U.S. Urged to Drop Its Hostile Policy towards DPRK

     Pyongyang, March 4 (KCNA) -- The Nepal.Korea Friendship Association, the Nepal Institute for Juche Studies and the Nepalese Committee for Supporting the Reunification of Korea made public a joint statement on February 22 in support of the Feb. 10 statement of the DPRK Foreign Ministry. It bitterly assailed the Bush administration's wild design to stifle the socialist system in the DPRK. Accusing the U.S. of crying out for a "regime change" in the DPRK after defining it as an "outpost of tyranny", the statement said:
    The U.S. move to force American style "freedom and democracy" upon all other countries is an act of stamping out people's freedom and democratic rights.
    We fully understand that the DPRK government was left with no other option but to suspend its participation in the six-party talks for an indefinite period under this situation.
    We fully support the just stand of the DPRK and strongly demand the U.S. government roll back its hostile policy towards the DPRK and create a reasonable environment for a peaceful and diplomatic solution to all pending issues. Meanwhile, Nuran Nabie, general secretary of the Bangladesh-Korea Friendship Association, in a statement on Feb. 20 strongly urged the U.S. to positively respond to the statement of the DPRK Foreign Ministry reflecting its peace-loving stand.

WFDY Supports Korean People's Just Cause

     Pyongyang, March 4 (KCNA) - A meeting of the general council of the World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) was held in Hanoi on Feb. 25 and 26 with an attendance of delegates from over 40 youth organizations of at least 30 countries. The meeting voiced full support to the Korean people in their just cause. A political report of the meeting expressed full support to the Korean people and youth in their just struggle to defend the peace of the Korean Peninsula, achieve the independent and peaceful reunification of the country and protect the national sovereignty in the spirit of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration.
    The report strongly demanded the U.S. withdraw its forces from south Korea as early as possible and put an end to its nuclear threat, blockade and acts of aggression against the DPRK.
    A resolution on peace and reunification of the Korean Peninsula adopted at the meeting urged the U.S., the very one responsible for the division of Korea, to stop disturbing the process of reconciliation and cooperation between the north and south of Korea, terminate its inglorious 60 year-long history of occupation and contribute to the implementation of the joint declaration.
    The resolution called upon all youth and student organizations of the world to conduct widespread diverse activities to support the Korean people and youth in their just struggle to force the U.S. forces to pull back from south Korea immediately this year, resolve the nuclear issue between the DPRK and the U.S. in a peaceful way and put an end to the 60 year-long history of the U.S. forces' occupation of south Korea.
    Meanwhile, an action plan for this year adopted at the meeting underscored the need to conduct widespread solidarity activities on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the designation of the month of international solidarity with the Korean people and youth demanding the withdrawal of the U.S. imperialist aggressor forces from south Korea and achieving the independent and peaceful reunification of the country and the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Korea.

Folk Dish Competition Held

     Pyongyang, March 4 (KCNA) -- A folk dish competition among members of the Democratic Women's Union from across the country was held on SSuk Islet in the Taedong River flowing through Pyongyang on March 3. It was sponsored by its central committee. Entries for the competition were mainly a variety of traditional favorite food prepared by Koreans for their feasts on the 15th of lunar January from their ancestors.
    They included scores of traditional Korean dishes including Kuksu (Korean noodle), a dish prepared with five grains, nutritious boiled rice, dishes made with various sorts of edible herbs, rice-jelly, and fruit punch made of honey. These dishes drew interest of the visitors for their peculiar taste and special flavour.
    Specially appreciated at the competition were Pyongyang cold noodle, boiled aralia shoots prepared with been paste in agalmatolite pot, leopard plant dish, dishes prepared with five wild vegetables from Mt. Chilbo, etc.
    presented by members of the Pyongyang, North Phyongan, Kangwon, North Hamgyong provincial committees of the union on the occasion of the above-said festival.
    Also popular were a variety of dishes presented by women from South Hwanghae Province and Kaesong City.

March First Uprising Commemorated in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, March 4 (KCNA) -- A commemoration of the March First Uprising was reportedly held at the "National Assembly" building in Seoul on February 28 under the co-sponsorship of the Institute for National Studies, the Council for Promotion of Compensation to the Victims of the Pacific War, the Council for Measure of the Issue of South Korean Volunteer Corps, the National Assemblymen's Meeting for Liquidation of Past History, the Meeting for Correct History Education and other organizations of south Korea. At the commemoration speakers condemned the Japanese reactionaries for scheming to institute "Day of Takeshima (Tok Islet)" and the Japanese ambassador to south Korea for his rash remarks about Tok Islet.
    Bringing to light Japan's forcible drafting of Koreans, they stressed that the rising generation should never forget the past crimes of Japan.
    A joint statement released at the commemoration demanded the Japanese government probe the truth behind the forcible conscription of Koreans, compensate the victims, make an immediate apology for the rash utterances of the Japanese ambassador about Tok Islet, withdraw the move to institute "Day of Takeshima", correct the distorted history textbooks and so on.
    The commemoration was followed by an exhibition exposing Japan's past crimes and distortion of history.

