Minju Joson Assails GNP's Financial Scam

     Pyongyang, December 16 (KCNA) -- Scandals of the Grand National Party of south Korea have been disclosed one after another there recently to create a great public furor. After making the "election" of Ri Hoe Chang a fait accompli on the threshold of the "presidential election" last year its heavyweights put pressure on LG group, Samsung Group and other business groups to contribute a huge amount of illicit "political funds" to the party. Commenting on this, Minju Joson today in a signed commentary says the scandals committed by the GNP during the last "presidential election" is an extra large crime baffling human imagination. This tells what dirty and base acts the GNP perpetrated last year in quest of power, it adds.
    The news analyst goes on:
    The GNP kicked up dust over the "financial scam" of close associates of the present chief executive and faked up the "law on special inspection". With the law vetoed, Choe Pyong Ryol went to the lengths of staging a "hunger strike" in "protest" against it.
    Worse still, the GNP raised a fabulous amount of illegal "political funds" to gratify its dirty political greed. Yet, it kicked up a racket of "special inspection," raising a hue and cry over the "drain on resources" and the like when a petty amount of money was spent for the regular economic dealing. It went to the lengths of throwing those involved in it into prison one after another and driving Jong Mong Hon to death. How can it be tolerated?
    It is the GNP which does wrongs only going against the trend of the times, indifferent to the will and interests of the people.
    Neither the democratic development of the south Korean people nor social progress nor the peace and reunification of the country can be achieved unless the GNP is eliminated. The people from all walks of life in south Korea should resolutely punish the GNP, the headquarters of the bellicose forces and traitors, force it to dissolve itself immediately and not allow it to raise its head again.

KCNA Slams U.S. Northeast Asia Strategy

     Pyongyang, December 16 (KCNA) -- The United States is clinging to a new military strategy to put Northeast Asia under its domination to meet its interests. It is working hard to relocate its troops in south Korea at an early date, push forward a massive "arms buildup plan" on the Korean peninsula and speed up the establishment of the missile defense system involving south Korea, Taiwan and Japan in real earnest. These fresh military developments are indicative of the U.S. scheme to escalate the military standoff on the Korean peninsula and extend the sphere of operations of the U.S. troops in south Korea to the rest of Northeast Asia.
    This can not but arouse high vigilance of the people in the region as these are very dangerous developments which may render the overall situation in Northeast Asia unstable and escalate tensions there.
    The U.S. Northeast Asia military strategy is a key link in the whole chain of its strategy to put the world under its domination. Policy-makers of the U.S. styling itself the world's only superpower after the end of the Cold War designated Middle East and Northeast Asia as major targets in realizing its ambition for world domination.
    The U.S. claims that it has laid a springboard from which to put the Middle East under its control after occupying Iraq, a sovereign state. It is now concentrating its efforts on carrying out its Northeast Asia military strategy. It is because there exist in this region the DPRK demonstrating the might of Songun politics and big powers advocating the multi-polarization of the world challenging the U.S. view on value of the uni-polar world. It was against this backdrop that the U.S. had already expanded the radius of the military operation of the U.S. and Japan as far as the Taiwan Strait in the "U.S.-Japan Joint Security Declaration" in 1996. It is now working hard to expand the sphere of operation of the U.S. troops in south Korea.
    The relocation of the U.S. troops in south Korea is now under way within the framework of the U.S. Northeast Asia strategy.
    It is by no means fortuitous that the October 11th issue of the Chinese People's Daily reported that the U.S. is likely to expand the operation radius of its troops in south Korea as far as Taiwan in China, saying that this may meet the rebuff of China and Russia and the Voice of Russia reported on December 2 that the U.S. keeps going against Russia and China, saying that it may mobilize its troops stationed in south Korea for operations not only on the Korean peninsula but for those against other countries of Northeast Asia in the near future.
    This new strategy of the U.S. is aimed to establish an unchallenged domination over Northeast Asia through a steady escalation of tensions there. This, therefore, will inevitably spark off confrontation and conflict in this region as this would block the settlement of other disputes in the region including the Taiwanese problem, to say nothing of the Korean problem. The U.S. refusal to take a bold decision to drop its anachronistic hostile policy toward the DPRK, the policy which spawned the nuclear issue between the DPRK and the U.S. and its act of hamstringing a peaceful solution to the Taiwanese problem are part of the U.S. strategy of steadily escalating the tensions in the Northeast Asian region. This, therefore, runs diametrically counter to the common interests of the countries in the region.
    The U.S. Northeast Asia military strategy swimming against the trend of the times is bound to go bankrupt, censured by the people in this region and all other progressive people in the world.

