implementation of the June 15 joint declaration and peace was closed with due ceremony at Mt. Kumgang resort on Thursday.
That day delegates from the north and the south and abroad held panel discussions.
They were divided into political, reunification movement, women's organization, health care, educational, literary and art, religionist and economic panels.
At the meetings they exchanged views on practical ways of achieving concord and unity among koreans.
It was discussed at the meetings that all the Korean women at home and abroad would unite close to implement the joint declaration to the letter and dynamically turn out in the struggle to achieve the peace and reunification of the country.
There was a joint art performance to colorfully decorate the rally.
Then followed a closing ceremony of the rally.
The delegates of the north and the south in their speeches ardently called upon all the women in the north and the south and abroad to vigorously struggle for the reunification of the country under the banner of the joint declaration, transcending the differences in ideology, political views and religious beliefs.
A joint resolution of the rally was adopted there.
The resolution says that the women's organizations in the north and the south and abroad would make every effort to prevent a new war on this land and achieve peace and security and positively promote the solidarity and unity among women for it.
Members of the Korean Children's Union recited a poem reflecting the desire for reunification.
6 children and 15 women delegates let pigeons fly, symbolic of June 15, in the sky above Mt. Kumgang to be followed by flocks of pigeons.
That day the women delegates of the north and the south and abroad toured the area of Kuryong Pond, a scenic spot.
Yun I Sang concert
Pyongyang, October 18 (KCNA) -- The 21st Yun I Sang Concert was held in Pyongyang from October 15 to 17.
Performed at the concert were Yun's early songs, orchestral music and chamber orchestral music and classical music of Europe, more than ten pieces in all.
His works performed at the concert were acclaimed by the audience as they reflected the spirit of the homeland and the fellow countrymen and ardent desire for the peace of the world.
The harp concerto "fanfare and memorial" bitterly accuses warmongers of frantically pushing ahead with preparations of a nuclear war and calls upon human conscience to reject war and safeguard world peace.
The orchestral music "Impression" singing of the beautiful scenery of Korea depicts a stream flowing into a river from a deep valley.
The concert has been held every year from Juche 71 (1982).
For four decades from the 1940s, Yun, a renowned composer, devoted himself to the struggle against fascism and for democracy in South Korea and for the country's reunification and conducted creative activities overseas for the country and the nation.
In his lifetime the patriot, a pride of the nation, created some 150 pieces of modern music in a peculiar way.
Invention and new technology exhibition held
Pyongyang, October 18 (KCNA) -- The 7th exhibition of inventions and new technologies in the public health sector was held in Pyongyang from Oct. 15 to 17.
On display at the exhibition were some of new technologies and inventions completed in recent years by public health establishments throughout the country. Among them are over 1,100 sorts of medicines, 450 kinds of medical appliances and 150 kinds of diagnosis and treatment methods.
Participating in the exhibition were the academy of medical science, Pyongyang University of Medicine, Kim Man Yu Hospital and other national and local public health establishments.
High-tech inventions and medicines made of domestic raw materials or made at a low cost drew particular interest of the visitors.
Also winning popularity were HCP-PHA developed by the institute of the medical and biological sciences under the academy of medical science, ginkgobonin injection efficacious for heart and brain-blood circulation invented by the General Hospital of Koryo Medicine, panipicaini injection made by the General Hospital of the Korean Red Cross and the multi-media program "Pogam 1.0", a large English-Korean-Japanese dictionary made by Pyongyang University of Medicine.
Message of sympathy to Australian Prime Minister
Pyongyang, October 18 (KCNA) -- Hong Song Nam, Premier of the DPRK cabinet, sent a message of sympathy to John Howard, Prime Minister of Australia.
Noting with great regret that the recent bomb attack in Bali, Indonesia, took a toll of many Australians, the message extended deep sympathy and consolation to those killed or wounded and their bereaved families.
Bitterly denouncing the despicable terrorism committed against the innocent people, the message sincerely hoped that the victims and the bereaved families would overcome the pain and sorrow at an early date.