Italian Ensemble Performs

     Pyongyang, June 15 (KCNA) -- The Romabarocca Ensemble of Italy gave a performance at Moranbong Theatre in Pyongyang on June 14 on the occasion of its national day. It was appreciated by Hong Son Ok, vice-chairperson of the Korean Committee for Cultural relations with Foreign Countries who is vice-chairperson of the Korea-Italy Friendship Association, members of the association, officials concerned and working people in the city.
    Among the audience were Massimo Urbani, resident co-ordinator of the Development Co-operation Office of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, members of the Italian embassy here, diplomatic envoys and staff members of various foreign embassies here.
    The ensemble put on the stage music pieces composed by famous musicians of Italy in the 17th and 18th centuries with a unique combination of cellos and flutes and other musical instruments.
    It successfully played Tema and Variations for cello and b.c. from "Arte dell Arco" composed by Giuseppe Tartini, Sonata for cello and b.c. in B flat major FXIV No. 1 by Antonio Vivaldi and others, deeply impressing the audience.
    Also presented were male solo "Alla Caccia" and other numbers.
    The performance reflecting the national emotion and custom of the Italian people was acclaimed by the audience for artistes' unique skill of rendition, well-organized ensemble and truthful representation.

Acting King of Jordan on Relations with DPRK

     Pyongyang, June 15 (KCNA) --The royal family and government of Jordan, hoping that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries will continue to develop on good terms, will strive to this end. Faisal Bin al Hussein, acting king of Jordan, said this when DPRK Ambassador Kim Pyong Nam presented his credentials to him on June 9.
    He hoped that exchange would be boosted in the sectors of trade, culture and technology between the two countries.

National Writers Meeting to Be Held in Pyongyang

     Pyongyang, June 15 (KCNA) -- Representatives of the Korean Writers Union and the Council of Writers of National Literature of south Korea had a contact at Mt. Kumgang resort between June 8 and 10, Juche 93 (2004), at which they agreed to hold a national writers meeting to implement the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration in Pyongyang, visit the city and Mt. Myohyang and hold such functions as " Dawn of Literature for Reunification" in Mt. Paektu in late August.

KCNA Refutes U.S. Call for DPRK's CVID

     Pyongyang, June 15 (KCNA) -- The international community is getting ever more critical of the U.S. arrogant and high-handed attitude with regard to the nuclear issue between the DPRK and the U.S. A radio of Russia in a commentator's article on June 3 said the U.S. unreasonable approach to the nuclear issue between it and the DPRK is only complicating the situation on the Korean peninsula as it baffles the 6-way talks and infinitely prolongs the discussion on the nuclear issue.
    This is a just and appropriate comment that no body can deny.
    The acute phase of confrontation over the nuclear issue today is due entirely to the fact that the Bush administration is refusing a peaceful and fair solution to the issue by coming out with "complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement" (CVID), that is, "scrapping the nuclear program first" on the part of the DPRK.
    The U.S. demand that the DPRK should abandon its nuclear program first is, in essence, a brigandish claim to totally destroy even the latter's nuclear program for peaceful purposes and disarm it and, eventually, override it as it did Iraq.
    The DPRK has built up its nuclear deterrent in face of the U.S. escalated nuclear war threat. It would mean surrender if the DPRK accepted disarmament by scrapping its nuclear program first when the U.S. is intensifying its moves to stifle the former without the slightest intention to abandon its hostile policy. An independent sovereignty state, the DPRK in particular, can never allow this.
    It is the immovable stand of the DPRK that all the issues with the U.S. must be solved on the principle of simultaneous actions and it must be thoroughly prepared both for confrontation and dialogue.
    The U.S. has conceived the fiction of the DPRK's "enriched uranium," which has met with a rebuff, in an effort to justify its call for scrapping the nuclear program first on the part of the DPRK, and thus reduced the DPRK-U.S. Agreed Framework to a dead letter. And now it is spreading even rumors of "secret sale of uranium hexafluoride." But this only brings the weakness of the Bush administration, a group of tricksters, into a bolder relief.
    Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of China Zhou Wenzhong on June 8 said: "We know nothing about the uranium program. We do not know whether it exists. So far the United States has not presented convincing evidence of this program."
    Facts clearly prove that the main obstacle in the way of the settlement of the DPRK-U.S. nuclear issue is the persistent call of the Bush administration for CVID.
    The U.S. seems to be intending to while away the time, flying the flag of CVID, an offspring of its diehard hostile policy against the DPRK, which stands no chance of realization. But time is not favorable only to the U.S.
    In the meantime, the DPRK will promote all necessary countermeasures with increasing vigor.

