Floral Baskets to Kim Jong Il

     Pyongyang, February 17 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il received floral baskets from the secretary general of the International Institute of the Juche Idea (IIJI) and his party and a delegation of the Japanese Society for the Study of Kimilsungism on a visit to the DPRK on the occasion of his birthday. They were separately conveyed to an official concerned by Kenichi Ogami, secretary general of the IIJI, and Masaharu Ueki, secretary general of the society who is heading the delegation, on February 16.

U.S. Policy of Strength Assailed

     Pyongyang, February 17 (KCNA) -- The U.S. policy of strength is based on the militarization of economy and represents the interests of the U.S. munition monopolies, says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article. The U.S. munition monopolies do not allow the items for making profits to dwindle due to a halt to the war against terrorism, a peaceful settlement of disputes, dEtente, a stop to arms race and realization of disarmament, the signed article says, and goes on:
    They are not directly interested in the cutdown or elimination of the weapons they had already produced and sold but never permit restriction on or halt to arms production or a ban on developing new type weapons.
    That is why the U.S. is giving spurs to the development of new type nuclear weapons and ultra modern equipment including the missile defence system and more efficient conventional weapons while signing treaties on eliminating some nukes.
    The Bush administration's policy of aggression including the protracted "war against terrorism" fully reflects the demand and interests of the munition monopolies to produce and sell more weapons and war supplies for making profits.
    This wild ambition of the U.S. finds a concentric manifestation in the U.S. imperialists' invariable policy toward the DPRK. There is a sign of dEtente in other parts of the world but the situation on the Korean peninsula still remains tense and the danger of a war increases there. This is entirely attributable to the U.S. imperialists' policy of strength.
    As long as the U.S. munition monopolies are keen to gain more profits by steadily expanding their war industry, the U.S. reactionary ruling quarters can never drop their policy of strength.

Celebrations Held Abroad

     Pyongyang, February 17 (KCNA) -- Meetings were held in Sofia of Bulgaria and Malmo of Sweden and Zagarolo of Italy from Feb. 7 to 9 to celebrate February 16, the birthday of leader Kim Jong Il. Present at the meetings were the vice-chairman of the Bulgaria-Korea Friendship Association, the chairman of the Communist Party of Sweden, the deputy mayor of Zagarolo of Italy and other public figures and people from all walks of life.
    Speeches were made there.
    Milcho Gyuvrov, vice-chairman of the Bulgaria-Korea Friendship Association, referred to the outstanding Songun leadership of Kim Jong Il, saying that the world progressives are impressed to hear the news that the Korean people are effecting miracles and innovations in the building of Korean-style socialism despite all difficulties and hardships created by the imperialists' moves to isolate and stifle the DPRK, true to the Songun policy, an all-mighty treasured sword.
    Ricardo Stenbery, chief of the Malmo Group for the Study of the Juche Idea of Sweden, pointed in detail to the essence of the Juche idea and its historical significance and its full embodiment in the DPRK, calling for intensifying the activities to disseminate it.
    A message of greetings to Kim Jong Il was adopted at the meeting in Bulgaria.

300-Man Declaration Adopted in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, February 17 (KCNA) -- 300 figures from all walks of life under 58 civic and social organizations of south Korea including the People for Achieving Peace and Reunification, the Democratic Workers' Party, the National Alliance for Democracy and Reunification, the Citizens' Solidarity for Democratic Society and the Centre for Peace and Disarmament reportedly called a press conference in Seoul on Feb. 12 in protest against the humiliating transfer of the U.S. military base in Ryongsan. Jong Uk Sik, representative of the Peace Network, and Chae Han Sok, representative of a district committee of Phyongthaek of the Democratic Workers' Party, in their speeches said that the redeployment of the U.S. forces in south Korea through the transfer of their base will not only result in increasing the defence spending running into astronomical figures and facilitating their preemptive attack on the north but serve the U.S. purpose of mobilizing combat forces when necessary as is the case with the dispatch of troops to Iraq. They stressed the need to wage a powerful struggle against the expansion and transfer of the U.S. military base.
    A declaration of 300 figures from all walks of life against the U.S. pressure upon south Korea to cover all the expenses for the transfer of the base running into astronomical figures and its offer of Phyongthaek area for the base was adopted at the press conference.
    The declaration said:
    The authorities decided to bear all expenses for the transfer of the base including not only the area but buildings, lodging quarters, power facilities and even a golf course and expenses for the transfer of employees in the base. Not content with this, they agreed to build structures as requested by the U.S. Department of Defense. This is a humiliating act.
    The transfer of the U.S. military base in Ryongsan now pushed forward by the U.S. is aimed to increase the forces for preemptive attacks on the north and turn the U.S. forces in south Korea into a Northeast Asian regional army.

