Gifts to Kim Jong Il from Foreign Figures

     Pyongyang, February 23 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il was presented with gifts by Humberto Ortiz, honorary manager of the "Voluntad" Publishing House of Ecuador, and the chief editor of the Bangladeshi newspaper Blits on the occasion of the February holiday. The gifts were conveyed to a Korean official concerned working in Ecuador and the DPRK ambassador to Bangladesh on Feb. 10 and 15.

Functions Held in Different Countries

     Pyongyang, February 23 (KCNA) -- Meetings, photo exhibitions and film shows were held in Copenhagen, Brazzaville, in Congo, Valletta in Malta and Brisbane in Australia on Feb. 14 and 15 on the occasion of the birthday of leader Kim Jong Il. On display in the venues of the functions were photos showing the leader giving on-the-spot guidance to units of the People's Army and various fields of the national economy and photos dealing with the Korean people's struggle to build a great prosperous powerful socialist nation and achieve the independent and peaceful reunification of Korea.
    Leon Nzokene, general secretary of the Congolese Socialist Party, highly praised in his speech at a meeting the undying exploits Kim Jong Il has performed by leading the Korean revolution and the cause of independence against imperialism to victory with his original Songun politics.
    Screened at the film shows were Korean films including "The Landscape of the Country Taking on More Beautiful Looks under the Leadership of the Great General" and "The Great Leadership Leading the Building of a Great Prosperous Powerful Nation to Victory".
    A congratulatory message to Kim Jong Il was adopted at a meeting held in Denmark. Meanwhile, Korean book, photo and handcraft exhibitions took place at a cultural centre in Nakhodka City of Maritime Territory of Russia, Sofia University in Bulgaria, the San Miguel District Office in Lima city, Peru and the Leon City Combined Center in Guanajuato State, Mexico, from Feb. 2 to 21.
    Displayed in the venues of the exhibitions were famous works of President Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, photos showing their undying exploits, books and photos introducing the successes achieved by the Korean people in building a great prosperous powerful socialist nation and handicrafts representing the resourcefulness and talents of Koreans.

Moves to Revise again Law on Private Schools Denounced

     Pyongyang, February 23 (KCNA) -- The headquarters of the people's movement for the reform at private schools grouping at least 800 civic and public organizations of south Korea including the south Korean Teachers Union, the south Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and the Citizens' Solidarity for Democratic Society held a meeting in Seoul on Feb. 19 to denounce the Grand National Party of south Korea (GNP) and private schools for scheming to revise again the law on private schools, according to KBS of south Korea. The organization noted that the revision of the law on private schools at the end of last year was a minimum measure to combat irregularities and corruption and realize democracy at private schools.
    It accused the GNP and private schools of trying to retrogressively revise the already amended law on private schools, demanding the government take a proper action against this.

Wednesday Meeting Held in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, February 23 (KCNA) -- The 696th Wednesday meeting for the solution of the issue of "comfort women" for the imperial Japanese army was held in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul on Feb. 15 under the sponsorship of the Council for the Solution of the Issue of the Volunteers' Corps. Speakers at the meeting said that the solution of the above-said issue is an important work related to the world women's rights and part of the movement to put an end to violence against women. They called for conducting brisk information service in different parts of the world to this end.
    They stressed that they would stage positive solidarity activities to force the Japanese government to make an apology and compensation to the victims of the "comfort women".
    A statement released at the meeting strongly urged the Japanese government to stop the moves to revive militarism such as distortion of history, visit to the "Yasukuni Shrine" and formally apologize and compensate to the victims of the "comfort women" without fail according to the law.
    It also demanded the government authorities positively move to seek a solution to the issue.

