February Holiday Celebrated Abroad

     Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- Friendly meetings, round-table talks and an opening ceremony of a week of film show and photo exhibition were held in Warsaw, Poland, at the club of the Viet Nam-DPRK Friendship Association, by the Socialist Progressive Party of Lebanon and in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania from Jan. 31 to February 1 on the occasion of the birthday of leader Kim Jong Il. The chairman of the Polish memorial committee for the 10th anniversary of the demise of President Kim Il Sung, who is also chairman of the preparatory committee for commemorating the national holiday of the Korean people, addressing a friendly meeting, said that the committee would organize colorful functions on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the demise of the President, the Day of the Sun, February 16, the birthday of Kim Jong Il, and the 40th anniversary of the start of his work at the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea.
    Doureyd Yagui, vice-president of the Socialist Progressive Party of Lebanon, at round-table talks wished the friendly Korean people greater victory in their struggle to defend the peace and security of the country, achieve the independent and peaceful reunification of the country and step up the economic construction on the occasion of the significant February holiday.
    The vice-chairman of the Tanzanian national preparatory committee to commemorate the Day of the Sun and February 16, addressing the opening ceremony of a week of film show and photo exhibition, said that Kim Jong Il has led the Party, the state and the army with his extraordinary wisdom, matchless gut, steel-like will and outstanding political ability for a long time and is now leading the army and people of the DPRK along the road of victory and glory, braving all challenges of history with the might of Songun.
    Meanwhile, lectures were given at the Kampala City Committee of the National Movement of Uganda and the Pakistan-Korea Friendship Association.
    Lecturers said that the on-the-spot guidance of Kim Jong Il is the great leadership method consolidating the single-hearted unity of the DPRK and bringing about miracles and rennovations.
    They stressed that Kim Jong Il has performed great exploits and gained rich experience and showed his extraordinary leadership ability as an outstanding politician while leading the Korean people for 40 years.

Korean People's Cause of Reunification Supported

     Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- The Barbados Committee for Friendship and Solidarity with the Korean People released a statement on Jan. 27 to support the Korean people's cause of national reunification. The statement said that national cooperation is the most realistic way for independent reunification of Korea as clarified in the joint New Year editorial of the newspapers of the Workers' Party of Korea, the Korean People's Army and the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League.
    The statement vehemently denounced the U.S. hostile policy toward the government and people of the DPRK as the main obstacle to Korea's reunification and the peace and stability of the Korean peninsula.
    The statement expressed the belief that the Korean people would surely reunify the country in the near future under the Songun leadership of Kim Jong Il.

Written Protest to Bush

     Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- The General Association of Koreans in China made public a "written protest to U.S. President Bush" on Jan. 26 as regards the recent ever more undisguised U.S. moves to isolate and stifle the DPRK. The protest strongly demanded that the U.S. immediately halt its moves to stifle the DPRK and provoke a nuclear war and withdraw its aggression troops and ultra-modern lethal weapons from south Korea without delay.
    Noting that the U.S., the root cause of all disaster and misfortune, has viciously tried to exterminate the Korean nation, openly putting a brake on the favorably developing inter-Korean relations, the protest severely denounced the U.S. for engaging itself in arrogant and undisguised moves to provoke a nuclear war.
    We have the might of invincible unity, a harmonious whole of the leader, the Party and the popular masses, and the Songun politics, the June 15 joint declaration, a landmark for national reunification, and the firm will of the 70 million fellow countrymen for reunification, the protest said, adding: The U.S. should know this and behave with discretion.

