DPRK Foreign Ministry Dismisses U.S. Proposal

     Pyongyang, July 24 (KCNA) -- The "landmark proposal" made by the United　States is little worthy to be considered any longer, said a spokesman for　the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of　Korea, answering a question put by KCNA Saturday as regards the nonsense　talked by the U.S. over the proposal made by it at the third round of the six-party talks. He continued:
    High-ranking officials of the Bush administration are busying themselves to create the impression that the ball is in the court of the DPRK. They asserted that they hoped it would understand the meaning of the "landmark proposal" set out by the U.S. at the third round of the six-party talks and make a "strategic calculation" and that they were waiting for response from north Korea.
    Worse still, they "recommended" the DPRK to follow the precedent of Libya, saying if the DPRK scrapped its nuclear weapons program first, it would be given stupendous reward for this.
    . This only reveals the U.S. utter ignorance of the DPRK.
    As already known, the DPRK made a more bold and flexible proposal at the third round of the six-party talks held in June proceeding from its consistent stand to make the Korean peninsula nuclear-free. It clarified details of its nuclear freeze, saying that denuclearization is the DPRK's general goal and the freeze is the first starting point leading to the final dismantlement of its nuclear weapons plan.
    The DPRK's proposal for "reward for freeze" has enjoyed widespread support and sympathy not only at the six-party talks but from many countries of the world as it is the most reasonable way for a solution to the issue which reflects the actual situation where there is no confidence between the DPRK and the U.S.
    The U.S., too, paying heed to the DPRK's proposal, said that it would seriously examine it.
    We have closely watched the Bush administration's policy toward the DPRK after the talks, paying attention to the "landmark proposal" made by the U.S. side.
    The study of the recent policy clarified by high-ranking officials of the Bush administration, however, clearly suggests that the U.S. "landmark proposal" was nothing but a sham offer.
    In a word, the U.S. proposal is, in its essence, is a mode of forcing Libya to scrap its nuclear program first, a mode veiled with word "landmark." The U.S. proposal does not reflect at all the principle of "words for words", "action for action" which the U.S. had already promised to observe. Moreover, it says nothing of the U.S. commitment to give up its hostile policy toward the DPRK, a stumbling block lying in the way of denuclearizing the Korean peninsula, and specific ways to do so..
    In other words, the U.S. only mentioned the phases whereby to meet its demands for disarming the DPRK and expressed its intention to discuss what it would do only after the DPRK has unilaterally completed the dismantlement of its nuclear program.
    The U.S. is foolish enough to calculate that such mode imposed upon Libya would be accepted by the DPRK, too.
    Moreover, high-ranking officials of the Bush administration are now asserting it is the avowed policy of the U.S. not to give the DPRK any reward for the freeze of its nuclear facilities or for the dismantlement of its nuclear program.
    For the U.S. to avoid direct reward for the DPRK's freeze of its nuclear facilities is little short of destroying the foundation for the settlement of the nuclear issue between the two countries.
    This would make it hard to expect any progress in seeking a negotiated solution to the nuclear issue and further becloud the prospect of denuclearizing the Korean peninsula.
    All these facts prove once again that the DPRK was right in its judgment that the U.S. remains unchanged in its present stand.
    The DPRK, therefore, considers the U.S. "landmark proposal" to be little worthy to be discussed any longer.
    The goal to denuclearize the Korean peninsula can be achieved only when the U.S. gives up in practice its more than half a century old hostile policy towards the DPRK. In response to the DPRK's clarification of its goal to denuclearize the peninsula, the U.S. should commit itself to give up its hostile policy towards the former, lift the economic sanctions and blockade against it, delist it as a" sponsor of terrorism" and directly take part in the 2 million kw energy compensation as the first phase measure to fulfill the commitment.
    Whether the U.S. takes part in the project to make reward for the DPRK's nuclear freeze or not is the key to the settlement of the nuclear issue.
    It is a daydream for the U.S. to contemplate forcing the DPRK to lay down arms first under the situation where both are in a state of armistice and at war technically.
    It is the most realistic and only way of finding a solution to the nuclear issue to seek a package solution based on the principle of simultaneous actions and build confidence between the DPRK and the U.S. step by step through the realization of the proposal of "reward for freeze," the first phase measure for its implementation.