U.S. Plot for Permanent Presence of Its Forces in S. Korea under Fire

     Pyongyang, February 23 (KCNA) -- The Solidarity for Implementing the South-North Joint Declaration in a statement issued on Feb. 16 reportedly denounced the U.S. plot for the permanent presence of its forces in south Korea. The statement pointed to the disclosure of a "report on the joint consultation about the future of south Korea-U.S. alliance" aiming at the permanent presence of the U.S. forces in south Korea, adding that the "report" agreed upon by south Korea and the U.S. said that "the U.S. forces would remain on the Korean Peninsula even after the reconciliation between the south and the north to exercise their influence on Northeast Asia."
    The statement charged that the report is nothing but a U.S. plan for the permanent presence of its forces in south Korea as it is closely related to the "CONPLAN 5029" presupposing the "collapse of the north".
    The gravity of the issue lies in that the contents of the report are not only a product of an agreement reached in the past but are still under discussion at the present "meeting of south Korea-U.S. security policy initiative", etc., the statement said, and went on: South Korea and the U.S. have long furthered the discussion on the "strategic flexibility" of the U.S. forces and contemplated their permanent presence in south Korea under the pretext of forming an "all-inclusive alliance" and "regional alliance." This constitutes a serious threat to the sovereignty and peace of the Korean nation as it clearly indicates the aggressive intention of the U.S. to swallow up the Korean Peninsula.
    Reunification can never come as long as the U.S. forces stay in this land.

Joint Meeting of Youths in North and South Held

     Pyongyang, February 23 (KCNA) -- A joint meeting of youths in the north and the south for implementing the June 15 joint declaration was held at the Central Youth Hall Tuesday. Present at the meeting were Kim Kyong Ho, first secretary of the C.C., the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League, officials of the youth league, youths in Pyongyang, and members of the south Korean delegation of the youth committees of political parties with Member of the National Assembly from the Uri Party Ri Hwa Yong as its chief head and with the chairpersons of the youth committees of the Democratic Party and the Democratic Workers' Party as its co-heads.
    Speakers at the meeting stressed the need for the youths in the north and the south to unite close under the banner of the Korean nation-first spirit and display the wisdom and courage of young people in the van of the movement for national reunification in the new century.
    A performance was given by the art squad of the youth league central committee at the meeting.
    The south Korean delegation visited Mangyongdae, Kim Il Sung University, the International Friendship Exhibition, the Arch of Triumph, the Tower of the Juche Idea and so on and met with officials of the youth league central committee during its stay.

Letter of Protest Sent by S. Korean Organizations to U.S. President

     Pyongyang, February 23 (KCNA) -- The South Headquarters of the National Alliance for the Country's Reunification, the Phaengsong Town Measure Committee against Expansion of the U.S. Military Base, the Family Movement for Realizing Democracy, the Youth Society against the U.S., the south Korean Catholic Alliance for Justice, the Solidarity to Cherish the Memory of Martyrs for Nation and Democracy, the Action for Peace and the People for Achieving Peace and Reunification in south Korea reportedly released a letter of protest to U.S. President Bush on Feb. 14. It referred to the fact that some time ago the U.S. and the south Korean authorities formally agreed to allow the "strategic flexibility" of the U.S. forces in south Korea at the "strategic dialogue for alliance and partnership."
    It went on:
    The objective of the agreement is to totally allow the U.S. forces in south Korea to operate as Asia-Pacific forces of aggression and develop the south Korea-U.S. alliance into an alliance for aggression and mobilize not only the U.S. forces but the south Korean forces for a preemptive attack on the north.
    Noting that the U.S. is keen to keep its forces in south Korea even after the reunification of the Korean Peninsula and tighten the south Korea-U.S. alliance, the letter added that its moves to expand the military bases are aimed at turning south Korea into an advanced base for overseas aggression and a base for the U.S. forces' permanent presence.
    If the U.S. persists in the expansion of its bases, it will be held entirely accountable for the consequences to be entailed by such move, it warned.

Statute of Limitations Not Applicable to Crimes against Nation in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, February 23 (KCNA) -- The Secretariat of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland in its information bulletin No. 916 Wednesday stressed that the recent decision on reparations for the "case of Prof. Choe Jong Gil" given by the Seoul High Court proves once again the truth of history that the statute of limitations is not applicable to treacherous crimes against humanity. Some time ago, the Seoul High Court in a retrial of the "case of Prof. Choe Jong Gil", one of the anti-communist plots during the Park Chung Hee regime, said that the then Central Intelligence Agency arrested Prof. Choe Jong Gil of Seoul National University on charges of a "spy" and killed him after a cruel torture and fabricated his death as a "suicide". Noting that extinctive prescription cannot be applied to the action of making the victim of torture a spy-like criminal, the Seoul High Court gave a decision that the authorities should pay damages to the bereaved family.
    The "case of Prof. Choe Jong Gil", along with the recently disclosed "case of the People's Revolutionary Party," the "case of the National Democratic Youths and Students League" and the "case of east Berlin", is part of the crimes committed by the military fascist regimes, the bulletin said, pointing out that the sanguinary crime-woven history of the "Yusin" regime and other successive fascist regimes, which cruelly killed a large number of patriots and personages through various anti-DPRK smear cases and atrocities against humanity, should be settled overall and thoroughly. The Grand National Party of south Korea grouping remnants and descendants of the fascist dictatorship is now challenging the south Korean people's struggle for settlement of the past history, the bulletin said, stressing: It is as clear as noonday that if the GNP comes to power, the fascist era of darkness when democracy and human rights were trampled down would revive in south Korea.

