Committee for Supporting Korean People's Anti-U.S. Struggle formed in Syria

     Pyongyang, January 27 (KCNA) -- A committee for Supporting the Anti-U.S. Struggle of the Korean People was formed in Syria on Jan. 11. An inaugural statement expressed full support to the struggle of the fraternal Korean people wisely led by Kim Jong Il as regards the serious situation prevailing on the Korean Peninsula owing to the U.S. imperialists' vicious moves to invade the DPRK.
    The statement declared that the committee with Riyad Suleiman Awad, director of the information department of the Socialist Unionist Party of Syria, as its chairman was formed to explain the stand of Korea to people and make them express solidarity with the Korean people.

KCNA refutes IAEA general director's remarks

     Pyongyang, January 27 (KCNA) -- Baradei, general director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, is imprudently behaving as if he is playing a certain "role" in the solution to the nuclear issue of the DPRK. During his recent visits to the United States, Japan, Russia and other countries he said "the use of force in the solution to the Korean issue should be the last resort" and "any challenge to the nuclear non-proliferation system would cause serious consequences to the whole world" in a bid to internationalize the issue.
    It is imprudent for him to have peddled the DPRK's issue, still ignoring the position of the DPRK that withdrew from the NPT and the nature of the nuclear issue, a product of the U.S. hostile policy toward the DPRK.
    One cannot but wonder whether the general director is aware of the historic mission he should fulfil at the responsible post of the U.N. organization as his ability to judge the phenomena and nature of the reality objectively is doubtful.
    We would like to remind him once again that the DPRK issued its government statement on Jan. 10 on its total withdrawal from the NPT in order to protect the sovereignty, vital right and dignity of the country and the nation.
    It clarified that it took such a self-defensive measure because of the unreasonable behavior of the U.S. and the IAEA, its cat's paw.
    It is, therefore, an objective reality that the secretariat of the IAEA is not in a position to discuss the DPRK's issue and the days are gone never to return when it could unreasonably handle it.
    As the DPRK stressed more than once, the nuclear issue should be settled between the DPRK and the U.S. in view of its origin and its nature.
    Regrettably, Baradei, failing to understand this fundamental conception and principle, is busy with shuttle diplomacy, letting loose a string of such jargon, still not awake from the same dream as he had before Jan. 10. His demeanor would not help settle the issue but only put indelible stain on his reputation and image.
    His efforts to internationalize the DPRK's issue at the instruction of the U.S. go to clearly prove once again before the international community that the secretariat of the IAEA is no more than a poor servant and a mouthpiece of the U.S.

KCNA calls for proper understanding of origin of nuclear issue

     Pyongyang, January 27 (KCNA) -- The United Nations and some countries are trying to mediate the settlement of the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula through the dispatch of a special envoy and delegations to the DPRK. This is quite understandable now that the NPT is being gravely violated and the political and military situation on the peninsula and in Northeast Asia is deteriorating owing to the U.S. high-handed and arbitrary practices.
    What should be made clear here is that the international community should have a correct understanding of the origin of the issue and what is the right way of solving it.
    The nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula has not been settled but reached the extremes not because of the lack of the international community's efforts to mediate its solution.
    The issue is the matter of bilateral nature that should be settled between the DPRK and the United States through negotiations as it is a product of the U.S. hostile policy toward the DPRK.
    The U.S. is claiming that its unilateral demand represents the common view of the international community while describing the DPRK's restart of its frozen nuclear facilities and its withdrawal from the NPT as a "breach" of international law. This is no more than a crafty attempt and sophism to equate an assailant with a victim.
    It was none other than the Bush administration that nullified what was achieved in the efforts to improve the DPRK-U.S. relations during its preceding administration, listed the DPRK as part of an "axis of evil" and singled it out as a target of preemptive nuclear attacks, thus breaching the basic spirit of the NPT and the DPRK-U.S. Agreed Framework.
    The DPRK's decision to withdraw from the NPT is being described by some of the international community as an international issue of universal importance related to the fate of the NPT because of such base moves of the U.S. and the IAEA which acts its political waiting maid away from the principle and impartiality as an international organization.
    If other countries are interested in the solution to the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, they should bear in mind that the only thing they are requested to do is to urge the U.S. to come out to the negotiations with the DPRK without preconditions.
    If they behave with the contention that the DPRK should move unilaterally or it is the way of solving the issue to internationalize it, ignoring the unavoidable stark historical fact related to the settlement of the issue, they will only create an unpredictable complexity and difficulties in the solution of the issue and the efforts to establish justice and equality in the international relations will fail, either.

