U.S. Move to Deploy Missile Unit under Fire

     Pyongyang, May 24 (KCNA) -- Five civic and public organizations in Kwangju and South Jolla Province including the Headquarters of the People's Movement for the Withdrawal of the U.S. Troops held a press conference in front of the provincial government office on May 21, to denounce the U.S. move to deploy its Patriot missile unit in Kwangju, according to south Korean radio KBS. The organizations termed the U.S. unilateral plan to deploy its Patriot missile unit in Kwangju as a reckless act of putting the brake on the peace and stability on the Korean peninsula.

National Assemblymen-Elects Suppressed in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, May 24 (KCNA) -- The Seoul Central District Court on May 19 held a trial again on Representative of the Democratic Workers' Party Kwon Yong Gil who has been elected national assemblyman, according to south Korean MBC. Last year the court filed a suit against him on the charge of leading illegal rallies while active as chairman of the preparatory committee of the (south) Korean Confederation of Trade Unions in 1994 and 1995 and sentenced him to 8 months in prison and two years of stay of execution at the first trial.
    In the court that day Kwon Yong Gil asserted that if one is penalized on the charge of the violation of "the article on banning intervention of a third party" of the already abolished "law on arbitrating labor disputes", south Korea would become infamous in the world for its crackdown on the labor movement.
    On the other hand, the Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office on May 20 brought a suit without restraint against Kang Ki Gap, who has been elected from the Democratic Workers' Party under the system of proportional representation. The prosecution charged him with leading a demonstration against the passage through the "National Assembly" of the "agreement on free trade" in front of the South Kyongsang Provincial Government Office in June last year when he was active as chairman of the provincial federation of the National Federation of Peasants Associations.

Grand Chorus Performed

     Pyongyang, May 24 (KCNA) -- The grand chorus "We Will Stand on the Forefront in Devotedly Defending the Respected General Kim Jong Il" was performed by 1,200 demobilized soldiers in Taehongdan County, Ryanggang Province, and their wives on May 23 on the spot to mark the 65th anniversary of the victory in the historic Musan Area Battle. The performance began with the immortal revolutionary paeans "Song of General Kim Il Sung" and "Song of General Kim Jong Il". The demobilized soldiers and their wives from farms of the county put on the stage the immortal classic masterpiece "Dear General, Where Are You" with boundless longing for Kim Jong Il, the narrative and chorus "Taehongdan Samcholli", etc. The chorus "Long Live Generalissimo Kim Il Sung" and the narrative and chorus "We Will Defend the Headquarters of Revolution with Our Lives" made the audience renew their unshakable resolution to contribute to building a great prosperous powerful nation by bringing a new turn in potato farming under the Songun revolutionary leadership of Kim Jong Il.
    Appreciating the performance were Kim Kyong Ho, chief secretary of the Ryanggang Provincial Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, other officials, working people, school youth and children.
    Also taking place in Taehongdan County that day was a rally to vow to repay with loyalty the deep loving care and trust shown by Kim Jong Il for the demobilized soldiers in Taehongdan and their wives, which was followed by colorful sports games of agricultural workers in the county.

Prison Term Demanded Again for Reunification Champion

     Pyongyang, May 24 (KCNA) -- The south Korean prosecution at a trial on May 19 reportedly demanded again ten years in prison and ten years of suspension of qualification for Secretary General of the Reunification Solidarity Min Kyong U who was in custody on charges of violation of the Security Law. Enraged at this, those related to the Reunification Solidarity and the South Headquarters of the National Alliance for the Country's Reunification stated that if Min were declared guilty at the verdict trial slated on May 24, they would hold a press conference denouncing it, saying his activities were not "spying" but the movement for reunification.