Planned War Game Flailed

     Pyongyang, March 4 (KCNA) -- The U.S. imperialists and bellicose forces of the south Korean military announced that they would stage the RSOI and Foal Eagle, large-scale joint military exercises, from March 19 to 25, according to the south Korean KBS. They declared that those exercises simulating a "contingency" on the Korean Peninsula would involve over 17,000 U.S. troops present in south Korea and overseas as well as the south Korean army.
    Special attention should be paid to their announcement that the war rehearsals would draw the carrier Kittyhawk and the task force brigade from the U.S. mainland.
    When making public the plan the warhawks openly hinted that they would repeat in the projected exercises nearly all the actions of last year's maneuvers in which they pressed close to the eve of a war, going beyond common sense. The aggressive nature of the war games is accentuated by the expected involvement of the task force brigade which has been knocked together as a link of the whole chain of the reorganization of the U.S. forces for aggression on the Korean Peninsula.
    The United States branded the DPRK as an "outpost of tyranny" at the beginning of the year, making it its policy never to coexist with the latter. Now it is throwing away the mask of "dialogue" and "peace", revealing its aggressive nature again.

Heroic Feats in General March for Songun Revolution Vowed

     Pyongyang, March 4 (KCNA) -- Meetings were held at the Ministry of Railways and industrial establishments and farms across the country for fulfilling up to the hilt the tasks laid down in the appeal of the meeting for the general march for the Songun revolution to all the servicepersons and people. The participants there manifested their confidence and will to perform heroic feats in the march for glorifying the 60th anniversaries of the Workers' Party of Korea and the liberation of the country as grand festivals of proud victors. Speakers at the meetings said the appeal reflected the unanimous desire and strong will of tens of millions of soldiers and people to add endless shine to the proud history and tradition of the Songun revolution, united around leader Kim Jong Il in one mind.
    They called for vigorously stepping up the general march for the Songun revolution in response to the appeal of the great mother party and motherland, thus making this year of significant fetes the most worthwhile and prosperous year both in name and reality.

S. Korean Authorities' Move to Renew "Chungmu Plan" Assailed

     Pyongyang, March 4 (KCNA) -- The chairman of the committee for emergency planning of south Korea, addressing an interpellation at the recent meeting of the political committee of the "National Assembly", said that it is contemplating the inclusion of the clause dealing with measures to cope with "a nuclear crisis" in the "Chungmu plan" and so on which had been worked out to cope with "the emergency in the north" as it presupposed the north's "non-access to nukes." Rodong Sinmun Friday observes in a signed commentary in this regard:
    The south Korean authorities' disclosure of their attempt to modify and supplement the "Chungmu plan" extremely hostile to the north is, in essence, an intolerable insult to the dignified and powerful political system in the north based on the single-minded unity and a grave political provocation to it.
    Dreaming of "a sudden change in the north," the south Korean authorities worked out in secrecy the "emergency plans" targeted against the north and have since renewed them systematically. They are now contemplating a retrogressive revision of them by including the issue of "nuclear crisis" in them.
    This indicates that the south Korean authorities are not interested in implementing the June 15 joint declaration and developing the north-south relations, but waiting for a chance to occur with daggers hidden in their belts, while talking about "peace, cooperation, co-existence and co-prosperity."
    Their attempt to renew the provocative "Chungmu plan" with calls for "coping with the nuclear crisis" and "emergency plans" goes to prove that they are heading for confrontation with the north and a war against it, availing themselves of outside forces' nuclear racket against it in breach of the June 15 joint declaration.
    To expect "a sudden change" in the north is as foolish an act as trying to beat the air.
    The north will never pardon those who defile and hurt its dignity and system and force them to pay a very high price for their act.

Ryongthong Temple Fully Restored

     Pyongyang, March 4 (KCNA) -- The Koryo Art Studio of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has rehabilitated the Ryongthong Temple in Kaesong, cultural relics belonging to the period of Koryo (918-1392), and restored more than 150 pieces of Buddhist pictures and sculptures and potteries in the temple. Among the exhibits in the temple reflecting the developed architecture of Korean ancestors are large Buddhist idols of the Goddess of Mercy, Sakyamuni and others, Buddhist pictures, gold-painted pictures of the Buddhist scriptures, landscape paintings and potteries.
    The studio, which came on stream in March Juche 79 (1990), has restored many historic relics and remains to preserve cultural heritage of the nation.
    It has also participated in the reconstruction of the mausoleums of Tangun, Tongmyong and Wang Kon, founder-kings of states that had existed in Korea, and the restoration of historic relics including the Kwangbop Temple in Mt. Taesong, Songbul Temple in Mt. Jongbang, Pohyon Temple in Mt. Myohyang and Kaesim Temple in Mt. Chilbo.
    It created the large folding screen with over 280 pictures showing the Taedonggang Culture of Pyongyang now on display at the Korean Central History Museum.
    Kim Tong Chol, director of the studio, told KCNA that his studio would make every possible effort to eternally preserve all the historic and cultural relics and remains of the nation associated with the talents and wisdom of the ancestors so as to add luster to the nation's brilliant culture.

