Film Show Held at Polish Embassy

     Pyongyang, December 23 (KCNA) -- A film show was held at the Polish embassy here Wednesday to mark the independence day of Poland. Present there on invitation were Hong Son Ok, vice-chairwoman of the Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries, and officials concerned.
    On hand were Polish Charge d' Affaires a.i. Piotr Mroz and staff members of the embassy.
    The participants watched a Polish feature film "A Pianist".

Foreign Embassy Officials Visit Different Places

     Pyongyang, December 23 (KCNA) -- The economic and commercial councilors' corps in Pyongyang visited the Revolutionary Museum of the Ministry of Culture and embassy officials in charge of culture and friendly relations the Revolutionary Museum of the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces Wednesday on the occasion of the 13th anniversary of leader Kim Jong Il's assumption of the supreme commandership of the Korean People's Army and the 87th birth anniversary of anti-Japanese war hero Kim Jong Suk. On the same day, a book and photo exhibition and a film show for the military attaches corps here took place at the Pyongyang Cultural Exhibition on the occasion of the 13th anniversary of Kim Jong Il's assumption of the supreme commandership of the KPA, the 87th birth anniversary of Kim Jong Suk and the tenth anniversary of his start of Songun politics.
    The members of the military attaches corps looked round photos showing the personality of Kim Jong Il as a great man, famous works of President Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il and books introducing the politics, economy, culture and history of Korea. Then they saw the Korean feature film "Bloody Marks".
    The military attaches corps was a guest at the national art show marking the tenth anniversary of Kim Jong Il's start of Songun politics.

National Art Show Opens

     Pyongyang, December 23 (KCNA) -- A national art show opened at the Korean Art Gallery Wednesday to mark the tenth anniversary of the start of Songun politics by the leader Kim Jong Il. Displayed there are at least 70 pieces of art works including Korean paintings, oils, acrylic paintings, sculptures, computer-aided paintings and computer-aided serial paintings, which depict the immortal revolutionary feats of Kim Jong Il in opening a new era of the revolutionary cause of Juche, the era of Songun, with his great Songun politics over the last ten years and the struggle of the Korean army and people upholding his Songun leadership with loyal hearts.
    The visitors are deeply impressed by the computer-aided serial painting "The Long Journey for Songun Revolution", the Korean paintings "Respected Comrade Supreme Commander among Soldiers", "Our Supreme Commander Visiting an Islet Post, Not Minding Rough Waves", "Paternal Love Felt at Each Greenhouse" and "The Handre Plain Yesterday Has Completely Changed Its Look under the Benevolent Care of the General", and the acrylic painting "The First Footsteps of Songun Leadership".
    Present at the opening ceremony were Jong Ha Chol, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Choe Ik Gyu, minister of Culture, and others.

Russian Ambassador Hosts Reception

     Pyongyang, December 23 (KCNA) -- Russian Ambassador to the DPRK Andrei Karlov hosted a reception Wednesday evening on the threshold of the New Year Juche 94 (2005). Present on invitation were mediamen in Pyongyang.
    Officials of the Russian embassy were on hand.
    Speeches were made at the reception.
   

