February 16 Celebrated in Different Countries

     Pyongyang, March 6 (KCNA) -- A meeting and a book and photo exhibition were held in Sri Lanka and Ecuador on Feb. 6 and 22 on the occasion of the February holiday. The Sri Lankan minister of Justice, addressing the meeting, said that the revolutionary activity of leader Kim Jong Il is consistent with the struggle to carry forward and accomplish the revolutionary cause of Juche pioneered by President Kim Il Sung. Thanks to his Songun politics, he said, the Korean people will win a greater victory.
    Reggie Ranatunge, chairman of the Sri Lanka-People's Korea Friendship Association, noted that it is under the wise leadership of respected Kim Jong Il that the Korean people are giving full play to the might of Korean-style socialism without the slightest vacillation despite the U.S. moves to isolate and stifle the DPRK. Trotsky Serano, international secretary of the Socialist Party-Ample Front of Ecuador who is president of the Canar Provincial Institute for Friendship and Solidarity with the DPRK of Ecuador, stated that Marshal Kim Jong Il has equipped himself with the personality and qualification of a leader of people from his childhood after he was born on Mt. Paektu and is respected and revered by the progressive humankind of the world as the genius of military affairs and a veteran statesman. The greatest one of his exploits is to pursue the Songun politics, said Serano.

Cancel of "Bill on Part-time Job" Demanded in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, March 6 (KCNA) -- Organizations of lawyers in south Korea including the Bar Association for Democratic Society held a press conference in front of the building of the "National Assembly" on Mar. 1 to demand the cancel of the "bill on part-time job", according to the south Korean MBC. The organizations charged that the bill was railroaded through the "Environment and Labor Committee of the National Assembly" by a secret-room conspiracy between the ruling and opposition parties without public consent. And they stressed that the bill may give unlimited permission to contractual employment and expand substantial dispatch of labour to bring about unrest of employment.

Opening of June 15 Era of Reunification Called for

     Pyongyang, March 6 (KCNA) -- The Solidarity of Youth and Students for Implementing the June 15 Joint Declaration in south Korea reportedly made public a statement on March 1 on the occasion of the 87th anniversary of the March First Popular Uprising. The spirit of the March first movement for independence is continuously inherited in the June 15 era, the statement said, stressing that all the fellow countrymen out in the movement for independent reunification would wipe out the U.S. and pro-American conservative forces with a powerful anti-U.S. resistance.
    No matter how desperately the U.S. and pro-American conservative forces may try to block national reconciliation, cooperation and reunification, they cannot check the nationwide trend for independent reunification, peace against war and great national unity, the statement noted, adding that youths and students would take the lead in the struggle to open up the June 15 era of reunification in the spirit of national independence.

Resignation of Lawmaker from GNP Demanded

     Pyongyang, March 6 (KCNA) -- The Uri Party of south Korea demanded Choe Yon Hui, former secretary general of the Grand National Party, resign his seat in the "National Assembly" for his molestation of a woman journalist, according to the south Korean KBS on March 1. A spokesman for the Uri Party in a press interview disclosed that sexual abuser Choe is just waiting for the situation to be eased in hiding after leaving the GNP, demanding he own the responsibility for the case and resign the post of the lawmaker. On the same day, the south Korean Council of Woman Student Representatives in a statement accused Choe of making shameless and illogical excuses that "he was so drunk that he took her for a hostess of the restaurant" in a bid to shirk his responsibility, and demanded he resign the post of lawmaker.

S. Korean Religionists Clarify Stance on Reunification

     Pyongyang, March 6 (KCNA) -- The Religious Committee of the Advisory Council for Democracy and Peaceful Reunification made up of representatives of Christian, Buddhist, Chondoist, Catholic, Round Buddhist and other religious organizations reportedly clarified the stance of the religionists on reunification on February 28. The committee held that laws should be readjusted for the effectuation of the July 4 South-North Joint Statement and the June 15 joint declaration in order to achieve peace on the Korean Peninsula and promote the reconciliation and cooperation between the south and the north of Korea.
    Calling upon the authorities to readjust the leftovers of the Cold War still remaining in laws including the "National Security Law" and regulations, the committee stressed that although this kind of work has been proposed late, there is no reason to hesitate to do so if it is badly needed for the south-north reconciliation.

