Kim Yong Nam Sends Message of Sympathy to Thai King

     Pyongyang, December 29 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Monday sent a message of sympathy to Bhumibol Adulyadej, king of Thailand, in connection with the quake and tidal waves that occurred recently in the Indian Ocean, claiming huge casualties and an enormous loss of properties in Thailand. The message expressed the belief that the Thai king and royal government would eradicate the aftermath of the natural disaster and bring the living of the people in the afflicted areas to normal as early as possible.

Message of Sympathy to President of Maldives

     Pyongyang, December 29 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, Monday sent a message of sympathy to Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, president of the Maldives, in connection with the quake and tidal waves that occurred recently in the Indian Ocean, causing huge human and material losses to the country. The message expressed belief that the government of the Maldives would eradicate the aftermath of the natural disaster and bring the living of the people in the afflicted areas to normal as early as possible.

Message of Sympathy to President of Sri Lanka

     Pyongyang, December 29 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, sent a message of sympathy to Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, president of Sri Lanka, on Dec. 27 in connection with a strong earthquake and tidal waves that occurred in the Indian Ocean recently, claiming huge casualties and material losses in Sri Lanka. The message expressed belief that the government and people of the country would recover from the aftermath of the natural disaster as early as possible.

Message of Sympathy to Indian President

     Pyongyang, December 29 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Monday sent a message of sympathy to A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Indian president, in connection with the recent quake and tidal waves that hit the Indian Ocean, claiming huge casualties and material losses. The message expressed the belief that the Indian government would eradicate the aftermath of the natural disaster and bring the living of the people in the afflicted areas to normal as early as possible

Message of Sympathy to Indonesian President

     Pyongyang, December 29 (KCNA) -- President Kim Yong Nam of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly Monday sent a message of sympathy to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in connection with the recent earthquake and tidal waves that hit Sumatra, Indonesia, causing huge casualties and enormous material losses. The message expressed belief that the Indonesian president and government would recover from the aftermath of the natural disaster and bring the living of the people in the afflicted areas to normal as early as possible.

Message of Sympathy to Malaysian King

     Pyongyang, December 29 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Monday sent a message of sympathy to Malaysian King Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Ibni Al-Marhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail for the heavy losses in human lives and properties caused by a quake and tidal waves that hit Malaysia recently. The message expressed the belief that the King and the government of Malaysia would remove the consequences of the natural disaster and stabilize the life of the population of the affected areas in a short time.

Message of Condolences to Indian Prime Minister

     Pyongyang, December 29 (KCNA) -- Pak Pong Ju, premier of the DPRK Cabinet, sent a message of condolences to Manmohan Singh, prime minister of India. The message expressed deep condolences to the prime minister and, through him, to the bereaved family of the deceased upon hearing sad news that former Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao died of illness.

S. Korean Defects to North

     Pyongyang, December 29 (KCNA) -- A south Korean Kim Ki Ho, who was serving as head of the inspection section under the 6th ordnance battalion of the U.S. 8th Army Command in south Korea, defected to the northern half of Korea shortly ago when southerners' yearning for the man-centered Korean-style socialism was growing more fervent. He was born in Kumi City, North Kyongsang Province, on Aug. 10, Juche 34 (1945).
    Unable to put up any longer with the disgraceful south Korean society, disillusioned with it where nation's dignity, sovereignty and human rights are violated at the hand of the U.S., and tolerate the U.S. war moves against the Koreans in the north and its obstruction to Korea's reunification, he said, he made the bold decision to come over to the northern half of Korea, which is displaying its dignity with Songun politics, to contribute together with the fellow countrymen in the north to driving away the U.S. imperialist aggression troops from south Korea and accomplishing the nation's cause of independent reunification.
    Kim Ki Ho is now spending happy days amid the hospitality of people in the north.

Shamelessness Peculiar to Japan's Ultra-right Forces

     Pyongyang, December 29 (KCNA) -- The ultra-right forces in the ruling and opposition parties and reactionary organizations of Japan are kicking up a hysterical racket against the DPRK and the Japanese government officially announced its intention to freeze humanitarian aid including food it had already agreed upon with the DPRK as regards the results of a DNA examination of the remains of a Japanese woman. Castigating this as a malicious slander and insult to and a grave provocation against the DPRK, Rodong Sinmun Wednesday says in a signed article:
    The Japanese ultra-right forces commit shameless acts without hesitation and they are accustomed to draw water to their mill by such means. They tenaciously took issue with the DPRK over the "abduction issue" and spurned its sincere efforts in this regard without batting an eye.
    They are abusing the DPRK's sincere efforts to render the matter more complicated. In this way they seek to invent a pretext to incite hostile feelings toward the DPRK among the Japanese and win popularity and justify their full-dressed moves for militarization on the plea of the "abduction issue".
    They must clearly know that they will taste a bitter cup of setback, should they continue to behave shamelessly. If they persistently tried to find fault with the DPRK, its innocence will be proved more convincingly and their sinister intention and ugly colors be dragged into the light of day.

