Songun Politics Draws Global Attention

     Pyongyang, February 9 (KCNA) -- Lectures were given in Tajikistan and Peru and at the Secretariat of the Pan-African Movement from January 26 to February 4 on the occasion of the birthday of leader Kim Jong Il. Sh. D. Shabdolov, chairman of the Communist Party of Tajikistan, in his lecture titled "Songun Idea-Invincible Weapon" said Songun idea is an idea which Kim Jong Il propounded by developing in depth President Kim Il Sung's idea of attaching importance to arms in conformity with the conditions of the present times. Kim Jong Il's Songun idea makes it possible to triumphantly promote the cause of socialism by correct strategy and tactics, the chairman noted, adding: Songun idea is a strategic banner that should be constantly upheld by the parties hoping to build socialism.
    Wilfred Saens Vigo, chairman of the Peru National Association for the Juche Idea, in his lecture gave detailed accounts of Kim Jong Il's brief biography and Songun politics, and the part of national reunification in the joint New Year editorial. He said the Korean people are today achieving world-startling results in the building of a great prosperous powerful socialist nation, the nuclear standoff with the United States and the accomplishment of the cause of national reunification with superhuman will and tireless efforts despite unspeakable trials and difficulties, true to original Songun politics of Kim Jong Il. K. David Mafabi, director of the Political Department of the Secretariat of the Pan-African Movement, in his lecture titled "Korean people trust Songun politics" said the unique Songun politics pursued by Kim Jong Il, chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK, is drawing the attention of the international community for its extraordinary power.
    Korean socialism will make a long drive under the banner of Songun politics enjoying absolute support and trust of the people, he said.

Many Kimilsungia-Kimjongilia Greenhouses Built in DPRK

     Pyongyang, February 9 (KCNA)--Peculiar Kimilsungia-Kimjongilia greenhouses have been built at many units in recent years. According to data available, at least 230 Kimilsungia-Kimjongilia greenhouses have been built across the country.
    More than 110 units have successfully built such greenhouses in recent two years. Scores of such greenhouses were constructed by units of the Korean People's Army.
    The Ministry of the People's Armed Forces rebuilt its greenhouse on an expansion basis in a peculiar style on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of leader Kim Jong Il's assumption of the supreme commandership of the KPA. It has been most successful in raising, propagating and displaying immortal Kimilsungia and Kimjongilia. Many pots of those flowers in full bloom will be contributed to the 8th Kimjongilia Festival.
    Kim Il Sung Higher Party School, the Ministry of People's Security, the Ministry of Chemical Industry, the Ministry of Fisheries and many other ministries and national institutions have built modern greenhouses to bring into bloom the flowers going by the august names of the peerlessly great men.
    Kimilsungia-Kimjongilia greenhouses are also found at the Secret Camp on Mt. Paektu, in Kaesong, a city adjacent to the Military Demarcation Line and other areas where a brisk work is going on to widely propagate and display the flowers.

U.S. Policy of Hegemony Rebuffed

     Pyongyang, February 9 (KCNA) -- If all the forces aspiring after independence intensify their struggle in unity, the U.S. policy of hegemony will go bankrupt, says Rodong Sinmun in a signed article today. The daily cites detailed facts proving that the U.S. is getting more arrogant and arbitrary in the international arena, putting, for example, more than a half of humankind on the sanction list.
    It goes on:
    If the U.S. policy of hegemony is allowed, the foundation of international law will be destroyed, confusion and lawlessness will hold sway and humankind will be subjected to sufferings and misfortunes hither-to unknown, to say nothing of the development of human civilization.
    The veils of "peace", "democracy", "respect for human rights" and "anti-terrorism" advertised by the U.S. while thrusting its claws of aggression deep into all parts of the world are shameless sophism to justify its policy for hegemony. "Justice" advocated by it is a camouflage for concealing its strong-arm military practices and war crimes.
    The U.S. unilateral invasion of Iraq, a U.N. member nation, in disregard of the United Nations last year is a vivid example showing the full picture of its hegemonism.
    The U.S. policy for hegemony, as could be seen in the war against Iraq, has run into denunciation and rebuffs by the international community and allied states and, in the long run, the U.S. finds itself isolated.
    The U.S. is too vulnerable to pursue the policy for hegemony.
    What is important in shattering this policy is for each country to firmly uphold Juche character and national identity and direct primary efforts to strengthening defence capabilities.

