Japan Urged to Behave with Discretion

     Pyongyang, March 5 (KCNA) -- The Japanese reactionaries came under fire by a signed commentary of Minju Joson Saturday for talking about cooperation with south Korea in their efforts to find a solution to the "abduction issue". Not content with wooing the U.S. to cooperate with them in settling the "abduction issue", they are now seeking cooperation from south Korea, the commentary says, and goes on:
    As the DPRK has clarified more than once, the Japanese reactionaries are using the "abduction issue" as a playing card in their scenario to stifle the DPRK. In other words, they try to dramatize the issue in a bid to totally blockade the DPRK under that pretext. They are busy calling for establishing a cooperation system with the U.S., as regards the measure for applying economic sanctions against the DPRK, and soliciting south Korea for its cooperation with them. This reveals their sinister intention to blockade the DPRK and lay a siege to it and render these actions more effective in a bid to bring down the socialist system in the DPRK.
    Herein lie the reactionary nature of the measure taken by the Japanese reactionaries and the gravity of the issue.
    The DPRK will employ every possible means and way to strongly react to their smear campaign to destroy its dignified socialist system.

DPRK Stand on Six-Party Talks Supported by Beninese President

     Pyongyang, March 5 (KCNA) -- Benin understands and supports the DPRK stand on the six-party talks. As a friend of the DPRK, Benin hopes that peace would be ensured on the Korean Peninsula and Pyongyang would achieve success and wishes to see the nuclear issue settled peacefully. Beninese President Mathieu Kerekou said this when meeting with DPRK Ambassador to the country Kim Pyong Gi on Feb. 24. I am very pleased to learn that leader Kim Jong Il, while enjoying good health, has made tireless efforts and provided correct guidance to the work to defend the sovereignty of the country and develop economy for stabilizing the people's living, the president noted, and continued:
    I remember President Kim Il Sung whenever I hear news about the DPRK.
    It is very gratifying to hear that under the correct leadership of Kim Jong Il the inter-Korean relations have made progress and the confrontation between the north and the south has been replaced by the structure of the Korean nation's confrontation with the United States since the north-south summit.
    The U.S. dares not invade the DPRK because Kim Jong Il has increased its defense capability, attaching great importance to military affairs despite the U.S. persistent moves to stifle it, the president stressed.

Destruction of Cold War Structure in Northeast Asia Called for

     Pyongyang, March 5 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun Saturday in a signed commentary calls upon the countries in Northeast Asia to take joint actions against the U.S. in order to dismantle the Cold War structure in the Korean Peninsula and the rest of the region and turn it into a nuclear-free zone. The commentary goes on:
    The U.S., while giving lip-service to cooperation with China, has gone ahead, in actuality, with its strategy of containing it after regarding it as a "potential enemy." This strategy is a grave challenge to the trend of the new century in which humankind desires peace, co-existence and prosperity, transcending the difference in ideology, political system and religion.
    The U.S. strategy for Northeast Asian "security" still remains a Cold War strategy aimed at containing the DPRK, China and others in reliance upon its security alliance with Japan and south Korea.
    The U.S., styling itself "the only superpower", has pursued a reactionary Asian-Pacific strategy aimed at world supremacy. That is why it is so keen to maintain the Cold War structure in Northeast Asia come what may, afraid of its collapse.
    It seeks to use Japan, blinded with the ambition to realize its old dream of "Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere", as a shock force for materializing its strategy.
    In order to implement the above-mentioned aggressive strategy the U.S. has deliberately strained the situation on the Korean Peninsula, raising a hue and cry over "the threat from north Korea".
    The U.S. set it forth as its policy goal to bring down the political system in the DPRK, no more than a daydream, and has since hamstrung the process to improve the inter-Korean relations by hook or by crook, persistently working to isolate and stifle it.
    It has gone the lengths of pressurizing the south Korean authorities to stop even the cooperation between the north and the south in the issue of humanitarian aid.
    The reality goes to prove that the above-said U.S. strategy not only runs counter to the common interests of the countries in the region but is a basic factor of scuttling the six-party talks and making it impossible to realize the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
    The U.S. should face to the reality with a cool head and dismantle the Cold War structure in Northeast Asia as early as possible.

