Floral Basket Laid before Portrait of Kim Il Sung in Cuba

     Pyongyang, September 17 (KCNA) --A ceremony of laying a floral basket before a portrait of President Kim Il Sung was held at Kim Il Sung Economic College in Cuba on September 9 on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the DPRK. Present at the ceremony were teachers and employees of the college, officials of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples, the DPRK ambassador to Cuba and embassy officials.
    They laid the floral basket before the portrait of Kim Il Sung before paying tribute to him.

Spokesman of DPRK FM on Implementation of DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration

     Pyongyang, September 17 (KCNA) -- We strongly demand Japan settle, first of all, such serious human rights abuses as the Japanese imperialists' massacre of over one million Koreans, forcible drafting of more than 8.4 million Koreans and forcing at least 200,000 Korean women into sexual slavery for the Imperial Japanese Army during their colonial rule over Korea, in line with the basic spirit of the DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration, said a spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry in a statement issued on Tuesday one year after the publication of the DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration. The statement goes on:
    The DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration was adopted thanks to the magnanimity shown by the DPRK to establish new DPRK-Japan relations in a forward-looking manner regardless of all sentiments and reality as the Japanese prime minister visited the DPRK for the first time in history to officially apologize for Japan's crime-woven past and express his will to settle it.
    The bilateral relations finally greeted a turning phase of their improvement with the publication of the declaration as a momentum.
    But, regretfully, the review of the past one year indicates that the present bilateral relations are much worse than those before the declaration was published.
    Under the supervision of the government authorities steps are being taken in Japan to internationalize the nuclear issue and the issue of abduction and substantial sanctions are applied against the DPRK to strangle it economically. Rackets aimed to suppress the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, a dignified overseas compatriots organization of the DPRK, are becoming more undisguised. The Japanese authorities have taken one measure after another to increase their military capacity in a bid to launch overseas aggression under the pretext of the DPRK.
    The Japanese authorities are making much fuss about the issue of abduction of a few Japanese, although they have not probed the truth behind hideous human rights abuses Japan committed against the Koreans in the past and compensated for them.
    As far as the abduction issue is concerned, it is an abnormal isolated case that occurred against the backdrop of persistent hostile relations between the DPRK and Japan and the Koreans' bitter anti-Japanese sentiment caused by the successive Japanese authorities' refusal to redeem their past and their persistent pursuance of hostile policy toward the DPRK. This issue, however, has already been settled during the Japanese prime minister's Pyongyang visit.
    This notwithstanding, Japan is asserting that it will establish diplomatic relations with the DPRK only after this issue is solved. This reminds one of an assailant putting up "conditionality for reconciliation" before a victim.
    As already known, the basic spirit of the DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration is for both countries to settle unhappy past and, on this basis, solve pending issues and establish fruitful political, economic and cultural relations.
    The master key to the implementation of the declaration is for Japan to settle its past in view of the historic background against which the declaration was adopted and its basic spirit.
    Japan should opt for redeeming its past. It should probe the truth about incidents on a case-by-case basis and disclose them, apologize to the victims and their bereaved families separately and fully compensate for its crimes.
    This comes as an indispensable precondition for the normalization of bilateral relations.
    The future improvement of bilateral relations will depend entirely on whether this issue is solved or not.
    Invariable is the DPRK's will to implement the declaration to the last.
    What matters is how sincerely Japan would come out to implement it.
    If Japan does not come out with a sincere attitude in the basic spirit of the declaration it will also be difficult for the DPRK to implement the declaration.

Sojourn of British VIPs in Pyongyang

     Pyongyang, September 17 (KCNA) -- Caroline Anne Cox, vice-president of the House of Lords of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and her party visited Mangyongdae, the birthplace of President Kim Il Sung. They looked round relics with keen interest, being briefed on the President's glorious revolutionary history and revolutionary family.
    The guests had a photograph taken in front of his old home in Mangyongdae.
    At the end of their visit, David Patrik Alton, member of the House of Lords, said that the President, born to a simple family, embarked upon the road of revolution at an early age.
    Noting that his family members participated in the revolutionary struggle, devoting their all to the independence of the country, he said that their feats would shine long.
    He added that he was deeply impressed to see the President's old home in Mangyongdae preserved to its original state to be greatly instrumental in the education of the rising generation. The guests also visited Kim Il Sung University, Pyongyang Metro and other places.

