Italian Preparatory Committee Inaugurated

     Pyongyang, August 8 (KCNA) -- An Italian preparatory committee celebrating the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Korea was inaugurated in Rome on Aug. 4. Miriam Pelegrini Feri, president of the Group of Dialectical Materialists of Italy, was elected chairwoman of the preparatory committee.
    The committee set a period of celebrations ending on Aug. 20 and decided to publish and distribute booklets devoted to the anniversary and organize colorful functions including a lecture, a photo exhibition and others in the period.

Founding Anniversary of ASEAN Observed

     Pyongyang, August 8 (KCNA) -- Minju Joson on Aug. 7 in a signed article observed the 38th founding anniversary of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). The ASEAN has made tireless efforts to fully discharge its mission and role as an organization for regional cooperation up to this date since its foundation and gained not a few successes, the article noted, and continued:
    Recently the member states of the ASEAN have conducted brisk activities to achieve regional peace and stability in political, economic, security and other fields and promote economic integrity.
    The 38th ASEAN ministerial meeting took place in Vientiane, Laos, late in July. At the meeting an agreement on founding the ASEAN Community and setting up the ASEAN Development Fund and an agreement on preventing disasters and taking emergency measures were signed and a joint communique was announced.
    The member states of the ASEAN will redouble their efforts to achieve common prosperity and progress through their mutual cooperation and unity and produce good results.

Joint Friendly Meeting with Foreign Campers Held

     Pyongyang, August 8 (KCNA) -- A joint friendly meeting of schoolchildren here with the foreign children participating in the 20th Songdowon international children's camping was held at the Central Youth Hall on Aug. 7. Present there were Choe Yong Gu, secretary of the Central Committee of the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League, and other officials concerned, schoolchildren here and groups of campers from China, Russia, Mongolia, Germany, Romania, Egypt and Guinea.
    Speeches were made at the meeting.
    The participants exchanged conversations and sang and danced, deepening the friendship.
    Pleasant sports and amusement games also took place at the meeting.

Withdrawal of U.S. Forces from S. Korea Urged in Kwangju

     Pyongyang, August 8 (KCNA) -- At least 600 members of the South Headquarters of the National Alliance for the Country's Reunification, the south Korean Federation of University Student Councils and the south Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and youths and students reportedly held a rally demanding the withdrawal of the U.S. forces from south Korea in front of the main gate of the unit of the U.S. air force in Kwangju on August 4. The participants strongly demanded the pullback of the U.S. forces from south Korea and the dismantlement of its "PAC-3" base.
    At the end of the rally the participants formed ranks for a demonstration and conducted actions of hanging letters demanding the withdrawal of the U.S. forces on wire entanglements encircling the unit.
    That day the security authorities rushed at least 1,500 riot police to the scene to crack down upon the demonstration.

Japanese Reactionaries' Moves to Tamper with History under Fire

     Pyongyang, August 8 (KCNA) -- Japan's wrong attitude towards the past history goes to prove that it is dreaming of realizing its scenario for aggression and war, far from thinking of peaceful and stable future, observes Rodong Sinmun today in a by-lined commentary. It continues:
    Some time ago, the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan worked out a "Diet resolution 60 years after war" the keynote of which is "Japan's future-oriented plan to play a big role in the international community" and submitted it to the Diet. The "resolution" was adopted at the session of the House of Representatives held on Aug. 2. In the resolution Japan did not use such words as "colonial domination" and "acts of aggression" perpetrated by the Japanese imperialists against the Asian countries in the past nor did it mention the issue of settlement of the past.
    Timed to coincide with this, the educational authorities of Tokyo Metropolis adopted a decision on letting the metropolitan secondary schools use the distorted history textbooks since next spring.
    Such action is an intolerable insult to the Korean people and other Asians upon whom the Japanese imperialists inflicted unbearable pain in the past and a criminal act of negating the history.
    The "international role" much touted by the Japanese reactionaries is a contemporary version of the "Eastern peace", a slogan for aggression put up by the Japanese imperialists, and a scenario for conquering the world in the 21st century. By teaching the school youth and children the distorted history they seek to drive them to the road of militarization and overseas aggression.
    Their moves to distort history and infuse militarism into the young Japanese are aimed at staging a comeback to Korea. Their black-hearted ambition to reinvade and dominate Korea is being put into practice.