Art Performances Given

     Pyongyang, February 17 (KCNA) -- Art performances were given at the Pyongyang Grand Theatre, the People's Palace of Culture and the Mangyongdae Schoolchildren's Palace Monday on the occasion of the February holiday. The performances were seen by senior officials of the Party, the state and the army and chairmen of the friendly parties.
    Present on invitation were overseas Koreans visiting the socialist homeland and foreigners.
    The music and dance performance "The Best Wishes" was given by the artistes of the Mansudae Art Troupe at the Pyongyang Grand Theatre. They put on the stage female trio and chorus "Our General Is Best", female folk solo "Jong Il Peak is the Best", female trio "His Life" and other numbers. In these numbers they highly praised the immortal exploits leader Kim Jong Il has performed in protecting the dignity of the nation and achieving prosperity of the country.
    A performance was given by rural art groups from across the country at the People's Palace of Culture.
    The performers truthfully represented the high pride and honor of the Korean people blessed with the illustrious leaders generation after generation.
    A combined performance "Let Us Uphold the Fatherly General with Ample Knowledge, High Morality and Strong Body" was given by art groups of the Mangyongdae Schoolchildren's Palace at its theatre.
    Similar performances took place at the Pyongyang Schoolchildren's Palace, the Pyongyang Circus Theatre, the Pyongyang Art Theatre and other theatres here.

Reception for Overseas Koreans

     Pyongyang, February 17 (KCNA) -- A reception for overseas Koreans was given at the Mansudae Art Theatre on Monday on the occasion of the birthday of leader Kim Jong Il. Present there were Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Kim Yu Ho, director of the Bureau of Reception for Overseas Compatriots, and other officials concerned.
    Present there were congratulatory groups of Koreans in Japan, the General Association of Koreans in China, the Central Association of Korean Nationals in Russia, the International United Confederation of Koreans, the Federation of Koreans in the U.S., the Federation of Koreans in Australia, art groups of Koreans in Japan and the U.S., overseas Koreans on a visit to the socialist homeland to celebrate his birthday and other overseas Koreans staying here.
    Yang Hyong Sop in a speech said that Kim Jong Il, who was born on Mt. Paektu and nurtured a noble patriotic intention under the care of the peerlessly great man and woman, has performed immortal exploits for the country, the people, the times and history by conducting all his revolutionary activities with intense loyalty to President Kim Il Sung, a strong sense of the mission to accomplish the revolutionary cause of Juche, ardent love for the people and rare political ability.
    He expressed firm belief that overseas compatriots will as ever turn out in a patriotic struggle to build a great prosperous powerful reunified country by the concerted efforts of the Korean nation under the leadership of Kim Jong Il.
    Jo Ryong Hyon, vice-chairman of the Central Standing Committee of Chongryon who is heading the congratulatory group of Koreans in Japan, in a speech said that the tireless devoted efforts of Kim Jong Il resulted in winning a great victory in defending socialism, paving the way for a dynamic advance for the building of a great prosperous powerful nation and bringing about a strong wind of reunification, a violent trend of national cooperation throughout Korea.
    We will remain true to the Songun policy of Kim Jong Il and fulfill our mission in the sacred patriotic struggle to achieve national reunification and build a great prosperous powerful nation as overseas citizens of Songun Korea, he stressed.
    An art performance was given at the reception.

Functions Held

     Pyongyang, February 17 (KCNA) -- People from all walks of life and school youth and children held multifarious functions at the festively decorated streets, villages, factories, enterprises, co-op farms and residential quarters on the occasion of the February holiday. Kimjongilia shows were held with large attendance and photo and fine art exhibitions are now underway in all provincial seats in celebration of February 16.
    Celebrations of the February holiday included art performances, oratorical and oath-taking meetings, sports and amusement games, etc.
    Music and dance performances were given by artistes of provincial art troupes at theatres in South Hwanghae, South Hamgyong and North Phyongan provinces.
    A 5,000-man performance was given in the plaza of the Hamhung Grand Theatre. Its participants loudly sang of the immortal revolutionary exploits of Kim Jong Il and the pride and honor of the Korean people blessed with the illustrious leaders generation after generation.
    A grand march was staged in Sinuiju by at least 30,000 people from all walks of life in North Phyongan Province, and joint meetings of the Korean Children's Union organizations and accession ceremonies to the union were held in Wonsan and Haeju.

