Gifts and New Year Cards to Kim Jong Il

     Pyongyang, December 29 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il was presented with gifts and New Year cards by the State Academic Moiseyev Dance Company of Russia, its director and her husband and principal actors and actresses on the occasion of the New Year. The gifts and New Year cards were conveyed to an official of the DPRK embassy in Moscow by Director of the dance company Elena Scherbakova.

Important Days of DPRK Commemorated in Different Countries

     Pyongyang, December 29 (KCNA) -- Seminars, meetings, film shows and book, photo and handicraft exhibitions took place and art performances were given in Russia, Mongolia and Syria from Dec. 16 to 23 on the occasions of the 15th anniversary of leader Kim Jong Il's assumption of office as supreme commander of the Korean People's Army and the 89th birth anniversary of anti-Japanese war hero Kim Jong Suk. Chairman Dmitri Kostenko and Scientific Secretary Pavel Bilevski of the Russian Youth Association for the Study of the Juche Idea at the seminar said that all the victories won by the DPRK are the fruition of the wise guidance of Kim Jong Il, the great Songun brilliant commander possessed of clairvoyant wisdom and superb strategy. The KPA under his supreme commandership is a matchless army, they noted. Ch. Surenjav, chairman of the Mongolia-Korea Friendship Society, in a speech at a meeting referred to the fact that Kim Jong Suk Kindergarten widely introduced the feats performed by the three generals of Mt. Paektu while significantly commemorating December 24 every year.
    The manager of the Syrian newspaper Al Usubuu Al Riadih at a seminar said that the DPRK will shine forever as an independent country, a strong fortress of the anti-imperialist struggle and a beacon of hope for the world people as it is led by Kim Jong Il.
    The participants in the film shows watched "Unofficial Visit of the Great Leader Comrade Kim Jong Il to Cities of the Russian Federation and His Sojourn There," "The Rivers and Mountains of the Country Being Face-lifted under the Leadership of the Great General" and other Korean films.
    Congratulatory messages to Kim Jong Il were adopted at the functions in Russia and Mongolia.

Japanese Authorities' Suppression of Chongryon under Fire

     Pyongyang, December 29 (KCNA) -- Austrian organizations issued a statement and sent a letter of protest to the Japanese embassy in Vienna on Dec. 21 to denounce the Japanese authorities' suppression of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon). The Group of Youth for the Study of Kim Jong Il Juche Idea in Vienna in a statement said that the moves of the Japanese authorities against Chongryon have reached an extreme phase. This is an unpardonable criminal act prompted by their hostility toward the DPRK and Chongryon and an indication of the moral vulgarity of the Japanese government, it noted.
    It demanded the Japanese authorities stop at once the suppression of Chongryon and make an apology and compensation for the crimes committed by Japan against the Korean people in the past.
    The Left Bloc of the Austrian Trade Union Federation in a letter of protest expressed resentment at the Japanese authorities' evermore undisguised suppression of Chongryon and Koreans in Japan.
    It went on: We lodge a strong protest with Japan against its intensified crackdown upon the Koreans in Japan and its unreasonable search operations against organizations under Chongryon and Koreans in Japan under an absurd pretext.
    We bitterly assail the suppression of Chongryon by the Japanese authorities and demand the Japanese government stop it at once and lift the unreasonable sanctions against the DPRK.

DPRK's Important Days Observed in Foreign Countries

     Pyongyang, December 29 (KCNA) -- Peruvian and Egyptian organizations issued bulletins on the occasions of the 15th anniversary of leader Kim Jong Il's assumption of office as supreme commander of the Korean People's Army and the 89th birth anniversary of anti-Japanese war hero Kim Jong Suk. An article titled "Leader Kim Jong Il and Songun Politics of Korea" carried on the bulletin of the Egypt-Korea Friendship Association on Dec. 19 said that Kim Jong Il's assumption of the supreme commandership of the KPA marked a historic event as it was an expression of the undisputed trust of the servicepersons and people of the DPRK in him.
    Referring to the great successes achieved by the army and people of the DPRK in socialist construction and in the defence of the security of the country, the article stressed that DPRK would shine forever as a citadel in the struggle for independence against imperialism and a socialist bulwark.
    The bulletin of the Peruvian-Korean Institute of Culture and Friendship on Dec. 20 said in an article titled "Significant December 24" that Kim Jong Suk fought heroically in the anti-Japanese revolutionary war commanded by President Kim Il Sung and energetically worked to build a new country where the people would become a master and strengthen the women's movement true to his noble intention after the country's liberation.
    The bulletin stressed that the single-minded unity has grown stronger and Korean-style socialism has been firmly defended thanks to the Songun politics of Kim Jong Il.

