Unity of grass-roots movement called for in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, January 7 (KCNA) -- Delegates of grass-roots movement organizations in South Korea reportedly had round-table talks at the meeting hall of the (South) Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) on December 28 last year to review the grass-roots movement in 2002. Among the organizations were the South Korean People's Solidarity, the South Korean Alliance for Democracy and Reunification, the South Korean Federation of Peasants Associations, the KCTU and the Democratic Workers' Party. At the talks they said that the main trend of the struggle in 2002 was an anti-war, peace struggle staged in protest against Bush's statement about "axis of evil" made at the beginning of last year and his tour of South Korea and then an anti-U.S. struggle launched over the GI killing of the two South Korean schoolgirls.
    Such mass anti-U.S. struggle of South Koreans took place mainly because their will for national unity has increased since the adoption of the June 15 joint declaration and their anti-Americanism ran higher than ever before, they stated.
    They also referred to the fierce struggle waged by workers, peasants, civil servants and other people for their vital rights and to the desire for reunification that grew stronger with the August 15 Grand Meeting for National Reunification and the 14th Asian Games as a momentum.
    They expressed the resolution to develop the anti-U.S. campaign on a higher stage and continue the vigorous movement for the abrogation of the Security Law and the evil Labour Law and against "globalization".
    Stressing the need to strengthen solidarity among grass-roots movement organizations and lay an organizational basis for progressive political forces to this end, they called for achieving victory in 2003, too, with the organizational unity of the grass-roots movement.

Stop to violence on Korean students in Japan urged

     Pyongyang, January 7 (KCNA) -- The Japanese Bar Association called a press conference in Tokyo on December 19 last year as regards the continued wild words and violence toward Korean students in Japan. Speakers at the conference expressed apprehensions over the fact that persecution against Japan-resident Korean schoolers is going on in Japanese society, and urged the Japanese Government to promptly take measures for preventing such practices.

S. Korean police protested

     Pyongyang, January 7 (KCNA) -- Members of the All-People Measure Committee for Sin Hyo Sun and Sim Mi Son, Schoolgirls Killed By a U.S. Armored Car paid a protest visit to the "national police office" on January 3 and condemned the police authorities for forcible evacuation of the place of a hunger sit-in, according to MBC of South Korea. On Jan. 1 police forcibly evacuated that hunger sit-in place set up at Kwanghwamun in Seoul where a citizens' rally was holding.
    The visitors denounced this as an impairment of the people's will to honor the memory of the dead and urged the police authorities to apologize for it and ensure a peaceful sit-in.

Koreans to speed up reunification movement

     Pyongyang, January 7 (KCNA) -- The Joint New Year Editorial of the DPRK called for bringing about a radical turn in the implementation of the cause of Korea's reunification with the might of the nation's driving force while regarding the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration as an invariable landmark for national reunification. This call is evoking a great stir among people of different strata.
    Jo Chung Han, vice-director of the secretariat of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, said that the joint editorial reflects the steadfast will of the Workers' Party of Korea to bring about a decisive turn in accomplishing the cause of national reunification, the cause of peace, with the might of the nation's driving force in this significant year.
    We will devote all our efforts and wisdom to intensifying the movement for the independent reunification under the slogan "Let us accelerate the independent reunification by the united efforts of our nation", he added.
    Kim Yong Ho, deputy chief secretary of the cabinet, said that national cooperation is the only way of bringing earlier the independent and peaceful reunification of Korea.
    Peace can be ensured on the Korean Peninsula and its reunification is possible only under the army-based policy, a patriotic policy of reliably defending the sovereignty and dignity of the nation with arms, he stressed.
    Kim Jong Yong, department director of the ministry of extractive industries, said that the Korean people have already made a big stride towards the independent reunification of the nation through the movement to implement the joint declaration.
    The future of the fellow countrymen advancing toward the independent reunification is very rosy as the joint declaration shows the road ahead of them, he added.

