Kim Jong Il Praised in Different Countries

    Pyongyang, December 12 (KCNA) -- Lectures and photo exhibitions were held in India, Tanzania and South Africa from Dec. 1 to 3 on the occasions of the 15th anniversary of Kim Jong Il's assumption of the supreme commandership of the Korean People's Army and the 89th birth anniversary of anti-Japanese war hero Kim Jong Suk. Displayed in the venues of the functions were works of President Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il and the photos showing their Songun revolutionary leadership exploits and the advantages and invincibility of Korean-style socialism.
    Chairman of the Indian Youth Group for the Study of Works of Comrade Kim Il Sung Balzor Singh Chauhan in the lecture titled "Supreme Commander Kim Jong Il, Illustrious Commander Born of Heaven" said that Kim Jong Il, endowed with outstanding political ability and rare military quality, has built invincible armed forces with his Songun politics.
    Francis F. Lyimo, vice-chairman of the Tanzania-DPRK Friendship Association and chairman of the Tanzanian National Coordinating Committee of the Juche Idea Study Groups, in the lecture titled "Outstanding Supreme Commander" said that Kim Jong Il is the most outstanding man in the modern times as he is leading the stand-off with the U.S. to victory.
    Edie Kekana, chairman of the Group for the Study of the Progressive Idea of the Northern Branch of Pretoria of the Democratic Teachers Union of South Africa, in the lecture titled "Supreme Commander Kim Jong Il with the Treasured Sword of Songun in His Hand" expressed belief that the KPA commanded by Kim Jong Il would as always creditably fulfill its sacred mission standing guard over the outpost to accomplish the cause of independence against imperialism.

Actions of KCTU against Retrogressive Revision of Labor Law Go on in S. Korea

    Pyongyang, December 12 (KCNA) -- The south Korean Confederation of Trade Unions reportedly held a meeting in front of the building of the "National Assembly" on Dec. 8 to check the retrogressive revision of the labor law. Speakers including Jo Jun Ho, chairman of the KCTU, called upon the workers to turn out in the death-defying struggle to protect the destiny of the democratic union movement, accusing the "National Assembly" of working hard to railroad a "bill on establishing progressive relations between labor and management" in the wake of its high-handed passage of the "bill on part-timers."
    Infuriated by the passage of the above-said bill on the progressive relations between labor and management through the "environment and labor committee" of the NA, workers launched a fierce struggle to enter the building of the NA.
    Many workers were wounded due to the brutal police crackdown and more than 20 workers including Ho Yong Gu, vice-chairman of the KCTU, were walked away.
    The KCTU held a meeting of representatives of the headquarters for the emergency struggle on the spot at which it decided to call a general strike on Dec. 11.

S. Korean Authorities' Decision to Extend Deployment of Troops in Iraq under Fire

    Pyongyang, December 12 (KCNA) -- The south Korean authorities and the Uri Party of south Korea reached what they called "party and government agreement" on extending the term of the south Korean troops' presence in Iraq till late 2007. This is the crime which can be committed only by the traitors who are utterly indifferent to the dignity and interests of the Korean nation and feel no shame and despicable submission to the U.S. as this means taking the lead in backing the U.S. imperialists in their moves for aggression. Papers today observe this in their signed commentaries.
    Rodong Sinmun says:
    The U.S. has plugged south Korea deep into the Iraqi war under the pretext of what it called "alliance" with it. This is aimed at reducing south Korea to a partner of the U.S. aggression troops and using young and middle-aged south Koreans as their canon fodder.
    The south Korean authorities seek to remain in power in return for serving and pleasing their American master. How miserable the south Korean regime is as it can hardly exist without the backing of the U.S.
    Flunkeyism, treachery and dependence on outside forces will bring nothing but shameful destruction. History clearly proves what a miserable end those who worked hard to serve the U.S. to gratify their personal greed for power met while being utterly indifferent to the interests of the country and the nation.
    Minju Joson urges the south Korean authorities to take the stand of national independence, a stand of attaching importance to the nation and working for cooperation between compatriots, away from the idea of submitting to the U.S., retract the above-said decision and move at once to pull back the troops from Iraq.