Japanese Authorities' Inhumane Act Taunted

     Pyongyang, December 23 (KCNA) -- Papers here Thursday in commentaries opened a barrage of condemnation at the inhuman folly of the Japanese authorities in barring the entry of members of a DPRK delegation into Japan for participating in a memorial service and a meeting for the Korean victims of forcible drafting scheduled in Tokyo. A Rodong Sinmun analyst says:
    It is an intolerable insult to and mockery of the Korean people and an impudent act running counter to the international usage and diplomatic common sense that the Japanese authorities barred the visit to Japan of the DPRK delegation members who are activists of civic organizations.
    Recalling that the DPRK government sent back to Japan all the Japanese victims of abduction and their families after the adoption of the DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration, the commentary goes on:
    There are neither diplomatic ties nor any agreement on legal assistance between the DPRK and Japan. The DPRK side, however, not only showed all the materials and documents on the reinvestigation into "persons whose fate was unknown" but also handed them all over to the Japanese side as it requested at the DPRK-Japan intergovernmental working-level talks. The DPRK side have made utmost efforts and given everything possible to the Japanese side as regards the issue of the dead.
    Nevertheless, the Japanese authorities blocked the entry of the DPRK delegation into Japan which was to participate in functions scheduled as a part of the humanitarian work and why? Not much penetration is needed to see through their purpose. In the new century, banking on the wars of aggression staged by the United States, the Japanese reactionaries set a precedent of overseas military operations. Capitalizing on this, they are openly working to institute a war constitution, legalize overseas expansion as a state policy and launch into a "crusade expedition." Now they are massively instilling anti-DPRK hostile feelings into the Japanese people by taking up again the abduction issue which had already been solved. By taking advantage of such social climate, they are after laying a flawless foundation for militarization and overseas aggressions. They are very much afraid that if bereaved families of Korean victims of forcible drafting and officials concerned enter Japan and disclose the anti-human crimes of Japan in abducting and taking away and murdering millions of Koreans and not sending even their remains, it might affect the laying of the foundation for militarization and overseas aggression.
    Minju Joson urges the Japanese authorities to behave themselves properly, deeply mindful of the grave consequences to be entailed by their unjust act.

U.S. Urged to Roll Back Its Hostile Policy toward DPRK

     Pyongyang, December 23 (KCNA) -- The DPRK-U.S. relations can never improve unless the U.S. makes a switchover in its hostile policy toward the DPRK. Kim Yong Chun, chief of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army, declared this in his report made at the national meeting held in Pyongyang on Dec. 23 to celebrate the 13th anniversary of leader Kim Jong Il's assumption of the KPA supreme commandership.
    Noting that situation on the Korean Peninsula is now growing tenser as the days go by due to the U.S. extremely hostile policy and moves to isolate and stifle the DPRK, he went on:
    The United States is getting frantic in its preparations for a war of aggression to stifle the DPRK by force of arms under smokescreen of the "reduction of its forces" and "resumption of talks." It is, at the same time, is scheming to "bring down" the system in the DPRK through its "human right" offensive against the DPRK.
    Peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula can never be achieved, to say nothing of the improved DPRK-U.S. relations, unless the U.S. makes a switchover in its hostile policy toward the DPRK.
    If the U.S. ignites a war in the end while persistently pursuing its hostile policy toward the DPRK despite its repeated warnings, its army and people will mobilize all the political and ideological capability and military potential they have built for years and wipe out the enemies by merciless deadly strikes, he warned.