Over 1,200 Cases of U.S. Aerial Espionage

     Pyongyang, July 25 (KCNA) -- The U.S. imperialists committed over 1,200 cases of aerial espionage on the DPRK or more than 6 cases on a daily average from January to June this year, according to data available. Involved in the aerial espionage were latest reconnaissance planes of different missions including U-2, RC-135, E-8C, E-3, RC-7B, RC-12, RF-4, P-3 and EP-3.
    The espionage flights were made at a time when the U.S. imperialists were frequently staging war maneuvers, while massively shipping sophisticated military equipment into south Korea and relocating their troops in south Korea.
    The fact clearly shows that the U.S. imperialists are looking for a chance to launch a preemptive attack on the DPRK while stepping up their preparations for a war behind the curtain of the six-party talks.

International March Group Makes Public Special Statement

     Pyongyang, July 25 (KCNA) -- The group of the International March for Korea's Peace and Reunification made public a special statement here on July 24 on the occasion of the 51st anniversary of the victory of the Korean people in the great Fatherland Liberation War (July 27). The statement said that the victory of the Korean people in the Fatherland Liberation War was an inevitable punishment of justice upon the U.S. imperialists and a historic event which fully showed the oppressed people that even a young state and people can successfully defend their sovereignty when they are led by a great leader.
    Recalling that organizations of friendship and solidarity with the Korean people and progressive figures of different countries called for holding a "meeting for praising the life and exploits of the three commanders of Mt. Paektu, the great brilliant commanders of Songun, and building a monument to their great traits on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Korea and adopted relevant decisions, the statement supported it.
    The participants in the international march hope that many progressive figures of different countries will attend a European regional Internet symposium on the exploits of Songun performed by the great persons of Mt. Paektu to be sponsored in 2005 by the Association for Friendship with the Korean People whose headquarters is in Spain, the statement said.
    It supported all the measures and efforts of the DPRK for a fair settlement of the nuclear issue in the Korean peninsula and called upon the progressive figures of all countries to conduct solidarity activities supporting Korea of Songun, the banner of independence and peace.
    The international march group will make all efforts to glorify the meeting as an international political and cultural festival and fully support the construction of equestrian statues of the three commanders of Mt. Paektu, it said.

Stop to Anti-DPRK Moves and War Preparations Demanded

     Pyongyang, July 25 (KCNA) -- The U.S. should put a stop to its base moves to stifle the DPRK and provoke a new war, no longer obstruct a peaceful solution to the Korean issue, discontinue its aggressive acts in all parts of the world and go home at once. Boris Petkov, chairman of the Executive Council of the Central Committee of the Bulgarian Communist Party (Marxist), said this in a press statement issued on July 20 on the occasion of the June 25 -July 27 month of the anti-U.S. joint struggle.
    He stressed that switchover in the Korea policy of the U.S. is a precondition for securing peace and stability in the Korean peninsula and achieving a peaceful reunification of Korea.
    The Songun politics of the DPRK is a decisive guarantee for accomplishing the socialist cause of Korean style and achieving independent and peaceful reunification of the country and a valuable sword of justice for saving the world from the imperialist invasion and plunder, he said, and stressed:
    The progressive public of Bulgaria will stand forever on the side of the Korean people who love peace and progress and solidarize with the progressive peoples of the world in the sacred war against the U.S.

U.S. Warhawk's South Korea Tour Flailed

     Pyongyang, July 25 (KCNA) -- The Reunification Solidarity of south Korea reportedly called a news conference in front of the building of Korea Communications in Seoul on July 22 to criticize a tour of U.S. Undersecretary of State John Bolton to south Korea. A press release read out at the press conference strongly denounced him for openly forcing the south Korean authorities to pursue a hostile policy toward the north during his trip, saying that he is a representative warhawk who has insisted on sanctions against the north.
    Han Sang Ryol, permanent representative of the Reunification Solidarity, Ri Kyu Jae, vice-president of the South Headquarters of the National Alliance for the Country's Reunification, and other speakers stressed that his assertion during his south Korea junket is, in fact, little short of a declaration of war.
    The settlement of the "nuclear issue of the north" is possible only after a peace agreement is concluded and diplomatic relations are normalized between the DPRK and the U.S., they noted.

