British Preparatory Committee Inaugurated

     Pyongyang, March 18 (KCNA) -- The British preparatory committee for commemorating the Day of the Sun was inaugurated in London on March. 9. Christopher Coleman, spokesman for the Central Committee of the Revolutionary Communist Party of Britain (Marxist˘˘Leninist£ who is its leader, was elected chairman of the preparatory committee.
    The committee decided to organize colorful functions including meetings and photo exhibitions and film shows on the occasion of the significant day.

Projected U.S. Combined War Exercises under Fire

     Pyongyang, March 18 (KCNA) -- The United States brought to south Korea a carrier flotilla, a nuclear strike force, and other forces after announcing a plan for large-scale combined war exercises aimed to invade the DPRK at a time when the nuclear issue between the DPRK and the U.S. has reached an extreme phase. This reveals its hostile attempt to threaten and stifle the DPRK by force of arms at any cost. It is a criminal act against peace and the nation as it is driving the situation on the Korean Peninsula to the brink of a war. Rodong Sinmun Friday says this in a signed commentary. It goes on:
    What should not be overlooked is that the south Korean authorities are following and colluding with the U.S. in its frantic moves to ignite a nuclear war against the DPRK.
    They are unhesitatingly joining the U.S. in its dangerous play with fire aimed at aggravating the military confrontation on the Korean Peninsula and pushing the inter-Korean relations to the phase of catastrophe in disregard of the interests of the nation and in violation of the June 15 joint declaration, not away from flunkeyism towards the U.S. and submission to it.
    The nuclear stand-off between the DPRK and the U.S. has reached an extreme phase and the latter is working hard to launch a nuclear war against the DPRK at any cost, taking advantage of this. This being a hard reality, the south Korean authorities are joining the U.S. in its large-scale combined war exercises to invade the DPRK, challenging the unanimous desire of the nation for peace and reunification. This is intolerable because this means becoming war servants for outsiders to kill their fellow countrymen and colluding with them in their nuclear war to destroy the inviolable territory of Korea.
    The south Korean authorities should abandon their servility to the U.S. and the anti-north confrontational stand and stop at once their reckless collusion with it in its war moves.

DPRK Delegate Clarifies Its Stand on Disarmament

     Pyongyang, March 18 (KCNA) -- It is necessary to put a definite end to the negative political stand in order to revive the disarmament conference that has remained paralyzed for almost ten years, declared a delegate of the DPRK, addressing the plenary session of the UN Disarmament Conference held in Geneva on March 10. Holding that the issue of putting the conference on a normal track is not a matter related to procedures or modalities, he noted that a great political obstacle is lying in the way of the conference and it is the political will to block the progress in the work of the conference at any cost.
    The disarmament conference is not a platform to allow one party to pursue its policy, he said, and continued:
    If all of us seek an effective way of advancing the work of the conference and saving its fate, it is imperative to put a definite end to the negative political stand. This will be the only way out. Our delegation is of the view that one may say there is a genuine political groundwork for reaching a consensus of views on the working plan of the disarmament conference only when all its member states show their political will to advance the work of the conference in the interests of the whole mankind.
    In the absence of this political groundwork, the conference would prove fruitless and it would be hard for it to agree on any proposal no matter how frequently it has discussions.
    Our delegation sincerely wishes to see a breakthrough made in the work of the conference this year. In this context we call upon each member state of the conference to strive to find a solution.

U.S.-led Nuclear War Exercises Denounced

     Pyongyang, March 18 (KCNA) -- The South Headquarters of the National Alliance for the Country's Reunification reportedly made public a statement titled "We strongly denounce nuclear war exercises of the U.S. and the south Korean authorities" on Mar. 13. Referring to the fact that the warlike forces of the U.S. and south Korea are going to stage large-scale joint military exercises, a combination of RSOI and Foal Eagle from Mar. 19 to 25, the statement said that these drills are nothing but preparations for a nuclear war as they are aimed at promptly hurling U.S. forces into the Korean Peninsula. The statement continued:
    The projected war exercises are touching off bitter anger among the Koreans as they are to be staged within the framework of the scenario for mounting a preemptive nuclear strike at the north touted by the U.S.
    The south Korean authorities should not act, bound to the "south Korea-U.S. alliance", but believe in the strength of the nation and declare the alliance not valid and reject the exercises.

