Rodong Sinmun on Key to Settlement of Nuclear Issue

     Pyongyang, March 8 (KCNA) -- If the U.S. continues to persist in its brigandish theory and demand in defiance of the DPRK's sincerity and magnanimity and does not make a switchover in its hostile policy toward it, the six-way talks would give no help to the settlement of the nuclear issue in the future, too and make no contribution to ensuring denuclearization and peace of the Korean peninsula. Rodong Sinmun today says this in a signed commentary.
    Recalling the fact that the second round of the six-way talks ended with no result due to the U.S. stand, the commentary goes on:
    At the talks the U.S. repeated its assertion of "scrapping nuclear program before dialogue", while making no positive change in its stand.
    The DPRK cannot but call into question the U.S. insistence on "complete, verifiable, irreversible dismantlement of nuclear program".
    It is necessary to make an analysis of the essence and danger of the above-said assertion.
    The U.S. demand for "complete dismantlement of nuclear program" is an essential ambition to wrest the nuclear deterrent force from the DPRK free of charge to disarm it and overthrow its system. In other words, it is a brigandish logic for "scrapping nuclear program before overthrowing the DPRK's system".
    The U.S. insistence on "verifiable dismantlement of nuclear program" is also very cunning. It is aimed to round off its preparations for the second Korean war by rummaging through the DPRK under the pretext of "inspection". It is the U.S. real intention to ignite a war against the DPRK on the basis of grasping its internal conditions, military potentials and military objects with "comb tactics" like reading its palm under the pretext of "inspection". This is why the U.S. came out again with the issue of fictitious "enriched uranium" at the talks and demanded the DPRK recognize it. .
    As for "irreversible dismantlement of nuclear program", it is a noose to economically suffocate the DPRK by stamping out its peaceful nuclear power industry. The DPRK has no will to halt its peaceful nuclear activities but the will to give up nuclear weaponisation according to the "word for word" promise and the way of "action for action" based on simultaneous package solution to peacefully settlement the nuclear issue.
    In the long run, the strategic purpose and danger of "complete, verifiable, irreversible dismantlement of nuclear program" forced by the U.S. are to disarm the DPRK completely, suffocate it economically, militarily occupy it and exterminate its socialist system.
    Now that the U.S. is persistently forcing the "complete, verifiable, irreversible dismantlement of nuclear program" upon the DPRK,turning aside from the latter's elastic and most magnanimous proposal, the DPRK cannot but demand the U.S. completely withdraw its troops from south Korea in a verifiable way and make the "complete, verifiable, irreversible security assurance" guaranteeing the adoption of peace agreement and normalization of relations.
    In fact, the U.S. is the biggest nukes possessor which is disqualified to say about the dismantlement of nuclear weapons, the first user of nuclear weapons in the world and the worst criminal which pursues the most dangerous nuclear policy. Through the six-way talks, it has become obvious that the U.S. change in its stand is prerequisite and the dialogue between the DPRK and the U.S. is a fundamental mean. The DPRK considers the recent talks favourable for the DPRK to confirm the orientation of its next action. As long as the U.S. intentionally delays the settlement of the nuclear issue, the DPRK will continue to take necessary measures as soon as possible. The longer the U.S. delays time, the more unfavorable situation it will face.
    The DPRK remains unchanged in its stand to solve the nuclear issue through dialogue, in a peaceful way and by the way of simultaneous action. The point at issue is the stand of the U.S. The key to the settlement of the nuclear issue depends on the change of the U.S. stand.
    If the U.S. gives up its demand for "scrapping nuclear program first" and make a switchover in its Korea policy, a dramatic progress will be made in settling the nuclear issue.
    The DPRK will follow the U.S. change in its stand.

