Repeal of SL and release of prisoners of conscience urged in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, February 24 (KCNA) -- The people's solidarity for abolition of the "Security Law" (SL) grouping over 230 citizens and public organizations in South Korea reportedly demanded the repeal of the "Security Law" and release of the prisoners of conscience at the press conference in Seoul on Feb. 20. The organizations said that the SL had been misused to maintain the power of the successive regimes of South Korea from the first day of its adoption and that the vicious law should be abolished as early as possible.
    On the same day members of the organizations and families of the prisoners of conscience held a rally, strongly demanding the abolition of the SL and all other sorts of vicious laws and institutions, release of prisoners of conscience and amnesty.

Nuclear war moves of U.S. and S. Korean authorities under fire

     Pyongyang, February 24 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the National Democratic Front of South Korea (NDFSK) made public a statement on Feb. 20, denouncing the U.S. and South Korean authorities for planning large-scale war drills, according to radio Voice of National Salvation from Seoul. The statement said:
    The South Korea-U.S. combined command officially announced that the "reception, staging, onward movement and integration exercise" would be staged from March 19 to 26 and the "Foal Eagle" joint military drill from march 4 to April 2.
    These U.S.-led joint military drills are a very dangerous exercise for an attack on the north designed to unleash a total war on the Korean Peninsula with a preemptive nuclear strike.
    Due to the escalating U.S. reckless war moves to invade the north, the situation of the Korean Peninsula is reaching the brink of a nuclear war.
    If a war is ignited by the U.S. on the Korean Peninsula, all the Koreans in the south and north will fall victims to it.
    Anyone who wants the existence of the nation and peace on the Korean Peninsula should not remain a passive onlooker to the present rigorous situation.
    The South Korean people from all walks of life should wage a nationwide anti-U.S. and anti-war struggle to frustrate the U.S. moves for a nuclear war against the north.
    The U.S. bellicose forces should face up to the firm will of the South Korean people to prevent a nuclear war and defend peace in unity with brothers in the north and should immediately withdraw the nuclear war exercise plan which will only precipitate their self-destruction.
    If the war-like forces in this land join the outside forces in the war moves for invasion of the north, taking no account of the interests and the dignity of the nation, they will face strong denunciation and stern judgment by the whole Korean nation.

S. Korean army tank falls headlong into river

     Pyongyang, February 24 (KCNA) -- A tank belonging to the South Korean Army, moving to a drill ground at the dawn of Feb. 17, fell headlong into a river from a bridge of Pochon county, Kyonggi Province, according to KBS of South Korea. Two soldiers in the tank were reported to be dead on the spot and two others wounded.

DPRK missions deluged with floral baskets

     Pyongyang, February 24 (KCNA) -- DPRK embassies in Havana, Phnom Penh, New Delhi, Cairo, Prague and other capital cities of foreign countries received floral baskets from different political parties and organizations and statesmen and public figures on the occasion of the birthday of Kim Jong Il. They include the minister of the revolutionary armed forces of Cuba who is second secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, the President of the National Assembly, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Minister of Culture and Arts of Cambodia, the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the General Secretary of the National Progressive Unionists Party of Egypt, the Chairman of the Egyptian Committee for the Study of the Juche Idea, the Director of the Doz Company in the Czech Republic and the Director General of the International Institute of the Juche Idea.
    Meanwhile, Prof. and Dr. Giancarlo Elia Valori, Director of the Italian Institute of International Relations, sent a rare tree to the DPRK embassy in Rome with his best wishes for Kim Jong Il's good health on the occasion.

Wreaths before Liberation Tower and Martyrs' Cemetery of Soviet Army

     Pyongyang, February 24 (KCNA) -- The Russian embassy in Pyongyang placed a wreath before the Liberation Tower on Feb. 23 on the occasion of the Russian "Day of the Defenders of the Fatherland". The guards of honor of the Korean People's Army were lined up at the tower.
    Present at the wreath-laying ceremony were Russian Ambassador to the DPRK Andrei Karlov, military attache Vladislav Prokopenko, and other staff members of the Russian embassy and the military attache of the Chinese embassy here.
    Amid the playing of the wreath-laying music they laid a wreath before the tower in the name of the Russian embassy and observed a moment's silence in memory of the martyrs of the soviet army.
    Then they went round the tower.
    On the same day the Russian embassy placed a wreath and bunches of flowers before the Martyrs' Cemetery of the Soviet Army in Sadong district, Pyongyang.