Third Meeting of Pacesetters of Three-Revolution Red Flag Movement Opens

     Pyongyang, February 23 (KCNA) -- The 3rd meeting of pacesetters of the Three-Revolution Red Flag Movement was opened today at the 6,000-seat theater of the April 25 House of Culture in Pyongyang. The movement is a mass movement for ideological remoulding, technical renovation and cultural development to carry on dynamic three revolutions, ideological, technical and cultural, to meet the requirements of the target of modeling the whole society on the Juche idea, a supreme programme of the Workers' Party of Korea, and step up socialist construction.
    The meeting will review brilliant successes and experience gained in the movement and discuss measures and tasks to develop the movement in a deep-going way to meet the requirements of building a great prosperous powerful socialist nation in the era of Songun.
    Present at the meeting were Kim Yong Nam, Pak Pong Ju, Jon Pyong Ho, Kim Il Chol and other senior party, army and state officials and standard-bearers of those units which have been awarded the three-revolution red flag.
    A congratulatory message of the Workers' Party of Korea Central Committee to the participants in the meeting was read out at the meeting.;
    The message said that all fields and units of socialist construction have dynamically conducted the Three-Revolution Red Flag Movement for over 30 years under the wise guidance of the party and the leader so as to achieve great victories and successes in the revolution and construction.
    In the course of active ideological, technical and cultural revolutions through the movement, the politico-ideological unity and cohesion of the party and the revolutionary ranks have been further strengthened, the Juche-orientation, modernization and scientification of the national economy successfully pushed ahead and socialist national culture brilliantly developed, the message said, and went on:
    Signal successes have been achieved in building a great prosperous powerful nation and socialism of Juche is winning victory after victory despite the intensified anti-socialist, anti-DPRK moves of the imperialists and reactionaries. This is the shining fruition of the wise leadership of the Party which is victoriously guiding the three revolutions and the assiduous efforts of the reliable standard-bearers of the three revolutions and all the party members and other working people who have displayed their popular heroism and matchless devotion to implement the Party's line of the three revolutions.
    All the party organizations, standard-bearers of the three revolutions and other working people should win a shining victory in the general advance of the Songun revolution to build a great prosperous powerful nation by more dynamically conducting the movement on a higher level, holding aloft the slogan "Let us bring about a big surge on all fronts of building a great prosperous powerful nation by accelerating the three revolutions under the banner of Songun!", the message said, indicating tasks in detail. All the standard-bearers of the three revolutions, party members and other working people should thoroughly establish the trait of attaching importance to the military affairs to cope with sharp confrontation with the U.S. and strive to strengthen the national defence power and get combat ready to wipe out the aggressors at one stroke if they dare ignite a war, the message added.
    Choe Thae Bok, alternate member of the Political Bureau and secretary of the C.C., the WPK, made a report at the meeting. He stressed that the movement is a socialist mass movement of new type which was initiated and is guided by leader Kim Jong Il reflecting the inevitable requirements of the development of the revolutionary cause of Juche and it is a force of propelling the Korean revolution.
    He went on:
    Kim Jong Il developed overall in depth the movement to meet the requirements of the Songun revolution of a new stage, which holds a distinguished place in his outstanding guidance over the movement.
    Thanks to his steel-like will and tested leadership, the Party and people could break through the economic hardships caused by the imperialists' moves to isolate and stifle the DPRK, firmly defend Korean-style socialism and perform an epoch-making miracle of opening a passage of advance for building a great prosperous powerful nation through the dynamic three-revolution red flag movement.
    It is a basic guarantee for building prosperous and powerful socialism to further strengthen the single-minded unity of the army and people around the leader. The reporter called for rallying all the party members and other working people close in one mind and intention around Kim Jong Il and steadily consolidating and defending the ideological, moral and obligatory unity and cohesion of the revolutionary ranks. He also called for decisively frustrating the base ideological and cultural poisoning and psychological campaign of the enemies with a revolutionary ideological offensive, providing on a preferential basis everything needed to strengthen the Korean People's Army and develop the national defence industry and carrying through the Party's line of putting all the people under arms and turning the whole country into a fortress. He laid stress on dynamically conducting the Three-Revolution Red Flag Movement to thoroughly implement the Party's policy of concentrating all efforts on farming, solve scientific and technical problems in different fields of the national economy including power, coal and metal industries and railway transport, put the management activities on a scientific basis and dynamically push forward reconstruction and modernization of the national economy urgent in the economic construction at present. Speeches were made at the meeting. The meeting continues.

