Events Marking Kim Jong Il's Birthday Held Abroad

     Pyongyang, February 7 (KCNA) -- Events were held in Democratic Congo and Austria on Feb. 1 and 2 on the occasion of the birthday of leader Kim Jong Il (February 16). Bele Moukeleng, chairman of the Group for the Study of the Juche Idea of the University of Kinshasa, in his special lecture titled "Leader Kim Jong Il is a distinguished veteran statesman in the world" highly praised him as an elder statesman in the world who has built up strong military capability and national power with his policy of giving priority to idea, military affairs and science and technology and thus firmly defended the bulwark of socialism.
    Kamwiziku Octave, chairman of the National Committee for the Study of the Juche Idea of Democratic Congo, at a reading session on the brief history of the revolutionary activities of Kim Jong Il noted that he has developed and enriched the Juche idea founded by President Kim Il Sung and made it a monolithic system. He is, indeed, a great thinker and theoretician, the chairman stressed.
    A round-table talk was held at a company in Linz, Austria. Speakers there noted that Kim Jong Il has performed great feats in building a great prosperous powerful socialist nation and fulfilling the cause of Korea's reunification and the human cause of independence with his leadership of the Songun revolution. They underscored the need to intensify solidarity activities powerfully supporting the Korean people in their efforts to build a great prosperous powerful nation and achieve the independent and peaceful reunification of the country this year which marks the fifth anniversary of the publication of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration.

Kim Jong Il's Birthday Celebrated in Cambodia

     Pyongyang, January 7 (KCNA) -- The Japanese reactionaries are busy working out a "bill" of Japan similar to the "North Korean Human Rights Act" of the U.S. and introducing it to the Diet session slated to take place this month. Rodong Sinmun Friday in a signed commentary brands Japan's impudent move to adopt legislation on "north Korean human rights" as a mockery of genuine human rights and an intolerable insult to the dignified DPRK.
    Referring to the fact that the Japanese reactionaries, steeped in bitter hostility towards the DPRK and dead-set against Korean style socialism, are zealously joining the U.S. in its racket against the DPRK over its "human rights issue" in a bid to realize their ambition to "bring down" the system in the DPRK and re-invade Asia, the commentary goes on:
    Japan lost its right to say anything about human rights long ago as it committed most hideous abuses of human rights in the past by bringing unspeakable misfortune and sufferings to the Koreans and other Asians.
    However, it has refused even to admit those crimes. Japan is one of the worst human rights violators in the world. It is ill-famed for the number of cases of suicide.
    Such being a hard reality, the reactionaries of Japan are joining the U.S. in its smear campaign against the DPRK over its "human rights issue" in an effort to overturn its system. This is, however, nothing but a daydream of the wicked and stupid guys.
    The Japanese reactionaries had better properly understand who their rival is and give up their futile attempt to bring down the system in the DPRK.

Unconditional Implementation of UN Resolution Demanded

     Pyongyang, February 7 (KCNA) --The delegation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea demands that all the UN peace-keeping activities be conducted strictly on the principle of respect for sovereignty and noninterference in other's internal affairs and not be misused in attaining a sinister political purpose of an individual country and that the UN Resolution calling for the dissolution of the "UN Command" in south Korea be implemented unconditionally, declared the DPRK delegate at a meeting of the special committee on the UN peace-keeping operation on Feb. 1. He went on to say:
    In order to undertake all the peace-keeping activities strictly in conformity with the principle of the UN Charter and the original aim of the activities themselves, it is necessary to conduct these activities under all circumstances on the principle of respect for sovereignty and noninterference in other's internal affairs.
    Some powers have in the past period utilized UN activities concerning peace and security in pursuing their world strategy and political, economic and military interests and such tendency is kept on still today.
    It is well known a fact that the "UN Command" is an illegal brainchild the United States cooked up at the time of the Korean War by forcing the Security Council to adopt a resolution to employ international forces for the attainment of its purpose. Nevertheless, the U.S. is keen on keeping its forces in south Korea and this is a link in the whole chain of its hostile policy toward the DPRK, the very source of difficulties in the settlement of the nuclear issue between it and the DPRK.
    The U.S. should withdraw at once its forces from south Korea, shaking itself free from the theory and mode of thinking of the old era which is run through with distrust and hostile feelings toward others.

National Cooperation Called for in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, February 7 (KCNA) -- The Reunification Solidarity of south Korea released a statement on Jan. 31, calling for achieving national cooperation by uniting around the South Side's Preparatory Committee for a Joint Function of the People in the South, the North and Overseas to Implement the June 15 Joint Declaration. Referring to the formation of the south side's preparatory committee, the statement said the committee would play an important part in paving the way for reunification by the efforts of the Korean nation by invariably holding fast to and implementing the June 15 joint declaration which is a declaration of national independence and a declaration of peaceful reunification and great national unity.
    Now the people, who are inspired by the declaration and ardently desire the country's reunification, have become able to unite around the south side's preparatory committee and discharge their patriotic mission, the statement said, calling for glorifying this year without fail as a year of a turn in the drive for the independent reunification of the country.

