Gifts to Kim Jong Il from Peru and Ecuador

     Pyongyang, April 28 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il was presented with a gift by the Chiclayo Branch of the Peruvian-Korean Institute　of Culture and Friendship on April 14. The gift was conveyed to the head of a delegation of the Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries by the　chairman of the branch.
    Conveying the gift, he said that it is the great honour of the branch members as well as the Peruvian people to heartily present　the gift to Kim Jong Il in the name of the institute branch.
    He stressed that they would as ever widely introduce the greatness of Kim Jong Il and the invincible vitality of the Songun　revolutionary line among residents in Chiclayo and positively contribute to developing the friendly relations between the Peruvian　people and the Korean people.
    Meanwhile, Kim Jong Il was presented with a gift by Humberto Ortiz Flores, honorary manager of the Voluntad Publishing House of　Ecuador, on April 21.

DWP of S. Korea Demands Withdrawal of Decision on Troop Dispatch

     Pyongyang, April 28 (KCNA) -- The Democratic Workers' Party of south Korea held a rally in front of the U.S. military base in Ryongsan, Seoul, on April 24 and demanded the government authority withdraw the decision on troop dispatch to Iraq, according to south Korean KBS. At the rally the party said that additional troop dispatch should be stopped at once and that it would submit a motion on repeal of the decision on troop dispatch to the National Assembly.
    It stressed that it would strive for active promotion of the revision of the unequal south Korea-U.S. "Status of Forces Agreement",
    while demanding the authorities independently settle the issue of transfer expense of the U.S. military base from Ryongsan and the issue of the U.S. troops' damages in Maehyang-ri.

Messages of Sympathy from Koreans in China

     Pyongyang, April 28 (KCNA) -- Messages of sympathy came from Koreans in China on April 24 in connection with the serious train collision and explosion in Ryongchon County, North Phyongan Province. Jo Yong Hwan, chairman of the Zhongnan Regional Association of the General Association of Koreans in China in a message said that all Koreans in China extend deep compatriotic sympathy and consolation to the people in the afflicted area and the people in the homeland with warm kindred feelings after hearing the news that a serious train collision and explosion claimed big human and material losses.
    He expressed firm belief that under the wise guidance of Kim Jong Il the people in homeland would fully recover from the damage at the earliest possible time and more dynamically push ahead with the building of a great prosperous powerful nation.
    The family of Choe Se Jin, secretary general of the Zhongnan Regional Association in a message extended deep sympathy to the compatriots in the afflicted area through the central headquarters for the rehabilitation of the damaged area in Ryongchon and expressed the conviction that the people in the homeland under the guidance of Kim Jong Il would overcome the disaster with courage as they did during the "arduous march" and the forced march and build Ryongchon county into a better county in a short span of time.

Japan's Escalated Sanctions against DPRK Assailed

     Pyongyang, April 28 (KCNA) -- Secretary General of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan Abe, at a recent press conference with regard to the submission of the "bill on banning the entry of specified foreign ships" to the Diet, blared that "it is highly probable for north Korea to fall into a train of thoughts to wreck the bill" and it is his "idea to promote discussions and enact the bill, irrespective of Japan-DPRK working-level negotiation". Commenting on this, a news analyst of Rodong Sinmun Wednesday says:
    What is sought by the Japanese reactionary quarters in adopting the bill is to lay an international encircling ring around the DPRK and strangle it through economic sanctions.
    Lurking behind the Japanese reactionaries' frantic moves to adopt the anti-DPRK bill at any cost, wantonly violating the DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration, the UN Charter and international law, is their sinister intention to fish in troubled waters in pursuance of the U.S. hostile policy toward the DPRK.
    In other words, it is their true aim to amplify their anti-DPRK hostile acts, riding on the crest of the U.S. imperialists' pressurizing offensive to impose economic sanctions on the DPRK, and bring down its socialist system. Japan seeks to wrest a sort of concession from the DPRK over the nuclear issue and the "abduction case" by putting pressure upon it. It is for this purpose that Abe clamored for passing the above-said bill through the Diet irrespective of Japan-DPRK discussions.
    Japan's mean racket of economic sanctions against the DPRK has touched off fiercer hatred and wrath at Japan among the Korean people. Japan would be well advised to stop the dastardly campaign of economic sanctions against the DPRK, bearing in mind that it would have to pay a very high price, if it dared do harm to the DPRK, dancing to other's tune.

