Group for study of Juche idea inaugurated in Poland

     Pyongyang, December 23 (KCNA) -- An inaugural ceremony of the Warsaw, Poland, group for the study of the Juche idea was held at Warsaw University on Dec. 14. At the ceremony the rules of the group were declared and the chief of the group was elected.

Mayor of Moscow pays homage to Kim Il Sung

     Pyongyang, December 23 (KCNA) -- Mayor of Moscow of the Russian Federation Yuri Mikhailovich Luzhkov and his party Sunday visited the Kumsusan Memorial Palace to pay homage to President Kim Il Sung. They were accompanied by Russian Ambassador to the DPRK Andrei Gennadievich Karlov.
    Ryang Man Gil, chairman of the Pyongyang City People's Committee, and Kung Sok Ung, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, were present.
    Amid the solemn playing of the immortal revolutionary paean "Song of General Kim Il Sung" a floral basket was laid before his statue in the name of the mayor. The visitors paid noble homage, looking up to his statue and then made a bow to him who lies in state, in humble reverence.
    They looked round with keen interest the orders, medals, certificates of honorary titles he received from the DPRK and foreign countries, the mourning hall reminding them of those days when the Korean people cried bitter tears in the grief over the greatest loss of the nation and a train and a car he used for on-site guidance, foreign visits and during the last period of his life.

U.S. groundless clamour about "threat" from Korea criticized

     Pyongyang, December 23 (KCNA) -- Baluyevski, first deputy chief of the general staff of the Russian Armed Forces, in an interview with Itar-Tass on Dec. 18 said that the U.S. allegation that the DPRK is threatening it is groundless, according to Itar-Tass. He said it is unreasonable for the U.S. and Japan to establish the theatre Missile Defence System in the Far East and missile threat does not exist in the region.
    Referring to the fact that the U.S. and Japan are speeding up the development of a "regional shield" to keep off intermediate range missiles under the pretext of "missile threat" from the DPRK, he said that the much accusation of the DPRK is fabrication, which is related to the U.S. attempt to prove the necessity of the establishment of the MD in a bid to develop its military industry complexes.

Talks between mayors of Pyongyang and Moscow

     Pyongyang, December 23 (KCNA) -- Talks between Ryang Man Gil, chairman of the Pyongyang City People's Committee of the DPRK, and Yuri Mikhailovich Luzhkov, Mayor of Moscow of the Russian Federation, took place at the People's Palace of Culture on Dec. 22. At the talks, the two sides exchanged views on further developing the friendly relations between Pyongyang and Moscow and a series of matters of mutual concern.
    The talks proceeded in a friendly atmosphere.
    Present at the talks from the DPRK side were officials concerned and from the opposite side were the mayor's party and the Russian Ambassador to the DPRK.

Hong Song Nam meets Mayor of Moscow

     Pyongyang, December 23 (KCNA) -- Hong Song Nam, Premier of the DPRK Cabinet, met and had a friendly talk with Yuri Mikhailovich Luzhkov, Mayor of Moscow of the Russian Federation, and his party who paid a courtesy call on him at the Mansudae Assembly Hall on Dec. 22. Present there were Ri Kwang Gun, Minister of Foreign Trade, Ryang Man Gil, chairman of the Pyongyang City People's Committee, Kung Sok Ung, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, and officials concerned, and Andrei Gennadievich Karlov, Russian Ambassador to the DPRK, and his embassy officials.