All-out Charge to Greet Grand Festivals of Victors Called for

     Pyongyang, February 7 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun Monday editorially calls upon all the people of the country to thoroughly implement the appeal of the meeting for general march of the Songun revolution calling on them to turn out as one in the all-out charge to glorify the 60th anniversaries of the Workers' Party of Korea and the liberation of Korea as grand festivals of victors in the Songun revolution, hailing the success of the meeting which provided a landmark for bringing about an epochal turn in building a great prosperous powerful socialist nation and accomplishing the cause of Juche. The editorial goes on:
    The appeal made by the meeting is an ardent one calling on the people of the country to launch a charge for winning new victory and achieving prosperity in the 21st century. Everybody should join in the on-going high-pitched drive to perform new miracles and merits in the Songun era and fully demonstrate the honor of being victors.
    The above-said all-out charge is a glorious struggle to bring about the greatest prosperity of the country in the Songun era.
    "Let us all make all-out charge to glorify the 60th anniversaries of the Party and the liberation of the country as grand festivals of victors of the Songun revolution!" This is the militant slogan to be put up by the army and people of the DPRK at present.
    Through this charge they should demonstrate to the full the might of their single-minded unity around the headquarters of the revolution and bring about a fresh turn in the efforts to implement the great Songun idea and politics in all fields.
    The editorial calls on them to display exceptional fighting spirit and stamina and revolutionary enthusiasm in the on-going all-out charge to create a new speed of advance in the Songun era.

S. Korean Authorities Hit for Pro-Japanese Toadyism

     Pyongyang, February 7 (KCNA) -- The new chief of the National Police Office of south Korea planned to make an inspection tour to Tok Islet only to cancel it in face of the opposition of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. This touched off a spate of argument and criticism dominated by the public opinion that the step taken by the ministry was an act of reading the face of Japan. Commenting on this, a Rodong Sinmun analyst Monday says:
    This is a submissive act of being afraid of freely visiting one's own land, standing in awe of Japan, the sworn enemy of the Korean nation, and a despicable pro-Japanese sycophantic humiliating act of impairing the sovereignty and dignity of the nation.
    The south Korean authorities say quite often that Tok Islet belongs to Korea but, in actuality, commit an act contrary to this as in the afore-said case. This disclosed their pro-Japanese toadyism. Their behavior is still graver in view of the fact that the Japanese reactionaries are openly claiming the islet belongs to Japan. Disallowing the visit to the islet on the pretext of "diplomatic controversy" and not going there by accepting it are the same pro-Japanese humiliating acts.
    The south Korean people should turn out vigorously in the struggle against outside forces to put an end to their domination and interference and win sovereignty at an early date.

U.S. Arbitrary Practice Assailed

     Pyongyang, February 7 (KCNA) -- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of south Korea recently released what it called "results of agreement" in which it announced that the United States will hand over to the south Korean side the land originally chosen for new U.S. embassy building, i.e. the lots previously occupied by the Kyonggi Girls' High School in Jongdong, Seoul, and the U.S. legation staff residence, and use instead the most coveted land in the Ryongsan military base covering 24,000 phyong, three times the area occupied by .the present embassy building. A signed commentary of Rodong Sinmun Monday dismisses the U.S. act of seizing the unprecedentedly vast space for the new embassy building as a deplorable development proving that the U.S. is lording it over south Korea as an arrogant and robber-like ruler. The commentary goes on:
    The building lot chosen by the U.S. is a land which should have been returned to south Korea with the transfer of the U.S. military base from Ryongsan. However, the U.S. pressurized the south Korean authorities to relinquish the land, insisting on building its embassy there just as gangsters would do.
    This is an intolerable disregard and mockery of the south Koreans demanding national dignity and sovereignty.
    The U.S. pressurized the south Korean authorities and usurped the land which it had promised to return to south Korea, thus seriously violating once again the dignity and self-esteem of south Koreans.
    The U.S. scheme to build its embassy in Ryongsan can never be allowed as it is an arbitrary practice of occupation force to dominate south Korea, lording it over as a de facto ruler for an indefinite period, while infringing upon the national spirit for independence of the south Koreans.
    An end must be put to the disgraceful history of the U.S. occupation of south Korea, a history of domination and submission, in the present era which is orientating toward the country's reunification after the publication of the June 15 joint declaration and the Ryongsan area must be returned to the south Korean people to be used for their livelihood together with the sites of all other U.S. military bases in south Korea.