Emergency Relief Materials from Russia

     Pyongyang, April 28 (KCNA) -- The first installment of the free relief materials donated by the Russian government including medicines, tents, blankets, etc. worth 13,600,000 Rbl arrived in Pyongyang by air on April 27 after the explosion in Ryongchon Railway Station, North Phyongan Province. At the airport Valery Shuikov, director of the Bureau of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Civil Defence, Extraordinary Situation and Elimination of Aftermaths of Natural Calamities, handed them to Ri Yong Sok, vice-chairman of the DPRK Flood Damage Rehabilitation Committee.
    Present at the airport were Andrei Karlov, Russian ambassador to the DPRK, and his embassy officials.

S. Korean Organizations Call for Assistance to Ryongchon

     Pyongyang, April 28 (KCNA) -- Different organizations in south Korea released statements and commentaries on April 24 calling on the authorities, all the organizations and people of south Korea to actively turn out in the assistance to heal the damage from an explosion at Ryongchon Railway Station in the DPRK. The statements and commentaries expressed condolences to the fellow countrymen who were killed or suffered losses in the disaster.
    A spokesman for the Solidarity for Implementing the South-North Joint Declaration in his statement called on all the people in south Korea to sincerely take part in helping the DPRK recover from the damage, irrespective of political view and idea, class and social strata, noting it is good manners and customs peculiar to the Korean nation to help each other and share sorrows in difficulties.
    The statement said:
    The solidarity vows to actively take part in helping the north in the national disaster and calls on the people of all social standings once again to extend support to it.
    The Reunification Solidarity for Implementing the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration and Peace on the Korean Peninsula in its statement said the people in the south and the north are a homogeneous nation and the south Korean people are the main body which should throw itself before everyone else into the work of helping fellow countrymen of the damaged area.
    The accident at Ryongchon Railway Station is a disaster not only of the DPRK but the entire Korean nation. So, they should share the pains of disaster together and tide over it by various forms of compatriotic assistance, the statement said.
    The Pusan Solidarity for Implementing the South-North Joint Declaration in an emergency statement recalled that in the 1980s the DPRK sent various kinds of aid materials such as rice and cloth to south Korea when the latter found itself in difficulties after a big typhoon and in the middle of the 1990s a movement for helping compatriots in the north was launched in south Korea when the flood and drought damages reached their height in the DPRK.
    The statement proposed to all the people to conduct a large-scale "all-people fund-raising campaign", saying that the day of reunification will be brought much earlier, if the national disaster is overcome by the nation's own efforts resourcefully when it is greeting the era of reunification with the rejuvenation of multi-faceted exchange and cooperation after the publication of the June 15 joint declaration.
    The Headquarters of the Movement for Withdrawal of the U.S. Troops from South Korea in a commentary said the south Korean authorities should quickly send things necessary for recovery from the accident of explosion and the civic and public organizations should also conduct aid activities immediately through a massive fund-raising movement and various other ways.

Greetings to President of Tanzania

     Pyongyang, April 28 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, sent a message of greetings to Benjamin William Mkapa, president of Tanzania, on April 24 on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the United Republic of Tanzania. Kim Yong Nam in his message said that the Tanzanian people have made great successes in their work to consolidate the independence of the country, achieve national unity and build prosperous Tanzania over the last 40 years.
    Expressing the belief that the traditional relations of friendship and cooperation between the two countries would grow stronger, the message wished him greater success in his work for the development and progress of the country.

Kim Yong Nam Greets Togolese President

     Pyongyang, April 28 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, sent a message of greetings to Gnassingbe Eyadema, president of Togo, on April 26 on the occasion of the 44th anniversary of its independence. Expressing the belief that the ties of friendship and cooperation between the two countries would continue to develop in the interests of the two peoples, the message sincerely wished him a great success in his work for the stability and prosperity of the country.

Kim Il Chol Meets New Vietnamese Ambassador

     Pyongyang, April 28 (KCNA) -- Vice Marshal of the Korean People's Army Kim Il Chol, minister of the People's Armed Forces, met and had a friendly talk with Phan Trong Thai, new Vietnamese ambassador e. p. to the DPRK who paid a courtesy call on him today.

Paek Nam Sun Meets Russian Delegation

     Pyongyang, April 28 (KCNA) -- DPRK Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun met and had a friendly talk with the delegation of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs headed by Department Director Ye. V. Afanasiyev today. Present were officials concerned, the Russian ambassador to the DPRK and embassy officials.

Choe Thae Bok Meets Czech Delegation

     Pyongyang, April 28 (KCNA) -- Chairman of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly Choe Thae Bok met and had a friendly talk with a delegation of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs headed by Deputy Minister Petr Kolar who paid a courtesy call on him at the Mansudae Assembly Hall today.