S. Korean Foreign Minister's Unreasonable Remarks Flailed

     Pyongyang, March 8 (KCNA) -- The south Korean minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade during his recent visit to the United States let loose a string of balderdash that it is difficult to substantially launch on a large scale economic exchange between the north and the south unless the nuclear issue is settled, which is ridiculed at home and abroad. Commenting on this, Rodong Sinmun today says:
    He linked the nuclear issue to the economic cooperation between the fellow countrymen. This fully revealed that he is an ignoramus who does not know the essence of the issue.
    It is only too natural that the DPRK should have nuclear deterrent force to prevent nuclear disaster and defend its right to existence and sovereignty now that the United States is working hard to stifle the DPRK over the nuclear issue at any cost and unleash a nuclear war to exterminate the Korean nation.
    The behavior of the south Korean minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade cannot be construed otherwise than an anti-national criminal act of joining in the U.S. nuclear racket to exterminate the Korean nation as it seeks cooperation with outside forces, ignoring the nation.
    The anti-national and anti-reunification criminal acts of blocking the improvement of inter-Korean relations, reconciliation and cooperation while following the U.S. line of threatening the fellow countrymen, instead of protesting against the U.S. nuclear racket to exterminate the Korean nation and calling for the withdrawal of the U.S. troops from south Korea, the root cause of all disasters, cannot be justified with anything.
    Those turning their back on the nation and acting marionettes of the U.S. are bound to meet a miserable end.

Rodong Sinmun observes Women's Day

     Pyongyang, March 8 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun dedicates an editorial to the 94th March 8 International Women's Day. The editorial says: The DPRK women and people pay their deepest respects to President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il who glorified the dignity and personalities of women and brought them up as a powerful force of the Songun revolution. The struggle for social and political independence of the women has started in our country under the leadership of Kim Il Sung. Kang Pan Sok founded the Anti-Japanese Women's Association, the first revolutionary women's organization in Korea, under the leadership of the President and led the women to the sacred revolutionary struggle against all sorts of the Japanese imperialists' exploitation and oppression and personal subordination and for the liberation of the country. During the days of the anti-Japanese struggle Kim Jong Suk, an indomitable revolutionary fighter, awakened women to rise up in the sacred war against the Japanese imperialists true to the intention of the President and made an immortal contribution to the history of the Korean women's movement. The President personally worked out the "10-Point Program of the Association for the Restoration of the Fatherland" during the rigorous anti-Japanese revolution to clarify the issue of respecting the personalities of women. He enacted and proclaimed the Law n Sex Equality after the liberation of the country. Since then the Korean women have grown up as a powerful social force rolling one of the two wheels of revolution and greatly contributed to the development of the era. The women's movement covered the proud road of victory under the wise leadership of the President and has come to develop on a new high stage in the era of Songun led by Kim Jong Il. Among the women upholding his Songun leadership with loyalty are many deputies to the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, party officials, directors of factories and enterprises, managerial chairpersons of farms, renowned scientists and heroines, illustrious sportswomen and artistes. It is really significant that the role of women has remarkably increased in consolidating the single-hearted unity of the ranks of our revolution with the headquarters of revolution as their centre and stepping up the cause of socialism under the banner of great Songun.