Guest Performance Given by Russian Artistes

     Pyongyang, February 17 (KCNA) -- A performance for guests of honor was given at the April 25 House of Culture by the Moiseyev State Academy Folk Dance Troupe of Russia on a visit to the DPRK yesterday on the occasion of the birthday of leader Kim Jong Il. Senior officials of the Party and the state, officials of ministries and national institutions, artistes and working people in Pyongyang enjoyed the performance.
    Among the audience were the head of the dance troupe, the Russian ambassador to the DPRK and staff members of the Russian embassy.
    The troupe truthfully depicted the traditional life custom and national emotion of the Russian people through Russian dances including "Summer" and "Kalmyk Dance" and winter fairy dance "Snowstorm", thus winning high acclaim of the audience.
    It also successfully staged the folk dances of different countries of the world including a Moldavian dance suite, an Argentinean dance, a Spanish dance and a Greek dance.
    A Nanai folk game "Two Boys at Wrestling" presented with a high skill drew laughter from the audience.
    The troupe successfully presented a Korean dance to be warmly applauded by the audience.
    The performance, which proceeded with the warm DPRK-Russia friendship, closed with a chorus "Our Friendship Will Be Ever-lasting".
    Senior officials of the Party and the state of the DPRK mounted on the stage to present a floral basket to the artistes, congratulating them on their successful performance.

Children's Camping Starts This Year

     Pyongyang, February 17 (KCNA) -- Camping started at the Jangjasan Children's Union Camp this year. During their camping the union members from all parts of the country will visit the Jangjasan Revolutionary Site and participate in the work to spruce up it and thus learn from the intense loyalty to President Kim Il Sung, ardent patriotism and warm love for the people shown by leader Kim Jong Il in his childhood.
    They will, at the same time, harden the knowledge they have acquired at schools and train their body and soul through diverse activities including the presentation of what they wrote, poem recitation, mountaineering, sports games, skiing, kite-flying and art performance during their pleasant camping.
    A ceremony of receiving campers took place on the spot on Feb. 16.

Foreigners and Overseas Koreans Visit Kimjongilia Festival

     Pyongyang, February 17 (KCNA) -- The secretary general of the International Institute of the Juche Idea (IIJI) and his party, a delegation of the Japanese Society for the Study of Kimilsungism and a congratulatory group of Koreans in Japan visited the 8th Kimjongilia Festival yesterday. After their visits, they made entries in the visitors' book.
    Masaharu Ueki, head of the delegation of the society who is its secretary general, wrote that Kimjongilias in full bloom show the profound veneration of the Korean people for the great General Secretary Kim Jong Il.
    He noted that the Korean people would achieve greater success in the building of a great prosperous powerful nation as they have Kim Jong Il at the helm of the revolution.
    Jo Ryong Hyon, vice-chairman of the Central Standing Committee of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan who is leading the congratulatory group, wrote that the festival vividly represents the loyalty of the army and people of the DPRK to hold in high esteem and follow Kim Jong Il.
    The immortal flower, the flower of the sun, will bloom more beautifully all over the world in token of praises for Kim Jong Il who takes warm care of all the people, he added.

Greetings to Gambian President

     Pyongyang, February 17 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, on Feb. 11 sent a message of greetings to Yaya A. J. J. Jammeh, president of the Republic of Gambia, on the occasion of the 39th anniversary of its independence. Expressing the belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries will continue to favorably develop, the message sincerely wished the president and the people of Gambia greater success in their work for the development and prosperity of the country.

Kim Jong Il Receives Head of Russian Folk Dance Troupe

     Pyongyang, February 17 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Il, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission, today received Elena Scherbakova, head of the Moiseyev State Academy Folk Dance Troupe of Russia, on a visit to the DPRK. Present there was Russian Ambassador E.P.to the DPRK Andrei Karlov.
    Kim Jong Il warmly welcomed the visit of the troupe to the DPRK and had a warm and friendly talk with the guest.
    The head of the troupe conveyed to Kim Jong Il a congratulatory letter from Igori Moiseyev, founder and permanent leader of the troupe, and presented him with a gift of the troupe.

Kim Jong Il Enjoys Art Performance Given by Russian Folk Dance Troupe

     Pyongyang, February 17 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Il, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission, today enjoyed an art performance given by the Moiseyev State Academy Folk Dance Troupe of Russia on a visit to the DPRK. When he appeared in the auditorium of the theatre, the entire audience enthusiastically welcomed him with a thunderous applause.
    He was accompanied by Kim Yong Chun, member of the NDC of DPRK and chief of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army, Yon Hyong Muk, vice-chairman of the NDC of the DPRK, and other senior officials of the Party and army, senior officials of power, administrative and economic institutions and in the fields of science, education, culture and arts, public health and the press and servicepersons.
    Elena Scherbakova, head of the troupe, and Ambassador Andrei Karlov and staff members of the Russian embassy here were among the audience.
    The troupe widely known to the Korean people through a series of performances put on the stage Russian dances "Summer" and "Kalmyk Dance", a Moldavian dance suit, a Spanish dance, a Greek dance, Nanai folk game "Two Boys at Wrestling", a one-act ballet drama and other numbers.
    It successfully represented the optimistic life, national emotion and peculiar aspects of living of Russians and various nations through refined artistic skills and graceful and enthusiastic rhythms.
    The high level of its representation clearly showed the appearance of the troupe with a long history and tradition.
    The performance ended with a chorus "Our Friendship Will Be Everlasting" with the warm DPRK-Russia friendship prevailing in the theatre.
    Kim Jong Il sent a floral basket to the artists congratulating them on their successful performance.