Withdrawal of Decision on Troop Dispatch to Iraq Demanded

     Pyongyang, May 24 (KCNA) -- A candlelight rally "on the day of action of youth and students for inheritance of the May 18 spirit and withdrawal of the decision on troop dispatch to Iraq" was reportedly held in Seoul on May 18 under the sponsorship of the People's Action against Troop Dispatch. The participants in the rally in their resolution declared that they would fight for the retraction of the decision on troop dispatch, carrying forward the spirit of the martyrs of the Kwangju people's resistance.
    A cultural function also took place on the same day opposing the Iraqi war and demanding the withdrawal of the authorities' decision on troop dispatch.
    Youth and student organizations also held demonstrations in at least 100 places of subway stations in Seoul on May 17 and 18 to oppose the Iraqi war and demand the withdrawal of the authorities' decision on troop dispatch.
    Paek Jong Ho, chairman of the south Korean Federation of University Student Councils (Hanchongryon), on May 19 issued a statement criticizing the U.S. ambassador to south Korea for refusing his request for an open interview on the additional troop dispatch to Iraq. The statement said the U.S. ambassador refused the open interview because "he had neither justification nor confidence to persuade our people about the stand of his country" owing to the stabbing of a south Korean civilian by U.S. soldiers in Sinchon, opening to the public of the truth behind the U.S. maltreatment of Iraqi POWs and growing anti-American sentiments in south Korea. The statement warned that if the U.S. ambassador tried again to force south Korea to additionally dispatch troops to Iraq after refusing the open interview, the U.S. would face a powerful anti-U.S. struggle of Hanchongryon and all the south Korean people.
    Meanwhile, more than 60 percent of 157 officials of civic and public organizations including the (south) Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the Institute of National Affairs and the Citizens' Solidarity for Democratic Society polled on May 19 by south Korean Internet radio People's Voice as regards problems to be solved by the 17th "National Assembly" called for abolishing the Security Law and retracting the decision on additional troop dispatch to Iraq.

U.S. and Israel Hit for Missile Attacks on Iraqis and Palestinians

     Pyongyang, May 24 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Korean Association for the　Study of Human Rights issued a statement on May 23 denouncing the United　States and Israel for mounting missile attacks on civilians of Iraq and　Palestine, killing many of them. The statement said:　
    These mass killings once again clearly prove that the United States is,　indeed, the chieftain of the human rights abuses as it is steeped in　misanthropy and Israel is a wrecker of the Mideast peace and the ringleader　of terrorism and violence as it is resorting to any indiscriminate massacre　of Palestinians under the patronage of the U.S.
    On May 19 the U.S. mounted a missile attack on the place where an Iraqi　wedding ceremony was under way, mercilessly killing scores of civilians　again. Timing to coincide with this, Israel fired missiles at Palestinians　in a peaceful demonstration in the Gaza Strips, leaving scores of civilians　dead or wounded.
    The U.S. forces' attack on a wedding ceremony in a peace time is an　atrocity beyond human imagination.
    This monstrous crime can be committed only by the U.S. whose history is　recorded only with murder and plunder.
    The serious human rights abuses of Israel can never escape bitter　condemnation as it keeps brutally killing peaceable civilians, pursuant to　its avowed policy of strength under the patronage of its master.
    The world peace-loving people will never pardon the undisguised human　rights abuses by the United States, the mastermind of human rights　violation, and Israel, a cancer-like entity wrecking peace in the　Mideast.

