DPRK's Joint Statement Supported

    Pyongyang, January 26 (KCNA) -- The Society for Cooperation among Koreans in Germany and the European Regional Headquarters of the National Alliance for the Country's Reunification in a joint statement on Jan. 22 warmly hailed and supported the joint statement of the political parties, government and organizations of the DPRK. The joint statement helped all of us deeply grasp the truth of history that one should hold one's country and nation dearer than anything else irrespective of political view, ideology and religious belief and all this can be guaranteed by peace, the statement said.
    It noted that the June 15 joint declaration clarified by the Korean nation before the world serves not only as a milestone for national reunification but as an invincible treasured sword as it declared worldwide that the Koreans would work hard to achieve the reunification by rejecting the interference of outside forces and pooling their efforts and wisdom in the spirit of "By our nation itself."
    It called upon all the fellow countrymen in the south and the north and abroad to turn out in a nationwide movement for attaching importance to the nation, defending peace and achieving unity in order to realize the peaceful reunification of the country under the uplifted banner of the June 15 joint declaration.

17th Individual Contest for February 16 Art Award Opens

    Pyongyang, January 26 (KCNA) -- The 17th individual contest for February 16 Art Award was opened. The contest brought together at least 90 excellent artistes from the capital and local areas and teachers and students in the field of art education.
    The contesters divided into Groups A and B competed in national stringed instruments, Western vocal music, piano, woodwind instruments, brass and dances.
    The first group included artistes of national art organizations, teachers and students of Pyongyang Kim Won Gyun Conservatory and teachers of Pyongyang Music and Dance School while the second group comprised students of the Pyongyang Music and Dance School and Kum Song School and artistes, teachers and students of the art troupes and art educational institutions in local areas.
    An opening ceremony took place at Pyongyang Kim Won Gyun Conservatory on Jan. 25.
    Kang Nung Su, minister of Culture, made an opening address.
    The ceremony was followed by the Group A contest in Western vocal music.

DPRK Joint Statement Favored

    Pyongyang, January 26 (KCNA) -- Cha Sang Bo, vice-chairman of the General Association of Koreans in China, issued a statement on Jan. 22 in support of the joint statement of the political parties, government and organizations of the DPRK. The statement fully supported and approved of the joint statement, describing it as a just and patriotic initiative that fully conforms with the unanimous will and aspiration of the whole nation and the realistic requirement of the prevailing situation, the north-south relations and the development of the reunification movement.
    The joint statement set this year a year of attaching importance to the nation, defending peace and achieving unity and called upon all the Koreans in the north and the south and abroad to carry through the three-point task of the movement for national reunification and thus add brilliance to the June 15 era of independent reunification, it said, and went on:
    Now the United States and the anti-reunification bellicose forces of south Korea including the "Grand National Party" are making desperate efforts to scrap the north-south joint declaration, dampen the growing desire of the Korean nation for the independent reunification of the country, bring the June 15 era of reunification back to the era of the Cold War and confrontation and help the anti-reunification traitorous forces seize power again.
    The Koreans in China will join the compatriots in the homeland and abroad in waging a more dynamic struggle to shatter the U.S. nuclear racket and war moves against the DPRK designed to plunge the Korean nation into nuclear disasters and get the U.S. imperialist aggressor troops, the root cause of misfortune and calamity, withdrawn from south Korea on all accounts and put an end to the U.S. domination and intervention.
    We will turn out in the movement to carry out the three-point task of attaching importance to the nation, defending peace and achieving unity under the uplifted banner of "By our nation itself" and strive to make this year a historic year in which a great heyday of independent reunification is ushered in.