Anti-U.S. and Anti-War Friday Rally Held in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, December 16 (KCNA) -- The Headquarters of the Movement against the U.S. and War and for the Conclusion of a North Korea-U.S. Non-Aggression Treaty reportedly held the 5th anti-U.S. and anti-war Friday rally for peace in front of the U.S. embassy on Dec. 12. A letter of protest was read out after speeches were made at the rally.
    Saying that the U.S. plan to build its embassy premises in the site of Toksu Palace is an act to obliterate the national culture and a clear expression of its intention not to return its military base in Ryongsan, the letter accused the forces yielding to the United States including Kim Yong Gap of the Grand National Party of south Korea of going to meet the unjust demand of the United States.
    The south Korean people will never tolerate the U.S. brigandish demand and the moves of such sycophantic traitors, the letter warned.

Japan Urged to Respond to Government-level Talks with DPRK

     Pyongyang, December 16 (KCNA) -- Former war criminal states are seeing off this year, feeling as if a weight had been lifted from their hearts after admitting hideous human rights abuses they committed in violation of international law and after or while making repentance and material compensation or reparations. But only Japan is seeing off another year after refusing to make any sincere apology or express any willingness to compensate for the monstrous crimes it committed against humanity in the 20th century by resorting to all sleights of hand. Rodong Sinmun says this in a commentary today. The news analyst continues:
    The point is the shamelessness and moral vulgarity of Japan.
    The crimes committed by Japan against the Korean people were more hideous than those committed by other war criminal states against humanity in the past. The Japanese authorities have left no means untried to evade apology and compensation.
    They even went to the lengths of asserting that "there is no ground for Japan to make compensation in view of the existing laws" and "there is no evidence of forcible drafting." This clearly proves how far the Japanese authorities' shamelessness and moral vulgarity have reached.
    Germany and other war criminal states have made or are making compensation or reparations because their authorities have made bold political decisions with reason, conscience and sense of moral obligation. The Japanese authorities, however, are taking a completely contrasting attitude. This is a clear proof of the shamelessness and moral vulgarity peculiar to Japan.
    The DPRK has already proposed to Japan to hold government-level talks, proceeding from the stand to discuss the issue of compensation to those who fell victim to human right abuses in the past. But Japan has not yet responded to it.
    Japan should rectify its wrong way of thinking and respond at an early date to the DPRK-proposed government-level talks to discuss the issue of compensating to human rights victims. This will do Japan good, too.

Friendly Meeting Held

     Pyongyang, December 16 (KCNA) -- Wojciech Kaluza, Polish ambassador to the DPRK, hosted a friendly meeting at Yanggakdo International Hotel Monday evening on the occasion of the New Year, Juche 93 (2004). The participants deepened their friendly feelings, talking about the need to boost the friendly relations between the DPRK and Poland in the new year, too.

Indian Diplomats Visit Taekwon-do Hall

     Pyongyang, December 16 (KCNA) -- Rich Pal Singh, Indian ambassador to the DPRK, and staff members of the Indian embassy here visited the Taekwon-do Hall yesterday on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the DPRK and India. Being briefed on the hall, they looked round the cups and medals DPRK players have won in the international contests including the World Taekwon-do Championships through their intensive training to raise the technical skill of Taekwon-do, the orthodox martial art of the Korean nation.
    They saw the training of Taekwon-do instructors and players.

Japan's Scheme to Introduce MD System under Fire

     Pyongyang, December 16 (KCNA) -- Japan is heading for the introduction of the missile defense system, raising terrific outcries over fictitious "threat from north Korea" in an effort to hasten its conversion into a military power and overseas aggression under this pretext, says Minju Joson today in a signed commentary. It goes on:
    When it was finding its way to the introduction of the MD system jointly with the United States, it tricked the international community, saying that it would confine itself to the stage of researches. But now it is inventing new pretexts, finding it hard to hide its scheme to introduce the MD system any longer.
    The Japanese reactionaries are shouting themselves hoarse that they should have their own MD system to cope with "the missile threat from north Korea" and putting up military alliance with the U.S. as a subterfuge. But they can never conceal their sinister intension with these pretexts. The missile of the DPRK is a self-defensive means to protect its security and dignity from the hostile forces' moves to stifle it. Therefore, the missile of the DPRK would not be a threat to Japan, if it had no hostile designs against the former.
    It has become obvious that the Japanese reactionaries are working hard to drive the world into the holocaust of another war of aggression by employing every conceivable tactics. So it should be perfectly clear that its surrounding countries would not remain passive onlookers. This immediately means an arms race.