Japanese Ultra-Right Conservatives' Reckless Remarks under Fire

     Pyongyang, March 6 (KCNA) -- Never have so shameless and provocative outcries distorting and denying the history of aggression been heard from Japan as today. Rodong Sinmun today observes this in a signed commentary assailing Foreign Minister Aso and other ultra-right conservatives for letting loose recently a string of jargons whitewashing the crimes committed by the Japanese imperialists in the past. It goes on:
    The voices blasting the unreasonable behavior of Japan are growing stronger in the world than ever before. Even the U.S. political circles and media are becoming critical of the Japanese right conservative politicians' frantic moves to whitewash the past crimes and revive militarism.
    Japan's wrong attitude toward the history of aggression and its settlement proves that it does not want peace but aggression and war.
    Japan's ultra-right conservatives are keen to instill a militarist viewpoint on history and the spirit of revenge deep into the Japanese people and create a social atmosphere to stage a comeback to Korea. This is evidenced by Japan's reality. Japan has already rounded off its material, military and legal arrangements for overseas aggression. What remains to be done is to put its scenario for overseas aggression into practice. Korea is made its primary target.
    Japan is tampering with its criminal history of brigandish occupation of Korea and colonial domination over it, while persistently evading its responsibility for settling its past. It is working hard to grab Tok Islet and concentrically deploying the main forces of the "Self-Defence Forces" in western Japan. All these moves clearly indicate that the Japanese militarists' moves for reinvasion of Korea have reached a reckless stage. No distortion can ever change history. It will remain unchanged despite the change of the era and the flow of the time.

Anti-reunification Remarks of Lawmaker from GNP under Fire in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, March 6 (KCNA) -- The Taejon and South Chungchong Provincial Solidarity for Implementing the June 15 Joint Declaration in south Korea reportedly released a statement on February 24, which slashed at the remarks made by Jon Ryo Ok, a lawmaker from the "Grand National Party," seriously damaging the meaning of the joint declaration. Accusing Jon of talking nonsense that the joint declaration "was bought," the statement termed this a childish judgment made by a person who failed to grasp the meaning of the declaration and a challenge to the people's desire for reunification in the June 15 era.
    Such reckless behavior of the GNP as talking rubbish without elementary political sense can never be tolerated, it said, contending that any statesman should be responsible for his or her words and deeds.
    Jon should own the responsibility for her remarks insulting the June 15 joint declaration that serves as guidelines for all the fellow countrymen desirous of national reunification and promptly quit the political camp, the statement urged.

RS. on Ideological and Moral Trait of Songun Revolutionary Fighters

     Pyongyang, March 6 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun Monday says in a signed article that the general march of the Songun revolution today is an ideological onward movement to bring about a new turn not only in the economic field but in ideological consciousness and mental and moral trait of people as well. What is important in the ideological and moral trait of march fighters is the invariable revolutionary faith that they will firmly believe and follow leader Kim Jong Il only and share life and death with the headquarters of the revolution, the paper says, and goes on:
    The single-minded unity of our army and people around Kim Jong Il is a basic guarantee for prosperity of socialism.
    It is the noblest ideological and moral trait for the revolutionary soldiers to follow their leader invariably and share life and death with him.
    What is also important in the ideological and moral trait of march fighters is confidence in certain victory of socialism and revolutionary optimism. Socialism and the destiny of Korean people are linked with each other as one. It is a lesson of history that the defence of socialism means victory but the abandonment of it means death.
    The conviction that only socialism enables people to defend their dignity and right, true life and happiness, and optimism that Korean-style socialism will make a long drive,--this is the revolutionary faith of our army and people.
    The moves of the U.S. imperialists to isolate and stifle Korean-style socialism are now becoming more vicious, but they cannot break the revolutionary faith of our army and people who regard socialism as their life and soul.
    The Korean army and people will continue to make leaping progress and innovation in the building of a great prosperous powerful socialist nation with the might of a revolutionary offensive, rallied close around Kim Jong Il.