Full Display of Spirit of Self-Reliance Called for

     Pyongyang, August 8 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun Monday editorially calls upon all the people to accelerate the general onward movement to greet the 60th anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea with signal achievements under the revolutionary banner of self-reliance in response to the strong appeal of the joint slogans of the Central Committee and the Central Military Commission of the WPK. Noting that the army and people of the DPRK have realized through practices of revolution the precious truth that self-reliance is the only way out, the editorial says: The revolutionary spirit of self-reliance and strenuous efforts serve as an ideological and moral weapon very instrumental in frustrating the vicious moves of the U.S. imperialists to isolate and stifle the DPRK and successfully carrying out our difficult and enormous task.
    All the officials, party members and other working people should bring about a fresh great revolutionary surge in all fields of socialist construction through a vigorous drive to thoroughly implement the ideas and spirit of the joint slogans under the uplifted banner of self-reliance, it says, and goes on:
    We should, above all, cherish the steadfast ideological consciousness to implement the lines and policies of the WPK to the last without any condition.
    It is necessary to actively follow the living example of the People's Army who is displaying the working spirit of self-reliance in socialist construction sites such as building of the Taean Friendship Glass Factory and Pyongyang Conservatory. We should intensify the drive to rely on our own efforts and technique and enlist all possibilities in face of manifold economic difficulties and trials. It is important for every field and every unit to give priority to science and effect a new turn in the economic construction with the might of self-reliance based on up-to-date science and technology.

Greetings to Singaporean President

     Pyongyang, August 8 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, sent a message of greetings to Singaporean President S. R. Nathan on August 5 on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the national day of Singapore. The message sincerely wished the president and government greater successes in their work for prosperity and development of the country.

Koreans Grateful to Kim Il Sung for National Liberation

     Pyongyang, August 8 (KCNA) -- August 15 this year is the sixtieth anniversary of the liberation of the Korean people from the Japanese imperialists' military occupation. In interviews with KCNA on this occasion many people expressed deep thanks to President Kim Il Sung, who defeated the Japanese imperialists and liberated the nation to guarantee the Korean people's genuine right to life.
    Vice-Minister of Light Industry Min Hong Il said: "I'm happy to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the country's liberation. It is Kim Il Sung that gave rebirth to the people who had been subjected to the mediaeval tyranny, backbreaking labor and maltreatment, deprived of their country by the Japanese imperialists. Since the country's liberation, the people have fully exercised their right to independence and lived a creative life. He is, indeed, the liberator of the nation".
    Kim Kyong Ok, vice-chairwoman of the Central Committee of the Korean Democratic Women's Union, had this to say: "Through the 20-year-long hard-fought revolutionary struggle against the Japanese imperialists, Generalissimo Kim Il Sung emancipated women from the wretched fate of sexual slavery for the Japanese army and all feudal fetters. They are now taking proper positions in all fields of the political, economic and social life, loved as flowers of the families and society."
    Yu Chol Song, a worker of the Pyongyang Steel Plant, said that the anniversary of the country's liberation makes me not only jubilant with the holiday but resentful of the Japanese imperialists. He went on to say:
    "Sixty years have passed since the liberation of the country. But the Japanese reactionaries, far from honestly apologizing and compensating to the Korean people for the crimes committed against them for nearly half a century, are still resorting to anti-DPRK moves with outcries over 'dominium' over Tok Islet and 'kidnapping issue'. The Korean people will certainly take their long pent-up revenge on them". Ri Kyong Sik, a serviceman, stated: "Though many years have passed, the target of the Korean people has remained unchanged. If the Japanese reactionaries persistently seek showdown with the Korean people in disregard of their good will and magnanimity, the servicepersons will avenge themselves on the enemies a hundred fold with the military power they have long built up".

