Friendship meeting on anniversary of Kim Jong Il's visit to Indonesia

     Pyongyang, April 17 (KCNA) -- The Korea-Indonesia Friendship Association hosted a friendship meeting at the Taedonggang Club for the Diplomatic Corps yesterday on the occasion of the 38th anniversary of the historic visit paid by Kim Jong Il to Indonesia, accompanying President Kim Il Sung. Invited there were Indonesian artistes participating in the 21st April Spring Friendship Art Festival, Indonesian Ambassador to the DPRK Hendrati Sukendar Munthe and embassy staff members.
    Present there were Kim Jin Bom, vice-chairman of the Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries and chairman of the Korea-Indonesia Friendship Association, and other officials concerned, teachers and pupils of Korea-Indonesia Friendship Pyongyang Ryulgok Middle School.
    The participants talked with each other about boosting the friendly relations between the two countries, saying that the historic visit was an event of great significance.
    They danced, singing songs of the two countries.

Video tapes praising Kim Jong Il popular in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, April 17 (KCNA) -- Video tapes on which a Korean documentary film "As Led By Great Brilliant Commander" is recorded have been widely distributed at universities and in industrial districts and other places in Seoul and Inchon, evoking a lively response among them, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of Kim Jong Il's election as Chairman of the National Defence Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Seoul-based radio Voice of National Salvation said. A worker Kim Song Min residing in Songdong district, Seoul, said that it is thanks to the great Songun leadership and Songun policy of Kim Jong Il that we can sleep a comfortable sleep and engage in business free from disasters of a war. That's why it is necessary to defend and uphold his Songun policy, not forgetting that we greatly benefit from it, he added.
    Ex-soldier Ri Chol Su living in Sodaemun district, Seoul, said that the U.S. attempt to fight the Korean People's Army is as foolish an act as kicking a rock with bare feet. The United States should know that the KPA is a matchless strong army led by Kim Jong Il, the greatest-ever commander, he stressed.

Seminar on Kim Il Sung's feats held in Russia

     Pyongyang, April 17 (KCNA) -- A seminar on the feats of President Kim Il Sung was held in Moscow on April 8 on the occasion of the Day of the Sun, the birth anniversary of the president, under the sponsorship of the party for peace and unity of Russia. Sazhi Umalatova, chairperson of the party, in her report said that all the achievements made by the DPRK are associated with the august name of Kim Il Sung. It was his maxim that one emerges ever-victorious when one believes in the people and relies on their strength and one is defeated when one is forsaken by the people, she noted.
    What occupies the most important place in his feats was that he founded the invincible Korean People's Army, she said. He deeply loved the people all his life and devoted his all to their freedom and happiness, considering it as a noble maxim to believe in the people as in heaven.
    Speakers said that he was highly praised by the world progressives, adding he was the sun of the 20th century and the greatest man.
    The DPRK today is fully demonstrating its might thanks to the great feats of him who built an indestructible socialist bulwark in the east in which the leader, the army and the people are rallied as one, looking far into distant future, they said.
    On the immortal feats performed by him in carrying out the cause of national reunification, they stressed that the unanimous desire of the Korean people to reunify the country independently and peacefully by applying the three charters for national reunification put forward by him will certainly come true.
    A congratulatory message to Kim Jong Il was adopted at the seminar.

Greetings to Danish Queen

     Pyongyang, April 17 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, on April 16 sent a message of greetings to Margrethe ii, Queen of Denmark, on the occasion of its National Day, her birthday. The message warmly congratulated the queen and the people of Denmark on this occasion and sincerely wished her good health and happiness as well as the Danish people progress and prosperity.

Choe Thae Bok meets Mexican party official

     Pyongyang, April 17 (KCNA) -- Choe Thae Bok, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, on April 16 met and had a conversation with Jose Roa Rosas, member of the National Executive Committee of the Workers' Party of Mexico. The official said that he deemed it an honour to have commemorated the 91st birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung together with the Korean people.
    The visit to the DPRK provided him with an opportunity to deeply feel that Korean socialism is one the world progressives should learn from, he noted, adding that the Mexican workers' party will further develop the friendly relations with the WPK.