S. Korean Security Authorities' Fascist Suppression Blasted

    Pyongyang, January 26 (KCNA) -- The south Korean security authorities are not only preventing people from logging on the DPRK Internet homepages including "Our nation's forum" and "By our nation itself" but cracking down on those who posted articles supporting the Songun policy on Internet. This comes under fire by a signed commentary of Rodong Sinmun Friday. This is a fascist action against democracy and human rights as it infringes upon the south Koreans' freedom of speech and deprives them of even their right to enjoy the civilization offered by the IT age and a treacherous action aimed to incite the inter-Korean standoff, the commentary notes, and goes on:
    The above-said actions are as rude as blindfolding people's eyes and stopping their ears and mouths.
    If the south Korean authorities have a will to achieve reconciliation and improve the relations between the north and the south of Korea there is no reason for them to overlook the security authorities' fascist suppression, a provocation to the DPRK.
    If the treacherous and fascist actions against reunification are allowed to go on in south Korea as now quite contrary to the trend of the times and the desire of the Korean nation, this will further bedevil the inter-Korean relations which remain at a stalemate.
    The south Korean authorities should not give lip-service to the "improved inter-Korean relations" but show their will to do so by lifting the treacherous action taken to cut off any access to the DPRK Internet homepages and unconditionally releasing all those put in custody on charges of the violation of the fascist evil law.

Greetings to Indian President

    Pyongyang, January 26 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Friday sent a message of greetings to A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, President of India, on the Day of the Republic of India. Expressing belief that the good friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would continue to develop in all fields in mutual interests, the message wholeheartedly wished him greater success in his responsible work to build a prosperous and powerful country.

Congratulations to Tanzanian Foreign Minister

    Pyongyang, January 26 (KCNA) -- Kang Sok Ju, first vice-minister of Foreign Affairs of the DPRK, sent a congratulatory message to Bernard Kamillius Membe on his appointment as Tanzanian minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Hoping that the traditional good relations of friendship and cooperation between the two countries would grow stronger, the message wholeheartedly wished him great success in his responsible work.

Day of Buddha's Attainment of Great Wisdom Marked

    Pyongyang, January 26 (KCNA) -- Masses praying for national reunification took place at different temples of the DPRK on Friday to mark the Day of Buddha's Attainment of Great Wisdom. Present at the masses were office bearers of the Central Committee of the Korean Buddhist Federation and its provincial, city and county committees, priests of temples and believers.
    A ritual for the occasion was made before speeches and a written prayer was read out.
    Speakers noted that the Day of Buddha's Attainment of Great Wisdom is observed at a time when the people across the country have turned out in the dynamic struggle to usher in a great heyday of Songun Korea full of confidence in victory responding to the joint New Year editorial. They stressed the need for all the Buddhists in the north and the south of Korea to unite in the Dharma-minded concord under the slogan "Add brilliance to the June 15 reunification era by attaching importance to the nation, maintaining peace and achieving unity!" and turn out in the struggle to drive the U.S. troops chiefly responsible for the division of the Korean nation out of south Korea and achieve the independent and peaceful reunification of the country.
    They expressed the steadfast will of all the Buddhists in the north and the south and abroad to vigorously struggle for implementing the north-south joint declaration despite any hardships and further glorify the June 15 reunification era.

Nation-wide Support to Countryside

    Pyongyang, January 26 (KCNA) -- A nation-wide support to the countryside is being stepped up in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The Secretariat of the Cabinet, ministries and national institutions are taking lead in the undertaking, in response of the joint New Year editorial's call for turning the Miru Plain in North Hwanghae Province into a solid granary.
    Some days ago, officials in the Secretariat visited co-op farms in Koksan County, carrying with large quantities of farming materials and inspired peasants in farming preparations.
    Those of the Ministry of Finance and other ministries and national institutions, too, went to co-op farms in the plain with various kinds of farming materials. They acquainted themselves with actual conditions of the farms on the spot to take relevant measures.
    Officials in the Ministry of Construction and Building Materials Industries not only rendered quantities of farming and building materials to the Sinhung Co-op Farm but also encouraged the enthusiasm of agricultural working people through agitation activities for farming preparation in the fields.
    An extensive assistance to rural areas is taking place in all provinces, cities and counties.
    Pyongyang City carried manures and small farming instruments to co-op farms in the suburbs of the city by all the available vehicles.
    Similar assistance is being done in North and South Hwanghae, North Phyongan, Kangwon, North and South Hamgyong, Jagang and Ryanggang Provinces.
    Inspired by the nation-wide support, the agricultural working people are doing their best in the year's farming preparation, with a high sense of responsibility for agricultural production.