Week of Peace against War Declared in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, March 18 (KCNA) -- The People's Action against Troop Dispatch in south Korea reportedly held a protest rally in front of the U.S. embassy in Seoul on March 14 in connection with the lapse of two years after the start of the U.S. war of aggression against Iraq and declared a week of peace against war till March 20. At the rally Permanent Representative of the People for Achieving Peace and Reunification Hong Kun Su, Chairman of the South Headquarters of the National Alliance for the Country's Reunification Ri Kyu Jae, Director of the Independent Reunification Department of the Democratic Workers' Party Ri Sung Hon and others charged that the Iraqi war committed by the U.S. is an unjust war and an unreasonable war to hold supremacy in oil resources.
    South Korea's dispatch of troops to such a battlefield is a criminal act which holds it accountable for the war of aggression, they said, adding: Not only the U.S. harassing world peace and co-existence but also the south Korean government deserves condemnation.
    They called for intensifying the struggle for the pullback of the "Jaitun" unit to put an end to the war, though belatedly, and strengthening solidarity in an effort to conduct a more vigorous movement for peace against war.
    An action program was made public at the rally.
    Meanwhile, civic and public organizations in Taegu held a press conference before the U.S. military base to declare a week of peace against war on the same occasion.

Adherence to Principle of Independence Called for

     Pyongyang, March 18 (KCNA) -- The international arena is now witnessing the mounting struggle to destroy the centuries-old international political order of domination and subordination and build instead a new international political order whereby all countries and nations can make progress as equal members of the international community. This reality requires them to firmly stick to the principle of independence in the international relations and foreign exchange. Minju Joson today says this in a signed article.
    It goes on:
    A prerequisite to establishing a new international political order free from domination and interference is to firmly abide by the principle of independence. Every country and nation in the world has an independent right to shape its destiny in an independent and creative manner.
    It is self-evident that no one can replace a master in achieving social progress and development.
    In each country, there is its own view on value based on its history, tradition and national character and its state management system and methods reflecting the requirements and interests of its people and specific realities.
    The U.S. imperialists look down upon and pressurize other countries and resort to high-handed and arbitrary practices. This arrogant attitude is a stumbling block lying in the way of the sound development of the international community.
    All the countries are called upon to observe their political principle in foreign relations and pursue policies in keeping with the wishes and interests of their people and their specific conditions.

Reorganization of Second Division of U.S. Forces in S. Korea Assailed

     Pyongyang, March 18 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland Thursday answered a question put by KCNA as regards the U.S. hasty moves to reorganize the Second Division of its forces in south Korea. He said: The commander of the division, when interviewed by the U.S. force's newspaper Stars and Stripes recently, said that the bulk of its division would be combat ready by this summer through an increase in its air and artillery power for an independent long-range operation. He disclosed that the division has already formed a new heavily-armed brigade-level combat team, started organizing a multi-mission air brigade and will form a battalion-scale special unit within the coming months.
    The reorganization of the U.S. forces in south Korea to be made two years earlier than scheduled is another blatant challenge and a grave provocation against the six-party talks and the sincere efforts of the DPRK to seek a peaceful solution to the nuclear issue.
    Some days ago U.S. President Bush cried out for "punishment," after revealing its hostile intent towards the DPRK by terming it a "tyrannical state" and a "rogue state." This goes to patently prove that there is no change in the U.S. hostile policy towards the DPRK and the former is getting more undisguised in its attempt to mount a military attack on the latter to stifle it at the phase of its implementation.
    This fact suffices to clearly tell that it is quite natural for the DPRK to possess nuclear deterrent. The U.S. is stepping up its moves to reorganize its forces in south Korea prompted by its strategic purpose to hold military supremacy in Northeast Asia. The U.S. should not reorganize its aggressor forces in south Korea but totally withdraw them from it at an early date and immediately stop the reckless arms buildup and joint military exercises aimed to invade the DPRK, clearly mindful that the reorganization of its forces and the moves for a war against the DPRK, which drive the situation to confrontation and to the brink of war, will only precipitate its self-destruction.

Rodong Sinmun on Illegal "Korea-Japan Annexation Treaty"