Russian Dancing Troupe Here

     Pyongyang, February 7 (KCNA) -- The State Academy Beriozka Dancing Troupe of Russia Named after N. S. Nadezhdina led by its Director Mira Koltsova arrived here Sunday. It was met at the airport by Pak Kyong Son, vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, officials concerned and staff members of the Russian embassy here.

S. Koreans Called Upon to Retake Sovereignty

     Pyongyang, February 7 (KCNA) -- The Japanese and U.S. imperialists brought immeasurable misfortunes and sufferings to the south Koreans during their occupation of south Korea in the past history and, therefore, it is a vital task which brooks no further delay for the south Koreans to achieve sovereignty, says Rodong Sinmun Monday in a signed article. The policy of colonial enslavement pursued by the U.S. in south Korea and the occupation by the aggression troops over the last 60 years after Korea's liberation have been the root cause of the block put on the independent development and progress of the south Korean society, the article notes, and goes on:
    The U.S. imperialists were so crafty as to style themselves an "ally" and a "friendly nation" outwardly but, in actuality, they have done everything their way in south Korea as the ruler.
    The U.S. has manipulated the policy of south Korea in its interests and kept it bound in bandage in master-servant relationship. Of course, it is true that there are "National Assembly" and administrative tools in south Korea, but political sovereignty there has been seriously violated by the U.S. which has wire-pulled pro-U.S. forces and interfered in its internal affairs.
    The U.S. signed many "treaties" and "agreements" with south Korea including the "Mutual Defence Treaty" in its own interests and has accelerated the enslavement of the south Korean society through them.
    The political catastrophe and the social chaos that have persisted in south Korea are a token of the political backwardness of south Korea caused by the U.S. military occupation and domination.
    But for the U.S. troops' occupation of south Korea, there would not have been the "May 16 military coup", the Kwangju massacre and death of young middle school girls and, moreover, the Korean nation would not have undergone the 60-year-long tragic division.
    Now is the time for the south Koreans to put an end to the disgraceful U.S. military occupation and restore sovereignty when all the countries and nations are fighting for independence and dignity. Struggle is the only way out.

Floral Basket to Kim Jong Il from Abbas

     Pyongyang, February 7 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il received a floral basket from Mahmoud Abbas, chief of the Palestinian National Authority who is chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, on the occasion of his birthday. It was conveyed to DPRK Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun by Palestinian Ambassador e. p. to the DPRK Shaher Mohammed Abdlah on Feb. 7.

Floral Basket and Congratulatory Letter to Kim Jong Il from Diplomatic Corps

     Pyongyang, February 7 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il was presented with a floral basket and a congratulatory letter by the diplomatic corps here with the approach of his birthday. Shaher Mohammed Abdlah, Palestinian ambassador who is doyen of the corps, handed them to Paek Nam Sun, DPRK foreign minister, on Monday.

Lunar New Year's Day, Greatest Folk Holiday of Korean People

     Pyongyang, February 7 (KCNA) -- The Korean people, who have lived as a homogeneous nation for 5,000 years, have a lot of folk holidays. The greatest of them is lunar New Year's Day (Feb. 9 this year).
    From olden times, the Korean people have celebrated the day in a significant way. They would clean the inside and outside of their houses to the effect that they see the old year out and the new year in, and decorate such furniture as wall closets with pictures of tigers, chickens, etc. And they would adorn the yards of their houses and villages roads with lanterns of various shapes and women would be busy preparing holiday dresses and food for their family members.
    It is a custom of the Korean people that on the morning of the New Year's Day youngers make a vow to their elders of the family before visiting elders and teachers in the village to pay their respects to them.
    They then would enjoy with their family members and relatives such holiday food as glutinous rice cake, rice cake with flower patterns imprinted, steamed rice cake, rice cake soup, pancake, cake made from wheat-flour, oil and honey, fruit made from honey, dried persimmons, pine nuts and cinnamons, pop-rice cake, fruits, spirits, etc. in the hope of their good health and happiness in the new year. They would also share their holiday food with their neighbours.
    Yut, seesaw, kite flying and sledging are typical amusements enjoyed by men, women and children that day.