GIs arrested on theft charge in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, February 24 (KCNA) -- Two GIs were arrested on a theft charge in Tongduchon city, Kyonggi Province on Feb. 18, according to KBS of South Korea. Two recruits of the U.S. army unit slipped into a dormitory room of employees of a bar for foreigners and stole valuables but were arrested before running away that evening.
    Ceaseless crimes reported from everywhere GIs go lash the South Korean people into greater fury.

Rodong Sinmun calls for dynamic advance with revolutionary army song

     Pyongyang, February 24 (KCNA) -- The chorus suit "Long trip for army-based leadership" produced by the merited chorus of the Korean People's Army is a revolutionary army song in the era of the army-based policy as it grips the hearts of all the servicemen of the KPA and people, says Rodong Sinmun today in an editorial. It calls for advancing with redoubled courage, singing the song more loudly. It goes on:
    The vitality of the revolutionary army song representing the idea and politics of Supreme Commander Kim Jong Il was fully demonstrated in the period of the "arduous march," the forced march.
    The revolutionary army song known to the world as a solemn echo in the era of the army-based policy served as life-giving water that helped significantly consolidate the single-hearted unity of the DPRK around the headquarters of the revolution and as a powerful weapon as it struck the imperialists and enemies with mortal terror.
    It is necessary to follow Kim Jong Il and share intention and will and feelings with him, loudly singing the revolutionary army song representing his idea and will, courage and pluck and confidence of sure victory and rich emotion.
    The Korean people should certainly emerge victorious in the life-and-death struggle against the imperialists. It is the revolutionary army song they should sing loudly in the confrontation.
    Once the imperialists come in attack to stifle the DPRK by force the ten million people and servicepersons should become human bombs to crush them and the further they escalate their economic blockade and pressure upon it, the more loudly the whole country will resound with the revolutionary army song replete with the firm faith of sure victory and optimism.
    We should carry on the staunch struggle along the road of the army-based revolution, sonorously singing this song.
    The servicemen and people of the DPRK will as always remain true to Kim Jong Il's idea and cause, loudly singing the revolutionary army song, a song of worship of the leader and devoted defence of him.

Projected U.S. war exercises slammed

     Pyongyang, February 24 (KCNA) -- The U.S. imperialist warhawks, together with the South Korean military, have planned to stage adventurous war exercises, Foal Eagle and Rsoi, under the simulated conditions of attacking the DPRK from early march. Involved in those exercises will be hundreds of thousands of troops and military equipment. Branding these projected anti-DPRK exercises as an open challenge and a grave provocation to the Korean nation working hard to achieve peace and reunification of the country, Rodong Sinmun in a commentary today says:
    Since it took office, the bellicose bush administration has hindered the process of the Korean nation's reconciliation in every way. Such obstruction is intended to keep the situation on the Korean Peninsula from developing in favor of national reconciliation, unity and reunification, block the reconciliation and reunification process of the Korean nation and, furthermore, ignite a war against the northern half of Korea.
    The South Korean military authorities are following the U.S. criminal policy of aggression on the DPRK in violation of the June 15 Joint Declaration, thus escalating the military threat to the DPRK.
    Those traitors to the nation, who are seeking to hamper the implementation of the joint declaration in conspiracy with the outside forces, paying no heed to the fellow countrymen's call for reconciliation and cooperation, can never go scotfree.

Anecdote about Kim Jong Il

     Pyongyang, February 24 (KCNA) --Kim Jong Il received Jong Ju Yong, who was honorary chairman of the Hyundai Group of South Korea, in October Juche 87 (1998). He welcomed him on a visit to Pyongyang and had a conversation with him without formality in an atmosphere overflowing with compatriotic feelings. He proposed posing for a photograph as a token of their meeting.
    Jong and his son wanted Kim Jong Il to stand between them.
    But he had a picture taken with them with the elder standing in the center.
    Earlier, he told officials that, from a moral point of view he, younger than Jong, should go to his place to meet him.

