DPRK-U.S. direct talks called for

     Pyongyang, March 11 (KCNA) -- The nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula is not an issue to be solved through multilateral talks but it is quite possible to find a solution to the issue if the DPRK and the U.S. sit face to face for sincere discussion. Rodong Sinmun Tuesday says this in a signed commentary. It goes on:
    The Bush group is insisting on multilateral talks, turning its face from the proposal for DPRK-U.S. direct talks. It asserted that "the nuclear issue is not concerned with the U.S. and North Korea only but an issue affecting Northeast Asia and the whole world."
    The U.S. much publicized multilateral talks are, in essence, aimed to evade its responsibility for authoring the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.
    This issue should be solved between the DPRK and the U.S. it is none other than the U.S. that poses a nuclear threat to the DPRK. The U.S. is insisting on its far-fetched assertion that North Korea is posing a "threat" to the security of the U.S. It is the DPRK and the U.S. that stand in confrontation over the nuclear issue.
    By calling for multilateral talks the U.S. means letting other countries stand in its stead. This is not the stand and attitude to solve the problem but an act of evading its responsibility.
    The DPRK-U.S. negotiations are neither a sort of reward to be given by one party to the other party nor a business dealing in which one party makes a profit while the other party suffers a loss.
    The U.S. ever-increasing pressure on the DPRK to bring it to its knees by force would only make a clash unavoidable.
    If the U.S. turns to a military option in the end, persistently turning down the DPRK principled proposal for direct talks it will lead to a catastrophic situation.

KCNA urges Japan to redress its past first

     Pyongyang, March 11 (KCNA) -- Japanese Foreign Minister Kawaguchi recently said that "it is the basic policy of the Japanese Government to settle the abduction issue and the issue of nuclear development, etc. in the direction of normalizing the relations between Japan and the DPRK." Her remarks can not be construed otherwise than disturbing ones as they are intended to deliberately put obstacles in the way of normalizing the relations between the two countries by refusing to see the nature of the issues and projecting those matters which can hardly be treated as pending issues.
    As the DPRK has already clarified more than once, the issue of abduction admits of no argument as it had already been settled.
    However, Japan, not content with noisily talking about the issue, sent "families of kidnapped Japanese" to the U.S. recently in a bid to convince the American public that "abduction was terrorism" and put international pressure on the DPRK. It is a height of folly.
    As for the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, a product of the U.S. hostile policy toward the DPRK, it is an issue to be solved between the DPRK and the U.S. through dialogue and negotiations in view of its origin and the circumstances of its outbreak. Therefore, Japan has no justification to meddle in it.
    Japan's much talk about the DPRK's "nuclear issue" only proves that it is behaving without any principle just to join the U.S. in its anti-DPRK nuclear racket.
    Such moves diametrically run counter to the DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration and are anachronistic acts intended to justify the unprecedented crimes Japan committed against the Korean people in the past.
    It is the most urgent outstanding issue in normalizing the relations between the two countries for Japan to apologize and compensate for its past colonial rule over Korea. That's why the DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration referred to this issue, among other things, and Japan admitted, in the spirit of humility, the facts of history that it caused tremendous damage and pain to the Korean people during its colonial rule over Korea and expressed its heart-felt apology and repentance of them.
    It is as clear as noonday that the abnormal relations between the two countries can not be put on a right track unless Japan redeems its past, a key point of the Pyongyang declaration and a key link in normalizing the bilateral relations.
    Japan should refrain from breaking its faith with the DPRK in violation of the spirit of the declaration, toeing the U.S. line. It should not forget its commitment but opt for redressing its past, to begin with.

Russian radio assails U.S. military exercises

     Pyongyang, March 11 (KCNA) -- The Voice of Russia in a commentary on March 5 said that the "Foal Eagle" launched by the U.S. and South Korean military authorities and their projected "Rsoi" prove the U.S. intention to escalate the military offensive against the DPRK and aggravate the situation on the Korean Peninsula. The U.S. hostile policy toward the DPRK is aimed at finding a pretext to create constant tensions in Korea, getting on its nerves and launching a new propaganda campaign against it, the news commentator said, and went on:
    This still remains a propaganda campaign, but nobody can predict what consequences it will entail in the days ahead.
    Any army may conduct a missile test for the self-defence of its nation. If the U.S. is really concerned over the DPRK's missile, why is it not opting to conclude a non-aggression treaty with the DPRK?
    The U.S. does not want to conclude such a treaty because it considers it more important to steadily increase its pressure on the DPRK, while fanning up war hysteria.
    U.S. media are raising a hue and cry over the DPRK's missile test fire which has not been confirmed.
    The U.S. political circle does not deny that the war scenario against Iraq can be orchestrated in Korea, too.