U.S. Should Be Brought to Human Rights Court

     Pyongyang, February 23 (KCNA) -- The world progressives are vehemently condemning the U.S. imperialists' infringement upon the sovereign rights of other countries and their human rights abuses and strongly calling for bringing the U.S., the worst human rights abuser, to the international human rights court and punishing it. Rodong Sinmun Thursday observes this in a signed commentary. It goes on:
    The U.S. has openly committed armed invasion of other countries and massacre of their people under the pretext of so-called "anti-terrorism" and "defence of human rights". This is evidenced by the Balkan war, the Afghan war and the Iraqi war of aggression.
    The above-said wars ignited by the U.S. imperialists under the plea of "the guarantee of freedom and democracy" and "anti-terrorism" brought nothing but indiscriminate destruction and horrible genocide.
    However, the U.S. has described all this as actions for "freedom and democracy". Lurking behind this is a sinister intention of the U.S. to justify its human rights abuses and escalate its acts of aggression against the independent countries in the future. Drawing attention to the barbarous abuses of the prisoners in the U.S. navy base in Guantanamo, the commentary describes this as a typical example of the most cruel treatment and torture perpetrated by the U.S. against human beings, while styling itself a "protector of human rights."
    It further says:
    The U.S. has resorted to all manner of evil deeds against Cuban patriots since it illegally put them into custody. Moreover, it has protected the ill-famed international terrorist Posada Carriles and projected him as an "anti-terror champion." This behavior of the U.S. clearly shows how nonsensical and hypocritical its much publicized "defence of human rights" and "anti-terrorism" are. If the U.S truly stands against terrorism, it should not only handle the case of Carriles as required by international law but extradite him to Cuba to be judged by its people as demanded by the Cuban government. But the U.S. has defiantly protected him. The U.S. touted "anti-terrorism" and "protection of human rights" are nothing but outcries for aggression and human rights abuses.
    The world is becoming increasingly vigilant against the U.S. talk about "anti-terrorism" and "protection of human rights". A resolute struggle against the U.S. "anti-terrorism war" and human rights abuses alone can guarantee sovereign rights and human rights.

Dynamic Three-Revolution Red Flag Movement Called for

     Pyongyang, February 23 (KCNA) -- Papers here Thursday editorially call for effecting a fresh surge in building a great prosperous powerful nation under the banner of the three revolutions in connection with the opening of third meeting of pacesetters of the three-revolution red flag movement in Pyongyang. President Kim Il Sung applied the immortal Juche idea and the idea of uninterrupted revolution to set forth the three revolutions -- ideological, technical and cultural -- as the strategic line of socialist construction after the establishment of the socialist system in the country. The Workers' Party of Korea called for dynamically conducting the three-revolution red flag movement in all fields of the revolution and construction in Juche 64 (1975) with a view to bringing about a great change in accomplishing the cause of Juche through the successful three revolutions.
    The third meeting of pacesetters of the three-revolution red flag movement is a meeting of victors, a meeting of demonstrating the single-minded unity of the Koreans, held only in Korea which powerfully manifests the invincibility of the Songun revolution with the three revolutions as the strategic line of socialist construction, Rodong Sinmun says, adding: It is also a meeting of leaping advance and renovation to create a new speed of advance in the Songun era with the revolutionary enthusiasm and inexhaustible creativity of the popular masses.
    Underscoring the need to give top priority to the ideological revolution and consolidate the political and ideological position of Korean-style socialism in every way, the paper calls for training all the party members and other working people as indefatigable fighters devotedly defending the leader and stalwart fighters with the spirit of readily laying down their lives as human bullets and bombs under the uplifted banner of the great Juche idea and the Songun idea. It is also necessary to set forth it as an important task of the movement to thoroughly establish the trait of attaching importance to the military affairs and consolidate the military might of the country as firm as an iron wall, says the paper. The paper calls on every field and unit to conduct the dynamic three-revolution red flag movement to set the masses in motion and bring about a fresh surge in economic construction in reliance upon the strength, wisdom and technology of the masses and open up a fresh efflorescence of socialist culture in the Songun era. Minju Joson calls for conducting more vigorous three-revolution red flag movement initiated by leader Kim Jong Il so as to successfully accomplish the cause of building a great prosperous powerful socialist nation.