KCNA on U.S. challenge to humanitarianism

     Pyongyang, December 23 (KCNA) -- The U.S. and its followers are working hard to misuse international humanitarian aid for attaining their sinister political purpose. After the release of the Nov. 19 UN consolidated inter-agency appeal on continuously rendering aid including food to the DPRK in 2003 international organizations including the WFP and different donor countries have expressed positive attitude towards it.
    The DPRK highly praises and actively welcomes this spirit of disinterested aid as it is the international community's expression of good will, friendship and aid based on noble humanitarianism and the spirit of assistance.
    But the U.S. and its followers, displeased with the atmosphere of such humanitarian aid and international cooperation, have worked hard to hamstring this work by every possible means and method.
    No sooner had the un appeal been made public than the U.S. got desperate in its anti-DPRK false propaganda, floating such lies as the "diversion of food aid to the army" and "exodus of North Korean refugees."
    The U.S. Department of State released a provocative statement on Dec. 6 in which it blustered that any additional food aid to North Korea would depend on "Pyongyang's improving access by international monitors to areas where donated food is delivered."
    Taking advantage of this, the u.s. followers including Japan are putting conditionalities on the humanitarian aid, linking it with such political issues as the DPRK's "nuclear issue" and "normalization of state relations."
    Japan let some dishonest elements including the secretary general of the "fund for rescuing North Korean refugees" talk sheer nonsense that food aid is "distributed to the army and certain privileged circles," part of its anti-DPRK smear campaign.
    Such hostile attitude of the U.S. and its followers is a wanton violation of the international community's humanitarianism and a product of their moves to isolate and stifle the DPRK as it is intended to hamstring the aid of different countries to it.
    The humanitarian aid can never be linked with the political issue as it is part of the international efforts to realize the common idea of humankind and its common prosperity.
    With nothing can the U.S. and its followers justify their moves to disturb the international humanitarian aid in a bid to isolate and stifle the DPRK under the pretext of its nuclear issue.
    Itar-Tass in its commentary on the U.S. State Department's statement on restriction of food delivery to the DPRK said that "the humanitarian aid should proceed strictly from a humanitarian purpose and it is not proper to allow politics to interfere in it."
    The U.S. sinister design to politicize the issue of humanitarian aid and use it for increasing its pressure upon the DPRK is intolerable and bound to go busted.
    The DPRK will as always take a friendly approach to the disinterested aid from various international organizations and donor countries and welcome it but will never accept any aid with political conditionalities aimed at isolating and stifling it.

Candle-light memorial functions held in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, December 23 (KCNA) -- Candle-light functions took place all at once in more than 30 regions including Seoul, Taejon, Kwangju and Pusan on Dec. 21 in memory of the two schoolgirls killed by a U.S. armored car in cold blood, according to South Korean CBS. That day, the All-People Measure Committee for Sin Hyo Sun and Sim Mi Son, Schoolgirls Killed By a U.S. Armored Car held the first candle-light rally in front of the U.S. embassy.
    Hong Kun Su, permanent co-representative of the measure committee, said that this function would continue till the U.S. Forces quit South Korea unless the U.S. meets the four demands that the trial of the GIs be totally nullified, the GI killers punished at the South Korean court, Bush make an open apology and sofa be totally revised.
    The measure committee declared that it would continue staging rallies and demonstrations including a function called "Evening of Resurrection on Christmas Day" on Dec. 24 in the wake of the rally and a meeting dubbed "Day of One Million People's Action" in more than 100 places of South Korea and in over 20 regions overseas on Dec. 31.
    After the rally, the participants staged a candle-light march toward the U.S. embassy and held a candle-light memorial service in Kwanghwamun.

All Koreans called upon to hold higher banner of national independence

     Pyongyang, December 23 (KCNA) -- It is necessary for the Korean nation to hold higher the banner of national independence to solve the issue of Korea's reunification by its concerted efforts, as it is responsible for the issue, and demonstrate its dignity and honor to the world, says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article. Only when the nation pools its efforts and takes joint steps can it achieve national independence and reunification, its cause, the article notes, and goes on:
    The U.S. is working hard to infringe upon the Korean nation's sovereignty and right to existence, prompted by its unilateral and dominationist way of thinking.
    The U.S. imperialists' anti-DPRK and anti-reunification moves are a grave infringement upon the destiny, interests, vital rights and sovereignty of the Korean nation. If their moves are overlooked, it will be hard to implement the June 15 north-south joint declaration, a landmark of Korea's reunification in the 21st century, and they will do harm to the movement for independent reunification of the nation.
    The motto "by our nation itself" encourages the Korean nation to creditably fulfil its responsibility and role and gives impetus to the movement for reunification. If the nation fails to do so, outside forces will find a pretext to interfere in its internal affairs. In that case the joint declaration can not be implemented nor can the Korean nation shake off the disgrace of being the divided nation.
    Now is the time for all the Koreans to frustrate the U.S. imperialists' aggression and anti-reunification moves and vigorously push ahead with the reunification movement under the uplifted banner of national independence, the banner of "by our nation itself."