Struggle against Anti-Reunification Forces Called for

     Pyongyang, March 6 (KCNA) -- It is one of the major tasks before the three-point patriotic movement of the Korean people to struggle against the anti-reunification forces of south Korea including the "Grand National Party". Rodong Sinmun today says this in a by-lined article. It is the intrinsic requirements of the movement for national reunification to struggle against the anti-reunification forces, the article notes, and goes on: The Korean people have waged a stubborn struggle for smashing the challenges and obstructions of the anti-reunification forces at home and abroad in the whole course of the movement for national reunification.
    The pro-U.S. conservative forces in south Korea are a major obstacle to the patriotic movement for independent reunification, peace against war and great national unity. The Koreans should regard the struggle against the anti-reunification forces as one of the major tasks before the three-point patriotic movement and wage an uncompromising struggle against the pro-U.S. conservative forces of south Korea opposed to national reconciliation and independent reunification. The movement of Koreans for national reunification has developed into an all-people movement for reunification and patriotism irrespective of differences in ideology, political view and religious faith under the uplifted banner of the June 15 joint declaration.
    No force on earth can match the united strength of the nation. The pro-U.S. conservative forces in south Korea zealously toeing the hostile policy of the U.S. imperialists towards the DPRK have become extremely frantic in their moves to perpetuate the national division and escalate the confrontation among compatriots. This reality urgently requires the Korean people to wage a more dynamic struggle for smashing their machinations. The steadily advancing movement for reunification alone can contribute to achieving the cause of national independence. In this sense reunification requires a struggle and vice versa.
    Victory is always in store for the Korean people waging a dynamic struggle against the anti-reunification forces at home and abroad under the banner of the June 15 joint declaration.

Korean Painting Attracting World's Interest

     Pyongyang, March 6 (KCNA) -- KCNA recently interviewed with People's Artist Sonu Yong of the Mansudae Art Studio about the world's trend of fine art. Expressing what he had felt at the Eighth Beijing International Art Exhibition, Sonu said:
    The exhibition was attended by more than 300 fine art companies from over 20 countries including France and Singapore. Displayed there were over 10,000 pieces of art works.
    The standings were decided by the method of bringing together the opinions of visitors at the exhibition where gold prizes were awarded to the Korean paintings "Lake Chon on Mt. Paektu" (by Sonu Yong) and "River Nam in Winter" (by Jong Chang Mo) respectively.
    A lot of art experts and fans appreciated the Korean pictures, saying that they boosted the realistic fine art onto a higher standard and represented the oriental pictures. He had felt this at international art exhibitions held in various countries and his individual ones, but it was at the recent Beijing exhibition that he was strongly impressed by the attention of the world fine art circles being focused on the realistic fine art, on the Korean paintings in particular, he added.
    As for the secret of the Korean paintings attracting the attention of the world fine art circles, he went on to say: People are charmed by the realistic fine art which reflects the beauty of humans and nature and is of cognitional and educational significance more than abstract pictures apart from realistic representation of the objective realities. The Korean painting with a long history reflects well the reality so as to give people cubic, chiaroscuro and infinitely spatial effects that one cannot feel at the European paintings based on surface representation and oriental paintings based on Indian ink and lines.
    The Korean painting, which has turned from Indian ink painting to colored painting, is developing to suit the modern aesthetics, keeping the traditional drawing technique alive.
    Under the wise leadership of Kim Jong Il, great master of art, the Juche-oriented fine art, which entered a new stage of development in the 1970s, is now at its heyday. The Korean painting will get more popular in the world fine art circles.

Commemorative Stamp Issued in DPRK

     Pyongyang, March 6 (KCNA) -- A new souvenir sheet has been issued to commemorate the publication of the first stamps in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The government brought out two kinds of stamps including "Samson Rock", the first of their kinds in the democratic Korea after liberation, on March 12, Juche 35(1946), upholding the instruction of President Kim Il Sung that new stamps should be made to be congenial to the reality of the country and life emotion of the people. Printed on the souvenir sheet are the words "In commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the publication of the first stamps in the DPRK" and "Juche35 (1946)-Juche95 (2006)".
    It depicts the Samson Rock, flanked by pictures showing communication means such as airplane, railroad train, ship and TV relay tower. Its face value is 158 won.