Rodong Sinmun Calls for National Independence and Reunification

     Pyongyang, February 23 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article calls upon all the fellow countrymen in the north and the south and overseas to turn out in the struggle for national independence and reunification under the uplifted banner of "By our nation itself". 40 odd years of the colonial rule of the Japanese imperialists left a bitter lesson to the Korean nation that national sovereignty would keep the nation alive and help it glorify its dignity and honor, the paper says, and goes on:
    In order to achieve the cause of national reunification for national sovereignty all the fellow countrymen should unite as one to drive the foreign forces out of south Korea. It is because of the United States and the pro-American traitors that the south Korean people have been under the yoke of the foreign forces and subjected to submission and disgrace for over six decades.
    After the publication of the June 15 joint declaration the north and the south of Korea have conducted a dynamic movement for reunification by the concerted efforts of the nation itself to open a turning phase of the cause of national reunification. No doubt the movement for national reunification spread across the country in the idea of "By our nation itself" will be more powerfully conducted, displaying the strong desire of the nation for independent reunification.
    Reunification can not be achieved without independence. No foreign forces can ever block the Korean nation from vigorously advancing toward independent reunification under the banner of "By our nation itself". Those who follow and cooperate with the foreign forces of aggression are branded as traitors and experience disgrace, but those who devote themselves to defend national dignity and interests are hailed as patriots. Anyone who aspires after national reunification should be ardent patriotic fighter devoting himself to the emotional era of independent reunification.

KCNA Blasts Aso's Assertion for Settlement of "Abduction Issue"

     Pyongyang, February 23 (KCNA) -- Before and after the recent DPRK-Japan talks in Beijing, the Japanese authorities insisted that the "abduction issue" is a core issue to be settled at the talks. Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso has been most vociferous in this regard. He asserted at the session of the House of Representatives that there would be no normalization of bilateral relations without a solution to the "abduction issue". He went the lengths of saying that it was quite wrong to think that such action as infiltrating into other country to take its people as hostage could work on anyone and that such deed is a mockery of Japan.
    Then, why has Aso been so keen on the issue of whereabouts of a few Japanese only out of major agenda items at the talks and why is he so vociferous about the "abduction issue" which had already found a solution? Is he behaving so because he is more concerned for "people's sentiment" than any others or because he is foreign minister of Japan?
    To explain the reason, we can not but tell the behind-the-scene story about Aso and his clan. Aso is a descendent of one of the blood-suckers as they took away many Koreans to Japan to force slave labor upon them and accumulated wealth at the cost of their sweat and blood in the last centuries.
    The Asos' history has been woven with monstrous crimes. Aso's great-great-grandfather set up Aso Coal Mine Co. in 1872, forcing Koreans to do medieval slave labor for many generations.
    According to data, many Korean workers were forcibly taken to the coal mines run by Aso's great grandfather early in the 1930s to toil and moil there. The number of those workers ran up to 1.12 million after 1939.
    There are graves of hundreds of unknown Korean workers at a Buddhist temple around the Tsikuo coal field abandoned by the Asos in the 1960s. This makes one easily guess how many Korean workers the Asos drove to death, taking the company as a whole.
    The facts go to prove that the Asos are directly responsible for the issue of slave labor forced on Koreans and not a small share of responsibility for Japan's compensation for its past crimes rests with them.
    However, Aso has uttered no word about the large-scale forcible drafting and abduction and the forced slave labor perpetrated by his ancestors and about the settlement of those crimes, but is persistently insisting on the solution to the issue which had already been solved. This reminds one of a thief crying "Stop the thief!" Had the above-said case happened in Western Europe, such family would have already been ostracized socially. But, in Japan, a descendent of the criminal family was allowed to take the office of foreign minister speaking for the government. How can this country properly approach the issue of settlement of its past?
    The forced labor Japan perpetrated against the Korean people was a horrendous human rights abuse and a hideous war crime as it put the slave labor in the medieval ages into the shade in view of the exploiting manner, ferocity and barbarity. Nevertheless, Japan has refused even to admit the crimes, while paying no compensation for the forced labor.
    Aso has zealously supported this stand of the government prompted by his black-hearted intention to conceal forever the heinous crimes committed by his clan against humanity as well as Japan's crimes against the Korean people. That is why he is busy as an active supporter of the "Society for History Textbook Reform", an ultra-right organization which embellishes the history of aggression committed by the Japanese imperialists against Korea and other parts of Asia in the past century.
    Japan's past crimes related to the forced labor imposed upon Koreans can never be justified nor concealed.
    What Aso should do to settle this issue is quite clear.
    As foreign minister and a descendent of the criminal family, he should take the lead in settling Japan's past crimes.