Deplorable Situation of South Korea Caused by Slavish Submission

     Pyongyang, February 7 (KCNA) -- It is in south Korea that people are not respected but insulted, harmed and even killed by "guests". This tragedy is an offspring of the south Korea-U.S. "Status of Forces Agreement" which came into force on February 9, 1967. The agreement consists of "criminal jurisdiction", "usage of land and facilities" and "taxation". It is an out-and-out slavish agreement which provides extraterritorial rights to the U.S. imperialist aggression forces and imposes sufferings upon the south Korean people.
    Under the patronage of the "agreement", the U.S. troops have committed more than 3,500 offences such as murder, violence, rape and environmental destruction in south Korea on an annual average.
    The south Korean authorities dealt, at first trials, with only 234 cases out of nearly 40,000 crimes committed by U.S. troops till 1987 since the appearance of the "agreement".
    In recent years U.S. troops drove an armored car over middle school girl students to death, discharged poisonous water into the River Han and perpetrated group violence against south Korean inhabitants. But the criminals have not been punished but protected. As a result, not a day passes without seeing south Koreans shedding blood.
    Worse still, the authorities, shackled by the "agreement", cannot but close their eyes to the hair-raising atrocities committed by the U.S. forces.
    They have not made even a word against the unwarrantable "judgment" that they should compensate to the inhabitants in Maehyang-ri for the damage caused by decades of military exercises of the U.S. forces.
    The south Korean people should turn out in the struggle for realizing the three-point cooperation for national independence, peace against war, and reunification and patriotism to abolish the slavish document, a legacy from the old era, at an early date and to put an end to the U.S. domination and interference.

S. Korean Military Warned against Touch-and-Go Situation in West Sea

     Pyongyang, February 7 (KCNA) -- We warn the south Korean military authorities against acting rashly, mindful that if they persist in their reckless military provocations, it will cause unpredictable consequences. This warning is served by the Navy Command of the Korean People's Army in a press release issued Monday as regards the military tension daily escalating in the West Sea of Korea due to their premeditated provocative acts.
    On Feb. 6 and 7 the south Korean military authorities infiltrated their battleship into waters of the north side south of Kuwol Hill in the wake of their similar intrusion on Feb. 4, deliberately escalating the tension there, the press release said, and went on:
    What should not be overlooked is that the spokesman for the navy of the south Korean forces expressed "regret" over the repeated warnings of the north and blustered that they would defend the "northern limit line" to the last.
    This is another intolerable challenge as it stirred up the military stand-off between the north and the south.
    The ceaseless intrusion of south Korean battleships into the afore-said waters is pushing the stand-off between the two sides to a touch-and-go situation.

For Spanish-speaking people

Fiesta de ano nuevo lunar en Corea

     Pyongyang, 7 de febrero (ATCC) -- En calidad de una nacion homogenea de cinco mil anos, el pueblo coreano disfruta de muchas fiestas folcloricas. La mas tipica es el primero de enero de ano lunar que cae en el 9 de febrero del calendario solar. Desde la antiguedad los coreanos en visperas de la fiesta limpiaban dentro y fuera de las casas y pegaban en los armarios dibujos de tigre, gallo, etc. en el sentido de despedir el ano expirado y acoger el nuevo. Y adornaban los patios y calles aldeanas con linternas de varios generos dando mas colores a la fiesta y las amas de casa se apresuraban a confeccionar ropas y preparar comidas para fiesta.
    El primero de enero por la manana se saludaban como de costumbre a los mayores de familia y aldea, asi como a los maestros.
    Luego los familiares y vecinos se reunian para compartir las comidas de fiesta, entre otras, Tok (plato coreano hecho con harina de arroz) de distintos tipos, tortilla, pastilla, turron, frutas y aguardiente deseando unos a otros la salud y felicidad en el ano nuevo.
    En esta fiesta hombres, mujeres y ninos se divierten juntos con Yut (juego folclorico coreano) y las feminas con el balancin y los pequenos con cometa y trineo y otros juegos folcloricos que resultan utiles para la vida sentimental y forja de la constitucion fisica.
    Este ano tambien el pueblo coreano acoge con gran jubilo la fiesta de nuevo ano lunar con la firme decision de construir una gran potencia prospera en esta tierra patria.

Pak Pong Ju envia mensaje a su homologo de Granada

     Pyongyang, 7 de febrero (ATCC) -- El primer ministro del Consejo de Ministros de la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea, Pak Pong Ju, envio un mensaje de felicitacion a su homologo de Granada, Keith Mitchell, con motivo del 31 aniversario de la independencia de este pais. El remitente expreso esperanza de que las relaciones de amistad y cooperacion entre los dos paises sigan desarrollandose favorablemente y deseo de todo corazon al destinatario y a su pueblo granadiense mayores exitos en sus labores para la prosperidad del pais.

En Pyongyang Conjunto de Danza "Beriozka " de Rusia

     Pyongyang, 7 de febrero (ATCC) -- Llego el dia 6 a esta capital el Conjunto de Danza Academico Nacional "Beriozka" N. S. Nadezhdina de Rusia presidido por su directora Mira Koltsova. En el aeropuerto lo acogieron el subjefe de departamento del CC del Partido del Trabajo de Corea, Pak Kyong Son, y otros funcionarios coreanos y miembros de la Embajada de la Federacion Rusa en nuestro pais.