Precious Cultural Heritage of Korea

     Pyongyang, June 30 (KCNA) -- Minju Joson on June 27 ran an article titled "Mural paintings dating back to the period of Koguryo are precious cultural heritage which the Korean nation boasts before the world" written by the History Faculty of Kim Il Sung University. These mural paintings are precious artifacts created and developed by the Korean nation, the article said, and continued:
    Ancient Korea or Tangun Korea was founded by Tangun early in the 30th century B.C. and its descendents built Koguryo, the first feudal state in Korea, in 277 B.C.
    At least 100 mural paintings believed to belong to the period of Koguryo have been found so far.
    Each mural painting created in the period of Koguryo vividly and truthfully reflects the life of the Koguryo people and details of the custom peculiar to the Korean nation.
    Women's coats with multi-colored sleeves, rainbow-colored pleated skirts and their hairstyles seen on a Twin Pillar Mural Painting and the Kamsin Mural Painting and those found in Susan-ri and Tokhung-ri were peculiar to Koguryo as they were completely different from other countries.
    Depicted on many of those paintings are Korean wrestling and Supakhui, traditional martial art games dating back to the period of Koguryo. Almost all mural paintings belonging to the period of Koguryo including mural paintings found on the interior walls of tombs in Yaksu-ri and Tokhung-ri and Tomb No. 1 in Jangchon, Dance Tomb and Hunt Tomb portray scenes showing Koguryo people on horses hunting animals with bows in high militant spirit.
    They are listed as precious treasures of the Korean nation for their rich and diverse themes, vivid and truthful depiction and original state preserved until today.
    The paintings extensively and deeply represent politics, economy, military affair, culture, religious belief and all other aspects of life.
    A drawing depicting a dwelling house in the Dance Tomb and a painting dealing with lotuses in the Twin Pillar Tomb and a drawing portraying a strong man in the Three Chamber Tomb vividly represent the objects by bold yet free strokes and by delicate and soft yet sharp and elastic lines. In the drawing of a mythological turtle in particular, thin lines were used to depict ganoid scales of a snake when it winds up its body around the turtle.
    The drawings depicting four Gods and a yellow dragon found in Three Tombs in Kangso and in the Fourth and Fifth Tombs of the Five Tombs in Jipan mean the zenith of the mural paintings in Koguryo for their rich colors, truthful depiction, perfect combination of line and color and the skillful representation of the light and dark sides of glassy and glossy skins of animals when they get wet.
    These paintings have retained their distinct colors for thousands of years.
    They originated from Pyongyang.
    The oldest tombs among the tombs having these mural paintings dating back to the period of Koguryo were found in areas around Pyongyang: The tomb with a mural painting in Kumok-ri is believed to date back to about the first to second century A.D. and Tomb No. 2 in Usan-ri was built before the second century A.D.
    These tombs resulted in the appearance of the Mural Painting Tomb of King Ko Kuk Won in the mid-fourth century, the same style tomb in Yaksu-ri in late fourth to early in the fifth century, a similar tomb in Tokhung-ri early in the fifth century and three tombs with mural paintings in Three Tombs in Kangso in late Koguryo. They represented the climax in the development of mural paintings in Koguryo.
    More than 100 mural paintings are found distributed in areas around Hwanin, Jipan and Pyongyang, former capitals of Koguryo. Nearly 80 tombs with mural paintings including King Tongmyong's Mausoleum, Twin Pillar Tomb, Four Gods Tomb in Honam-ri, Mural Painting in Tongam-ri and Kaema Tomb were surveyed and excavated.
    Most of the tombs with mural paintings including the Tomb of King Ko Kuk Won, those tombs in Tokhung-ri, Yaksu-ri and Susan-ri listed as masterpieces for their thematic contents and portrayal are concentrated in areas around Pyongyang.
    The mural paintings belonging to the period of Koguryo that had developed with Pyongyang as centre reached the highest level of their development in the period of Koguryo. They had a strong impact on the development of drawings in Paekje, Silla, Kaya and other kingdoms of the same race and even surrounding countries and became a source and a model of mural paintings in Korea in medieval ages.

