Kim Jong Il's Work Published in Indonesia

     Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- "Let Us Exalt the Brilliance of Comrade Kim Il Sung's Idea on the Youth Movement and the Achievements Made under His Leadership", a famous work of leader Kim Jong Il, was brought out in booklet by a Printing and Publishing House of Indonesia on August 12. The work, published on August 24, Juche 85 (1996), explains that President Kim Il Sung put forward the idea and theory on the youth movement of Juche and successfully settled the youth issue in Korea and clarifies the tasks and ways for steadily developing the youth movement.

Independent and Peaceful Reunification of Korea Called for

     Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- At least 10,000 members of civic and public organizations including the Reunification Solidarity and the (south) Korean Confederation of Trade Unions held a rally at the university street in Seoul on August 15 at which they called for certainly achieving the independent and peaceful reunification of the country, south Korean MBC reported. The August 15 liberation of the country 60 years ago has left the wound of tragic division on the Korean nation due to the interference of foreign forces, the ralliers said, calling for national unity to reunify the country.
    It is time that the south and the north pooled their will to reunify the country in a peaceful way, they stressed.
    They distributed to citizens copies of literature demanding the peaceful reunification of the country and the withdrawal of the U.S. forces.

Workers Headquarters for Joint Functions of Koreans Formed in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- The Workers Headquarters of the South Side's Preparatory Committee for Joint Functions of Koreans in the South and the North and Overseas to Implement the June 15 Joint Declaration was reportedly formed in Seoul on August 14 with due ceremony. Attending the ceremony were at least 10,000 members of the (south) Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) and the Federation of (south) Korean Trade Unions (FKTU).
    Ri Su Ho, chairman of the KCTU, and Ri Yong Duk, chairman of the FKTU, made speeches there.
    Congratulatory messages from the Central Committee of the General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea in the north and the South Side's Preparatory Committee were read out at the ceremony.
    Then, an inaugural declaration was announced. It said that the headquarters will dynamically conduct various movements to instill the idea of "By our nation itself" and the spirit of national independence into the masses of workers and strengthen the unity of the nation and solidarity of workers in the south and the north.
    Prior to the ceremony, the KCTU and the FKTU held a meeting of workers for the August 15 grand national festival.

Gift to Kim Jong Il from Venezuela

     Caracas, August 16 (KCNA Correspondent) -- Leader Kim Jong Il received a gift from the Venezuelan National Preparatory Committee for the 16th World Festival of Youth and Students. The gift was handed over to the head of the DPRK delegation of youth and students to the festival on August 15 by General Secretary of the Communist Youth of Venezuela David Velazques who is chairman of the preparatory committee.

Joint Friendship Meeting with Russian Embassy Officials

     Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- A joint friendship meeting with staff members of the Russian embassy here was held at the Taedonggang Club for the Diplomatic Corps Wednesday to mark the 60th anniversary of Korea's liberation. It was co-sponsored by the Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries and the DPRK-Russia Friendship Association. Present on invitation were Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov and embassy officials. Hong Son Ok, vice-chairperson of the committee who is chairperson of the association, members of the association and teachers and students of Pyongyang University of Foreign Studies were on hand.
    Hong Son Ok in a speech said that the Korean people always remember the feats performed by officers and men of the Soviet army in the bloody battles to beat back the Japanese imperialist aggression troops in Korea.
    Today the DPRK-Russia friendship is favorably developing under the deep care of leader Kim Jong Il and President Vladimir Putin, she said, expressing belief that the bilateral relations of friendship and cooperation will grow stronger in the future, too. Andrei Karlov noted that President Kim Il Sung led the struggle against Japanese imperialism to victory to liberate the country. We always remember the great feats performed by him, he added.
    The bilateral relations of friendship and cooperation are strengthening under the care of Putin and Kim Jong Il, the ambassador said, and went on: Kim Jong Il met with the Russian delegations and enjoyed a performance of Russia's dancing troupe. This is indicative of the close relations between the two countries.
    At the meeting, art performances were given by the art squad of the Central Committee of the Youth League and students of Pyongyang University of Foreign Studies.
    The participants talked about further development of the bilateral cooperative relations, deepening the feelings of friendship.

Korean People's Struggle Favored

     Caracas, August 16 (KCNA Correspondent) -- The Communist Party and the people of Venezuela will always stand on the same trench with Korean comrades in the anti-imperialist, anti-U.S. front and extend support and solidarity to the Korean people in the struggle to reunify the country. Oscar Figuera, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Venezuela, said this on August 15 when he met Kim Kyong Ho, first secretary of the Central Committee of the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League who is heading the Korean delegation of youth and students to the 16th WFYS.
    The general secretary said that the U.S. imperialists dare not to provoke the DPRK because of the Songun politics pursued by leader Kim Jong Il.