KCNA urges U.S. to drop its anachronistic policy toward DPRK

     Pyongyang, January 7 (KCNA) -- The U.S. bellicose forces should clearly know that their strategy to dominate Korea is a pipe-dream, stop the provocative and military pressure and withdraw their aggression forces from South Korea without delay, urged the Joint New Year Editorial published by newspapers Rodong Sinmun, Josoninmingun and Chongnyonjonwi on the occasion of the New Year, 2003. Last year they listed the DPRK as part of an "axis of evil" and as a target of their nuclear attack instead of giving up their anachronistic policy toward it, while openly calling for a "preemptive attack" in a desperate bid to increase their military pressure upon it.
    But the Korean people have resolutely smashed the aggressive offensive of the enemies with a revolutionary principle and reliably defended the dignity and honor of the DPRK by further augmenting the might of the single-hearted unity under the banner of the army-based policy.
    This is clearly evidenced by the fact that last year the Korean people made a new leaping advance in building a powerful nation despite difficulties and consolidated the revolutionary base of socialism though the international situation remained complicated and the country was beset with manifold ordeals.
    Nevertheless, the U.S. bellicose forces, turning aside such reality, have worked hard to put international pressure on the DPRK under the pretext of its "nuclear issue". This clearly indicates to the world how desperate they have become in their moves to dominate it.
    Some circles of the U.S. seem to calculate that they can achieve their criminal purpose of the strategy to dominate Korea by increasing the pressure upon the DPRK, while talking about the "tailored containment strategy" under the pretext of its non-existent "nuclear issue". Nothing is more foolish and reckless than this calculation.
    The U.S. is persistently making futile efforts to isolate and stifle the DPRK, whiling away time, instead of accepting the latter's proposal for concluding a non-aggression treaty with the U.S. this, however, will only precipitate its self-destruction. Already half a century ago the army and people of the DPRK won a brilliant victory over the U.S. and its allies in the great fatherland liberation war. And this year marks the 50th anniversary of this victory.
    The DPRK is much stronger than what it was 50 years back and the single-hearted unity of the party, the army and people based on the idea of giving top priority to the army will remain unbreakable with the passage of time.
    The U.S. is well advised not to forget the lesson drawn from the history of the DPRK-U.S. relations and the present reality but to give up its anachronistic hostile policy toward the DPRK and immediately withdraw its aggression troops from South Korea.

Turn of abnormal relations into normal ones urged in Japan

     Pyongyang, January 7 (KCNA) -- The Society for the Study of the History of Japan-Korea Relations affiliated to Tokyo University of Japan recently released a statement titled "Let's turn the abnormal relations into normal ones." The statement said:
    Japanese prime Minister Koizumi visited the DPRK and had summit talks with Kim Jong Il, Chairman of the National Defence Commission, on September 17 last year which culminated in the adoption of the Japan-DPRK Pyongyang Declaration.
    As regards the pending issue related to the lives and security of Japanese, the DPRK side in the declaration confirmed its will to take appropriate measures to prevent its recurrence as it was a product of the abnormal relationship between Japan and the DPRK.
    In a word, the declaration indicates a clear way of preventing the repetition of kidnapping that occurred because of the abnormal relations and converting the abnormal relations, the main reason behind the issue, into normal ones.
    The situation in the subsequent period, however, is developing quite contrary to the direction stipulated in the declaration.
    Referring to the noisy smear campaign in Japan over the issue of kidnapping, the statement stressed that as far as the issue is concerned, one must not forget that Japan has resorted to the anti-DPRK hostile moves for over 50 years since the end of the second world war.
    Recalling that the conservative forces of Japan are now leading the subject elsewhere as they know kidnapping will not happen again in future, the statement noted that they are misusing the bitter feelings of the Japanese who temporarily returned home and their families for their political purpose.
    Japan is not pushing ahead with the process to normalize the state relations in order to realize free visit, but raising unreasonable and knotty issues on which an agreement had not been reached with the DPRK, the statement said, and continued:
    The campaign over the issue of kidnapping is a government-sponsored one for the propaganda purpose and a war.
    Does Japan intend to normalize the state relations with the DPRK or fight a war against it?
    The most pending issue in normalizing the state relations between Japan and the DPRK is for Japan to apologize and compensate for its past colonial rule.
    This issue, among other things, was mentioned in the Japan-DPRK Pyongyang Declaration.
    What is happening in Japan today is quite far from the words "admit in a spirit of humility" the blame for the colonial rule.
    It cannot be said that the reaction of the Japanese side has been sincere since the summit talks.
    We demand that the Japan-DPRK state relations be normalized on the basis of opposition to the emergency legislation and sincere negotiations and apology and compensation be made for the colonial rule, not by way of economic cooperation, in particular.