U.S. Storage of Chemical Weapons Blasted

     Pyongyang, June 15 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland issued a statement Monday with regard to the exposure of the possession of biochemical weapons by the U. S. forces in south Korea.. The statement says:
    Toward the end of April marks indicating the storage of chemical weapons were found in a powder magazine of the guards belonging to the "U.N. Forces Command" controlling the demilitarized zone in Panmunjom.
    Attached to the powder magazine were three marks designated in the U.S. forces' regulations on explosive materials. The second mark among them demanded the wearing of overalls for protecting the whole body from toxic chemicals and the third one banned contact with water indicating that there were chemical weapons antipathetic to water.
    The weapons applicable to the yellow protective overalls are all weapons banned under the international convention signed by the U.S. and they are extremely dangerous weapons which were proclaimed to be banned by the U.S. forces themselves.
    It is none other than the United States which is developing, producing, deploying and proliferating the biggest amount of mass destruction weapons in the world while gravely threatening the destiny of humankind, brandishing them as main means of pursuing its policy of strength.
    The U. S. is the first target of denunciation in the matter of mass destruction weapons.
    All the Koreans in the north, the south and overseas bitterly denounce the United States for its storage of quite dangerous mass destruction weapons and its war preparations, branding this as moves to destroy the Korean nation and a prelude to a war of genocide threatening the existence of humankind.
    It is as clear as noonday that if the U.S. ignited a new war on the Korean peninsula, it would use not only nuclear weapons but also biochemical weapons against the Korean nation. The Korean nation has the legitimate right to resort to any means and deterrent to defend the nation's right to existence in face of the grave moves of aggression of the U.S.
    It is the unshakable will and staunch stand of the People's Army and people of the DPRK to decisively counter the U.S. nuclear threat with strong nuclear deterrent and its biochemical weapons with retaliatory means of unlimited capability to bring them under control.
    The United States should stop acting without discretion, looking its adversary in the face, and withdraw its nuclear weapons and biochemical weapons from south Korea without delay, the spokesman says.

Permission to Participate in National Meeting Demanded

     Pyongyang, June 15 (KCNA) -- The Reunification Solidarity of south Korea called a press conference in Seoul on June 9 demanding the Ministry of Unification permit the pro-reunification patriotic organizations to participate in the common functions of the nation. Ri Jong Rin, honorary chairman of the South Headquarters of the National Alliance for the Country's Reunification, Kwon O Hon, chairman of the Special Committee for the Abolition of the "Security Law" of the Reunification Solidarity, and others in their speeches said that the ministry should allow all the people to participate in the functions to commemorate the 4th anniversary of the joint declaration and should not swim against the trend of the times towards reunification.
    A letter to the ministry read out at the press conference noted that the "Koreans' meeting to mark the 4th anniversary of the June 15 joint declaration" to be held in Inchon from June 14 to 17 is a popular function based on the successes made by the common functions held in the past four years.
    The letter urged the ministry to stop all actions for "selected exclusion" and fully guarantee the participation of the South Headquarters of the National Alliance for the Country's Reunification, the South Headquarters of the National Alliance of Youth and Students for the Country's Reunification, the south Korean Federation of University Student Councils and the south Korean Council of Youth Organizations in the meeting.
    If the ministry does not accept the just demand but tries to control and restrict the south-north functions for reunification, it will meet strong denunciation and resistance from the camp for peaceful reunification, the letter warned.
    At the end of the press conference, its representatives handed the letter to the ministry.

All Koreans Called Upon to Pool Efforts to Force U.S. Forces to Withdraw from S. Korea