Anecdote about Kim Jong Il

     Pyongyang, January 27 (KCNA) -- Early in September Juche 91 (2002) Kim Jong Il met some officials and discussed issues concerning economic construction and people's living. The officials hoped that he would take some rest because he worked all night for days.
    But he told them that he had become accustomed to working all night and he would take a full rest when Korea joins the ranks of the most developed countries in the world and the people are well off. He then said the day would surely come and victory always belongs to the Korean people.

Ten best players of Korea

     Pyongyang, January 27 (KCNA) -- The list of ten best sportsmen and sportswomen of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in Juche 91 (2002) has been made public. They are Ri Song Hui and Im Yong Su (weightlifters), Ham Pong Sil (runner), Kim Jong Su (shooter), Kim Hyon Hui (paddler), Ri Jong Hyang and Jo Pok Sun (boxers), Jin Pyol Hui and Yang Kyong Hui (footballers) and Hong Ok Song (Judoist).
    Last year Ri Song Hui, woman hero of labor, won the gold in the 53 kg category in the 15th World Women's Weightlifting Championships and the 14th Asian Games and in the 58kg category in the first Asian weightlifting rivals tournament.
    Ham Pong Sil finished the winner in the women's 10,000m and 5,000m events of the 14th Asian Track-and-Field Championships and in the Marathon event of the 14th Asian Games.
    In the 2nd World Women's Boxing Championships, Ri Jong Hyang and Jo Pok Sun took the 48kg and 57 kg titles respectively.
    The Judoist Hong Ok Song won the title of the women's 57 kg category in the 14th Asian Games.
    Other players also proved successful in national and international tournaments last year.
    Kim Hyon Hui and Jin Pyol Hui were among the ten best players of the DPRK in 2001.

Kaechon-Lake Thaesong Waterway pays off

     Pyongyang, January 27 (KCNA) -- The long Kaechon-Lake Thaesong Waterway in the western area of Korea has already brought benefit. According to data available, many reservoirs near the waterway are mainly filled with water needed for this year's farming.
    The large man-made lake Thaesong, Chongsan reservoir, Tokjwa reservoir and other reservoirs are full of water from the River Taedong.
    The water that came into reservoirs from the waterway amounts to some 30,000 jongmi (a jongmi equals to 10,000 cubic metres).
    The natural-flow waterway economizes 385 water pumping stations, 536 pumps, many motors, transformers and other equipment and 60,000 KW of electricity.
    Branch waterways are now being built to be linked with the Kaechon-Lake Thaesong Waterway.

