U.S. Accused of Trying to Bring Down DPRK System

     Pyongyang, December 20 (KCNA) -- If the United States more desperately pursues its hostile policy to isolate and stifle the DPRK under the pretext of the "nuclear issue" and "human rights issue", not showing its willingness to co-exist with the DPRK, the latter will react to it by further increasing its self-defensive deterrent force. A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry said this in an answer Monday as regards the recent "human rights" racket going beyond the danger line kicked up by the U.S. as part of its hostile policy toward the DPRK.
    The U.S. is reportedly planning to designate even the post of "a special envoy in charge of north Korean human rights" and going to appoint one in the wake of the adoption and effectuation of the "North Korean Human Rights Act" which is aimed to bring down the "system in the DPRK," he noted, and continued:
    It is deplorable for the U.S. to style itself an international "judge of human rights", unaware of its position.
    By nature the U.S. is the worst human rights graveyard in the world.
    It is the worst human rights violator and the biggest criminal. This is clearly proved by what happened in Iraq.
    The Iraqi war was an illegal war of aggression started by the U.S. in wanton breach of international law and a serious violation of human rights as it encroached upon the state sovereignty from its outset.
    When looking back on its history, the U.S. faked up "human rights issues" to use them as pretexts for interfering in the internal affairs of those anti-U.S., independent countries and "justifying" its aggression and war against the sovereign states and its moves to topple their governments while politicizing human rights issues and applying selectivity and double standards.
    The "North Korean Human Rights Act" is an example of this.
    When the U.S. attempt to disarm the DPRK by pressurizing it to scrap its nuclear development program first proved futile, the U.S. has come out to bring down the "system in the DPRK" under the pretext of "democracy" and "human rights." It went the lengths of adopting a legislation which calls for allocating a huge of amount of fund out of its state budget.
    When its "North Korean Human Rights Act" came to be rebuffed and denounced by the international community, the U.S. blustered that the act is not aimed to "bring down the system in the DPRK" but "make it change its system" and it is specifically designed to "make it change its economic system".
    The U.S. intention to dare force the DPRK to change its system chosen by the Korean people and defended by themselves is a wanton violation of the freedom of choice and political right of citizens.
    The U.S. raised a hue and cry over "threat of weapons of mass destruction" by Iraq and invaded it in the end. And when it failed to find any way of justifying the war, it raised a "human rights issue." This eloquently proves the hypocrisy and nature of the U.S.-style "defence of human rights ".
    The Iraqi incident teaches a lesson that human rights not based on state sovereignty, the human rights not protected by strength, are no more than an illusion and it is the only option for defending the genuine human rights to struggle against their violation by physical strength as long as the U.S. remains unchanged in its policy of using the "human rights issue" as an all-powerful leverage for interfering in the internal affairs of other countries and bringing down their systems.

Unabated Fight for Repeal of NSL in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, December 20 (KCNA) -- The fight for the repeal of the "National Security Law" remains in high tide in south Korea. Yun Ki Jin, chairman of the South Headquarters of the National Alliance of Youth and Students for the Country's Reunification, in an appeal titled "Let us make a breakthrough in opening the year of independent reunification by getting the NSL totally scrapped" on December 15 noted that the reunification movement organizations as well as workers, peasants, youth and students, religionists, politicians and people of other strata of this land were turning out on to the streets with do-or-die resolution to have the NSL, an evil law against the nation, democracy and reunification, repealed within this year at any cost. The Grand National Party and other anti-reunification conservative forces, driven into a tight corner, are making desperate efforts to keep the evil law, trying by hook or by crook to fake up "pro-communism", the appeal said. It called for getting the NSL repealed within this year without fail and winning the first victory in ushering in the year of the withdrawal of the U.S. forces and the year of national reunification.
    Meanwhile, the People's Solidarity for the Repeal of the "National Security Law" held a press conference in front of the "National Assembly" building in Seoul on Dec. 15 to appeal to the people to go all out in a grand candle-light march. And the People's Solidarity and the south Korean Federation of University Student Councils (Hanchongryon) held a press conference in front of the Seoul District Prosecutor's Office on Dec. 14 demanding the acquittal of the chairman of Hanchongryon and the repeal of the NSL within the year.
    The hunger strike group of the People's Solidarity held a press conference in front of the "National Assembly" building on Dec. 13 at which it declared it would keep up the hunger strike till the evil law is repealed. It held a candle-light cultural function in front of the NA building that evening.