     Pyongyang, March 18 (KCNA) -- The crimes committed by the Japanese imperialists against the Korean people in the past include the crime in faking up the "Korea-Japan Annexation Treaty" through strong-arm practice and swindle in utter disregard of the international law to impose an unprecedented colonial rule upon Korea, says Rodong Sinmun Friday in a signed article. Branding the treaty as an illegal false document down to the slightest detail which the Japanese imperialists unilaterally rigged up by a strong-arm action after occupying Korea by force of arms, the article continues:
    By faking up the pseudo treaty in a conspiratorial and robber-like manner, the Japanese imperialists decided by law to erase Korea on the world map and exterminate the Korean nation. The Japanese imperialists were, indeed, a gang of most vicious and ferocious robbers and a rare fabricator of an international treaty.
    The "Korea-Japan Annexation Treaty" was nothing but a false document totally ignoring the elementary requirement of the international law related to the signing of a treaty and an illegal sheet of paper without any legal validity.
    It is stipulated in the U.N. Charter and the Vienna Convention that a treaty contradictory to the main principles of the international law is not effective.
    International treaties are usually signed to ensure the interests of the countries and the nations concerned and develop state relations with other countries on the principle of equality and reciprocity. The Japanese imperialists, however, quite contrary to the universality and publicly recognized principles in adopting international treaties, arbitrarily rigged up the "Korea-Japan Annexation Treaty" by coercion and pressure in an atmosphere of violent threats, without any mutual agreement. Moreover, they committed such unprecedented fraudulence against the international law as forging even the ratification of the sovereign of Korea, the most important condition for a treaty to come into effect.
    Sunjong, the last emperor of feudal Korea, in his verbal will in his deathbed said: "The ratification of the 'Korea-Japan annexation' in the past was arbitrarily promulgated by traitorous subjects. I did not do it." "At the time of 'the conclusion of the treaty' the Japanese imperialists confined and threatened me."
    Thus "Korea-Japan Annexation Treaty" forged by the Japanese imperialists was an illegal "treaty" without any legitimacy and validity. For the shamelessness of the treaty and the predatory nature of its content, it was already branded as an illegal and invalid "treaty" at the United Nations.
    With no subterfuge can Japan justify the extra-large crimes it committed against the Korean people during its colonial rule over Korea for over 40 years, including the fabrication of the aggressive and brigandish "Korea-Japan Annexation Treaty".

Russian Ambassador Hosts Reception

     Pyongyang, March 18 (KCNA) -- Russian ambassador to the DPRK Andrei Karlov hosted a reception at the embassy Thursday evening on the occasion of the 56th anniversary of the signing of the agreement on economic and cultural cooperation between the DPRK and the Russian Federation. Present there on invitation were Rim Kyong Man, minister of Foreign Trade, Kung Sok Ung, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, Jo Chan Gu, vice-minister of Culture, Hong Son Ok, vice-chairwoman of the Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries who is chairwoman of the DPRK-Russia Friendship Association, and officials concerned.
    On hand were staff members of the Russian embassy.
    The ambassador said in his speech that the agreement has made a sizable contribution to strengthening mutual cooperation in the economic and cultural fields as an important legal foundation for the development of the bilateral relations.
    The relations between Russia and the DPRK have been brought to a higher level through several meetings between Kim Jong Il, chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK, and Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, the ambassador stressed.
    He expressed the belief that inter-state cooperation between Russia and the DPRK would grow stronger in the economic and cultural realms on the principle and in the spirit of the agreement.
    Speaking next, Vice-Premier of the DPRK Cabinet Ro Tu Chol noted that DPRK-Russian relations were developing favorably amid the deep concern of the leadership of the two countries.
    Stating that it was the consistent stand of the DPRK to expand in scope the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries in various fields including politics, economy and culture, he declared that the DPRK would make every possible effort to strengthen the traditional friendship between the DPRK and Russia in the future, too.

DPRK Commodity Exhibition Opens in Mongolia

     Pyongyang, March 18 (KCNA) - A DPRK commodity exhibition opened at the Mongolian National Information Technology Hall on Mar. 10. On display at the exhibition were famous works of President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il and different kinds of commodities of the DPRK.
    Ts Yansanjav, deputy chief of the Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in his address at the opening ceremony said the bilateral cooperation in the political, economic, cultural and other fields was developing on a high level these days, adding that the visit to the DPRK paid by the Mongolian president in Dec. 2004 was greatly helpful toward the promotion of the development of the bilateral ties.
    This exhibition is of great significance in getting good knowledge about the DPRK and expanding and developing the economic and trade relations with it, he said.
    He expressed the will to make positive efforts for the development of the economic and trade relations with the DPRK in the future.

New Cement Foam Heat-insulating Material Made

     Pyongyang, March 18 (KCNA) -- The Heat Engineering Institute under the Academy of Sciences of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has made a new kind of cement foam heat-insulating material. It needs less amount of bubble agent and cement and doubles heat-insulation as against other heat-insulating materials.
    The institute has also manufactured a machine to streamline the production of lagging materials.
    The machine, simple and effective, can be easily installed at construction sites to produce lagging materials.
    The production cost of the machine and its products are low and they need less labor. They are popular at many construction projects in the country and at foreign markets.