"Citizens Solidarity for 2004 General Election" Formed in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- The "Citizens Solidarity for 2004 General Election" consisting of 273 organizations across south Korea including the Citizens' Solidarity for Democratic Society and the Professors' Association for Democracy was reportedly formed on Feb. 3. The organization at a press conference held at the Press Center in Seoul as regards its formation declared the "movement for defeating corrupt politicians opposed to reform" and the "whole regional observation movement for banishing money-based election" as the orientation of its struggle.
    The organization has formed a preparatory society and made the first investigation into the corruption, violation of "election law", parliamentary activities, etc. among 307 former and incumbent members of the 16th-term "National Assembly".
    It decided to make public the list of national assemblymen who should not be nominated for the general election. It said that it would make public the final list of those to be defeated in March and struggle to defeat them if the political parties nominate them.
    It was reported that the "counteraction" of the organization is expected to exert great influence on the result of the "general election".

Rodong Sinmun Denounces Recent Speech of GNP Representative

     Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary terms a speech of Choe Pyong Ryol, representative of the south Korean Grand National Party, at the "National Assembly" a jargon to get out of the dilemma and a complaint of one who has no future. The commentary says:
    Choe Pyong Ryol tried hard to blame the "government" authorities for the gloomy reality of the south Korean economy and the people's living in distress and cried that south Korea is tending towards "anti-U.S." and "pro-North."
    His anachronistic utterances reveal that he is, indeed, a filth-like man going against the era of independent reunification. he raised a "policy proposal" for activation of investment, education reform, family problem, reform of corrupt policy and others.
    But, in fact, the aggravation of those issues is entirely attributable to the traitorous and corrupt policy of his clan. As recently disclosed, they extorted funds from enterprises by trucks and squandered them in the "election" and stuffed their pockets for their greed for power and luxurious life. Not content with it, they even plundered the school funds and thus drove the economy and the people's living into bankruptcy and inflicted huge damage on school education.
    As to diplomatic security, he laid stress on "pursuing the diplomatic policy of admitting the U.S., not pro-U.S. nor anti-U.S." But his remarks are meant to unconditionally follow the U.S. as shown in his visit to the U.S. his master, during which he vowed to dispatch troops to Iraq and said that the U.S. military base in south Korea should be tranferred as demanded by the U.S. even at the cost of the huge amount of blood taxes of the people.
    It is impossible to soothe or calm down the south Korean people's desire for political reform and anti-GNP will. Only ruin is left for the GNP, a traitorous party.

Reckless Remarks of GNP Representative Assailed

     Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- The Secretariat of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland issued information bulletin No. 859 on Feb. 7, castigating Choe Pyong Ryol, representative of the south Korean Grand National Party, for his recent reckless speech pulling up the north again at the "National Assembly." He zealously fanned up the confrontation between the fellow countrymen by saying that he really worries about the whole trend of society toward pro-north tendency against the U.S. and that he shudders to think of what the north is going to do.
    The bulletin said:
    His speech is nothing but a scream of the nefarious traitor whose days are numbered as it is an unpardonable reckless remarks going against the trend of the national history towards independence and national reunification against the U.S. under the banner of Korean nation-first spirit.
    The unprecedented vigorous anti-U.S. struggle in south Korea is a very righteous and just struggle to terminate the disgraceful subordinate relations forced by the U.S., restore the dignity and sovereignty of the nation and defend the peace of the country.
    Nevertheless, the pro-U.S. treacherous traitors of the GNP such as Choe are complaining about the "weakening of the south Korea-U.S. alliance," pulling up the north. The complaint is a foolish trick to calm down the daily-mounting anti-U.S. sentiment of the south Korean people.
    Nobody can block the escalating anti-U.S. movement or turn it back.
    The old and corrupt pro-U.S. traitors of the GNP should dismantle the anti-national party and immediately retire from the politics as demanded by the south Korean people.
    The south Korean people should heighten their vigilance and more vigorously turn out in the struggle to completely dissolve the vicious GNP which is committing crimes against the country and the nation and resolutely smash the U.S. domination over and interference in south Korea.
    We will not allow the pro-U.S. flunkeyist traitors to pull up the north and make them pay for their misbehaviour to the end.