Repression of Youth Organization in S. Korea Denounced

    Pyongyang, December 12 (KCNA) -- The Headquarters of Youth and Students of the South Side Committee for Implementing the June 15 Joint Declaration reportedly issued a statement on Dec. 8, sharply denouncing the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Unification for not allowing the South Korean Council of Youth Organizations to participate in a function scheduled in Mt. Kumgang from Dec. 8 to 10 for no reason. Recalling that young people and students across south Korea had hastened preparations for the reunification function of youths and students, the statement went on:
    But the Ministry of Unification on Dec. 7 took a measure of banning Pak Hui Jin, vice-chairman of the South Korean Council of Youth Organizations, from going to the function. The reason was that there had been "an advice" to the effect from the Ministry of Justice.
    This year alone, Pak Hui Jin in the capacity of vice-chairman of the council has attended several times working negotiations and joint events held by youths and students from both parts of Korea.
    Utterly not understandable is the inconsistent act of the Ministry of Unification in refusing to allow the participation of the council in the function, reading another's face, according to the advice of the Ministry of Justice, contrary to the least knowledge of law.
    Now it is more urgent than ever before to bring together the will and mind of the nation for the achievement of peace on the Korean Peninsula by boosting contact, exchange and cooperation between the south and the north and no one should be elbowed aside in this.

Book on Joint National Functions Published in S. Korea

    Pyongyang, December 12 (KCNA) -- The South Side Committee for Implementing the June 15 Joint Declaration recently published the book "White Paper of Joint National Functions," according to a media report. It consists of two volumes.
    The first one contains articles on the processes of north-south non-governmental exchanges ever since the publication of the June 15 joint declaration and the second one pictures of north-south joint functions held in Pyongyang, Seoul, Mt. Kumgang Resort and other places and exchanges that took place between the two sides.
    The committee held a meeting in Seoul on December 8 upon the publication of the book.

Elevation of Japan Defense Agency to Ministry Status Assailed

    Pyongyang, December 12 (KCNA) -- The House of Representatives of Japan at a plenary meeting on November 30 passed a bill related to the elevation of the Japan Defense Agency to the status of ministry. Describing this as a very dangerous development in view of peace and security in Northeast Asia, an analyst of Minju Joson Tuesday says:
    The overseas dispatch of the Japan "Self-defense Forces" is legally banned and Japan is under a strict watch of the international community as a war defeated state.
    The successive reactionary governments of Japan after the war have persistently attempted to get rid of this legal and institutional mechanism, considering it to be "political shackles" binding them hand and foot.
    There is no doubt that Japan will give greater spurs to its conversion into a military giant and militarist expansion overseas after obtaining enhanced functions in the defense field. This will put peace and security in Northeast Asia at stake and increase the military tension in the region.
    This proves that the Japanese reactionaries are dangerous forces of a war of aggression who do not think twice about a criminal act of harassing peace and security in the region when it comes to attaining their ambition for militarist expansion overseas.
    The Japanese reactionaries would be held fully responsible for the grave consequences to be entailed by their reckless behavior.