Nampho Eel Farm

     Pyongyang, March 18 (KCNA) -- The Nampho Eel Farm of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is breeding eels in an intensive and scientific way. Scientists and technicians of the farm have found out a unique method to raise elvers and thus boosted their survival rate remarkably.
    They have also developed a new kind of materials for improving water quality to suit the ecological character of eels and various kinds of fodder additive for their quick breeding.
    They have opened up a bright perspective for their artificial spawning.
    The farm, built in December Juche 91 (2002), is situated on the west coastal area of Nampho.
    Covering more than 58,000 square meters, the farm has indoor breeding grounds (three buildings), a general operation room, a technical preparation room and open-air breeding ponds.
    There are 79 ponds of different sizes and forms in the indoor breeding grounds. They are divided into ponds for elvers, mother eels and fattening, which are equipped with modern facilities including logs for water temperature and PH.
    The general operation room is furnished with latest facilities so as to observe the ponds in three-dimensional way.
    Manager of the farm Ri Jun Sik told KCNA that the eels produced by the farm in an industrial way are popular in foreign markets.
    Many delegations from Asian and European countries including China, Denmark and France have visited the farm.

KCNA Blasts U.S.-led Large-Scale War Maneuvers

     Pyongyang, March 18 (KCNA) -- It is reported that U.S.-led large-scale military exercises, a combination of Foal Eagle joint military drill and RSOI, will be staged across south Korea from Saturday. The exercises to be staged under the simulated conditions of an "emergency" on the Korean Peninsula will draw the Striker unit, a rapid task force in the U.S. mainland, U.S. elite units in south Korea and overseas, carrier Kitty Hawk and other nuclear strike groups.
    The projected exercises are extremely dangerous nuclear war drills to mount a preemptive attack on the DPRK in their nature, scale and content from A to Z as they involve huge forces and latest means of war.
    This DPRK-targeted reckless saber rattling to be launched by the U.S. at a time when the peace and stability on the peninsula present themselves as an international pressing issue is a wanton violation of justice and peace and a clear proof that there is no change in the U.S. aggressive ambition to stifle the DPRK.
    Recently, the U.S. has spent a fund amounting to astronomical figures for the research into the smaller nukes aimed to destroy the DPRK's underground bunkers and held a mock nuclear bomb-dropping exercise by mobilizing aircraft of the U.S. Air Force stationed in Japan, Guam and other areas as well as the U.S. forces in south Korea.
    The three-dimensional nuclear war exercises to be staged by the U.S. with even the nuclear strike groups involved will push the situation in the peninsula and the rest of Northeast Asia to a new phase of tension.
    The U.S. tries hard to downplay the gravity of the exercises, claiming that the exercises have been scaled down and they are annual events. But they are of aggressive and provocative nature as newly developed sophisticated war equipment will be involved in these maneuvers and they are designed to meet the requirements of the recently worked out war scenario to invade the DPRK.
    This once again clearly indicates how hypocritical the U.S. assertion that it has no intention to attack or invade the DPRK is.
    Through the war exercises, the U.S. also seeks to develop the U.S. forces in south Korea into "task forces operating in the wide region" and thus extend anytime their operational scope to the areas around the Korean Peninsula, not confining it to the DPRK.
    The U.S. projected adventurous military drills are aimed to steadily escalate the tensions in the peninsula and finally make a preemptive strike at the DPRK and, furthermore, achieve its sinister strategic design on Northeast Asia.
    The U.S. is chiefly to blame for escalating the nuclear crisis in the peninsula and driving the situation to confrontation and the brink of a war in a bid to strain the tensions in the region.
    The reality goes to prove that it is very just for the DPRK to have opted for bolstering its self-defensive nuclear arsenal in order to protect the peace of the country and the fate of the nation from the U.S. moves for aggression and the DPRK's nukes serve as powerful deterrent to keep the balance of forces in Northeast Asia, prevent the outbreak of a new war and preserve peace.
    The DPRK will take all the necessary countermeasures including the increase of its nuclear arsenal to cope with the extremely hostile attempt of the U.S. to bring down its system chosen by the Korean people themselves.

Korea Affected by First Storm of Yellow Sand

     Pyongyang, March 18 (KCNA) -- The first dust storm this year was observed in Korea on March 17. The mild storm, churned up by winds in Gobi Desert of Mongolia and some Inner Mongolian areas of China on Wednesday, moved southeastward and reached the central part of the West Sea of Korea next morning.
    Affected by the sand storm were Pyongyang and South Phyongan, North and South Hwanghae Provinces including Phyongsong, Sariwon, Haeju, Ongjin, Jangyon and Kaesong in the afternoon and at night.
    The sand sedimentation amount was 150kg/km2 in Pyongyang.