Rodong Sinmun on Great Leadership of Kim Jong Il

     Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il is a genius of idea and a peerlessly great politician who has glorified the DPRK as the homeland of the idea of the times by indicating the road of the independent era with his extraordinary ideological and theoretical activities and led the Korean revolution to invincible victory, dyeing the whole Party and society with one idea. Rodong Sinmun today says this in a signed article.
    It continues:
    The greatness of the leadership of Kim Jong Il lies in that he has provided the precious ideological and theoretical wealth for victory of the cause of independence to brightly indicate the road of the times and the revolution.
    He has exerted all his energies to glorify the Juche idea, the guiding idea of the Workers' Party of Korea, as the immortal guiding idea of the independent era during the period of his revolutionary activities.
    Especially, he formulated the revolutionary idea of President Kim Il Sung as an integral system of the idea, theory and method of Juche and continuously deepened it in revolutionary practices. His exploit shines as an exploit of world history which is of great significance in accomplishing the popular masses' cause of independence, cause of socialism.
    He developed and completed the socialist idea of Juche and instilled the precious ideological and spiritual pabulum into the mind of the people when some countries which were building socialism were at a loss for their ideological degeneration and stagnation in the last century.
    Now the Korean revolution has entered a new historical era.
    The task of the times to defend the country and the nation and build a great prosperous powerful nation despite the persistent challenges of the imperialists has been brilliantly carried out as Kim Jong Il set forth the Songun idea.
    The greatness of Kim Jong Il's leadership lies in that he has held fast to ideology and put the ideological work above other work in all fields of the revolution and the construction.
    He set forth the ideological theory of Juche that the idea decides on everything and comprehensively clarified the justness of the revolutionary principle of placing the ideological work above all other work.
    He has also energetically led people to carry out with the might of ideology the tasks arising in all fields of the revolution and the construction.
    His leadership, which has turned the misfortune into blessings and adversity into a favorable condition by giving priority to the ideological work, serves as a basic guarantee for the Korean revolution to emerge victorious even under the complicated situation in which socialism collapsed in several countries.

Message of Condolence to Russian President

     Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, yesterday sent a message of condolence to Russian President V. V. Putin as regards big human casualties caused by a terrorist act in Moscow. Expressing deep condolence to the President and, through him, to the victims and their bereaved families, the message said that the DPRK, which takes it as a consistent principle to fight against all forms of terrorism, resolutely denounces the incident as a base act of terrorists to destroy the stability of Russia.
    The message expressed the belief that under his guidance, the Russian leadership would clear the aftereffects of the terrorist act at an early date and conduct an active work for the security of the people and thus achieve peace and stability of the country.

Enlarged Plenary Meeting of Central Committee of KSDP Held

     Pyongyang, February 8 (KCNA) -- An enlarged plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the Korean Social Democratic Party was held here yesterday. Participating in the meeting were members of the Political Committee and members of the Central Committee of the KSDP and chairmen of its provincial, city and country committees.
    Discussed at the meeting was "The task of the party to carry through the 'appeal to the 70 million fellow countrymen' adopted at the joint meeting of the DPRK government, political parties and organizations".
    Kim Yong Dae, chairman of the Central Committee of the KSDP, made a report which was followed by speeches.
    The reporter and speakers advanced tasks and ways to rouse the entire members of the KSDP to the struggle to solve the issue of taking practical actions to build a structure of the Korean nation's confrontation with the U.S. under the uplifted slogan "Let us pave a wide avenue for independent reunification through national cooperation under the banner of our nation-first spirit!" and open up a new phase for peace and reunification of the country under the present rigorous situation in which the anti-DPRK, anti-reunification moves of the U.S. have become ever more vicious.
    They underlined the need to successfully realize the anti-U.S. national cooperation by strengthening solidarity and unity with the various political parties and organizations at home and abroad under uplifted banner of our nation-first spirit in response to the appeal of the joint meeting.
    Especially, they called on the entire party members to unanimously uphold the great patriotic Songun politics and resolutely defend and implement the historic June 15 North-South Joint Declaration together with the whole nation.
    Also discussed at the meeting was the agenda item "On strengthening the education in consciousness of national independence among party members".
    Relevant decisions were adopted at the meeting.