New Education System Established in DPRK

     Pyongyang, February 23 (KCNA) -- A new higher education system has been established in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to elevate the level of scientific education as required by the developing times. In order to bring up versatile technical personnel with two or three kinds of expert knowledge, not one kind, the government has taken the step so that students, who have finished a course of social or natural science, may continue to learn technology. Under the new higher education system, university graduates who majored in natural science will study for two years and those who majored in social science for three years at College of Mechanical Science and Technology, Automation Engineering Faculty and Material Engineering Faculty under Kim Chaek University of Technology. Officials and teachers of the Ministry of Education and the university are doing their best to give education on a high standard from the selection of subjects to working out of teaching plan and teaching method for rearing scientific and technical personnel who are possessed of science, technology, theory and practice.

Mt. Paektu Explorer

     Pyongyang, February 23 (KCNA) -- Ri Song Bae, a section chief of the Ministry of People's Security of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has become famous among the army and people as "Mt. Paektu explorer". Ri has explored Mt. Paektu 37 times for the last 25 years and made a number of photo albums and video tapes related to the exploration results. Many photos of grandeur and curious peaks, renowned rocks, animals, plants and wonderful natural phenomena of Mt. Paektu taken by him were widely introduced through mass media including Rodong Sinmun. He and his exploration team have observed the mountain without letup defying severe natural gales. In this course they found out animals' movements in and around the Lake Chon of the mountain which had been talked about only as a rumor. One day they saw a two-meter long bear weighing 500 kg swimming across 2.5 km section of the lake from the foot of Piru Peak to the place between Chongsok and Paekun Peaks and thus proved that big animals inhabit the area.
    He discovered new materials. Among them are tens of Mt. Paektu and Rimyongsu waterfalls, distribution, the number of sorts and ecological features of the plants on the shore of the Lake Chon and materials of rare plants growing in the area of Jong Il Peak. He went round tens of valleys in Mt. Paektu to survey and confirm in detail the sizes, shapes, areas and heights of many peaks.
    Hyangdo and Ssangmujigae Peaks and Pom, Korae, Chongdae and Roket Rocks and so on which were named in reflection of earnest desire of the servicepersons and people of the country are associated with his such efforts.
    Also Korean map-shaped pumice layer, yellow and white pumice layer, gemlike fountain, ice cave, Chongunbawi of Mt. Paektu which consists of some 1,000 rocks and other curious natural phenomena are also associated with meditation and tireless efforts exerted by Ri.

Military Attache of Russian Embassy Hosts Reception

     Pyongyang, February 23 (KCNA) -- Igor Pablov, military attache of the Russian embassy here, gave a reception at the Taedonggang Club for the Diplomatic Corps on Wednesday on the occasion of the Day of Defenders of the Motherland. Present on invitation were Vice-Minister of the People's Armed Forces Kim Jong Gak, general officers and officers of the Korean People's Army, officials concerned, diplomatic envoys of different countries and military attaches of different embassies here. On hand were Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov and embassy officials. Speeches were made there.