U.S. Scheme for Another Korean War Ridiculed

     Pyongyang, June 30 (KCNA) -- 54 years have passed since the U.S. imperialists ignited a war of aggression in this land. However, the danger of war has not dispelled but is growing day by day. Rodong Sinmun Wednesday in an article says the U.S. policy of military occupation of south Korea is a concentrated expression of the criminal design to dominate whole Korea and establish its control over an extensive region of Asia.
    The author of the article goes on:
    The U.S. occupation of south Korea was a prearranged act to invade and dominate whole Korea and it led to the Korean war.
    Still today the U.S. imperialists are pursuing the policy of military occupation and domination over south Korea under the cloak of "security" and anxiously watching for a chance of another war of aggression in Korea.
    The Bush administration is seeking in Korea not peace but a war, not reunification but division. After branding the DPRK as part of the "axis of evil" it is trying to start another war on the Korean peninsula, come what may, under the pretext of the DPRK-U.S. nuclear issue. Today the danger of war is daily growing on the Korean peninsula and the peace of the country and the security of the nation are exposed to a grave threat. If the U.S. ignited a war in Korea, it would not be beneficial to the U.S. either. It is the temperament of the Korean People's Army and people never to beg for peace, though they do not want a war, and to show no mercy to the aggressors. Boundless is their might built up with matchless arms of Songun and there is no place out of the reach of its strike.
    There is no way out for the U.S. but to give up its design of domination of Korea and withdraw its aggression forces from south Korea.

Chinese Government Economic and Trade Del. Lays Wreath before Friendship Tower

     Pyongyang, June 30 (KCNA) -- A Chinese government economic and trade delegation led by Chen Jian, assistant to the minister of Commerce of China, laid a wreath before the Friendship Tower on June 29. Present there were Kim Jong Gi, vice-minister of Foreign Trade, officials concerned, Wu Donghe, Chinese ambassador to the DPRK, and staff members of the embassy.
    Written on the ribbon of the wreath were letters "Martyrs of the Chinese People's Volunteers Will Be Immortal."
    The participants paid silent tribute to the martyrs who laid down their lives while bravely fighting in the Korean war against the U.S. imperialist aggressors.
    The head of the delegation wrote in the visitor's book that the Sino-Korean friendship will be everlasting.

Anti-U.S. Rallies Held in All Cities and Counties of DPRK

     Pyongyang, June 30 (KCNA) -- Rallies were held in all cities and counties of the DPRK to mark June 25, the day of the struggle against the U.S. imperialists. Speakers at the rallies said that the last Korean war was a war of aggression the U.S. imperialists deliberately provoked to destroy the young DPRK and realize its ambition for world supremacy and a war of unprecedented genocide in which they killed Koreans by a most cruel and barbarous manner.
    They continued: The U.S. imperialists have ceaselessly committed all sorts of atrocities such as murder and plunder for more than 50 years of their presence in south Korea, far from drawing a proper lesson from their defeat in the war. They are going mad with RSOI and Foal Eagle exercises aimed to ignite another war. They are the very source of all misfortunes and sufferings of the Korean people.
    The Korean people will certainly force the U.S. imperialists to pay for the crimes committed against them generation after generation. If the U.S. warmongers ignite another war on this land, the Korean people will mobilize all the war deterrent force and wipe out the aggressors to the last man and thus achieve the historic cause of national reunification without fail.

Japanese Kimjongilia Fanciers Society Releases Its Inaugural Bulletin

    Pyongyang, June 30 (KCNA) -- The Japanese Kimjongilia Fanciers Society issued its inaugural bulletin. Carried on the frontpage of the bulletin are a painting depicting President Kim Il Sung standing together with leader Kim Jong Il and photos of immortal flowers Kimilsungia and Kimjongilia.
    The bulletin contains a letter presented to Kim Jong Il by Mototeru Kamo, a Japanese horticulturist, when offering him Kimjongilia in 1988 on the occasion of the February holiday, the birthday of Kim Jong Il, an account of the DPRK visit of a delegation of the society, a story about how Kimilsungia and Kimjongilia came into being and an article about the successes achieved by the immortal flower shows and festivals held so far.
    It also carries an article introducing the Korean Kimilsungia-Kimjongilia Committee, an article by a member of the delegation of the society, an article on the immortal flower Kimjongilia written by Mototeru and a poem titled " Immortal red flower Kimjongilia!" written by Kiyoshi Naomi, representative of the society who is also professor at Rikkyo University of Japan.
    The bulletin also introduces major activities conducted by the society.