DPRK Full of Optimism and Emotion

    Pyongyang, January 26 (KCNA) -- Various activities have been conducted to make the DPRK replete with revolutionary optimism and emotion from the outset of the year in which an all-round efflorescence of national prosperity will be ushered in. The Mansudae Art Troupe, a leading art unit, gave New Year performances at the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre before full capacity of audience for several days. The theatre had been renovated to suit a palace of art on the picturesque banks of the River Taedong.
    Stars of the State Comic Troupe have put on the stage the newly-created programmes such as jest "Playing with Number 9", monologue "Jewel-like Person" and short play "Oh, Fresh Quality Water" to give laugh, optimism and youthful vigor to working people.
    Creators and acrobats of the Pyongyang Circus are busy with creating physical acrobatics "Aerial Martial Art", fantastic skill magic "Talent with Fans", comic acrobatics "Scramble for Power" celebrating February 16, birthday of Kim Jong Il.
    The 12th Sports Contest for Paektusan Cup of officials of national institutions is going on in Pyongyang amid the interest of the officials of the ministries and national institutions and sports fans. Working people of industrial establishments and co-op farms and people of neighbourhood units across the country take breaks and holidays to play Korean chess, yut-game, group running, mass rhythmic exercise, health-promoting Taekwon-Do exercise and other sports and amusement games.
    Schoolchildren are enjoying their winter vacation with skating, sledding, kite flying, top spinning and so on.
    TV telecasts literary and art works of varied genres in various forms and feature films in the memory of the people to enrich the emotional life of the working people.

Wolhyang Exhibition Opened to Public

    Pyongyang, January 26 (KCNA) -- The Wolhyang Exhibition has been built in Moranbong District of Pyongyang. Displayed there are fine art works depicting noted mountains in the DPRK, Korean paintings and Koryo celadon created in the Mansudae Art Studio, books, folkcrafts and handicrafts.
    Also seen among the exhibits are dried agricultural and native products including broad bellflower roots and bracken, yellow serpent liquor, boletus liquor, armillaria liquor and over 100 kinds of natural Koryo medicines.
    The fold-screens showing pictures of flowers and birds and fold-screens showing pictures meaning longevity are available there.
    Korean dresses manufactured at the National Costume Institute are also on display.
    It is visited every day by a lot of working people of all walks of life, foreigners and overseas Koreans.

Japanese Reactionaries' Suppression of Chongryon under Fire

    Pyongyang, January 26 (KCNA) -- Bonakele Majuba, chairman of the South African Association of Friendship and Solidarity with the Korean People and secretary of the Mfumalanga Provincial Committee of the South African Communist Party, sent a message on Jan. 19 to the UN Higher Commissioner for Human Rights asking for an action against the Japanese reactionaries' suppression of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon) and Koreans in Japan. The suppression of Chongryon, an overseas citizens' organization of the DPRK, is reported in Japan in an unbroken chain these days to arouse deep concern among the world progressives, the message said, and went on:
    The ultra-right reactionary group of Japan is escalating the suppression, searching organs under Chongryon and houses of its officials and frequently committing assaults against Korean students in violation of the legitimate rights of Chongryon.
    This should be dealt with and tried at UN meetings on Human Rights as it is an unpardonable mockery and challenge to the progressives aspiring after peace and justice and an extreme human rights abuse.
    If the UN human rights organization overlooks such suppression of the peace-loving non-governmental organizations though it has the mission to protect human rights worldwide, it will lose its authority and noble mission as an international organization.
    It is our belief that the UN human rights organization would look into the acts of suppression in Japan at an early date and bring those responsible to a court and thus fulfill its responsibility and role in protecting human rights and accomplishing the cause of peace.