63rd Anti-U.S. Solidarity Rally Held in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, December 20 (KCNA) -- Civic and public organizations in south Korea held the 563rd anti-U.S. solidarity rally in the citizens' park of Seoul on Dec. 14, according to a press report. Attending there were the Phaengsong-up Measure Committee against Expansion of U.S. Military Bases, the Kwangju-South Jolla Provincial Joint Measure Committee against Deployment of Patriot Missiles at Kwangju Airport, the Council of Family Movement for Realizing Democracy, the People for Achieving Peace and Reunification, the Headquarters of the Movement for Eradicating U.S. Soldiers' Crimes and the Solidarity for Cultural Heritages.
    A resolution read out at the rally stated they would wage a powerful struggle to put an end to the south Korea-U.S. "alliance" forcing a fabulous burden and sufferings upon the people. They said they would fight vigorously to make 2005, the 60th year since the division of the country, a year of bringing a new era of independence, peace and reunification.
    At the end of the rally the participants submitted to the south Korean Ministry of Defence a letter of protest declaring they would "define the Kwangju airport where Combat Flying Corps No. 1 of the Air Force is present as a U.S. military base and launch into a fight for its dismantlement".

Greetings to Cambodian King

     Pyongyang, December 20 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, Sunday sent a message of greetings to Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni on the 40th anniversary of the opening of diplomatic ties between the DPRK and Cambodia. The message said the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries provided by President Kim Il Sung together with the Great King Norodom Sihanouk have steadily been developed over the last 40 years by the joint efforts of the two peoples.
    In the past period the two peoples have tightly grasped hands and closely supported and cooperated with each other in the fight to repulse the aggressive moves of the hostile forces and defend the sovereignty of the nations, sharing weal and woe, it noted. Expressing the belief that the excellent relations of friendship and cooperation between the two countries forged in the ordeals of history would continue to develop favorably in the future, the message wholeheartedly wished the king great success in accomplishing the noble cause.

Greetings to Guinean Prime Minister

     Pyongyang, December 20 (KCNA) -- Premier of the DPRK Cabinet Pak Pong Ju sent a message of greetings to Cellou Dalain Diallo upon his appointment as prime minister of Guinea. Expressing the belief that the excellent relations of friendship and cooperation between the two countries would steadily develop in the future, too, the message sincerely wished the prime minister great success at his new post.

S. Korean War Hawks' Arms Build-up under Fire

     Pyongyang, December 20 (KCNA) -- The south Korean war hawks are accelerating the arms build-up under the signboard of the "cooperative self-reliant national defence." This is intolerable as it is aimed to step up the preparations for a war against the fellow countrymen in the north, zealously toeing the U.S. hostile policy towards the DPRK. Rodong Sinmun today says this in a signed article. It continues:
    The south Korean trigger-happy elements' loud-mouthed "cooperative self-reliant national defence" is, in essence, aimed to further tighten the alliance with the U.S. and round off the preparations for a war against the north in league with foreign forces.
    It is a dangerous development that the south Korean war hawks have become frantic in their preparations for a war against the fellow countrymen in cooperation with outsiders even in the era after the publication of the June 15 joint declaration when the nation should strive to defend the peace of the country and achieve the independent reunification of the country by the concerted efforts of the Koreans.
    The south Korean war-like forces talk much about "reconciliation" and "cooperation." But they are whetting swords for aggression in support of the U.S. move to ignite a war of aggression against the DPRK, still regarding the fellow countrymen in the north as a "principal enemy." Those forces deserve curse and condemnation by all the fellow countrymen.
    The arms build-up stepped up by the south Korean war hawks against the fellow countrymen in cooperation with the outside aggressor forces, challenging the unanimous desire of the whole Korean nation for peace and reunification, will only precipitate their self-destruction.
    The mad-cap military moves of the south Korean war-like forces should be stopped without delay as they will only escalate the confrontation and military tensions to provoke a new war on the Korean Peninsula.

U.S. Fabrication of False Information under Fire

     Pyongyang, December 20 (KCNA) -- Selig Harrison, chairman of the U.S. North Korea Policy Special Investigative Committee and Director for the Asian Plan of the International Policy Center, in his article asserted that the story about north Korea's nuclear development based on "enriched uranium" is at variance with facts and is baseless. Much upset by this assertion, the Bush administration is now busy refuting it, observes Rodong Sinmun Monday in a signed commentary.
    It says:
    Deputy Spokesman for the State Department Ereli let loose a string of sheer rubbish, saying that his assertion is unreasonable, it seems to me that there is convincing evidence proving north Korea's uranium enrichment program and that he knows that north Korea has involved itself in enrichment technology.
    The story about the uranium enrichment program is a far-fetched assertion and fiction the Bush group has faked up on the basis of misinformation just as it did against Iraq in a bid to charge the DPRK with nuclear development.
    It is its ultimate purpose to force the DPRK to disarm itself and overturn the Korean-style socialist system in it under the absurd pretext of its "enrichment program."
    In fact the U.S. is least interested in the solution to the nuclear issue.
    What it seeks in vociferating about the resumption of the "six-party talks" and "peaceful solution to the nuclear issue" before the international community is to mislead public opinion and conceal its dark intention, concludes the commentary.