Kim Jong Il Inspects KPA Unit

     Pyongyang, February 23 (KCNA) -- Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army Kim Jong Il, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of the National Defence Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, inspected KPA unit 120 situated on the forefront. After learning about the unit's performance of duty, he looked round military lecture rooms.
    He set forth tasks to be undertaken to increase the unit's combat capability in every way, greatly satisfied to learn that the unit has built modern military lecture rooms and effectively operated them, training all commanding officers and soldiers as a-match-for-a hundred fighters equipped with high combat capability to creditably perform any operational combat duty in a modern warfare.
    He acquainted himself with the ideological work conducted among its servicepersons, going round a serviceperson's hall, a library, a photo studio and other entertainment and educational facilities and a variety of visual aids.
    He underscored the need for the unit to prepare all its servicepersons as soldiers of Ri Su Bok and Kang Ho Yong types in the era of Songun ready to dedicate their lives to the fight for the motherland in the staunch spirit of defending socialism and with ardent patriotism.
    The next leg of his inspection was a sub-unit of the unit.
    He took deep care of the soldiers' service and living, making the rounds of an educational room, a bedroom, a mess hall, a kitchen, a wash-cum-bath house, a non-staple food store, a barn and other places.
    He was pleased to know that the unit has provided good living conditions to its soldiers. The KPA has brought about a signal turn in improving the servicepersons' diet by effecting a great upswing in the sideline farming, too, in recent years, he said, adding that this shining success is the brilliant fruition of the revolutionary spirit of self-reliance displayed by the KPA while successfully paving a wide avenue for building a rich and powerful country in the noble idea of independence, self-development and self-reliance.
    He gave the servicepersons of the unit a pair of binoculars, a machine gun and an automatic rifle as gifts and had a photo session with them.
    He was accompanied by KPA Generals Ri Myong Su, Hyon Chol Hae and Pak Jae Gyong and Hwang Pyong So, vice department director of the C.C., WPK.

For Spanish-speaking people

CRPP denuncia al "Partido Hannara" del Sur de Corea

    　Pyongyang, 23 de febrero (ATCC) -- El dia 22, el secretariado del Comite por la Reunificacion Pacifica de la Patria (CRPP), en su informacion No. 916, subrayo que esta vez la "corte" surcoreana dicto una sentencia de recompensa sobre el "incidente del profesor Choe Jong Gil", lo cual demuestra otra vez la verdad de la historia de que los crimenes antinacionales y antieticos no pueden ser jamas objeto de la aplicacion de prescripcion. 　La informacion continua:
    　Hace algun tiempo, el "tribunal de apelaciones de Seul" del Sur de Corea reviso de nuevo el "caso de Choe Jong Gil, profesor de la universidad de Seul", intriga anti-RPDC inventada por el "poder" de Pak Jung Hui y dicto la sentencia de que las autoridades deben "indemnizar" a la familia del difunto diciendo que "no se puede aplicar la prescripcion de extincion" a tal acto de que la "Agencia Central de Inteligencia" de aquel tiempo arresto a dicho profesor acusandolo de "espia", lo asesino al cabo de crueles torturas y publico como "suicida" por el respecto.
    　El presente caso, junto con el "incidente del Partido Revolucionario Popular", "el de la Confederacion Nacional de los Jovenes Estudiantes Democraticos" y "el de Berlin Este" no pasa de ser una parte de los crimenes perpetrados por el "poder" fascista militar. Por eso, debe ser liquidada general y estrictamente la historia de crimenes sangrientos de los sucesivos "poderes" fascistas inclusive el "poder de renovacion" que al inventar los incidentes intrigantes anti-RPDC y actos anti-DDHH de toda indole asesinaron cruelmente a muchos habitantes y personalidades patrioticos. 　Hoy en dia, el "partido Hannara", compuesto por los remanentes de la dictadura fascista y sus descendientes, desafia frontalmente a la lucha de los surcoreanos por la liquidacion de la historia criminal. En caso de que esta agrupacion politica tome otra vez el poder, el suelo surcoreano se convertira en un infierno fascista exento de la democracia y DDHH.

