Joint Preparatory Committee Formed in Ecuador

     Pyongyang, December 11 (KCNA) -- An Ecuadorian joint preparatory committee to commemorate the Day of the Sun and celebrate February 16, the birthday of leader Kim Jong Il, in 2004 was inaugurated with due ceremony in Quito on November 23.
    At the ceremony Humberto Ortiz, honorary general manager of the Voluntad Publishing House, was elected general coordinator of the preparatory committee.

Celebration Meetings Held Abroad

     Pyongyang, December 11 (KCNA) -- Meetings were held in Bulgaria and the Czech Republic on Dec. 4 on the occasion of the 12th anniversary of leader Kim Jong Il's assumption of the supreme commandership of the Korean People's Army and the 86th birth anniversary of Kim Jong Suk, an anti-Japanese war hero. Speeches were made there.
    The chairman of the Bulgaria-Korea Friendship Association in a speech referred to the immortal revolutionary exploits of the three generals of Mt. Paektu, saying that the KPA holding Kim Jong Il in high esteem as its supreme commander has been trained as the world's strong army capable of defeating any formidable enemy. It has humbled the arrogance of the United States before the world and firmly defended Korean-style socialism and global peace, he added.
    The chairman of the Trutnov County Committee of the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia warmly congratulated the Korean people blessed with the illustrious leaders generation after generation on this significant day, highly praising the brilliant revolutionary life and feats of Kim Jong Suk.
    He pointed out that Kim Jong Il is a great brilliant commander and a world political elder who is defending socialist Korea and glorifying a new era of building a great prosperous powerful nation with the Songun revolutionary leadership. A message of greetings to Kim Jong Il was adopted at the meeting held in Bulgaria.

Struggle of NDFSK Supported in U.S.

     Pyongyang, December 11 (KCNA) -- The Communist-Liberation Internet News group (USA) sent a letter of solidarity to the Central Committee of the National Democratic Front of South Korea on November 16. The letter expressed support to the NDFSK in its struggle for the country's reunification, saying that Korea should be reunified as an independent state.
    The group hoped that the NDFSK would take the lead in the present struggle against imperialism and capitalism as the heroic Korean people defeated the U.S. imperialists in the Korean war in the 1950s, it stressed.
    Noting that militarization for an aggressive purpose is contrary to the people's interests but increasing the national defence capability for self-defence, pursuant to the Songun politics is essential for ensuring the sovereignty of the Korean nation, the letter expressed belief that the Korean people would continue to pursue the Songun politics.

DPRK to Boost Cooperation with International Community

     Pyongyang, December 11 (KCNA) -- The DPRK government will as ever boost cooperation with the international community in achieving the millennium development targets through the efforts for the development of the country's economy and improvement of the people's living standard. The head of the DPRK delegation said this at the 10th meeting of the General Conference of the UN Industrial Development Organization held in Vienna on Dec. 3.
    He went on:
    It is one of the primary tasks before the organization to increase its function and role at present and thus implement the initiatives for the promotion of trade and rural energy taken at the international meeting on the development loan and the world summit on sustainable development.
    To this end, it is necessary to improve the work for approving and implementing a package project for each country and take more practical measures to settle its energy problem.
    Now the energy problem presents itself as the most urgent task for solving the issues of agricultural production and environment in the developing countries.
    This underscores the urgent necessity to complete minor power stations and renewable energy objectives on an experimental basis as priority targets in those countries where energy poses a serious issue and generalize this undertaking.
    The DPRK set it as its main target to push forward economic construction and improve the standard of the people's living on the principle of profitability and is focusing state investment on them.
    Under the wise leadership of Kim Jong Il the DPRK government has made big efforts to improve and perfect its own method of economic management to meet the requirements of the developing reality and its specific conditions and ensure the sustainable development of national economy.
    It is the consistent stand of the DPRK to attach importance to the international cooperation in developing the country's economy and improving the standard of the people's living.

Yang Hyong Sop Meets EU Troika Delegation

     Pyongyang, December 11 (KCNA) -- Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, met and had a friendly talk with the Troika delegation of the European Union led by Guido Martini, director general of the Italian Foreign Ministry, at the Mansudae Assembly Hall on Dec. 10. Present there were officials concerned and Swedish and British diplomatic envoys here.