S. Korea's Military Provocations Assailed

     Pyongyang, March 5 (KCNA) -- The south Korean military authorities should promptly stop their moves to strain the situation and incite confrontation in league with the United States, urges Minju Joson today in a signed commentary. It says:
    Recently the south Korean forces fired large-caliber machinegun bullets toward the north side's area near the Military Demarcation Line and introduced an artillery piece into an area close to the MDL. They also sent warships to the territorial waters of the north side in the West Sea of Korea and staged a joint anti-submarine drill in the East Sea of Korea together with the U.S.
    The U.S. is massively shipping latest war equipment into south Korea under the pretext of "reduction" and "relocation" of the U.S. forces present there.
    Dancing to its tune, the bellicose forces of the south Korean military are actively joining the U.S. in its moves to stifle the DPRK.
    The military provocations going on under this situation evidently prove that the south Korean forces together with the U.S. are set to ignite a war against the north.
    It is clear to everyone that such actions will chill all the fellow countrymen's daily-growing desire for national reunification and adversely affect the north-south relations.
    The south Korean military authorities' moves against the nation and reunification should not be allowed as they throw obstacles to national reconciliation and unity and the reunification of the country.

Improvement of Economic Management System Called for

     Pyongyang, March 5 (KCNA) -- It would be possible to dynamically push forward the building of a great prosperous powerful socialist nation only when an original economic management system suitable to the developing reality and the specific conditions of the country is established and full play is given to its vitality, says Rodong Sinmun Saturday in a signed article. A steady improvement and perfection of the economic management system would provide a sure guarantee for correct guidance and management of the socialist economy, the article notes, and goes on:
    This would also provide an important guarantee for overcoming the present difficulties and stepping up the socialist economic construction as fast as possible.
    Economic guidance and management organs at all levels and officials there can fulfill high responsibility and display creativity as befitting their positions to dynamically step up the economic construction even under such difficult situation as now only when tasks, mandates and responsibilities are properly devolved upon central and local organs and enterprises.
    What is important for improving the economic guidance and management to suit the nature of socialist society is to strictly observe the principle of attaching importance to profitability.
    It is necessary to steadily improve the economic management, while putting main emphasis on encouraging economic officials at all levels to conduct guidance and management assiduously in order to gain as much profits as possible in production and construction with least expenditure not only in the nationwide fields but in individual domains, regions or units.
    It is also important for improving the economic management to strictly abide by the principle of letting the state economic organs give economic technological guidance under the political stewardship of the party.
    It is an important socialist principle to be abided by in improving the economic management of the country to correctly combine the unified guidance of the state with the creative initiative at each unit.
    The economic management system in the socialist society should be improved and perfected on the principle of properly blending political and moral incentive with material one, the article stresses.

Greetings to Ghanaian President

     Pyongyang, March 5 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Wednesday sent a message of greetings to Ghanaian President John Agyekum Kufuor on the occasion of the 48th anniversary of the independence of Ghana. Expressing the belief that the good friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would continue to develop on good terms, the message sincerely wished him greater success in his responsible work for the stability and prosperity of the country.

Congratulations to Palestinian Prime Minister

     Pyongyang, March 5 (KCNA) -- Pak Pong Ju, premier of the DPRK Cabinet, sent a congratulatory message to Ahmed Qurey upon his remaining in office as prime minister of the Palestinian National Authority. The message sincerely wished the Palestinian people and him successes in their work to restore their legitimate national rights.
    Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun sent a congratulatory message to Nasser al Qedwa upon his appointment as foreign minister of the Palestinian National Authority.

