Workers' Rally for Repeal of Bill on Retrogressive Revision of Labor Law Held in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, October 15 (KCNA) -- A national workers' rally for the repeal of the bill on the retrogressive revision of the labor law on part-time job and for a legislation on the guarantee of rights was reportedly held on the University Street of Seoul on Oct. 10 with at least 15,000 workers attending. Speakers at the rally said if the government-introduced bill on "dispatching workers" which calls for overall expansion of the category of jobs to be occupied by dispatched workers and extension of their period is passed, the position of part-time workers will become more miserable and all of the regular workers will be reduced to part-time workers.
    They called upon the workers to enter into a general strike to have the issue of part-timers solved and the workers' rights guaranteed.
    Representatives of public organizations including the co-representative of the Association of Women's Organizations of south Korea and the permanent representative of the National People's Solidarity in their speeches made at the rally held that the government-proposed retrogressive revision of the labor law on part-time job is not only an issue related to the part-timers but a social problem as it increases social inequality.
    They noted they could not but express astonishment at the government-introduced bill on expanding the above-said category of job in spite of the fact that 73 percent of all women workers are part-timers. They vowed to struggle to the last for the abolition of the part-time job in solidarity with the south Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and the Federation of south Korean Trade Unions.
    A resolution was adopted at the rally.
    Prior to the rally, workers in various fields held meetings to resolve to conduct an all-out struggle in the remaining period of the year.

Korea-related Meeting Held in Mexico

     Pyongyang, October 15 (KCNA) -- A meeting was held in Mexico on October 8 to mark the 59th founding anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and the 24th anniversary of the publication of the proposal for the founding of the Democratic Federal Republic of Koryo. Alejandro Rosales Sanchez, chairman of the Mexican Committee for Supporting Koreas Reunification, said in his speech that the WPK had led the revolutionary struggle of the great Korean people to victories and performed brilliant feats under the banner of the Juche idea from the first days after its foundation.
    He noted that the shining victory won by the Korean people in the work for national reunification was unthinkable apart from the wise leadership of President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il and the struggle of the WPK. He further said:
    Kim Il Sung 24 years ago put forward the proposal for the founding of the Democratic Federal Republic of Koryo, the great program for Korea's reunification, and roused all the Koreans in the north, the south and overseas to the struggle for its implementation.
    The plan of Kim Il Sung for national reunification is today being brought to a brilliant realization by the tirelessly energetic efforts of Kim Jong Il. Meanwhile, a joint statement was issued by the Mexican Fellowship Union to Honor the Memory of President Kim Il Sung, the Mexican Committee for the Study of Kimilsungism, the Mexican Institute of the Juche Idea and the Mexican Committee for Supporting Korea's Reunification on October 8 in support of the proposal.
    Korea should be reunified by means of founding the Democratic Federal Republic of Koryo under the banner of the north-south joint declaration published on June 15, 2000, the statement said, and continued:
    The south Korean authorities should abandon their pro-U. S. policy and choose a policy of national cooperation.
    And the U.S. should give up its hostile policy toward the DPRK and promote Korea's reunification by the federal formula based on the coexistence of the north and the south of Korea.

Immediate Withdrawal of "Jaitun" Unit Demanded in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, October 15 (KCNA) -- The south Korean Federation of University Student Councils (Hanchongryon) reportedly made public a statement headlined "Open to the public the present situation of the Jaitun unit and withdraw it at once" on October 10. The "government" authorities are scheming to additionally dispatch a transport squadron of the air force to Iraq instead of withdrawing the "Jaitun" unit, the statement said, and went on:
    Iraq can never be a safe place for the south Korean troops joining in the U.S. war of aggression. The "government" authorities boasted that they would give top priority to the safety of the "Jaitun" unit, but its safety cannot be guaranteed.
    Unpardonable is the "government" authorities' action of yielding to warmonger Bush's pressure and joining in the war of aggression. Hanchongryon strongly demands immediate withdrawal of the "Jaitun" unit.
    If the authorities ignore this demand and adopt a "motion on the extension of troop dispatch," they will face all people's indignation.
    Meanwhile, the People for Achieving Peace and Reunification made public a statement on October 9 in demand of the withdrawal of the south Korean troops from Iraq.
    The "government" should repent of wrongdoings and immediately withdraw the south Korean troops including the "Jaitun" unit from Iraq, the statement noted, stressing: This is the only way of clearing itself of a bad name of a war criminal.