National Food Encouraged in DPRK

     Pyongyang, December 16 (KCNA) -- National food is encouraged in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. This year various functions including national food festival, cooking contest and popular food exhibition were held for the purpose of discovering and serving local special dishes.
    Now Korean dishes run into thousands of kinds.
    The development of national dishes with long tradition is associated with leader Kim Jong Il's strong sense of patriotism.
    He organized the Korean Association of National Food Cooks and has wisely led efforts to develop dishes to suit the socialist way of life and the actual conditions of the country while carrying forward their national and local peculiarities.
    Okryu and Chongryu restaurants, Phyongnam Noodle House, other service facilities and provincial special food restaurants in Pyongyang serve famous national dishes including Pyongyang cold noodle, Sinsollo and green gram pancakes. Kim Jong Il indicated ways of calling traditional national dishes in a unique and popular way and preparing dish tables.
    And he had famous cooks across the country involved in discovering Korean dishes, found out dishes which had been fading away in the memory of people and taught cooks how to cook them.
    Under his meticulous care, wheat flour, sea cucumber and some of meat dishes have been proved as traditional Korean food and a complete collection of the Korean dishes introducing over 6,000 kinds of dishes was published.
    The annual food festival and various cooking contests are also associated with his lofty intention to discover more national dishes and encourage them among the Korean people.

DPRK Delegation Returns

     Pyongyang, December 16 (KCNA) -- The DPRK delegation led by Kim Yong Dae, vice president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, returned home today after participating in the World Summit on the Information Society held in Geneva. The delegation was met at the airport by Kim Yun Hyok, secretary general of the SPA Presidium, and Wu Donghe, Chinese ambassador to the DPRK.

Supreme Commander Kim Jong Il Inspects KPA Unit

     Pyongyang, December 16 (KCNA) -- Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army Kim Jong Il, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission, inspected KPA unit 1925 honored with the title of Kum Song Lifeguard. He walked round the power station built by the unit on its own efforts before dropping in at the room dedicated to its history. There he heard the history, seeing the records showing the proud path covered by it.
    He went to the operation study room of the unit where he received a report about the situation from the commander of the unit an acquainted himself in detail with its performance of duty.
    He set forth important tasks which would serve as guidelines in increasing the combat capability of the unit, greatly pleased to see the servicepersons of the unit reliably standing guard over the defence line of the country.
    Then he learnt in detail about the political and ideological work among the servicepersons, looking round the servicepersons' hall, the room for class education, library and other entertainment and educational facilities. He had a photo session with the servicepersons of the unit, expressing the conviction that they would creditably perform their honorable mission as standard bearers and shock force in upholding the WPK's Songun politics.
    Then he moved to a company of the unit.
    After watching the servicepersons of the company in training, he was greatly satisfied to see all of them trained as stalwart fighters.
    Noting that only through intensive effective training can an army prepare itself as ever-victorious fighters capable of defeating any formidable enemy, he stressed that the most important revolutionary task before the servicepersons guarding the frontline of the country is to have good training.
    He paid deep attention to the servicepersons' living, looking round an education room, bedroom, mess hall, kitchen, washroom, daily provision store, outdoor resting place and other places of the company.
    He took warm care of their living with paternal care. Learning in detail about their living conditions including temperature in the bedroom, storing of side dishes and quality of water used in the washroom, he underscored the need to enable the soldiers to live in the warm room even in cold winter.
    The People's Army taking the lead in upholding our Party's Songun leadership should become a model for the society in thinking, morality, fighting spirit, work style and all aspects of cultural life, he noted, calling on all the people to earnestly learn from the noble ideological and moral traits of the People's Army.
    He gave servicepersons of the company a pair of binoculars and an automatic rifle as gifts and had a photograph taken with them.