Demolition of Concrete Wall Urged

     Pyongyang, December 29 (KCNA) -- The military fascist clique in south Korea built a concrete wall 5-8 meters high, 10-19 meters wide at the bottom and 3-7 meters wide at the top, extending more than 240 km in the south side's area along the Military Demarcation Line, since 1977 to bisect the Korean nation at the instigation of the U.S. imperialists. The concrete wall initiated by the "Yusin" dictator and built by anti-reunification military dictators is a wall of division for cutting off the blood veins of the Korean nation and perpetuating its division, says Rodong Sinmun in a by-lined article Friday. The concrete wall bears witness to the hideous crimes of the traitors who pursued their ambition for power while seeking a way-out in the division of the country, clean indifferent to the destiny of the nation, the author of the article says, and goes on: The wall is a big shame and blot in the history of the Korean nation that has lived as a homogenous nation down through history spanning 5,000 years. In the time-honored history of the Korean nation, it built walls to defend the country from foreign aggression and safeguard national dignity and security. But there was no such a wall as the concrete wall built by the south Korean military fascist clique to bisect the country and gratify their greed for power.
    The concrete wall is never tolerable to the Korean nation which has lived as a homogenous nation, creating brilliant culture and history in one and the same territory for 5,000 years. And it is quite abnormal that such a wall still remains even in the era of reunification after the publication of the June 15 joint declaration. Huge resources, human and material, were consumed in the building of the wall which cuts across the territory of Korea, dividing it into two.
    Its demolition is a demand of the times and nation that brooks no further delay. The group of the Grand National Party of south Korea, forsaken by the nation and pushed to the margin of history, is getting more hysteric in the drive for division and confrontation while desperately clinging to such leftovers of the Cold War era as the "National Security Law" and the concrete wall, products of the crimes of their predecessors. This is an outright challenge to the trend of the times and the nation's desire for reunification.
    The era of "By our nation itself" is not compatible with the concrete wall. It must be pulled down immediately.

National Culture Encouraged

     Pyongyang, December 29 (KCNA) -- Fine folk tradition and good manners and customs inherent to the Korean people have been further encouraged this year to keep the national culture in full bloom. On the lunar New Year's Day, the Korean people made New Year's calls on elders and exchanged New Year's greetings with kith and kin according to the traditional custom. Children and pupils enjoyed various folk games including kite flying, sleigh riding and top spinning on the day, stirring up the festive mood.
    The 4th National Ssirum (Korean Wrestling) Tournament for the "Grand Bull Prize" was held at the Ssirum Ground on Rungra Island to mark Chusok (lunar August 15), a folk holiday. Tens of strongmen from across the country gathered there and competed for the grand bull and a gold bell.
    The public interest in paduk (go), a folk game, is ever growing among grown-ups and children as days go by. It has been known as an "intelligent martial arts" in the world. There were the paduk contest of children in Pyongyang in February and, recently, the 2006 contest for selecting the best paduk players among children in Pyongyang. The 6th national folk game contest of agricultural working people was held to celebrate the 58th anniversary of the DPRK. More than 400 agricultural working people competed in Taekwon-Do, Yut-game, Ssirum, Swinging, Seesaw and other events. Efforts have been made to develop the Korean costumes to suit modern sense of beauty this year. New Korean dress samples were created. Their beautiful patterns and gracefully embroidered decorations are in well blend with each other. The 4th National Korean Costume Exhibition held in September marked a turning point in the efforts to develop the Korean costumes.
    Efforts have been bent to restore folk songs and classic dances including dance pieces belonging to Koguryo and Palhae period to the original state and reproduce them to suit the requirement of the times. And Okryugum and other national stringed instruments were also improved so as to display to the full the playing technique of national instruments.
    A deep attention has been directed to the development of folk dishes. The 14th Pyongyang food festival to mark the April holiday and dish shows were held in different parts of the country. At the events, the participants exchanged their experience and technology of processing folk dishes from taste, color and shape of the food to its arrangement.
    And many folk dishes were discovered and their cooking methods were standardized.

