Senior Officials of Party, State and Army Visit Revolutionary Museum

     Pyongyang, June 17 (KCNA) -- Senior officials of the Party, the state and the army, chairpersons of the friendly parties, members of the Cabinet and leading officials of the public organizations, ministries and national institutions Wednesday visited the revolutionary museum of the Ministry of Culture on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of leader Kim Jong Il's start of work at the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea. The senior officials of the Party, the state and the army laid bouquets before the statue of President Kim Il Sung at the Korean Film Studio and paid their respects to him.
    They looked round historic relics and materials comprehensively showing the ideological and theoretical exploits, wise leadership and noble virtues of Kim Jong Il who conducted unremitting energetic activities to strengthen and develop literature and art as a powerful weapon for the ideological work of the Party, creditably carrying forward the cause of building the Juche-oriented literature and art started by the President.
    Their visit to the revolutionary museum of the Ministry of Culture that comprehensively deals with the glorious history of the development of the Juche-oriented literature and arts helped them more clearly realize that thanks to the outstanding leadership of Kim Jong Il the five revolutionary operas and five revolutionary dramas were created and a signal turn was effected in all fields of literature and art and deepened their conviction that the revolutionary literary and art pieces are powerfully encouraging the army and the people of the DPRK to perform fresh feats in their struggle.

Joint Statements in Uganda and Nepal

     Pyongyang, June 17 (KCNA) -- The Ugandan National Committee for the Study of the Juche Idea, the Uganda-DPRK Friendship Association, the Ugandan National Youth Council and the Ugandan Union of Railway Workers made public a joint statement on June 10 and the Nepal-Korea Friendship Association, the Nepal Institute for Juche Studies, the Nepal Afro-Asian People's Solidarity Committee and the Peace Action Committee of Nepal a joint statement on June 12 on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration. The joint statements said the June 15 joint declaration was brought by the tireless efforts of leader Kim Jong Il and that event resulting from his wise politics and unremitting activities has opened a bright road ahead of the independent and peaceful reunification of Korea.
    Considering the division of Korea poses a threat to world peace, the statements demanded that the U.S. troops be withdrawn from south Korea and that the Korean people be allowed to reunify their country by their own concerted efforts without any outside interference.
    Korea under the wise leadership of Kim Jong Il is sure to be reunified in accordance with the joint declaration, said the statements.

Film Show at Ministry of People's Armed Forces

     Pyongyang, June 17 (KCNA) -- The Ministry of the People's Armed Forces arranged a film show on June 16 on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of leader Kim Jong Il's start of work at the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea. Present on invitation were military attaches of foreign embassies in Pyongyang.
    Present were generals and officers of the Korean People's Army.
    The participants appreciated the Korean documentary film "Brilliant History of Great Leadership" showing the revolutionary activities of Kim Jong Il who has performed immortal exploits for the times and history by wisely leading the party, the army and the people for scores of years.

Ministry of Armed Forces Holds Symposium of Kim Jong Il's Revolutionary Feats

     Pyongyang, June 17 (KCNA) -- The Ministry of the People's Armed Forces held a symposium on the revolutionary feats of Supreme Commander Kim Jong Il at the April 25 House of Culture Wednesday on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of his start of work at the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea. At the symposium the speakers said he, the peerlessly great man and the most illustrious general, has effected world-startling epochal changes in all fields of politics, military affairs, economy and culture and displayed the dignity and honor of Kim Il Sung's Korea with his outstanding ideological and theoretical activities and gigantic revolutionary practices at the head of the Party over the past 40 years.
    Jo Myong Rok, director of the General Political Department of the Korean People's Army, noted that, with Kim Jong Il at the head of the Party, the army and people of the DPRK have come into possession of a sure guarantee to strengthen and develop the Workers' Party of Korea into the eternal party of President Kim Il Sung and carry the revolutionary cause of Juche to accomplishment.
    Kim Yong Chun, chief of the General Staff of the KPA, cited historical facts proving that Kim Jong Il set forth the line and policies of the Party our own way from the Juche-based stand to suit the specific conditions of the country and the basic requirements of the revolution and saw to it that they were consistently implemented.
    Kim Il Chol, minister of the People's Armed Forces, said Kim Jong Il has built the Party into a mother party which has become a harmonious whole with the popular masses.
    General of the KPA Pak Jae Gyong stressed that Kim Jong Il has trained the KPA into stout revolutionary armed forces boundlessly loyal to the Party.
    The speakers called upon all the officers and men of the KPA to devotedly defend Kim Jong Il, their destiny and eternal banner of victory, and staunchly fight for the accomplishment of the revolutionary cause of Juche under the Songun leadership of the Party, clearly aware that they are blessed with illustrious leaders generation after generation.
    Present at the symposium were leading officials of the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces and KPA officers and men.