U.S. high-handed policy toward DPRK refuted

     Pyongyang, January 7 (KCNA) -- Alexandr Kapto, deputy director of the Institute of Socio-Political Affairs of the Russian Academy of Sciences and chairman of the Russian Public Circles Committee for Liaison with the DPRK, devoted an article titled "not strong arm but dialogue on equal footing" to the Dec. 19 issue of the newspaper Pravda. The author said that the unjustifiable anti-DPRK nuclear racket kicked up by the united states recently has worsened not only the bilateral relations but also the situation of the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia, which reminds one of the method of the Cold War era, rejected by the world community long ago.
    What is decisive for the DPRK-U.S. dialogue is to hold a constructive dialogue and arrange a reasonable process of negotiations of mutual respect, the article said, and went on:
    To this end, the U.S. should consider North Korea as an independent, sovereign state and an equal member nation of the world community. And it should officially declare nonaggression on the DPRK and express its willingness to conclude a relevant treaty with the DPRK.
    It should also have constructive and equal dialogue in a patient and unremitting way, instead of confrontation, and take into consideration that the "nuclear suspicion" raised between the DPRK and the U.S. cannot assume international character.
    However, the U.S. intentionally aggravates the political situation and resorts to such a trick in a bid to bring the DPRK to its knees, force its will on this country and deprive this country of a legitimate right to defend its security.
    Like the U.S. and any other states, the DPRK has a legal right to get its security guaranteed and defend itself, the article said, adding: its army-based policy makes it possible to increase the defensive power of the country and defend it from any possible military aggression.
    The Korean people led by Kim Jong Il will attain their historic purpose for defence of the country, thus proving the justice of great history in practice, the article said.

U.S. urged to apologize and compensate for its piracy against DPRK ship

     Pyongyang, January 7 (KCNA) -- U.S. Secretary of State Powell was reported to have said that "The United States will stop and search ships from North Korea if it feels the need" and "we would intercept anything we think deserved to be intercepted. We have the right to intercept and take whatever action we believe appropriate in the circumstances." These outbursts clearly indicate what an alarming phase the Bush administration's illegal and inhuman hostile policy toward the DPRK and its unilateralism have reached as they are little short of a declaration that it would commit more piratical acts against DPRK trading cargo ships in the days ahead.
    Toward the end of last year the U.S. mobilized huge forces to stop, search and seize in broad daylight DPRK trading cargo ship Sosan on its routine voyage in the open sea, evoking worldwide criticism and scoff at it.
    It is universally known that the DPRK is developing and producing missiles to protect itself from constant military threat posed by the U.S. and exporting them for a commercial purpose.
    The DPRK has never concealed this fact.
    If its production and export of missiles are as dangerous as proliferating weapons of mass destruction as claimed by the U.S., it is the U.S. which is totally to blame for it.
    The U.S. tops the world's list in producing and selling the weapons of mass destruction and it is raking up biggest profits in arms sale. Such being a stark fact, the U.S. committed piracy against the DPRK ship with missile parts and building materials on board which were to be delivered to a foreign country under a legal trading contract made with that country. Far from making an apology and compensation for the piracy the U.S. is calling for intercepting and searching DPRK ships. This is a height of impudence.
    What matters is that such piracy is being committed as part of the U.S. tailored containment strategy against the DPRK. The strategy means total economic sanctions aimed at isolating and stifling the DPRK.
    Sanctions mean a war and the war knows no mercy. The U.S. should opt for dialogue with the DPRK, not for war, clearly aware that it will have to pay a very high price for such reckless acts.
    The U.S. should apologize and compensate for its piracy against the ship as early as possible.