     Pyongyang, June 15 (KCNA) -- Papers Tuesday dedicate editorials to the fourth anniversary of the historic June 15 North-South Joint Declaration. Rodong Sinmun says that the Pyongyang meeting and the adoption of the joint declaration, the first of its kind in the history of national division spanning more than half a century, marked great events in the history of the nation as they instilled into the 70 million Koreans hope and conviction of independent reunification and made the whole of Korea seethe with the joy at those events for reunification.
    The Korean nation is faced with weighty tasks to check the moves of outsiders and anti-reunification forces, protect the sovereignty of the nation and peace of the country and firmly uphold and implement the historic north-south joint declaration so as to open a decisive phase for independent reunification, it notes, and goes on:
    The idea of "By our nation itself" and the spirit of national independence are the keynote of the Pyongyang meeting and the joint declaration. The joint declaration invariably serves as a landmark for national reunification and an immortal programme of independent reunification as it calls for solving the issue of the country's reunification independently by the concerted efforts of the Korean nation responsible for it.
    National cooperation means patriotism and cooperation with outsiders treachery and division. National cooperation alone makes it possible to force the U.S. forces to withdraw from south Korea and successfully implement the joint declaration.
    Most ardent patriotism can be manifested in the struggle for national reunification at present. Those who remain indifferent to or a passive onlooker to the struggle for national reunification will be condemned by the nation for all ages.
    All the Koreans in the north and the south and overseas should positively support and uphold the great Songun politics which protects the destiny and future of the nation and guarantees the implementation of the joint declaration.
    The south Korean authorities should not read the outsiders' faces but adhere to the principle of independence as regards the issue of reunification. Toeing the foreign line means violation of the joint declaration and challenge to the desire of all the Koreans for reunification.
    It is necessary to give momentum to reconciliation and cooperation between the north and the south.
    Stance and attitude toward the joint declaration and national cooperation based on our-nation first spirit are a touchstone distinguishing between patriotism and treachery.
    Minju Joson in an editorial says victory is certain for the Korean nation as it has the great Songun politics, strong will to live independently and the joint declaration, a landmark for unity and reunification.

40th Anniversary of G-77 Observed

     Pyongyang, June 15 (KCNA) -- Minju Joson today dedicates a signed article to the 40th anniversary of the G-77. The article says:
    Since the foundation, the G-77 has exerted its all efforts to settle main international economic and social issues to meet the interests of the developing countries in the international arena including the U.N., remaining true to its mission, and achieved many successes in this course.
    It has grown to be such a powerful entity that no world conference can adopt any resolution against the will of this group.
    The DPRK became a full member of the G-77 on May 10, 1976.
    The DPRK government has striven hard to destroy the old international economic order which allows all manner of arbitrary and high-handed practices, domination and subjugation and establish a new free equal order instead.
    It will as ever maintain a close contact with members of the group and make positive efforts to build a new world in which all countries can live in freedom on an equal footing under the banner of independence against imperialism.

U.S., Real Criminal Scheming Biochemical War

     Pyongyang, June 15 (KCNA) -- Marks indicating the storage of chemical weapons used only by the U.S. imperialist aggression troops were found at a powder magazine of the guards belonging to the "U.N. Forces Command" controlling the demilitarized zone in Panmunjom toward the end of April, according to the June, 2004, issue of the south Korean magazine "Mal". This clearly proves that chemical weapons are actually stored at a powder magazine of the U.S. guards in the DMZ and testifies irrefutably that they are going to start a biochemical war against the DPRK with them concealed from the public eyes, says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary. It goes on:
    The biochemical weapons are "weapons of devils" whose production, introduction and possession are banned worldwide as they are mass destruction weapons against humankind.
    The U.S. is now staging a farce like a thief crying "Stop thief!" while trying to build up public opinion about others "mass destruction weapons."
    And it is not difficult to see its ulterior intention. It is evidently a criminal scheme to aggravate its relations with the DPRK and stifle the latter by mobilizing all the nuclear and chemical weapons available.
    The U.S. is seeking to unleash the second Korean war under the pretext of the nuclear issue just as it started the Iraqi war under the excuse of "mass destruction weapons" and even use biochemical weapons along with nuclear arms.
    The U.S. is the criminal that must be condemned over the matter of the mass destruction weapons and it is the very criminal that must be put in the dock for its anti-human act in plotting a biochemical war. The U.S. scheme of biochemical war can never be pardoned.
    Neither the nuclear weapons nor the biochemical weapons of the U.S. can work in the DPRK where the all-powerful banner of Songun is flying. The United States should shake off its war fever and approach the situation with cool judgment and reason and pull out of south Korea without delay with its mass destruction weapons and aggression forces.

Efficacious Pine Needle Foodstuff

     Pyongyang, June 15 (KCNA) -- Pine needle has been used as material of health foodstuffs from ancient times in Korea. According to "Hyangyakjipsongbang" (a medical encyclopedia) published in the 15th century in Korea, pine needle prevents aging, invigorates spirits and turns grey hair to black.
    The Korean people have used pine needles in steaming rice-cake and curing various diseases.
    The Natural Health Foodstuff Company under the Ministry of Forestry developed a pine needle tea last year through deep study of medical classics and ecological experiments. It also succeeded in making pine needle liquor which preserves its natural medicinal ingredients.
    The liquor contains vitamins C, B1, B2, B12, PP, A and E, and some 40 kinds of microelements including calcium and selenium, nucleic acid, essential amino acid and sexual hormone preparations.
    It is efficacious for the prevention and treatment of cancer, arteriosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes, chronic colitis, rheumatic inflammation, cerebral hemorrhage and cerebral thrombosis. It also prevents aging and promotes health.
    Kim Chang Gil, director of the company, told KCNA that the liquor is popular among people as it makes people feel well, promotes digestion by eliminating toxic elements from liver and increasing the liver function and removes swelling. It is also a good diuretic.
    The company (Tel: 00850-2-18111-381-8051.Fax: 00850-2-381-4416) has steadily made researches to make other kinds of pine needle foodstuffs.

