Celebrations Held Abroad

     Pyongyang, February 5 (KCNA) -- The National Committee for the Study of Juche Idea of Democratic Congo sponsored a joint national seminar titled "The respected Comrade Kim Jong Il is the great leader who builds an independent world with the Juche idea and Songun politics" at University of Kinshasa on Jan. 29 on the occasion of February holiday, the birthday of Kim Jong Il. The reporter and speakers at the seminar extended the warmest congratulations to him on his birthday and explained in depth on the immortal feats he has performed for the cause of global independence with the Juche idea and the Songun politics.
    Referring to the joint New Year editorial of the DPRK leading newspapers, they expressed full support to the Korean people in their struggle to attain a higher goal on the three fronts of politics and ideology, anti-imperialism and military affairs and economy and science.
    Meanwhile, a celebration meeting, joint meeting, photo exhibition and film show were held in Phnom Penh of Cambodia and Tarabulus, Benghazi and Azizia of Libya between Jan. 24 and 29 on the occasion of the birthday of Kim Jong Il.
    Speeches were made at the functions and Korean films including "Holding the Great Commander in high esteem" and "Korean People's Army, Steel-Strong Ranks."

Kim Jong Il Lauded

     Pyongyang, February 5 (KCNA) -- Yehia Jakariya Khairallah, chairman of the Egyptian Committee for the Study of the Juche Idea, made public a statement on Jan. 26 on the occasion of the birthday of leader Kim Jong Il. Saying that the birthday of Kim Jong Il is a common holiday of the Korean people and the world progressives, he in his statement praised Kim Jong Il as an outstanding thinker and theoretician who has performed immortal feats in the history of human ideology and a distinguished politician who has made great contribution to the global cause of independence.
    The statement noted:
    In recent years, the DPRK has endeavoured to build a great prosperous powerful nation, holding the initiative in the fierce political and military confrontation with the U.S. This reality would be unthinkable without the Songun leadership of Kim Jong Il.
    The statement stressed that the Korean people, pursuant to the extraordinary Songun politics of Kim Jong Il are sure to win in the confrontation with the U.S. and its followers and build a great prosperous powerful nation in the new future and successfully achieve the cause of national reunification.

Syrian Party Leader on Friendly Relations with DPRK

     Pyongyang, February 5 (KCNA) -- Youssef Faisal, general secretary of the Communist Party of Syria, referred to the friendly relations with the DPRK when meeting DPRK ambassador to Syria Kim Hyong Jun who paid a farewell call on him. He said that the friendly relations between the Communist Party of Syria and the Workers' Party of Korea and between the peoples of the two countries are the bonds in which they have struggled for the common cause, rejecting the aggression and domination of the imperialists and the ties of fraternity between the peoples who have sincerely supported each other.
    The members of the Communist Party of Syria and the Syrian people will as ever support the Workers' Party of Korea and the Korean people in their cause of the struggle against the U.S. imperialists and socialist construction and strengthen the unity and solidarity with the Workers' Party of Korea, he said.

KCNA Assails Japanese Ruling Party Heavyweight's Anti-DPRK Outburst

     Pyongyang, February 5 (KCNA) -- Secretary General of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan Abe was reported to have expressed his view at the talks with Armitage, deputy secretary of the U.S. State Department, who visited Tokyo on Feb. 3 that pressure on north Korea is valid. Such outcry was made in Japan again in the wake of the passage of the "amendment to the law on foreign exchange" through the Diet some days ago which is aimed to impose economic sanctions and blockade upon the DPRK. This is triggering off the DPRK's increased bitterness toward Japan.
    The DPRK knows well the conservative rightist political view and anti-DPRK sentiment of Abe as he cried out for even a "preemptive attack" on the DPRK last year. The malignant vituperation mouthed by the No. 2 man of the ruling party of Japan against the DPRK is arousing its vigilance as it does not merely represent his personal view but reflects the Japanese government's hostile policy toward the DPRK which has become all the more undisguised this year. This clearly indicates Japan is working hard to put its strategy of pressure and confrontation with the DPRK in real earnest.
    Pressure means economic sanctions and, in the long-run, war.
    Judging from this, Japan's talk about "the solution to nuclear and abduction issues" and "validity of pressure" indicates that Japan is persisting in "sanctions and blockade" against the DPRK, not seeking to peacefully settle pending issues between the DPRK and Japan through dialogue. This is a wanton violation of the DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration in which both promised each other to abide by international law and refrain from doing any acts of threatening each other's security.
    It is intolerable that Japan persists in encroaching upon the sovereignty of the DPRK and pressurizing it instead of redeeming its past crimes in the new century although it inflicted tremendous misfortune and sufferings upon the Korean people in the past.
    The DPRK has always regarded its sovereignty as its life and soul and has never abandoned its principle, yielding to the pressure of anyone.
    The DPRK will certainly take necessary counter-measures against Japan's act of gravely infringing upon the sovereignty of the DPRK through economic sanctions, blockade and pressure and its moves to put into practice its hostile policy toward the DPRK while talking about its participation in the six-way talks.