Work of Kim Jong Il Published in Venezuela

     Pyongyang, February 7 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il's famous work "Socialism Is a Science" was published in pamphlet in Venezuela. This work, published on November 1, Juche 83 (1994), clarified that Korean-style socialism, based on the socialist theory of Juche, is the most scientific and viable socialism. And the work elucidated principled issues in defending socialism.
    A work-releasing ceremony was held at the Cantaclara Publishing House of Venezuela on Jan. 23.
    Oscar Figuera, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Venezuela, addressing the ceremony, warmly congratulated leader Kim Jong Il on his birthday. The general secretary stressed that his work is of greater significance today as it clarified the scientific accuracy and the invincibility of the socialist idea.

Cause of Korean People Supported

     Pyongyang, February 7 (KCNA) -- Chairman of the National Socialist Party of Syria in Lebanon Gebran Oreigi and Chairman of the National Council of the Lebanese Communist Party Maurice Nahra expressed support to the cause of the Korean people when they respectively met the DPRK ambassador who paid farewell calls on them. The indomitable struggle of the Workers' Party of Korea and the Korean people who are valiantly braving the U.S. under the eyes of the world is a model of progressive political parties around the world as well as all the resistance forces, Chairman Gebran Oreigi said, stressing: Our party will invariably develop the relations with the Workers' Party of Korea and support the cause of the Korean people.
    Chairman Maurice Nahra said that the traditional friendship and solidarity between the Lebanese Communist Party and the Workers' Party of Korea will remain unchanged in the future, too, and that his party will positively support the WPK in its cause of national reunification, the building of a great prosperous powerful nation and regional peace and stability.

13th International Figure Skating Festival for Paektusan Cup in Pyongyang

     Pyongyang, February 7 (KCNA) -- The 13th International Figure Skating Festival for Paektusan Cup will be held in Pyongyang to mark February 16, the birthday of leader Kim Jong Il. This festival has been an annual event reflecting the unanimous desire of the Korean people and the world progressives to grandly celebrate his birthday as the common holiday of humankind.
    This festival to be held from February 14 to 16 will bring together famous figure skating players from several countries and excellent figure skaters of the DPRK.
    The festival will be held in the form of exhibition presentation.
    The ice-rink, the venue of the festival, has been spruced up and posters have been created to add to the atmosphere of the festival.

Rodong Sinmun on Historic Position of Kim Il Sung's Revolutionary Idea

     Pyongyang, February 7 (KCNA) -- The revolutionary idea of President Kim Il Sung reflecting the requirements of the era of independence represents not only the present era of the historical development but the whole historical period up to the accomplishment of the cause of independence. This is the historic position of Kim Il Sung's revolutionary idea distinguished from the preceding revolutionary ideas. Rodong Sinmun Saturday says this in a signed article.
    It goes on:
    There have been many ideas and theories in the human history of thought. But no idea was so perfect in scientific and theoretical terms and so eternal in vitality as Kim Il Sung's revolutionary idea.
    His revolutionary idea holds a unique position in the development of the revolutionary ideas of the working class.
    Unlike the preceding theories, he evolved the system and contents of his idea, taking the Juche idea, the first of its kind in human history, as the basis of the world outlook.
    Unlike Marxism-Leninism which clarified the conditions for the emancipation of the working class, Kim Il Sung's revolutionary idea elucidates the strategies and tactics for national, class and human liberation in our era. It also raised a theory on the leadership method for the first time in the revolutionary theory of the working class and systematized its unique composition. This is an important exploit of his idea.
    His idea is also different from the preceding theories in historic period, because it reflects the requirements of the revolutionary practice in the new historical era in which the popular masses carve out their destiny independently and creatively.
    His revolutionary idea represents the highest stage in the development of the revolutionary idea of the working class. This is because it is based on the new man-centered philosophical principle, has a scientific and revolutionary composition system and contains rich and diverse contents.
    His revolutionary idea serves as the eternal guiding idea, theory and method representing both the present era and the future of human emancipation. The theoretical and practical exploits of this idea have been carried forward and enriched with new principles and theories by leader Kim Jong Il's Songun idea, the article concludes.