Anniversary of DPRK's Entry into UN Marked

     Pyongyang, September 17 (KCNA) -- Newspapers here today dedicate articles to the 12th anniversary of the DPRK's entry into the United Nations. Recalling that the plenary session of the 46th UN General Assembly decided on the DPRK's entry into the UN on Sept. 17, 1991, Rodong Sinmun in a signed article says this was a demonstration of the dignity of the DPRK as a sovereign independent state and a striking manifestation of the world people's support and sympathy with the foreign policy of the Republic whose basic idea is independence, peace and friendship. The article continues: The DPRK's entry into the U.N. helped significantly raise its international position and say and opened a good prospect of developing the relations between the DPRK and the UN. This made it possible for the DPRK to actively contribute to developing its friendly and cooperative ties with many countries on the principle of mutual respect for sovereignty, non-interference in internal affairs, equality and mutual benefits, strengthening the activities and role of the UN and defending the world peace and security.
    The DPRK has made principled assertions and demands and conducted energetic activities to protect its sovereignty and interests on the U.N. forum and ensure that international issues are properly settled on the principle of international justice and impartiality and in conformity with the norms governing the international relations.
    Such efforts of the DPRK had a positive impact on the activities of the UN and the fair solution to international issues and enjoyed support and sympathy from many UN member countries.
    The DPRK as a member country will as ever respect the UN Charter, sincerely implement its international commitment and encourage the UN to fulfil its duty and mission.
    Minju Joson in a signed article says that the DPRK will fulfill its duty in line with the UN Charter.

KCNA Assails Anti-Chongryon Campaign

     Pyongyang, September 17 (KCNA) -- The Japanese reactionaries are viciously cracking down on the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon) and Koreans in Japan. The Tokyo Metropolitan Administration recently imposed taxes on the facilities of the central headquarters of Chongryon including the property tax and has gone through the procedures to seize them on charge of non-payment. Such threatening telephone calls as "explosives have been laid at organs of Chongryon" in Tokyo Metropolis frequently came to the head office of the newspaper Asahi Shimbun.
    This was part of the dastardly terrorism committed against the backdrop of the mounting atmosphere hostile to the DPRK and Chongryon and criminal acts to block the patriotic activities of the officials of Chongryon and Koreans in Japan and stamp out their democratic rights.
    As already known, there were frequent acts against Chongryon such as laying of explosives and firing bullets at organs of Chongryon, mud-slinging and violence against officials of Chongryon and children of Koreans in Japan and unjust economic measures against the Chongryon-related facilities even after the adoption of the DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration in September last year in which both sides promised each other not to do any actions threatening each other's security.
    July and August alone witnessed hideous terrorism in which explosives were laid and shots were fired at organs of Chongryon and national financial institutions of Koreans in Japan in different parts of Japan including Niigata, Fukuoka and Okayama, and different local self-government bodies reexamined or revoked the measure of exempting Chongryon-related facilities from paying property taxes.
    These acts, a product of Japan's anti-DPRK and anti-Chongryon hostile policy, perpetrated in different parts of Japan clearly indicate that the Japanese reactionaries' moves to destroy Chongryon by all means and methods have been carried into extremes.
    Explicitly speaking, there is neither reason nor pretext for the Japanese reactionaries to persecute and suppress Chongryon and the Koreans in Japan as it is a dignified overseas compatriots organization of the DPRK and they are its proud citizens.
    In the light of the historical background against which many Koreans were forcibly taken to Japan during the Japanese imperialists' military occupation of Korea and in view of the present situation where the Koreans in Japan are subject to all sorts of national insult and discriminations they should be duly protected by law and accorded special treatment by the Japanese government.
    Nevertheless, the Japanese reactionaries' reckless suppression of Koreans in Japan are getting more and more undisguised under the tacit protection, connivance and encouragement of the Japanese authorities. This arouses the DPRK's serious concern.
    The DPRK will never forgive the Japanese authorities, who have not taken any measures or legal steps to prevent the anti-DPRK and anti-Chongryon acts of the right-wing reactionaries, talking about what they called "people's feelings".
    The Japanese authorities should drop its hostile policy toward the DPRK and immediately take relevant measures to prevent the recurrence of hostile acts against Chongryon.