For Spanish-speaking people

Reto de Japon a la opinion interna y externa

    　Pyongyang, 6 de marzo (ATCC) -- En estos dias, el canciller japones Aso y otras fuerzas conservadoras de ultraderecha sueltan disparates mas vergonzosos y desafiadores tergiversando y embelleciendo la historia de agresion de los imperialistas japoneses. 　Al respecto el diario Rodong Sinmun inserto en su edicion del dia 6 un comentario individual que senala en particular:
    　Hoy todo el mundo denuncia el injusto comportamiento de Japon y hasta el circulo politico y la prensa de Estados Unidos elevan voces de reproche a los politiqueros conservadores de derecha de Japon que embellecen sus crimenes perpetrados en el pasado e intentan resurgir el militarismo.
    　La erronea actitud de Japon con respecto a su historia de agresion y la liquidacion del pasado criminal demuestra que este pais isleno no desea la paz sino persigue la agresion y la guerra.
    　Las fuerzas conservadoras ultraderechistas de Japon maniobran para inculcar a su poblacion la concepcion de historia militarista y el revanchismo y crear un ambiente social para una nueva agresion. Lo prueba la realidad de Japon. 　Japon dio termino a sus preparativos materiales, militares y juridicos para la agresion a ultramar. Lo que queda por hacer es llevar a la practica el plan de agresion que tiene por el blanco No.1 la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea. 　La tergiversacion de la historia criminal de su ocupacion y dominacion colonial sobre Corea, la negacion obstinada de la liquidacion de su pasado criminal, la intencion de usurpar la isla Tok y la ubicacion concentrada de "sus fuerzas de autodefensa" en la region occidental de su pais son pruebas fehacientes de que han llegado a la etapa temeraria las maniobras de los militaristas japoneses para una nueva agresion a Corea. 　La historia queda como tal, por mas que se intente tergiversarla y transcurra el tiempo.

Rodong Sinmun llama a la lucha contra las fuerzas anti-reunificacion

     Pyongyang, 6 de marzo (ATCC) -- La lucha contra el "partido Hannara" y otras fuerzas anti-reunificacion del Sur de Corea es una de las tareas principales que incumben este ano a los tres movimientos patrioticos de la nacion coreana. Asi senala el periodico Rodong Sinmun en un articulo individual del dia 6 y continua: Esta lucha es la demanda intrinseca del movimiento por la reunificacion de la patria. En todo el proceso de este movimiento, los coreanos desarrollaron una tenaz lucha por destruir los desafios y las maniobras obstructoras de dichas fuerzas internas y externas. Las fuerzas conservadoras proyanquis del Sur de Corea son obstaculo principal para los tres movimientos por la reunificacion independiente, por la paz contra la guerra y por la gran unidad nacional.
    La nacion coreana debe librar esta lucha tomandola por la tarea principal de los tres movimientos y desplegar una lucha intransigente contra las fuerzas conservadoras proyanquis del Sur de Corea que se oponen a la reconciliacion y la reunificacion independiente de la nacion.
    Bajo la bandera de la Declaracion Conjunta del 15 de Junio, el movimiento por la reintegracion nacional se desarrollo en uno patriotico pannacional por encima de las diferencias de ideologia, ideal, criterio politico y creencia.
    Nadie podra vencer la fuerza unida de la nacion.
    Hoy, llegan al extremo las maniobras de division y enfrentamiento nacional de las fuerzas conservadoras proyanquis del Sur de Corea adheridas a la politica de EE.UU. de hostilizar a Corea. Tal realidad demanda apremiantemente dar mas impulso a la lucha por destruir las maquinaciones de las fuerzas anti-reunificacion. Solo el movimiento por la reunificacion en avance continuo contribuira a la causa de la independencia nacional. En este sentido la reunificacion significa la lucha y viceversa.
    Habra siempre la victoria para la nacion coreana en lucha contra las fuerzas anti-reunificacion internas y externas bajo la bandera de la Declaracion Conjunta del 15 de Junio.

Emitido sello en conmemoracion del primer sello de la RPDC

    　Pyongyang, 6 de marzo (ATCC) -- Fue emitido un nuevo sello (papel enterizo de pequeno tamano) dedicado a la emision del primer ejemplar de la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea. 　Siguiendo la indicacion del Presidente Kim Il Sung de disenar sellos conforme a la realidad de la patria y los sentimientos del pueblo, el gobierno emitio el 12 de marzo del 35 (1946) de la Era Juche 2 sellos incluyendo el Samsonam", primer ejemplar de Corea democratica liberada.
    　En el nuevo se ven las letras tales como “En conmemoracion del 60 aniversario de la emision del primer sello de la RPDC” y “El 35 (1946) de la Era Juche - El 95 (2006) de la Era Juche" y estan dibujados avion, tren, barco, torre de transmision de TV y otros medios de comunicaciones flanqueando en ambos lados al primer sello “Samsonam”. 　Su valor nominal es de 158 wones (moneda nacional de Corea).