Japanese Reactionaries Urged to Behave with Discretion

    Pyongyang, January 26 (KCNA) -- The reactionaries of the land of Japs had better behave themselves, clearly mindful that their evermore frantic moves to suppress and stamp out the General Association of the Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon) and Koreans in Japan would only precipitate their doomsday. A spokeswoman for the Central Committee of the Korean Democratic Women's Union warned this Friday in a statement in connection with the fact that the Japanese reactionaries' suppression of Chongryon and Koreans in Japan has reached its height. Every action taken by the reactionaries of the island country against Chongryon and the Koreans in Japan is so dastardly and wicked that it stuns the world people, the statement noted, vehemently denouncing the authorities of the island country for their unjustifiable human rights abuses. The statement continued:
    In the past Japan violated the sovereignty of Korea and usurped its territory and deprived the Koreans of even their names and spoken and written languages in a futile bid to exterminate the Korean nation. Now the outrageous Japanese reactionaries are trying to realize this wild ambition by suppressing Chongryon and Koreans in Japan. It is nothing but a daydream for these Japs to exterminate the Korean nation, their centuries-old design.
    For all the desperate efforts on the part of the Japanese reactionaries Chongryon and the Koreans in Japan will as always advance along with the dignified and powerful DPRK.

For Spanish-speaking people

Rodong Sinmun condena la represion fascista en el Sur de Corea

    Pyongyang, 26 de enero (ATCC) -- En estos tiempos, las autoridades de seguridad publica del Sur de Corea impiden a los habitantes que accedan al "Paraninfo de nuestra nacion", "Entre nosotros, los connacionales" y otros sitios web de la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea y publiquen en Internet articulos de apoyo a la politica de Songun (priorizacion militar). Siendo una locura antinacional que busca el enfrentamiento fratricida con el Norte, tal represion fascista en contra de la democracia y los derechos humanos viola la libertad de la prensa y pisotea hasta el derecho a disfrutar de la civilizacion de la era de informatica.
    Asi senala el periodico Rodong Sinmun en un comentario individual del dia 26 y continua:
    En la actual epoca de informatica, restringir el acceso libre al Internet y la libertad de la prensa constituye una accion brutal encaminada a cegar, ensordecer y tapar la boca de los habitantes.
    Si las autoridades surcoreanas tienen la voluntad de lograr la reconciliacion y la mejora de las relaciones con el Norte de Corea, no tendrian ninguna razon para tolerar tal represion fascista por parte de las fuerzas de seguridad publica que irrita al segundo.
    Si no cesan de reportarse tales actos antinacionales y anti-reunificacion que contravienen a la aspiracion de la epoca y el deseo de la nacion, las ya estancadas relaciones intercoreanas entraran en la peor fase.
    Las autoridades surcoreanas no deben hablar por la boca del "mejoramiento de las relaciones con el Norte" sino mostrar su voluntad al respecto, al revocar la medida de desconectar las paginas web del Norte y poner en libertad de manera incondicional a todos los detenidos en virtud de las infames leyes fascistas.