U.S. Imperialists' Crimes during Korean War Assailed

     Pyongyang, July 25 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun Sunday carries a singed article disclosing the war crimes the U.S. imperialists committed during the war of aggression on Korea (1950-1953) in wanton violation of recognized international law and war regulations. It says:
    They destroyed nearly 9,000 factories, workshops and production equipment until the conclusion of the Armistice Agreement from the beginning of the war. Their bombing and bombardment damaged hundreds of thousands of hectares of farm land and decreased the cultivated land by 90,000 hectares.
    The U.S. aircraft dropped bombs on Yongmyong Temple and Pubyok Pavilion in Pyongyang, Tongmyong House in Songchon, Puyong Shrine in Haeju, Namdaemun in Kaesong, Nam Gate in Uiju, Wisong House in Huichon, Pohyon Temple on Mt. Myohyang, Sokwang Temple in Kosan and Jangan, Phyohun, Yujom and Singye Temples on Mt. Kumgang to reduce them to ashes.
    They also bombed schools, theatres, cinema houses, libraries, churches, rest homes, sanatoriums and even hospitals at random.
    The U.S. imperialists spread various species of germs in at least 400 places in the northern part of Korea on 700 occasions in two months from January 28 to March 31 in 1952. They massively dropped napalms and poison-gas bombs on the front and rear.
    They kept prisoners of war in places with no roof, heating and water supply, starved, froze, shot and stabbed them to death, ran them over with tanks, boiled and let dogs bite them to death. They also skinned and buried them alive and burnt them by petrol to death.
    They used POWs as objects of chemical practice, collection of bones for the treatment of wounded U.S. troops, examination of the effectiveness of medicines, chemical experiment which had never been applied to humans and test of weapons.
    They carried away hundreds of prisoners by transport and hygienic ships from the Somyon Camp in Pusan on October 23, 1950 and five camps on Koje Island in the middle of May in 1951 to use them in the test of nuclear bombs in the Pacific.
    According to AP from Washington on May 17, 1951, they conducted more than 3,000 experiments against POWs in the waters off Koje Island.
    The U.S. imperialists can never evade the responsibility for their monstrous war crimes they committed during the Korean war in wanton violation of international law and war regulations.

Preserving Juche Character and National Character Called for

     Pyongyang, July 25 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il's idea that the Juche character and national character are the life and soul of a country and nation serves as important guidelines and the banner of strategic struggle in frustrating the vicious moves of the United States and reactionaries of history and advancing the people's cause of independence, the socialist cause, along the road of victory. Rodong Sinmun Sunday says this in a signed article.
    Preserving the Juche character means that the popular masses are responsible for shaping the destiny of their country and nation and their own destiny independently and creatively. Keeping the national character means to preserve and develop the peculiar and good characteristics of a nation and apply them in all spheres of social life, the article says, and goes on:
    If a nation fails to correctly settle the issue of preserving the Juche character and national character, it will make a mess of the gains of revolution achieved with blood. This is a serious historical lesson.
    Now that the imperialists are further intensifying their moves for domination and ideological and cultural infiltration while clamoring for "globalization", it is of particular importance to preserve the Juche character and national character.
    It is the essence and method of the U.S. strategy of domination over the world to obliterate the Juche character and national character of other countries and nations through the "globalization" and establish its unipolar world by Americanizing and Westernizing the world.
    Independent development and prosperity of a country and nation can not be achieved through the U.S.-pursued "globalization".
    Preserving the Juche character and national character makes it possible to smash the imperialists' moves for "globalization", ideological and cultural infiltration and domination, defend the dignity and independence of a country and nation and promote sound social development.

Korean Acupuncture and Moxibustion Treatment Centre Opens in Peru

     Pyongyang, July 24 (KCNA) -- The Korean Acupuncture and Moxibustion Treatment Centre was opened with due ceremony in Callao, Peru, on July 13. Mayor Alexander Kouri in his speech expressed his deep thanks to the DPRK government for sending competent doctors of Koryo Medicine to the city.
    Referring to the fact that the friendly city relations were established between the city and Nampho City in the DPRK during his visit to the DPRK, he said that while touring its different parts he was deeply impressed by the creative talent and diligence of the resourceful Korean people who boast a history spanning 5,000 years.
    He stressed that he would make all efforts for the successful operation of the centre.

National Games of Workers Held

     Pyongyang, July 24 (KCNA) -- The Fifth National Games of Workers were held in Pyongyang from July 19 to 23 on the occasion of the Day of Victory in the Fatherland Liberation War. The games drew at least 800 players selected in each province and the Ministry of Railways. The participants, divided into two groups, had league matches in such events as Taekwon-Do, football, basketball, volleyball and table-tennis.
    In all events they fully displayed their sports skill they had cultivated after their work.
    Players from South Phyongan Province came first in total points in the team event of Taekwon-Do and its men and women's individual events.
    Those from Pyongyang placed first in total points in football, basketball, volleyball and table-tennis events and those from South Hamgyong and South Phyongan Provinces each came second and third in total points.
    A closing ceremony of the games was held at Pyongyang Indoor Stadium Friday.