Withdrawal of U.S. Biological and Chemical Weapons from S. Korea Demanded

     Pyongyang, June 17 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Korean Anti-Nuke Peace Committee in a statement on June 16 bitterly condemned the stockpile of chemical weapons by the U.S. forces in south Korea as an unpardonable criminal act to devastate the whole of Korea and inflict a horrible disaster upon all the Koreans. The statement said: The recent disclosure of the fact that the U.S. forces in south Korea have stockpiled chemical weapons posing a grave threat to the human lives and ecological environment clearly proves that the U.S. considers a chemical war as an independent war method along with a nuclear war in waging a war on the Korean peninsula and this adventurous strategy for the invasion of the DPRK has reached the phase of its implementation after going beyond the danger line.
    The reality indicates that the U.S. is chiefly to blame for the production, stockpile and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and an empire of evil as it stoops to any infamy to exterminate other nations in utter disregard of international law and the world public opinion in order to realize its wild ambition for aggression.
    If the Korean peninsula is to turn into a nuclear-free, peace zone there should be a prior strict verification of the U.S. military bases in south Korea.
    As the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula surfaced due to the U.S. threat to the DPRK, the verification of the U.S. military bases in south Korea and the withdrawal of nuclear and biological and chemical weapons from it are a way and a precondition for ensuring peace and denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.
    The statement strongly demanded the U.S. open all its bases to the world for verification and take WMD including nuclear and biological and chemical weapons out of south Korea without delay.

Criminal Biochemical War Preparations Assailed

     Pyongyang, June 17 (KCNA) -- The "UN Forces Command" in south Korea is trying by hook or by crook to cover up the truth behind the possession of biochemical weapons by the U.S. forces, talking noisily about "self-investigation" and "explanation". Commenting on this, Minju Joson Thursday says:
    However, this is no more than a crafty ruse of the United States to conceal its criminal act in storing biochemical weapons in south Korea and hastening preparations for a biochemical war, evading the eyes of the international community.
    In the Korean War the U.S. imperialists killed innocent Koreans with chemical and bacteriological weapons by wantonly violating the international law and they are scheming to start another war on the Korean peninsula and commit the crime again.
    It can never be tolerated that the U.S. is preparing a biochemical war by stealth, ignoring the international convention and law.
    The army and people of the DPRK, holding aloft the banner of Songun, will shatter the moves of the U.S. imperialists to provoke a nuclear war and biochemical war with their mighty deterrent to the nuclear war and mete out a merciless punishment to the aggressors.
    The U.S. should make a clean breast of its criminal storage of biochemical weapons in south Korea and immediately withdraw all its lethal weapons and the aggression forces from south Korea.