KCNA Takes Ultra-Right Forces of Japan Accountable

     Pyongyang, December 23 (KCNA) -- The chief cabinet secretary of Japan was reported to have recently announced that the DNA test of the remains of Japanese woman Megumi Yokota proved that they were bones of two others different from hers. This insistence on the part of the ultra-right elements of Japan is a despicable act, a departure from the normal way of thinking, as the husband of the deceased directly handed her remains over to the head of the Japanese government delegation, free from any involvement of the third party, when it came to Pyongyang for the inter-governmental working contact.
    They reneged on the agreement made between the two governments on the "abduction issue" in the past and now they are insisting that the DNA test proved negative. This false propaganda compels the DPRK to suspect the ulterior aim sought by Japan in persistently raising a hue and cry over the "solution to the issue of abduction."
    As already known, the DPRK sent surviving Japanese abductees and their children to Japan under the agreement reached at the DPRK-Japan summit, set up a state-sponsored investigation committee and has conducted sincere investigation to confirm the whereabouts of those whose fate the Japanese side claimed "unknown."
    The DPRK side arranged interviews with many witnesses so that the death of those whose fate is unknown might be confirmed and handed to the Japanese side not only their unearthed remains but materials and articles left by them. This is just an example of the work done by the committee.
    The same is the case with that of Megumi. Her husband who is now alive directly involved himself in the handover of her remains.
    If, as the Japanese side claims, he handed the remains of other persons to the Japanese side, what did he expect from doing so?
    It is something unimaginable that her husband handed to the Japanese side the remains of other persons, not hers.
    Then there is a question as to why these ultra-right elements are so adamant in their insistence that the DPRK side handed false remains to the Japanese side.
    Explicitly speaking, they do not truly seek an earlier settlement of the "abduction issue."
    What they seek is to drag on the solution to the issue, while making profound confusing of the right and the wrong, in a bid to damage the image of the DPRK and help their country evade its obligation to settle its past wrongs, a pending issue in the bilateral relations.
    Another aim sought by them is to stoke bitterness toward the DPRK among Japanese under the pretext of "their sentiment" in an effort to escalate Japan's hostile policy toward the DPRK and create atmosphere favorable for implementing their policy to veer the Japanese society to the Right.
    The Japanese ultra-right elements have so far pretended to sympathize with the abductees but, in fact, they have invariably used the issue as a leverage for attaining their political design against the DPRK.
    It is, therefore, clear that the recent published results of the DNA test were a product of the carefully pre-arranged political scenario for attaining a specific purpose.
    The moral vulgarity of the ultra-right elements of Japan has seriously damaged the political image of Japan as they have behaved uncouthly bereft of elementary morality and good faith to be observed among countries while seeking their own glory and partisan interests.
    Now that the ultra-right elements of Japan insist that the remains are not those of Megumi despite the DPRK side's sincere efforts to confirm whereabouts of those Japanese whose fate they claimed "unknown", the DPRK can not but urge the Japanese side to return them just as they were along with the DNA test data as demanded by the husband of Megumi.
    The Japanese ultra-right elements should bear full responsibility for having made a mockery of the investigation into the whereabouts of the above-said persons and hindered the investigation committee from properly conducting its activities.

National Meeting of Officials in Field of Agriculture Held

     Pyongyang, December 23 (KCNA) -- A national meeting of officials in the field of agriculture was held here Wednesday. The meeting was attended by Premier Pak Pong Ju, Vice-Premiers Kwak Pom Gi, Ro Tu Chol and Jon Sung Hun, and members of the Cabinet, officials of provincial, city and county people's committees and agricultural guidance organs and officials in the related fields.
    Minister of Agriculture Ri Kyong Sik made a report which was followed by speeches.
    They referred to the fact that land realignment was successfully carried out in Pyongyang and South Phyongan Province under the wise leadership of Kim Jong Il, bringing a vast area of new land under cultivation. They pointed out that a solid material and technical foundation has been laid to boost the grain production as evidenced by the introduction of up-to-date scientific and technological achievements into it.
    They called on all agricultural guidance institutions to minutely organize the farm work and provide concrete guidance to it and on all provinces, cities and counties to direct efforts to grain production and concentrate manpower and equipment in rural areas on farm work next year.
    They underscored the need to properly choose crops and their species on the principle of boosting grain production as much as possible, drastically increase soil fertility on paddy and non-paddy fields, introduce new farming methods to rice cultivation and sow seeds and manure fields and cultivate crops as required by the Juche farming method.
    They also called on all officials and workers in the agricultural field to bring about a decisive turn in agricultural production next year, keenly aware that they are responsible for the nation's granaries, in order to make a tangible contribution to improving the standard of the people's living and building a great prosperous powerful nation.