Japan's Ambition for Territorial Expansion Assailed

     Pyongyang, March 5 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland in a statement Saturday scathingly denounced the moves of the Japanese reactionaries to institute the "Day of Tok Islet" and the remarks of the Japanese ambassador to south Korea that Tok islet belongs to Japan as a very dangerous behavior fully revealing their brigandish nature and shameless ambition for territorial expansion and a heinous move to seize part of the inalienable territory of Korea. He said:
    The Japanese reactionaries have become so brazenfaced as to make a claim to Tok Islet, while insisting that it belongs to Japan. This is a rash act which can be committed only by the political gangsters and rogues who are utterly indifferent to history and international law.
    We can never allow the Japanese reactionaries to insult the Korean nation and grab part of the inalienable land of Korea.
    All Koreans should wage a more resolute struggle to shatter Japan's moves to grab the islet and force it to apologize and compensate for its past crimes.
    Japan would be well advised to properly understand the ever mounting anti-Japanese sentiment of the Korean nation and its bitter hatred, stop acting rashly and discontinue at once its brigandish moves to grab the islet.

Spring Sowing Expected to Be Late for Abnormal Weather

     Pyongyang, March 5 (KCNA) -- Wheat and barley sowing would be started in late February or early March every year in Korea. This year, however, it is expected to be some ten days late in almost rural communities because the atmosphere has remained lower than the average in March. Kim Mun Uk, a section chief of the Central Weather Forecast Institute of the Hydro-Meteorological Service, said that such abnormal weather is attributable to the lower temperature in winter than the average, caused by the fact that cold air has steadily come to Korea with the Siberia high atmospheric pressure and northwestern wind being further intensified than ever before.
    In an interview with KCNA he said such normal weather as three days cold and four warm, a result of the periodical change of high pressure and low pressure with each other, has gradually disappeared in the country in recent years so that cold continental high pressure has persisted in the country this year, too, causing cold weather.
    This year's winter weather is lower than the average, more than one degree lower than last year.
    As a result, soil is frozen 30-65 cm in the most of the areas in the country, 5-10 cm more than last year.
    With the change of atmosphere expected to be serious due to the abnormal weather not only in spring but in all other seasons, it is noteworthy what effect it will give to the country's agriculture.

Agrarian Issue Solved Successfully in DPRK

     Pyongyang, March 5 (KCNA) -- The land of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has taken on a new look suitable to the features of the powerful socialist country. Large-scale standardized fields of the country provide a glimpse of imperishable feats performed by President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il for a solution to the agrarian issue in the country. Right after the liberation of the country from the Japanese colonial rule, Kim Il Sung wisely directed preparations for a successful solution to an agrarian reform, considering it to be a primary task in the anti-imperialist, anti-feudal democratic revolution.
    On March 5, Juche 35 (1946) he promulgated "Law on Agrarian Reform in North Korea" and set forth the slogan "Land to the tillers!", regarding it as the basic principle to let the peasants possess land.
    The successful agrarian reform put an end to the feudal land ownership and the exploiting system in the country so that the peasants could free themselves from the medieval exploitation and subordination and realize their long-cherished desire for land.
    The President also carried out agricultural cooperativization and brought land to socialist cooperative management from individual one as required by the developing revolution.
    His far-reaching plan of land development has been creditably implemented by Kim Jong Il.
    He, considering it to be a long-range cause for an ultimate solution to the agrarian issue and an important undertaking for the building of a great prosperous powerful nation to completely change the appearance of land in the socialist country, started a new history of large-scale land rezoning in May 1998.
    Over the past six years servicemen and people rezoned more than 284,800 hectares of fields in Kangwon, North Phyongan, South Hwanghae, South Phyongan and other provinces.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Refutes U.S. Report on Human Rights

     Pyongyang, March 5 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of the DPRK gave an answer to a question raised by KCNA Saturday in which it accused the United States of groundlessly pulling up the DPRK over the "human rights issue". He says:
    The U.S. State Department in an annual report on human rights on Feb. 28 again said this or that about human rights performances in more than 100 countries including the DPRK.
    The U.S. ballyhoo about human rights practices every year does not deserve even a passing note. This can be made only by the Bush group, a mastermind of swindling and deception.
    The DPRK does neither pay heed to it nor listen to it. It is nothing surprising for the Bush administration to utter such words as it has inveterate enmity toward the system in the DPRK.
    It is, therefore, not interested at all in dealing with Washington.

