Floral Basket Laid before Portrait of Kim Il Sung

     Pyongyang, September 18 (KCNA) -- A ceremony of laying a floral basket before a portrait of President Kim Il Sung on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the DPRK was held by the Afro-Asian and Latin American People's Solidarity Organisation on September 8. Members of the organisation laid the floral basket before the portrait of Kim Il Sung before making a bow.

Rwandan President Hopes for Expanded Cooperation with DPRK

     Pyongyang, September 18 (KCNA) -- Rwandan President Paul Kagame hoped that cooperation between the two countries would be expanded still further in different fields, when meeting the DPRK ambassador to Rwanda who was present at the presidential inauguration as a special envoy of the DPRK government on September 12. The president expressed thanks to the DPRK government for sending a special envoy to his inauguration and said that the government of Rwanda wishes the Korean people greater success under the wise leadership of Kim Jong Il.

8th North-South Military Working Talks Held

     Panmunjom, September 17 (KCNA) -- The 8th North-South military working talks took place at the Thongil House of the north side in Panmunjom on Sept. 17 when the desire for national reunification is growing stronger under the banner of the historic June 15 joint declaration. Participating in the talks were the north side's military working delegation led by Senior Colonel Yu Yong Chol of the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces and the south side's military working delegation headed by Colonel Mun Song Muk of the Ministry of National Defence.
    At the talks, the head of the north side's delegation pointed out that the armies of both sides have contributed to boosting the inter-Korean cooperation and exchange by reaching a number of important agreements on the military guarantee through cooperation. The army of the north will as ever sincerely implement the June 15 joint declaration, greatly proud of having reelected Supreme Commander Kim Jong Il chairman of the National Defence Commission, he stressed.
    Noting that the armies of the two sides are tasked to fully guarantee the passage of persons and vehicles through the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) now that the overland tour of Mt. Kumgang, the construction of the Kaesong industrial zone and the project of reconnecting the inter-Korean rail and road links are making brisk headway, he underscored the need to sincerely discuss the issues raised at the talks and make them fruitful so as to bring great joy and hope to the whole nation strongly eager to see the divided land reunified so that the Koreans may freely visit each other.
    He put forward a proposal of the north side after underscoring the need to amend and supplement the tentative agreement on providing a military guarantee for the traffic on the temporary roads to ensure that the main roads the construction of whose beds have been completed are used instead of the existing narrow temporary ones.
    At the talks both sides adopted a supplementary agreement on the temporary roads under the control of the north and the south on the east and west coasts and the change of the portions to be opened on the MDL and exchanged views on military matters of mutual concern.
    The agreement deals with the issue of temporarily using the main roadbeds under the control of the north and the south on the east and west coasts until a new agreement on providing a military guarantee for traffic on both sides' railways and roads is adopted to take effect, the issue of opening the MDL in the portion where the main roadbeds are reconnected and other issues.
    The adoption of the supplementary agreement has opened a prospect of ensuring a more satisfactory passage of persons and vehicles between the north and the south to boost the inter-Korean economic cooperation and exchange.

DPRK-China Cooperation in Quality Certification

     Beijing, September 16 (KCNA) -- An agreement on cooperation in quality certification was signed between the State Bureau of Quality Control of the DPRK and the State Certification and Accreditation Administration of China in Beijing on Sept. 15. Present at the signing ceremony were members of a delegation of the State Bureau of Quality Control of the DPRK led by its Vice-Director Son Pyong Hak and Liang Jie, vice-president of the State Certification and Accreditation Administration of China, and its members.
    And a 2003-2004 plan for cooperation in standardization, measurement and quality control was signed on the same day between the DPRK State Bureau of Quality Control and the Chinese State General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.