KCNA Refutes U.S. Talk about Human Rights and Democracy

     Pyongyang, May 24 (KCNA) -- The U.S. State Department reportedly issued a "report on human rights and democracy" on May 17 in which it talked about "humanitarianism in crisis in north Korea" and "serious concern about its human rights record." This is a revelation of the U.S. sinister attempt to increase pressure on the DPRK in a bid to deter it from developing the relations with those countries which are friendly toward it and lay an "international siege" to it and thus isolate and stifle it at any cost. Explicitly speaking, there exists no "human rights issue" in the DPRK claimed by the U.S.
    The DPRK is a man-centred socialist society in which the working people are leading an independent and creative life, fully exercising the genuine freedom and right as masters of everything. The Korean people regard socialism as their life and soul and absolutely trust and protect it.
    What should not be overlooked is the fact that the Bush administration seldom misses a chance to spread misinformation about "human rights issue" in the DPRK and is getting more vociferous about it these days than ever before.
    The International Relations Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives at its hearing on "human rights situation in north Korea and the issue of its defectors" on April 28 recommended the administration to focus international attention on this issue. Later U.S. politicians instigated the U.N. Commission on Human Rights to adopt a resolution calling for mounting a human rights offensive against the DPRK.
    The U.S. is escalating such human rights offensive against the DPRK at a time when its policy to isolate and stifle the DPRK under the pretext of the "nuclear issue" has proved futile. This smear campaign is, therefore, aimed to tarnish the international image of the DPRK over its "human rights issue" and divert the unbiased world opinion critical of GIs' abuses of Iraqi detainees to the DPRK. At Iraqi prisons GIs undressed male and female prisoners and resorted to all sorts of indecent practices. They let loose dogs to bite Iraqis and even killed them in cold blood. The atrocities committed by GIs are unheard-of human rights abuses which can never be justified. They are a violation of the world conventions on the treatment of POWs, a wanton breach of morality and a total negation of Islamic ethics and culture.
    The U.S. is keeping 9,000 persons behind bars overseas and resorting to all sorts of maltreatment. This clearly indicates how seriously it is violating human rights worldwide.
    The reality goes to evidently prove that the U.S. is, indeed, the world's worst violator of human rights and a graveyard of human rights and that the U.S.-loudmouthed "democracy" and "human rights" are no more than hypocrisy.
    The U.S. administration is working hard to isolate and stifle the DPRK under the pretext of the "human rights issue," behaving as if it were a "human rights judge", despite strong the world public criticism of its human rights abuses. Its hostile policy toward the DPRK is, however, bound to go totally bankrupt.

Exports Exhibition Winning Popularity

     Pyongyang, May 24 (KCNA) -- The National Exports Exhibition which opened here on May 15 is going on amid deep interest of local and foreign visitors. Exhibited there are more than 3,000 items of commodities including new products and various kinds of fiber, clothes, footwear, handiworks, straw goods, health food, tools presented by scores of trading companies including the Korean Silk Trade Company, the Korean Textile Trading Company and the Korean Okryu Joint Company.
    Women and artists are drawn in particular to tetron rayon for shirt, beautiful silk stage and evening dresses and new models of knitwear of 60 varieties made of natural fiber.
    Some 30 kinds of athletic shoes including the "Arirang"-branded roller skates are popular among young people and sportspersons.
    The computer program Hyesong 3.0 makes it possible to design any kinds of clothes suitable for different constitutions. It also ensures the accuracy of paper patterns for dresses in a scientific way while reducing the time of technical preparation to one-tenth and the manpower to one-third Catching eyes of the visitors are medicines and health food efficacious for various diseases.
    Goods on display are also sold during the exhibition.
    The exhibition, which will continue till May 25, is much helpful towards the development of the country's foreign trade.

Servicemen's Wives Sing of Leader's Deep Love

     Pyongyang, May 24(KCNA) -- The participants in the 7th contest of art groups of families of officers of the Korean People's Army have performed at theatres in Pyongyang, enjoying acclamation from citizens. Their performances are associated with deep care of Supreme Commander of the KPA Kim Jong Il.
    He, who saw the performances given by the participants in the 1st contest in April Juche 87(1998), highly appreciated their noble spirit of living for tomorrow, saying that servicemen's wives were, indeed, admirable and trustworthy.
    While acquainting himself with their accommodation and tour of various places, he said to the following effect: Several days have passed since they came to Pyongyang. There should be a lot of household chores waiting for them. The wives of officers are women revolutionaries who know nothing but the interests of the fatherland and the revolution. They, together with their husbands, are devoting themselves to guarding the headquarters of revolution with their very lives and defending the socialist motherland.
    After minutes of deliberation, he instructed officials to issue an order of the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces to all units to take good care of the families of those participants in the contest.
    The ongoing performances of servicemen's wives reflect their gratefulness for Kim Jong Il's deep loving care and their determination to contribute to the building of a great prosperous powerful nation.