Seminar on Songun Policy Held

     Pyongyang, December 29 (KCNA) -- A seminar of officials concerned with the work of youth was held at the Hall of the Youth League Tuesday to mark the 10th anniversary of the start of the Songun policy by leader Kim Jong Il. First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League Kim Kyong Ho and other speakers recalled the words of Kim Jong Il that the era of Songun is mainly characterized by the fact that the idea of attaching importance to the army is combined with the idea of giving importance to youth and that the young soldiers are making a breakthrough in the revolution and construction as pace-setters in the era. He defined the youth movement in the army as the main current in the Korean youth movement and clearly indicated basic orientation and ways for its development, they noted.
    Pointing out that Kim Jong Il has wisely led the work to increase the might of the youth league in every way, they said that he saw to it that the youth league went by the august name of President Kim Il Sung, it was strengthened organizationally and ideologically and the youth ranks turned into an elite contingent.
    The speakers explained that the Songun policy represented immortal leadership whereby the youth grew up to be men of strong idea and faith, they performed uninterrupted miracles and feats in building a great prosperous powerful nation and the youth ranks displayed to the full the might of their unity in mind.
    They referred to the tasks to be fulfilled by the youth league organizations and the youth in resolutely defending and eternally glorifying the Songun revolutionary exploits performed by Kim Jong Il and loyally implementing the Songun policy of the party. Secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea Kim Jung Rin and others were among those present.

Floral Baskets and Congratulatory Messages to Kim Jong Il

     Pyongyang, December 29 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il was presented with floral baskets and congratulatory messages by the Economic and Commercial Councilors Corps and officials in charge of cultural and friendly relations of various embassies here on the threshold of the New Year Juche 94 (2005). The floral baskets and the messages were handed Wednesday to the officials concerned by Gu Jinsheng, economic and commercial councilor of the Chinese embassy here, on behalf of the Economic and Commercial Councilors Corps and by Mahmoud Masoud Amer, first councilor of the People's Bureau of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya here, on behalf of the officials.

Diplomatic Envoys of Various Countries Visit Indian Embassy

     Pyongyang, December 29 (KCNA) -- Diplomatic envoys of various countries visited the Indian embassy here to express condolences over the death of former Indian Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao. They made entries in the mourner's book.

Disturber of Inter-Korean Economic Cooperation

     Pyongyang, December 29 (KCNA) -- Economic cooperation has been vigorously promoted between the north and south of Korea after the publication of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration. A progress has been made in various fields -- relinking of railway lines and roads along the eastern and western coasts nearly sixty years after their severance, activated tourism on Mt. Kumgang and start of the Kaesong Industrial Zone (KIZ) construction.
    But the inter-Korean cooperation has been disturbed by the United States in recent months. The U.S. is obstructing the KIZ construction which started in June last year.
    The U.S. is going to dispatch more than 20 personnel concerned including the secretary general of the U.S. side to the Military Armistice Commission in the U.S. army base in Ryongsan to the Joint Security Area of Panmunjom and the demilitarized zone to "approve" and "permit" the personnel and materials of the south side going in and out there.
    This reveals the heinous intention of the U.S. to keep the joint security area of Panmunjom and the demilitarized zone under its control and, at the same time, to block the north-south cooperation including the KIZ construction.
    The U.S. has hampered its progress in every way from the very start.
    It has strictly controlled money and electricity, alleging that they could be used for military purpose. And it has delayed the construction with an excuse of "investigation", threatened businessmen not to invest in the project and hindered the introduction of equipment and materials by dint of the unreasonable export law.
    In an interview with KCNA, a spokesman for the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland brands the U.S. as a vicious disturber and a heinous aggressor who is trying to meddle in and obstruct all the Korean nation is doing by itself.
    A spokesman for the Korean National Economic Cooperation Federation in a statement called for determinedly frustrating all the U.S. obstructions, stressing that if they were allowed, the Korean nation would be deprived of the reunification era brought by the June 15 joint declaration and could never escape from a war disaster.
    It is not fortuitous that even south Korean media said it was none other than the U.S. that was obstructing the south-north relations and the U.S. was nervous of seeing the south and the north might solve the issue of peace and reunification by themselves.
    The Korean nation strongly denounces the U.S. for blocking the joint economic activities of the nation while deteriorating the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula and keeping the country divided into two.

Modern Greenhouse Farm Built

     Pyongyang, December 29 (KCNA) -- A modern greenhouse farm has been built in the Hwasong area of Pyongyang, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The farm, which covers hundreds of thousands of square meters, cultivates vegetables and flowers in an industrial way and on the basis of advanced science and technology. It consists of two kinds of greenhouses, one using nutritive liquid and the other using solar heat.
    The former is divided into seven plots for vegetables and three plots for flower plants. The application of nutritive liquid and temperature are controlled in a comprehensive way to suit the features of vegetables and flowers.
    The latter is built with adobe and vinyl sheets. It keeps warmth inside the greenhouse so that it can safely produce fruit-bearing vegetables even in the depth of winter and in early spring.