Japan Urged to Shake off Its Ill-Fame as War Criminal State

     Pyongyang, March 6 (KCNA) -- Japan should properly opt to honestly liquidate its past as Germany did, says Rodong Sinmun Sunday in a signed article. It goes on:
    Japan still refuses to reflect on the unspeakable pain and misfortune it imposed upon the Korean people and liquidate the past. This is quite contrary to the honest attitude taken by Germany to redress its past crimes.
    This wrongdoing of Japan is little short of rubbing salt into the wounds of the Korean people.
    Japan has not yet made any honest apology and repentance of the crimes of aggression it committed in the past 60 years after its defeat in the Pacific War. Worse still, it has no idea of compensation.
    The liquidation of the past is a historic commitment of Japan and a demand of the times.
    The crimes Japan committed against the Korean and the Asian people in the past can never be concealed. It should pay for these crimes without fail any time. If the Japanese militarists try to keep them buried into oblivion with the passage of time, far from making an honest apology and repentance of them, this will add to the crimes perpetrated by Japan and it will not escape a judgment by history.
    The world peace-loving people want Japan to make a proper settlement of its past crimes and make a clean sheet. Japan's apology and compensation for its past crimes would be a yardstick showing whether it wants to improve relations with its neighboring countries and take the road of peace or not.
    The Japanese ruling quarters should admit their wrong approach towards their past history and take a correct road. If they do so, there will be a way out for them and if not, they will meet a disaster.

Expulsion of Japanese Ambassador to S. Korea Demanded

     Pyongyang, March 6 (KCNA) -- The Cultural and Tourism Committee of the "National Assembly" of south Korea on Feb. 28 requested the government to expel the Japanese ambassador to south Korea for his reckless remark that "Tok Islet belongs to the Japanese territory", according to south Korean MBC. Accusing Japan of insisting that the islet belongs to its territory, the committee adopted a resolution demanding a total reexamination of the function for cultural exchange titled "Year of friendship" with Japan slated to be held this year in retaliation against such behavior.
    The resolution made it clear that the islet is part of the inalienable territory of Korea, demanding the Japanese government own its full responsibility for the absurd remark of the Japanese ambassador and take an appropriate measure in this regard.

March First Popular Uprising Marked in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, March 6 (KCNA) -- Functions were held across south Korea to mark the 86th anniversary of the March First Popular Uprising, according to south Korean MBC. A function for commemorating the day took place in front of Kwanghwamun, Seoul, on March 2 with at least 10,000 members of civic, social and religious organizations attending and a similar function took place in Chonan.
    At least 200 residents in Ullung County held a ceremony marking the day on Tok Islet and a meeting condemning Japan's ambition to seize the islet and vowing to wage a strong campaign to protect the islet.
    Meanwhile, similar functions took place in Kyonggi Province, Pusan and other places.

Women's Meeting Held in South Korea

     Pyongyang, March 6 (KCNA) -- The Women's Committee of the Reunification Solidarity and the Council for the Solution of the Issue of the Volunteers Corps in south Korea reportedly held a meeting demanding a solution to the issue of "comfort women" for the imperial Japanese army in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul Wednesday in the run-up to the World Women's Day (March 8). Present there were members of civic and social organizations and surviving "comfort women."
    Speakers at the meeting called for keeping watchful eyes on Japan which has not yet made any apology and compensation for its crimes but dreamt of reviving militarism in a bid to realize its wild ambition for aggression. It is the way of protecting the national sovereignty and advancing history to eliminate the remnants of the Japanese imperialists, they added.
    A resolution was adopted at the meeting.
    It urged the government authorities to settle the issue of "comfort women" this year without fail and opt for properly settling the past.