Japan Denounced for Trying to Rob Korea of Tok Islet

     Pyongyang, March 4 (KCNA) -- The Japanese ambassador to south Korea, Takano, in his recent press interview, said that Tok Islet belongs to Japan. Earlier, a "bill" on instituting Feb. 22 as "Day of Takeshima (Tok Islet)" was reportedly presented to the Shimane Prefectural Assembly of Japan. Such a thing can be done by no one but the brazenfaced Japanese reactionaries with wild ambition for territorial expansion and overseas aggression, said Academician, Prof and Dr. Ho Jong Ho, chairman of the History Society of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
    In an interview with KCNA he said that Korea has had jurisdiction over the islet for nearly 1,500 years, adding:
    It is Korea that found, explored and controlled the islet for the first time. It is also Korea that had it belonged to its territory and declared its possession of the islet. This has been clarified by many historical books and old maps including "Newly Supplemented Reference Book", "The Chronicles of Three Kingdoms", "The History of Koryo", "The True Records of the Ri Dynasty", "Territory Map", "Geography in the True Records of Sejong", "New Account of Expedition to Korean Territory" as well as Royal Decree No. 41 of the government of the Ri dynasty dated October 25, 1900.
    This is also proved by documents of the Japanese government and old maps made by it.
    Particularly, an ordinance issued by Tomomi Iwakura, a top official of the then Japanese government, to the Ministry of Home Affairs of Japan on March 20, 1877, notes that it should know Japan has nothing to do with the Ullung Island and Tok Islet. The recently discovered copy of the military operation map made by Kawagami, a general of the Japanese army during the war unleashed by Japan against Korea in 1592, and the Korean map made in 1785 by a famous geologist of Japan, Shihei Hayashi, eloquently prove the fact.
    Korea is not what it was in the past.
    The Korean people will never allow the Japanese reactionaries to rob Korea of Tok Islet, an inviolable part of its territory.

Congratulations to Nepalese Foreign Minister

     Pyongyang, March 4 (KCNA) -- DPRK Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun sent a congratulatory message to Ramesh Nath Pandey upon his appointment as Nepalese foreign minister. Convinced that the excellent friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would continue to develop on good terms in the future, too, the message sincerely wished him success in his new job.

For Spanish-speaking people

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

     Pyongyang, 4 de marzo (ATCC) -- El Presidium de la Asamblea Popular Suprema de la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea promulgo el dia 3 la resolucion sobre el aplazamiento de la III sesion de la XI legislatura del organo legislativo, prevista anteriormente para el 9 de marzo del 94 (2005) de la Era Juche. Segun el documento, tal decision fue adoptada por iniciativa de los diputados a la APS extendidos en todos los frentes de la construccion del socialismo y se fijara otra fecha que va a ser anunciada.

Peligroso plan de ejercicios belicos

     Pyongyang, 4 de marzo (ATCC) -- Segun la radio surcoreana KBS, los imperialistas norteamericanos y las fuerzas belicistas dentro de la capa militar surcoreana anunciaron el despliegue del venidero dia 19 al 25 de los macro-ejercicios militares conjuntos denominados "Ejercicios combinados de refuerzo en tiempo de guerra" y "Aguilucho". Los belicistas precisaron que para estas maniobras belicas, que suponen el "tiempo de emergencia" de la Peninsula Coreana, seran movilizados mas de 17 mil efectivos norteamericanos estacionados en el Sur de Corea y en otros paises, aparte de los uniformados surcoreanos.
    Dicen que esta vez tomaran parte el portaaviones Kitty Hawk y una brigada de rapido desplazamiento de las tropas yanquis acampada en el territorio estadounidense.
    Con este anuncio, en contra de las costumbres anteriores, los maniacos de guerra exteriorizaron abiertamente que daran a los inminentes ejercicios casi el mismo contenido de las maniobras del ano pasado cuando la situacion estuvo al borde de la guerra.
    Para colmo, la movilizacion de la citada brigada organizada en el marco de la reubicacion de las fuerzas armadas norteamericanas hace mas contundente el caracter agresivo de las maniobras a desarrollarse dentro del mes en curso.
    De esta forma, EE.UU., que ya definio a la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea como la "vanguardia de la tirania" y concreto en una politica su intencion de nunca coexistir con esta, volvio a poner a flote su naturaleza agresiva escondida antes con los letreros del "dialogo" y la "paz".