Kyongamsan Garment Export Factory

     Pyongyang, January 7 (KCNA) -- The Kyongamsan Garment Export Factory is located in Sariwon, North Hwanghae Province. It, with a floor space of more than 5,200 square meters, has hundreds of modern machines including cutters, embroidery machines and padding-adhering presses.
    It produces various kinds of garments such as padded clothes and jackets of different models.
    The products of the factory are popular in markets of China, Canada, Germany, Switzerland and other countries.
    The factory has introduced effective technical innovations and inventions to increase the production and improve the quality of garments.

Rodong Sinmun on national cooperation

     Pyongyang, January 7 (KCNA) -- It is important to frustrate the outside forces' aggression and anti-reunification moves with national cooperation and pave the way for independent reunification in carrying out the tasks to uphold the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration as an invariable landmark for national reunification and bring about a decisive turn in the accomplishment of the cause of reunification with the might of the nation's driving force which were set in the Joint New Year Editorial of newspapers Rodong Sinmun, Josoninmingun and Chongnyonjonwi, Rodong Sinmun today says in a signed article. It goes on:
    National cooperation precisely means the great unity of the nation and provides a decisive guarantee for independent and peaceful reunification of the country.
    It is the essential requirement of national unity and the development of inter-Korean relations to realize national cooperation today when the north and the south agreed through the joint declaration to solve the issue of the country's reunification by the concerted efforts of the Korean nation who is responsible for it.
    National cooperation is the embodiment of the idea of independence whereby the fellow countrymen firmly believe the might of the nation's driving force and resolutely reject flunkeyism and dependence on outside forces.
    National reunification, a national issue, is a matter concerning the sovereignty of the Korean nation. Accordingly, the cause of national reunification should be achieved by the concerted efforts of the nation in accordance with its will and demand.
    Dependence on outside forces makes it impossible to solve any of national reconciliation, unity, cooperation and exchange in the interests of the nation.
    The issue of Korea's reunification can be settled only by the Korean nation. With this transparent consciousness and standpoint of national independence, national cooperation should be materialized in all efforts to solve the issue of national reunification in the New Year.
    It is important to place the common interests of the nation above anything else, subordinate everything to them and achieve the great unity of the nation on the basis of the superiority of the Korean nation.

Pyongyangites meet

     Pyongyang, January 7 (KCNA) -- A meeting of Pyongyangites was held at Kim Il Sung Square Tuesday with more than 100,000 Pyongyang citizens attending to vow to step up the general advance in the new year under the army-based revolutionary leadership of Kim Jong Il. The meeting was attended by premier of the cabinet Hong Song Nam and other senior officials of the party and the state.
    Ryang Man Gil, chairman of the Pyongyang City People's Committee, in a report said that the Joint New Year Editorial serves as guidelines as it reviewed the proud achievements made last year and set forth tasks to be carried out this year. He continued:
    To grandly celebrate the 55th birthday of the DPRK is a political work to firmly preserve the exploits President Kim Il Sung, the father of socialist Korea, performed in the nation-building and glorify to the last the revolutionary gains won at the cost of blood. It is also a praiseworthy patriotic work to encourage the whole party and army and all the people to win fresh victory and demonstrate to the world the might of the DPRK, our motherland.
    He called on all the citizens to enshrine the idea and line of giving top priority to military affairs as the maxim of their life and struggle and an immutable truth and turn the revolutionary ranks into the ranks of true revolutionary comrades upholding the army-based leadership and militant and revolutionary ones that steadily carry forward the revolutionary traditions and spirit of Mt. Paektu.
    Emphasizing the need to bring about a fresh turn in the economic and cultural constructions so as to fully demonstrate the might of the DPRK under the banner of the army-based policy, he referred to tasks to be fulfilled in power, coal, light industry, agriculture, construction and other fields in the capital.
    He also underscored the need for the Pyongyang citizens to consider the military affairs as the most important state affair, exert utmost efforts to increase the national defence capacity and expand the ranks of active helpers to the army.
    The report was followed by speeches of representatives of people from all walks of life.