For Spanish-speaking people

Kim Jong Il recibe cestos de flores de huespedes extranjeros

     Pyongyang, 17 de febrero (ATCC) -- Con motivo del dia de nacimiento del Dirigente Kim Jong Il, le rindieron cestos de flores el secretario general del Instituto Internacional de la Idea Juche y su comitiva, asi como la delegacion de la Sociedad Japonesa de Estudio del Kimilsunismo, de visita en Corea. Kenichi Ogami, secretario general del citado Instituto y Ueki Masaharu, secretario general de susodicha Sociedad los entregaron el dia 16 a los funcionarios coreanos, respectivamente.

Conjunto de danza folclorica de Moiseyev de Rusia

     Pyongyang, 17 de febrero (ATCC) -- Con motivo del cumpleanos del Dirigente Kim Jong Il, el Conjunto de Danza Folclorica de la Academia Nacional de Moiseyev de Rusia, de visita en Corea, ofrecio el dia 16 en la Casa Cultural "25 de Abril" una funcion para invitados. La vieron los cuadros del partido y el Estado, funcionarios de ministerios y organos centrales, artistas y trabajadores de la capital.
    La presenciaron tambien la jefa de dicho conjunto, el embajador y otros miembros de la sede diplomatica de la Federacion Rusa en Corea.
    Los ejecutantes de las piezas, entre otras, la danza rusa "El verano", "El baile Kalmyk" y el baile "La nevasca" arrancaron efusiva ovacion de los espectadores por la impresionante descripcion de las tradicionales costumbres de la vida y el sentimiento nacional del pueblo ruso.
    Los artistas rusos dieron excelentes actuaciones en otras piezas como el suite coreografico de Moldova "Chock", la danza argentina "Gaucho" y la espanola "Aragon", la griega "Sirtaki" y otras piezas folcloricas de varios paises del mundo. El ejecutante del juego folclorico del tribu de Nanai "La lucha entre 2 ninos", con su elevada maestria artistica, hizo soltar carcajadas al publico.
    Los artistas rusos llevaron a la escena de manera vivida piezas coreograficas de Corea siendo objeto de gran elogio de los espectadores.
    La funcion termino con el coro de la cancion "Sera eterna nuestra amistad". El espectaculo transcurrio en medio del caluroso sentimiento de la amistad Corea-Rusia.
    Los cuadros del partido y el Estado subieron a la escena y entregaron a los ejecutantes un cesto de flores para felicitarlos por su exitosa funcion.

Acto nacional de organizaciones de la Union de Ninos de Corea

     Pyongyang, 17 de febrero (ATCC) -- Tuvo lugar el dia 16 en el Palacio de Deportes de Pyongyang el Acto Nacional de las Organizaciones de la Union de Ninos de Corea (UNC) en celebracion del dia de nacimiento del Dirigente Kim Jong Il. Participaron los representantes de organizaciones de la UNC en todas las provincias y los miembros de esta entidad de ninos en la ciudad de Pyongyang, asi como los ninos que van a ingresar en la UNC.
    En el acto fue recitada la poesia intitulada "Somos reservas de la revolucion del Songun", la que refleja el alma de fidelidad de los tres millones de integrantes de la UNC.
    Acto seguido, tuvo lugar una ceremonia de ingreso en la UNC.
    Al compas de la voz guia del ex combatiente revolucionario antijapones, Kim Ryong Yon, los ninos ingresantes juraron solemnemente ante la bandera de la UNC.
    A los ninos les pusieron la panoleta roja y la insignia de la UNC los cuadros, ex combatientes revolucionarios antijaponeses, veteranos de guerra, funcionarios de la union juvenil, benemeritos y padres de los ninos.
    Los ingresados respondieron "!Siempre listos!" como el primer saludo de la UNC a la energica consigna "!Preparemos siempre para el querido General Kim Jong Il!"
    Seguidamente, la ex-combatiente revolucionaria antijaponesa Kim Ok Sun y el Dr. Kim Yong San, jefe de catedra del Instituto Universitario Politecnico Kim Chaek pronunciaron discursos de felicitacion.
    En el acto participaron Choe Thae Bok, Yang Hyong Sop, Kim Jung Rin y otros funcionarios.