Passage of "Motion on Reextension of Term of Presence of S. Korean Troops in Iraq" under Fire
Pyongyang, January 8 (KCNA) -- The Youth and Students Solidarity of south Korea to Implement the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration reportedly released a statement on Jan. 3, condemning the south Korean authorities for passing a "motion on reextending the term of presence of south Korean troops" through the "National Assembly".
The statement said:
The unprincipled and base action of the "government" fawning on the outside forces while talking about "alliance" with the U.S. is to encourage the U.S. policy of aggression and incite war. If the passage of the motion is overlooked, the U.S. and the anti-reunification forces will desperately try to make the Korean Peninsula once again a dark land of war.
We, youth and students, will never pardon the reckless action of the pro-American sycophantic politicians but turn out in the struggle against the U.S. and war with firmer confidence and stamina this year.
Important Anniversaries of DPRK Celebrated in Different Countries
Pyongyang, January 7 (KCNA) -- Meetings took place in Oulu, Finland and at a Mongolian company and in Stockholm between Dec. 17 and 25 last year on the occasion of the 14th anniversary of leader Kim Jong Il's assumption of office as supreme commander of the Korean People's Army and the 88th birth anniversary of anti-Japanese war hero Kim Jong Suk.
Speakers at the meetings said that the KPA has grown stronger to be invincible revolutionary armed forces thanks to his assumption of supreme commandership of the KPA.
They highly appreciated the feats performed by Kim Jong Suk in the struggle for Korea's liberation and the building of a new society.
The dramatic changes that have taken place in the inter-Korean ties for the last five years would be unthinkable without President Kim Il Sung's immortal idea of national reunification and exploits performed by him in the struggle for it and the wise leadership of Kim Jong Il, they added.
Messages of greetings to Kim Jong Il were adopted at the meetings held in Mongolia and Sweden.
The functions including photo exhibitions, film shows and lectures took place at the DPRK diplomatic missions in Bangladesh, Germany and Kuwait from Dec. 13 to 22 last year.
Joint New Year Editorial of DPRK Newspapers Supported in Uganda
Pyongyang, January 7 (KCNA) -- The Secretariat of the National Movement of Uganda made public a statement on Jan. 3 in support of "Make a higher leap full of great ambition and confidence", a joint editorial issued by newspapers Rodong Sinmun, Josoninmingun and Chongnyonjonwi of the DPRK.
The statement warmly congratulated the army and people of the DPRK on their great successes made in their struggle to defend the sovereignty and dignity of the country and the nation and build a great prosperous powerful socialist nation and achieve national reunification last year under the leadership of Kim Jong Il.
The statement expressed the conviction that the Korean people would win greater victory in the new year, too, under his wise leadership.
On the same day the Ugandan National Committee for the Study of the Juche Idea, the Uganda-DPRK Friendship Association and the Ugandan National Youth Council in their joint statement expressed full support to the editorial.
Meanwhile, the Ugandan government through its Foreign Ministry's message sent to the DPRK embassy in Kampala expressed full support to the part of the editorial dealing with national reunification.
Removal of Concrete Wall in S. Korea Demanded
Pyongyang, January 7 (KCNA) -- The Paektusan Czech-Korean Friendship Association released a statement on Dec. 26 last year demanding the demolition of the concrete wall in south Korea.
Noting that the wall was built by the south Korean authorities under the patronage of the U.S., the statement said that the U.S. has kept Korea divided into two by maintaining this wall, while occupying south Korea for more than six decades.
The statement charged that the U.S. has escalated tension on the Korean Peninsula and hamstrung the efforts of the Korean people to achieve the reunification of Korea, while staging dangerous provocative military exercises every year.
Denouncing the U.S. for having defied the resolution calling for the withdrawal of all the foreign troops from the Korean Peninsula adopted at the 30th UN General Assembly, the statement demanded an immediate halt to the U.S. hostile policy toward the DPRK.
It expressed full support to the demand of the DPRK for the demolition of the concrete wall, a leftover of the Cold War era and stumbling block lying in the way of achieving cooperation and peaceful reunification of the Korean nation.