Foreign Parties and Organizations Demand Abolition of "Security@Law"

     Pyongyang, October 15 (KCNA) -- Statements were issued by the Belgian Labor Party, the Belgian Solidarity Committee "Korea Is One", the British Association for the Study of Songun Policy and the Swiss Committee for Supporting Korea's Reunification, and a letter of protest was sent to the south Korean Grand National Party by the U.S. Solidarity Committee for Supporting the National Democratic Front of South Korea and the People's Struggle in South Korea from September 26 to 30 in demand of the abolition of the south Korean "Security Law." The statements and the letter held that the SL, an evil law of the old era, must vanish today when the cold war came to an end and the north and the south of Korea are advancing toward reconciliation and unity, cooperation and reunification under the banner of the historic June 15 joint declaration.
    They sharply denounced the desperate efforts of the pro-U.S., ultra-right conservative forces of south Korea including the Grand National Party to keep the SL intact whereby to encroach upon the human rights of the people, arrest the reunification movement and bring back the cold war era.
    They strongly demanded that the U.S. renounce its hostile policy toward the DPRK, sign with the DPRK a peace agreement and a nonaggression pact and withdraw its aggression forces and death tools from south Korea without delay.
    They expressed undivided support to and solidarity with the south Korean people in their just struggle to restore national sovereignty by a powerful anti-U.S. struggle and achieve social democracy and national reunification by getting the SL, a fascist law, torn up.

National Drama Festival Opens

     Pyongyang, October 15 (KCNA) -- The 11th National Drama Festival opened at the Central Workers' Hall Thursday. This festival has been sponsored to defend and further glorify the immortal feats performed by leader Kim Jong Il in dramatic art. Put on the festival stage will be 20 or more plays and story-telling pieces of diverse themes and styles created by central and local drama troupes in response to the demand of the Songun era. They include works praising Kim Jong Il and showing the exploits of the Workers' Party of Korea in Songun leadership and the greatness and vitality of its Songun policy and works depicting the strivings of the People's Army soldiers and working people who are all out in a revolutionary offensive on the three fronts of building a great prosperous powerful socialist nation.
    For their high ideological value and artistic merit, these works will eloquently display the justice and vitality of the Party's policy of creating more masterpieces of "A Mountain Shrine" style showing the development of dramatic art in the Songun era and reflecting the demand of the new era.
    Present at the opening ceremony were officials concerned, playwrights and artists of the State Theatrical Company, the Korean People's Army Song and Dance Ensemble, the Pyongyang Puppet Show Company and provincial art troupes and teachers and students of Pyongyang University of Dramatic and Cinematic Arts.
    The opening address of Kim Jong Ho, chairman of the Central Committee of the General Federation of the Unions of Literature and the Arts of Korea, was followed by the performance of many-act play "The Fierce Battle Today" by the KPA Song and Dance Ensemble.

KCNA Blasts S. Korea's "Emergency Plan"

