U.S. urged to stop anti-DPRK smear campaign

     Pyongyang, April 29 (KCNA) -- The further the U.S. intensifies its anti-DPRK smear campaign and escalates its moves to stifle the DPRK, the more actively the DPRK will increase its physical deterrent force, says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary. It goes on:
    The U.S. bellicose forces are now blustering that there is increasing nuclear and missile threats from the DPRK, describing it as a factor of threatening world stability. They went so far as to say that the DPRK's economy is on the verge of bankruptcy.
    These remarks reflect the uneasiness and fret of the U.S. reactionary rulers over the ever-growing might of the DPRK and the rapid decline of the U.S. and betrays their foolish attempt to put the brake on the drive in the DPRK to build a great prosperous socialist power.
    By resorting to the anti-DPRK campaign the U.S. warhawks try to build up public opinion in a bid to hype the danger of nuclear and missile threats from the DPRK, step up arms buildup for world domination under this pretext and put into practice its strategy for a preemptive military attack on the DPRK.
    The DPRK remains unfazed in ideological, political, economic and military aspects.
    The U.S. wishes to see the economy of the DPRK going bankrupt. But it is a pipe dream.
    It is not in the DPRK but in the U.S. that the economy is on the verge of bankruptcy.
    The American warhawks are seeking to find a way out of their serious economic crisis in aggression and war and in their smear campaign against progressive countries.
    Needless to say, the U.S. imperialists' smear campaign against the DPRK is a product of this war hysteria.
    As evidenced by the Iraqi war, the U.S. smear campaign is always followed by a military action for aggression. The Iraqi war gives a lesson that there should be only a strong physical deterrent force in order to avert a war and defend the security of the country and the sovereignty of the nation.
    The U.S. should clearly understand who is its opponent and stop its foolish anti-DPRK smear campaign.

Headquarters of All-People Movement for National Unity formed in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, April 29 (KCNA) -- The headquarters of All-People Movement for National Unity was reportedly formed in Seoul on April 25 with due ceremony to boost exchanges and cooperation between the north and south of Korea. At the inaugural ceremony So Kyong Won, active at reunification movement organizations, was elected permanent co-representative of the headquarters and former chairman of the South Korean Teachers Union Yun Yong Gyu, prof. Ri Yang Hui of Myongji University and co-representative of the Buddhist Human Rights Committee Jin Kwan its co-representatives.
    Speeches were made and a "letter for world peace" was read out.
    We, intellectuals, can not but strongly demand national sovereignty and right to existence under the present international order which only imposes compromise and submission upon us, the letter said, calling for realizing national cooperation and sovereignty to smash the U.S. hostile policy toward North Korea and cope with the threat of war.

KCNA urges U.S. to properly understand DPRK

     Pyongyang, April 29 (KCNA) -- The bellicose forces of the Bush administration, referring to the DPRK's "nuclear issue," are now blustering that the U.S. will not recognize the system in the DPRK and it will not offer reward to the DPRK. This can not be construed otherwise than ridiculous jargons of political imbeciles. These silly remarks only go to clearly prove that U.S. policy-makers are totally ignorant of the DPRK.
    The DPRK urged the U.S. to assure it of non-aggression and drop a hostile policy toward Pyongyang out of its good faith and magnanimity not prompted by its wish to have its system recognized by the U.S. or to get any reward.
    In the mid-1990s the DPRK adopted the DPRK-U.S. Agreed Framework at the negotiations with the U.S. in which it committed itself to fulfil its political, moral and legal duties to remove the root cause of long-standing mistrust, confrontation and misunderstanding between the two countries and normalize the bilateral relations.
    It was a crucial measure taken by the DPRK out of magnanimity.
    Had the DPRK policy-makers of the Bush administration been far-sighted, they would not have missed this historic opportunity but opted for improving the relations with the DPRK for the future of the U.S.
    However, no sooner had the Bush administration taken office than it went so arrogant as to adopt it as its policy to pursue a hostile policy toward the DPRK and demand the DPRK scrap "its nuclear program before dialogue" after terming it part of "an axis of evil." It has talked much about a sort of reward in a bid to mislead the public opinion.
    The U.S. DPRK policy-makers should confess to being greenhorns.
    The political system in the DPRK is a man-centered socialist system chosen by its people themselves and valued by them as their life and soul. Invincible is the Korean-style socialist system in which the leader, the army and people form a harmonious whole.
    The DPRK has not only the great single-hearted unity but the national defence capacity strong enough to repel the U.S. aggression at one swoop.
    There is no need for the DPRK to have its system recognized by the other as it represents the will of its people and is supported by the Songun political mode.
    They should know this before anything else.
    The American hawks are well-advised to ponder over the grave consequences to be entailed by its confrontation with the DPRK before making any analysis.