Joint Editorial Supported
Pyongyang, January 7 (KCNA) -- Guy Dupre, secretary general of the International Liaison Committee for Reunification and Peace in Korea, issued a statement on Jan. 2 in support of the joint editorial titled "Make a higher leap full of great ambition and confidence" published by newspapers Rodong Sinmun, Josoninmingun and Chongnyonjonwi of the DPRK.
He said that the joint editorial released in the DPRK every year serves as a very important textbook for the Korean people as well as for all the world progressives struggling for Korea's reunification and the building of a just and peaceful new world.
The committee expresses full support to the part of the joint New Year editorial dealing with national reunification, the statement noted, and continued:
The committee fully supports the assertion made by the joint editorial that the U.S. is a main obstacle to Korea's reunification and its call for staging a nation-wide struggle to eradicate the root cause of another war on the Korean Peninsula by forcing the U.S. forces to pull back from south Korea.
The committee supports the part of the joint editorial in which it called on all the Koreans in the north and the south and abroad to stage a vigorous three-point patriotic movement for independent reunification, peace against war and great national unity this year and thus demonstrate once again the might of the Koreans closely united under the banner of the June 15 joint declaration.
Successive Fascist Dictatorial Regimes in S. Korea Indicted
Pyongyang, January 7 (KCNA) -- The former unconverted long-term prisoners who had come into the care of the north sent a joint indictment to the "Human Rights Committee" and the "Committee for Settlement of the Past History for Truth and Reconciliation" of south Korea through a liaison office in Panmunjom on January 6. The indictment cited facts about all sorts of monstrous atrocities they experienced or witnessed in prisons in the period of the south Korean military fascist dictatorial regimes and demanded the punishment of those chiefly responsible for them and the compensation for these crimes.
This indictment sent in the name of the whole nation and human conscience is based on the undeniable evidence proving the monstrous crimes perpetrated by the successive dictatorial regimes of south Korea. It has such sub-titles as "Unprecedentedly harsh system for ideological conversion," "0.75-phyong prison cell of death", "Most brutal torture for man-killing" and "Criminals should be punished and apology and compensation should be made."
According to the indictment, at the instigation of the U.S. the south Korean regime introduced the ideological conversion system of south Korean style, more fascist than the system that existed in the period of the Japanese imperialist rule, in a bid to maintain the U.S. colonial rule and dampen the desire of the people for independence, democracy and reunification.
It went on:
The ill-famed "National Security Law", "Anti-Communist Law", "Law on Social Security" and "Law on the Supervision for Public Peace," etc. were the direct product of the above-said system.
The south Korean fascist rulers harshly cracked down upon those who took the right path of reunification and patriotism by invoking such evil laws and imposed ideological conversion upon them.
Those fascist regimes pressurized the unconverted prisoners to make ideological conversion on charge of violating such evil law as the "Law for the Supervision for Public Peace" even after the expiry of their decades-long terms in "prisons" and "camps for the preservation of public peace."
The criminal nature of ideological conversion is fully proved by the conditions in the hell-like prisons where the unconverted long-term prisoners were detained.
A solitary cell of 0.75 phyong which admitted no light where each unconverted prisoner spent several decades was more like a hell on earth and a grave.
The successive fascist ruling quarters of south Korea severely punished the unconverted prisoners for the mere reason that they pursued different ideology and ideal and tortured them to death for refusing to make ideological conversion.
The innumerable methods of torture applied by them included "roast chicken torture," "cold water torture," "torture by pouring water into nose," "torture by pushing one's head into water box", "torture with ornamental hairpin," "airplane torture," "rapid dive-bombing torture" and "electric shock torture."
The unconverted long-term prisoners reserve the right to punish the assailants and demand them make apology and compensation for the mental and material losses they suffered as miserable sufferers and victims.
They branded the fascist atrocities perpetrated by the successive dictatorial regimes of south Korea as hideous crimes against justice and conscience and a wanton violation of the human rights recognized by international law.
As the victims who survived tragic deaths and as plaintiffs we the unconverted long-term prisoners demand the above-said regimes, assailants, and their descendants that are the accused as follows:
First. The arch criminals and the law-enforcement agents in the period of the fascist dictatorial regimes who committed crimes baffling human imagination against the unconverted long-term prisoners while pressing them to abandon their ideology and faith and their descendants should be brought to the court of history and the nation and sternly punished.