Work of Kim Jong Il Published in Austria

     Pyongyang, February 5 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il's famous work "On Some Problems of Education in the Juche Idea" was published in pamphlet by the Joseph Gebauer Publishing House of Vienna on Jan. 30. This work, published on July 15, Juche 75 (1986) clarified theoretical and practical issues in improving the ideological work of the party such as the issue of making the scientific accuracy and truth of the world outlook of Juche and all forms of ideological education run through the contents of the education of the Juche idea, the issue of turning and revolutionary outlook on the leader into one's view on life, the issue of having a correct understanding of the advantages of the socialist economic system.
    The pamphlet has the following preface: "We have the pleasure to bring out the work of HE Kim Jong Il, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of the National Defence Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, on the occasion of his birthday.

Adherence to Three Principles of National Reunification Called for

     Pyongyang, February 5 (KCNA) -- The three principles of national reunification -- independence, peaceful reunification and great national unity -- are a great programme common to the nation and a cornerstone for national reunification as they are in line with the will and desire for the reunification of the nation and the specific conditions of the country, says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article. It goes on: The three principles of national reunification are a banner of struggle to be held aloft by the nation till the day when reunification has been achieved. They clearly indicate the fundamental stand and way to solve the issue of reunification by the concerted efforts of the Korean nation itself.
    The principle of independence is a basic principle to be adhered to in the movement for reunification. Only when the principle of independence is maintained for achieving the cause of reunification is it possible to solve the issue of reunification by the concerted efforts of the nation in conformity with the demand of the Korean nation for independence and its interests.
    The Korean nation should consistently adhere to the principle of national independence which has displayed its great vitality in the movement for reunification.
    The principle of peaceful reunification indicates a fundamental way of solving the issue of Korea's reunification to meet the aspiration of all the Koreans and the world peace-loving people.
    The adherence to the principle of peaceful reunification stands out as the most important issue related to the destiny and prospect of the nation.
    It is necessary to concentrate the struggle to implement the principle on the United States, the root cause of division and war.
    The principle of great national unity serves as guidelines in paving the way for independent and peaceful reunification. The issue of achieving reunification to meet the common interests of the nation is not achievable without the great national unity.

Rodong Sinmun Calls for Imbuing Whole Society with Songun Idea

     Pyongyang, February 5 (KCNA) -- Imbuing the whole society with the Songun idea is a historic continuation of the cause of modeling the whole society on the Juche idea and its new higher stage, says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article. Imbuing the whole society with the Songun idea is a mature demand of the Korean revolution and the developing times, the article notes, and goes on:
    Modeling the whole society on the Songun idea means advancing the Korean revolution, guided by the Songun idea based on the Juche idea, and settling all the issues arising in the building of a great prosperous powerful nation on the basis of the Songun idea.
    The Songun idea is a principled and just anti-imperialist independent idea and the noblest patriotic idea for firmly protecting the demand of the popular masses for independence and their interests, the sovereignty and dignity of the country and the nation from all sorts of encroachment of the imperialist reactionaries.
    While making an endless journey for Songun leadership, leader Kim Jong Il enunciated the Songun revolutionary philosophy that the army precisely means the revolution and the victory of socialism, set out the Songun principle that the popular masses' cause of independence emerges victorious only thanks to the pivotal and positive role of the army and perfected the Songun political mode.
    The Songun idea is a scientific revolutionary idea which most correctly reflects the requirements of the present era and the revolution and an invincible banner of the Korean revolution. It serves as guidelines for the Korean revolution to be maintained invariably till the day a great prosperous powerful nation has been built on this land and the revolutionary cause of Juche started by President Kim Il Sung accomplished, not a tactical proposal to tide over difficulties.
    Kim Jong Il set out the great idea guiding the era and has proved its validity in practice in a less than a decade. This is a clear proof of his brilliant ideological and theoretical wisdom and matchless political ability.
    The People's Army is the strongest and fully prepared political force on which the Workers' Party of Korea has depended in imbuing the whole society with the Songun idea. It is now successfully fulfilling its honorable mission and duty as the hardcore contingent and the main force of the revolution defending the lifeline of the socialist cause under the Songun leadership of Kim Jong Il.