Reception Given by Palestinian Ambassador

     Pyongyang, September 18 (KCNA) -- Palestinian Ambassador to the DPRK Shaher Mohammed Abdlah gave a reception at the embassy yesterday to congratulate leader Kim Jong Il on his reelection as chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission and celebrate the 55th anniversary of the DPRK. The ambassador in his speech said that he is pleased to join the Koreans in celebrating the auspicious days and referred to the successes made by the Korean people.
    He recalled that Kim Jong Il has achieved the single-hearted unity of the army and the people while giving ceaseless field guidance to carry out the instructions of eternal President Kim Il Sung. The friendly and cooperative relations between the leaderships and peoples of the two countries provided by Presidents Yasser Arafat and Kim Il Sung are further developing under the deep care of Kim Jong Il, he noted, and continued:
    Kim Jong Il has built up the DPRK into a powerful country, smashing the moves of the U.S. imperialists with his Songun leadership. I extend sincere congratulations to him and wish the Korean people progress, prosperity and national reunification, he said. He expressed the firm belief that victory is in store for the Korean people under the wise leadership of Kim Jong Il.
    Choe Thae Bok, chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly, in a speech said that the founding of the DPRK by the President marked a historic event that brought about a radical turn in bringing prosperity and progress to the Korean nation and the DPRK is further prospering under the Songun revolutionary leadership of Kim Jong Il.
    Kim Il Sung, together with Yasser Arafat, provided the friendly ties between the two countries and these bonds of friendship and cooperation are invariably developing on good terms under the deep care of Kim Jong Il, he noted, adding that the Korean people would strive to strengthen the friendly and cooperative relations with the Palestinian people and positively support the just cause of the Palestinians in the future, too.
    Present there on invitation were Ryom Sun Gil, chairman of the Central Committee of the General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea who is chairman of the DPRK-Palestine Friendship Association, Pak Kyong Son, vice-department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Kung Sok Ung, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, and other officials concerned.

U.S. Decision to Apply Sanctions against DPRK under Fire

     Pyongyang, September 18 (KCNA) -- The Bush administration recently decided to impose sanctions against the DPRK and some other countries on charges of failure to actively combat such modern crimes as flesh traffic. Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary dismisses this as a ridiculous farce.
    The commentary says:
    Human traffic is not allowed on any account in the DPRK
    institutionally and legally and such thing does not exist, in fact, at all, as it is a man-centred socialist society. It is the height of sarcasm for the U.S. to talk about modern crimes in the DPRK. It is none other than the U.S. which is fraught with modern crimes. Over 34 million cases of crimes of all kinds are reported every year in the U.S. The reactionary U.S. ruling quarters, however, are lukewarm in combating them.
    Nevertheless, the U.S. is obtrusive enough to seek sanctions against the DPRK, crying over the lack of struggle against modern crimes there.
    The DPRK's might is growing stronger as the days go by. On the contrary, the U.S. is running downhill to decay. The farce of applying sanctions against the DPRK reflects the U.S. reactionary rulers' uneasiness and nervousness over this. It is a foolish attempt to put the brake on the building of a great prosperous powerful socialist nation in the DPRK.
    The U.S. imperialists are going to frighten the army and the people of the DPRK and isolate and stifle it by sanctions. This is, however, a ridiculous dream. They will get nothing in that farce.
    The U.S. should clearly understand this and stop running amuck.

Traitors Accused

     Pyongyang, September 18 (KCNA) -- A movement is now under way in south Korea to disclose the acts of treachery committed during the days of the Japanese imperialists' colonial rule over Korea. Among the heavyweights of the "Grand National Party" who came out to contest in the National Assembly election slated to take place in the next spring are not a few descendents of those, who committed acts of treachery to serve Japan while working hard to carry out the Japanese imperialists' policy of exterminating the Korean-nation and their colonial policy of keeping the Koreans in ignorance. They include Ri Hoe Chang, former president of the GNP, Pak Kwan Yong, speaker of the "National Assembly" of south Korea and descendents of those who cooperated with the Japanese army in its wars of aggression and took part in them and those who asserted and supported the change of Korean names into Japanese names, praised the Japanese imperialists' rule and took the lead in the "campaign for Japanizing Koreans" and those who acted henchmen in their ruling organs.
    In this regard Minju Joson today carries a signed commentary which says that all the heavyweights of the GNP groomed by pro-Japanese elements are either pro-Japanese lackeys or pro-U.S. elements.
    The commentary goes on:
    It is none other than the pro-U.S. conservatives of the GNP who beg the U.S. troops, who block the reunification of Korea and impose all sorts of misfortune and pain upon the Korean nation, to remain in south Korea forever. It is again these forces who call for suppressing by government force the people out in the struggle against the U.S. and war, branding them as "pro-north", "enemy-benefiting" forces and are kicking up rackets against the north, clamoring for "cooperation" with the United States to do harm to their fellow countrymen.
    Those hell-bent on acts of treachery are bound to face a severe punishment by history.

Greetings to Chilean Foreign Minister

     Pyongyang, September 18 (KCNA) -- DPRK Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun sent a message of greetings to his Chilean counterpart Maria Soledad Alvear Valenzuela. Extending warm congratulations to her on the independence day of Chile, the message wished her greater success in her future work.

