DPRK SPA to Meet

     Pyongyang, February 17 (KCNA) -- A decision of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) of the DPRK on convening a session of the SPA was promulgated on Feb.7. According to it, the third session of the 11th SPA will be convened in Pyongyang on March 9, Juche 94 (2005).

Letter to Kim Jong Il from Former Unconverted Long-term Prisoners

     Pyongyang, February 17 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il received a letter from the former unconverted long-term prisoners on Feb. 16 on the occasion of his birthday. Kim Jong Il's birth in Mt. Paektu as a son of guerrillas was a great auspicious event of historic significance as the Korean people acclaimed a prominent successor to the accomplishment of the cause of Juche and a great event of the times which promised the eternal prosperity and a bright future of the Korean nation, the letter said, and continued:
    It was thanks to the February holiday that we could emerge victors, remaining true to the revolutionary faith and principle despite all sorts of torture behind bars in south Korea for over 30-40 years.
    The letter recalled that over the last five years Kim Jong Il let them sit on the flower cushions with paternal love as parents would do for their children with whom they reunited after hearing nothing from them and has bestowed the greatest love and solicitude ever known in history.
    Noting that Kim Jong Il fully represents their life and future as he provided them with eternal political integrity and a long physical life, the letter said that they would devote themselves to the work to accelerate the building of a reunified great prosperous powerful nation, keeping pace with the general march for the Songun revolution, true to the Songun idea and leadership of Kim Jong Il to the end.

North's Access to Nukes Hailed as Just

     Pyongyang, February 17 (KCNA) -- The Seoul Headquarters of the People's Movement for the Withdrawal of the U.S. Forces in south Korea released a commentary titled "North's access to nuclear weapons is just" on Feb. 11, according to a news report. Recalling that the north has been exposed to the threat of the nuclear attack up to this date since the U.S. introduced nuclear weapons into this land, the commentary said:
    It is quite just for the north to develop and have access to nukes as it has been exposed to the U.S. threat of a nuclear attack and suffered from its economic blockade.
    While telling the north to come out to the negotiations, the U.S. let loose such spate of vituperation as defining it, a dialogue partner, as "one of the outposts of tyranny". This proves that the U.S. has no intention to negotiate with the north. The U.S. is, therefore, to blame for having scuttled the six-party talks.
    The U.S. should drop its wild design to seize the whole Korean Peninsula and withdraw its forces and weapons of mass destruction from south Korea all at once.

Letter to Kim Jong Il from O Ik Je

     Pyongyang, February 17 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il received a letter from O Ik Je, vice-chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, Wednesday on his birthday (February 16). In the letter O Ik Je wrote that the birth of Kim Jong Il promised the victory of the Juche revolutionary cause and a bright future of the nation and enabled Korea to emerge a country full of the spirit of Mt. Paektu and a country of Songun which will steer the 21st century.
    He went on: You held aloft the banner of Songun under the difficult situation and indicated the right way for the country and the nation to survive and prosper, opening a new history of Songun in this land. This is the great feats to be recorded in the history of the nation and mankind which can be performed only by you.
    All the fellow countrymen will realize the three forms of national cooperation under your wise guidance and open up a landmark history of bringing about a new phase for national reunification this year which marks the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the country and the fifth anniversary of the publication of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration.

Figure Skaters Give Exhibition Presentations

     Pyongyang, February 17 (KCNA) -- Exhibition presentations are being given before capacity spectators at the Ice Rink, the venue of the festival, by figure skaters participating in the 14th International Figure Skating Festival for Paektusan Cup which opened on the occasion of the birthday of leader Kim Jong Il. In their individual and couple events and ice dancing Korean and foreign figure skaters fully displayed the high skills and talents they have cultivated in their day-to-day training.
    In their presentations of "Thunder on Jong Il Peak," "Red Chol Pass," "Yearning for the General," "Arirang," etc. Korean skaters successfully showcased beautiful rhythms, refined skills and movements requiring high technique, impressing the spectators.
    Figure skaters from Russia, China, Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine who had won the world figure skating title, the European figure skating title and the title of the Figure Skating Championships for "Grand Prix" and gave a good account of themselves in other international games made successful exhibition presentations of "Song of the East," "You Are in My Heart," "Waltz" and "For My Dear Friend" and other pieces.
    Figure skaters from Romania, Bulgaria and Switzerland in "Pink Leopard," "Egyptian Prince" and "Man Dancing Tango" and other pieces successfully presented diverse methods of representation through their characteristic performances given to the tune of merry music in which rhythms requiring high technique and refined skills are well blended with each other.
    A figure skater from the General Association of the Korean Residents in Japan in "Swan Lake" and other pieces successfully represented the theme of the work through a variety of graceful movements, winning the acclaim of the spectators.

Camping Begins at Jangjasan Children's Camp

     Kanggye, February 16 (KCNA) -- The first camping began at the Jangjasan Children's Camp this year on the occasion of the February holiday. A ceremony of receiving campers was held on the spot Wednesday.
    A reporter and speakers said that the camp is an excellent centre for extracurricular education of schoolchildren built under the warm loving care of leader Kim Jong Il. They called on all the campers to firmly prepare themselves as children's guards equipped with rich knowledge, a good moral character and good health and dependable pillars for the building of a great prosperous powerful nation.
    They underlined the need for the members of the Children's Union to consolidate what they have learned at school and successfully train their body and mind through multifarious sports and cultural activities including the presentation of their writings, poem-reciting, art performance, mountaineering and skiing during the camping period.