Meeting of Our Nation Closes

     Pyongyang, June 17 (KCNA) -- The meeting of our nation that opened in Inchon on the occasion of the 4th anniversary of the June 15 joint declaration closed Wednesday. Attending the closing ceremony were delegates of different organizations in the north and the south and overseas.
    Speeches were made there.
    Kim Jong Ho, chairman of the Central Committee of the General Federation of the Unions of Literature and the Arts of Korea, in his speech made on behalf of the north side said that through the meeting all the fellow countrymen fully demonstrated the justice of the June 15 joint declaration, which unites the north and the south and redoubles the strength of the Korean nation, and the will of the nation for reunification.
    Underscoring the need for the Koreans to hold higher the banner of our nation-first spirit, the banner of great national unity and the banner of independent reunification in the historic era after the publication of the declaration, he said: Herein lies the way for the nation to achieve eternal prosperity.
    The Korean nation so strong that no one can ever provoke it and so dignified as to carve out its destiny by its own efforts can no longer endure the sufferings resulting from by the division, he said, calling on all the fellow countrymen to firmly join hands and vigorously turn out in the reunification movement to pull down the barrier of division.
    O Jong Ryol, permanent chairman of the National Alliance for Democracy and Reunification, spoke next on behalf of the south side.
    The Korean nation has a tradition that it has defended its independent life from the foreign interference and domination and never yielded to many ordeals and difficulties, he said, adding: If one believes in one's own strength and puts everything into practice one can overcome any difficulties. This faith represents the historically formed spirit of independence of the Korean nation.
    He called on everyone to unite closer and more actively implement the joint declaration under the banner of the June 15 joint declaration, which provided all the fellow countrymen with a new milestone for reunification in the last 4 years, and thus achieve the reunification of the country at an early date.
    Yang Yong Dong, chairman of the General Association of Koreans in China, took the floor on behalf of the overseas side. By achieving the reunification through great national unity, we should clearly show the world people how excellent the Korean nation is, he said, noting that the Koreans can get united and greet the day of reunification, as they have an ancient history spanning 5,000 years, form a homogeneous nation and possess the great idea of independence --"By our nation itself".
    He said that all the overseas compatriots would make contributions to the great national unity and join the compatriots in the homeland in playing the role of a master in implementing the June 15 joint declaration to bring earlier the day of reunification.
    Amid the playing of the song "Arirang", the flag of the meeting was pulled down.
    Meanwhile, the June 15 marathon race was held as part of the meeting that morning.
    It was participated in by delegates of the north and the south and overseas and citizens in Inchon.
    That evening a reception was given in honor of the participants in the meeting.

Int'l Seminar Marks Anniversary of June 15 North-South Joint Declaration

     Pyongyang, June 17 (KCNA) -- An international seminar to mark the 4th anniversary of the publication of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration was held in Seoul Tuesday under the sponsorship of "Kim Dae Jung Library" of Yonsei University in south Korea. Present at the seminar were the north side's delegation led by Ri Jong Hyok, vice-chairman of the Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee, south Korean personages and delegates of all strata and delegations from different countries of the world.
    Prior to the opening of the seminar, south Korean President Roh Moo Hyun and former President Kim Dae Jung separately met and conversed with the north delegation.
    Congratulatory speeches were made at the opening ceremony.
    The head of the north delegation in his congratulatory speech said the historic Pyongyang meeting in June, 2000 that focused the attention of all Koreans and the world was an auspicious event for the Korean nation as it raised hot wind of reunification in Korea and brought a bright hope for reunification to the Koreans that have suffered from the national division.
    June 15 has become a symbol of reconciliation, unity and reunification and all the fellow countrymen in the north and the south have marked the day as a significant national day and a day of grand reunification festival, he said.
    He expressed the belief that the seminar which opened amid the great expectation and interest of the people at home and abroad would yield good results as an important meeting for underlining the significance of the declaration and implementing it.
    Roh Moo Hyun and Kim Dae Jung in a congratulatory speech and a special address said that thanks to the historic Pyongyang meeting and the June 15 joint declaration there opened for the inter-Korean relations a turning phase, something inconceivable in the past.
    They called on the south and the north of Korea to pool efforts and promote national reconciliation and unity in the spirit of the June 15 joint declaration.
    Speeches were made by delegates from the north and the south of Korea and foreign countries.
    The speakers said that the June 15 joint declaration serves as a milestone in the way for the Korean nation and a great programme for reunification as it makes it possible to terminate the history of division that has lasted for over half a century and glorify the 21st century as a most glorious era of reunification and prosperity in the history of the Korean nation.
    Since the publication of the joint declaration the north-south relations have achieved a great advance and miraculous successes despite challenges and obstructions on the part of anti-reunification forces at home and abroad for the last four years, they noted, adding that this is a clear proof of the justice and attraction of the joint declaration.
    Noting that the implementation of the joint declaration would lead to national reunification, prosperity and a bright future, they declared that the north and the south should set store by the joint declaration unanimously supported by the whole nation and the world and implement it to the letter.
    They were unanimous in asserting that those countries concerned should do something helpful to the implementation of the joint declaration and the U.S., in particular, should drop its hostile policy towards the DPRK for sake of the peace and reunification of the Korean peninsula.
    They declared that the north and south of Korea should creditably fulfill their duties and mission they have assumed before the era and the nation,and thus faithfully implement the joint declaration fully reflecting the nation's desire and will for reunification and positively contribute to bringing earlier the country's reunification.