For Spanish-speaking people

Kim Jong Il recibe cestos de flores y cartas de huespedes extranjeros

     Pyongyang, 29 de diciembre (ATCC) -- El Dirigente Kim Jong Il recibio cestos de flores y cartas de felicitacion que le dirigieran el Cuerpo de Consejeros Economicos y Comerciales y los funcionarios encargados de relaciones de cultura y de amistad de las embajadas de varios paises en Corea, con motivo del ano nuevo 94(2005) de la Era Juche. Los entregaron el dia 29 a los funcionarios coreanos respectivamente el consejero economico y comercial de la Embajada de la Republica Popular China, Gu JinSheng, en representacion del citado Cuerpo de Consejeros y el primer consejero de la Oficina Popular de la Gran Jamahiria Arabe Libia Popular Socialista, Mahmoud Masoud Amer, en representacion de los funcionarios encargados de asuntos culturales y de amistad.

Simposio por 10 aniversario de inicio de politica de Songun

     Pyongyang, 29 de diciembre (ATCC) -- Tuvo lugar el dia 28 en la Casa de la Union de la Juventud el simposio del sector de la labor juvenil en conmemoracion del 10 aniversario del inicio de la politica de Songun por el Dirigente Kim Jong Il. Intervinieron Kim Kyong Ho, primer secretario del Comite Central de la Union de la Juventud Socialista Kim Il Sung, y otras personas.
    Los oradores se refirieron a que el Dirigente dijo que la importante caracteristica de la epoca del Songun (priorizacion militar) reside en la combinacion de dar importancia a las fuerzas armadas y a la juventud y en que los militares jovenes toman la delantera de la epoca para jugar el rol de vanguardia en la revolucion y la construccion, definio el movimiento juvenil del ejercito como una corriente principal del movimiento juvenil de Corea y dilucido claramente el rumbo principal y los medios para su fortalecimiento y desarrollo.
    Destacaron que el Dirigente hizo que la Union de la Juventud se llamara con el nombre del Presidente Kim Il Sung y la oriento sabiamente a ganar solidez organizativa e ideologica, realizar las filas juveniles selectas y elevar su poderio por todos los medios. Explicaron que la politica de Songun deviene una inmortal direccion que permite formar a los jovenes como fuertes en la ideologia y el credo, crear los milagros y proezas ininterrumpidos en la construccion de una gran potencia prospera y poner en pleno despliegue las fuerzas monoliticamente unidas de las filas juveniles Subrayaron que los jovenes y sus organizaciones deben defender con firmeza y llevar adelante las proezas revolucionarias del Songun logradas por el Dirigente.
    Por ultimo los oradores se refirieron a las tareas que se presentan para apoyar con fidelidad la politica de Songun del Partido.
    En el simposio participaron Kim Jung Rin, secretario del CC del Partido del Trabajo de Corea, y otros funcionarios.

Representantes diplomaticos expresan condolencia en embajada de India

     Pyongyang, 29 de diciembre (ATCC) -- Los representantes diplomaticos de varios paises en Corea visitaron a Embajada de la Republica de la India para expresar condolencia por el fallecimiento del ex primer ministro de este pais, P. V. Narasimha Rao. Los visitantes dejaron autografos en el libro de condolencias.

Descaro propio de fuerzas ultraderechistas japonesas

     Pyongyang, 29 de diciembre (ATCC) -- Con respecto al resultado del peritaje medico de los restos mortales de una mujer japonesa, las entidades reaccionarias y las fuerzas ultraderechistas dentro de los partidos en poder y de oposicion de Japon arman locamente un alboroto contra la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea y el gobierno japones expreso publicamente la posicion de congelar la ayuda humanitaria incluida la de viveres ya acordada. Esto es una vil difamacion y un grave desafio a la RPDC.
    Senala asi el diario Rodong Sinmun en un articulo individual insertado en su edicion del dia 29 y continua:
    Las fuerzas ultraderechistas japonesas estan acostumbradas a cometer actos descarados y satisfacer sus intereses con tales metodos.
    Ellas acusan obstinadamente a la RPDC del "problema del secuestro" y desprecian los esfuerzos sinceros de esta por el particular.
    Las fuerzas ultraderechas japonesas, abusando de los esfuerzos francos de la RPDC, complican la situacion con el fin de acaparar popularidad mediante la inculcacion de odio a la RPDC entre los habitantes japoneses y buscar del "problema del secuestro" un pretexto para la justificacion de sus maquinaciones tendentes a la militarizacion decisiva.
    Deben darse clara cuenta de que tales actos descarados les traeran una consecuencia negativa.
    Cuanto mas ellas acosan a la RPDC, tanto mas se probara la inocencia de esta y se pondra a pleno desnudo la naturaleza maligna de los reaccionarios japoneses.