Reception Given by Pakistani Ambassador

     Pyongyang, September 17 (KCNA) -- A reception was hosted by Sultan Habib, Pakistani ambassador here, at the embassy Tuesday evening on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the Democratic People's Republic Korea. Present on invitation were minister of commerce Ri Yong Son who is chairman of the DPRK-Pakistan Friendship Association, vice-minister of foreign affairs Kung Sok Ung, vice-chairman of the Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries Kim Jin Bom and other officials concerned.
    Speeches were made there.
    The ambassador in his speech said the foundation of the DPRK was a brilliant fruition of the wise leadership of President Kim Il Sung.
    The President performed great exploits in leading the revolution and construction, he noted.
    Expressing deep reverence for the President, the great hero of the Korean people, the ambassador said his feats would be immortal.
    The friendship between Pakistan and the DPRK is favorably developing day by day under the guidance of leader Kim Jong Il, he stated.
    Pointing out that the two countries have kept pace with each other in the international arena for a long time, he expressed the belief that the relations would grow stronger in the future.

U.S. Blamed for Creating Nuclear Crisis

     Pyongyang, September 17 (KCNA) -- Eric Andersson, international secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party Marxist-Leninist (R) in Sweden, released an article titled "Who Threatens Whom on the Korean Peninsula?" in Proretaren No. 36, the organ of the party. It is none other than the U.S. imperialists who have massively deployed nuclear weapons in and around the Korean peninsula, the author noted, and said:
    The United States refuses to give legal assurances not to invade north Korea in exchange for its abandonment of the nuclear program.
    Nine years ago, the U.S. signed with north Korea an agreed framework whose keynote is for it to build 2 light water reactors and supply heavy oil to north Korea till their completion conditional on the latter giving up its graphite-moderated reactor. Nine years have passed, but the U.S. has gone back on its promise.
    It is natural for north Korea to resume the building of the nuclear power plant when the U.S. stopped supplying heavy oil to it in December last year.
    The U.S. is keeping many planes and submarines loaded with nukes around the Korean peninsula.
    At the recent six-way talks in Beijing, the U.S. declared that it would not hold any negotiation before north Korea took a practical step of physically dismantling its nuclear program "verifiably and irreversibly."
    Rightist media shut their mouths to the fact that the U.S. has deployed a lot of nukes in East Asia to render the situation strained in the region while making much ado about the self-defensive will of north Korea.

Russian Folk Dance Troupe Gives Performance

     Pyongyang, September 17 (KCNA) -- The Russian Moiseyev State Academy Folk Dance Troupe gave a performance at the Ponghwa Art Theatre Tuesday. It was appreciated by working people in the city.
    The troupe put on the stage colorful numbers with warm feelings of friendship of the Russian people for the Korean people.
    In "Fete of Labor" the performers vividly showed the diligent labor of Russians with vigorous rhythmic movements and excellent ensemble to be enthusiastically applauded by the audience.
    They displayed refined artistry in the dance "Guerrillas" depicting the brave fighting of guerrillas and in "Kadril of an Old City" of the dance suite "Scenes of the Last Age" representing the custom and national sentiments of the Russians.
    Also put on the stage were dances of different countries including Uzbekistan, Finland, Moldova, Mexico and Hungary.
    While deep feelings of Korea-Russia friendship filling the theatre, the Russian dancers delighted the audience by successfully presenting to cheerful melodies a Korean dance they had prepared with all sincerity.
    The performance closed with the chorus "Our Friendship Will Be Everlasting".