KCNA Blasts Japanese Militarist Fanatics' Political Gangsterism

     Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- Japan's right-wing politicians swarmed to the infamous "Yasukuni Shrine" on August 15. It was a blatant challenge to the demand of the Japanese public circles for a stop to the visits to the shrine and the strong protest of the international community against it. August 15 this year marked the 60th anniversary of Japan's defeat. One might say it was meaningful for Japan, indeed, as it was the first anniversary every tenth year in the new century. It was the most important and historic occasion for Japan to totally break with its disgraceful past history and inglorious history of 60 years after the war and build a future with good conscience as it was the only fascist state in the East and remained a pronoun of the grudge of the Asian people in the last century. That was why the Asian countries and the international community so closely followed the behaviors of Japanese politicians around the day and paid so deep attention to them.
    Nevertheless, Japanese right-wing politicians visited the shrine that day. This is little short of declaring to the world once again that militarism is the very course to be taken by Japan in the 21st century, too. It is undisguised political and ideological violence that could be perpetrated only by rare political gangsters against the international community.
    Since the history of the shrine began in 1869 Japan has used it as leverage for instilling extremely aggressive idea into Japanese.
    During the Second World War and postwar period the reactionary nature of the shrine was brought to bolder relief.
    The successive politicians of Japan have visited the shrine without exception in a desperate bid to foster frantic worship of militarism and warlike sentiment among people.
    This time the Japanese right-wing forces conducted a campaign of letting 200,000 Japanese visit the "Yasukuni Shrine" in the run-up to August 15. So, on that very day Cabinet ministers and Dietmen from ruling and opposition parties took the lead in paying such visits to the shrine.
    It is against this backdrop of veering the Japanese society to the extremely conservative Right as evidenced by the crowded visits to the Shrine on August 15 that politicians have turned into gangsters and mafias and the militarization of Japan has reached an uncontrollable phase.
    The situation is turning more serious as dozens of politicians swarmed to the shrine to fan up militarism in Japan now busy with the diplomacy to get permanent membership of the UNSC.
    This behavior of the Japanese reactionaries can not be interpreted otherwise than an attempt to reduce even the UN and other international fora to platforms for their undisguised political gangsterism.
    Militarism can not go with peace.
    It is quite natural for the Asian people upon whom Japan imposed immeasurable pain and misfortune in the last century and people in other parts of the world to heighten their vigilance against militarist Japan and come out against its pitch for permanent membership of the UNSC.
    Visits to the "Yasukuni Shrine" lead to the revival of militarism to all intents and purposes.
    Japan can never shake itself of an ill-fame of being called "narrow-minded island country" going away from the international community unless its politicians break with militarism.

Swimming and Basketball Tournaments Held

     Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- The 31st national swimming tournament of school youth and children for "Jongilbong Cup" and the 9th national basketball tournament of youth and students for August 28 Youth Cup were held at the Swimming Pool and the Gymnasium of the Mangyongdae Schoolchildren's Palace from August 11 to 17. At the swimming tournament which brought together at least 400 boys and girls selected at middle and primary schools across the country boys of Pyongyang Wisong Middle School and girls of Pyongyang Tonghung Middle School each won the middle school swimming title in total points and boys of Pyongyang Wisong Middle School and girls of Chilbong Middle School of Chongdan County, South Hwanghae Province each won the primary school swimming title in total points.
    At least 10 university teams selected from provincial preliminaries competed in the above-said the basketball tournament. Men and women's players of Kim Il Sung University came first in the matches through a successful combination of shooting under baskets and long-distance shooting and good tactical team work. Men's players of South Hamgyong Province won the working youth basketball title.
    Cups, medals and citations were awarded to the successful organizations and players at the prize-awarding ceremony held on August 17.

Russian Beryozka Dancing Troupe Performs before Full House

     Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- A performance was given by the visiting Russian Beryozka Dancing Troupe before full house at the Ponghwa Art Theatre Wednesday. It was appreciated by working people in the city, overseas Koreans and foreign guests. Put on the stage were colorful and peculiar numbers.
    The audience was mesmerized when Russian artistes enthusiastically sang immortal revolutionary paean "Song of General Kim Jong Il" and "Song Dedicated to Comrade Kim Jong Il," the songs in high praises of the sun in the 21st century that resound through all parts of the world, representing the profound reverence of the Korean people and the world progressive people for the peerlessly great man.
    A trio dance "Witticism Dance" and a mixed group dance "Petrushka" drew laughter of the audience for their strong tinge of humor.
    Their repertoire included the newly created women's group dance "River Volga." In this dance they truthfully represented the beautiful landscape of their country with diverse rhythms and perfect ensemble.
    The performance that proceeded in an atmosphere overflowing with DPRK-Russia friendship was acclaimed by the audience for their enthusiastic dances and skills. The dancing troupe is set to make a performance tour of local areas.