Reception Given by Egyptian Ambassador

     Pyongyang, July 24 (KCNA) -- A reception was hosted by Egyptian Ambassador Ahmed Ramy to the DPRK Friday evening on the occasion of the 52nd anniversary of the July 23 Revolution, the national holiday of the Egyptian people. Present there on invitation were Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Kim Yong Jin, minister of Education who is chairman of the DPRK-Egypt Friendship Association, Mun Jae Chol, acting chairman of the Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries, officials concerned, diplomatic envoys of various countries and representatives of international organizations here.
    Staff members of the Egyptian embassy were on hand.
    Speeches were made at the reception.

S. Korean Subway Unionists Go on General Strike

     Pyongyang, July 24 (KCNA) -- Five subway workers unions of south Korea went on a general strike in Seoul, Pusan and Taegu all at once on July 21, timing to coincide with the deadlock of the labor-management negotiations for meeting the demands of workers including shorter working hours and making up of work force. At least 10,000 unionists participated in the strike.
    An eve of the strike was held in Seoul with over 7,500 unionists attending.
    Ri Su Ho, chairman of the south Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), in his speech charged that the company side was seeking only its interests, disregarding the demands of workers, and said that unionists would exercise their rights to struggle and strike.
    Present at the eve were representatives and members of the National People's Solidarity, the Democratic Workers' Party, the National Conference of Workers for Democracy and other organizations, who made speeches supporting the strike.
    A declaration of the general strike noted that the strike of the subway unionists was a struggle for defending the future of the unionists and the security of citizens.
    Before the eve, the KCTU held a press conference and denounced the "government" authorities for suppressing trade unions and stated that they would hold a rally against the "government" every day and fight to the last in order to cope with the present situation.

Anti-U.S., Anti-War Activists Meet in Seoul

     Pyongyang, July 24 (KCNA) -- A meeting of anti-U.S. and anti-war activists was held in Seoul on July 16 and 17 under the co-sponsorship of the Solidarity for Implementing the South-North Joint Declaration, the Solidarity of Youth and Students for the Implementation of the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration and the South Korean Federation of University Student Councils. Speeches were made there.
    Yun Han Thak, permanent co-representative of the Solidarity for Implementing the South-North Joint Declaration, said that the meeting would provide the participants with an opportunity to realize that they should spearhead the struggle to force the U.S. troops to pull out of this land and achieve people's liberation and democracy.
    Han Sang Ryol, permanent representative of the Reunification Solidarity, expressed hope that the year 2005 would be the year of the U.S. forces' withdrawal from south Korea and called for a united struggle to this end.
    The meeting heard reports on the activities of various organizations including the Young Friends in the Era of Reunification, the Kwangju-South Jolla Provincial Solidarity for Implementing the South-North Joint Declaration and the Taejon-South Chungchong Provincial Solidarity for Implementing the South-North Joint Declaration.
    There was lectures on the subjects of "The present situation and the direction of the movement for national reunification" and "Let us make the year 2005, the 60th year since the U.S. occupation of south Korea, the year of the withdrawal of U.S. forces."

Recently Disclosed GI Mass Killing of Civilians Condemned

     Pyongyang, July 24 (KCNA) -- The Secretariat of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland issued information bulletin No. 877 on Friday as regards the recent discovery of the fact that a destroyer belonging to the U.S. Pacific Fleet indiscriminately bombarded a large number of refugees in the waters off Phohang, south Korea during the Korean war, killing at least 100 of them. The bulletin said:
    It was confirmed by official documents including the then diary of battle that the destroyer bombarded the civilians though it knew that the majority of refugees on the seashore of Phohang were old people, women and children.
    This massacre of civilians by GIs has thus been known to the world as an undeniable hard fact.
    The mass killing of civilians in Rogun-ri and the massacre in Phohang and other monstrous atrocities committed by the U.S. imperialist aggressor troops now being disclosed one after another go to prove once again that the last Korean war ignited by them was an unprecedented war as it was aimed to exterminate the Korean nation.
    The U.S. imperialists are ogres keen on aggression and mass killings and the sworn enemy who should be forced to pay for the blood shed by Koreans.
    The U.S. is desperately working to bring the whole Korean nation a holocaust of a nuclear war, persistently pursuing an extremely reckless and dangerous policy of war against the DPRK.
    The bulletin called upon the south Korean people from all walks of life to rise up as one in just, sacred resistance against the U.S. in order to force it to pay for the misfortune, disasters and sacrifices it has imposed upon the Korean nation.