Preparatory committees formed in Ethiopia and Spain

     Pyongyang, March 11 (KCNA) -- A preparatory committee was inaugurated by the Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, group for the study of the Juche idea on March 3 to commemorate the Day of the Sun, birthday of President Kim Il Sung. The committee set a period of commemorating the day of the sun from March to April and discussed and decided on action program to hold a meeting, seminar, lecture, film show, photo exhibition and other colorful functions and introduce and propagandize the immortal revolutionary feats of the president through news media during the period.
    Meanwhile, a similar preparatory committee was formed in Barcelona, Spain, on Feb. 20.
    The chairman of the Spanish Association for Friendship with Korea was elected chairman of the committee.

Wangjaesan Revolutionary Museum

     Pyongyang, March 11 (KCNA) -- The Wangjaesan Revolutionary Museum in Onsong county, North Hamgyong Province of Korea, has been visited by many people at home and from other countries. More than 14,786,450 people have visited the museum since it was opened in October Juche 64 (1975).
    Among them are some 24,860 overseas compatriots and 43,260 foreigners.
    The museum, covering more than 8,650 square meters, has 17 rooms. It houses a lot of pictures, historic relics and materials showing the history of the Korean revolution in the first half of the 1930's and the first half of the 1940's. The main content of the displays is the Wangjaesan meeting convened by President Kim Il Sung in the period of the anti-Japanese armed struggle.
    The president showed up in the Onsong area more than once during the anti-Japanese armed struggle to guide revolutionary organizations and found the first party organization of new type in Korea. He also wisely directed the final offensive operation to defeat the Japanese imperialists and accomplish the historical cause of the country's liberation.
    Through the visit to the museum, the visitors come to know well about how deep the president's love for anti-Japanese guerrillas was and how infinite the reverence of the guerrillas and the people for him was in the arduous and rigorous anti-Japanese war.

Remarks of Japanese Foreign Minister accused

     Pyongyang, March 11 (KCNA) -- Japanese Foreign Minister Kawaguchi said at the recent talks that it is the basic policy of the government to settle kidnapping and nuclear issues to aspire after normalization of Japan-DPRK relations. Her remarks reflect the wrong stand of the Japanese Government which does not want early solution of the DPRK-Japan relations.
    Minju Joson today says this in a signed commentary. It goes on:
    In order to improve the DPRK-Japan relations Japan should redress its past crimes.
    But Japan is now raising such subordinate issues as "kidnapping" and "nuclear development" which is not related to it, as if they are the basic issues in improving the DPRK-Japan relations.
    This is nothing but a cunning move to cover up its past crimes.
    At a time when the U.S. moves to stifle the DPRK are going to extremes, Japan is trying to capitalize on the U.S. policy, obtain "qualifications" to meddle in the issue of the Korean Peninsula and avoid redressing its past, a key for the solution of the DPRK-Japan relations, under the pretext of the "nuclear issue."
    If Japan recklessly acts in sympathy with the U.S. moves to stifle the DPRK over the nuclear issue the DPRK-Japan relations will be more complicated.
    Japan should do what it should do with discretion.

Anniversary of Wangjaesan meeting commemorated

     Chongjin, March 10 (KCNA) -- North Hamgyong provincial meeting was held in Chongjin on March 10 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the historic Wangjaesan meeting organized and guided by President Kim Il Sung. He advanced into the Onsong area of North Hamgyong Province, northeastern part of Korea and held a historic Wangjaesan meeting on March 11, Juche 22 (1933) during the anti-Japanese revolutionary struggle and made a historic speech "to spread and develop the armed struggle into the homeland".
    He put forward the highly important tasks to establish and consolidate more semi-guerrilla zones in a vast area of the homeland adjacent to the guerrilla zones already established along the Tuman River, firmly unite all sections of masses as a single political force under the banner of the anti-Japanese national united front and promote the preparatory work to found a party in order to expand and develop the anti-Japanese armed struggle deep into the homeland. Hong Sok Hyong, chief secretary of the North Hamgyong Provincial Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, said in a report that the Wangjaesan meeting was a historic event which made an epochal turn in further developing the Korean revolution centered on the anti-Japanese armed struggle under the revolutionary banner of Juche, expanding the armed struggle into the homeland and setting up semi-guerrilla zones in a vast area of the homeland.
    In accordance with the policy of the Wangjaesan meeting, the military activities of the anti-Japanese people's guerrilla army were more strengthened and broad masses revolutionised in the northern border area of Korea, so that semi-guerrilla zones were established in Onsong, Jongsong, Hoeryong, Musan and other areas, the reporter said.
    He called upon all the party members and other working people to defend and carry forward the brilliant revolutionary traditions of the WPK and accomplish the revolutionary cause of Juche pioneered in the dense forests of Mt. Paektu, under the army-based leadership of Kim Jong Il.