Second. Apology and compensation should be made for the crimes perpetrated by the past dictatorial regimes against the former unconverted long-term prisoners.
63 unconverted long-term prisoners who had come into the care of the north and Ri In Mo, who had already repatriated to it, spent a total of 2,074 years in nightmarish prisons in south Korea.
The physical damage except mental damage done to them stands at one billion U.S. dollars even according to a preliminary estimate made by specialists of the DPRK in line with international practice. It would come to several billions of U.S. dollars at least if the damage done to all those unconverted long-term prisoners killed in prisons is put together.
We are suffering from the aftermath of hardships we experienced in prisons and receiving help in terms of medical treatment and living. This also deserves compensation.
The Grand National Party, direct successor to the past fascist dictatorship, should not turn its face away from our just demand for compensating for the damage but make a hundred-fold apology and compensation before quitting the arena of history for good.
The GNP is now represented by Pak Kun Hye, daughter of the ill-famed "Yusin" dictator.
She should sit in the dock before anyone else for zealously supporting the past "Yusin" regime and leading the GNP, a centre of present fascist dictatorial clans.
It is our expectation that the fair public opinion of the world and international organizations, authorities and organizations of south Korea concerned with the issue of liquidating the past and people from all walks of life will pay deep attention to our just voices and positively respond to the demand for the disorganization of the GNP, the punishment of its clans and compensation for the damage.
More Meetings Held to Vow to Implement Tasks Laid Down in Joint Editorial
Pyongyang, January 7 (KCNA) -- A meeting of workers and members of the General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea (GFTUK) took place at the February 8 Jiktong Youth Coal Mine on January 6 to vow to thoroughly implement the militant tasks set forth in the joint New Year editorial under the banner of Songun held high by the Workers' Party of Korea.
Ryom Sun Gil, chairman of the Central Committee of the GFTUK, in his report said that the joint New Year editorial for this year is powerfully encouraging all workers and members of the GFTUK in their drive for fresh innovations.
He called for launching a courageous and all-out offensive in all fields of economic construction under the militant slogan "Make another leap forward in building a great prosperous powerful socialist nation on the strength of Songun!"
He went on to say:
The workers and members of the GFTUK in all fields and at all units including electricity and coal industries, metal industry and railway transportation should bring about new miracles and innovations in production and construction just as the Korean people effected the great Chollima upswing true to the decision of the December Plenary Meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea under the leadership of President Kim Il Sung 50 years ago.
He underscored the need for all workers and members of the GFTUK to vigorously push forward the waterway projects and land realignment in various parts of the country and produce and send various kinds of materials and equipment for farming in a responsible manner, well aware of the intention of the Party which singled out the agricultural front as the main front of the economic construction this year, too.
An appeal to all workers and members of the GFTUK was adopted at the meeting.
It called upon all workers and members of the GFTUK across the country to demonstrate once again the mettle and spirit of the working class in the era of Songun through the drive to honor this year's national economic plan in hearty response to the militant tasks set forth in the joint New Year editorial.
Similar meetings took place in South Hwanghae, North Hwanghae, South Hamgyong and Ryanggang provinces on January 5 and 6.
Resolutions were adopted at the meetings.
Dynamic Patriotic Movement for Reunification Called for
Pyongyang, January 7 (KCNA) -- The joint New Year editorial of the newspapers of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, the Korean People's Army and the Central Committee of the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League called upon all Koreans to wage the movement for independent reunification as part of the three-point patriotic movement.
Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article hails this call as very realistic, urging all Koreans in the north and the south and abroad to turn out in the patriotic movement for independent reunification in hearty response to the joint New Year editorial.
It goes on:
The Koreans should hold the banner of independence higher than any other nations as they have to fulfil the historic task of achieving national reunification.
The patriotic movement for independent reunification represents a most dynamic struggle through which the Korean nation can meet any challenge of history and accomplish the cause of national reunification.
All the fellow countrymen should bear deep in mind the idea of "By our nation itself" and give full play to the spirit of attaching great importance to the Korean nation, the Korean nation-first spirit, everywhere they live and smash the anti-national "cooperation" with foreign forces and raise the hurricane of independent reunification through national cooperation.