For Spanish-speaking people

Gran Bretana: comite preparatorio por Dia del Sol

     Pyongyang, 18 de marzo (ATCC) -- Quedo constituido el dia 9 en Londres el Comite Preparatorio de Gran Bretana por el Dia del Sol (el 15 de abril, cumpleanos del Presidente Kim Il Sung). El vocero (lider) del Comite Central del Partido Comunista Revolucionario (M-L) de Gran Bretana,
    Christopher Coleman, fue electo como presidente del citado Comite.
    Esta entidad decidio organizar acto conmemorativo, exhibicion de fotos, proyeccion filmica y otras diversas actividades por esa efemeride significante.

Delegado coreano subraya necesidad de cambiar posicion politica negativa

     Pyongyang, 18 de marzo (ATCC) -- En la session plenaria de la Conferencia de la ONU Sobre el Desarme efectuada el dia 10 en Ginebra el delegado de la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea dijo que para resucitar la conferencia de la ONU sobre el desarme paralizada cerca de 10 anos, es preciso cambiar decisivamente la posicion politica negativa. El problema de normalizarla no es de las formalidades ni de los modos, senalo el orador y continuo:
    Ante el foro se interpone un gran obstaculo politico que es la voluntad politica de frenar de todas maneras la marcha de la conferencia.
    La Conferencia Sobre el Desarme no es un escenario para perseguir la politica de una parte.
    Si todos nosotros deseamos tomar correctas medidas para promover la labor de esta conferencia y salvar su destino, tenemos que cambiar con audacia la posicion politica erronea. Esto seria la unica medida. La delegacion de la RPDC esta segura de que se podra decir que ya esta preparada la autentica base politica para lograr un consenso unanime sobre el proyecto de la labor de la conferencia, solo cuando todos los paises miembros del foro manifiesten su voluntad politica de llevar adelante la labor de la conferencia conforme a los intereses de toda la humanidad. Si no, centenares de sesiones y debates de la conferencia se reduciran a la nada y no veran ningun acuerdo. La delegacion de la RPDC desea de veras que este ano se abra un motivo para normalizar la labor de la conferencia sobre el desarme y por el respecto, exhorta a todos los paises miembros a esforzarse por encontrar una solucion.

Rodong Sinmun denuncia complot belico EE.UU.-Sur Corea

     Pyongyang, 18 de marzo (ATCC) -- Coincidiendo en tiempo con la agravacion extrema del problema nuclear entre la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea y Estados Unidos, este pais ultimo publico un plan de macro-ejercicio militar conjunto de agresion al norte de Corea e introdujo en el Sur de Corea la flotilla de portaaviones que es colectivo de ataque nuclear. Esto es una revelacion de la intencion de amenazar con las fuerzas armadas la RPDC y aplastarla de todas maneras y como tal constituye un acto criminal antipacifico y antinacional que lleva la situacion de la Peninsula Coreana al borde de la guerra. Asi senala el diario Rodong Sinmun en un comentario individual del dia 18 y continua:
    Lo que no podemos pasar por alto es que las autoridades surcoreanas se ponen en confabulacion con EE.UU. que maniobra freneticamente para desatar la guerra nuclear de agresion al Norte de Corea.
    Cautivadas por la idea entreguista y servil a los EE.UU., las autoridades surcoreanas actuan contra los intereses de la nacion y la Declaracion Conjunta del 15 de Junio y en "cooperacion" con EE.UU. se lanzan sin titubeo al peligrosisimo juego de guerra que puede agravar mas el estado de confrontacion militar de la Peninsula Coreana y llevar a la ruptura las relaciones Norte-Sur.
    Nunca es tolerable que en este momento en que el estado de confrontacion nuclear RPDC-EE.UU. se torna extremadamente tirante y aprovecha esta situacion EE.UU. para desatar de todas maneras la guerra nuclear de agresion al Norte de Corea, las autoridades surcoreanas contravienen a la unanime aspiracion de la nacion a la paz y la reunificacion y se incorporan al citado macro-ejercicio militar que desarrolla EE.UU. Esto es un acto antinacional de confabulacion belica de ellas que sirviendo de acolito de guerra a las fuerzas foraneas se oponen a los connacionales y acarrean un nubarron de guerra nuclear al sagrado territorio patrio.
    Las autoridades surcoreanas deben abandonar su posicion entreguista a EE.UU. y de confrontacion con la RPDC y poner inmediatamente fin a su temerario acto de confabulacion belica.