Campaign for Rebuilding Candlelight Monument in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, March 8 (KCNA) -- A campaign for rebuilding the monument to the candlelight for independence and peace is now brisk in south Korea. Civic and public organizations agreed to conduct the movement for rebuilding the monument as well as the struggle for general election scheduled in April, describing the monument as a symbol of the desire of all the people for independence and peace and branding the chief of the Jongro District Office who forcibly evacuated the monument as a pro-U.S. sycophantic traitor.
    The All-People Measure Committee for Sin Hyo Sun and Sim Mi Son, Schoolgirls Killed by a U.S. Armored Car in an article to the people said that the candlelight monument is a promise of all of us to prevent the reoccurrence of such a brutal murder by a U.S. armored car and a symbol of the candlelight demonstration of all people wishing for the termination of the unequal south Korea-U.S. relations and peace on the Korean peninsula.
    The authorities are going to unhesitatingly offer even the Toksu Palace site, which should be preserved eternally, for new construction of the U.S. embassy, the article said, adding that they are totally ignoring the demand for rebuilding the candlelight monument carrying the unanimous desire of the people for independence and peace.
    The all-people measure committee held a conference of representatives in late February and decided to promote the movement for rebuilding the candlelight monument. It is now conducting positive activities with the approaching of the April general election and the second anniversary of the memorial service for Hyo Sun and Mi Son (June 13).
    Meanwhile, civic and public organizations agreed to bring together 10,000 members for promotion before the general election, open to the public the stand on candidates of the Jongro District from all political parties and fix it as the standard of selecting candidates for the general election.
    They said that they would form a group for the promotion of rebuilding after the general election to conduct massive activities and build candlelight monuments not only at Kwanghwamun but also at least 10 areas on the occasion of June 13.
    The Lawyers Meeting for Democratic Society decided to bring a suit against the Jongro District Office in Seoul which forcibly evacuated the candlelight monument.

Joint Council to Cope with Revised "Law on Assembly and Demonstration" Formed in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, March 8 (KCNA) -- A press conference was reportedly held in Seoul on March 4 as regards the inauguration of the joint council to cope with the revised "law on assembly and demonstration" which groups 85 civic and public organizations. At the press conference Pak Rae Gun of the Society for Human Rights Movement said that the "law on assembly and demonstration" retrogressively revised by the authorities this time fully reflects only the stand of the "National Police Office" but totally ignores the will of the people.
    Saying that the law is an unjust evil law which restrains the freedom of the people, he underscored the need to struggle against the law by the method of declaring a campaign for disobeying it and not yielding to the police sanctions.
    O Jong Ryol, permanent chairman of the National Alliance for Democracy and Reunification, said that the campaign for disobeying the revised law is neither irresponsible refusal nor unconditional opposition but a campaign to defend democracy and justice. He stressed the need to conduct a campaign for rewriting the law to ensure the freedom of assembly and demonstration to the maximum.
    The organization announced that it plans in the future to form a legal support group to cope with the law on assembly and demonstration and a group to watch encroachment upon assembly and freedom, to stage an internet cyber demonstration and, at the same time, widely introduce the injustice of the "law on assembly and demonstration" through literature.

KCNA on Japan's Much Talk about "Abduction Issue"

     Pyongyang, March 8 (KCNA) -- Japan is continuing to pull up the DPRK over the "abduction issue" despite the unbiased international opinion about the DPRK-Japan relations. On March 4 Tokyo Metropolitan Governor Ishihara repeatedly stressed the necessity of economic sanctions against north Korea as regards the "kidnapping issue". Prior to it, the "Dietmen's League for Abduction Issue" consisting of supra-partisan dietmen published a resolution demanding a swift effectuation of the revised law on foreign exchange which makes it possible to apply economic sanctions to north Korea for an early settlement of the "kidnapping issue".
    This is a hostile act against the DPRK which was done after the chief executive and other high-ranking politicians of Japan told that sanctions and pressure on north Korea are an effective method of the settlement of the nuclear and kidnapping issues.
    We cannot remain an onlooker to the fact that such a racket of sanctions was kicked off under the pretext of the "kidnapping issue" at a time when Japan adopted the "amendment to the law on foreign exchange" which legislated the economic sanctions on the DPRK as a state policy some time ago to declare the political and military confrontation with it and is intending to legitimately commit the moves to isolate and stifle it.
    In the last century Japan kidnapped and forcibly walked away at least 8.4 million Koreans and has not yet liquidated its past wrongdoings. Last year it abducted more than 20 DPRK citizens in the DPRK-China border area and kept even five persons who temporarily returned to Japan for a visit to their native places. However, Japan kept mum about such abduction and is talking about "kidnapping issue" which had already been settled. This is intolerable.
    The Japanese right-wing reactionaries are working hard to tarnish the image of the DPRK under the pretext of the "kidnapping issue", evade the liquidation of the past and create a favorable atmosphere for carrying out their rightist policy through the hostile moves against the DPRK by using the "people's sentiment".
    It is ridiculous for the Japanese reactionaries to resort to the moves against the DPRK in a bid to impose economic sanctions on it under the pretext of the "kidnapping issue".
    Japan should not act rashly, clearly mindful of the consequences to be entailed by its hostile moves against the DPRK and pressure on it.