June 15, 2000 was a historic day when the north and the south ushered in a new era for national reunification. The Korean nation should make it a tradition to grandly mark June 15 every year as the day of "By our nation itself" as already agreed upon between the north and the south.
The U.S. is the main target of struggle in the patriotic movement for independent reunification.
In order to advance the cause of national reunification more dynamically this year the Korean nation should stage a vigorous struggle to smash the U.S. imperialists' moves to strengthen domination and block Korea's reunification, to begin with. It should, at the same time, thoroughly isolate, reject and condemn the pro-U.S. conservative forces in south Korea which are hell-bent on the moves to stamp out the cause of national independence and bring back the old era of inter-Korean confrontation, while cooperating with the foreign aggressor forces.
Masses Held to Pray for National Reunification
Pyongyang, January 7 (KCNA) -- Masses praying for national reunification were held at temples in the northern half of the country to mark the day of Buddha's attainment of great wisdom.
Present there were priests of the Central Committee of the Korean Buddhist Federation and its provincial, city and county committees and monks and Buddhists of respective temples.
Rituals took place there to be followed by speeches and a prepared address.
Speakers said that the day of Buddha's attainment of great wisdom was commemorated at a time when all the people across the country are waging a dynamic struggle to build a great prosperous powerful nation and achieve national reunification.
In order to build on this land a paradise in the present world in which the idea of getting rid of pain and attaining happiness desired by Buddha is embodied, all the Buddhists in the north and the south should unite in the Dharma-minded concord and drive the U.S. forces chiefly responsible for the division of the nation out of south Korea and implement to the letter the historic June 15 North-South Joint Declaration, they noted.
All the Buddhists will join all other fellow countrymen in the dynamic patriotic movement for independent reunification, peace against war and great national unity under the banner of "By our nation itself" in the future, too, as they did last year and thus further glorify the June 15 era of reunification, they stressed.
Message of Condolence to President of UAE
Pyongyang, January 7 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Friday sent a message of condolence to Sheikh Halifa Bin Zayed Al|Nahayan, president of the United Arab Emirates.
Upon hearing the sad news that Vice-President and Prime Minister Sheikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al|Maktoum passed away all of a sudden, the president in the message expressed deep condolence to the president and, through him, to the UAE government, people and bereaved family.
For Spanish-speaking people
Ex presos no abjurados acusan a sucesivos "poderes" surcoreanos
@Pyongyang, 7 de enero (ATCC) -- Los ex presos de largas condenas no abjurados, devueltos a la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea, enviaron el dia 6, via Phanmunjom, al "comite de derechos humanos" y el "comite del arreglo de la historia del pasado por la verdad y la reconciliacion" del Sur de Corea una acusacion conjunta revelando con datos los barbaros e inhumanitarios crimenes, de que fueron victimas o testigos presenciales en las prisiones durante los sucesivos "regimenes" dictatoriales, fascistas y militares del Sur de Corea, y demandando el castigo a los principales culpables y la indemnizacion por el respecto.
A traves de este documento largo, ellos delatan a toda la nacion coreana y la conciencia de la humanidad las vejaciones experimentadas en carne propia en los sucesivos "regimenes" dictatoriales del Sur de Corea.
La acusacion consta de 4 partes: "El sistema inaudito e infame para obligar la conversion ideologica", "La celdilla asesina e infernal de 0.75 phyong (2.48 metros cuadrados aproximadamente)", "Los metodos mas barbaros de tortura y matanza" y "Hay que castigar, disculparse y recompensar".
Abajo la citamos en resumen:
Para mantener la dominacion colonial y frustrar la aspiracion de los habitantes a la independencia, la democracia y la reunificacion, el "gobierno" surcoreano invento bajo el padrinazo de EE.UU. el sistema de conversion ideologica de "version surcoreana" agregando mas caracter fascista al que existia durante la ocupacion de Corea por los imperialistas japoneses.
De ahi se derivaron las infames "ley de seguridad", "ley anticomunista", "ley de seguridad social" y "ley de vigilancia para la seguridad" y otras por el estilo que fueron esgrimidas por los gobernantes fascistas surcoreanos para reprimir y obligar el cambio de ideas a las justicieras personas que tomaron el camino del patriotismo y la reunificacion.