Protest Letter to GNP in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, February 9 (KCNA) -- The South Headquarters of the National Alliance of Youth and Students for the Country's Reunification reportedly published a letter of protest to the Grand National Party on Feb. 3. With the approach of the reelection to the 17th "National Assembly" the 2004 Citizens' Solidarity for the 2004 Assembly Election and other organizations have been formed in different public circles and the voices that the people should become the masters of politics are growing louder, the letter noted, and went on:
    This is the trend of the times and demand of the people to terminate old politics and bring a new and true one.
    The idea of "By our nation itself", the basic spirit of the June 15 joint declaration, is based on our nation-first spirit. The 70 million fellow countrymen should open a new phase of independent reunification through national cooperation, holding high this banner.
    The Grand National Party is cracking down on and punishing pro-reunification patriots who support the joint declaration and strive to implement it while making free with remarks against the declaration. This is an anti-national, anti-reunification act of swimming against the times.
    The GNP is displaying feverish activities as a marionette executing the U.S. policy of dominating the Korean peninsula, banking on its threat of war and moves to stifle the north with the outcries for "south Koreas-U.S. alliance" without directing efforts to national cooperation.
    The GNP had better not waste time and money in the forthcoming election to dazzle the people. This is our last advice and warning.

Campaign against Corrupt Politicians Starts in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, February 9 (KCNA) -- The Women's Solidarity to Cope with the General Election in south Korea grouping 321 women's organizations reportedly held a press conference at Anguk-dong, Seoul, on Feb. 4 as regards the selection of those who should be voted down in the "general election". This was to start a campaign to prevent those corrupt politicians from being nominated and vote down them.
    At the press conference Jong Hyon Baek, co-representative of the South Korean Federation of Women's Organizations, branded politicians who block the development of women or do not hesitate to assert the gender discrimination as anti-female candidates as well as candidates opposed to reforms, asserting that the politicians who have conducted parliamentary activities for the gender discrimination should not be nominated by voters again in the forthcoming "general election".
    The organization said it plans to publish a list of those politicians to be voted down including "National Assemblymen from the Grand National Party" who made vulgar remarks against women, touching off protest, and convey it to other civic and social bodies engaged in the campaign.

Agreement on Motion on Troop Dispatch Assailed in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, February 9 (KCNA) -- The People's Action against the Troop Dispatch in south Korea reportedly held a press conference in front of the "National Assembly" building on February 4 to denounce an agreement on the motion on the troop dispatch and declare a campaign to vote down those assemblymen who supported the troop dispatch. The press conference was called to blast Pak Kwan Yong, speaker of the "National Assembly", Choe Pyong Ryol, representative of the "Grand National Party," Kim Jong Phil, president of the "United Liberal Democrats," and others for agreeing at the February 9 extraordinary session of the "National Assembly" to pass the "motion on the troop dispatch" through it.
    Speeches were made at the press conference.
    A declaration published there said that the representatives of political parties are misleading the people by asserting that the troop dispatch to Iraq was "in the state interests" and a "crucial decision" but it is no more than a deception.
    It is inevitable to conduct a campaign to vote down the corrupt politicians in order to judge rightly not only the support to dispatch but the irresponsibility and fabrication of information revealed in the course of handling the issue, the declaration stressed.
    At the end of the press conference the participants gave vent to their resentment, throwing rotten eggs at photos of representatives of political parties who supported the passage of the motion on the troop dispatch through the "National Assembly."

SOFA Branded as Treacherous Agreement

     Pyongyang, February 9 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun in a signed commentary today terms the "south Korea-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement" (SOFA), one of the treacherous agreements symbolical of inequality and humiliation, as a "slavery agreement" granting extraterritorial privileges to the U.S. troops and imposing submission, disgrace and misfortunes upon the south Korean people, a down-the-line document of aggression allowing by law military occupation by the U.S. imperialists and a disgraceful one wantonly trampling upon the self-respect and interests of the south Korean people. The SOFA has been kept in force since it came into effect on Feb. 9, 1967. It provides for "right to criminal jurisdiction" of the U.S. troops, "use of land and facilities", "tax business," "immigration control," etc. for the U.S. forces in south Korea, all of which are disgraceful, the commentary says, and goes on:
    After the treacherous agreement took effect, nearly 40,000 cases of crimes of U.S. soldiers were reported until 1987. But the south Korean authorities exercised first-stage jurisdiction only in 234 cases of them. The SOFA is a slavery document of modern version as it codifies the relations between south Korea and the U.S. as extremely unequal one.
    Today is the era of independence. It is an intolerable shame and tragedy of the nation that south Korea, still bound hand and foot by it, cannot utter a complaint to the U.S. and utterly unable to take any action against GIs' crimes.
    Such aggressive and treacherous agreement, a left-over of the old era which hurts the self-respect of the nation, must be scrapped right away.
    National dignity and sovereignty can be won and defended only through a united struggle of the nation. The present situation in which the U.S. is becoming all the more crazy in its arrogance and arbitrariness proves how it is judicious for all the compatriots at home and abroad to turn out in the showdown between the Korean nation and the United States under the banner of Korean nation-first spirit.