Anniversary of Kim Jong Il's Work Observed

     Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- The famous work of leader Kim Jong Il "Let Us Become True Patriots Who Love the Country and the People" published on Aug. 15, Juche 74 (1985) fully reflected his strong will to accomplish the Juche revolutionary cause of Juche by carrying forward the tradition of ardent patriotism created in the crucible of the anti-Japanese revolutionary struggle and served as a militant banner to be held fast to by the Korean People's Army and the people in the general march for building a great prosperous powerful nation. Rodong Sinmun Thursday says this in a signed article. It goes on: In the work Kim Jong Il said that patriotism is associated with loyalty to President Kim Il Sung and loyalty to the Party and the leader means most ardent patriotism. He added that one should not respond to the call of the country and the people in words only but through practical action and "Look at my worksite, my machine and my products if you wish to understand what I think" should be a slogan to be shouted by the patriots in our era from the bottom of their hearts.
    Over the last two decades since the publication of this work the servicepersons and people have worked uninterrupted miracles and innovations in the revolution and construction, bearing deep in mind the truth of patriotism taught by Kim Jong Il and achieved great victory in defending socialism and made a breakthrough towards building a great prosperous powerful nation under his Songun leadership. The Korean revolution remains more glorious as it is a patriotic struggle that has been guided by Juche up to this date since its very start. Thanks to the banner of Juche, the Korean people could win brilliant victory in the anti-Japanese revolutionary struggle and the Fatherland Liberation War and achieve great successes in the socialist revolution and construction. Our country has demonstrated its might as a political and military power and invincible socialist bulwark because the whole country is pervaded with the Juche-oriented faith, which calls for meeting the requirements of Juche in ideology, technology and culture and living our own way, under the leadership of the Party and the leader.
    Our country is demonstrating its might as an invincible power with tremendous self-reliant deterrent thanks to the Songun idea of Kim Jong Il. This reality goes to prove what great patriotism the Songun idea of Juche is.

End to U.S. Hostile Policy towards DPRK Urged

     Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- An end should be put to the presence of the U.S. troops in south Korea and to the U.S. hostile policy towards the DPRK. Rodong Sinmun Thursday urges this in a signed article. The Koreans have undergone the tragedy of national division against their will for the last six decades since the end of the colonial rule of the Japanese imperialists because the U.S. adopted it as its policy to keep Korea divided after occupying south Korea by force of arms, the article notes.
    It cites concrete facts to prove that the U.S. has worked hard to perpetuate the division of Korea ever since the very day of its military occupation of south Korea and dampened the desire of the Koreans in the north and the south of Korea for reunification whenever it grew stronger in the postwar period.
    The article goes on:
    The U.S. has systematically escalated its moves for a war against the DPRK not only in the period of the Cold War but in the post-Cold War period. After their coming to power in the new century the new U.S. conservative forces designated the DPRK as "the principal enemy" and listed it as part of "an axis of evil" and a target of their preemptive nuclear attack and have since stepped up their preparations for a war of aggression against it. They have frantically pursued the policy to stifle the DPRK with nuclear weapons after scrapping the DPRK-U.S. Agreed Framework.
    The U.S.-stepped up development of new-type minor nukes capable of striking underground military facilities in the DPRK goes to prove that the U.S. warlike forces are set to provoke a nuclear war in Korea at any cost. The anti-DPRK nuclear racket desperately kicked up by the U.S. in recent years is nothing but an attempt to invent a pretext for launching a war against the former.
    What merits particular attention in the U.S. hostile policy towards the DPRK is that Washington laid bare its attempt to bring down the system in it. In the past century the U.S. regarded it as a policy towards the DPRK to perpetuate the division of Korea but now it adopted it as its Korea policy to "unify Korea by absorbing the north through the overthrow of its system" and is keen on its moves to stifle the DPRK. Neither peace and reunification of Korea nor peace and security in Northeast Asia and the rest of the world are thinkable as long as the U.S. troops stay in south Korea. The reunification of Korea precisely means the guarantee of durable peace and stability in Northeast Asia and will give impetus to the economic growth and prosperity in the region.
    The U.S. should stop hamstringing the will and efforts of the Koreans to hasten the reunification of the country through the three forms of cooperation -- cooperation for national independence, cooperation for peace against war and cooperation for reunification and patriotism -- under the banner of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration and make a policy switchover to help them achieve the reunification of Korea. The article urges the U.S. to terminate its military presence in south Korea and roll back its hostile policy towards the DPRK as early as possible.

Gift to Kim Jong Il from U.S. Religionists

     Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il received a gift from U.S. religious leader Rev. Billy Graham and his son, Rev. Franklin Graham. It was handed over to DPRK Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun on Thursday by the special assistant to Franklin Graham on a visit to Korea.