Rehabilitation of Ryongchon Progresses Apace

     Pyongyang, May 24 (KCNA) -- One month has passed since the wagon explosion at Ryongchon Railway Station in North Phyongan Province, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The afflicted area is now successfully undergoing reconstruction. All the people of Ryongchon County have turned out in the reconstruction, replacing their sorrow with strength and courage, and a large number of people have come to the damaged area from throughout the country to help the victims.
    They removed the destroyed houses and public buildings within several days.
    All the projects such as construction of public buildings, dwelling houses and water supply and sewerage and streets are being accelerated simultaneously in accordance with the completed designs.
    Servicepersons and builders are working day and night for the reconstruction of the county.
    As of May 22, they have carried out more than 80 per cent of the groundwork for dwelling houses for 1,650 families and more than 30 percent of ground concrete tamping.
    Two dwelling houses have already come into shape as demonstration ones. The projects for erecting walls of the most severely hit primary school and college are also progressing rapidly.
    Meanwhile, the projects for repairing buildings are also pushed ahead. The constructors are now overfulfilling their daily quotas by 20 percent with a target to finish the repair of houses for 1,580 families within one or two months.
    Vice-Premier Ro Tu Chol, chief of the Central Headquarters for the Reconstruction of the Afflicted Area in Ryongchon, told KCNA that though everything was needed, the builders would make every effort to finish all the projects in a short span of time, thus living up to the expectation of the people across the country and of overseas Koreans and foreign friends who had rendered sincere assistance to the victims.

Anniversary of Kim Jong Il's Work Marked

    Pyongyang, May 24 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today dedicates an article to the anniversary of the publication of the historical letter of leader Kim Jong Il "On Developing the Movement of Koreans in Japan to a New, Higher Stage" on May 24, Juche 84 (1995), the 40th anniversary of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon). The author of the article says:
    The letter is an important work comprehensively indicating the main orientation and tasks for bringing about a new turn in the movement of Koreans in Japan to meet the changing international situation and developing realities and ways for their implementation.
    The letter sets it forth as the main direction of activities for Chongryon to carry out all its work as intended and desired by President Kim Il Sung and invariably hold aloft the Juche idea as its guiding idea and banner.
    And the letter puts it forward as the main tasks on which Chongryon should always keep a tight hold in its patriotic activities to protect the democratic national rights and interests of the compatriots, develop national education and boost national character, to defend the socialist homeland and make tangible contributions to its prosperity and development and to actively conduct the movement for national reunification.
    Shown in detail in the letter are ways for Chongryon to successfully fulfill its mission and duty to the country and the nation.
    The letter serves as a powerful ideological and theoretical weapon of the patriotic work of Chongryon and an invincible programmatic guideline which could be put forward only by Kim Jong Il who is leading and showing care for the 700,000 Koreans in Japan, true to the noble intention and deep benevolence of the President.
    Referring to the vitality of the letter, the article says that in the past nine years Chongryon have been able to wage more vigorously the movement of Koreans in Japan as required by its main mission without vacillation even in the desperate campaign to crush and destroy it by achieving the unity and cohesion of its ranks in idea and will based on the Juche idea and taking deep roots among the broad masses of compatriots.

For Spanish-speaking people

Kim Yong Nam envia mensaje de felicitacion al presidente de Eritrea

     Pyongyang, 24 de mayo (ATCC) -- El presidente del Presidium de la Asamblea Popular Suprema de la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea, Kim Yong Nam, envio el dia 22 un mensaje de felicitacion al presidente de Eritrea, Issaias Afewerki, con motivo del 13 aniversario del Dia de la Independencia de este Estado. El remitente hace llegar una calurosa felicitacion al destinatario y, por su conducto, al gobierno y el pueblo de Eritrea y expresa conviccion de que las relaciones entre los dos paises se fortaleceran y se desarrollaran aun mas conforme a la aspiracion e intereses comunes.