U.S. troops and South Korean army stage river-crossing drill

     Pyongyang, March 11 (KCNA) -- The U.S. troops and South Korean army on Sunday reportedly staged a river-crossing drill on the River Rimjin flowing along the MDL, part of the foal eagle military exercise aimed at invasion of the DPRK. Hundreds of troops passed through a temporary bridge over the river amid smoke screen with the fire support of tanks and armored cars.
    The military drill clearly shows that their war moves to invade the north with large-scale forces and murderous equipment at all costs are entering a stage of a real war.

Measure committee against abduction and detention formed in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, March 11 (KCNA) -- Over 30 representatives of the reunification solidarity, the solidarity with the people and other civic and public organizations in South Korea reportedly held an emergency meeting in Seoul on March 7 in connection with the kidnapping and detention of Sin Chang Gyun, honorary chairman of the south headquarters of the National Alliance for the Country's Reunification and pro-reunification patriotic figure. Han Chung Mok, executive chairman of the reunification solidarity, said at the meeting that after sin was illegally abducted and kept in custody by the police authorities for five hours on March 1, he is in so bad condition that he should receive hospital treatment due to strong mental shock.
    The meeting decided to form a measure committee and call it "Measure Committee against the Abduction and Detention of Sin Chang Gyun, 96 year-old pro-reunification patriotic figure." And it decided to form the committee mainly with those organizations affiliated to the reunification solidarity and the solidarity with the people and elect Han Chung Mok and other leading members as co-executive chairmen.
    It underscored the need to issue indictments against those involved in the crime, the chief of the Kwachon police and the head of the national police office, etc, and put a series of ads on the incident in the newspaper Hangyore.

Candlelight demonstrators vow to settle accounts with U.S.

     Pyongyang, March 11 (KCNA) -- Figures and citizens of different social standings in South Korea participating in the candlelight procession on March 5, 100 days after the candlelight demonstration staged at Kwanghwamun in Seoul, renewed their faith and will to settle accounts with the U.S. imperialists. They have staged candlelight demonstrations every night to have their 4-point demand including the punishment of GI killers at the South Korean court, Bush's open personal apology and the total revision of the unequal South Korea-U.S. "Status of Forces Agreement," etc. met.
    They were interviewed by the Thongil News.
    Figures from all walks of life including Jin Kwan, permanent co-representative of the All-People Measure Committee for Sin Hyo Sun and Sim Mi Son, Schoolgirls Killed by a U.S. Armored Car, stated that candles should remain burning until the U.S. troops have gone back home, noting that they should restore the independence and dignity of the Korean nation through candlelight processions at any cost.
    Pointing out that the will of the people to restore sovereignty and put an end to the unequal relations between South Korea and the U.S. is reflected in the 100 day-long candlelight demonstration, they said that they would hold candlelights higher in the future, too, to achieve national independence, avert a war and see peace settled on the Korean Peninsula.

President of Hyundai Asan arrives here

     Pyongyang, March 11 (KCNA) -- Jong Mong Hon, president of Hyundai Asan of South Korea, and his party arrived here today. They were greeted at the airport by Ri Jong Hyok, vice-chairman of the Korean Asia-Pacific Peace Committee, and other officials concerned.

S. Korean delegation here

     Pyongyang, March 11 (KCNA) -- A delegation of trade unions of South Korea co-headed by Ri Nam Sun, chairman of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions, and Ryu Tok Sang, acting chairman of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, arrived here today. It was greeted at the airport by Ryom Sun Gil, chairman of the c.c., the General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea, and other officials concerned with compatriotic feelings.
    Working women presented the co-heads with bouquets.