Korean people called upon to display spirit of devotedly defending leader

     Pyongyang, January 27 (KCNA) -- "Let us devotedly defend the headquarters of the revolution headed by the great comrade Kim Jong Il" This serves as a slogan of faith as it inspired the Korean people to overcome difficulties and ordeals during the "arduous march" and the forced March in the 1990s and encourages them to do so in the new century, too.
    The shout of this slogan is reverberating far and wide in the DPRK at a time when all the people have risen up to shatter the U.S. imperialists' evermore undisguised moves to isolate and stifle the DPRK.
    The slogan represents the Korean people's faith and will to continue to hold Kim Jong Il who represents their destiny and is a symbol of victory, in high esteem and protect his safety at the cost of their lives.
    The Korean people have a proud tradition of defending the great leaders at the cost of their lives and remaining true to them.
    The anti-Japanese revolutionary forerunners were the first to display the spirit of devotedly defending the leader.
    Under the slogan "Let us devotedly defend the headquarters of the revolution" they firmly protected the security of President Kim Il Sung under whatever circumstances and readily mounted scaffolds with best wishes for his safety.
    This spirit helped the army and the people of the DPRK fully demonstrate the might of heroic Korea in the war fought against the U.S. imperialists in the 1950s.
    The heroic Korean army and people bravely fought under the loyal slogan "for the party and leader" and defeated the U.S. imperialists that boasted of being the strongest in the world for the first time in history.
    The workers of the DPRK implemented with loyalty the Workers' Party of Korea's line of economic construction in the post-war period under the slogan "Let us devotedly defend the party central committee headed by respected comrade Kim Il Sung"
    This spirit which has been carried forward throughout the history of the Korean revolution helped ordinary people grow up to be staunch fighters who devotedly defend the leader.
    This spirit serves as an ever-lasting lifeline of the Korean revolution as it was created with arms and brought about victories.

U.S. urged to discontinue hostile policy toward Korea

     Pyongyano, January 27 (KCNA) -- It is necessary for the international community to demand the U.S. accede to a dialogue with the DPRK and discontinue its hostile policy toward the DPRK for peaceful solution of the nuclear issue. Today it is an urgent task of the world progressives to ward off the danger of a new war from the U.S. in the Korean Peninsula and ensure peace and security.
    Guy Dupre, secretary general of the International Liaison Committee for Reunification and Peace in Korea, said this in a statement on Jan. 15 in support of the DPRK Government statement.
    The statement noted:
    North Korea's "acknowledgement of the nuclear program" is an extension of the U.S. campaign against the DPRK conducted by the bush administration without any evidence, while pursuing a hostile policy toward Korea to suffocate the DPRK economically and stifle the socialist system by force right after he came to power.
    The U.S. is instigating the IAEA and abusing the NPT to raise "nuclear threat from North Korea." It is much similar to the crisis a decade ago.
    The U.S. is working hard to internationalize the Korean issue at any cost as its anti-DPRK campaign ended in failure by the efforts of the DPRK and the world public to solve the nuclear issue through the DPRK-U.S. dialogue.
    The U.S. has historically threatened the DPRK with nukes and caused the nuclear issue.

U.S. army civilian employee hit for deliberate murder of S. Korean woman

     Pyongyang, January 27 (KCNA) -- A civilian employee of the U.S. army in South Korea drove a truck over a woman on a zebra crossing in Inchon on Jan. 21, killing her. Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary says that even civilian employees of the U.S. Forces present in South Korea are now joining GIs in killing people and committing other crimes.
    This is an inevitable product of the U.S. imperialist aggression troops' occupation of South Korea, the commentary says, and continues:
    The history of the U.S. Forces' presence in South Korea is laced with their monstrous crimes. GI crimes in South Korea are by no means accidental nor committed by mistakes. This is clearly evidenced by GIs' ceaseless crimes in South Korea.
    It is only 6 months since GIs killed two young schoolgirls by driving an armored car over them in broad daylight. GI crimes are reported in an unbroken chain from the outset of the year.
    This notwithstanding, the u.s. persistently claims that it can not revise the South Korea-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement aimed to overlook these crimes, talking about its contribution to security in South Korea.
    The recent murder of a South Korean woman by a civilian employee of the U.S. Forces in broad daylight is attributable to this arrogant attitude of the U.S., the commentary notes, stressing that South Korea can never be free from disaster and misfortune as long as the U.S. troops remain there.