Foreign Diplomats Visit Revolutionary Museum of Kim Il Sung University

     Pyongyang, June 17 (KCNA) -- Diplomatic envoys and embassy officials of Asian countries here visited the Revolutionary Museum of Kim Il Sung University on June 16 on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of leader Kim Jong Il's start of work at the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea. The guests first laid bouquets before the statue of President Kim Il Sung on Mt. Ryongnam and paid tribute to him.
    At the museum they saw with deep interest historic materials and relics on display, while being briefed on the fact that Kim Jong Il transferred the site of his leadership to the university and performed ideological and theoretical exploits that would shine long in history with his tireless thinking and pursuits and showed deep concern about the work for the development of the university.
    At the end of the visit they made entries in the visitor's book.

Art Exhibition of Ministry of People's Armed Forces Opens

     Pyongyang, June 17 (KCNA) -- An art exhibition of the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces was opened at the April 25 House of Culture Wednesday on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army Kim Jong Il's start of work at the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea. Put on display were at least 500 successful art pieces such as Korean paintings, oil paintings, computer-aided paintings, posters, calligraphic pieces and sculptures created by artists of the Korean People's Army.
    Computer-aided paintings "Long Live General Kim Il Sung, Eternal Sun of Juche!", "Long Live General Kim Jong Il, Sun of the 21st Century!", "Long Live General Kim Jong Suk, Mother of Sun's Nation!" and "Echo of Paektu" are exhibited as main theme paintings.
    Also on display in the exhibition halls are Korean paintings "Brilliant Commander of Paektu Is on Frontline" and "Hot Wind on Mt. Osong," poster "General Kim Jong Il, Great Illustrious Commander of Songun Revolution!", etc. depicting the great Songun revolutionary leadership of Kim Jong Il.
    Exhibits also include art pieces representing the faith and will of servicepersons of the People's Army to become heroes in the Songun era and dealing with the education in the revolutionary traditions, working class education and officer-soldier unity, army-people unity, etc.
    The opening ceremony was attended by KPA generals and servicepersons.
    KPA General Pak Jae Gyong made an address.
    At the end of the ceremony the participants looked round art pieces on display.

CIA Branded as Breeder of False Information

     Pyongyang, June 17 (KCNA) -- The recent sudden resignation of Director of the U.S. CIA Tenet was a drama orchestrated by the Bush group to downplay its responsibility for its foreign policy setbacks and save its falling popularity in the run-up to the upcoming presidential election, says Rodong Sinmun in an article Thursday. The U.S. aggression on Iraq was a co-product of Bush coteries and Bush played the leading role in it, the author of the article says, and goes on:
    It was none other than Bush who initiated the plan for the war and gave instructions for its preparations and it was again Bush who ordered the invasion of Iraq. The U.S. launched the invasion of Iraq on the basis of false information fabricated and modified by the White House. The CIA displayed here its skill as an expert in fabricating information and concocted, modified and highly inflated extraordinarily fanciful sheer lies.
    In cooking up plausible false information Tenet thought that in case it proved impossible to topple down the Saddam government by a secret war, the U.S. could attain its aim without difficulty if it mobilizes armed forces.
    The U.S. history has been that of aggression, war and plunder, which were always preceded by the fabrication of information and intrigues related to it. It is none other than the CIA which played the major role in it. The CIA is a group of swindlers and tricksters who fake up, process, exaggerate and spread all sorts of information for aggression, military intervention and the replacement of legal regimes while the White House is a citadel of information-breeding which deliberately plans and orders the CIA to fake up information needed to meet Washington's political and military purposes.
    The U.S. bellicose forces have invaded Iraq by holding out false information in a bid to monopolize oil resources. They are now going to apply the same method to the DPRK. They are working overtime to disarm the DPRK under the pretext of the "nuclear issue" and vanquish it without difficulty. They have discarded the DPRK-U.S. Agreed Framework like a scrap paper after faking up a story about Pyongyang's "uranium enrichment" and these days they are kicking up a row to put pressure upon the DPRK over the nuclear issue while spreading rumors about "secret sale of uranium hexafluoride." The fiction of the "secret sale of uranium hexafluoride" circulated by the Bush forces is a whopping lie reminding one of the story about Baghdad's "purchase of uranium" spread by them.
    The DPRK will increase its military deterrent force in every way to protect the country's sovereignty and security from the U.S. aggression.