Vocero de la ACIDH denuncia barbaridad de EE.UU. e Israel

     Pyongyang, 24 de mayo (ATCC) -- El portavoz de la Asociacion Coreana de Investigacion de Derechos Humanos (ACIDH) publico el dia 23 una declaracion en relacion con la matanza de numerosos civiles de Iraq y Palestina a causa de ataques de misiles de Estados Unidos e Israel. Tales ataques demuestran fehacientemente que EE.UU. es el caudillo de violacion de DDHH, contagiado con la idea de misantropia y tambien Israel, que bajo el amparo de esa superpotencia se entrega al asesinato indiscriminado a los palestinos, es el perturbador de la paz del Medio Oriente y autor del acto terrorista y de violencia, senala la declaracion y continua:
    El pasado dia 19, EE.UU. ataco con misiles el lugar de boda de los iraquies y mato cruelmente a decenas de civiles y coincidiendo con esto, tambien Israel lanzo misiles contra los palestinos que libraban una manifestacion pacifista en la franja de Gaza y mato e hirio a decenas de personas.
    La barbaridad de EE.UU., que en un tiempo pacifico convirtio el lugar de boda de los moradores en un matadero humano, supera la imaginacion del ser humano.
    Esto es un siniestro acto criminal que solo puede perpetrar EE.UU. que registra toda su historia con matanzas y pillajes.
    Tambien tal violacion de DDHH de Israel, que bajo el amparo de su amo se aferra a la invariable politica de la fuerza y asesina despiadadamente a los habitantes pacifistas, no puede librarse jamas de condenacion y repudio.
    Los pueblos del mundo amantes de la paz no perdonaran jamas la abierta barbaridad de violacion de DDHH de EE.UU. e Israel, que son "cabecilla de violacion de DDHH" y "cancer de la paz del Medio Oriente".

Retirada de tropas yanquis de Sur de Corea es demanda de la epoca

     Pyongyang, 24 de mayo (ATCC) -- El obstaculo principal que impide el movimiento por la reunificacion de Corea y el avance de la epoca de reunificacion independiente son las tropes norteamericanas ocupantes del Sur de Corea, ejecutores sobre el terreno de la estrategia divisionista de EE.UU. para dominar a Corea. Asi senala el periodico Rodong Sinmun en un articulo individual del dia 23 y continua:
    Los agresores yanquis ocupantes del Sur de Corea son residuos de la epoca de la guerra fria. Por tanto, retirarlos de esta parte de Corea es la demanda apremiante para la reunificacion independiente de la patria.
    Desde los primeros dias de su presencia en la parte Sur de la Peninsula Coreana, esas tropas gringas reprimieron despiadadamente la lucha de los surcoreanos por la independencia antiyanqui y la reunificacion de la patria y armaron peligrosos alborotos belicos cada vez que se creaba el ambiente de la reconciliacion, la unidad y la reunificacion en la Peninsula Coreana.
    EE.UU., que no se agrada de la historica Declaracion Conjunta del 15 de Junio a la que aclaman la nacion coreana y el mundo, azuza a sus tropas agresoras a intervenir e impedir la labor de intercambio y cooperacion entre ambas partes de Corea y desarrolla freneticamente los ejercicios de guerra de agresion al norte con el objeto de destruir el ambiente de reconciliacion Norte-Sur.
    Todos los hechos demuestran claramente que la nacion coreana no podra lograr jamas la reintegracion independiente del pais mientras que continuan la criminal politica de dominacion a Corea de EE.UU. y su ocupacion militar en el Sur de Corea.
    Solo con la lucha pannacional por la retirada de los efectivos yanquis se podra acabar con esa criminal politica, defender la dignidad y la soberania de la nacion y lograr la reunificacion independiente y pacifica de la patria.
    Todos los coreanos en el Norte, el Sur y ultramar, con la conciencia de independencia nacional y firme espiritu de lucha antiyanqui y con la fuerza unida, deben levantarse como un solo hombre en la lucha por expulsar las tropas agresoras norteamericanas del Sur de Corea y poner fin a la politica de dominacion de EE.UU sobre esta.
    La independencia antiyanqui y la reintegracion de la patria son la corriente indetenible de la historia de la nacion coreana.