U.S. Report on Human Rights Blasted in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, March 6 (KCNA) -- The South Headquarters of the National Alliance for the Country's Reunification reportedly made public a statement condemning the U.S. report on human rights on March 2. Recalling that the U.S. Department of State in an "annual report on human rights" on February 28 pulled up the north over the human rights issue, the statement vehemently castigated the report in the name of all Koreans in the south and the north and overseas.
    The United States, warmonger and the very one responsible for abusing human rights, has no right to talk about the human rights issue of other countries, the statement said, stressing: For the guarantee of genuine human rights the U.S. should begin with dropping its unilateral and offensive supremacy.

Anti-National Decision of S. Korean Supreme Court Flayed

     Pyongyang, March 6 (KCNA) -- The supreme court of south Korea recently took such a fascist action as making an unjust decision against Kim Chong Il, chairman of the All-People Committee for Measures against the Murder of the Two Schoolgirls by an Armoured Car of the U.S. Forces, on the charge of leading "illegal" mass candlelight rallies of south Koreans staged in protest against the incident that occurred in 2002. A spokesman for the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland issued a statement on Saturday in this regard, which said:
    This ruling is an intolerable insult to millions of south Koreans from all walks of life who participated in the rallies and to all other Koreans who fully supported them. It is little short of the thrice-cursed double killing of Sim Mi Son and Sin Hyo Sun, the schoolgirls murdered by the U.S. imperialist aggressor troops in south Korea.
    The statement bitterly denounced this action taken by the south Korean judicial authorities as an intolerable infringement upon the dignity and sovereignty of the Korean nation and an unpardonable anti-national criminal act of blatantly challenging the desire of the south Koreans to live in a new independent world free from foreign forces.
    The situation prevailing in south Korea today clearly proves that those pro-U.S. sycophantic treacherous forces are a stumbling block lying in the way of achieving independence and democracy in the south Korean society and that the desire of the south Koreans for a new independent policy and life can never come true as long as such traitors to the nation are left unpunished, the statement said, and continued:
    The south Korean judicial authorities should face up to the trend of the times, revoke at once their unfair judgment made as regards the rallies and immediately withdraw the sentences passed on those who participated in the just struggle.

Rodong Sinmun on Socialism

     Pyongyang, March 6 (KCNA) -- Socialism is a science and an ideal of humankind as it put the position and role of man on a high level and realizes his idea of independence and brings his political, economic and ideological and cultural life into full bloom in all aspects in keeping with his intrinsic nature, says Rodong Sinmun Sunday in a by-lined article. Korean-style socialism is excellent man-centred socialism, the first of its kind in history, it says, and goes on:
    This socialism which moves ahead under the uplifted banner of Songun held aloft by leader Kim Jong Il is viable and promising socialism as it has eternal vitality and indestructible might.
    Its invincibility lies in the greatness of the guiding idea.
    Its essential features and advantages are charaterised by the fact that it fully embodies the Juche idea which makes the popular masses masters of everything, places their position and role on the highest level and fully meets their desire and requirements for independence.
    Its advantages and invincibility are based on the might of single-minded unity of the Party, the army and the people rallied close around the headquarters of the revolution. It is the immovable truth proved in the grimmest trials of the Korean revolution that the single-minded unity serves as the source of the invincibility and vitality of socialism of Korean style.
    The spiritual and moral traits of the revolutionary ranks united in one mind are displayed on a new higher stage. The unquestioned trust and intense loyalty to the leader, the spirit of devoted service with which to dedicate all to the society, collective, the country and the people and the precious self-sacrificing spirit, noble humanity and warm comradeship are the main characteristics of the spiritual and moral traits of the Korean army and people.
    Rosy is the future of Korean style socialism as Kim Jong Il who is possessed of matchless gift in ideological and theoretical wisdom, leadership ability and virtues is leading the Party, the army and the people along the road of certain victory, the article concludes.