U.S. urged to make switchover in its DPRK policy

     Pyongyang, April 29 (KCNA) -- The U.S. moves to stifle the DPRK will be steadily escalated and the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula will never find any solution as long as the former pursues its hostile policy toward the latter. Minju Joson today says this in a signed commentary as regards the DPRK-U.S. talks on the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula held in Beijing.
    The commentary says:
    At the talks the DPRK set forth a new bold proposal to clear up bilateral concerns of the DPRK and the U.S., the parties concerned, at the same time from its stand to peacefully settle the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula at an early date.
    The U.S., however, repeated its old assertion that the DPRK should "scrap its nuclear program before dialogue" without advancing any new proposal to settle the issue.
    At the recent Beijing talks, the U.S. once again revealed its wrong stand on the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.
    It is quite obvious that as long as the U.S. maintains such stand, the two sides will only waste time no matter how frequently they negotiate and such talks will not be of any help to the settlement of the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.
    What is urgent for the peaceful settlement of the nuclear issue is for the U.S. to put into practice its will to make a switchover in its hostile policy toward the DPRK.
    Everything depends on the attitude of the U.S. side.

Songun politics of WPK

     Pyongyang, April 29 (KCNA) -- The validity and vitality of the Songun politics pursued by the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) have been fully proved in the arduous and complicated revolutionary struggle. The politics is an invincible sword guaranteeing the sovereignty of the country and the destiny of the nation.
    The sovereignty of a country is defended by its own strong military power.
    The WPK, on the basis of the principles of the Songun politics that independent politics is unthinkable without a strong army, has directed great efforts to the development and strengthening of the Korean People's Army.
    It is by the Songun politics that the country's military power has been strengthened and a peaceful climate for economic construction provided.
    The U.S. imperialists are now intensifying anti-DPRK campaign under the pretext of the "nuclear issue".
    Due to their hostile policy towards the DPRK, the Korean Peninsula has still been harassed by the danger of war.
    Some time ago, U.S.-South Korea joint military manoeuvres such as "Foal Eagle" and "reception, staging, onward-movement and integration" were held in South Korea for the purpose of preparing a nuclear preemptive attack on the DPRK.
    But the Korean people are countering the U.S. conservative policy towards the DPRK with a tougher stance, backed by the strong national power provided by the great Songun politics.
    They will steadily advance towards the accomplishment of the revolutionary cause of Juche under the banner of the Songun politics.

Anti-SARS campaign in DPRK

     Pyongyang, April 29 (KCNA) -- Positive steps have been taken in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to prevent SARS. People are kept from traveling to SARS-affected countries and regions. They who came back from or via the countries are kept in isolation for ten days for medical examination.
    Imports and transport facilities are also subjected to disinfection.
    Those with fever above 37 degrees and SARS-like symptoms are placed under medical care in segregated hospitals. And those who had contacts with them are also isolated from others for ten days for medical examination and prophylactic treatment.
    According to Choe Ung Jun, permanent chief of the central headquarters of the State Emergency Infectious-Disease Control Commission and director of the State Hygiene Centre under the Ministry of Public Health, no SARS patient or suspected person was found in the DPRK as of April 28.

Koreans in Japan express thanks to Kim Jong Il

     Tokyo, April 26 (KNS-KCNA) -- A meeting took place here today to express thanks to General Secretary Kim Jong Il for the remittance of educational aid fund and stipends in the 149th installment for the children of Korean residents in Japan. Attending the meeting were chairman So Man Sul, vice-chairmen and other officials of the central standing committee of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon), leading officials of organizations and business groups, educationists and scientists under the association, teachers and students of Joson University and Korean students studying at Japanese schools.
    Vice-chairman of the Chongryon central standing committee Jo Ryong Hyon made a report at the meeting.
    He called upon institutions at all levels and officials of Chongryon to help the children and their parents turn out in the movement for loving Korean schools, aware of the warm benevolence of President Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, who have ceaselessly sent educational aid fund and stipends, and their noble intention associated with it, keep the community of compatriots brisk with the might of their singlehearted unity and conduct a vigorous patriotic movement so as to make a fresh progress in the work for national education, the reporter said.
    Speeches of pledge were made at the meeting before a letter to Kim Jong Il was adopted.