     Pyongyang, October 15 (KCNA) -- It has been disclosed recently that the south Korean authorities worked out in secrecy such "emergency plans" as Chungmu 3300 and Chungmu 9000 to cope with the "suddenly changed situation" in the north and have steadily updated them, waiting for a chance to implement them. This sparked a big public furor. The authorities were reported to have called for coping with the situation and "reunifying the country by absorption" in the past. But it is the first time that the above-said fact has been disclosed.
    The plan is a strategy for confrontation with the north dating back to the Cold War era, a strategy which diametrically runs counter to the June 15 joint declaration, and an intolerable treacherous and anti-reunification criminal act.
    What should not be overlooked is the fact that the Ministry of Unification of south Korea has directly taken part in updating the plan calling for confrontation with the north even after the publication of the joint declaration in which the north and the south committed themselves to achieve reconciliation, cooperation and independent reunification by the concerted efforts of the nation.
    Such rowdyism as carrying daggers in their belts while paying lip-service to dialogue and cooperation clearly proves that they are challenging the system in the DPRK, taking advantage of the U.S. hostile policy toward it.
    What the south Korean authorities are doing under the above-mentioned plan is nothing but a perfidy to their dialogue partner and a total negation of the June 15 joint declaration.
    Their oft-repeated reconciliation and cooperation are, in the long run, no more than a fig-leaf to cover up the dangerous nature of their Cold War style confrontation strategy.
    The DPRK is not interested at all in the "dialogue" and "cooperation" touted by those who seek a sinister purpose.
    The situation on the Korean peninsula remains so tense that a new war may break out any moment due to the U.S. anti-DPRK racket over the nuclear issue.
    The U.S. is massively bolstering its forces present in south Korea to preempt a nuclear attack on the DPRK. It is also working hard to lay an international siege to the DPRK in a bid to force it to accept its demand that the DPRK scrap its nuclear program first.
    It is against this backdrop that the south Korean authorities are joining the U.S. in implementing its hostile policy toward the DPRK. This behavior will only bring the holocaust of a war to the Korean peninsula and bring the inter-Korean relations back to those of confrontation.
    Socialism in the DPRK remains indestructible as it has been consolidated as firm as a rock thanks to a high degree of political and ideological awareness of the popular masses and their revolutionary zeal strong enough to meet all challenges of the imperialists, and it is invincible socialism under which the leader, the party and the masses are united in mind.
    No matter how desperately the south Korean fanatic agitators of confrontation with the north may work to do harm to the DPRK, backed by the outsiders, this will get them nowhere.
    The south Korean authorities should repeal the "emergency plan" without delay and make an unconditional apology to the DPRK, pondering over the grave impact it will have on the inter-Korean relations.
    The DPRK will closely follow their future attitude and will take necessary countermeasures.

Establishment of Juche Character Called for

     Pyongyang, October 15 (KCNA) -- The Korean nation should firmly establish its Juche character if it is to achieve concord and reunification, breaking through ordeals and difficulties standing in the way of the cause of reunification. Rodong Sinmun Friday says this in a signed article. To establish the Juche character in accomplishing the cause of national reunification means that the Korean nation independently settles all the problems arising in the struggle to achieve the reunification of the country in conformity with the desire and interests of the nation, the article notes, and goes on:
    In order to preserve the cause of independent reunification and lead it to victory it is imperative for the Korean nation to resolutely reject outside forces' interference in its internal affairs and independently resolve all the problems arising in achieving reunification by its concerted efforts.
    The Korean nation should firmly establish the Juche character in accomplishing the cause of national reunification so as to meet foreign forces' aggressive and anti-reunification challenge and more dynamically push ahead with national reconciliation, unity and reunification process.
    Flunkeyism and dependence on foreign forces are fundamentally contrary to the era of reunification after the publication of the June 15 joint declaration. It is impossible to stop outsiders from interfering in and obstructing the cause of reunification and promote reconciliation, unity, cooperation and interchange between the north and the south as long as flunkeyism and dependence on foreign forces remain.
    The establishment of the Juche character makes it possible to put an end to flunkeyism and dependence on outsiders. The united struggle of the Korean nation firmly armed with the Juche character is a decisive strength to do away with flunkeyism and the idea of depending on outsiders. Only when the Korean nation establishes the Juche character in the movement for reunification can it strengthen the driving force of reunification in every way, foil flunkeyism, dependence on foreign forces and anti-national pro-American cooperation and continue to step up the advance of the era of independence and reunification with the might of national cooperation.
    The establishment of the Juche character is the lifeline for the cause of national reunification.
    The Korean nation should push aside all challenges to reunification by the might of Juche, the might of unity, and push forward the cause of independent reunification.