Grand Korean Proverb Dictionary

     Pyongyang, February 24 (KCNA) -- The Korean Publication Export and Import Company has published the Grand Korean Proverb Dictionary. Compiled in the dictionary are proverbs reflecting lessons and experience the Korean people have gained from ancient times and representing their ideas and aspiration.
    Edited in the dictionary are some 16,000 proverb sentences. Besides lemmas, it contains more than 9,000 examples, proverbs transmitted orally from generation to generation and those created in the present age.
    Also contained in the dictionary are interesting stories, customs, historical tales, allegories, legends and bibliographical notes of proverbs.
    The indexed dictionary offers convenience to all, regardless of their knowledge, age and profession, in finding out proverbs easily and quickly.

Korean stamp exhibition to be built

     Pyongyang, February 24 (KCNA) -- The Korean stamp exhibition will be built in Changgwang Street, Pyongyang. The two-storey exhibition has a total floor space of more than 600 square metres.
    A stamp shop and service facilities will be set up on the ground floor to the convenience of local, overseas Korean and foreign visitors and the stamp exhibition on the first floor.
    On display will be more than 4,300 kinds of stamps, stamp books, magnified postcards, securities postcards, annuals of stamps and stamp multi-media editorials published in Korea since the liberation of the country, postal articles including various envelopes and certificates, cups and medals awarded to Korean stamps at different international stamp exhibitions.
    Among them are stamps recording the immortal revolutionary history and exploits of the three generals of Mt. Paektu, stamps reflecting the lines and policies of the Workers' Party of Korea set forth in every stage of the revolution and construction and their vitality and stamps on Korean history, culture, sports, animals and plants and national customs. The stamps will help the visitors understand the proud path of victories and glory covered by the DPRK.
    The exhibition will play a great role in meeting the increasing cultural and emotional demands of the people.
    And it will show foreigners and overseas Koreans the DPRK advancing under the army-based leadership of Kim Jong Il.

Separated families and relatives from north and south reunite with each other

     Mt. Kumgang, February 24 (KCNA) -- The 6th reunion of separated families and relatives from the north and the south continued at Mt. Kumgang resort. On Feb. 23, a group of separated families and relatives from the north had a reunion with a group of those from the south.
    Noting with bitter indignation that they have lived for decades without hearing from each other, northerners expressed towering grudge against the U.S. imperialists who divided their families and the nation.
    They told their kinsfolk from the south that they have led a worthy life under the benevolent socialist system and they are devoting themselves to building a powerful socialist nation.
    Deeply moved to see their stoutly grown-up sons and daughters, brothers and sisters and relatives, southerners deeply admired the advantageous socialist system under which the benevolent and all-embracing politics is pursued and the popular policies followed by the party and the government.
    Separated families and relatives from the north and the south had family-to-family reunions on Feb. 24.
    They expressed their will to exert patriotic efforts to relink the severed blood ties of the nation.
    Those from the north arranged birthday parties for their kinsmen from the south, presented them with clothing materials and had photos taken with them.
    The Central Committee of the DPRK Red Cross Society hosted a reception for the separated families and relatives from the north and the south.
    They enjoyed a circus performance given by a world famous circus group of the north side.

For Spanish-speaking people

vocero de fdns condena maniobras de guerra nuclear de ee.uu. y sudcorea

     pyongyang, 24 de febrero (atcc) -- segun la radio "voz de salvacion nacional" en seul, el vocero del frente democratico nacional de sudcorea (fdns) hizo publica el dia 20 una declaracion de denuncia a los ejercicios belicos de gran envergadura de ee.uu. y sudcorea. la declaracion senala:
    la comandancia de las fuerzas combinadas sudcorea-ee.uu. dio a conocer el plan de realizar del 19 al 26 de marzo el "ejercicio conjunto de refuerzo para el tiempo de guerra" y del 4 de marzo al 2 de abril el simulacro conjunto "aguilucho". se tratan de los muy peligrosos ejercicios de ataque nuclear adelantado al norte dirigidos por las tropas norteamericanas para desatar la guerra total en la peninsula coreana.
    por las temerarias maniobras escalonadas de guerra de agresion a la rpdc de ee.uu. se torna extremadamente tensa la situacion de la peninsula coreana en que puede estallar en todo momento la guerra nuclear.
    en el caso en que en esta peninsula se desate la guerra nuclear por los yanquis toda nuestra nacion tanto del sur como del norte sera victima de ella.
    quienes desean la tranquilidad de nuestra nacion y la paz en nuestra peninsula no deben estar con los brazos cruzados ante esta grave situacion.
    los habitantes de distintos sectores deben frustrar categoricamente con la lucha pannacional antiyanqui y antibelica las maquinaciones norteamericanas de provocacion de guerra nuclear de agresion a la rpdc.
    las fuerzas belicosas de ee.uu. deben evaluar justamente la firme voluntad de nuestros habitantes de prevenir la guerra nuclear y preservar la paz en union con sus hermanos del norte, actuar con prudencia y revocar de inmediato su plan de ejercicios de guerra nuclear encaminados a su autodestruccion.
    si las fuerzas belicosas de esta tierra se incorporan a tales maquinaciones en desacato a los intereses y la dignidad de la nacion, no podran evitar la categorica denuncia y la severa sentencia de toda la nacion coreana.