Kim Yong Nam Sends Greetings to Chinese President

     Pyongyang, December 20 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, today sent a message of greetings to Chinese President Hu Jintao on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the return of Macao to China. The message said that the return of Macao to China was a shining victory achieved by the Chinese party and government through a long-drawn struggle to restore the independence of the country and territorial integrity, adding that its return to China convinced once again the Chinese people of the justice of their cause and opened a more favorable prospect for reunifying the whole country.
    It sincerely wished the Chinese party, government and people greater success in accomplishing the just cause of reunifying the whole country by "one country and two systems" formula under the leadership of the Communist Party of China headed by Hu Jintao.

Greetings to Chinese Foreign Minister

     Pyongyang, December 20 (KCNA) -- DPRK Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun sent a message of greetings to his Chinese counterpart Li Zhaoxing on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of Macao's return to China. The message noted that the return of Macao to China marked another historic occasion in China's eradication of the leftover of the distress-ridden past and a great achievement in demonstrating the dignity of the Chinese nation and boosting its foreign relations for territorial integrity.
    It wished Li greater success in his responsible work to accelerate the reunification of the whole country and raise international prestige of China.

Mongolian President Arrives

     Pyongyang, December 21 (KCNA) -- Mongolian President Natsagyn Bagabandi arrived here Tuesday by a special plane on an official visit to the DPRK at the invitation of Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly. He and his entourage were greeted by Kim Yong Nam at the airport.

Tongji, Korean Folk Holiday

     Pyongyang, December 20 (KCNA) -- December twentyone (lunar November 10 this year) is Tongji (winter solstice), a Korean folk holiday. The Korean people have divided the seasons of a year into 24 subdivisions from olden times. Tongji is the 22nd subdivision. Lunar November is, therefore, called the month of Tongji.
    In Korea, located in the Northern Hemisphere, Haji (around June 21) is the longest day and Tongji the shortest day.
    The Korean people have long observed such solstice days as folk holidays.
    In general Tongji falls on Dec. 22.
    There is not any special rite that day except enjoying gruel.
    The gruel is prepared by mixing red-bean mashed and strained with rice and glutinous rice cakes of bird's egg-shape.
    It has been told that one should take bird's egg-shaped cakes as many as his or her age for health. The red-bean gruel is nutritious and efficacious for preventing cold in winter. Meanwhile, other folk dishes of the holiday are cold noodle and Sinsollo (a cooking stove with a chafing dish having charcoal in a tube in the center and food around it).

For Spanish-speaking people

Portavoz de MINREX denuncia ofensiva de DDHH de EE.UU.

     Pyongyang, 20 de diciembre (ATCC) -- El portavoz de la Cancilleria de la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea emitio el dia 20 una declaracion en relacion con que ultimamente, llega al tope la peligrosidad de la campana de "derechos humanos" lanzada por EE.UU. como colofon de sus maniobras encaminadas a hostigar a la RPDC. Si EE.UU. sigue con su politica hostil de aislar y aplastar a la RPDC so pretexto del "problema nuclear" y el de "DDHH" sin mostrar su voluntad de coexistir con ella, esta le respondera con el mayor fortalecimiento de la fuerza de autodefensa para detener la guerra, sentencio el portavoz en la declaracion y prosiguio:
    Segun trascendidos, tras la aprobacion de la ya puesta en vigor "ley de DDHH del Norte de Corea" dirigida al "derrocamiento del sistema" de este, EE.UU. acelera la seleccion del personal para nombrar hasta un "enviado especial encargado de DDHH del Norte de Corea".
    Es muy lamentable el procedimiento de EE.UU. que se arroga el papel de "juez internacional de DDHH" a pesar de ser el pais violador numero uno de DDHH a escala mundial desde el primer dia de su aparicion.
    La satanica naturaleza de EE.UU. la evidencia la situacion iraqui.
    Desde el principio, la ilegal y agresiva guerra iraqui fue desatada en violacion de la ley internacional y por lo tanto, devino un acto de afliccion de DDHH de gran envergadura en atentado a la soberania de un Estado. Historicamente, EE.UU. vino politizando y aplicando selectividad y dualidad en esta materia.
    Es decir, inventaba el "problema de DDHH" para emplearlo como pretexto de su intervencion en asuntos internos de los paises independientes y antiyanquis y "justificar" la agresion, la guerra, el derrocamiento gubernamental de los Estados soberanos.
    La invencion de la "ley de DDHH del Norte de Corea" es una prueba elocuente de ello. Una vez fracasado su intento de desarmar a la RPDC presionandola a que renuncie primero a la fuerza nuclear, ahora EE.UU. trata de "derrumbar el sistema" de aquella acusandola de los problemas de "democracia" y "DDHH", para lo cual aprobo una ley e invierte colosales sumas presupuestarias.
    Ante la denuncia y rechazo en estos dias por parte de la sociedad internacional a esta legislacion, EE.UU. justifica que no es para el "derrocamiento" sino para el "cambio del regimen", en particular, para "alterar el sistema economico".
    La misma pretension de cambiar atrevidamente el sistema optado y defendido por el propio pueblo coreano es flagrante violacion de la libertad de la opcion y derechos politicos de los ciudadanos.
    Ya es conocido por todos que la Norteamerica pregonaba la "amenaza de armas de exterminio masivo" de Iraq a fin de emplearla para argumentar la agresion con fuerzas armadas y una vez revelada la falsedad de esta justificacion de la guerra paso a cuestionar el "problema de DDHH" del pais arabe.
    Esto demuestra donde se halla la esencia de la absurdisima "defensa de DDHH" al estilo gringo.
    La situacion iraqui nos da una seria leccion de que los DDHH al margen de la soberania estatal y de las fuerzas armadas son una ilusion irrisoria y mientras sigue inalterable la politica de EE.UU. que malemplea este tema como un medio omnipotente para intervenir en asuntos internos y derrocar el sistema de otros paises, enfrentarle solo con la fuerza fisica es la unica opcion para defender de verdad los DDHH.