For Spanish-speaking people

Corea soluciona problema de tierra

     Pyongyang, 5 de marzo (ATCC) -- Hoy en dia la tierra de Corea se convierte en el terreno socialista que se corresponde a la gran potencia prospera. Las parcelas estandarizadas extendidas transmiten las inmortales hazanas de los grandes hombres quienes se dedicaron a la solucion del problema de la tierra del pais.
    Una vez restaurada la patria, el Presidente Kim Il Sung considero la solucion del problema de la tierra como la tarea primordial para la revolucion democratica antiimperialista y antifeudal y dirigio sabiamente los preparativos por la realizacion exitosa de la reforma agraria.
    El Presidente promulgo el 5 de marzo del 35 (1946) de la Era Juche la "Ley de la Reforma Agraria en Corea del Norte", presento la consigna de "!La tierra a los campesinos que la labran!" y tomo por el principio principal de la reforma agraria hacer de los campesinos duenos de la tierra.
    Gracias a la reforma agraria, se eliminaron de una vez todas las relaciones feudales de posesion de la tierra y el regimen de explotacion, los campesinos se liberaron de la explotacion y subyugacion medievales y lograron su secular aspiracion a la tierra.
    El Presidente tambien realizo, de conformidad a la demanda del desarrollo de la revolucion, la cooperativizacion agricola, y asi convirtio la economia rural privada en la cooperativa socialista.
    Ademas, a fin de que los terrenos en forma de economia rural socialista surtieran eficiencia en la produccion agricola, daba en cada otono ensenanzas referentes al arreglo y la arada del terreno e hizo estandarizar el arrozal y el campo de secano de la comuna Chongsan para que los funcionarios aprendieran el metodo de arreglo de la tierra y comprendieran su superioridad en la realidad.
    El gran proyecto de construccion territorial del Presidente se hace realidad bajo la sabia direccion del Dirigente Kim Jong Il.
    El Dirigente presento el arreglo de gran dimension de la tierra como una gran empresa para la solucion completa del problema de la tierra en la sociedad socialista y como un problema importante de la construccion de una gran potencia prospera, y abrio en mayo de 1998 una nueva era de grandes transformaciones.
    El ejercito y el pueblo de Corea dieron inicio hace ahora 6 anos al arreglo de la tierra en la provincia de Kangwon y lo continuaron en las provincias de Phyong-an del Norte, Hwanghae del Sur y Phyong-an del Sur, convirtiendo asi a mas de 284 mil 800 hectareas de tierra en parcelas estandarizadas de gran tamano, asi que eliminaron por completo los residuos de la posesion feudal de la tierra y dieron a la tierra el aspecto propio del socialismo.
    El pueblo coreano que soluciona con satisfaccion el problema de la tierra gozara a sus anchas de una vida independiente y creadora en la tierra que da abundante cosecha de cereales y frutos.

Se preve atrasar siembra primaveral por fenomeno climatico anormal

     Pyongyang, 5 de marzo (ATCC) -- A finales de febrero y a principios de marzo de cada ano en Corea se notaba el ambiente primaveral con el tiempo templado para comenzar la siembra de trigo y cebada. Sin embargo en marzo del ano en curso con la temperatura mas baja que el ordinario se preve postergar por mas de 10 dias la siembra casi en todas las regiones. El jefe de seccion del Instituto Central de Pronostico del Tiempo de la Direccion Meteorologica e Hidrologica, Kim Mun Uk, dijo que tal fenomeno se debe a la temperatura inferior al promedio en la estacion invernal porque soplaba el viento frio hacia Corea con el mayor fortalecimiento del monzon invernal y la alta presion atmosferica siberiana.
    En los ultimos anos, -continuo- desaparecio paulatinamente el fenomeno climatico de "tres dias frios y cuatro dias templados" que ocurre con el cambio periodico de la alta y baja presion atmosferica, razon por la cual este ano tambien perdura la alta presion atmosferica continental fria originando el tiempo frio.
    El tiempo invernal de este ano es mas bajo que el ordinario y un grado mas bajo que el ano pasado.
    Por esta influencia en la mayoria de la extension territorial el grueso de la tierra helada es de 30-65 cm., es decir 5-10 cm. mas que el ano pasado.
    Por tal fluctuacion de la corriente atmosferica que se preve originar del fenomeno climatico anormal este ano se presta atencion a la influencia que ejercera sobre el sector agricola.