U.S. Hostile Policy toward DPRK Bound to Go Bankrupt

    Pyongyang, December 12 (KCNA) -- The U.S. had better draw a serious lesson from its failure in its hostile policy toward the DPRK this year and make a switchover in its policy, urges Rodong Sinmun Tuesday in a signed article. The U.S. has worked hard to seriously infringe upon the dignity and sovereignty of the DPRK from the outset of the year, the article notes, and goes on:
    A typical example of this is "OPLAN 5027-03" which the U.S. modified and supplemented to suit "new security environment."
    The U.S. imperialists newly established "CONPLAN-8022" after deciding to round off their conception plan called "OPLAN 5029" aimed at coping with the "contingency" on the Korean Peninsula as a military operational scenario.
    According to the new military operational plan, they brought a nuclear carrier and its flotilla made up of Enterprise, Aegis destroyer, cruiser and submarine, etc. to Pusan Port and massively hurled a task force including F-15Ks into south Korea.
    The Bush administration has escalated sanctions and pressure upon the DPRK, talking about "overall examination" of its DPRK policy and "hard-line counteraction."
    The U.S. imperialists kicked up a hysteric row against the DPRK in the sky and land and on the sea in and around south Korea by mobilizing their allies and even the nuclear carrier task force at a time when a touch-and-go situation prevailed in Korea. This saber rattling was prompted by their gunboat diplomacy and horror strategy.
    It was their calculation that the Korean people would make a concession and yield to their gunboat diplomacy and horror strategy. By doing so they tried to achieve their goal to invade the DPRK with ease. In a nutshell, the U.S. hostile policy toward the DPRK this year was a product of the Bush administration's crafty and vicious attempt to realize its brazen-faced design to bring the DPRK to its knees and put it under their domination through high-handed military actions and sanctions.
    The U.S. imperialists and their allies posed serious threats to the DPRK and made desperate efforts to bring it to its knees but all this proved futile.
    The DPRK has honorably defended peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and the rest of the world from the U.S. imperialists' attempt to provoke a war. The U.S. dared not ignite another war of aggression in Korea in face of the DPRK's powerful war deterrent.
    The DPRK reacted to the U.S. hard-line stand with the toughest stand. It exerted positive efforts to foil the U.S. hostile policy toward it and defended peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and the rest of the world.
    The Korean people, looking back on the struggle waged by them this year to defend socialism, standing in confrontation with the U.S., once again harden their conviction that the U.S. imperialists' hostile policy toward the DPRK is always bound to meet a failure and setback as it remains ever stronger under the Songun leadership of Kim Jong Il.

Syrian Delegation Here

    Pyongyang, December 12 (KCNA) -- A delegation of the Syrian Ministry of Interior headed by its Vice-Minister Ibrahim Faiz Mousli arrived here today.

Aphorism on Great National Unity

    Pyongyang, December 12 (KCNA) -- "Unity leads a nation to prosperity and split leads a nation to ruin". This aphorism of Kim Jong Il indicates the clear-cut way for the members of the nation to shape their own destiny. A nation is a most solid and inclusive social collective and the community of same destiny. A nation, the main unit in carving out the destiny of people, presupposes the unity. If a nation is dismembered without achieving unity, the nation cannot keep itself as a social collective and a community of same destiny and will go to ruin in the long run.
    This is the truth shown by the history of the Korean nation.
    The Korean nation had keenly experienced the importance of the unity as a ruined nation. It could make a new history of national unity under the leadership of President Kim Il Sung, peerlessly great man.
    The tradition of the great national unity is successfully carried forward by Kim Jong Il.
    He set forth the idea of the great national unity that the Koreans in the north, south and abroad should firmly unite for the country's reunification under the banner of patriotism, the banner of national reunification, transcending the interests of class and strata irrespective of differences in ideas, systems, political opinions and religious belief.
    The developing movement for national reunification proves the truth of this aphorism.
    After the publication of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration, the south Korean people from all strata hardened their will to promote the reconciliation and unity and to strive for reunification, visiting Pyongyang, Mt. Paektu and Mt. Kumgang.
    More than ten times of reunion of families and relatives who have been separated into the north and the south for scores of years, reunification festivals held in various places of the north and the south and joint entrance of athletes of the north and the south into international events--all these strikingly show that the Korean nation is realizing reconciliation and unity on the way to shape the destiny.
    The aphorism of Kim Jong Il implants patriotism in the hearts of the fellow countrymen who have turned out in the movement for the independence and reunification of the nation and inspires them to devoted efforts for the cause.

New Vegetable Cultivation Technology Introduced in DPRK

    Pyongyang, December 12 (KCNA) --The Central Vegetable Institute under the Academy of Agricultural Science has recently introduced a new technology in cultivating various kinds of young vegetables. The technology does not need making of seedbed and plucking of young plants, thus saving a great deal of manpower.
    By the new technology, a seed is correctly sowed in a hole. So it does not waste seeds, compared with previous methods in which seeds are sprayed in seedbeds or several seeds are sowed in a humus-cake.
    As the seedlings are healthily raised under same nutritive condition and their roots are not damaged while transplantation, their output is high.