Periodicos conmemoran "Dia de cooperacion Sur-Sur de la ONU"

     Pyongyang, 20 de diciembre (ATCC) -- Los periodicos capitalinos insertaron en sus ediciones del dia 19 articulos dedicados al "Dia de la Cooperacion Sur-Sur de la ONU". El del diario Rodong Sinmun senala que desarrollar la cooperacion Sur-Sur es la posicion invariable del gobierno de la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea y a traves de ella la RPDC desarrolla sin cesar las relaciones de amistad y cooperacion con los paises en vias de desarrollo y prosigue:.
    El 23 de diciembre del ano pasado, la Asamblea General de la ONU aprobo la resolucion (58/220) de conmemorar el 19 de diciembre como el "Dia de la Cooperacion Sur-Sur de la ONU".
    La tematica de este dia para el ano en curso es "Logro de la meta del desarrollo del nuevo milenio por la cooperacion Sur-Sur".
    La primera celebracion de este "Dia" en el ambito mundial marcara un importante hito para elevar a una nueva altura la cooperacion Sur-Sur en el nuevo siglo y manifestar la vitalidad de esta.
    La cooperacion Sur-Sur es un movimiento internacional para lograr la liberacion economica de los pueblos de paises en vias de desarrollo y realizar la soberania de estos. Es una sublime labor para lograr el autososten economico de esos paises mediante la cooperacion economica y tecnica e intercambio mutuamente beneficioso y se basa en las nuevas relaciones economicas internacionales que corresponden a la aspiracion e intereses comunes de dichos paises.
    Para lograr que la cooperacion Sur-Sur se desarrolle animadamente y de pruebas de su vitalidad, es preciso definir correctamente los principios a que deben adherirse en ampliarla y desarrollarla.
    Los paises en vias de desarrollo deben esforzarse activamente por impulsarla con motivo de la primera celebracion del "Dia de la cooperacion Sur-Sur de la ONU".
    De fortalecer la cooperacion economica e intercambiar tecnicas y experiencias de valor al utilizar eficientemente las potencialidades y posibilidades economicas, podran construir con toda seguridad la economia nacional independiente y lograr el fortalecimiento y desarrollo del pais y la prosperidad nacional sin depender de los paises occidentales.
    Para ampliarla y desarrollarla es importante, ante todo, mantener el principio de la autoconfianza colectiva. Deben hacer todo lo posible para establecer las nuevas relaciones economicas Sur-Sur mediante la ampliacion y el desarrollo de la cooperacion Sur-Sur basada en la autoconfianza colectiva.
    Es importante ejecutar con lealtad el programa de accion de cooperacion Sur-Sur y los proyectos aprobados en la Cumbre NAM efectuada en la Habana y buscar y practicar consecuentemente nuevas estrategias y medios de la cooperacion Sur-Sur. La RPDC, en lo adelante tambien al igual que en el pasado, se esforzara activamente por ampliar y desarrollar aun mas esta cooperacion, recalcaron los otros periodicos.