Many-sided National Cooperation for Korean Reunification

     Pyongyang, December 23 (KCNA) -- The Korean nation has conducted many-sided activities to pave the way for independent reunification through national cooperation under the banner of the Korean-nation-first spirit this year. Pro-reunification functions and various channels of dialogue and contact including the 13th and 14th ministerial talks took place successfully between the north and the south in accordance with the unanimous will of the Korean people to give precedence to the interests of the nation and depend on its own efforts.
    There were the 8th and 9th meetings of the North-South Committee for the Promotion of Economic Cooperation and panel meetings and working-level contacts. They dealt with such issues as relinking of rails and roads and cooperation in marine transport between the north and the south, a flood control project along the River Rimjin, construction of the Kaesong industrial zone and settlement of accounts. In the discussions the two sides reached some agreements to delight the fellow countrymen. Two rounds of reunion of separated families and relatives were also held.
    In particular, two rounds of Inter-Korean General-level Military Talks were held, with the result that propaganda activities slandering the other side along the Military Demarcation Line have been stopped and the work for withdrawing their means is going on.
    The unswerving will of the nation to achieve independence and peaceful reunification with concerted efforts was fully demonstrated through inter-Korean pro-reunification rallies to implement the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration. They included the pro-reunification May Day rally of inter-Korean workers for 2004 in Pyongyang, the Meeting of Our Nation in Inchon, south Korea, the meeting of peasants of the north and south in Mt. Kumgang and the meeting of inter-Korean teachers.
    There were many other pro-reunification activities including the gathering of students in the north and south, the meeting of representatives of youth and student organizations in the north, the south and overseas, the inter-Korean meeting to observe the 15th anniversary of Rev. Mun Ik Hwan's visit to Pyongyang and the pan-European function to mark the 4th anniversary of the joint declaration.
    Historians and athletes in the north and the south showed their will to defend and glorify the dignity and the soul of the homogeneous nation, which have created the time-honored history and culture, through joint symposiums and contests. Those included the symposium on the wrong designation of the East Sea of Korea as the Japanese Sea, joint materials exhibition demanding the return of cultural treasures looted by the Japanese imperialists, north-south joint photo exhibition hailing the registration of Koguryo relics as world cultural heritage, contact for a joint march of the north and south athletes at the opening ceremony of the 28th Olympic Games.
    Meanwhile, a model factory in the Kaesong industrial zone started its operation in December, turning out trial products, an offspring of national unity and cooperation.

Housing Construction in DPRK

     Pyongyang, December 23 (KCNA) -- Housing construction has been extensively carried on in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea this year. A large number of dwellings were built in towns and county seats including Manpho City, Kim Jong Suk County, Chosan County, Paechon County and Anak County.
    The Party information workers mobilized in the project of sprucing up the revolutionary battle sites and historical sites in the Mt. Paektu area have completed the construction of houses for more than 500 families in Samjiyon County.
    Dwelling houses for more than 3,600 families have made their appearance in cities and counties of South Phyongan Province including Phyongsong City, Kaechon City and Phyongwon County.
    New dwelling houses have been constructed for 500 coal miners in Tukjang area, Pukchang County, 200 freshwater fish breeders in Nampho City and 300 discharged soldiers in Onchon County who have volunteered there to reclaim the Kumsong tideland upholding the far-reaching nature-remaking plan of the Workers' Party of Korea.
    More than 10,000 modern dwellings have been built in rural communities throughout the country.
    Among them are 920 houses in South Phyongan Province, 180 on the Kangan Co-op Farm, Unpha County, scores of houses in Soksan-ri, Hwangju County and tens of houses in Mikok-ri, Sariwon City, North Hwanghae Province.
    Thousands of families have moved into new houses in North Hwanghae, North and South Hamgyong, Kangwon and North Phyongan Provinces

Congratulatory Letter to Kim Jong Il from Foreign Military Attaches

     Pyongyang, December 23 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il received a congratulatory letter from the military attaches corps in the DPRK on the occasion of the 13th anniversary of his assumption of the supreme commandership of the Korean People's Army. The letter was handed to Minister of the People's Armed Forces Kim Il Chol on Dec. 23 by Abdullah Hamidi Benam, military attache of the Iranian embassy who is doyen of the corps.