Political Dialogue between DPRK Foreign Ministry and EU Troika Delegations

     Pyongyang, December 11 (KCNA) -- A political dialogue was held here on Dec. 10 between a delegation of the DPRK Foreign Ministry and a Troika delegation of the European Union. Present there on the DPRK side were members of the Foreign Ministry delegation led by Director Kim Chun Guk and on the opposite side were members of the Troika delegation of the European Union led by Guido Martini, director general of the Foreign Ministry of Italy which is the present EU chair state, and Swedish, German and British diplomatic envoys here. Discussed at the dialogue were matters of mutual concern including bilateral relations.

Fascist Suppression in S. Korea under Fire

     Pyongyang, December 11 (KCNA) -- The Taegu District Court of south Korea a few days ago brought to trial the chairman of the General Student Council of Keimyung University who is member of the Central Committee of the 11th-term south Korean Federation of University Student Councils (Hanchongryon) and committed such fascist outrage as sentencing him to two years and six months in prison, one-year suspension of qualification and four-year stay of execution on the charge of "joining an enemy-benefiting organization" in violation of the "Security Law". We cannot but take a serious note of the fact that the court branded Hanchongryon as an "enemy-benefiting organization" by linking it with the north in a far-fetched manner alleging that the 11th-tern Hanchongryon "accepted the north's line of reunifying the country by communizing the south" through the National Alliance of Youth and Students for the Country's Reunification and taking issue with its "guideline of struggle".
    Commenting on this, Rodong Sinmun today denounces it as a prelude to a renewed offensive of fascist crackdown on the pro-reunification patriotic forces of south Korea, an unpardonable fascist outrage challenging the nation's desire for reunification and a grave provocation against the north.
    It goes on:
    Labeling Hanchongryon as an "enemy-benefiting organization" is a slander and an insult to this righteous student organization and, moreover, talking about the "enemy-benefiting character" of Hanchongryon today when all people are calling for reunifying the country by the concerted efforts of the Korean nation is a denial of the June 15 joint declaration and it discloses the lack of the will to implement the joint declaration.
    Such tragedies in south Korea as patriots being taken to prison and righteous organizations incriminated must not continue any longer and remnants of the dictatorship era doing harm to the movement for independent reunification through national cooperation must be eliminated at an early date.
    The attitude toward Hanchongryon is not merely an issue confined to an organization but a yardstick pointing up whether one is for reunifying the country independently by the concerted efforts of the Korean nation, or not.
    The south Korean judicial authorities should look straight into the trend of the times and act with discretion.

DPRK Emerges Victorious in Confrontation with U.S.

     Pyongyang, December 11 (KCNA) -- This year the Bush administration's offensive against the DPRK proved bankrupt, predicting that it would certainly prevail over the U.S. in the confrontation, says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article. It goes on: a grave situation prevailed on the Korean peninsula this year due to the U.S. imperialists' vicious hostile policy to stifle the DPRK.
    What merits attention in that policy this year is that the Bush administration desperately worked to unleash the second Korean war.
    The United States compelled the DPRK to withdraw from the NPT. This was an entirely just exercise of its sovereign right because the action was taken as the U.S. totally scrapped the DPRK-U.S. Agreed Framework.
    The U.S. imperialists adequately examined the feasibility and effectiveness of the plan to ignite the second Korean war through the Iraqi war. The ultimate goal of the U.S. hostile policy toward the DPRK was to provoke the second Korean war, a nuclear war. They needed a blasting fuse for this. The second nuclear crisis was to serve that purpose.
    What merits attention in the U.S. hostile policy towards the DPRK this year is that it increased its pressure upon the DPRK to the utmost. It was the U.S. tactics and design to bring the DPRK to its knees and wrest concessions from it through such persistent and stubborn offensive of pressure.
    The confrontation between the DPRK and the U.S. is the gravest and fiercest under the present international situation.
    This is the life and death political and ideological confrontation, confrontation with the U.S. in faith and will and a military showdown.
    The article describes 2003 as a proud year of victory in which the DPRK fully demonstrated its dignity as Songun Korea in its confrontation with the U.S. thanks to the Songun revolutionary leadership and outstanding strategy of Kim Jong Il and the might of its armed forces.