Medical Genetics Institute in DPRK

     Pyongyang, August 8 (KCNA) -- The Medical Genetics Institute of Pyongyang University of Medicine in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has concentrated efforts on treatment of hereditary diseases and protection and improvement of people's lives. The institute has made seven kinds of genes including Taq DNA polymerase and developed enzyme used in PCD reaction and interferon α2b injection by a bio-engineering method.
    It, founded in June Juche 73(1984), has deepened the study of diseases from the genetic point of view and found out hereditary diseases for over 20 years and thus greatly contributed to solving theoretical and practical matters concerning their diagnosis, prevention and treatment.
    Over 30 pieces of their research successes have been registered as national inventions in the years.
    The institute has developed reagents for diagnosing various diseases and made successes in the efforts for developing and producing bionic medicines.
    It has tens of competent researchers including doctors and bachelors. Kang Hong Kun, director of the institute, told KCNA that it has solved many theoretical and practical matters on hereditary diseases and developed diagnosing method by gene engineering and the technology of changing genes in treatment, thus opening a bright prospect for eliminating hereditary diseases.

DPRK Officials Meet Swedish Ambassador

     Pyongyang, August 8 (KCNA) -- Vice-Premier of the DPRK Cabinet Ro Tu Chol met and had a talk with outgoing Swedish Ambassador to the DPRK Paul Beijer at the Mansudae Assembly Hall on Monday. Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun, too, met and conversed with the Swedish ambassador on the same day.

For Spanish-speaking people

Rodong Sinmun denuncia acto criminal antihistorico de Japon

    　Pyongyang, 8 de agosto (ATCC) -- El diario Rodong Sinmun inserto en su edicion del dia 8 un comentario individual denunciando la actitud erronea de Japon sobre su historia del pasado. 　El comentario senala:
    　El pais isleno aspira al futuro no de la paz y la estabilidad sino de la agresion y la guerra.
    　Hace poco, el Partido Democratico Liberal de este pais hizo aprobar en la sesion plenaria de la camara de representantes celebrada en el pasado dia 2 un "proyecto de resolucion de la dieta de 60 anos de posguerra" que tiene por esqueleto "aspirar al futuro para desempenar un gran papel en la sociedad internacional", en la cual no menciona los terminos: "dominio colonial" y "acto agresivo" del pasado a los paises asiaticos ni se refiere al problema de la liquidacion del pasado criminal.
    　Por otra parte, las autoridades educacionales de la metropoli de Tokio aprobaron una resolucion de usar a partir de la primavera del ano proximo el manual de historia tergiversada en las escuelas secundarias provinciales.
    　Tal proceder de Japon es un acto criminal antihistorico e intolerable insulto al pueblo coreano y los demas asiaticos que sufrieron grandes desgracias en el pasado por ese pais isleno.
    　El "papel internacional" de que hablan los reaccionarios japoneses es la reedicion de la "paz oriental" que fue la consigna de agresion y la teoria de conquista al mundo en el nuevo siglo.
    　Los reaccionarios japoneses pretenden inculcar a sus jovenes y ninos la historia tergiversada para empujarlos por el camino de militarizacion y la agresion a ultramar. 　Las maquinaciones de tergiversacion de la historia y concientizacion militarista de los reaccionarios japoneses tienden a emprender una nueva agresion y dominacion a Corea y su maligna intencion se lleva a la practica.

Portavoz de FGSC denuncia a Japon en visperas de restauracion de Corea

    　Pyongyang, 8 de agosto (ATCC) -- El portavoz del Comite Central de la Federacion General de los Sindicatos de Corea (FGSC) dio a la publicidad el dia 6 una declaracion con motivo del acercamiento del dia que significa el 60 aniversario de la restauracion para el pueblo coreano y de la derrota para los imperialistas japoneses. 　En este documento el portavoz denuncio categoricamente a Japon que hasta hoy, cuando faltan algunos dias por cumplirse los 60 anos desde su derrota en la Segunda Guerra Mundial, maniobra porfiadamente para justificar su dominacion colonial del pasado y eludir su responsabilidad por liquidarlo.
    La clase obrera y los gremiales de nuestro pais -subrayo- sienten una gran indignacion por los crimenes de envergadura supergrande que cometieron los imperialistas japoneses durante la ocupacion de Corea.
    Si Japon continua en su intento de eludir su responsabilidad por los crimenes del pasado y justificarlos, los obreros y los demas habitantes de la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea castigaran duramente a los reaccionarios japoneses y descargaran a toda costa el rencor anegado de sangre, advirtio.
    Estamos convencidos de que las entidades sindicales y trabajadores de varios paises, que aprecian la justicia y la paz, elevaran su voz de denuncia al astuto y atrevido proceder de Japon que no recompensa sinceramente sus crimenes del pasado, concluyo.