For Spanish-speaking people

comentario de atcc sobre pirateria de ee.uu.

     pyongyang, 7 de enero (atcc) -- segun informaciones, recientemente powell, secretario de estado norteamericano, dijo: "ee.uu. controlara y registrara los barcos de norcorea", "los controlaremos y tomaremos todas las medidas adecuadas en las circunstancias dadas". su peroracion refleja la intencion de seguir perpetrando en lo adelante la pirateria contra los barcos mercantiles de nuestro pais y el grado a que han llegado la hostilidad a la rpdc de la administracion bush y su unilateralismo.
    el mundo envio reproche y censura a ee.uu. que, a finales del ano pasado, con la movilizacion de enormes fuerzas armadas perpetro pirateria al secuestrar, registrar y detener por la fuerza, a plena luz del dia, el barco mercante "sosan" de nuestro pais que navegaba normalmente en alta mar.
    como es conocido por todos, no solo desarrollamos y producimos misiles para defendernos de la permanente amenaza militar de ee.uu., sino tambien los exportamos con el objetivo comercial.
    no lo ocultamos.
    si la produccion y la exportacion de misiles constituyen un acto de "proliferacion de armas de exterminio masivo" como insiste ee.uu., este es precisamente su autor.
    ee.uu. ocupa el primer lugar en la produccion y la venta de las armas de exterminio masivo a nivel mundial y saca fabulosa ganancia en el negocio de armas. tal pais invadio a nuestro barco que en el cumplimiento del contrato de comercio legitimo transportaba las partes de misiles y materiales de construccion a un pais y, despues, en vez de pedir disculpa y hacer indemnizacion por su pirateria, habla de que volverian a controlar y registrar nuestros barcos. es un acto vandalico no conocido hasta la fecha en el mundo.
    el problema es que tal pirateria se perpetra como un eslabon de la estrategia de "bloqueo" maritimo de ee.uu. contra nuestro pais.
    esta estrategia es la sancion economica total para aislarnos y aplastarnos.
    la sancion significa la guerra y esta desconoce la piedad. ee.uu. debe darse clara cuenta de que tal acto insensato costara demasiado y escoger el camino del dialogo con la rpdc.
    ee.uu. debe pedir disculpa y hacer indemnizacion inmediata por su pirateria contra el barco "sosan".

ilusion vana

     pyongyang, 7 de enero (atcc) -- el editorial conjunto de los periodicos "rodong sinmun", "joson inmingun" y "chongnyon jonwi" publicado con motivo de ano nuevo 2003 senala que las fuerzas belicosas de los estados unidos deben darse clara cuenta de que su estrategia de dominio a corea es irrealizable, cesar en su alboroto provocativo de presion militar y retirar de inmediato sus tropas agresoras de sudcorea. tambien el ano pasado, ellas, en vez de abandonar su anacronica politica con respecto a la republica popular democratica de corea vinieron arreciando su presion militar contra esta: la definieron como "eje del mal", la incluyeron en el blano de ataque nuclear y difundieron hasta la teoria de "ataque anticipado".
    pero, el pueblo coreano fortalecio mas que nunca el poderio de la unidad monolitica bajo la bandera de priorizacion militar y frustro resueltamente con el principio revolucionario la ofensiva agresiva de los enemigos defendiendo seguramente la dignidad y el honor de la rpdc.
    lo prueba el hecho de que el ano pasado nuestro pueblo abrio el camino del nuevo salto en la construccion de potencia prospera superando las dificultades y consolido la base revolucionaria del socialismo en las circunstancias internacionales complejas y de multiples pruebas.
    sin embargo, las fuerzas belicosas de ee.uu. dan espaldas a esta realidad evidente y maniobran para volver a internacionalizar el alboroto de presion contra la rpdc pretextando el "problema nuclear" de esta. esto revela una vez mas a la faz del mundo la tenacidad de su ambicion agresiva dominacionista.
    es una gran equivocacion si ciertos circulos de ee.uu. piensan alcanzar su objetivo criminal de la estrategia de dominacion a corea al ampliar y fortalecer la presion contra esta con el "bloqueo entallado" so pretexto del "problema nuclear" de ella.
    ee.uu., al recurrir de continuo al complot para aislarnos y aplastarnos dilatando el tiempo en vez de acceder a nuestra propuesta de concertar un tratado de no agresion con la rpdc, adelanta solo su ruina.
    la historia conoce que ya hace ahora 50 anos nuestro ejercito y pueblo lograron una brillante victoria al derrotar a ee.uu. y sus satelites en la guerra de liberacion de la patria. este ano se cumple el 50 aniversario de esta victoria de guerra.
    hoy, el poderio de la rpdc se ha fortalecido mucho mas que hace ahora 50 anos. la unidad monolitica del partido, el ejercito y el pueblo de corea basada en la idea de priorizacion militar se consolidara mas ferreamente con el paso de los dias.
    ee.uu. debe tener presente de las lecciones de la historia de sus relaciones con la rpdc y la realidad de hoy, abandonar su anacronica politica de hostilidad a la rpdc y retirar lo mas pronto posible sus tropas agresoras del sur de corea.