Japan's imprudent intervention rebuffed

     Pyongyang, January 27 (KCNA) -- The nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula is one which should be settled between the DPRK and the United States in view of its origin and circumstances of its outbreak and its nature and the present situation. There is no reason and justification for a third party to meddle in it. Rodong Sinmun today says this, accusing the Japanese authorities of pulling up the DPRK over its just self-defensive measure.
    The news analyst goes on:
    Japan is not the party to the settlement of the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula and adopted it as a state policy to become a nuclear power. It has neither face nor right to talk about someone's "nuclear issue."
    Though Japan signed the DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration, it is delaying the liquidation of its past under this or that pretext and excuse and deliberately neglecting any effort to normalize bilateral relations. It is not the DPRK but Japan which is snubbing the declaration.
    However, Japan is putting its nose into other's affair instead of minding its own business. This will get Japan nowhere. Japan is well advised to fulfil its commitments, well aware of the nature of the issue and its position.

Special envoy of south side here

     Pyongyang, January 27 (KCNA) -- Rim Tong Won, special aide of Chongwadae on diplomacy, security and unification who is special envoy of President Kim Dae Jung, and his party arrived here today to visit Pyongyang, at the request of the south side. They were greeted at the airport by Rim Tong Ok, first vice department director of the C.C., the Workers' Party of Korea, and officials concerned.
    A woman worker presented the special envoy with a bouquet.

Inter-Korean military working contact made

     Panmunjom, January 27 (KCNA) -- A contact of heads of the north and the south side delegations to the inter-Korean military working talks took place at the Thongil House in the north side's portion of Panmunjom today. At the contact the north side was represented by senior colonel of the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces Yu Yong Chol and the south side by colonel of the Defence Ministry Mun Song Muk.
    The contact dealt with the issue of adopting a tentative agreement on passage through temporary roads in the east and west coastal areas under the control of the north and south sides.
    The head of the north side noted that the temporary roads in the east and west coastal areas have not yet been opened to traffic and the historic project for relinking the blood ties of the nation has been delayed due to the U.S. unreasonable intervention. Any problem should be daringly solved by the concerted efforts of the Korean nation in its interests in the basic spirit of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration, he said.
    He also stated that the armies of the north and south sides should fully discharge their responsibility and role in respecting and strictly implementing the agreement reached between the Korean People's Army side and the "un forces" side, which stipulates that any military problem raised in the areas under the control of the north and south sides shall be discussed and settled between both sides, and inter-Korean agreements on military guarantee.
    At the contact both sides adopted and put into force the "tentative agreement on military guarantee for passage through temporary roads in the east and west coastal areas under the control of the north and south sides".
    According to the agreement, both sides will open certain sections of the military demarcation line where temporary roads will be reconnected.
    They should notify each other in advance of the list of persons of each side and the number of their vehicles and equipment and time of passage through MDL, if they are supposed to pass through the above-said roads to enter each other's areas, and allow the passage of the permitted persons, vehicles and equipment through MDL and ensure their security.

Talks between Kim Yong Sun and Rim Tong Won held

     Pyongyang, January 27 (KCNA) -- Talks were held today between Kim Yong Sun, secretary of the C.C., the Workers' Party of Korea, and Rim Tong Won, special aide of Chongwadae on diplomacy, security and unification who is a special envoy of President Kim Dae Jung. At the talks both sides discussed the grave situation prevailing on the Korean Peninsula and matters of mutual concern related to the development of inter-Korean relations.
    The talks proceeded in an atmosphere overflowing with compatriotic feelings and mutual understanding.
    They will continue.

For Spanish-speaking people

peru: comite preparatorio por el dia del sol y el 16 de febrero

     pyongyang, 27 de enero (atcc) -- quedo constituido el dia 15 en lima, peru, el comite preparatorio por el dia del sol (cumpleanos del presidente kim il sung) y el 16 de febrero (cumpleanos del dirigente kim jong il). como presidente del comite fue electo el presidente del instituto cultural y de amistad peruano-coreano.
    el comite decidio realizar diversas actividades politicas y culturales en ocasion de esas efemerides.