Damage by Spring Snow in DPRK

     Wonsan, April 27 (KCNA) -- There was a heavy snowfall coupled with a strong wind after a rainfall in areas of Kangwon Province, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, on Monday. It snowed 70 centimeters deep in Chol Pass, 40 centimeters in Popdong County and more than 20 centimeters in Kosan and Wonsan areas. A heavy snow fell in the central highlands and northern coastal areas of the province.
    Popdong County and some other areas of the province were hit by a strong wind of over 15 meters per second.
    It was an abnormal phenomenon never seen in the province in a hundred years.
    The temperature went down to zero degree in Wonsan, Hoeyang, Kosan, Sepho and other areas, seriously damaging the agricultural domain.
    Rice seedlings in cold-frame beds and maize sprouts in humus pots were frozen by snow. The situation is pretty much the same in all other crops such as wheat, barley, potato, vegetable, tobacco and fruit trees.
    The province has taken positive measures to recover from the agricultural damage.

Korean People's Noble Spirit of Defending Leader

     Ryongchon, April 27 (KCNA) -- The Korean people's spirit of guarding the leader with their very lives was fully displayed when there was an unexpected explosion at Ryongchon Railway Station in Ryongchon County, North Phyongan Province, on April 22. Upon hearing the sound of the heavy explosion on their way home for lunch, Choe Yong Il and Jon Tong Sik, workers of the County Procurement Shop, ran back to the shop. They were buried under the collapsing building to die a heroic death when they were trying to come out with portraits of President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il.
    When the building of Ryongchon Primary School was destroyed by the violent storm and the classroom on the third floor caught fire, teacher Han Un Suk, 32, also died after bringing portraits of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il to a place of safety from the classroom and saving seven pupils.
    Teacher Han Jong Suk, 56, also breathed her last with portraits in her bosom.
    Principal of the school Choe Pyong Ryop and his son rushed to the accident scene and evacuated materials concerning the revolutionary ideas and immortal exploits of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il from the school, wrapped in fire.
    Such noble deed was also done by Head of the County Nursery Pak Sun Mi and seven nurses including Jang Yon Hui, Ri Pong Suk and Principal of Ryongchon Middle School Kang Yong Su.
    Many people of the county evacuated portraits before searching after their family members or saving their household goods.

For Spanish-speaking people

Kim Jong Il recibe presente de una entidad de Vietnam

     Pyongyang, 28 de abril (ATCC) -- El Dirigente Kim Jong Il recibio presente que le dirigiera la Directiva para Estandarizacion y Calidad de Vietnam (DECV). Lo entrego el dia 27 a un funcionario coreano el director general de esta entidad vietnamita, Ngo Quy Viet, quien preside la delegacion de la DECV, de visita en Corea.

Plan de cooperacion entre Corea y Vietnam

     Pyongyang, 28 de abril (ATCC) -- Quedo rubricado el dia 27 en esta capital un plan de cooperacion en materia de la administracion de estandarizacion, medicion y calidad para el ano 2004 entre la Direccion Estatal de la Verificacion de la Calidad de Productos (DEVCP) de la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea y la Directiva para Estandarizacion y Calidad (DEC) de la Republica Socialista de Vietnam. En la ceremonia de firmas, participaron, por parte coreana, Kim Hyong Chol, director de la DEVCP y otros funcionarios interesados y, por la vietnamita, los miembros de la delegacion de la DEC presidida por su director general Ngo Quy Viet y el embajador extraordinario y plenipotenciario de Vietnam en Corea Phan Trong Thai.

Rusia dona materiales de socorro urgente a la RPDC

     Pyongyang, 28 de abril (ATCC) -- Llego el dia 27 por via aerea a esta capital el primer lote de materiales de socorro incluyendo medicinas, tiendas de campana y frazadas por valor de 13 millones 600 mil Rbl que el gobierno de la Federacion Rusa ofrece gratuitamente a la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea en relacion con el accidente de explosion en la estacion ferroviaria de la provincia de Phyong-an del Norte. En el aeropuerto, el director del Buro de Cooperacion Internacional del Ministerio de Defensa Civil, Situacion Extraordinaria y Eliminacion de Expansion de Calamidades Naturales de Rusia, Valery Shuikov, lo entrego al vicepresidente del Comite de Medidas para Resarcimiento de Danos de Inundaciones de la RPDC Ri Yong Sok.
    Estaban en la terminal aerea Andrei Karlov, embajador extraordinario y plenipotenciario de Rusia en Corea, y otros miembros de la sede diplomatica.