Kim Jong Il Inspects KPA Unit

     Pyongyang, December 23 (KCNA) -- Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army Kim Jong Il, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of the National Defence Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, inspected KPA Unit 541. He was accompanied by KPA Generals Ri Myong Su, Hyon Chol Hae and Pak Jae Gyong.
    Kim Jong Il acquainted himself with the unit's performance of duty and went round the room for the education in the revolutionary history and the room devoted to the unit's history, conducted by its commander.
    He highly appreciated the proud feats performed by the unit in the past, saying it is a powerful unit, a unit with strong combat capability as it not only greatly contributed to the victory in the Fatherland Liberation War but has displayed popular heroism in socialist construction and in the protection of the life and property of the people.
    Going round the servicemen's hall and other entertainment and educational facilities and seeing a variety of visual aids such as a newspaper display board, a wall paper, a billboard for news in brief about soldiers' service, he learned about how the ideological work is conducted among servicepersons.
    He familiarized himself with their training, going round a drill ground and a military lecture room.
    He underscored the need to build modern drill grounds and widely introduce latest apparatuses to training to suit the content of the program for training and its characteristics, noting that the People's Army should always organize any work with main emphasis on training and orientate and subordinate every aspect of the military and political work at any unit to successful training.
    Then he made rounds of a bedroom, a mess hall, a kitchen, a washroom, a daily provision store, an outdoor resting place and other places. He learned in detail about every aspect of soldiers' life, asking them whether their bedrooms and mess hall are properly heated, they have firewood enough for wintering and whether their winter uniforms are thick enough to keep them warm.
    He spared time to watch an art performance given by the servicepersons of a company under the unit.
    He gave the servicepersons of the unit a pair of binoculars and an automatic rifle as gifts and had a photo session with them.

For Spanish-speaking people

Inaugurada exhibicion central de bellas artes

     Pyongyang, 23 de diciembre (ATCC) -- Con motivo del 10 aniversario del inicio de la politica de Songun (priorizacion militar), la exhibicion central de bellas artes quedo inaugurada el dia 22 en el Museo de Bellas Artes de Corea. Estan exhibidas ahi mas de 70 obras de bellas artes, entre otras, las pinturas al estilo coreano y al oleo, acrilicas, esculturas, dibujos de pelicula computarizada y peliculas en serie de computacion, que describen las inmortales hazanas revolucionarias del Dirigente Kim Jong Il, quien con la gran politica de Songun ha abierto durante los ultimos diez anos la epoca del Songun, nueva era de la causa revolucionaria del Juche y los aspectos de lucha del ejercito y el pueblo de Corea, fieles a su direccion del Songun.
    Llaman atencion particular del publico la pelicula en serie de computacion "Larguisimo camino de la revolucion del Songun", las pinturas al estilo coreano "El estimado Comandante Supremo estando entre los soldados", "Nuestro Comandante Supremo de visita en el puesto de una isla surcando las olas", "Afectos paternales impregnados en cada invernaculo" y "Gracias al General la llanura Handre ha cambiado de fisonomia", la acrilica "La primera huella de la direccion del Songun" y otras obras.
    En el acto estuvieron presentes el secretario del Comite Central del Partido del Trabajo de Corea Jong Ha Chol, el ministro de Cultura Choe Ik Gyu y otros funcionarios.