10th inter-Korean ministerial talks open

     Pyongyang, April 28 (KCNA) -- The 10th inter-Korean ministerial talks were held here on Sunday. Present at the talks were members and suites of the north side's delegation led by chief councillor of the DPRK cabinet Kim Ryong Song and the south side's delegation with Minister of Unification Jong Se Hyon as its chief delegate.
    Kim Ryong Song in his keynote speech said that after the ninth round of the talks in January, the internal and external situation surrounding the Korean Peninsula has been very complicated and that the united states has escalated the moves to isolate and stifle the DPRK over the "nuclear issue" while seriously threatening the Korean nation's sovereignty and peace in the Korean Peninsula. Meanwhile, an anti-DPRK campaign has become undisguised in South Korea, he noted.
    In fact, he said, under the present situation there is no more urgent task than to reject the unilateral strong-arm action of foreign forces, defend the dignity and sovereignty of the nation and prevent the danger of war and protect peace of the country by the united efforts of all the Koreans.
    The historic June 15 joint declaration is a landmark for reunification common to the nation which was provided by the top leaders of the north and the south of Korea and has been confirmed in practice, he said, and stressed: the joint declaration based on the idea "by our nation itself" should be carried forward and implemented to the letter.
    Then, he set forth the north side's proposal with a view to taking practical measures.
    The proposal called for reaffirming the basic spirit of the June 15 joint declaration and confirming again before the whole nation their will to implement the declaration. It also called for discontinuing TV broadcasting against each other and radio propaganda in the areas along the demarcation line. The north side suggested the authorities of both sides to push ahead with the June 15 Grand Festival for National Reunification this year, which has already been agreed upon and is now being prepared at a non-governmental level and regularize it as a bigger festival attended by the authorities as well as non-governmental organizations.
    It was also proposed that both sides should significantly hold ground-breaking ceremonies for connecting rail and road links in the east and west coastal areas and for the construction of the Kaesong Industrial Zone before the third anniversary of the joint declaration. The proposal called on the authorities of the north and the south to push ahead in a responsible manner with a ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of a reunion centre for separated families and relatives in Mt. Kumgang, which the red cross organizations of both sides had agreed to push, so that the ceremony may take place at an early date.
    He also proposed to decide as soon as possible on the passage of each side's civilian ships through each side's territorial waters which both sides had agreed to push forward and on the south side fishermen's use of part of the north side's fishing ground in the east sea, and consult and settle the measures to press forward tour of Mt. Kumgang and other ongoing economic cooperation between non-governmental organizations of both sides. It was proposed that the south side should take a responsible step to ensure smooth progress of a series of projects the north side's Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee had agreed with the south side's Hyundai Asan to carry out.
    At the talks, Jong Se Hyon made an address clarifying the south side's stand on the talks.
    The talks continue.

KCNA blasts U.S.-Japan joint in-flight refuelling exercise

     Pyongyang, April 28 (KCNA) -- U.S. KC-135 refuelling tanker and Japanese F-15 fighters began an in-flight refuelling exercise in the sky above Japan on April 21, according to Kyodo news service. This exercise, part of a joint military operation with the U.S. air force, will last till May 2.
    This unprecedented exercise launched by the Japanese bellicose elements cannot but be a very serious development as it harasses the global peace and stability and escalates the overall military situation in Asia including the Korean Peninsula.
    Until recently, Japan, pursuant to the strategy for world domination the U.S. is pushing under the pretext of "anti-terrorism war," has stepped up overseas dispatch of its maritime self-defence force. It dispatched many warships to the Indian Ocean and other parts of the world in a bid to realize its ambitions for the revival of militarism and overseas expansion.
    Japan is staging the in-flight refuelling exercise with the U.S., the first of its kind in the history of the SDF, in a bid to increase its air SDF's capability for a long-distance operation.
    This goes to prove that Japan has also chosen the sky as theatre for an overseas expansion.
    This also proves that Japan is going to use its air SDF as main attack means for its overseas expansion following the example of the U.S. which considers an aerial attack operation as a main strategy in fighting the war of aggression in Iraq.
    Japan, which has advocated an "exclusive defence" for its peace and security since its defeat in world war ii, is stretching out its tentacles of overseas invasion not only on the sea but in the sky after throwing off that spurious signboard.
    Therefore, it is not hard to guess what a dangerous phase Japan's reckless moves for its military domination over Asia have reached.
    It is by no means fortuitous that the Japan Defence Agency is in the process of fundamentally reexamining its basic "plan for defence capability" for a dramatic switchover from the "exclusive defence" and political figures let loose one after another war outcries "it is essential for Japan to leave the nuclear deterrence to the united states and let the SDF to cope with other forms of attack than nuclear assault."
    The DPRK has no option but to boost its self-defence capability and its physical deterrent force in the light of the facts that the chief aim the Japanese reactionaries are seeking in its overseas expansion and its moves to turn Japan into a military power under the pretext of Japan-U.S. "cooperation" and "anti-terrorism war" is to stage a comeback to Korea and they are becoming evermore undisguised in their very disturbing military moves presupposing an "emergency" on the Korean Peninsula.
    The reckless attempt of the Japanese reactionaries to realize their ambition for overseas expansion at all costs, backed by the U.S., is bound to go awry as they are fated to face a stern judgment by history.