S. Korean Authorities Urged to Drop Their Pipedream

     Pyongyang, October 15 (KCNA) -- The south Korean authorities are working hard to conceal their criminal case in which they worked out an "emergency plan" to stifle the fellow countrymen in the north and have steadily updated them, the case which was disclosed in the course of inspection of the administration at the National Assembly. Commenting on this, Minju Joson Friday says: This indicates that the south Korean authorities seek to persistently push forward their anachronistic "emergency plan" in a bid to stifle the north while paying lip-service to "dialogue" and "cooperation".
    It is quite nonsensical for the south Korean ruling quarters to expect a sort of "sudden change in the north," the commentary says, and goes on:
    No matter how frequently they are updating the plan, it is nothing but a pipedream.
    The nation lives in the era of reunification after the publication of the June 15 joint declaration as all the Koreans are working together for the independent reunification of the country. There is no room for the traitors seeking confrontation with fellow countrymen in league with outsiders to remain members of the nation any longer.
    The south Korean authorities must stop pursuing anachronistic inter-Korean confrontation, unconditionally apologize for having updated the confrontation-oriented "emergency plan" and cancel it.

Reckless Move for Naval Blockade against DPRK Assailed

     Pyongyang, October 15 (KCNA) -- The United States is going to stage together with the Japanese reactionaries a joint naval exercise in the waters off Japan late in October, pursuant to PSI. PSI means a step to isolate and blockade the DPRK. Branding the DPRK's increase of military power for self-defence as "proliferation of weapons of mass destruction", the U.S. has called for an embargo on the export of goods for duel use. Not content with this, it is plugging other countries into its operation to realize an international blockade against the DPRK.
    Commenting on this fact, Rodong Sinmun Friday says:
    The U.S. has so far conducted ten joint naval exercises with armed forces of its satellite countries involved. The projected exercise is aimed to showcase "international cooperation" targeted against the DPRK and draw its neighboring countries into this move in a bid to escalate its policy to isolate and blockade the DPRK.
    This exercise assumes more dangerous nature as it will be staged against the background of the increasing tension on the Korean peninsula. It will be an action of denying dialogue and wrecking peace.
    What the U.S. seeks is not peace but escalating tension in Northeast Asia including the Korean peninsula and the soon-to-be-staged exercise indicates that the U.S. imperialists' strategy to put military pressure on the DPRK and blockade and stifle it by force is inching close to the phase of its implementation.
    The DPRK cannot but make a case of the Japanese authorities' move to host the exercise at the U.S. instigation.
    Such move is quite contrary to the spirit of the DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration as the exercise is targeted against the DPRK.
    The use of force is not a monopoly of the U.S. and its allies. The army and people of the DPRK will remain on high alert and take a strong counteraction against the enemies' moves to isolate and blockade it.

U.S. Moves to Keep Ruling System from Collapse Denounced

     Pyongyang, October 15 (KCNA) -- Some days ago, the U.S. embassy in Seoul called pro-American stooges including the chairman of the Taeryong Federation, the representative of the Independence Daily and a pastor of the Kumran Church to give them "letters of thanks" for their "services" to the "strengthening of the U.S.-south Korea alliance." Rodong Sinmun Friday in a signed commentary says that this betrays the U.S. intention to use ultra-right pro-American elements of south Korea as a shock brigade to save their colonial ruling system in south Korea from collapse, block the reunification movement of the progressive forces, check the development of the inter-Korean relations and, furthermore, reduce the south Korean regime to a fascist dictatorial regime favourable to it.
    The commentary continues:
    Those who received the "letters of thanks" are U.S. hand-raised henchmen of special class. They are also heinous flunkeyists and traitors who have viciously blocked independence, democracy and reunification in south Korea with the backing of the U.S. master, begged for the U.S. troops' permanent occupation of south Korea, slandered the DPRK and stubbornly opposed the abolition of the "Security Law".
    Never should it go unnoticed that the Grand National Party, which barely manages to live under the U.S. support and patronage, is taking an active part in the anti-national, anti-reunification acts, encouraged by the recent function arranged by its master.
    The collusion among impure elements in the efforts to hurt the Korean nation is an act against the nation and history as it goes against the era of national independence, the era of reunification after the publication of the June 15 joint declaration. The days of a handful of pro-U.S. traitors including the GNP group are numbered as they are standing at the end of a cliff after committing all sorts of wrongs, placing the "cooperation" with outsiders above national cooperation.