las relaciones anormales a las normales

     pyongyang, 7 de enero (atcc) -- recientemente, la sociedad de estudio de historia de relaciones japon -corea de la universidad de tokio de japon hizo publico un comunicado bajo titulares de "las relaciones anormales a las normales". el comunicado senala:
    la visita del premier koizumi el 17 de septiembre del ano pasado a la republica popular democratica de corea y las conversaciones cumbre con el presidente kim jong il del comite de defensa nacional hicieron aprobar la declaracion japon-corea de pyongyang.
    segun la declaracion, en cuanto al actual problema relacionado con la vida y la seguridad del pueblo japones la parte de la rpdc afirmo que tomaria las medidas adecuadas para que no vuelva a ocurrir en el futuro ese problema emanado de las relaciones anormales con japon.
    en una palabra la declaracion indica la correcta orientacion de prevenir la nueva aparicion del caso de secuestro emanado de las relaciones anormales y de llevar las relaciones anormales que es su trasfondo radical a las normales.
    pero, la situacion posterior a la aprobacion de la declaracion va al rumbo diametralmente opuesto indicado en esta.
    en japon se desata gran campana sobre el caso del secuestro. por el respecto hace falta tomar por premisa el hecho de que durante mas de 50 anos despues de la guerra continuaron las maquinaciones de hostilidad de japon a la rpdc.
    hoy en dia, las fuerzas conservadoras de japon desvian el punto de discusion porque conocen que en el futuro no se podra repetir el secuestro. ellas utilizan en una finalidad politica el alma adolorido de los japoneses temporalmente repatriados y sus familiares.
    japon no se esfuerza por impulsar la normalizacion de relaciones diplomaticas para realizar el libre viaje sino presenta de continuo los problemas irracionales que no estan incluidos en el acuerdo.
    la campana sobre el caso del secuestro es agitativa y provocativa de guerra y dirigida por el gobierno.
    ?japon desea normalizar sus relaciones diplomaticas con la rpdc o hacer una guerra contra esta?b
    el actual problema de mayor peso en la normalizacion diplomatica japon-corea son la disculpa y la indemnizacion sobre la dominacion colonial del pasado.
    es precisamente este problema a que se refiere al principio la declaracion japon-corea de pyongyang.
    el estado actual del interior de japon esta muy lejos de la expresion: "aceptamos con modestia" la responsabilidad de la dominacion colonial. no se puede decir que es sincera la disposicion de la parte japonesa despues de las conversaciones cumbre.
    demandamos la normalizacion de relaciones diplomaticas japon-corea por la oposicion a la legislacion en el tiempo de emergencia y las sinceras negociaciones y en particular, la disculpa y la indemnizacion por la dominacion colonial, no por el modo de cooperacion economica.