S. Korean Security Authorities Condemned

     Pyongyang, July 24 (KCNA) -- The south Korean security authorities charged　the south Korean Council of Youth Organizations with "the formation of an　enemy-benefiting organization" in violation of the Security Law at a trial　held at the Seoul District Court on July 20. They sentenced its Chairman Jon　Sang Bong to two years' imprisonment and two years' suspension of　qualification and its Vice-Chairman Pak Jang Hong and its Executive Chairman　Ri Sung Ho to one and a half years' imprisonment, one year's suspension of　qualification and three years' stay of execution. After the trial, participating members of the council and other　organizations held a press conference.
    At the press conference Chairman of the council Jon Sang Bong, Honorary　Chairman of the South Headquarters of the National Alliance for the　Country's Reunification Ri Jong Rin and other speakers said they cannot　recognize the security authorities' judgment, they would not pardon it but　fight in unity, considering the judgment as a starting point of a new　struggle.
    They in a press release denounced the designation of the council as an　enemy-benefiting organization as a shameless abuse of power and declared　that the organization would struggle with a firm resolve to get the judgment　withdrawn.

U.S. Arms Buildup Reaches Dangerous Stage

     Pyongyang, July 24 (KCNA) -- The U.S. imperialists' arms buildup for　another war on the Korean peninsula has reached a dangerous stage. Recently the U.S. weekly "Defense News" reported that the U.S. had　succeeded in the development and test firing of a new-type missile aimed at　destroying underground military facilities of the Democratic People's　Republic of Korea. The missile development program, it added, will be　completed within a year and six missiles be deployed at a U.S. unit in south　Korea, which will be followed by an additional deployment according to the　results of their practical use.
    The U.S. military buildup has increased the danger of war against the DPRK.
    As soon as it made public a "program for increasing war capacity" to arm　its forces present in south Korea with new-type nuclear weapons on May 31,　2003, the U.S. started carrying it into practice.
    Shortly after the publication of the program, more than 20 "Longbou AH-64D"　helicopters were deployed at the south Korea-based "Apache" helicopters　squadron of the Sixth Cavalry Brigade of the U.S. Then some of "Patriot 2"　missiles were replaced with "Patriot 3".　
    The U.S. has also shipped into south Korea many pieces of sophisticated　military hardware including at least ten fighter-bombers, U-2 high attitude　strategic reconnaissance aircraft, six F-117 stealth bombers, a F-15E　squadron and Shadow 200 unmanned tactical aircraft.
    In the beginning of the year, the U.S. exchanged the old tanks of its　Second Infantry Division with scores of high-tech M1-A1 Abrams.
    Now stockpiled in the U.S. military bases in south Korea are various kinds　of military equipment -- thousands of tactical nuclear weapons, a large　stock of depleted uranium bullets, different types of aircraft including　F-16 and F-15 fighters capable of carrying nuclear weapons and hundreds of　Lance, Patriot and other missiles and atomic guns.
    South Korea has turned into the world's most dense area in deployment of　strategic weapons.
    The U.S. military buildup has rendered the situation of the Korean　peninsula all the more strained and Northeast Asia into a theatre of acute　military confrontation

For Spanish-speaking people

V Competencia Nacional de Deporte de Obreros

     Pyongyang, 24 de julio (ATCC) -- Con motivo del dia del triunfo en la Guerra de Liberacion de la Patria (27 de julio) se efectuo del dia 19 al 23 en esta capital la V Competencia Nacional de Deporte de Obreros. En el presente certamen participaron mas de 800 jugadores procedentes de las provincias y del Ministerio de Ferrocarril. Ellos se dividieron en dos grupos para diputarse a modo de todos contra todos en las disciplinas de Taekwon-do, futbol, baloncesto, voleibol y ping pong.
    Los participantes demostraron sin reserva su tecnica deportiva que han adiestrado en horas desocupadas luego de cumplir jornada del trabajo. Los taekwondoistas de la provincia de Phyong-an del Sur se clasificaron primeros en el juego colectivo y los individuales de ambos sexos.
    En el futbol, baloncesto, voleibol y ping pong, los jugadores de la ciudad de Pyongyang se clasificaron primeros y los de las provincias de Hamgyong del Sur y de Phyong-an del Sur ocuparon el segundo y tercer lugares, respectivamente.
    El acto clausural tuvo lugar el dia 23 en el Palacio de Deportes de Pyongyang.

Sur de Corea reprime a estudiantes

     Pyongyang, 24 de julio (ATCC) -- El dia 20, la autoridad policiaca del Sur de Corea demando la orden de arresto del estudiante de la Universidad de Pusan, Jong Ji Song, el estudiante de la Universidad Coryo, Yu Pyong Mun, y otros dos universitarios que desarrollaron el dia 18 una manifestacion de sorpresa a fin de detener el transporte de materiales belicos para el envio de efectivos en el puerto de Pusan. La policia les imputo una sospecha de transgresion de "ley de proteccion de instalaciones militares" y "ley sobre la concentracion y manifestacion".