New Species of Plant Bred in DPRK

     Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- Researchers of the global environment science faculty of Kim Il Sung University have cultivated a new species of halo-tolerant tree. It is a sub-shrub tree belonging to tamaricaceae with slender leaves similar to those of the willow tree.
    It grows well on the earth containing 2.5 percent of salt, to say nothing of tideland with 0.1-1.3 percent of salt and other sterile land.
    A vast acreage of windbreak forest has been created with the halotolerant trees in Onchon County, South Phyongan Province, Yomju County, North Phyongan Province and other western costal areas. Now the tree is five meters tall and its trunk 10 centimeters in diameter at the bottom.
    The trees with high calories are good for firewood and their soft fresh branches for fodder of domestic animals. The trees are suitable for the protection of dikes. The research team of the faculty is trying to increase the production of saplings and create more areas of forest in tidelands in years to come.

For Spanish-speaking people

Kim Jong Il presencia funcion de conjunto de danza de Rusia

    　Pyongyang, 16 de agosto (ATCC) -- El Dirigente Kim Jong Il. Secretario General del Partido del Trabajo de Corea y Presidente del Comite de Defensa Nacional de la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea, presencio el dia 15 una funcion del Conjunto de Danza Academico Nacional "Beriozka" N. S. Nadezhdina de Rusia, de visita en Corea. 　El Dirigente fue recibido en el teatro por la jefa del citado conjunto, Mira Koltsova, el embajador extraordinario y plenipotenciario de la Federacion Rusa en Corea, Andrei Karlov, y su esposa.
    　El Dirigente les expreso agradecimiento por la otra visita a Corea del conjunto de danza en ocasion del 60o aniversario de la liberacion de Corea y departio cordialmente con los huespedes.
    　Los artistas rusos le obsequiaron un ramo de flores fragantes con el saludo de felicitacion.
    　Vieronla el premier del Consejo de Ministros de la RPDC, Pak Pong Ju, el ministro de las Fuerzas Armadas Populares Kim Il Chol quien es miembro del CDN de la RPDC, el vicepresidente del CDN de la RPDC Yon Hyong Muk, el secretario del CC del PTC Choe Thae Bok, cuadros directivos del Partido y el ejercito, ministerios y organismos centrales, funcionarios de sectores de ciencia, ecuacion, salud publica, cultura y arte, prensa e informacion.
    　Tambien, presenciaronla el delegado plenipotenciario del Presidente de la zona federal del Lejano Oriente de la FR Konstantin Borisovich Pulikovski y su comitiva, la delegacion parlamentaria de veteranos de Rusia presidida por el primer vicepresidente del Comite de Defensa y Seguridad del Consejo de la FR Vasili Dmitroyevich Klyuchenok, la jefa del conjunto de Danza "Beriozka", de visita en Corea, el embajador extraordinario y plenipotenciario de Rusia en Corea y otros miembros de la sede diplomatica.
    　El conjunto de danza puso en la escena el coro "Cancion del General Kim Jong Il", danza femenina en grupo "Beriozka", danza en grupo mixto "En memoria de los defensores de la patria", las canciones coreanas: "Cancion dedicada al camarada Kim Jong Il " y "Recuerdo de la casa natal" y otras piezas.
    　 Los ejecutantes demostraron bien con sus sutiles maestrias artisticas y dinamicos ritmos suntuosos el fervoroso patriotismo, la vida optimista y costumbres nacionales del pueblo ruso.
    　Bajaron el telon con el coro "General de Corea" y "Sera eterna nuestra amistad" en medio del sentimiento de amistad Corea-Rusia.
    　La funcion del conjunto de danza, que tiene la larga historia y tradiciones, se granjeo de efusivos aplausos de los espectadores.
    　El Dirigente hizo llegar un cesto de flores a los artistas por su exito de funcion.

Kim Jong Il se reune con delegacion de Rusia

    　Pyongyang, 16 de agosto (ATCC) -- El Dirigente Kim Jong Il, Secretario General del Partido del Trabajo de Corea y Presidente del Comite de Defensa Nacional de la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea, se reunio el dia 15 en el banquete conjunto Corea-Rusia, motivado por el 60 aniversario de la restauracion de la Patria, con la delegacion parlamentaria de veteranos de la Federacion Rusa presidida por Vasili Dmitroyevich Klyuchenok, primer vicepresidente del Comite de Defensa y Seguridad del Consejo de la FR por presentacion de Konstantin Borisovich Pulikovski, delegado plenipotenciario del Presidente en la Zona Federal del Lejano Oriente de la FR. 　El Dirigente departio con los huespedes rusos en un ambiente cordial y se fotografio junto a estos.