Vietnamese Embassy Officials Help Jamjin Co-op Farm

     Pyongyang, June 30 (KCNA) -- Ambassador Phan Trong Thai and officials of the Vietnamese embassy here helped farmers of the Korea-Vietnam Friendship Jamjin Co-op Farm in weeding maze fields on June 29. During the break the guests talked with the farmers and had a recreation gathering.
    The ambassador said he was pleased to come to the farm where President Kim Il Sung gave on-the-spot guidance several times.
    The friendly relations between Viet Nam and the DPRK provided by President Ho Chi Minh and Kim Il Sung are growing in strength and developing under the deep care of the leaders of the two countries, he said.
    They handed over aid materials to the farm.

Summer Rural Service Started by Hanchongryon in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, June 30 (KCNA) -- At least 20 thousand students belonging to the south Korean Federation of University Student Councils (Hanchongryon) reportedly launched its "joint summer rural service for 2004 to defend our agriculture" in more than 800 rural areas of over 100 cities and counties in south Korea on June 25 to "curb the opening of the rice market", "defend food sovereignty " and demand "the withdrawal of the decision on troop dispatch to Iraq". Hanchongryon decided to conduct this service jointly with the south Korean Federation of Peasants Associations, the south Korean General Federation of Women Peasants Associations and the south Korean Council of Women Student Representatives.
    At a press conference held before the start of the service, Ri Kyong Su, chairman of the Seoul District Federation of University Student Councils said all the students participating in the service would launch an active struggle with peasants to defend national agriculture and thwart troop dispatching to Iraq.
    Mun Kyong Sik, chairman of the south Korean Federation of Peasants Associations, Choe Ok Ju, general secretary of the south Korean General Federation of Women Peasants Associations, and Hyon Ae Ja, National Assemblywoman from the south Korean Democratic Workers' Party, encouraged the students in the struggle and stressed the need to build up broader public opinion for the withdrawal of the decision on troop dispatch to Iraq and curbs on the opening of food market.
    An action program was made public at the press conference.

U.S. Termed Enemy Common to Humankind

     Pyongyang, June 30 (KCNA) -- The U.S. imperialists are a wicked enemy common to humankind. The United States is neither an apostle of peace nor a guardian of democracy nor a protector of human rights. Rodong Sinmun Wednesday says this in a signed article. The article cites facts to disclose the true colors of the United States as the arch criminal that infringed upon independence and sovereignty and blocked social progress, a chieftain of aggression and a kingpin of state-sponsored terrorism and a harasser of peace.
    The article continues:
    The U.S. has engineered at least 100 military coups worldwide to wipe out the movement for national liberation and stifle those countries aspiring after independence against imperialism for over 40 years since the end of the Second World War. Its mean schemes to topple legitimate governments aspiring after independence against imperialism are going on even today.
    The U.S. criminal true nature finds its vivid expression in its frantic moves to destroy socialism, a progressive society and hope and ideal of humankind in which man's independence is fully realized. The U.S. imperialists' offensive to isolate and stifle the DPRK proves that their moves have reached their height.
    The U.S. true colors as a harasser of peace finds its vivid manifestation in the fact that it committed 114 wars and at least 8,900 cases of military intervention up to early in the 20th century since it launched the bloody war of aggression on the American continent and perpetrated 185 military invasions against developing countries up to early 1991 since the end of the Second World War.
    The U.S. imperialists' brigandish and bellicose nature has become all the more undisguised in the new century. Their Iraqi war was most hideous state-sponsored terrorism, typical act of aggression and a crude violation of sovereignty and peace in the 21st century.
    The U.S. is the only nuclear war criminal in the world as it developed and used nuclear weapons for the first time in human history and the world's worst nuclear fanatic as it poses constant nuclear threat and the danger of a nuclear war to the world.
    The U.S. is the world's worst exploiter, plunderer and human rights abuser.
    Multi-national companies were a main form of international monopoly that appeared after the end of the Second World War and they served the U.S. as a major means for exploitation and plunder. The multi-national companies belonging to the U.S. made their way to developing countries facing economic difficulties under the pretext of "aid" to rake up profits per dollar 4-5 times or even 10 times what it had invested.
    Economic chaos and crises including the financial crisis in Asia that occurred worldwide by the end of the 20th century were directly or indirectly related to the U.S. which seized this opportunity to meet its unlimited selfish interests.
    In another development, the U.S. is dumping its surplus commodities into the developing countries while putting pressure upon them to open markets.
    "Aid" and "loan" on the lips of the U.S. are a leverage for international exploitation and plunder and lead to economic and political subjugation because it takes away a hundred things after giving one.
    The criminal human rights abuses committed by the U.S. imperialists are clearly proved by their acts of killing or wounding civilians in the 1991 Persian Gulf War and the 1999 Balkan War and the recent disclosure of the U.S. occupation forces' inhuman torture and maltreatment of Iraqi prisoners.
    The U.S. is now employing all sorts of fig-leaves to cover up its crimes committed in the past and its criminal nature. But the U.S. imperialists' aggressive and brigandish nature can never change, the article says, urging everybody not to pin any hope on the U.S.
    What is most important in the anti-U.S. struggle in the present times is that one must build up one's own military force and if all those countries aspiring after independence increase their own military force they can certainly stop the U.S. from running wild, the article says.