National Cooperation Called for

     Pyongyang, September 17 (KCNA) -- It is an unshakable will of the Korean nation to implement the historic June 15 joint declaration through national cooperation and achieve independent reunification at an early date, says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article. It goes on:
    The division of Korea is a very abnormal phenomenon in view of the interests of the Korean nation and historical development. The Korean nation is a homogeneous nation that has lived in one territory for thousands of years, developing its own culture with one and the same language.
    National reunification is an issue of the Korean nation itself and an issue pertaining to its sovereignty.
    It is quite natural that the cause of national reunification is the Korean nation's cause of independence as it should be achieved by the Koreans themselves in a responsible manner in line with their independent will and desire.
    Leader Kim Jong Il's idea, leadership and noble virtue serve as basic factors of firmly guaranteeing the successful accomplishment of the cause of national reunification.
    There arrived a new historical era of independent national reunification for the first time in the over half-a-century-long history of national division and unprecedentedly signal successes are being made in the north-south relations and the movement for reunification. All this is a shining fruition of Kim Jong Il's best idea, leadership and virtue.
    Inexhaustible is the united strength of the Korean nation. No force on earth can arrest the struggle of the Korean nation advancing to achieve one and the same goal in close unity.
    All the Koreans are opposing outsiders, flunkeyists and traitors and aspiring after reconciliation and unity of the nation and its independent reunification. It is the fixed will of all Koreans to implement the historic joint declaration through national cooperation and realize independent reunification at an early date.

Puppet Shows Popular in the DPRK

     Pyongyang, September 17 (KCNA) -- The Pyongyang Puppet Theatre has been visited by many children and pupils to see the one-act hand puppet show "The Baldheaded Parrot" and the puppet show "What a Boy Learns". Puppet show is one of the traditional folk amusements of the Korean nation.
    From olden times Koreans used to put up a makeshift stage and play various kinds of puppet shows in holidays and off-farming seasons.
    Their puppet shows satirically exposed the corruption of the feudal rulers who oppressed and exploited people, wielding their power.
    Puppet show has been developed on the basis of new themes, demanded by the present times. A modern puppet theatre was built and a puppet show troupe organized. The troupe has created many puppet plays based on old tales, scientific fictions, fables and juvenile stories.
    Such puppet plays on the theme of good and evil as "The Honest Third Son", "Story of Getting Rid of Troubles" are acclaimed by children.
    The puppet shows have steadily developed in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea as a kind of art, helpful toward the development of children's intellectual power and their emotional life.

Kim Yong Nam Meets British VIPs

     Pyongyang, September 17 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, met and had a talk with Caroline Anne Cox, vice-president of the House of Lords of United Kingdom, and her party at the Mansudae Assembly Hall today. Present there were Kang Nung Su, vice-chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, deputy to SPA Ri Jong Hyok, who is chairman of the DPRK-Britain Friendship Parliamentary Group and British Ambassador to the DPRK David Arthur Slinn.

For Spanish-speaking people

Cuba: un cesto de flores al pie de retrato del Presidente Kim Il Sung

     Pyongyang, 17 de septiembre (ATCC) -- Con motivo del 55 aniversario de la fundacion de la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea tuvo lugar el dia 9 en la Escuela Especializada en Economia Kim Il Sung de Cuba un acto de depositar un cesto de flores al pie del retrato del Presidente Kim Il Sung. En el acto participaron los maestros y empleados de esta escuela, funcionarios del Instituto Cubano de Amistad con los Pueblos, el embajador de la RPDC en Cuba y otros miembros de esta sede diplomatica.
    Los participantes rindieron tributo al Presidente tras depositar un cesto de flores ante su retrato.