For Spanish-speaking people

es fundamental la liquidacion del pasado criminal

     pyongyang, 11 de marzo (atcc) -- recientemente kawaguchi, ministro de rr.ee. de japon dijo que "tender a realizar la normalizacion de las relaciones diplomaticas japon-corea resolviendo el problema del secuestro y el desarrollo de las armas nucleares es la orientacion fundamental del gobierno". esta peroracion tiende, de hecho, a crear un obstaculo artificial a la realizacion de la normalizacion de las relaciones diplomaticas corea-japon tergiversando la esencia del problema y esgrimiendo el problema que no puede ponerse en el orden del dia.
    como declaramos mas de una vez, el problema del secuestro que vio ya su conclusion y aclaracion no debe ser objeto mas de discusion.
    pero, japon envio las "familias danadas por secuestro" a ee.uu. para lograr que este luego de "definir el secuestro como terrorismo" ejerza la presion internacional sobre la rpdc.
    el problema nuclear de la peninsula coreana, siendo producto de la politica hostil de ee.uu. a la rpdc, por su fuente y proceso merece ver solucion a traves del dialogo y las negociaciones entre la segunda y el primero. por lo tanto japon no tiene pretexto con que inmiscuirse en ello.
    japon al cuestionar el "problema nuclear" de la rpdc, actua imprudentemente en adhesion a las maquinaciones de presion nuclear de ee.uu. sobre ella.
    tal acto de japon contraviene a la declaracion corea-japon de pyongyang y tiende a justificar sus crimenes sin precedentes perpetrados contra el pueblo coreano en el pasado siglo.
    lo fundamental en la normalizacion de las relaciones diplomaticas corea-japon es la disculpa y la indemnizacion de este ultimo por su dominacion colonial del pasado sobre la primera. por eso, este problema fue mencionado primeramente en la declaracion corea-japon de pyongyang, en la cual japon acepto modestamente el hecho historico de haber dado tremendos danos y penalidades al pueblo coreano por la dominacion colonial del pasado y expreso el sentimiento de profunda reflexion y sincera disculpa por el respecto.
    al margen de la liquidacion del pasado, punto clave de la declaracion de pyongyang corea-japon y eslabon principal de la realizacion de las relaciones bilaterales es imposible lograr la normalizacion de las relaciones anormales existentes entre los dos paises.
    japon debe acatar el espiritu de la declaracion corea-japon de pyongyang, mantener su fidelidad dejando de actuar en adhesion a ee.uu., saber claramente lo que debe hacer y liquidar ante todo su pasado.

ee. uu. debe presentarse en el dialogo directo con la rpdc

     pyongyang, 11 de marzo (atcc) -- el problema nuclear de la peninsula coreana no es el de ser solucionado mediante las conversaciones multipartitas. si lo discuten sinceramente cara a cara la republica popular democratica de corea y estados unidos, podran encontrar un punto de acuerdo de la solucion del problema.
    asi senala el diario "rodong sinmun" en un comentario individual de hoy y continua:
    las fuerzas de bush al hablar de que "el problema nuclear no es el asunto entre la rpdc y ee.uu. sino un problema que ejerza influencia sobre el nordeste asiatico y el resto del mundo". insisten en las conversaciones multipartitas para negar las conversaciones directas con la rpdc.
    las conversaciones multipartitas en que insiste ee.uu. es, en su esencia, para eludir su responsabilidad como promotor que causo el problema nuclear de la peninsula coreana.
    este problema debe ser resuelto por corea y ee.uu.. el pais que nos da amenaza nuclear es ee.uu. y este pais insiste como si la rpdc creara una "amenaza" a su seguridad. en fin de cuentas, los paises que estan en enfrentamiento por el problema nuclear son la rpdc y ee.uu..
    la insistencia de ee.uu. es para descargar a otros su responsabilidad, lo que no es la posicion ni actitud de resolver el problema sino la evasion de la responsabilidad.
    las negociaciones entre los dos paises no son un regalo de una parte para la otra. si ee.uu. sigue fortaleciendo la presion sobre la rpdc para arrodillar a esta, no podra evitar el conflicto.
    si ee.uu. niega tercamente la proposicion de principios de corea de sostener conversaciones directas y toma por fin el camino de opcion militar, ocurrira un caso catastrofico.

ejercicio de cruce del rio rimjin de ee.uu. y sudcorea

     pyongyang, 11 de marzo (atcc) -- segun informaciones, los efectivos de ee.uu. y sudcorea realizaron el dia 9 el ejercicio de cruce del rio rimjin en la linea de demarcacion militar bajo el apoyo del fuego de los tanques y carros blindados en el marco del simulacro "aguilucho" encaminado a agredir a la republica popular democratica de corea. ese dia, centenares de efectivos atravesaron el rio por la puente tendida provisionalmente. el ejercicio prueba claramente que han entrado en la etapa de practica las maquinaciones belicas de los ejercitos de ee.uu. y surcorea encaminadas a desencadenar la guerra de agresion a la rpdc con la movilizacion de los efectivos y los equipos belicos de gran envergadura.