ATCC comenta disparates del canciller japones

    　Pyongyang, 23 de febrero (ATCC) -- Antes y despues de las conversaciones Corea-Japon recien efectuadas en Beijing, las autoridades japonesas persisten en que lo medular es la solucion del "problema del secuestro". Lo aboga mas que nadie el canciller Aso Taro.
    En la reunion plenaria de la Camara de Representantes Aso dijo que "para la normalizacion de las relaciones bilaterales debe ser solucionado ante todo el "problema del secuestro" y parloteo que "el arrastro de ciudadanos de otro pais como rehenes es una burla a Japon y no puede ser permitido".
    Entonces, ?por que Aso presta atencion solo al problema del destino de unos japoneses dando espaldas a otros temas principales de las conversaciones y cuestionan el "problema del secuestro" ya solucionado?
    Aso Taro es un descendiente de un linaje que en los siglos pasados habia arrastrado a muchos coreanos a Japon para obligarles trabajos esclavos y acumulo bienes por el costo de sus sudores y sangres.
    Segun los datos, ya a principios de la decada de 1930 incontables obreros coreanos forzadamente arrastrados sometieron al trabajo duro en una mina carbonifera que gestionaba el bisabuelo de Aso. Despues de 1939 el numero de tales obreros trabajados en esta mina llego a un millon 120 mil.
    En un templo budista cerca de la cuenca carbonifera de Chikuo, que la familia de Aso abandono por ultima vez en la decada de 1960, se hallan todavia tumbas de centenares de obreros coreanos desconocidos.
    Sin hablar ni una palabra de la liquidacion del secuestro y arrastro forzados y trabajo esclavo cometidos por sus antecesores, Aso sigue recurriendo al problema ya solucionado.
    Los trabajos forzados por Japon a los coreanos fueron archi-crimenes de violacion de DDHH, que superan los trabajos esclavos de la Edad Media tanto en su caracter explotador como en barbaridad.
    Sin embargo, el pais isleno no quiere reconocerlo ni paga nada de indemnizacion por el respecto.
    Aso esta acorde a tal posicion del gobierno con una intencion de dejar en secreto eterno los crimenes de su pais y de su familia, cometidos al pueblo coreano. 　Pero, nunca pueden ser justificados ni encubiertos los actos criminales de Japon que habia forzado trabajos esclavos a los coreanos.
    　Como no solo un descendiente del linaje criminal sino tambien canciller, Aso debe solucionar con prioridad el problema de la liquidacion del pasado criminal.

EE.UU. debe presentarse ante tribunal de DDHH

    　Pyongyang, 23 de febrero (ATCC) -- Los pueblos progresistas del mundo exigen energicamente poner al desnudo los actos de violacion de poder estatal y de DDHH de los imperialistas yanquis y condenar en el tribunal internacional de DDHH a Estados Unidos que es archi-criminal de violacion de DDHH. Asi senala el diario Rodong Sinmun en un comentario individual del dia 23 y continua:
    EE.UU., so pretexto de "antiterrorismo" y "proteccion de DDHH", perpetra abiertamente la invasion armada y la matanza contra otros paises y pueblos. Tales ejemplos son las guerras balcanica, afgana e iraqui, perpetradas so pretexto de "aseguramiento de la libertad y la democracia" y de "antiterrorismo", en las cuales los uniformados yanquis destruyeron indiscriminadamente lo todo y mataron en masa a los habitantes inocentes.
    Pero, EE.UU. las describe como "actos para la libertad y la democracia" a fin de justificar su violacion de DDHH y arreciar la agresion contra los paises independientes. En particular, la barbaridad de las tropas norteamericanas contra los reos en la base naval norteamericana de Guantanamo no pasa de ser una parte de maltratos y torturas humanos cometidos por EE.UU. que se autodenomina "defensor de DDHH". Este pais norteamericano encarcelo ilicitamente a los cinco patriotas cubanos y los somete a toda clase de maldades, mientras que ampara al terrorista internacional Posada Carriles portandolo como "combatiente antiterrorista", lo cual demuestra fehacientemente lo absurdos y lo enganosos que son la "proteccion de DDHH" y "antiterrorismo" de que hablan tanto los yanquis. Si de veras EE.UU. se opone al terrorismo, debe someter debidamente a Carriles a los derechos internacionales y devolverlo a Cuba segun la demanda del gobierno cubano para que reciba la sentencia del pueblo. Pero, el imperio sigue amparandolo. La teoria de "antiterrorismo" y "proteccion de DDHH" de EE.UU. es la de agresion y de exterminacion humana. El mundo cobra alta conciencia ante tal teoria de EE.UU. Solo cuando luchen con tenacidad contra la "guerra antiterrorista" y la violacion de DDHH de EE.UU., es posible garantizar el poder estatal y los DDHH.