Patients from Afflicted Ryongchon Convalesce

     Pyongyang, June 15 (KCNA) -- Several patients, who had been deadly injured by the explosion at Ryongchon Railway Station, have miraculously resuscitated at the Kim Man Yu Hospital in Pyongyang. They were at critical conditions on May 12 when they were brought to the hospital.
    At that time Kim Myong Song, 14, was suffering from brain contusion, cranial bones fracture, hepatorrhexis, pronephros bruise, blood poisoning and respiratory insufficiency. His breathing had ceased in the plane.
    Han Chol, 9, was also badly hurt so that it was considered almost impossible for him to recover from brain prolapse and contusion. And Choe Song Hyon, 29, Pak Chol Jin, 8, Kim Myong Suk, 39, Kim Jong Kuk, 28, were also at the jaw of death.
    The hospital instantly formed a medical team with 30 competent doctors including Ri Tong Chun, vice-director of the hospital in charge of surgery department.
    They had more than 30 hospital-wide consultative meetings and took emergency steps to treat the patients. They also had some 10 consultative meetings with famous doctors from the Red Cross General Hospital of Korea, the Hospital of Pyongyang University of Medicine and the Hospital of Kim Hyong Jik Military Medical University.
    Doctors and staff members of the hospital have shown all their sincerity to treat them by combining all means of modern medicine with traditional Koryo medicine.
    Officials of the Ministry of Public Health and other national institutions, industrial establishments and Pyongyang citizens have rendered sincere assistance to the hospital for their treatment.
    Three patients are now in convalescence and Choe Song Hyon, who could not move owing to spinal injury and the paralysed lower part of his body, can now stand up by himself without others' help.
    The medical team is doing its best to cure all the patients.

Spokesman for DPRK FM Ministry on Third Round of Six-Party Talks

     Pyongyang, June 15 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Tuesday gave the following answer to a question put by KCNA as regards the opening of the third round of the six-party talks: The third round of the six-party talks for the settlement of the nuclear issue between the DPRK and the United States will open in Beijing on June 23.
    Prior to it, a meeting of the working group of the six-party talks will be held on June 21 and 22.
    As we have declared on several occasions, it is important for the U.S. to abandon its policy for isolating and stifling the DPRK and take a bold political decision to co-exist with the latter if the six-party talks are to yield practical results and open a landmark phase for the settlement of the nuclear issue between them.
    The U.S. attitude toward the DPRK-proposed "reward for freeze" will become a touchstone discerning the U.S. real intention for the settlement of the nuclear issue.
    The prospect of the settlement of the issue entirely depends on the U.S.
    Nothing will be expected from the forthcoming talks if the U.S. persistently insists that the DPRK accept CVID, a demand which can be forced on a defeated country only.
    Internal work needed for us will go on well though the talks may prove unsuccessful due to the U.S.

Kim Yong Nam Sends Congratulations to British Queen

     Pyongyang, June 15 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, sent a congratulatory message to Elizabeth II, the queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, on June 12 on her birthday, the official holiday. The president in the message expressed the belief that the favourably developing relations between the two countries would grow stronger in the future and wished her good health and happiness.