Japan urged to behave itself

     Pyongyang, December 23 (KCNA) -- The Japanese diplomatic boss at recent talks with the general director of the International Atomic Energy Agency asserted that it is necessary to take specific actions to force North Korea to scrap its nuclear program first. He let loose remarks getting on the nerves of the DPRK on other occasions. In this regard Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary says:
    The nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula admits of no interference by Japan. If Japan behaves indiscreetly as a henchman in the U.S. nuclear racket aimed at pressurizing the DPRK, Japan will have to pay a very high price for it.
    The U.S. is totally to blame for the nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula.
    The DPRK took the measure of lifting its nuclear freeze because the U.S. stopped supplying heavy oil which had been under way under the DPRK-U.S. Agreed Framework that calls for simultaneous actions on the parts of both sides and reduced the bilateral agreed framework to a dead document.
    If the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula is to be settled properly, the U.S. should stop posing a nuclear threat to the DPRK and accept the DPRK's proposal for the conclusion of a non-aggression treaty between the two countries.
    Plainly speaking, Japan is not a direct party concerned to the settlement of a nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula. The Japanese diplomatic boss's indecent act of currying favor with the U.S. and dancing to its tune only discloses its servile attitude and moral vulgarity.
    If Japan is truly concerned about the settlement of the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, it should force the U.S. to immediately stop posing a nuclear threat to the DPRK and accept its proposal for concluding a non-aggression treaty.

Peasants' recreation begins in Korea

     Pyongyang, December 23 (KCNA) --The winter recreation of agricultural working people has begun in Korea. According to Hong Sung Dok, deputy director of the Bureau of Recreation of the Ministry of Labor, a large number of peasants are enjoying themselves at the expense of the state at recreation centers situated in nearly twenty scenic spots including Mt. Kobang, Sokam, Mt. Myohyang, Sokdamgugok and the Sokwangsa area.
    During the 15-day holidays, they visit revolutionary sites and scenic spots, have art performances and enjoy folk plays, amusements, sports games, etc.
    For the holidaymakers from different farms, the Kobangsan Recreation Centre organizes a visit to the Korean Revolution Museum and appreciation of art performances in theatres in Pyongyang and such amusements as yut and chess. They also hold an art performance themselves.
    At the Sokam Recreation Centre, peasants in South Phyongan Province visit revolutionary sites and scenic spots, meet to exchange their experience in this year's farming and give impressions of books they read and play volleyball, basketball, table-tennis and sports events.
    The period of the peasants' annual recreation is from early December to late February next year.

Anecdote about Kim Jong Il

     Pyongyang, December 23 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Il left to visit units of the Korean People's Army on February 16, Juche 88 (1999), saying it would be his pleasure to spend his birthday with servicemen. In the morning, he visited a women's A.A. Machine Gun Company to learn about their living conditions.
    In the afternoon, he went to a winter training ground of another unit to watch a skiing training for hours despite of the cold weather before coming back to the lodging in the evening.
    He summoned an official and told him he would be sorry to part from the servicemen and their families who undertook the skiing training in the cold weather, giving them nothing, and that it would be good to give them good skis as souvenirs of the training.
    That evening potato dishes were prepared for his simple dinner.
    He told officials he wanted them to taste the potato food and find a way of improving the people's dietary life by doing potato farming well. So, his birthday dinner was an occasion for discussing potato farming and the people's dietary life.
    In this way, Kim Jong Il spent his birthday with devotion to the country and the people.

Reception given in honor of Mayor of Moscow

     Pyongyang, December 23 (KCNA) -- The DPRK Government hosted a reception in honor of the Mayor of Moscow of the Russian Federation and his party at the Mansudae Assembly Hall on Sunday. Present on invitation were Mayor of Moscow Yuri Mikhailovich Luzhkov and his party, Russian Ambassador to the DPRK Andrei Gennadievich Karlov and embassy officials.
    Hong Song Nam, Premier of the DPRK Cabinet, Ri Kwang Gun, Minister of Foreign Trade, Ryang Man Gil, chairman of the Pyongyang City People's Committee, Kung Sok Ung, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, and other officials concerned were present there.
    Ryang in a speech said that the DPRK-Russia relations are growing vital and strong in different fields in the spirit of the new state-to-state treaty and joint declarations under the deep care of the two top leaders.
    The Korean people are well aware of all the efforts the friendly Russian people have made to achieve socio-political stability and economic progress of the country and ensure global peace and security under the leadership of President Putin, he noted, adding:
    We highly praise the capital city of Moscow for taking the lead in the work to build powerful Russia and sincerely hope Russia will achieve new progress and success in the future, too.
    The Pyongyang visit of the mayor and his party taking place under the deep care of Kim Jong Il will mark an important occasion in boosting exchange and cooperation between the two governments and regions and injecting continued energy into the bilateral relations. We will make positive efforts to develop the traditional DPRK-Russia friendly and cooperative relations with the Russian friends in the future, too.
    Luzhkov in a speech said that Kim Jong Il's historic visit to the Far Eastern Region of Russia and meeting with President Putin in Vladivostok marked the most important events this year.
    The meeting of the two top leaders provided a solid foundation for boosting the Russia-DPRK relations and opened a good prospect for expanding mutual visit and exchange, he noted.
    He hoped that his visit to Pyongyang would help boost the interaction and contacts between the two capitals and the two countries.
    He sincerely congratulated the Korean people on their achievements made in building an independent and strong state under the leadership of Kim Jong Il even under the complicated situation prevailing on the Korean Peninsula.