DPRK Women's Soccer Team

     Pyongyang, September 18 (KCNA) -- The women's soccer team of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is attracting public attention with the approach of the 4th World Women's Football Championships. It has made a splendid development in recent years. It takes the initiative in the midfield areas and overpowers the opponents with quick inrush from the right and left, frontal breakthrough and bold and powerful shot in the goal areas.
    With this tactics, it won such international tournaments as the 13th Asian Women's Football Championships, the 14th Asian Games and the 14th Asian Women's Football Championships.
    The team boasts of such world stars as Ri Kum Suk and Jin Pyol Hui.
    The team's achievements are guaranteed by its ideological, physical and technical preparedness, indomitable spirit, well-arranged tactics and collectivism.

Greetings to Prime Minister of St. Kitts-Nevis

     Pyongyang, September 18 (KCNA) -- Premier Pak Pong Ju of the DPRK Cabinet sent a message of greetings to Denzil Douglas, prime minister of St. Kitts-Nevis, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of its independence. The message wished the people of St. Kitts-Nevis happiness and expressed the belief that the bonds of friendship between the two countries would grow stronger in the future.

Greetings to Chilean President

     Pyongyang, September 18 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, sent a message of greetings to Ricardo Lagos Escobar, president of Chile, on Sept.18 on the occasion of its independence day. Expressing the belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the DPRK and Chile would continue to favorably develop in the interests of the two peoples, the message wished the president greater success in his responsible work for peace and economic prosperity of the country.

Plan for Cultural Exchange Signed between DPRK and Mongolia

     Pyongyang, September 18 (KCNA) -- The 2003-2005 plan for cultural exchange between the governments of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Mongolia was signed in Mongolia on September 16. Present at a signing ceremony were members of the DPRK government cultural delegation led by Mun Jae Chol, acting chairman of the Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries, A. Tsanjid, minister of Education, Culture and Science of Mongolia, and officials concerned.

Anniversary of Pyongyang Metro Marked

     Pyongyang, September 18 (KCNA) -- It is 30 years since the Pyongyang Metro was opened to traffic. The metro, a monumental edifice in the era of the Workers' Party, is providing the people with easy access to different parts of Pyongyang and is very instrumental in their ideological and cultural education.
    A meeting held on September 18 on this occasion referred to the leadership exploits performed by President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il for the construction and operation of the metro. The meeting underscored the need to make energetic endeavours to put the management and the operation of the metro on a modern basis and consolidate its material and technical foundation in the revolutionary soldier spirit.
    A congratulatory message of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea was conveyed to the employees of the Metro Management Bureau at the meeting.

British VIPs Leave

     Pyongyang, September 18 (KCNA) -- Caroline Anne Cox, vice-president of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and her party left today after winding up their six-day visit to the DPRK. They were seen off at Pyongyang Railway Station by deputy to the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK Ri Jong Hyok, chairman of the DPRK-Britain Friendship Parliamentary Group, and British Ambassador to the DPRK David Arthur Slinn.

Monuments to Kim Jong Il's Field Guidance Erected

     Anbyon, September 18 (KCNA) -- A monument to the field guidance of Supreme Commander Kim Jong Il was erected at the Anbyon Youth Power Station. The power station is associated with Kim Jong Il's leadership feats. He visited construction sites of the station several times to energetically guide soldier-builders to finish the gigantic project including the dam construction in a brief span of time, true to the instruction of President Kim Il Sung.
    Servicemen of the People's Army and people erected the monument by carving granite weighing 200 tons to glorify the immortal exploits of Kim Jong Il.
    A ceremony was held there on Sept. 17 to unveil the monument "Let the Anbyon Youth Power Station Convey the Feats Forever!"
    Meanwhile, monuments to his on-the-spot guidance were unveiled with due ceremonies at the dams of the power station separately.

DPRK Supports UN Resolution on Lifting Sanctions Imposed on Libya

     Pyongyang, September 18 (KCNA) -- DPRK Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun sent a message of greetings to Abdulrahman Mohamed Shalgham, secretary of the General People's Committee for Foreign Liaison and International Cooperation of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, as regards the UNSC's recent adoption of a resolution on lifting sanctions imposed on Libya. The recent UN resolution is a result of endeavors made by the Libyan leadership and people for a long time, the message noted, adding that this would help create internal and external environment favorable for building new Libya, free and prosperous.
    Expressing the belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would as ever grow stronger and develop, the message wished him greater success in his responsible work.