Rodong Sinmun Calls for Giving Full Play to Collectivism

     Pyongyang, March 8 (KCNA) -- Korean-style socialism is giving fully play to its advantages despite the evermore undisguised moves of the imperialists to invade, isolate and stifle the DPRK as it is embodying collectivism. Rodong Sinmun today says this in a signed article.
    It goes on:
    Collectivism is the life and soul of socialism, which means that victory and defeat of socialism depend on how collectivism is applied.
    Socialism can fully display its dignity and might and guarantee its triumphant advance only when it is based on collectivism.
    The driving force of the Korean revolution has been remarkably strengthened and uninterrupted miracles and upsurge have been effected in the building of a great prosperous powerful nation under such grim circumstances as today because the DPRK has thoroughly applied collectivism into all the fields of socialist construction, taking hold on it.
    Collectivism is the basic cornerstone of single-hearted unity and unbounded devotion and self-sacrifice spirit with which all the members of the society dedicate their youth and life to the Party, the leader, the country and the people and care and value each other as comrades on the road to do so.
    All the army and the people are firmly united as a rank of Songun revolutionary comrades who are sharing the idea, intention and the same destiny with the headquarters of the revolution for the society and collective, and the whole society forms a large revolutionary family. This is a real picture of our society and such single-hearted unity makes our socialism so strong and viable.
    To thoroughly apply the collective principle is a firm guarantee to defend and advance the socialist system.
    The socialist system emerges victorious if the collective principle, its fundamental demand, is defended, and collapses if it is abandoned.
    In order to win victory of socialism in the life and death struggle, collectivism should be more comprehensively applied.

Women Play Great Role in DPRK

     Pyongyang, March 8 (KCNA) -- The women of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea are a reliable force which rolls one of the two wheels of revolution. On the occasion of the March 8 International Women's Day, Pak Sun Hui, chairperson of the Central Committee of the Korean Democratic Women's Union, said in an interview with KCNA:
    The women make up more than a half of the population in the country. Among them are deputies to the Supreme People's Assembly, leading officials of the Party and state organs, working people's organizations, people's government bodies, managers of industrial establishments and cooperative farms, heroes of the Republic, Labor heroes, and renowned professors, doctors, artists and athletes.
    Women account for 20.1 per cent of the deputies to the SPA and a lot of women are deputies to provincial, city and county people's assemblies.
    The government ensures the women's rights and interests to the letter through the Kim Il Sung Constitution, socialist labor law, law on public health, family law and other laws.
    Especially, women enjoy much benefit of the state including maternity leave.
    The Korean Democratic Women's Union is their only mass political organization in the country.
    The union, which joined the Women's International Democratic Federation in October Juche 35 (1946), has constantly expanded and developed cooperative relations with progressive women's organizations of other countries in the ideas of independence, peace and friendship.

Revolution in Syria Marked

     Pyongyang, March 8 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today devotes a signed article to the 41st anniversary of the March 8 Revolution in Syria. Recalling the fact that the patriotic soldiers and people of Syria overthrew the corrupted and incompetent regime and established new one under the leadership of the Baath Arab Socialist Party, the article says:
    The Syrian Arab people's efforts to build an independent and prosperous new society brought about the great development in various domains including economy, culture and social life.
    Now they, guided by Syria's Baath Arab Socialist Party headed by President Bashar al Assad, stepped up the construction of an independent new life, firmly adhering to the anti-imperialist idea for independence. The Syrian Arab people have waged the struggle to defend the sovereignty of the country and realize its territorial integrity against the anti-Syria moves of imperialists.
    The unbiased efforts and stand of Syria to solve the Mideast issue are supported by the international community.
    The course covered by the Syrian Arab people proves that when one invariably advances along the road of independence, one's own choice, convinced of the justice of his cause, he can defend the dignity of the nation and accelerate the construction of a new independent and prosperous society.
    No force on earth can check the struggle of the Syrian Arab people aspiring after independent development and social progress and their efforts to create a new life will bear a good fruition.