Kim Yong Nam Meets Korean Artistes from Japan

     Pyongyang, February 17 (KCNA) -- President Kim Yong Nam of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on February 16 met and conversed in a compatriotic atmosphere with Korean artistes from Japan including Hong Ryong Wol who is leading a delegation of Korean artistes to celebrate the birthday of leader Kim Jong Il (February 16). Present on the occasion were officials concerned.

14th Intl. Figure Skating Festival for Paektusan Cup Closes

     Pyongyang, February 17 (KCNA) -- The 14th international figure skating festival for Paektusan Cup that opened at the Ice Rink in Pyongyang on Feb. 15 on the occasion of the auspicious February holiday closed on Feb. 17. At the closing ceremony prizes were awarded to the skaters who displayed high technique in the festival.
    Mun Jae Dok, chairman of the Physical Culture and Sports Guidance Commission, in his closing address, referring to the success of the festival, expressed thanks to sports associations of different countries and its participants who made efforts so that it was held on the high level.
    He expressed the conviction that the participants in the festival would as ever contribute to developing the festival into an international sports event in the idea of independence, peace and friendship.
    Then followed exhibition presentations made by figure skaters of different countries and the DPRK who showed high technique in the festival.
    Present at the ceremony were Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Kim Jung Rin, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Kwak Pom Gi, vice-premier of the Cabinet, officials concerned, working people and sports fans in the city and overseas Koreans staying in the socialist homeland.

Birthday of Kim Jong Il Celebrated in Russia

     Moscow, February 15 (KCNA) -- A meeting of public figures of Russia took place in Moscow on Feb. 14 to celebrate the birthday of leader Kim Jong Il. The meeting was attended by Vladimir Tolstikov, chairman of the Russian Association for Friendship and Cultural Cooperation with the DPRK, Oleg Shenin, chairman of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Nikolai Khobrin, chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the International Officers Union of the Soviet Union, Vladimir Maslin, first vice-chairman of the International Peace Fund Association, Mikhail Tsitarenko, director of the Institute of the Far East of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Yuri Vanin, Chief of the Section for Korea of the Institute for Oriental Studies of the academy who is also vice-chairman of the Russian Association for Friendship and Cultural Cooperation with the DPRK, Yuri Izhmov, editor-in-chief of Glasnosti, and other figures from all walks of life, war veterans and journalists from ITAR-TASS, NTV, the Voice of Russia, etc. Present there on invitation were Pak Ui Chun, DPRK ambassador e.p. to Russia and embassy officials.
    Tolstikov made an inaugural speech which was followed by a report and speeches.
    Vanin in his report said that the Korean people are greeting the auspicious holiday of the nation, confident and optimistic about their future, adding the credit for this goes to Kim Jong Il who has pursued the great Songun politics.
    It is thanks to his outstanding Songun leadership that the DPRK has enjoyed ever higher dignity and prestige in the international arena for the past decade, he noted, and went on to say:
    A statement of the Foreign Ministry of the DPRK dated Feb. 10 in which it stated that the DPRK has manufactured nuclear weapons has stunned the world once again with the tremendous might of the Songun politics. This was a clear message to the Bush administration which hurt the dignity of the DPRK by terming it an "outpost of tyranny" after labeling it part of "an axis of evil."
    The Korean people standing for justice will certainly defend their option and interests in the international arena in which the U.S. high-handed practices have become all the more undisguised. They will do so because they are holding Kim Jong Il, illustrious commander of Songun, in high esteem as their leader.
    The floor was also taken by Oleg Shenin and Mikhail Tsitarenko.
    A congratulatory message to Kim Jong Il was adopted at the meeting.

Greetings to Gambian President

     Pyongyang, February 17 (KCNA) -- President Kim Yong Nam of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on February 14 sent a message of greetings to Gambian President Yaya A. J. J. Jammeh on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the independence of his country. The message expressed the conviction that the friendly relations between the two countries would grow stronger and wished the president greater success in his responsible work for national unity and the prosperity of the country.

Gifts to Kim Jong Il

     Pyongyang, February 17 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il was presented with gifts by the visiting delegations of the National Studies Institute of Yanbian University and the Institute of Northeast Asia of Beijing University of China. The gifts were separately handed to an official concerned by Choe Mun Sik, director of the National Studies Institute of Yanbian University who is leading its delegation, and the director of the Institute of Northeast Asia of Beijing University who is leading its delegation.
    Meanwhile, a gift to Kim Jong Il from the family of Liu Tongshi related ton the anti-Japanese revolutionary struggle on a visit to the DPRK was conveyed to an official concerned.

For Spanish-speaking people

Kim Jong Il recibe presentes de delegaciones de China

     Pyongyang, 17 de febrero (ATCC) -- El Dirigente Kim Jong Il recibio presentes que le dirigieran las delegaciones del Instituto Nacional de la Universidad de Yanbian de China presidida por su director Cai Wenshi, y del Instituto de Nordeste Asiatico de la Universidad de Beijing encabezada por su director, de visita en Corea. Los jefes de las delegaciones los entregaron a un funcionario coreano, respectivamente.
    En tanto, la familia de Liu Tongshi, relacionado con la lucha revolucionaria antijaponesa y su comitiva, de visita en Corea, entregaron su presente dedicado al Dirigente a un funcionario coreano.

Se convocara la III sesion de la XI legislatura de APS de RPDC

     Pyongyang, 17 de febrero (ATCC) -- Quedo proclamada el dia 7 la resolucion del Presidium de la Asamblea Popular Suprema de la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea sobre la convocacion de la APS. Segun el documento, la tercera sesion de la XI Legislatura de la APS de la RPDC tendra lugar en Pyongyang el 9 de marzo del 94 (2005) de la Era Juche.