Request Made to Bar Japan from Participating in Six-way Talks

     Pyongyang, February 9 (KCNA) -- Japan adopted a legislation on economic sanctions against the DPRK as a state policy. This is a wanton violation of international law and a grave infringement upon its sovereignty as it is quite contrary to the trend of the present times towards independence, peace, reconciliation and cooperation and to the DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration. A spokesman for the DPRK-Japan Friendship Association said this in a statement issued today in connection with the passage of the "amendment to the law on foreign exchange" through the House of Representatives of Japan on Jan.29. The statement said:
    In the wake of its retrogressive revision of the law Japan let loose a string of balderdash. It said:"It is good to have a variety of negotiating cards. It is the card to be used when north Korea deteriorates the situation and it may deal immeasurable economic and psychological blow at north Korea and it would use the card as a leverage at the six-way talks slated to open on Feb.25".
    The Government of the DPRK has explicitly stated more than once that it would consider any sanctions or blockade against it as a declaration of a war and take legitimate self-defence measures to cope with it.
    Our people will never overlook Japan's revised "law on foreign exchange."
    Japan should know well that its persistent pursuance of the hostile policy towards the DPRK at a time when the situation remains tense on the Korean peninsula due to the nuclear issue will seriously affect peace and security not only in its own country but in Northeast Asia and the rest of the world.
    The DPRK-Japan Friendship Association requests the Government of the DPRK not to have any bilateral contact with Japan nor allow Japan to participate in the six-way talks as it is doggedly pursuing its hostile policy towards the DPRK despite its sincerity and magnanimity.
    Japan will be wholly accountable for all the consequences to be entailed by its reckless behaviour.

Aggressor's True Colors Can Never Be Veiled - KCNA News Analyst's Article -

     Pyongyang, February 9 (KCNA) -- Recently, U.S. President Bush met Brahimi, special advisor to the United Nations Secretary General, and requested an immediate dispatch of a UN mission to Iraq. Bush, who ordered the invasion of Iraq irrespective of the strong opposition of the United Nations and the international community, is now changing his attitude. Why?
    The Iraqi war, the United States started allegedly to "defend liberty", has been viewed in the international community as a war of aggression and plunder and public criticism of the war is growing stronger in the United States. Under this situation, the Bush administration is desperately trying to dull the criticism.
    In order to unleash the Iraqi war, Bush cited the reason that Iraq was threatening the international community by developing weapons of mass destruction.
    However, the former chief of the U.S.-led searching team of mass destruction weapon in Iraq, Key, told Reuters on January 23 that the Bush administration's intelligence was entirely false.
    The Bush administration unilaterally ignited the Iraqi war for the purpose of monopolizing Iraq's oil and placing the Middle East under its domination. With the purpose brought into bold relief, the U.S. intelligence bodies have spread a rumor that Iraq's weapons of mass destruction had been spirited to Syria.
    Syria categorically refuted the rumor and other nations criticized the United States for its lies and plots.
    With the situation getting worse, Rice and other U.S. high-ranking officials held press conferences one after another in a bid to prove the "justness" of the invasion of Iraq.
    On January 20, Bush in a "state address" described the invasion as his political success, alleging that the United States had brought freedom to Iraq and that the world had become safer. Even U.S. media, however, branded his address as base propaganda aimed to improve his image before the next presidential election.
    U.S. Democrats accused Bush of beautifying the unilateral and extreme war of aggression, saying "it is Bush that should be dismissed from his job before anyone else in the United States".
    This is why the Bush administration could not but ask help from the United Nations and the international community, which it disregarded in starting the Iraqi war.
    The Bush administration should know clearly that with no amount of misinformation and plot, can it veil its true colors as aggressor and plunderer.