Ministry of Unification accused for unreasonable act

     Pyongyang, December 23 (KCNA) -- The South Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and the Federation of South Korean Trade Unions reportedly released a joint statement on Dec. 18 condemning the South Korean Ministry of Unification for blocking Pyongyang visit of their representatives to participate in the first conference of the South-North Workers' Meeting for National Reunification (Thongrohoe) to be held in Pyongyang, talking about burden in itinerary. This is an unreasonable deed to intercept the inter-Korean workers' efforts for national reconciliation, peace and reunification, the statement said.
    It demanded the present "government" severely rebuke those responsible for blocking the south-north workers' efforts for peace and reunification and increasing confrontation and distrust, immediately stop the effect of the "Security Law", an evil law entirely contrary to the June 15 joint declaration, release all the arrested workers and prisoners of conscience, announce a specific plan for opening the first conference of Thongrohoe quickly.
    The workers will certainly open the first conference, uplifting the banner of the June 15 joint declaration, a declaration of the nation for independent and peaceful reunification which is sympathized by the whole world.

Congratulations to Swiss Foreign Minister

     Pyongyang, December 23 (KCNA) -- Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun sent a congratulatory message to Micheline Calmy-Rey on his appointment as chief of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation. The message expressed the conviction that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would continue to grow stronger in the mutual interests and wished him success in his responsible work.

Foreign Minister meets new British Ambassador

     Pyongyang, December 23 (KCNA) -- Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun met and had a talk with new British Ambassador to the DPRK David Arthur Slinn who paid a courtesy call on him today.

For Spanish-speaking people

informacion de atcc sobre inicio de retiro de sello y camara de control

     pyongyang, 23 de diciembre (atcc) -- la agencia telegrafica central de corea publico el dia 22 la siguiente informacion: como fue aclarado ya, en relacion con que ee.uu., al suspender desde diciembre el ofrecimiento del aceite pesado a la republica popular democratica de corea infringio gravemente el acuerdo basico firmado con esta, el gobierno de la rpdc hizo publica el dia 12 del mes en curso la decision de levantar la congelacion nuclear que habia tomado teniendo por premisa el ofrecimiento anual de 500 mil toneladas de aceite pesado segun dicho acuerdo y de reanudar el funcionamiento y la construccion de las instalaciones nucleares necesarias para la produccion electrica.
    la congelacion de las instalaciones nucleares de la rpdc y el ofrecimiento del aceite pesado de ee.uu. estan endentados por las medidas de accion simultanea segun el acuerdo basico, y la presente medida de levantamiento de congelacion ha sido tomada porque ee.uu. habia renunciado unilateralmente su deber de ofrecimiento del aceite pesado para la compensacion de la perdida electrica de la rpdc.
    al dar a conocer esta decision patentizamos que el problema de volver a congelar nuestras instalaciones nucleares depende enteramente de la parte de ee.uu. y nos dominamos sumamente hasta ahora al observar la actitud de ee.uu..
    al avisar nuestra decision de levantar la congelacion nuclear frente a la suspension del ofrecimiento del aceite pesado de ee.uu. al organismo internacional de energia atomica, aclaramos que este problema no es segun el acuerdo y el convenio de salvaguardia concertados con el oiea sino el acuerdo con ee.uu. y como tal constituye una medida seria y especial para defender nuestra soberania y derecho a la existencia contra ee.uu., y subrayamos en dos ocasiones que el oiea debe retirar cuanto antes el sello y la camara de control porque se trata de un problema urgente para llenar el vacio en la produccion electrica.
    ee.uu. en vez de corresponder a nuestros esfuerzos pacientes por solucionar por via pacifica el problema nuclear en la peninsula coreana, insiste tercamente en la "renuncia del plan nuclear, primero y dialogo, despues", y responde con arreciar la ofensiva de presion internacional sobre la rpdc, y tambien el oiea no toma la actitud positiva dilatando el tiempo con la presentacion de las negociaciones practicas.
    en tal situacion, para el funcionamiento normal de las instalaciones nucleares necesarias para la produccion electrica nos vemos obligados a dar de inmediato inicio a la retirada del sello y la camara de control sobre las instalaciones nucleares congeladas.