DPRK Observes World Food Day

     Pyongyang, October 15 (KCNA) -- Various events have taken place in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to mark the World Food Day, October 16. On this occasion the DPRK government has conducted activities to make all the people aware of the importance of food in human life and encourage them to pay deep concern to solving the food problem.
    In an interview with KCNA Jong Sun Won, secretary general of the DPRK National Committee of FAO, said:
    Various lecture meetings and seminars on the theme of "Biodiversity for Food Security" put forth by FAO this year have taken place in the country's major rice and potato producers, universities of agriculture and other agriculture-related institutions.
    Mass media, too, will observe the day.
    Such FAO cooperation projects as the Paekma-Cholsan Waterway project, conservation farms, sea culture modernization projects and food security projects have been visited by working people of various social strata and students.
    The material and technical aid of the FAO, World Food Program, International Fund for Agricultural Development, etc. has helped solve the food problem in the country.

Jong Ha Chol Meets Delegation of Chinese People's Daily

     Pyongyang, October 15 (KCNA) -- Jong Ha Chol, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, met and conversed with the visiting delegation of the Chinese People's Daily led by its deputy director Zhu Xinmin at the Mansudae Assembly Hall Friday. Present there were Ro Yong, deputy editor-in-chief of Rodong Sinmun, and Guan Huabing, charge d' affaires ad interim of the Chinese embassy here.
    The head of the delegation said that while staying in Korea he came to know better about the great revolutionary life of President Kim Il Sung and feel profound veneration of the Korean people for him.
    He noted that he was deeply impressed to see the Korean people bravely overcoming difficulties and hardships under the leadership of Kim Jong Il.
    The two peoples of China and the DPRK have a long tradition of friendly relations, he said, expressing belief that the two party newspapers would positively contribute to the development of the Sino-Korean friendly and cooperative relations.
    He wished the Korean people greater success in the building of a great prosperous powerful socialist nation under the leadership of Kim Jong Il.