End to U.S. abuse of UN name called for

     Pyongyang, April 17 (KCNA) -- A DPRK delegate in a speech at a meeting of the special commission on the UN Charter and the increasing of its role, accused the united states of still wearing the mask of the UN on the Korean Peninsula. He held that it is high time for the special commission to seek a way to put an end to the U.S. ceaseless abuse of the UN name and its resultant legal contradiction. The present international situation where the international order is disturbed and the trust in the UN hurt by the U.S. arrogant attitude and high-handed practices and its policy of strength calls for asserting the spirit of the un charter and increasing its role as regards the relations between states and the preservation of international peace and security, he said, urging the special commission to pay primary attention to putting a brake on the arbitrary practices and high-handed policy of the country styling itself the "only superpower" in the present international relations and restoring the role of the un.
    The U.S. violation of the UN Charter and legal duties is being perpetrated on the Korean Peninsula, too, he said. More than 40,000 U.S. troops are present in South Korea under the helmets of the "UN force" and the present U.S. administration recoils from implementing its legal commitment to honor the DPRK-U.S. Agreed Framework, rendering the situation on the Korean Peninsula extremely tense.
    The U.S. administration, in particular, is handling the nuclear issue, a product of the U.S. hostile policy toward the DPRK, in contravention of the relevant resolution of the UN General Assembly and the principle of the UN Charter which ban the use of force and call for settling all disputes in a peaceful way, he said, adding that the United States is violating and misusing the articles of the Korean Armistice Agreement as it pleases as evidenced by the amassing of armed forces around the Korean Peninsula and staging of all forms of military exercises in a bid to mount a preemptive military attack on the DPRK under the pretext of the nuclear issue

Guest performances given

     Pyongyang, April 17 (KCNA) -- Performances of the 21st April Spring Friendship Art Festival were given for guests of honour at the Pyongyang International Cinema House, the Central Youth Hall, the Central Workers' Hall and the Pyongyang Circus Theatre on April 16. The performances were appreciated by senior party and state officials, officials of party and power bodies, public organizations, ministries and national institutions, heroes and heroines, merited persons, working people, artistes, youth and students in the city and overseas Koreans.
    Diplomatic envoys, embassy officials and foreigners enjoyed the performances.
    Foreign and overseas Korean artistes put on stages chorus, song and dance, instrumental music, circus and other numbers.
    The performances clearly proved the great influence of the Pyongyang festival and the unbreakable friendship and solidarity forged among artistes of different countries in the idea of independence, peace and friendship.
    After the performances, senior party and state officials mounted stages to give floral baskets to the performers and congratulate them on their successful performances.
    Meanwhile, the Mikhail Godenko State Krasnoyarsk Dance Company Academic of Siberia, Russia gave a separate performance at the Mansudae Art Theatre and a Chinese art troupe at the Ponghwa Art Theatre.

Message of greetings to Syrian President

     Pyongyang, April 17 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, sent a message of greetings to Bashar al Assad, President of the Syrian Arab Republic, on Wednesday on the occasion of the 57th anniversary of the Syrian independence. The message extended warm congratulations to the president and the friendly Syrian people on the occasion.
    The Syrian people have made great progress in the work to defend the dignity of the nation and the sovereignty of the country and build developed and modern Syria under the correct leadership of Hafez al Assad and the president over the last 57 years since the independence, the message said, and continued:
    The Korean people highly appreciate the achievements made by the friendly Syrian people in building a new society and express firm solidarity with them in their just cause for a fair and comprehensive solution to the Mideast issue.
    Expressing belief that the traditional friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would grow stronger and develop, the message wished the president great success in his work and the friendly Syrian people progress and prosperity.

Greetings to Kim Jong Il

     Pyongyang, April 17 (KCNA) -- Resident representatives of different political parties in Cuba held a meeting in Havana on April 9 to adopt a message of greetings to Kim Jong Il on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of his election as Chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission. The meeting was attended by resident representatives and deputy representatives of the Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain, the Peruvian Communist Party, the Union for the Bolivian People's Sovereignty, the Communist Party of Colombia, the Communist Party of Argentina, the Communist Party of Chile and other parties in Cuba.
    A message of greetings to Kim Jong Il was adopted at the meeting.