For Spanish-speaking people

Platos nacionales de Corea en fomento

     Pyongyang, 16 de diciembre (ATCC) -- En la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea se fomentan con amplitud las comidas nacionales. Tan solo en el ano en curso, se desarrollaron el festival de platos nacionales, el concurso de comidas, la exposicion de comidas populares y otras diferentes actividades encaminadas a descubrir los platos especiales tipicos de cada localidad y servirlos al pueblo.
    Actualmente, el numero de las comidas nacionales llega a miles de variedades.
    En las comidas nacionales desarrolladas y enriquecidas en el transcurso de larga historia estan impregnados sublimes propositos patrioticos del Dirigente Kim Jong Il.
    El organizo personalmente la Asociacion Nacional de Cocineros de Corea y dirigio sabiamente para que los platos se desarrollen conforme al modo de vida socialista y la realidad reviviendo los caracteres nacionales y regionales.
    Asi en la capital fueron acondicionados los restaurantes Okryu y Chongryu, el restaurante de fideos Phyongnam, los restaurantes de platos especiales de cada provincia y otros centros de servicios gastronomicos, donde ofrecen famosas comidas nacionales como Kuksu (fideo) en caldo frio de Pyongyang, el Sinsollo (comida tipica coreana), la tortilla de lenteja verde, el fideo servido con carne en el platel, etc.
    Ademas, dio instrucciones detalladas en cuanto a los problemas de poner los nombres originales y faciles de entender a las comidas tradicionales y de preparar mesas de comidas.
    Tambien, tomo las medidas de incluir a los renombrados cocineros del pais en la labor para descubrir las comidas coreanas y mantener vivas las comidas que se encontraban en el peligro de extincion y enseno hasta metodos de cocinarlas.
    Gracias a su detallada direccion, fue verificado que los platos de harina de trigo, las comidas hechas con holoturia y carne son las cocinas tradicionales de Corea y fue publicada la coleccion de platos coreanos que presenta mas de 6,000 variedades de las comidas coreanas.
    El festival de platos y los concursos de la tecnica culinaria de varios tipos se efectuan cada ano, segun el gran proposito del Dirigente Kim Jong Il de fomentar activamente excelentes comidas nacionales.

"Rodong Sinmun" se refiere a la desverguenza y bajeza moral de Japon

     Pyongyang, 16 de diciembre (ATCC) -- El periodico "Rodong Sinmun" inserto hoy un comentario individual que senala: Los ex-paises criminales de guerra reconocieron sus grandes crimenes cometidos en el pasado en violacion del derecho internacional y derechos humanos e hicieron indemnizacion y recompensacion o las hacen como expresion material de la reflexion y disculpa y asi sienten alivio al pasar este ano. Pero, solo Japon trata de dejar atras tambien este ano sin mostrar la voluntad de hacer disculpa e indemnizacion sinceras por sus crimenes antieticos del pasado valiendose de toda clase de maquiavelismo con que paso el siglo XX.
    Este proceder se debe a la desverguenza y bajeza moral de Japon.
    Los crimenes antieticos de ese pais isleno perpetrados en el pasado contra el pueblo coreano son mas graves que los cometidos por otros paises criminales de guerra. Las autoridades japonesas recurren a todos los metodos para evitar la disculpa e indemnizacion. Para colmo, dicen: "No tienen fundamento de indemnizar segun la ?ley de aquel tiempo?", "No hay pruebas del arresto forzoso". Esto demuestra a que grado llegan la desverguenza y la bajeza moral de las autoridades japonesas.
    Alemania y otros ex-paises criminales de guerra indemnizaron o lo hacen porque sus autoridades tomaron la audaz decision politica, razonable, consciente y moral.
    Partiendo de la posicion de discutir el problema de la indemnizacion a las victimas de derechos humanos del pasado, la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea propuso a Japon sostener las conversaciones gubernamentales. Pero, este pais no da respuesta todavia.
    Japon debe abandonar su erroneo modo de pensar y responder lo mas pronto posible a dicha propuesta. Hacerlo asi sera util tambien para si mismo.

Artimana astuta de ocultar malsano proposito

     Pyongyang, 16 de diciembre (ATCC) -- El periodico "Minju Joson", en un comentario individual de hoy, revela que Japon habla ruidosamente de la "amenaza del Norte de Corea" y marcha por el camino de la introduccion del sistema antimisiles con la finalidad de acelerar su conversion en una potencia militar y su agresion a ultramar y continua: En aquel tiempo en que Japon junto con EE.UU. dio primeros pasos al desarrollo del sistema antimisiles podia enganar a la sociedad internacional diciendo que quedaria solo en la etapa de investigacion y otras cosas similares. Pero hoy, que ya no puede encubrir mas su intento de introducir el sistema antimisiles, propone un nuevo pretexto.
    Los reaccionarios japoneses hablan de que deben introducir el sistema del particular para enfrentarse a la "amenaza de misil del Norte de Corea", por una parte, y por la otra, toman por pretexto las relaciones de alianza militar con EE.UU.
    Pero, con nada pueden ocultar sus malsanos propositos.
    Los misiles del Norte de Corea son los medios autodefensivos para defender la seguridad y la soberania del pais de las maniobras de las fuerzas hostiles tendentes a aplastar a la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea. Por eso, si Japon no tiene la voluntad hostil al Norte de Corea, los misiles de este no daran amenaza a aquel.
    Ya que los reaccionarios japoneses maniobran desesperadamente para empujar otra vez el mundo en las llamas de guerra de agresion valiendose de toda clase de maquiavelismos, tampoco los paises vecinos estaran con los brazos cruzados. Esto significa precisamente una carrera armamentista.