Friendship Meeting at Russian Embassy

     Pyongyang, December 11 (KCNA) -- Andrei Karlov, Russian ambassador to the DPRK, arranged a friendship meeting at the embassy on December 10 on the threshold of the New Year, Juche 93 (2004). Present on invitation were Mun Jae Chol, acting chairman of the Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries, Hong Son Ok, vice-chairwoman of the Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries who is chairwoman of the DPRK-Russia Friendship Association, and officials concerned.
    Staff members of the Russian embassy were on hand.
    Speeches were made there.
    The participants deepened friendly feelings, stressing the need to boost the friendly and cooperative relations between the DPRK and Russia which were daily growing tighter under the deep care of leader Kim Jong Il and President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.

Pro-U.S. Flunkeyist Acts Accused in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, December 11 (KCNA) -- U Tae Sik, spokesman for the south Korean Federation of University Student Councils, reportedly issued a statement on Dec. 6 rapping at the conservative forces including the south Korean Grand National Party for their pro-U.S. flunkeyist acts. The statement recalled that 147 "national assemblymen" including 127 assemblymen belonging to the GNP worked out a "bill on barring the transfer of the south Korea-U.S. 'Combined Forces Command' and the 'U.N. Forces Command'" to areas south of the River Han and decided to go ahead with it as if they had met a rare chance.
    It expressed towering rage at the behavior of the pro-U.S. flunkeyist forces which had threatened only recently resignation of all the assemblymen in case the "bill on special inspection of suspected irregularities of close associates of the president" was not carried and now are kicking up dust, crying that "transfer of the U.S. military base from Ryongsan will bring a war".
    Declaring that there can be no concession in the matter of the return of the Ryongsan base of the U.S. troops which has been a symbol of humiliation in the south Korea-U.S. relations over half a century, the statement urged the GNP to stop the promotion of the bill without delay and apologize to the people.

Second "National Peasants Meeting" in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, December 11 (KCNA) -- The "National Peasants Solidarity" comprising eight peasants organizations including the "National Federation of Peasants Associations" reportedly held the second "national peasants meeting" on December 6. The participants in the meeting denounced the scheme of the "government" to have the bill on the conclusion of an "agreement on free trade" passed at the "National Assembly" at an early date in disregard of the strong protest of peasants.
    They set forth 10-point demands including a halt to the negotiation on the opening of the rice market and the projected signing of an "agreement on free trade." At the end of the meeting, the participants visited local party offices and wrested from "National Assemblymen" vow to oppose the conclusion of the "agreement."
    The meeting was simultaneously held at least in 60 cities and counties including Ryoju and Kimpho, Kyonggi Province, Chunchon, south Korean Kangwon Province, Jinchon, North Chungchong Province, and Kongju, Poryong and Puyo, South Chungchong Province.
    The "National Peasants Solidarity" declared that in case the "agreement on free trade" was laid before the plenary session of the "National Assembly" all the peasants would gather in Seoul and stage a powerful protest.

New Species of Willow Planted in DPRK

     Pyongyang, December 11 (KCNA) --A new species of willow draws great interest of stockbreeding and environmental experts in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The cross-fertilized tree grows 4-4.5 meters more than other species of willow every year and its life span is 1-1.5 times longer than that of the latter.
    Its leaf contains some 30 percent of protein and other nutritive substances necessary for goat, cattle and other grass-eating animals.
    The tree grows well in damp places, so it is recommended to plant the tree near rivers and lakes and at the foot of mountains for the purpose of environmental protection.
    It has already been planted in Pyongyang, South Phyongan Province, South Hwanghae Province and other areas.