Measures to Prevent Desertification Taken in DPRK

     Pyongyang, June 17(KCNA) -- Great efforts have been made to prevent desertification in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The DPRK, in recent years, has frequently suffered from desertification.
    Human and material losses have been brought to the economic sectors by frequent and strong sand storms caused by accelerated desertification resulting from global warming.
    This year such phenomena have appeared more frequently than previous years when the country was harassed by sand dust one or two times a year.
    Such phenomena, however, have been seen eight times until the beginning of May, the first on February 25.
    It is predicted that such phenomena will come more frequently.
    In June the average temperature is 26.3 degrees centigrade, 2.6 higher than the same period of the previous years.
    The government has made great efforts for land and environment conservation to prevent desertification and drought.
    It has annually increased investment in this work and conducted an all-people campaign for protecting environment in the spring and autumn period of the general mobilization for land management.
    Over 81,385,000 saplings were planted in more than ten thousands of hectares and some twenty rivers and streams were improved in South Hamgyong Province in this year's spring general mobilization period for land management.
    Water from the Taedong River is running down to a hundred thousands of arable land in 15 cities, counties and districts in South Pyongan Province and Pyongyang along the natural-flow Kaechon-Lake Thaesong Waterway, which had already been completed.
    The Paekma-Cholsan Waterway project is progressing at the final stage and other irrigation projects have also been accelerated.
    Large-scale land readjustment projects have been carried on in many areas to prevent land from being washed away by floods and persistently protect and effectively use it.
    Various kinds of activities have also been conducted to inform people of grave consequences of land desertification.
    Today, the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, the government has conducted information activities through mass media in accordance with this year's theme "Migration and Poverty".

Floral Basket to Kim Jong Il from Palestinian President

     Pyongyang, June 17 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il received a floral basket from Yasser Arafat, president of the State of Palestine, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of his start of work at the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea. The floral basket was conveyed to Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun by Palestinian Ambassador e. p. to the DPRK Shaher Mohammed Abdlah on June 17.

For Spanish-speaking people

Kim Jong Il recibe cesto de flores del presidente palestino

     Pyongyang, 17 de junio (ATCC) -- El Dirigente Kim Jong Il recibio un cesto de flores que le dirigiera Yasser Arafat, presidente del Estado de Palestina. con motivo del 40 aniversario del inicio de trabajo del Dirigente en el Comite Central del Partido del Trabajo de Corea El embajador extraordinario y plenipotenciario de Palestina en Corea, Shaher Mohammed Abdlah, lo entrego el dia 17 al canciller coreano Paek Nam Sun.