Ancient Log Tomb Discovered in Korea

     Pyongyang, February 9 (KCNA) -- A log tomb which is believed to date back to the 1st century A.D. was discovered recently in Rakrang District, Pyongyang of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The mound and upper part of the tomb were washed away with the passage of many centuries. Still remain only tomb walls and square lumbers laid on the floor.
    The tomb is 284 centimeters long from north to south and 166 centimeters from east to west.
    Found there were a bronze mirror, glass and crystal beads, a silver finger-ring, a light grey pot and many other relics.
    The bronze mirror, with a patterned edge, is 18.5 centimeters in diameter. There is a knob for string on the back side of the mirror.
    The diameter of the silver finger-ring is some 20 millimeters.
    The size of the glass beads is 2-3 millimeters and that of the hexagonal crystal beads is 10 millimeters. They have holes for connection with each other.
    The log tomb is of great significance in the study of the then culture and tomb building technology.

For Spanish-speaking people

Desenterrada nueva tumba armada en troncos en la RPDC

     Pyongyang, 9 de febrero (ATCC) -- Recientemente, fue desenterrada una tumba armada con troncos del siglo I a.n.e. en el municipio de Rakrang de la ciudad de Pyongyang. En el transcurso del tiempo se perdieron el tumulo y la parte superior de la tumba. Ahora se quedan solamente paredes y las maderas cuadradas tendidas en el suelo.
    La tumba original se componia de lo siguiente: una fosa cuadrada con abitaques gruesos tendidos paralelamente, troncos rectangulares puestos longitudinalmente para el ataud, tapa de maderas y tumulo.
    La tumba es de 284 centimetros de largo del sur al norte y 166 de ancho del este al oeste..
    En ella se encontraron un espejo de bronce, perlas de vidrio, cuarzo, anillo de plata y jarro de color gris blanco.
    El espejo de bronce con marco de dibujos tiene 18.5 centimetros de diametro. Su lado anterior es tan reluciente que se refleja la cara del ser humano y su lado trasero tiene un asidero para atar soga.
    El anillo de plata tiene 20 milimetros de diametro.
    La perla de vidrio tiene 2-3 milimetros y la de cuarzo hexagono, 10 milimetros de alto.
    La tumba desenterrada esta vez reviste un gran significado en la investigacion de la cultura y la tecnica de construccion de tumba de aquel tiempo.

Efectuado pleno ampliado del CC del PSDC

     Pyongyang, 9 de febrero (ATCC) -- El pleno ampliado del Comite Central del Partido Social-Democrata de Corea (PSDC) tuvo lugar el dia 7 en esta capital con la participacion de los miembros de la Comision Politica y del CC del PSDC y los presidentes de los comites provinciales, urbanos y distritales de este partido. La reunion discutio las "Tareas del partido para materializar el aprobado en la Conferencia Conjunta del Gobierno, los Partidos Politicos y las Organizaciones de la RPDC".
    Presento un informe Kim Yong Dae, presidente del CC del PSDC e intervinieron otras personas.
    Los oradores presentaron las tareas y medios para llevar a la practica la estructura de confrontacion de toda la nacion coreana vs. EE.UU. y llamar a todos los militantes del partido a la lucha por abrir una nueva fase de la paz y la reunificacion del pais enarbolando la consigna "!Abramos el camino de reunificacion independiente con la cooperacion nacional bajo la bandera de dar prioridad a la nacion coreana!" en medio de la severa situacion de hoy en que las maniobras anti-RPDC y anti-reunificacion de EE.UU. se tornan cada dia mas perversas.
    Senalaron que, en acato al llamamiento de la citada conferencia conjunta y con la bandera de dar prioridad a la nacion coreana en alto, deben fortalecer la unidad y la solidaridad con los partidos politicos y organizaciones en el pais y el extranjero para realizar exitosamente la cooperacion nacional antiyanqui.
    Pusieron enfasis en la necesidad de que junto con todos los integrantes de la nacion, todos los miembros del partido apoyen unanimemente la gran politica de Songun (priorizacion militar) de amor a la patria, la nacion y el pueblo, y defender y ejecutar resueltamente la historica Declaracion Conjunta del 15 de Junio.
    La sesion discutio el topico "Para intensificar la educacion de conciencia independiente nacional entre los militantes del partido".
    Se aprobaron resoluciones correspondientes.