DPRK Women's Football Team to Advance into Finals at 15th Asiad

    Pyongyang, December 12 (KCNA) -- The DPRK women's football team beat the Chinese team 3:1 in the semi-finals at the 15th Asian Games held in Qatar on Dec. 10. The DPRK team will face the Japanese team in the finals on Dec. 13.

Japanese Police Unreasonable Search Operation against Chongryon and Its Organizations Protested

    Tokyo, December 10 (KNS-KCNA) -- The General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon) and other organizations of Koreans in Japan separately held emergency meetings on the spot to denounce the Japanese reactionaries for their recent unreasonable search operations against Chongryon and other organizations of Koreans in Japan one after another. A reporter and speakers at an emergency meeting held in Hyogo Prefecture on Dec. 6 recalled that Korean businessmen in Japan have striven hard to protect their business right and vital rights, while observing the law of Japan, adding that there is no reason for the Prefectural Association of Korean Workers in Commerce to be subject to forcible search.
    They declared they would stand up firm as a united force against the forcible search operation of the Japanese government and police authorities and all sorts of moves against Chongryon and Korean residents in Japan.
    Japanese figures made solidarity speeches at the meeting. A Hyogo prefectural committee of measures against the unreasonable suppression by the Japanese authorities was inaugurated there.
    A similar meeting took place in Kanagawa Prefecture on the same day. A reporter and speakers disclosed the grave and brutal nature of the recent forcible search conducted by the Japanese policy agency and a sinister political aim sought by it.
    An emergency meeting was also held in Arakawa Ward, Tokyo Metropolis on Dec. 5.
    A reporter at the meeting branded the forcible search conducted by Japanese policemen in the house of a Korean in Japan on the charge of "violation of the law on medicines" as a very foolish and reckless act.
    Kenzo Kogawa, a Japanese lawyer, in a speech made at the meeting, dismissed this forcible search as unwarranted.

For Spanish-speaking people

AJDC demanda indemnizacion de crimenes del pasado de Japon

    Pyongyang, 12 de diciembre (ATCC) -- El portavoz de la Asociacion de Juristas Democratas de Corea (AJDC) emitio la vispera una declaracion en ocasion del 70 aniversario de la promulgacion de la llamada "ley de proteccion y observacion de presos politicos" por parte de los imperialistas japoneses. Japon debe pedir disculpas y recompensar sus macro-crimenes cometidos en el siglo pasado al violar la soberania del pueblo coreano e intentar exterminar a la misma nacion coreana practicando una brutal represion fascista sin precedente en la historia tras ocupar militarmente a Corea, senala el documento y prosigue:
    A mediados de la decada de 1930, se intensifico la lucha armada antijaponesa de la nacion coreana con el monte Paektu como base central y sus influencias crecieron en el interior del pais.
    A fin de bloquearlas, el 12 de diciembre de 1936, los imperialistas japoneses promulgaron la ley mencionada como el "decreto general" no. 16.
    En virtud de ella, se prohiben la residencia, el contacto con otros y el carteo a las personas a quienes no se puede imputar inmediatamente la responsabilidad penal por la falta de "pruebas", los "presos politicos" excarcelados por la misma razon y a los sospechados ideologicamente "peligrosos".
    Ademas, en marzo de 1941 promulgaron otra legislacion mas infame: "decreto de arresto preventivo de presos politicos", en virtud de la cual arrestaron, reprimieron y ejecutaron salvajemente a los patriotas catalogados de "personas en la lista negra", "perturbadores ideologicos" y "antagonistas" y hasta a aquellas personas que no les agradaban.
    Segun datos publicados, los patriotas llevados a la carcel o los "reclusorios de proteccion y observacion de presos politicos" acusados de "presos politicos" ascendieron a mas de 92 mil 580 en 1936 y a mas de 165 mil 300 en 1938. Entre ellos, muchas personas fueron asesinadas tragicamente a consecuencia de las torturas barbaras que les obligaban la conversion ideologica.
    En la historia estan registrados numerosos casos de agresion y dominacion colonial de los imperialistas contra otros paises y naciones.
    Pero, ningun imperialismo fue tan cruel y feroz como el japones que oso concretar en una "ley" esos actos anti-eticos mas barbaros para reprimir salvajemente la lucha del pueblo coreano por la soberania nacional y la independencia del pais.
    Japon, que tiene ese abultado expediente criminal, no tiene derecho ni cara para hablar de los supuestos "derechos humanos".