National Meeting Held to Mark International Women's Day

     Pyongyang, March 8 (KCNA) -- A national meeting was held at the People's Palace of Culture today to mark the 94th March 8 International Women's Day. Pak Sun Hui, chairwoman of the Central Committee of the Korean Democratic Women's Union, in a report said that the international unity and solidarity between women of the whole world have been strengthened in the anti-imperialist and anti-colonialist struggle for peace, democracy, national independence and socialism and great progress has been made in the development of the global women's movement in the last 94 years.
    The Korean women's movement was brilliantly pioneered by the three generals of Mt. Paektu and it has advanced along the road of victory and glory, the reporter noted, and continued:
    After liberating the country President Kim Il Sung inaugurated the Korean Democratic Women's Union, a popular political organization of the Korean women, and promulgated the Law on Sex Equality which was unprecedented in any country, so that a fundamental change was brought about in the social life of women.
    Kim Jong Suk, an anti-Japanese war hero, developed the Korean women's movement into a Juche-based women's movement thoroughly faithful to the idea and intention of the President and performed immortal exploits in the work for unified development of the Korean women's movement and for strengthening its international solidarity.
    Leader Kim Jong Il has firmly protected and preserved Kim Il Sung's idea on and feats in the women's movement and developed the movement onto a higher phase under the banner of Songun.
    He has led women to fulfill their responsibility and duty as the powerful force in charge of one of the two wheels of the revolution and took a deep care of their work and life with his fatherly love even in the rigorous period when he led the death-defying struggle to defend the country and socialism to a triumph.
    The reporter called on all the women to devotedly defend Kim Jong Il and carry through his idea and line at the cost of their lives.
    All the women should learn from the noble traits shown by Kim Jong Suk to become comrades of the Songun revolution who follow Kim Jong Il step by step and share the same destiny with the headquarters of the revolution in any adversity and make contribution to consolidating the Korean revolutionary ranks as one of devotedly defending the leader, she stressed, and went on:
    All the women should open a new avenue for the building of a great prosperous powerful nation by making a powerful revolutionary offensive on the three fronts of politics and ideology, anti-imperialism and military affairs and economy and science and thus steadfastly carry forward the proud tradition of the Korean women, who have been boundlessly loyal to the cause of the three generals of Mt. Paektu, in the long journey of the Songun revolution.
    Present at the meeting were Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, Kim Jung Rin,secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, women of all strata and overseas Korean women.
    Wives of foreign embassy officials and foreign women were invited to the meeting.