New Taekwon-do teams formed

     Pyongyang, April 17 (KCNA) -- Taekwon-do teams have been organized in Pyongyang, North Hwanghae and North Phyongan provinces. There were only three Taekwon-do teams in the country -- the Korean Taekwon-do Committee Team and the South Phyongan and South Hamgyong provincial teams.
    Jang Kyong Ok, Hwang Mi Yong, Ro Un Chol and Ro Song Hui and other world stars were produced by the teams.
    The newly organized teams will further promote the development of Taekwon-do, traditional military arts of the Korean nation.
    The Korean Taekwon-do Committee seeks to train many Taekwon-do players through the teams.
    Each team is expected to organize games four times every year to improve the players' technique.
    Under the auspices of the committee, national taekwon-do championships will take place in August amid great expectation and interest of Taekwon-do experts and enthusiasts.

Greetings to Zimbabwean President

     Pyongyang, April 17 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, sent a message of greetings to the Zimbabwean President on April 10 on the occasion of the 23rd anniversary of the foundation of the Republic of Zimbabwe. Expressing the belief that the good friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would grow stronger, the message wished the president and the people of Zimbabwe greater success in the work for political stability and prosperity of the country.

For Spanish-speaking people

kim jong il presencia funcion del coro benemerito del epc

     pyongyang, 17 de abril (atcc) -- el dirigente kim jong il, secretario general del partido del trabajo de corea, presidente del comite de defensa nacional de la republica popular democratica de corea y comandante supremo del ejercito popular de corea, junto con oficiales y soldados del epc presencio el dia 15, con motivo del dia del sol (cumpleanos del presidente kim il sung), la funcion del coro benemerito del epc "cancion de corea que se transmite de generacion en generacion". le acompanaron el jefe del estado mayor general del epc kim yong chun, el ministro de las fuerzas armadas populares kim il chol, los secretarios del comite central del ptc kim kuk thae, kim yong sun y kim ki nam y los funcionarios directivos del partido y el ejercito.
    el coro puso en la escena las imperecederas obras clasicas "pino verde en el monte nam", "cancion de corea", "cancion 'nostalgia'", "?donde esta el querido general?", "corea, te hare grande" y otras piezas para el coro.
    los ejecutantes cantaron en tono elevado el gran orgullo y la dignidad nacional del pueblo coreano que enaltece de generacion en generacion a los grandes lideres y la trayectoria orgullosa llena de la victoria y gloria recorrida bajo la sabia direccion del presidente kim il sung, fundador de corea socialista. y demostraron la firme fe, la voluntad y el espiritu combativo del ejercito y el pueblo dispuestos a defender a ultranza la direccion de la revolucion con la bandera roja de la revolucion en alto superando todas las dificultades y pruebas y a llevar a feliz termino la causa revolucionaria del juche en pleno acato a la direccion del songun (priorizacion militar) del dirigente kim jong il.
    la funcion dio a los espectadores una gran emocion por su alto nivel ideo-artistico.
    el comandante supremo se mostro muy satisfecho de que los artistas del coro ofrecieron una excelente funcion en que palpitan el espiritu revolucionario de paektu y el espiritu revolucionario de los militares y expreso conviccion de que aquellos estimularan mas energicamente al ejercito y el pueblo a la sagrada lucha por hacer brillar eternamente las inmortales proezas revolucionarias realizadas por el presidente.

choe thae bok se reune con jose roa rosas

     pyongyang, 17 de abril (atcc) -- choe thae bok, secretario del comite central del partido del trabajo de corea, departio el dia 16 con jose roa rosas, miembro del comite ejecutivo nacional del partido del trabajo de mexico. en la ocasion el huesped mexicano dijo que para el es motivo de gloria pasar junto con el pueblo coreano el 91 aniversario del nacimiento del gran lider, camarada kim il sung.
    agrego que durante su estancia en corea sentia en carne propia que el coreano es el socialismo que la humanidad progresista del mundo debe seguir.
    subrayo que el partido del trabajo de mexico desarrollara aun mas sus relaciones de amistad con el partido del trabajo de corea.