For Spanish-speaking people

Conferencia de heroes y hombres de meritos callados

     Pyongyang, 15 de octubre (ATCC) -- Tuvo lugar el dia 14 en esta capital la conferencia de heroes y hombres de meritos callados de la epoca del Songun (priorizacion militar). El movimiento por aprender de los heroes desconocidos es una campana patriotica y de innovacion masiva de forma superior para llevar adelante las tradiciones de lucha heroica del pueblo coreano y formar a todos los trabajadores en la practica de la construccion del socialismo como verdaderos hombres infinitamente fieles al partido y el lider y creadores de hazanas heroicas.
    En el conclave fueron debatidos las tareas y medios para elevar el papel de los heroes y hombres de meritos callados conforme a la epoca del Songun (priorizacion militar) y profundizar y desarrollar el movimiento por seguir los ejemplos de estos.
    Asistieron el secretario del Comite Central del Partido del Trabajo de Corea Jong Ha Chol y otros funcionarios.
    El primer subjefe de departamento del CC del PTC Ri Jae Il presento el informe que va como sigue:
    El Presidente Kim Il Sung califico de heroes de esfuerzos callados a los militantes del PTC y otros trabajadores que durante largo tiempo, con la infinita fidelidad al partido y el lider y con esfuerzos abnegados, acumularon grandes meritos ante la patria y el pueblo. Y generalizo sus ejemplos para engrosar el numero de heroes callados marcando un hito de nuevo viraje de este movimiento masivo.
    Los heroes y hombres de meritos dedican calladamente toda su vida a la felicidad del pueblo y al futuro de la patria prospera en sus puestos de trabajo designados por la revolucion y la patria.
    Tanto en los dias favorables como en los desfavorables y no importa que fuesen o no reconocidos sus trabajos que cumplen, continuan andando invariablemente por el camino del patriotismo de generacion en generacion.
    La aparicion de un sinnumero de los heroes y hombres de meritos callados que representan la epoca es un fruto orgulloso de la sabia direccion del Dirigente Kim Jong Il.
    Presento el orador en esta ocasion las tareas y medios para que todos los sectores y unidades cumplan con su deber de profundizar y desarrollar el movimiento por seguir los ejemplos de los heroes y hombres de meritos callados en pleno acato al noble proposito del Dirigente y conforme a la demanda de la epoca del Songun.
    Los heroes y hombres de esfuerzos callados, destaco, deben elevar el sentido de responsabilidad y el papel, trabajar con mayor fidelidad en sus respectivos puestos de la revolucion en acato a la direccion del Dirigente Kim Jong Il mediante el Songun y con el espiritu revolucionario de los militares y crear incesantemente milagros y hazanas poniendose siempre al frente en la historica marcha para abrir un periodo de gran prosperidad de la patria.
    En la conferencia hicieron uso de la palabra los 4 modelos de los heroes y hombres de meritos callados de la epoca del Songun: An Jong Min, jefe de peloton de extraccion de la galeria 5 de Abril de la Mina de Kumgol del Complejo Minero de Komdok; Kim Tae Song, jefe de equipo de trabajo de la Granja Cooperativa Kim Je Won del distrito de Jaeryong; Kim Sa Myong, jefe de gabinete del Instituto de Maquinas de Control de la Academia de Ciencias; Kim Kyong Su, maestro de la filial Changju de la secundaria de Songryon del distrito de Pyokdong, y otras personas.
    Al igual que en los dias anteriores, lucharon desinteresadamente consagrando todo lo suyo para la prosperidad y florecimiento de nuestro pais y nuestra patria con la gran fidelidad al partido y lider y la conciencia, en lo adelante tambien seremos abanderados de la creacion y la construccion, que con nuestros ejemplos practicos conducimos a las masas populares, en la lucha por edificar una gran potencia prospera socialista de tipo jucheano, senalaron los oradores.
    Todos los heroes y hombres de meritos callados, al guardar siempre en lo profundo del corazon la gran benevolencia y confianza del partido y el lider, deben exaltar el honor de vanguardias en la grandiosa lucha por glorificar la epoca del Songun apoyando fielmente la idea y direccion del Dirigente Kim Jong Il, remarcaron.
    En la conferencia fue aprobada una resolucion.

Clausurado XV Concurso y Exposicion Nacional de Programas

     Pyongyang, 15 de octubre (ATCC) -- El XV Concurso y Exposicion Nacional de Programas, iniciado el pasado dia primero, quedo clausurado el dia 14 en la Exposicion Permanente de las Tres Revoluciones. En el presente certamen se efectuaron el concurso de programas para la administracion segura de computadora y la traduccion maquinizada, una exposicion de programas que se utilizan activamente en la computarizacion de ministerios y organos centrales, en la produccion y las actividades administrativas de varios sectores de la economia nacional, un simposio y una conferencia sobre la tecnologia de informatica.
    Durante el certamen, lo visitaron mas de 20 mil funcionarios de ministerios y organos centrales, cientificos, tecnicos, jovenes y estudiantes.
    A la ceremonia de clausura asistieron el vicepremier del Consejo de Ministros Ro Tu Chol y otros funcionarios.
    En el acto fueron otorgados galardon, medallas, diplomas de reconocimiento, certificados estatales de registro de exitos cientifico-tecnicos y titulos de invencion a los destacados ministerios, organos centrales y excelentes programadores.
    El presidente de la Academia de Ciencias Pyon Yong Rip hizo uso de la palabra clausural.