For Spanish-speaking people

Kim Jong Il inspecciona la Unidad No. 272 del EPC

     Pyongyang, 8 de marzo (ATCC) -- El Dirigente 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, inspecciono la Unidad No. 272 del EPC que recibio el titulo de Septimo Regimiento de O Jung Hup. Le acompanaron Hyon Chol Hae y Pak Jae Gyong, generales de ejercito del EPC, y Ri Yong Chol, miembro de la Comision Militar Central del PTC y primer subjefe de departamento del CC del PTC.
    Primeramente, en el vivero de la Unidad, el Dirigente se entero del estado de plantacion de arboles al ver el esquema de formacion de bosques. Se mostro muy satisfecho de que la Unidad preparo con vision al futuro la base de cultivo de arbolitos e incorporo a todos los militares y esposas de los oficiales a la plantacion, realizando asi excelentemente en unos anos la forestacion del recinto del cuartel y su periferia y evaluo altamente los exitos de ellos.
    Subio al monte trasero donde estaba en apogeo la plantacion de arboles y planto personalmente arboles junto con los oficiales y soldados de la Unidad.
    Acto seguido, en la sala de mando de operacion recibio el informe de la situacion por parte del jefe de la Unidad y se entero detalladamente del estado de cumplimiento del deber de la Unidad.
    Se mostro muy complacido de que los militares de la Unidad, con el noble patriotismo de proteger firmemente con las fuerzas armadas la patria socialista, defienden seguramente la linea de defensa de la patria e indico las tareas programaticas que sirven de guia para fortalecer mas la combatividad de la Unidad.
    Tras ver entrenamiento de los militares de la Unidad, se mostro muy regocijado de que todos los oficiales y soldados se han preparado como combatientes listos para combatir uno contra ciento y capaces de cumplir satisfactoriamente su deber combativo en cualesquiera circunstancias adversas y evaluo altamente sus exitos logrados en el ejercicio.
    Al recorrer la Casa de Militares y la sala de historia de la Unidad, se entero detalladamente del estado de la labor de educacion politica e ideologica para los militares.
    Evaluo altamente a la Unidad que desarrolla con eficacia la educacion ideologica sobre los militares al materializar estrictamente el metodo de labor politica al estilo de la Guerrilla Antijaponesa e indico las tareas y medios que se presentan para profundizar y desarrollar mas la labor politica del ejercito.
    Recorrio la sala de educacion, el dormitorio, el comedor, el deposito de alimentos subsidiarios, el lugar de descanso al aire libre y otros lugares para prodigar una profunda atencion a la labor y vida de los militares.
    Expreso gran satisfaccion de que los oficiales y soldados de la Unidad, al seguir el estilo de lucha y vida de la Guerrilla Antijaponesa, organizan con esmero la administracion y la vida economica de la Unidad y evaluo altamente sus exitos.
    Obsequio los binoculos y el fusil automatico a los militares de la Unidad y se fotografio junto a ellos.

Kim Jong Il envia mensaje de felicitacion al presidente sirio

     Pyongyang, 8 de marzo (ATCC) -- El Dirigente 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, envio el dia 7 un mensaje de felicitacion a Bashar al-Assad, Secretario General del Comite Central del Partido Socialista del Resurgimiento Arabe y Presidente de la Republica Arabe de Siria, con motivo del 41 aniversario de la Revolucion del 8 de Marzo en Siria. El mensaje senala que esta Revolucion fue un evento de significacion historica en la lucha del pueblo sirio por defender la soberania del pais y la nacion y construir una nueva Siria prospera.
    Destaca que el pueblo coreano envia siempre irrestricto apoyo a la causa justa del pueblo de vuestro pais para rescatar el territorio arabe ocupado incluidas las alturas Golan, solucionar imparcial y comprensivamente el problema del Oriente Medio y defender Siria.
    El mensaje expresa conviccion de que las excelentes relaciones de amistad y cooperacion entre los dos paises se fortaleceran y se desarrollaran aun mas en el futuro y desea al mandatario siriaco buena salud y felicitacion.

Premier coreano envia mensaje de felicitacion a su homologo ruso

     Pyongyang, 8 de marzo (ATCC) -- Pak Pong Ju, primer ministro del Consejo de Ministros de la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea, envio un mensaje de felicitacion a Mijail Yefimovich Fradkov, con motivo de su nombramiento como premier del Gobierno de la Federacion Rusa. El remitente manifiesta la conviccion de que las relaciones de cooperacion economica entre los dos paises se profundizaran y se desarrollaran mas en varias esferas conforme a las relaciones Rusia-Corea que van desarrollandose cada dia mas favorablemente a base de los lazos especiales entre los maximos dirigentes de ambos paises.
    Le desea de todo corazon al destinatario buena salud y mayores exitos en su labor responsable.