For Spanish-speaking people

Jordania: obra de Kim Jong Il

     Pyongyang, 18 de septiembre (ATCC) -- La editorial Al Yanabio de Jordania dio a luz en folleto la obra del Dirigente Kim Jong Il "Que toda la nacion unida alcance la reunificacion independiente y pacifica de la patria", publicada el 18 de abril del 87 (1998) de la Era Juche. Esta obra dilucida la historica orientacion de 5 puntos para la gran unidad nacional que sirve de guia programatica para realizar la gran unidad de la nacion coreana.
    En el acto de presentacion efectuada el dia 4, Marwan Sudah, presidente del Comite Jordano para la conmemoracion del 55 aniversario de la fundacion de la RPDC dijo que la edicion de dicha obra es una expresion de un alto respeto del pueblo jordano al Dirigente y de su firme solidaridad con la causa de la reunificacion de Corea.

Futbol femenino de Corea

     Pyongyang, 18 de septiembre (ATCC) -- A medida que se aproxima cada dia mas el IV Campeonato Mundial de Futbol Femenino, las personas prestan atencion a las futbolistas coreanas, quienes demostraron bien un poderio del equipo en el 13o Campeonato Asiatico de Futbol Femenino, la Competencia Internacional de Futbol Femenino los 14o Juegos Asiaticos, el 14o Campeonato Asiatico de Futbol Femenino y otros juegos. Entre ellas figuran Ri Kum Suk, conocida ampliamente en el circulo de futbol femenino como futbolista experta de gol de fama mundial, Jin Pyol Hui quien es delantera talentosa y otras competentes jugadoras con abundantes experiencias de competencia.
    La preparacion ideologica, fisica y tecnica, indoblegable espiritu de lucha, tactica bien organizada y fuerza colectiva de las futbolistas coreanas constituyen una garantia radical para la victoria del equipo.
    El pueblo coreano expresa una esperanza y conviccion de que las futbolistas coreanas quienes han exaltado la dignidad y el honor de la RPDC en varias competencias internacionales ganaran sin falta el presente campeonato mundial de futbol femenino.

Cooperacion Corea-China en el sector de certificacion de calidad de productos

     Beijing, 16 de septiembre (ATCC) -- Quedo rubricado el dia 15 en Beijing un acuerdo sobre la cooperacion del sector de certificacion de la calidad de productos entre la Direccion Estatal de Verificacion de la Calidad de Productos (DEVCP) de la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea y la Direccion Administrativa de Certificacion y Acreditacion (DACA) de la Republica Popular China. En la ceremonia de firmas estuvieron presentes los miembros de la delegacion de la DEVCP de la RPDC presidida por su subdirector Son Pyong Hak, Liang Jie, vicepresidente de la DACA de la RPCh y otros miembros de esta direccion.
    El mismo dia, quedo suscrito el plan de cooperacion en el sector de estandarizacion, medida y verificacion de la calidad de productos para 2003-2004 entre la DEVCP de la RPDC y la Direccion General de Control y Certificacion de Calidad de Productos y Cuarentena de la RPCh.

Parte una delegacion del CC del FDRP hacia Cuba

     Pyongyang, 18 de septiembre (ATCC) -- Una delegacion del Comite Central del Frente Democratico para la Reunificacion de la Patria (FDRP) presidida por el copresidente Kang Ryon Hak partio el dia 18 de Pyongyang para realizar una visita a Cuba. En el aeropuerto la delegacion fue despedida por Ryo Won Gu, copresidenta del CC del FDRP y Esteban Lobaina Romero, embajador de la Republica de Cuba en Corea.

Entidad peruana apoya la lucha del pueblo coreano

     Pyongyang, 18 de septiembre (ATCC) -- El Comite Peruano de Apoyo a la Reunificacion Independiente y Pacifica de Corea, en una declaracion publicada el dia 8 con motivo del 55 aniversario de la fundacion de la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea, senalo que el territorio de la RPDC es pequeno, pero es un pais muy poderoso que se enfrenta tenazmente a la permanente amenaza agresiva de EE.UU. y sus fuerzas aliadas. El documento senala que la RPDC ha logrado grandes exitos en el desarrollo de la nacion y en la construccion socialista y anade que hoy, bajo la sabia direccion del gran Dirigente de la epoca actual, Mariscal Kim Jong Il, el Partido del Trabajo y el pueblo de Corea logra grandes exitos en los dominios ideologico, politico, militar y cultural y con su lucha defienden firmemente sus conquistas.
    La declaracion expresa la conviccion de que todos los coreanos del Norte y el Sur y en ultramar, unidos, lograran sin falta en un futuro cercano la reunificacion independiente y pacifica de Corea que desean los pueblos del mundo amantes de la paz.