Greetings to Burundian President

     Pyongyang, June 30 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Monday sent a message of greetings to Domitien Ndayzeye, president of Burundi, on the occasion of the 42nd anniversary of the independence of the country. The friendly relations between the two countries would develop on good terms, the message said, wishing the president and the people of Burundi greater success in the work for peace and reconstruction of the country.

Message of Greetings to Sudanese President

     Pyongyang, June 30 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Tuesday sent a message of greetings to Sudanese President Omar Hassan Ahmed Al-Bashir on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the day of the revolution in Sudan. The message wished the president and people of Sudan successes in their efforts to achieve progress and prosperity of the country and protect the territorial integrity and expressed the belief that the relations between the DPRK and Sudan would grow stronger.

Increasing Number of Heroes in DPRK

     Pyongyang, June 30 (KCNA) -- Five decades have passed since the titles of Hero of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (June 30, 1950) and Labor Hero (July 17, 1951) were instituted. Thousands of heroes have been produced during the period. The history of the victorious Korean revolution is associated with feats of the heroes. The anti-Japanese revolutionary war veterans, who fought against the Japanese imperialists and accomplished the historical cause of national liberation in August 1945 under the leadership of President Kim Il Sung, rallied around him, were the first generation of heroes produced by Korea. By carrying forward their spirit, the Korean people displayed mass heroism to the full in the Fatherland Liberation War against the U.S. imperialist aggressors from June 1950 to July 1953. The Korean war produced 533 heroes and twice heroes of the Republic. They defended the freedom and independence of the country by giving full play to their matchless bravery and self-sacrificing spirit. Among the heroes were a platoon leader Kim Chang Gol and Ri Su Bok, 18, who ensured the advance of their units by covering the enemy's machine guns with their bodies; Kang Ho Yong who rolled down to enemies with a hand-grenade in his mouth after losing his arms and legs during a combat and blasted himself among them; Jo Sun Ok who destroyed a tank with a hand-grenade at the cost of her life; Thae Son Hui who distinguished herself in air battles as the first woman fighter pilot in Korea; and Jo Ok Hui who had a good record of service in the Jinamsan People's Guerrilla Army.