guy dupre llama a la comunidad internacional

     pyongyang, 27 de enero (atcc) -- la comunidad internacional debe demandar a ee.uu. que para solucionar por via pacifica el problema nuclear acepte la propuesta de la republica popular democratica de corea de hacer dialogo y abandone la politica hostil a esta. hoy, eliminar el peligro de la provocacion de la nueva guerra de ee.uu. y preservar la paz y la seguridad en la peninsula coreana es la tarea apremiante de la humanidad progresista del mundo.
    asi senalo guy dupre, secretario general del comite internacional de enlace por la reunificacion y la paz en corea, en su declaracion publicada el dia 15 en apoyo a la declaracion del gobierno de la rpdc y continuo:
    el llamado "reconocimiento del plan nuclear" por norcorea es una prolongacion de la campana anti-rpdc que la administracion bush armo sin ninguna prueba al cabo de aplicar abiertamente desde principios de su toma del poder la politica hostil a corea para asfixiarla en lo economico y aplastar por la fuerza el regimen socialista.
    ee.uu. sale con el argumento de la "amenaza nuclear de norcorea" incitando la organizacion internacional de energia atomica y abusando del tratado de no proliferacion nuclear, lo cual tiene muchas semejanzas con el periodo de la creacion de la crisis de hace 10 anos.
    tan pronto como sus maniobras contra la rpdc fracasaron por la dinamica demanda de corea y la opinion publica mundial de solucionar el problema nuclear mediante el dialogo rpdc-ee.uu., este trata de internacionalizar a toda costa el problema coreano.
    ee.uu. no podra liberarse de la responsabilidad de que historicamente amenazaba con las armas nucleares a la rpdc y engendro el problema nuclear.

deben conocer el origen de surgimiento del problema nuclear

     pyongyang, 27 de enero (atcc) -- en estos dias la onu y algunos paises prestan atencion a la solucion del problema nuclear de la peninsula coreana y envian enviados especiales y delegacion a la republica popular democratica de corea para mediar. estos movimientos se entienden suficientemente bajo la circunstancia en que debido al despotismo y la arbitrariedad de ee.uu. se ve violado gravemente el tratado de no proliferacion nuclear (tnpn) y se empeora mas la situacion politico-militar de la peninsula coreana y el resto del nordeste asiatico.
    la comunidad internacional debe tener la correcta comprension sobre el origen del surgimiento del problema en cuestion y el medio de su solucion.
    el problema nuclear en cuestion es estrictamente un producto de la politica hostil de ee.uu. a corea y es el del caracter bilateral que deben solucionar la rpdc y ee.uu. mediante las negociaciones.
    ee.uu. describe como "violacion" al deber juridico internacional nuestras medidas de levantar la congelacion de las instalaciones nucleares y retirarnos del tnpn y divulga su insistencia unilateral como un criterio comun de la sociedad internacional, lo cual es un intento taimado y una farsa para convertir la danada en el danador.
    para colmo, la administracion bush es el fautor que volco por completo los resultados de la mejora de las relaciones rpdc-ee.uu. logrados en el periodo de la anterior administracion norteamericana y anulo el espiritu principal del tnpn y el acuerdo basico concertado con la rpdc definiendola como "eje del mal" y blanco de ataque nuclear anticipado.
    ahora en una parte de la sociedad internacional se divulga una opinion como si la decision de la rpdc de retirarse del tnpn fuera el problema internacional universal relacionado con el destino de este tratado, lo cual se debe a viles maniobras de ee.uu. y a que la organizacion internacional de energia atomica sirve de lacayo politica de ee.uu. en desacato al principio y la imparcialidad de la organizacion internacional.
    si otros paises tienen interes en la solucion del problema nuclear de la peninsula coreana, deben darse clara cuenta de que la unica medida de solucion es urgir a ee.uu. que se presentara sin condiciones previas en las negociaciones con la rpdc.
    si al margen de esto, actuan despreciando este indispensable hecho historico en la solucion del problema nuclear de la peninsula coreana y pensando que la rpdc debe mover unilateralmente y que la unica medida de solucion del respecto es internacionalizarlo, eso traera solo la complejidad y dificultadas imprevisibles en la solucion del problema y fracasaran tambien los esfuerzos por establecer la justicia y la igualdad en las relaciones internacionales.