North Side's Delegation to North-South Ministerial Talks Returns

     Pyongyang, February 7 (KCNA) -- The delegation of the north side led by Kim Ryong Song, chief councilor of the DPRK Cabinet, returned here Saturday after participating in the 13th North-South Ministerial talks held in Seoul. It was met at the airport by Jong Mun San, chief secretary of the Cabinet, An Kyong Ho, director of the Secretariat of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, Jong Un Op, chairman of the National Economic Cooperation Federation, and other officials concerned.

Greetings to Lao President

     Pyongyang, February 7 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, today sent a congratulatory message to Khamtay Siphandone, president of Laos, on his 80th birthday. Warmly congratulating him on his birthday, the message sincerely wished him good health and happiness and greater success in his work to build a rich and powerful Laos by implementing the decisions of the 7th Congress of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party.
    The message expressed belief that the traditional relations of friendship and cooperation between the two countries would continue to favorably develop in conformity with the cause of socialism and the interest of the two peoples.

For Spanish-speaking people

Venezuela: obra de Kim Jong Il

     Pyongyang, 7 de febrero (ATCC) -- En Venezuela fue editada en folleto la obra clasica del Dirigente Kim Jong Il "El socialismo es ciencia", publicada el primero de noviembre del 83 (1994) de la Era Juche. Esta obra dilucida que el socialismo al estilo coreano basado en la teoria socialista autoctona es el socialismo mas cientifico y vital e indica claramente los problemas de principios que se presentan para defender el socialismo.
    El acto de presentacion de la obra tuvo lugar el 23 de enero en la Editorial de Cantaclara de Venezuela.
    Oscar Figuera, secretario general del Comite Central del Partido Comunista de Venezuela, al hacer uso de la palabra en el acto, felicito calurosamente el cumpleanos del Dirigente y senalo que hoy en dia tiene mayor significacion la obra del Dirigente que aclara la cientificidad e invencibilidad de la idea socialista.

XIII Festival Internacional de Patinaje Artistico en Pyongyang

     Pyongyang, 7 de febrero (ATCC) -- Con motivo de la fiesta de febrero (cumpleanos del Dirigente Kim Jong Il) tendra lugar del 14 al 16 de febrero en Pyongyang el XIII Festival Internacional de Patinaje Artistico sobre el Hielo por el Premio Paektusan. El certamen se efectua cada ano en reflejo de la unanime aspiracion del pueblo coreano y los demas pueblos progresistas del mundo a celebrar solemnemente el dia de nacimiento del Dirigente como fiesta comun de la humanidad.
    En el presente participaran los maestros patinadores artisticos de varios paises del mundo y los excelentes de Corea.
    El festival se desarrollara en forma de actuacion ejemplar de los jugadores.
    El Patinadero Cubierto, lugar del certamen, se engalana mejor y se crean afiches para fomentar un ambiente del festival.

Coreanos en Uzbekistan: Comite preparatorio por el 16 de febrero

     Pyongyang, 7 de febrero (ATCC) -- El dia 3, los coreanos residentes en Uzbekistan constituyeron el Comite Preparatorio por el 16 de Febrero (cumpleanos del Dirigente Kim Jong Il). En el acto fueron elegidos el presidente y los miembros del Comite.
    El Comite definio el periodo de festejo del 3 al 16 del mes en curso y decidio organizar ampliamente diversos actos politicos y culturales.