Brazilian President on Friendship and Cooperation with DPRK

     Pyongyang, December 11 (KCNA) -- It is necessary to boost the relations between the Brazilian Workers' Party and the Workers' Party of Korea, the ruling parties of Brazil and the DPRK, in order to develop the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries, said Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva when meeting with a delegation of the WPK headed by vice-department director of its Central Committee Pak Kyong Son on Nov. 27. Expressing his joy at the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, he hoped that the friendship and cooperation between the two countries would be boosted in the political, economic, cultural and other fields.
    He noted with high appreciation that recent years witnessed the opening of a significant phase in the relations between the north and the south of Korea, the Korean people's great successes in the struggle for the reunification of the country and the rapid expansion of the DPRK's external relations.
    The Brazilian government extends support to the just struggle of the Korean people to defend the sovereignty of the country, achieve the national prosperity and realize the reunification of the country by the concerted efforts of the whole nation, he added.

For Spanish-speaking people

Kim Jong Il inspecciona la Unidad No. 1312 del EPC

     Pyongyang, 11 de diciembre (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 la Unidad No. 1312 del EPC. El Comandante Supremo, luego de enterarse del estado de cumplimiento del deber de la Unidad, vio un ejercicio de los militares.
    Se mostro muy satisfecho de que todos los militares de la Unidad han crecido como valientes combatientes y presento las tareas programaticas que sirven de guia para fortalecer por todos los medios la combatividad de la Unidad.
    Al recorrer la sala de conferencia general, corrales y criadero de peces de la Unidad, la sala de educacion, el dormitorio, el comedor, el bano y otros lugares de la compania Heroe O Mun Sop, presto gran atencion a la vida de los militares.
    Se mostro muy alegre de que los soldados pasan los dias felices de servicio militar en el dormitorio, la sala de educacion y el comedor calentados templadamente aun en el invierno y evaluo altamente a los miembros dirigentes quienes aseguraron con el espiritu de caluroso amor a los soldados excelentes condiciones de vida a ellos.
    Expreso la esperanza y conviccion de que los militares de la Unidad realizaran las proezas en la sagrada lucha por la defensa de la patria como grueso que garantiza con armas la causa revolucionaria del Juche, les regalo binoculos y fusil automatico como recuerdo y se fotografio junto a ellos.
    Le acompanaron los generales de ejercito del EPC Ri Myong Su, Hyon Chol Hae y Pak Jae Gyong.

Nuevos libros

     Pyongyang, 11 de diciembre (ATCC) -- Recientemente la Editorial de Pyongyang de la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea publico una novela de tema historico "La madrugada de Coguryo" (primera parte), que es la continuacion del libro ya editado "Jumong (fundador de Coguryo)" (primera y segunda partes). La novela refleja hechos historicos que sucedieron en los primeros tiempos de la fundacion de Coguryo, el primer Estado feudal en Corea.
    Solo en el ano en curso, la editorial publico muchos libros nuevos de diferentes generos literarios, entre estos, "El generoso seno paternal de la nacion", "El nucleo de la gran unidad nacional", "La nacion y la politica de Songun (priorizacion militar)", "El mundo de camaradas del gran hombre", que elogian al Presidente Kim Il Sung y el Dirigente Kim Jong Il; el libro "100 preguntas y 100 respuestas sobre el problema de la reunificacion de la patria", editado a estilo de preguntas y respuestas en relacion con el problema ya senalado en el titulo; el libro "Pyongyang; en el nuevo siglo" que muestra el panorama de Pyongyang, la coleccion de epopeyas sobre los ex presos de largas condenas no abjurados "El eco desde 0,75 phyong (2,48 metros cuadrados de suelo)". Ademas dieron a luz el largo relato historico "Tangun", la coleccion de relatos historicos de Corea "La batalla en el mar de Jinpho", la coleccion de cuentos populares de Corea "La laguna Jangsu en el monte Taesong", etc. Que demuestra la historia de la nacion.

Ecuador: comite preparatorio conjunto por efemerides de Corea

     Pyongyang, 11 de diciembre (ATCC) -- Tuvo lugar el 23 de noviembre en Quito el acto constitutivo del Comite Preparatorio Conjunto del Ecuador por el Dia del Sol (cumpleanos del Presidente Kim Il Sung) y el 16 de febrero (cumpleanos del Dirigente Kim Jong Il) del 2004. Como coordinador general del Comite fue electo Humberto Ortiz, director general honorario de la Editorial "Voluntad".