Implementation of June 15 Joint Declaration and National Cooperation Called for

     Pyongyang, February 5 (KCNA) -- Son Jun Hyok, a spokesman for the Solidarity for Implementing the South-North Joint Declaration in south Korea, reportedly issued a statement on Feb. 2 as regards the 13th North-South Ministerial Talks to be held in Seoul. The talks are of great importance in the nation's movement for independent reunification now that the U.S. hostile policy toward north Korea remains unchanged and the fever of war is mounting on the Korean peninsula, the statement said, and went on:
    The June 15 joint declaration is meeting a crisis again and the favorably developing inter-Korean relations are facing serious hurdle owing to the U.S. anti-reunification interference in the internal affairs of Korea and pressure.
    Strongly asserting that the talks provide an occasion of reiterating national cooperation, the statement said national cooperation is an effective way of coping with the U.S. ceaseless threat of war and bringing earlier the independent reunification.
    It is important for national cooperation to make a meaningful progress in the discussion of the issues of railway and road links, cooperation in the construction of the Kaesong Industrial Zone and in the tour of Mt. Kumgang at the talks, the statement said, adding: We strongly urge the "government" authorities to commit themselves to continue implementing the June 15 joint declaration and work for national cooperation at the talks.

Brisk Preventive Work against Bird Flu in Korea

     Pyongyang, February 5 (KCNA) -- A brisk work to prevent bird flu is going on in Korea. Leader Kim Jong Il on several occasions in January gave detailed instructions to prevent bird flu rapidly spreading in Asian countries.
    Officials of the agricultural and public health ministries are taking an active part in this work. According to a program of the State Emergency Veterinary Anti-epidemic Committee, a permanent group has been organized and it is giving meticulous guidance to the veterinary anti-epidemic committees formed in the provinces, cities and counties and at poultry breeding farms so that they can conduct their work satisfactorily.
    The Agricultural Ministry has sent out technical data on preventing bird flu to the provinces, cities and counties and is giving technical lectures to officials of veterinary anti-epidemic stations at all levels with flexibility. The Public Health Ministry has formed a permanent group mainly with officials of the State Hygienic Inspection Centre and the Preventive and the Curative Department as it did when working to prevent SARS last year.
    The hygienic and anti-epidemic officials and house-calling doctors are all out in a hygienic propaganda campaign to bring the population to the knowledge of the danger of this flu and the course of its spread and measures for preventing it.
    Flawless measures are being taken to conduct strict veterinary and hygienic quarantine at ports, on borderlines, at airports and especially in the areas along the Demarcation Line for the prevention of the infiltration of its virus. Veterinary inspectors unconditionally intercept problematic items from areas of the outbreak of the flu. Notably, processed poultry is subjected to strict inspection.
    The examination of foreign travelers is fairly on a high level. The country is taking measures for the production of preventive medicines and vaccination under a far-reaching plan.

Spokesman for DPRK FM Lambastes U.S. Smear Campaign against DPRK

     Pyongyang, February 5 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea today gave the following answer to the question put by KCNA as regards the U.S. ridiculous smear campaign against the DPRK. These days the United States is busy holding a Congressional hearing from "north Korean defectors," spreading a sheer lie that north Korea tested a chemical weapon on prisoners, the spokesman said, and went on:
    The U.S. let loose a string of balderdash against the DPRK over "the issue of drug", "the issue of counterfeit money" and "the issue of north Korean defectors". Not content with this, it is spreading a lie about the "test of chemical weapons on prisoners".
    This shows what a base anti-DPRK smear campaign the Bush group is engaged in.
    The U.S. seems to have no more material for conducting such a campaign.
    It is a trite method of the present U.S. administration to use those defectors for inventing lies and justifying a war of aggression under that pretext. This was clearly evidenced by the U.S. war of aggression against Iraq.
    We do not feel any need to argue about this cheap U.S. propaganda, but we can hardly overlook an ulterior aim sought by it.
    Now the Bush administration finds itself in a tight corner as it provoked a war against Iraq after deceiving Americans and the world. The Bush group, dismayed at the election campaign turning unfavorable for it, is working hard to get rid of the difficult situation by leading the situation on the Korean peninsula to an extreme pitch of tension under the pretext of the nuclear issue.
    Its dirty smear campaign is aimed to invent plausible pretexts for starting another Korean war, raising a hue and cry over the "human rights issue" in addition to the "issue of weapons of mass destruction," and thus not to repeat its setbacks in Iraq.
    We are watching every movement of the Bush administration with vigilance.
    Some media acting tools for the U.S. smear campaign for cheap publicity are well advised to come to themselves, though belatedly.