U.S. under Fire for Hamstringing Implementation of North-South Joint Declaration

     Pyongyang, June 15 (KCNA) -- The desire to achieve reconciliation, unity and cooperation of the nation is growing stronger than ever before among the Koreans in the north and the south and overseas. But the United States is forcing south Korea to adjust the tempo of implementing the north-south joint declaration depending on the progress made in the process to improve the DPRK-U.S. relations, increasing the "combat capability" of its forces in south Korea for a preemptive attack on the DPRK and escalating pressure and sanctions upon it over the nuclear issue. Minju Joson Tuesday in a signed commentary says this is an undisguised move to disturb the just cause of the Koreans to pave the way for national reunification through national cooperation, clear proof that the U.S. is chiefly to blame for blocking the implementation of the joint declaration and the peaceful reunification of the Korean peninsula.
    It goes on:
    The U.S. is shipping latest war hardware into south Korea behind the curtain of redeployment of its forces in south Korea. This is aimed not to fill up the "security vacuum" but to perfect its scenario of a war of aggression against the DPRK based on the method of fighting a war by use of new type ultra-modern weapons.
    Its moves to increase the "combat capability" of its forces can not but be a grave threat to peace on the Korean peninsula and an act of obstructing the implementation of the joint declaration.
    While increasing its nuclear threat to the DPRK, the U.S. is accusing it of building its war deterrent force to cope with the threat in a bid to stifle it. This betrays the U.S. sinister aim to create a complication in settling the nuclear issue and plug south Korea into its stand-off with the DPRK and thus deter it from opting to warm up its relations with the DPRK.
    The U.S. does not want peace and peaceful reunification of the Korean peninsula and improved inter-Korean relations but seeks north-south stand-off and a war against the DPRK.
    The U.S. is well advised to properly understand the will of the Korean nation for independent reunification, stop such acts as disturbing the implementation of the joint declaration and the efforts to accomplish the cause of Korea's reunification and abandon its hostile policy toward the DPRK.

For Spanish-speaking people

Certamen nacional de oratoria de estudiantes

     Pyongyang, 15 de junio (ATCC) -- El Certamen Nacional de Oratoria de los Universitarios en homenaje al 40 aniversario del inicio del trabajo del Dirigente Kim Jong Il en el Comite Central del Partido del Trabajo de Corea tuvo lugar el dia 14 en la plaza frente al Monumento a la Fundacion del Partido. Ante todo, fue recitada la poesia de felicitacion "Transmitiremos eternamente las hazanas inmortales".
    Acto seguido, los ejecutantes, en sus oratorias intituladas "Fortuna de tener el gran partido", "Partido madre", "Viva la politica de Songun", etc., llenos de orgullo y dignidad de tener en el primer puesto del partido y la revolucion al Dirigente Kim Jong Il, gran hombre y politico simpar en el mundo, expresaron apasionadamente la firme conviccion y voluntad de los vanguardias juveniles de cumplir hasta el fin con la causa revolucionaria del Juche bajo la direccion del Dirigente.
    Subrayaron que el Dirigente es el gran constructor del partido revolucionario de la epoca del Juche, gran maestro de la ideologia y teoria, veterano politico del mundo y heroe legendario invencible.
    La felicidad eterna de la nacion de Kim Il Sung y el futuro radiante de la patria -apuntaron- residen en el largo camino del Songun a donde el Dirigente se dirige sin descanso. Subrayaron que los jovenes universitarios deben aprender con entusiasmo para anticipar el manana de una gran potencia prospera.
    Los oradores exhortaron ardientemente a todos los jovenes estudiantiles a defender firmemente la ideologia y hazanas del partido y el lider en materia de movimiento juvenil y exaltar sin reserva la inteligencia y el espiritu de los vanguardias juveniles de la epoca del Songun.
    En el acto estuvieron presentes el secretario del CC del PTC Kim Jung Rin y otros funcionarios y universitarios capitalinos.

Funcion del Coro Estatal Benemerito del EPC

     Pyongyang, 15 de junio (ATCC) -- Con motivo de cumplirse los 40 anos desde cuando el Dirigente Kim Jong Il comenzara a trabajar en el Comite Central del Partido del Trabajo de Corea, el Coro Estatal Benemerito del Ejercito Popular de Corea ofrecio el dia 14 su funcion en el Palacio Cultural del Pueblo. La presenciaron los cuadros directivos del partido, el Estado y el ejercito, y los presidentes de los partidos amigos.
    El Coro inicio la funcion con el inmortal himno revolucionario "Cancion del General Kim Jong Il", y puso en escena la imperecedera obra clasica "Corea, te hare grande", "Viva el Partido del Trabajo de Corea", "Largo camino de la revolucion mediante el Songun (priorizacion militar", "Trayectoria victoriosa", "No olvidaremos", "Avanzaremos llenos de conviccion", "Arirang del ejercito y el pueblo", "Niliri de la unidad monolitica", "Siempre por el mismo camino", "Por el unico camino de la revolucion sucesiva siguiendo la bandera del Songun", "Enarbolemos la bandera roja", etc.
    Los ejecutantes cantaron en tono sublime las inmortales hazanas revolucionarias del Dirigente, quien, ha fortalecido y desarrollado el Partido del Trabajo de Corea como eterno partido del Presidente Kim Il Sung y como una fuerza directiva de la Revolucion Coreana que sale siempre victoriosa con el poderio de la unidad monolitica, creando asi una historia de transformacion orgullosa de la causa revolucionaria del Juche.
    La funcion fue objeto de efusivas ovaciones de los espectadores por su alto nivel ideo-artistico.