Funcion de titeres en Corea

     Pyongyang, 17 de septiembre (ATCC) -- En el Teatro de Titeres de Pyongyang se estrenan la pieza teatral de titere de un solo acto "Papagayo calvo" y funcion de titeres con hilo "Grito del nino" en medio de gran atencion de escolares y ninos. La funcion de titeres es uno de los juegos folcloricos tradicionales de la nacion coreana.
    Desde la antiguedad en las fiestas y las temporadas de pocas faenas agricolas, los moradores de las aldeas rurales montaron escenas provisionales para ofrecer diversas funciones de titeres.
    Los habitantes de aquel tiempo burlaron satiricamente a traves de las funciones de titeres los actos corruptos de los gobernantes aristocratas que se jactaban de su autoridad y maltrataban a los pobres.
    Hoy, las funciones de titeres con nuevos contenidos tematicos se desarrollan conforme a la demanda de la epoca. Se instituyo el teatro de titeres moderno y el conjunto teatral despliega sus actividades y asi se crean y se representan numerosas obras de diversos temas como cuentos antiguos, obras de fantasia cientifica, fabulas, cuentos de ninos, etc.
    En particular "El caracter recto del tercero", "Como se quito el nodulo" y otras obras que tienen por temas el bien y el mal son preferidos por los ninos.
    Hoy en Corea, la funcion de titeres se desarrolla en una forma del arte y contribuye grandemente al desarrollo de la facultad mental y a la vida cultural de los ninos.

VIII forum nacional de informatica

     Pyongyang, 17 de septiembre (ATCC) -- Tuvo lugar los dias 15 y 16 en el Palacio de Estudio del Pueblo el VIII forum nacional de ciencias y tecnicas en el dominio de informatica. En el acto se presentaron mas de 100 exitos cientifico-tecnicos de valor logrados por los funcionarios, cientificos y tecnicos del ramo.
    Los participantes intercambiaron ampliamente los exitos y las experiencias logrados en la realizacion de la modernizacion e informatizacion de la economia nacional.
    En particular, el estudio sobre el desarrollo del sistema de administracion de la base de datos "Kwangmyong 6", el estudio sobre el establecimiento del sistema de administracion de informaciones de hospital y otros atrajeron una profunda atencion de los participantes.
    Tambien, fueron publicados muchos proyectos cientificos y tecnicos de gran significado y de eficiencia economica, entre otros, el estudio sobre el metodo de tratamiento de las tres dimensiones de la fotografia satelite y el estudio sobre el programa de sistema de imput de datos y de revision en la creacion de la base de datos originales.

    Pyongyang, 17 de septiembre (ATCC) -- El dia 17, los periodicos de esta capital conmemoran el 12 aniversario del ingreso de la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea en la Organizacion de Naciones Unidas. En el pleno de la 46a Asamblea General de la ONU la decision del ingreso de la RPDC (el 17 de septiembre de 1991) en esta organizacion internacional fue una manifestacion de la dignidad de la RPDC, estado soberano e independiente, y una clara prueba del apoyo y simpatia de los pueblos del mundo a la politica exterior de nuestra republica cuyo ideal principal es la independencia, la paz y la amistad.
    Asi senala el diario "Rodong Sinmun" en un articulo individual y continua:
    Por su ingreso en la ONU, se elevaron la posicion internacional y el derecho a la palabra de la RPDC y se abrio una perspectiva favorable al desarrollo de las relaciones entre la RPDC y la ONU. Esto sirvio de un motivo de que nuestro pais tenia la posibilidad de desarrollar sus relaciones de amistad y cooperacion con muchos paises del mundo en el principio de respeto mutuo de la soberania y la no intervencion en los asuntos internos, la igualdad y el beneficio mutuo, fortalecer las actividades y el papel de la ONU y asi contribuir activamente a la preservacion de la paz y la seguridad del mundo.
    La RPDC presento insistencias y exigencias de principios para defender nuestra soberania e interes en la escena de la ONU y solucionar justamente los problemas conforme a los principios de la justicia y la imparcialidad internacionales y a los reglamentos de relaciones internacionales y desplego dinamicas actividades.
    Tales esfuerzos de nuestra republica ejercieron debida influencia sobre las actividades de la ONU y la solucion imparcial de los problemas internacionales y disfruto de apoyo y simpatia de muchos paises miembros de la ONU.
    Nuestra republica, como pais miembro de la ONU, tambien en el futuro al igual que en el pasado, respetara la Carta de la ONU, cumplira sinceramente los deberes internacionales y estimulara activamente a la ONU para que esta haga toda su obligacion y mision.
    El periodico "Minju Joson", en un articulo individual, subraya que la RPDC cumplira todos sus deberes asumidos ante la Carta de la ONU.