desafio al ideal humanitario - comentario de atcc -

     pyongyang, 23 de diciembre (atcc) -- ee.uu. y sus fuerzas satelites maniobran para utilizar en su malsano objetivo politico la cooperacion humanitaria internacional a la republica popular democratica de corea. despues de que se publico el pasado 19 de noviembre el llamamiento general de la onu a continuar el proximo ano la asistencia de alimentos y otros materiales a la rpdc, las organizaciones internacionales incluido el programa mundial de alimentos y varios paises donadores expresan la posicion positiva.
    esto es una expresion de buena voluntad de la sociedad internacional inspirada en el noble espiritu humanitarista. apreciamos altamente y aclamamos activamente este desinteresado espiritu de asistencia humanitaria.
    sin embargo, ee.uu. y sus fuerzas satelites estan disgustados del respecto y lo obstaculizan por todos los medios.
    ee.uu. arrecia la demagogia contra la rpdc al hablar del "uso exclusivo para el ejercito" de los alimentos y "exodo de refugiados de norcorea" tan pronto como se emitio el llamamiento general de la onu.
    en particular, ee.uu. publico el pasado dia 6 una declaracion de caracter desafiador de su departamento de estado en la cual se senala que el proximo ofrecimiento de alimentos a la rpdc "dependera de la disposicion de pyongyang" de aceptar la "apertura de todo el pais" y otros requisitos.
    tambien japon y otras fuerzas satelites condicionan la asistencia humanitaria a los problemas politicos tales como la solucion del "problema nuclear" y la "realizacion de la normalizacion de las relaciones diplomaticas".
    japon, por conducto del secretario general del "fondo para el rescate de refugiados de norcorea" y otros elementos malsanos, denigra a la rpdc al difundir rumores de que los alimentos donados "se suministran al ejercito y ciertas capas privilegiadas".
    tales actos hostiles de ee.uu., japon y otras fuerzas satelites son una flagrante violacion al espiritu humanitario de la sociedad internacional y una revelacion de las maquinaciones encaminadas a impedir la ayuda de varios paises del mundo a la rpdc, y a aislar y aplastar a esta.
    la asistencia humanitaria, siendo una eslabon de los esfuerzos internacionales por el ideal y la prosperidad comun de la humanidad, no puede ser relacionado jamas con el problema politico.
    fracasara inevitablemente la malsana intencion de ee.uu. de hacer politica el problema de la asistencia humanitaria y de ampliar con ello la palanca de presion a la rpdc.
    en el futuro tambien trataremos de buena fe y aclamaremos a la desinteresada asistencia de las organizaciones internacionales y los paises donadores, pero nunca aceptaremos la ayuda con los requisitos politicos adicionales destinados a aislar y aplastar a la rpdc.

es invariable nuestro modo de enfrentamiento

     pyongyang, 23 de diciembre (atcc) -- el diario "rodong sinmun" en un comentario individual del dia 22 senalo que es siempre invariable nuestro modo de enfrentamiento de responder con sobredureza a la dureza de ee.uu. y continuo: despues de la publicacion de la declaracion del vocero del ministerio de relaciones exteriores de la republica popular democratica de corea referida a la retirada de la congelacion nuclear las fuerzas conservadoras intransigentes de ee.uu. lanzan arbitrariamente las palabras ilogicas, lo cual demuestra que ellos se encuentran en apuros por nuestro enfrentamiento de sobredureza.
    los belicistas norteamericanos pretenden desarrollar a todo trance la segunda confrontacion nuclear y la guerra nuclear con la rpdc.
    el que hayan hablado de que "no tienen la voluntad de aceptar el dialogo, rendidos ante la amenaza de norcorea" y "no haran el negocio con ella" es igual que la declaracion de guerra y la de guerra nuclear contra nosotros.
    la naturaleza hipocrita y agresiva de las fuerzas ultra-conservadoras de ee.uu. se ha revelado completamente.
    nuestro ejercito y pueblo estan llenos del impetu de asestar demoledor golpe a la fortaleza de los agresores imperialistas yanquis si estos desatan una temeraria guerra.
    nuestro ejercito y pueblo abrigan la firme decision de no hacer existir la tierra sin corea y de romper la tierra si los enemigos se atrevan a darnos el golpe nuclear.