Floral Basket and Congratulatory Message to Kim Jong Il

     Pyongyang, December 29 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il was presented with a floral basket and a congratulatory message by the military attaches corps here on the occasion of the New Year Juche 96 (2007). The floral basket and congratulatory message were handed to an official concerned by Yang Xilian, military, naval and air attache of the Chinese embassy here who is doyen of the corps, Friday.

For Spanish-speaking people

Muralla de hormigon armado ha de ser demolida, insiste Rodong Sinmun

    　Pyongyang, 29 de diciembre (ATCC) -- Las autoridades fascistas militares del Sur de Corea, bajo la instigacion de los imperialistas norteamericanos, construyeron desde 1977 la artificial muralla de hormigon armado de division nacional de 5 a 8 metros de alto, de 10 a 19 metros de ancho abajo y de 3 a 7 metros de ancho arriba que abarca una franja de mas de 240 kilometros de la zona surena de la linea de demarcacion militar. La muralla de hormigon armado construida por los dictadores militares opuestos a la reunificacion bajo iniciativa del dictador de "renovacion" es la muralla construida para cortar el territorio de la nacion coreana y fijar la division.
    Asi senala el diario Rodong Sinmun en un articulo individual del dia 29 y continua: La muralla de hormigon armado acusa la gravedad del crimen de los traidores que persiguieron la ambicion del poder al buscar su salvacion en la division nacional. Tambien es la verguenza y falla mayores de la historia de la nacion coreana de cinco mil anos.
    La larga historia de la nacion coreana conoce los casos de las murallas que construyeron para defender el pais, la dignidad y seguridad de la nacion contra la agresion de las fuerzas extranjeras, pero desconoce tal barrera que irguieron para dividir en dos partes la tierra patria y satisfacer su ambicion del poder como la hicieron las autoridades fascistas militares del Sur de Corea.
    Para los coreanos que durante cinco milenios viven en un territorio formando una nacion homogenea y creando la esplendida cultura e historia, la muralla de hormigon armado no puede tolerarse, ni mucho menos hoy en la epoca de reunificacion del 15 de junio. La demolicion de la muralla de hormigon armado es la impostergable demanda de la epoca y la nacion.
    Los compinches del "Gran Partido Nacional" repudiados por la nacion y la historia actuan desesperadamente apelandose a los residuos de la epoca de confrontacion como la "ley de seguridad" y la muralla de hormigon armado. Esto es frontal desafio a la tendencia de la epoca y la aspiracion de la nacion a la reunificacion. Son incompatibles la epoca de "entre nosotros, los connacionales" y la muralla de hormigon armado. Esta debe ser demolida sin mas demora.

Kim Jong Il recibe presentes y cartas de Ano Nuevo de rusos

    　Pyongyang, 29 de diciembre (ATCC) -- El Dirigente Kim Jong Il recibio presentes y cartas que en ocasion del Ano Nuevo, le dedicaran el Conjunto de Danza Folclorica Academica Nacional Moiseyev de Rusia, el matrimonio de la directora y los actores principales de esta entidad. La directora Elena Scherbakova los entrego a un funcionario de la embajada coreana en Rusia.

Concierto por 250o aniversario de natalicio de Mozart

    　Pyongyang, 29 de diciembre (ATCC) -- Tuvo lugar la vispera en el capitalino Teatro Morambong el concierto en homenaje al 250o aniversario del natalicio del celebre musico Mozart, quien contribuyo grandemente al desarrollo de la musica occidental de la segunda mitad del siglo XVIII al crear decenas de operas y sinfonias y muchas obras instrumentales y vocales. 　En la ocasion, los artistas de la Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional resaltaron con sus finas tecnicas de interpretacion y alto nivel descriptivo la originalidad, lo atractivo y sentimental de las piezas de Mozart, entre otras, la obertura de las "Bodas de Figaro" (operas), el concierto para piano No. 23 y la sinfonia "No. 39". 　Entre los espectadores se distinguian los creadores y artistas de la rama de cultura y arte, los representantes diplomaticos y otros miembros de las embajadas de varios paises, acreditados en Corea.