RPDC: esfuerzos por prevenir desertificacion

     Pyongyang, 17 de junio (ATCC) -- La Republica Popular Democratica de Corea despliega activamente la labor para combatir la desertificacion. En los ultimos anos, se reportaron muchos fenomenos negativos por este siniestro natural en Corea.
    En particular, los polvos arenosos amarillos, que se producen intensivamente a menudo debido a la aceleracion de la desertificacion por el calentamiento de la Tierra, ocasionan perdidas humanas y materiales no menospreciables en varios sectores de la economia nacional.
    En los tiempos anteriores, se registraban uno o dos ataques de polvos amarillos en un ano. Sin embargo, en el ano en curso, hasta el principio de mayo, se observaron 8 casos de polvos de color amarillo tras sus primeras particulas del 25 de febrero y se preve registrar mayor numero de irrupciones de estas en el futuro.
    Aparecieron fenomenos como los vientos empolvados (del 13 de abril), la intransparencia de la atmosfera (10 de abril) y la subida de temperaturas.
    En lo que va de junio, la temperatura promedia es de 26.3 grados, es decir, 2.6 grados mas altos que los anos ordinarios. Por tal motivo, la RPDC dedica mayores esfuerzos a la labor de la proteccion territorial y medioambiental a fin de prevenir la desertificacion y la sequia.
    Todos los anos, se incrementa la inversion en esta rama y se lleva adelante en movimiento masivo esta labor durante el periodo de movilizacion general de la administracion territorial en primavera y otono.
    Este ano, durante el periodo de movilizacion general en primavera solo en la provincia de Hamgyong del Sur se trasplantaron mas de 81 millones 385 mil posturas de arboles en una decena y varios miles de hectareas. A este logro se suman otros exitos muy grandes, de ellos la ordenacion de mas de 20 rios.
    Ademas, el ya consumado canal Kaechon-Thaesong riega 100 mil hectareas de tierras cultivables de 15 ciudades, distritos y municipios de la provincia de Phyong-an del Sur y la ciudad de Pyongyang a lo largo del dicho canal de varias centenas de ri (un ri equivale a 392,7 metros) de fluencia natural que tiene su origen en el rio Taedong. Por otra parte, la obra del canal Paekma-Cholsan entro en su etapa final, entre otros exitos laborales en la irrigacion.
    El arreglo de la tierra de gran envergadura a fin de detener la perdida de los terrenos, protegerlos sostenidamente y utilizarlos eficazmente se desarrolla en numerosos lugares del pais.
    Al mismo tiempo, se desarrolla activamente la propaganda de diversas formas y con variados metodos para dar la compresion correcta a los habitantes de la gravedad y las consecuencias de la desertificacion.
    Como parte de ella, con motivo del 17 de junio, Dia Internacional contra la Desertificacion y la Sequia, las publicaciones, la television y la radio refuerzan la campana propagandistica en consonancia con la tematica para este ano "Migracion y Pobreza".

Inaugurada galeria del MINFAP

     Pyongyang, 17 de junio (ATCC) -- Quedo inaugurada el dia 16 en la capitalina Casa Cultural 25 de Abril la galeria del Ministerio de las Fuerzas Armadas Populares en homenaje al 40 aniversario del inicio del trabajo del Dirigente Kim Jong Il en el Comite Central del Partido del Trabajo de Corea. Fueron exhibidas mas de 500 piezas excelentes de bellas artes de diferentes generos como pinturas tradicionales coreanas, cuadros al oleo, pinturas de peliculas computarizadas, afiches, obras caligraficas, piezas escultoricas, etc.
    Las pinturas principales las constituyen las de peliculas computarizadas "!Viva el General Kim Il Sung, eterno Sol del Juche!", "!Viva el General Kim Jong Il, Sol del siglo 21!", "!Viva la Generala Kim Jong Suk, madre de la nacion del Sol!" y "Ecos del Paektu".
    Tambien se destacan las pinturas al estilo coreano alusivas a la grandeza de la direccion del Comandante Supremo Kim Jong Il sobre la revolucion mediante el Songun (priorizacion militar) "El general del Paektu se encuentra en la primera linea del frente", "Simun del monte Osong", el afiche "!El gran general de la revolucion del Songun Kim Jong Il!", etc.
    Ademas, figuran las piezas que interpretan la conviccion y la voluntad de los uniformados del Ejercito Popular de Corea de convertirse en heroes de armas de la epoca del Songun, y otras con diversas tematicas como la educacion de tradiciones revolucionarias y de clases y la unidad entre oficiales y soldados y entre el ejercito y el pueblo.
    Al evento asistieron generales, oficiales y militares del EPC.
    La palabra inaugural estuvo a cargo de Pak Jae Gyong, general de ejercito del EPC.
    Terminada la apertura, los concurrentes se disfrutaron de las piezas exhibidas.