retirada de tropas yanquis de sudcorea es indetenible demanda de epoca

     pyongyang, 24 de febrero (atcc) -- en estos dias, la teoria de la retirada de las tropas yanquis de sudcorea se destaca sin precedente en ee.uu., lo que demuestra que la retirada de estas tropas es la urgente demanda e indetenible corriente de la epoca. asi senala el diario "rodong sinmun" en un articulo individual de hoy y continua:
    en el periodo de la guerra fria ee.uu. insistio en que sus tropas deben permanecer de continuo en sudcorea para "mantener a raya la salida de la urss al sur" e impedir la "agresion al sur" de norcorea.
    pero, hoy, tal insistencia y pretexto de ee.uu. no se pueden convencer a nadie porque fueron aprobados el acuerdo sobre la no agresion y la declaracion conjunta del 15 de junio entre el norte y el sur de corea.
    hoy en dia, bajo la consigna antiyanqui por la soberania y la de "con las fuerzas unidas de la nacion coreana" las entidades de distintos sectores y los habitantes de sudcorea demandan energicamente la retirada de las tropas yanquis de esta parte diciendo que la posicion de dureza de la administracion de bush sobre norcorea destruye el proceso de la reconciliacion y la reunificacion del norte y el sur.
    en sudcorea actuan la "direccion del movimiento por la retirada de las tropas yanquis", la "direccion del movimiento por la devolucion de la base de las tropas yanquis en ryongsan", el "comite de medidas conjuntas para recuperar nuestra tierra convertida en la base militar de ee.uu." etc.
    el pueblo surcoreano odia a ee.uu. que luego de anular unilateralmente el acuerdo basico firmado con norcorea, impide las relaciones entre norte y sur de corea, mete cuna en la cooperacion y la unidad entre ambas partes de corea y fomenta la confrontacion entre estas.
    tambien, los pueblos del mundo demandan tambien la inmediata retirada de las tropas yanquis de sudcorea, lo que es la demanda de la epoca.
    si ee.uu., dando espaldas a las voces internas y externas sigue recurriendo a la politica de ocupacion militar sobre sudcorea, sera objeto de la mayor condenacion y rechazo del interior y el exterior.

"rodong sinmun" denuncia plan de ejercicios de ee.uu. y surcorea

     pyongyang, 24 de febrero (atcc) -- el periodico "rodong sinmun" en un comentario individual de hoy senala: los belicistas de estados unidos pretenden realizar desde principios de marzo junto con la capa militar de sudcorea el simulacro "aguilucho" y el "ejercicio conjunto de refuerzo para el tiempo de guerra" de caracter aventurero suponiendo la agresion a la parte norte de corea.
    los mencionados simulacros de gran envergadura en que se lanzaran centenares de miles de efectivos y numerosos equipos belicos son un abierto desafio y grave provocacion a la nacion coreana que se esfuerza tesoneramente por preservar la paz y lograr reunificacion del pais.
    la belicosa administracion bush, desde el principio de su acceso al poder, ha estorbado por todos los medios el proceso de reconciliacion de la nacion coreana para exacerbar la situacion de la peninsula coreana que se tornaba a favor de la unidad y la reunificacion, estorbar el proceso de reunificacion de la nacion coreana y desencadenar la guerra de agresion a la rpdc.
    las autoridades militares de sudcorea en violacion del espiritu de la declaracion conjunta del 15 de junio se adhieren a la criminal politica de hostilidad de ee.uu. a la rpdc, lo que agranda mas la amenaza militar a esta.
    no podran quedar impunes jamas los traidores que rechazan la iniciativa de la reconciliacion y cooperacion de los connacionales y en adhesion a las fuerzas extranjeras intentan estorbar la ejecucion de la declaracion conjunta norte-sur.