Aun despues de ser excarcelados al cabo de vivir en pesimas condiciones durante varios decenios en las "prisiones" y otros "centros penitenciarios de seguridad", los presos no abjurados fueron presionados en virtud de ese ultimo codigo para que abandonaran sus ideas.
De otro lado, resultaron practicamente infernales y tumbas de los vivos las oscuras y pequenas celdillas individuales (cada una es de 2.48 metros cuadrados) donde los presos pasaron su amarga vida carcelera de varios decenios.
Los sucesivos gobernantes surcoreanos ejecutaron, torturaron y mataron despiadadamente a los presos no abjurados por la unica razon de tener ideas e ideales diferentes a los suyos.
Es imposible contar todos los metodos tan salvajes que emplearon los verdugos para torturarlos, inclusive los denominados como "pollo asado", "tortura con agua fria", "metida de agua por la nariz", "metida de cabeza en el tanque de agua", "clavado de pasadores", "tortura de aeroplano", "bombardeo en picada" y "tortura con electricidad".
Como victimas de esas atrocidades, los ex presos de largas condenas no abjurados tienen todo derecho a demandar el castigo a los culpables y a reclamar la disculpa e indemnizacion por las perdidas espirituales y materiales que sufrieron.
Por lo tanto, al tiempo que califican de crimenes ilegales y contrariados a la etica y derechos humanos -reconocidos por la ley internacional-, que pisotean la justicia y la conciencia, las fechorias de los sucesivos "regimenes" surcoreanos, ellos demandan en calidad de acusadores los siguientes puntos a los culpables (sucesivos "gobiernos" dictatoriales) y a sus descendientes que son acusados en este pleito:
Primero, hay que castigar severamente en el tribunal de la historia y la nacion a todos los autores claves y verdugos, quienes cometieron en los sucesivos "regimenes" fascistas y dictatoriales atrocidades inimaginables contra los presos de largas condenas no abjurados para imponerles el abandono de sus ideas y fe, y a sus descendientes.
Segundo, hay que disculparse y recompensar por los crimenes perpetrados por los sucesivos "gobiernos" dictatoriales contra los ex presos de largas condenas no abjurados.
Llegan a 2 mil 74 los anos que vivieron en las horribles prisiones los 63 ex presos, repatriados a la RPDC, y Ri In Mo quien fue devuelto con anterioridad.
De acuerdo con los calculos primarios que pasaron nuestros especialistas segun costumbres internacionales, se estiman en mil millones de US $ las perdidas fisicas que sufrieron ellos sin sumar las espirituales. Si agregamos los danos afligidos a todos los presos no abjurados, asesinados en la carcel, esta cifra asciende a lo minimo a varios miles de millones de US $.
Tambien debe ser recompensado el que todavia los ex presos adolecen de las secuelas de esas durisimas torturas y reciben asistencia medica y otras formas de auxilio.
Por lo tanto, el "partido Hannara", heredero directo de la dictadura fascista del pasado, no debe dar espaldarazo a la justa demanda de los ex presos sobre la recompensacion y retirarse para siempre del escenario de la historia tras disculparse mil veces y recompensar cabalmente.
Actualmente, la representante del "Hannara" es Pak Kun Hye, hija del connotado dictador de "renovacion".
Ella tiene que sentarse primero en el banquillo de acusados porque habia ayudado activamente al "regimen de renovacion" de su padre y ahora es jefa del "partido Hannara" donde estan congregados los familiares y relacionados con los ex dictadores fascistas.
Al final del texto, los ex presos expresaron su esperanza de que la imparcial opinion publica del mundo, las organizaciones internacionales, las autoridades y entidades relacionadas con la liquidacion del pasado y los demas habitantes surcoreanos se unan a si mismos en demandar la descomposicion del "partido Hannara", el castigo a los compinches de esta entidad y la indemnizacion de los crimenes arriba mencionados.
Continuan actos multitudinarios para ejecucion de editorial conjunto
@Pyongyang, 7 de enero (ATCC) -- Tuvo lugar el dia 6 en la Mina de Carbon Juventud Jikdong "8 de Febrero" un mitin de los obreros y otros gremiales para materializar cabalmente las tareas combativas presentadas en el editorial conjunto del ano nuevo bajo la bandera del Songun (priorizacion militar) del Partido del Trabajo de Corea.