New Kind of Gold-plated Painting Created

     Pyongyang, June 30 (KCNA) -- A new kind of gold-plated Korean painting has been created by the Mansudae Art Studio. It is a kind of painting which is drawn on a gold-plated sheet with adhesive pigments going well with the color of gold. The gold painting has a history of more than 1,000 years in Korea.
    In the by-gone days, it had been used to bind and illustrate books. The illustrations were brushed with gold dust.
    The newly created gold-plated Korean painting differs from the old one in the method of drawing. The old was brushed with powdered gold, while the new is drawn on a gold-plated sheet.
    Therefore, the gold-plated painting is graceful and can be preserved long without fading.
    It well reflects rays and changes its color according to lighting.
    By the method of gold-plated Korean painting, one can draw pictures of various kinds and sizes such as figure, landscape, animal and mural ones.
    Hwang Pyong Ho, a Merited Artist of the Mansudae Art Studio, made a great contribution to creating the new kind of gold-plated painting.
    His works including "Cranes in Mt. Paektu," "Mangyongdae, Cradle of Revolution" and "We Sing of Reclaimed Land" are on display at the Korean Art Gallery as treasure of the nation.
    Displayed at Hwang Pyong Ho's Art Show held at the Pyongyang International House of Culture in April were "Tiger in Mt. Paektu," "Angling Site of Mupho," "Taegak Dam," "Peacocks", "Chicken and Bird" and many other works.

Gift to Kim Jong Il from Chinese Delegation

     Pyongyang, June 30 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il received a gift from the Chinese government economic and trade delegation on a visit to the DPRK. The gift was handed to an official concerned Wednesday by Chen Jian, assistant to the minister of Commerce of China who is leading the delegation.

DPRK-China Talks Held

     Pyongyang, June 30 (KCNA) -- Talks between the government economic and trade delegations of the DPRK and China were held at the People's Palace of Culture on Wednesday. Present at the talks were the DPRK delegation led by Kim Jong Gi, vice-minister of Foreign Trade, the Chinese delegation led by Chen Jian, assistant to the minister of Commerce of China, Chinese Ambassador e.p. to the DPRK Wu Donghe and staff members of the embassy here.
    At the talks both sides had a wide-range exchange of views on the economic development between the two countries and swapped views on the issue of boosting the bilateral friendly and cooperative relations and a series of matters of mutual concern.
    Documents on the economic cooperation between the two countries signed by the heads of the two delegations were exchanged on the same day.

For Spanish-speaking people

Kim Jong Il recibe presente de delegacion china

     Pyongyang, 30 de junio (ATCC) -- El Dirigente Kim Jong Il recibio presente que le dirigiera la delegacion economica y comercial gubernamental de China presidida por el asistente del ministro de Comercio Chen Jian de visita en la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea. El jefe de la delegacion lo entrego el dia 30 a un funcionario coreano.

Conversaciones entre delegaciones de Corea y China

     Pyongyang, 30 de junio (ATCC) -- Tuvieron lugar el dia 30 en el Palacio Cultural del Pueblo en esta capital las conversaciones entre las delegaciones economicas y comerciales gubernamentales de Corea y de China. Estuvieron presentes por la parte coreana la delegacion economica y comercial gubernamental presidida por el viceministro de Comercio Exterior Kim Jong Gi y por la china la delegacion economica y comercial gubernamental encabezada por el asistente del ministro de Comercio Chen Jian, el embajador extraordinario y plenipotenciario Wu Donghe y otros miembros de la sede diplomatica de China en Corea.
    En la ocasion ambas partes intercambiaron amplias opiniones para el desarrollo economico entre ambos paises y discutieron el problema de las relaciones de amistad y cooperacion y una serie de asuntos de interes mutuo.
    Este dia, fueron intercambiados los documentos referentes a la cooperacion economica entre los dos paises, firmados por los jefes de las dos delegaciones.

Entidades estadounidenses subrayan

     Pyongyang, 30 de junio (ATCC) -- El Comite Antiimperialista y de Solidaridad y el Grupo de Estudio de la Politica de Songun (priorizacion militar) de EE.UU. insertaron el dia primero en la pagina Web de Internet un articulo que da a conocer la superioridad del socialismo coreano visto a traves del beneficio social sobre las mujeres. El articulo transmite detalladamente sobre el beneficio social que las mujeres coreanas reciben del estado y anade que comparar a las mujeres coreanas con las norteamericanas origina un grave problema.
    En EE.UU. no hay nada para comparar con Corea, senala el articulo y continua:
    Aunque ellas reciben constantemente la amenaza de guerra nuclear en la patria dividida, gozan de una vida estable incomparablemente con las mujeres americanas y viven felizmente recibiendo atencion preferencial social.
    Algunas personas tienen erronea comprension sobre Corea, pero, deben ver correctamente la realidad y comprender debidamente de ella. En EE.UU. no hay mayor cualidad comparable con Corea.