Documental alusivo a direccion sobre revolucion mediante Songun

     Pyongyang, 23 de diciembre (ATCC) -- Se proyecto el dia 22 en el Palacio Cultural del Pueblo el documental "Operando un gran viraje con la direccion sobre la revolucion mediante el Songun" con motivo del 13 aniversario del nombramiento del Dirigente Kim Jong Il como Comandante Supremo del Ejercito Popular de Corea. Lo presenciaron los cuadros directivos del partido y el Estado, presidentes de los partidos amigos, funcionarios de ministerios, organos centrales, entidades de masas y trabajadores capitalinos.
    El documental recopila los datos historicos de que el Dirigente Kim Jong Il, creador de la gran politica de Songun, al sobreponerse a toda clase de pruebas y dificultades con la probada y veterana direccion, convirtio la "marcha penosa" en la marcha al paraiso.
    Demuestra el hecho de que el fortalecio y desarrollo el ejercito popular en el poderoso destacamento de defensa a riesgo de vida al lider, la fila fuerte en la ideologia rebosante del espiritu de convertirse en bombas y balas y en el invencible ejercito revolucionario dispuesto de los poderosos medios de ofensiva y defensiva.
    Expresa que el ejercito popular, al abrir una nueva salida de los frentes principales de la construccion de la economia socialista, irguio en esta tierra las creaciones monumentales de la epoca del Songun registrando un nuevo avance en la construccion de una gran potencia prospera.
    Demuestra a las claras que la original politica de Songun del Dirigente es un arma omnipotente para defender la bandera roja del socialismo y llevar adelante el socialismo coreano.
    Tambien redacta los datos historicos relativos al historico encuentro Cumbre de Pyongyang, la publicacion de la Declaracion Conjunta Norte-Sur del 15 de Junio, la justeza e inagotable vitalidad de la gran politica de Songun que posibilito abrir una fase trascendental para la reunificacion de la patria y elevar extraordinariamente la autoridad exterior y la posicion internacional de la RPDC.

Construccion de viviendas en Corea

     Pyongyang, 23 de diciembre (ATCC) -- Este ano se dio gran impulso a la construccion de viviendas urbanas y rurales en la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea. En numerosas ciudades y distritos, entre otros, en los Kim Jong Suk, Chosan, Paechon, Anak y la de Manpho se levantaron un sinnumero de viviendas convenientes a las peculiaridades locales.
    Gracias a los esfuerzos de los miembros de la Brigada Nacional de Funcionarios de Propaganda del Partido por acondicionar mejor los antiguos campos de batalla y los lugares historicos de la revolucion de la zona del monte Paektu, se dio toque final a la edificacion de casas para mas de 500 nucleos familiares y de esta forma esta localidad renovo su fisonomia.
    Las ciudades de Phyongsong y Kaechon, el distrito de Phyongwon y otros de la provincia de Phyong-an del Sur, al desplegar esta labor con planes bien trazados, dieron termino a la edificacion de mas de 3 mil 600 viviendas.
    Solo en la region de Tukjang del distrito de Pukchang aparecio una aldea minera de mas de 500 familias, mientras en los lugares de pintoresco paisaje de la ciudad de Nampho se levantaron viviendas para mas de 200 familias de empleados del criadero de peces.
    En el ambito nacional se edificaron modernas casas para mas de 10 mil familias campesinas que contribuyen a destacar las aldeas rurales socialistas.
    En tanto, en el distrito de Onchon se edificaron excelentes viviendas para 300 militares retirados quienes en acato al gran proyecto del Partido del Trabajo de Corea, acudieron voluntariamente a trabajar en la marisma Kumsong del distrito de Onchon. En distintas zonas del pais, se irguieron viviendas dotadas de hornillos de gas de metano, entre otras mas de 920 viviendas en la provincia de Phyong-an del Sur y mas de 180 edificios de la Granja Cooperativa de Kangan del distrito de Unpha.
    Entre tanto, decenas de viviendas levantadas en la comuna de Soksan del distrito de Hwangju cuentan hasta con invernaculos que contribuyen a la vida alimenticia de los agricultores.
    En particular, las otras para mas de decenas de nucleos familiares edificadas en la comuna de Migok de la ciudad de Sariwon estan disenadas para ajustar tanto en el invierno como en el verano la temperatura de la habitacion conforme a la salud de los habitantes, lo que despiertan gran interes de los especialistas en este tipo de construccion.
    Se mudaron a las nuevas casas miles de familias campesinas de las provincias de Hwanghae del Norte, Hamgyong del Sur y del Norte, Kangwon y Phyong-an del Norte que venian esforzandose por convertir sus tierras natales en campos rurales ideales de la epoca del Songun (priorizacion militar).