For Spanish-speaking people

Austria: obra de Kim Jong Il

     Pyongyang, 5 de febrero (ATCC) -- La editorial Joseph Gebauer en Viena dio a luz en folleto el 30 de enero la obra clasica del Dirigente Kim Jong Il "Sobre algunos problemas referentes a la educacion en la idea Juche", publicada el 15 de julio del 75 (1986) de la Era Juche. Esta obra dilucida los problemas teorico-practicos que se presentan para fortalecer la labor ideologica del partido, entre otros, la cientificidad y la veracidad de la mundivision del Juche, el asunto de penetrar la educacion ideologica de las demas modalidades con la educacion en la idea Juche, el de convertir la concepcion revolucionaria del lider en el punto de vista de la vida y el de tener una comprension clara sobre la superioridad del regimen economico socialista.
    El prologo del folleto senala que edita la citada obra con motivo del cumpleanos de Su Excelencia 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.

Contemplacion de la salida de la luna en el 15 de enero lunar

     Pyongyang, 5 de febrero (ATCC) -- En Corea se transmite desde la antiguedad una costumbre tradicional llamada la contemplacion de la salida de la luna en el 15 de enero lunar. Es un juego folclorico que el pueblo coreano celebraba contemplando la luna que sale.
    Al anochecer, las personas prendian fuego en un lugar elevado y, viendo la forma y color de la luna saliente, preveian una buena o mala cosecha, la sequia o lluvia larga del mismo ano.
    Decian que, a quien acogiera primero la luna que sale, le tocaria una oportunidad de lograr su deseo. Por eso, todos lo querian.
    En las aldeas, todos los hombres y mujeres, viejos y ninos pasaban la noche con alegria bailando y cantando juntos. Celebraban con diversas artes populares y juegos folcloricos especiales en sus localidades.
    En particular, en las provincias de Hwanghae del Norte y el Sur celebraban de modo especial los juegos, entre ellos, hacian, antes de salir la luna, una hoguera en la montana o un fuego en los cespedes.
    El baile en grupo "Contemplacion de la salida de luna" creado por el Conjunto Operistico "Mar de Sangre" demuestra vividamente tal costumbre tradicional del pueblo coreano.

Labor preventiva de gripe aviar en Corea

     Pyongyang, 5 de febrero (ATCC) -- En la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea se libra vigorosamente la labor para prevenir de antemano la gripe aviar. En particular, los funcionarios de los ministerios de Agricultura y Salud Publica contribuyen activamente a prevenir este mal de aves.
    Segun la labor de organizacion del Comite Estatal Emergente de Prevencion Veterinaria (CEEPV), se formo un grupo permanente (encargado de ejecutar las indicaciones del CEEPV) y los integrantes de este grupo organizan bien la direccion a los comites de prevencion veterinaria, fundados en las provincias, ciudades y distritos y criaderos de aves reproductoras, para que estos cumplan satisfactoriamente sus funciones.
    El Ministerio de Agricultura ya distribuyo a las provincias, ciudades y distritos los datos tecnicos necesarios para combatir esta epidemia en el sector de avicultura y organiza a tiempo cursillos para los funcionarios de los organos de prevencion veterinaria a todos los niveles.
    El Ministerio de Salud Publica, al igual que en el periodo de lucha del ano pasado contra el sindrome respiratorio agudo severo (SRAS), formo un grupo permanente compuesto de los inspectores de la higiene estatales y trabajadores del Departamento de Tratamiento y Prevencion.
    Los funcionarios de la higiene y epidemiologia y los medicos para viviendas desarrollan dinamicas actividades de propaganda higienica para dar a conocer los detalles de la gripe aviar, entre otros, la peligrosidad, via de propagacion y las medidas de su prevencion.
    Al intensificar la inspeccion veterinaria y higienica en los puertos, fronteras, terminales aereas, y especialmente, en las zonas aledanas a la linea de Demarcacion se toman estrictamente las medidas para impedir la penetracion del virus de gripe aviar desde el exterior en nuestro pais. Sobre todo, los productos elaborados de aves son objetos de inspeccion sanitaria mas rigurosa.
    Se desarrolla en un alto nivel la inspeccion epidemiologica a los que entran y salen con destino a los paises extranjeros.
    Ademas, la RPDC sigue tomando con prevision las necesarias medidas de produccion de medicinas profilacticas y vacunacion preventiva.