Ryom Sun Gil, presidente de la Federacion General de los Sindicatos de Corea (FGSC), en su informe, senalo que el editorial conjunto de este ano estimula energicamente a todos los obreros y otros gremiales a una nueva lucha renovadora.
Debemos enarbolar la consigna combativa de "!Demos con el poderio del Songun un nuevo salto en la edificacion de una gran potencia socialista prospera!" y librar una ofensiva general en todos los frentes de la construccion economica, senalo el informante y subrayo:
Al igual que hace ahora 50 anos nuestro pueblo, bajo la direccion del Presidente Kim Il Sung, produjo un gran ascenso de Chollima en pleno acato a la resolucion aprobada en la sesion plenaria de diciembre del Comite Central del PTC, los obreros y otros gremiales de todos los sectores y unidades incluyendo las industrias electrica, carbonifera y metalurgica y el transporte ferroviario deben seguir esa tradicion de lucha heroica y crear nuevos milagros e innovaciones en la produccion y la construccion.
Conscientes de la voluntad del partido que este ano tambien presento la agricultura como frente de prioridad en la construccion economica, todos ellos deben impulsar con vigor la obra de canales y el acondicionamiento de la tierra por doquier y producir y suministrar con responsabilidad toda clase de materiales y equipos agricolas.
En la ocasion fue aprobado un llamamiento dirigido a todos los trabajadores y otros gremiales del pais exhortandoles a exaltar una vez mas el espiritu e impetu de la clase obrera de la epoca del Songun en la lucha por sobrecumplir los planes de la economia nacional de este ano en pleno acato a las tareas combativas presentadas en el editorial conjunto.
Por otra parte, tuvieron lugar los dias 5 y 6 los actos multitudinarios de las provincias de Hwanghae del Sur y del Norte, de Hamgyong del Sur y de Ryanggang.
En las ocasiones fueron aprobadas resoluciones, respectivamente.
Hay que impulsar el movimiento patriotico por la reunificacion
@Pyongyang, 7 de enero (ATCC) -- El editorial conjunto del nuevo ano de los organos del partido, el ejercito y la juventud subraya que toda la nacion coreana debe impulsar el movimiento por la reintegracion independiente considerandolo como uno de los tres movimientos patrioticos.
Esto es una exhortacion apropiada. Todos los coreanos del Norte y el Sur de Corea y en ultramar, en respuesta a la exhortacion del citado editorial conjunto, debe levantarse unanimemente en el movimiento patriotico por la reunificacion independiente.
Senala asi el diario Rodong Sinmun en un articulo individual del dia 7 y prosigue:
La nacion coreana que se encarga de la tarea historica de reintegracion de la patria debe enarbolar mas que nadie la bandera de la independencia.
Para la nacion coreana el movimiento patriotico por la reintegracion independiente es la lucha mas potente por lograrla superando los desafios de la historia.
Todos los coreanos deben guardar mas profundamente el ideal de "entre nosotros, los connacionales", mantener en todos los lugares del pais y ultramar donde residen el espiritu de dar importancia a la nacion, frustrar la "cooperacion" antinacional con las fuerzas extranjeras y producir el simun de la reintegracion independiente con la cooperacion nacional.
El 15 de junio de 2000 es el dia historico en que el Norte y el Sur de Corea abrieron una nueva era de reintegracion de la patria. Como ya se acordo, los coreanos deben hacer celebrar tradicionalmente el 15 de junio de cada ano como "Dia de entre nosotros, los connacionales".
El blanco principal de la lucha del movimiento patriotico por la reunificacion independiente es EE.UU.
Para impulsar con pujanza este ano la causa de la reunificacion de la patria, toda la nacion coreana debe desplegar con mas dinamismo la lucha contra las maquinaciones dominacionistas y anti-reunificacion de los imperialistas norteamericanos. Al mismo tiempo, debe aislar y rechazar las fuerzas conservadoras pronorteamericanas del Sur de Corea que en "cooperacion" con las fuerzas foraneas agresoras frenan la causa de independencia nacional y maniobran para restaurar la epoca caduca de la confrontacion Norte-Sur.