Periodicos exigen retirada inmediata de efectivos surcoreanos de Irak

    Pyongyang, 12 de diciembre (ATCC) -- Recientemente, las autoridades surcoreanas y el "Partido Uri" lograron un consenso del "partido y el gobierno" de prolongar un ano, especificamente, hasta finales de 2007 el periodo de estacionamiento de efectivos surcoreanos en Irak. Esto deviene un acto criminal antinacional de quienes no toman en consideracion la dignidad e intereses de la nacion ni saben lo que es la verguenza nacional, siendo una virulenta sumision a Estados Unidos.
    Asi senalan los periodicos capitalinos en sendos comentarios individuales publicados este martes.
    Bajo el pretexto de la "alianza" con el Sur de Corea, EE.UU. lo ata cada vez mas fuerte a la guerra iraqui a fin de convertirlo en un acompanante de la coalicion agresora y usar a los jovenes y adultos surcoreanos como carnes de canon y escudos de los uniformados estadounidenses, insiste el periodico Rodong Sinmun y prosigue:
    Las autoridades surcoreanas tratan de mantener su "poder" adulando a su amo gringo.
    Es muy pobre el "gobierno" surcoreano que no puede existir sin el apoyo de EE.UU.
    El servilismo a las grandes potencias y la dependencia de las fuerzas foraneas traeran solo la vergonzosa autodestruccion.
    La historia mostro que sufrieron siempre un tragico fin todos aquellos que sin tomar en consideracion los intereses del pais y la nacion, actuaban enloquecidos por el servilismo a EE.UU. para satisfacer su ambicion por el poder.
    El periodico Minju Joson exige a las autoridades surcoreanas que se liberen de la conciencia de sumision a EE.UU. consistente en dar importancia a las fuerzas foraneas y tomen la medida de retirar inmediatamente a sus efectivos de Irak al revocar la prolongacion de la presencia de estos en este pais persico adoptando la posicion de independencia nacional fundamentada en dar mayor peso a la nacion y cooperar entre los connacionales.

Minju Joson denuncia maniobras militaristas de Japon

    Pyongyang, 12 de diciembre (ATCC) -- El pasado 30 de noviembre, en la reunion ordinaria de la camara de representantes de Japon se dio luz verde al proyecto de ley sobre la subida del rango de la "Agencia de Defensa" como el "Ministerio". Esto es un peligroso acontecimiento para la paz y la seguridad del Nordeste Asiatico.
    Asi senala el periodico Minju Joson en un comentario individual del dia 12 y continua:
    Como Japon es un pais derrotado en la Segunda Guerra Mundial, se le prohibe legalmente el envio de sus "fuerzas de autodefensa" a ultramar y se halla bajo estricta vigilancia de la sociedad internacional.
    Despues del fin de esa conflagracion mundial, los sucesivos gobiernos reaccionarios de Japon se sentian molestos por tales aparatos legales e institucionales considerandolos como "atadura politica" y maniobraron obstinadamente para liberarse de los mismos.
    Es indudable que en lo adelante, Japon, que adquirio mayor facultad en el dominio de "defensa", daria mas acicate a la conversion en una potencia militar y las maniobras de expansion militarista a ultramar. Por consiguiente, la paz y la seguridad del Nordeste Asiatico correran mayor peligro y se agrandara la tension militar en esta region.
    Esto comprueba que los reaccionarios japoneses son peligrosas fuerzas belicistas que para realizar su ambicion expansionista, no vacilan hasta en perturbar la paz y la seguridad de la region.
    Los reaccionarios japoneses asumiran toda la responsabilidad por la grave consecuencia que emane de sus imprudentes actos.