Kim Jong Il inspects KPA unit 318

     Pyongyang, April 28 (KCNA) - General Secretary Kim Jong Il inspected KPA unit 318 today. After being saluted, he first went to the operational commanding room of the unit to learn in detail about the performance of its duty. He was very pleased to see the servicemen of the unit firmly armed with the WPK's Juche-based war method and reliably guarding their defence line with the noble patriotic determination to firmly defend the socialist motherland. And he advanced important tasks that would serve as guidelines in further increasing the unit's combat capability.
    He also went round different places of the unit, including the servicemen's hall to acquaint himself in detail with the political and ideological education of servicemen.
    Greatly pleased to learn that the unit has trained all the servicemen as indomitable combatants fully determined to annihilate the enemies at any cost and firmly confident of sure victory by effectively conducting the revolutionary and working-class education in various forms and ways, he highly appreciated the feats of the servicemen who are always winning victories in the sacred struggle to defend the country in the spirit of devotedly safeguarding the leader, the spirit of becoming human bombs.
    Then, he inspected an education room, mess, kitchen, washroom and other cultural and supply facilities to take warm care of servicemen's life with paternal love. Warm comradely love for soldiers is a noble trait of officers of our revolutionary army, he said, urging all the officers to show deep care for soldiers' living down to details.
    The next leg of his inspection was a new power station built by the unit.
    After being briefed on the station by the commander of the unit, he went round a generator room, distribution room and dam to learn in detail about the construction of the station and its production of electricity. Better living conditions should be provided for servicemen through an effective use of electricity produced at the station, he said, setting forth tasks to do so.
    He, together with servicemen and their families, appreciated an art performance given by the unit's art squad at the servicemen's hall.
    Then, he gave pep talks to the officers and men of the unit and had a photo session with them.
    Accompanying him were KPA generals Ri Myong Su and Hyon Chol Hae.

Kim Jong Il sees art performance given by servicemen's family members

     Pyongyang, April 28 (KCNA) - General Secretary Kim Jong Il appreciated an art performance given by the family members of servicemen of KPA unit 287, who participated in the 6th contest among art groups of servicemen's family members. Put on the stage were chorus "40 Million People Sing of the Leader", vocal quintet "The General's 250-Mile Trip to the Front", Kayagum-accompanied vocal solo "With the General", dialogic play "A Day for Us" and other colorful numbers.
    The performers truthfully represented their pride and honor of being reliable women revolutionaries, who take the lead in upholding the WPK's Songun leadership under the warm care of Kim Jong Il, and their worthwhile life full of optimism and joy.
    They also fully demonstrated the rock firm faith and will and indomitable stamina of servicemen's family members determined to devotedly safeguard the headquarters of the revolution and accomplish the revolutionary cause of Juche without fail, standing in the same trench with their husbands.
    Kim Jong Il expressed great satisfaction at the excellent performance and congratulated the servicemen's family members on their successful performance.
    It is very gratifying that the army is regularizing the contest among art groups of servicemen's family members to thoroughly implement the WPK's literary and art policy of popularizing art activities, he said, and advanced highly important tasks that would serve as guidelines in further developing the popular art activities.
    Seeing the performance with him were generals Ri Myong Su and Hyon Chol Hae and other commanding officers of the KPA and secretaries of the WPK Central Committee Kim Kuk Thae, Kim Ki Nam and Kim Yong Sun.

For Spanish-speaking people

kim jong il inspecciona unidad no. 409 del epc

     pyongyang, 28 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 inspecciono el dia 27 la unidad no.409 del epc situada en la zona del frente. el comandante supremo, luego de enterarse del estado del cumplimiento del deber de la unidad, escucho en la casa de los militares la historia de la unidad y evaluo altamente que en el pasado los oficiales y soldados de la unidad lograron muchos exitos en la lucha por ejecutar la linea militar autodefensiva de nuestro partido.
    al presenciar los ejercicios se mostro muy satisfecho de que todos los militares estan bien dispuestos en lo politico e ideologico, y en lo militar y tecnico a frustrar de un golpe cualquier invasion inesperada de los enemigos y a defender firmemente la patria socialista y presento las tareas programaticas que sirven de guia para fortalecer aun mas la combatividad de la unidad.
    dijo que el ejercito popular ha crecido como invencible fila revolucionaria que lucha dedicando sin titubeo la vida por defender a ultranza el partido y el lider y realizar la causa del partido, la del socialismo y enseno que contar con tal ejercito invencible es un gran orgullo de nuestro partido y pueblo.
    el comandante supremo se fotografio junto a los militares de la unidad.
    seguidamente, el inspecciono una compania de la unidad donde recorrio varios lugares y atendio cordialmente con amor paternal la vida de los militares.
    tambien, presencio la funcion artistica de los militares de la compania.
    tras presenciarla el comandante supremo expreso gran satisfaccion de que los militares de la compania viven y luchan como abanderado de la direccion del songun (priorizacion militar) y se fotografio junto a ellos.

x ronda de conversaciones a nivel de ministro norte-sur de corea

     pyongyang, 28 de abril (atcc) -- se entablo el dia 27 en esta capital la x ronda de conversaciones a nivel de ministro entre el norte y el sur de corea. participaron, los miembros de la delegacion presidida por kim ryong song, consejero responsable del consejo de ministros de la republica popular democratica de corea y otros acompanantes y los miembros de la delegacion de surcorea con jong se hyon, ministro de la reunificacion como delegado principal y otros acompanantes.
    kim ryong song al hacer uso de la palabra dijo:
    despues de la ix ronda de conversaciones a nivel de ministro sostenida el pasado enero, la situacion interna y externa de la peninsula coreana era muy compleja y heterogenea. ee.uu., intensifico las maniobras de aislamiento y aplastamiento contra la rpdc bajo el pretexto del "problema nuclear" y amenazo gravemente la soberania de la nacion coreana y la paz de la peninsula coreana, y en sudcorea se torno abierto el movimiento de confrontacion con norcorea.
    bajo tal situacion, es muy inminente rechazar la arbitrariedad unilateral de las fuerzas foraneas, defender la dignidad y la soberania nacionales, prevenir el peligro de la guerra y preservar la paz del pais con las fuerzas unidas de toda la nacion.
    la historica declaracion conjunta norte-sur del 15 de junio es un jalon de la reunificacion de la nacion, preparado por los maximos dirigentes de ambas partes y comprobado por la practica. la declaracion cuyo ideal principal es "con las fuerzas unidas de la nacion coreana" debe ser sucedida y materializada estrictamente.
    como las medidas practicas de estas conversaciones, kim ryong song propuso el problema de reafirmar ambas partes el espiritu principal de la historica declaracion conjunta ya mencionada y prometer una vez mas ante toda la nacion la voluntad de ejecutarla, el de poner fin a la emision de la television y de la radio en las zonas aledanas a la linea de demarcacion para difamar una parte contra la otra, el de ampliar un gran festival nacional por la reunificacion - 15 de junio para este ano, ya acordado en nivel no gubernamental y realizarlo tradicionalmente como un gran festival en el cual participen hasta las autoridades, el de realizar significativamente, antes del 3 aniversario de la publicacion de la declaracion conjunta, las ceremonias de comienzo de obra de union de ferrovias y carreteras orientales y occidentales y de construccion de la zona industrial de kaesong y el de hacer que las autoridades de ambas partes impulsen bajo su responsabilidad la ceremonia de comienzo de construccion del lugar de encuentro en el monte kumgang entre los familiares y parientes separados del norte y el sur de corea que fue acordada entre las entidades de la cruz roja de ambas partes y que se propone promoverla y de celebrarla lo mas pronto posible, el de acordar lo mas pronto el paso de aguas territoriales de su contraparte de barcos civiles de ambas partes y el uso de los pescadores de la parte surena de alguna parte de la zona pesquera de la parte norte que ya fue acordado y esta en promocion, el de consultar y solucionar las medidas para impulsar activamente las cooperaciones economicas que realizan las entidades no gubernamentales de ambas partes incluyendo el turismo al monte kumgang, el de hacer que la parte surena tome las responsables medidas para que se efectuen satisfactoriamente una serie de las labores acordadas entre el comite coreano por la paz de asia y pacifico y la firma hyundai y asan de sudcorea, etc.
    en las conversaciones, jong se hyon hizo uso de la palabra para aclarar la posicion de la parte surena referente a las conversaciones.
    las conversaciones continuan.