Se activa en Corea la asistencia al campo

    Pyongyang, 26 de enero (ATCC) -- Para cumplir la tarea indicada en el editorial conjunto publicado en ocasion del Ano Nuevo de convertir la llanura Miru de la provincia de Hwanghae del Norte en una importante base de produccion de cereales, el Secretariado del Consejo de Ministros, ministerios y organos centrales toman la delantera en la asistencia al campo. 　Recientemente, los funcionarios de la primera entidad estimularon mucho a los trabajadores agricolas de las granjas cooperativas del distrito de Koksan, atareados por los preparativos para la agricultura de este ano, al donarles gran cantidad de materiales agricolas.
    　Hicieron otro tanto los funcionarios de los ministerios y organos centrales, en especial del Ministerio de Finanzas, quienes tomaron las medidas practicas para ayudar a las granjas cooperativas en la llanura Miru tras cerciorarse de la situacion real de estas en el terreno.
    　En particular, los funcionarios del Ministerio de Construccion e Industria de Materiales de Construccion donaron mucha cantidad de materiales agricolas y de construccion a la Granja Cooperativa de Sinhung y redoblan el entusiasmo de los agricultores locales con la agitacion economica al pie de parcelas.
    　De otra parte, se activa esta labor en todas las provincias, ciudades y distritos.
    　La ciudad de Pyongyang transporto buena cantidad de estiercol y pequenos implementos agricolas a las granjas suburbanas movilizando camiones, tractores y otros medios.
    　Sucede lo mismo en las provincias de Hwanghae del Sur y del Norte y de Phyong-an del Norte.
    　Mientras tanto, en las provincias de Kangwon, de Hamgyong del Sur y del Norte, de Jagang y de Ryanggang ayudan bien al campo en lo laboral y material.
    　Los trabajadores agricolas de distintos lugares alentados por tal asistencia a escala nacional registran muchos exitos en los preparativos para la varada bien conscientes de que se responsabilizan por el granero del pais.

Inaugurada Exposicion Permanente Wolhyang

    Pyongyang, 26 de enero (ATCC) -- Quedo inaugurada recientemente la Exposicion Permanente Wolhyang enclavada en la zona de Morambong de Pyongyang. Aqui estan exhibidos los cuadros alusivos a los famosos montes de Corea, pinturas al estilo coreano y porcelanas de Coryo, hechos en la Casa de Creacion Mansudae, ademas de libros de varios generos y productos artesanales.
    Igualmente, se ven los productos agricolas secados como la campanula y el helecho, las naturales medicinas tradicionales de Coryo de mas de cien variedades y los licores hechos con serpiente grande de color amarillo, setas que crecen en las rocas y hogos de pino.
    Ademas, saltan a la vista los biombos con flores y pajaros dibujados y con simbolos de longevidad.
    Las vestimentas tipicas de Corea manufacturadas en el Instituto de Prendas Nacionales aportan mas originalidad a esta exposicion.
    Visitan este lugar signado de fuerte idiosincrasia un gran numero de trabajadores de distintos estratos, extranjeros y coreanos radicados en ultramar.

Vida mas optimista y culta en Corea

    Pyongyang, 26 de enero (ATCC) -- Este ano, en que se acogera la era de plena prosperidad de la patria, los habitantes de todo el pais viven con el optimismo revolucionario. 　En el Gran Teatro de Pyongyang Este a la pintoresca ribera del rio Taedong, remodelado como centro supremo de cultura, se ofrecio dia tras dia con exito la funcion festiva por el Ano Nuevo de los artistas del renombrado Conjunto Artistico Mansudae.
    　La charla comica "Parafrasis del numero 9", el monologo "Perla", el entremes "Agua deliciosa" y otras nuevas piezas estrenadas por los famosos actores del Conjunto Humoristico Nacional multiplican en los trabajadores la risa, el optimismo y la savia de la juventud.
    　En tanto, los creadores y acrobatas del Conjunto Circense de Pyongyang crean nuevas y peculiares obras como la acrobacia corporal "Arte marcial en el espacio", la magia fantastica "Habilidad con abanicos", la acrobacia comica "Pugna por el poder", que coronaran la escena festiva con motivo del 16 de febrero (dia del natalicio del Dirigente Kim Jong Il).
    　Hace unos dias, se inicio en esta capital la 12a competencia deportiva de los funcionarios de organos centrales por "premio Paektusan".
    　Mientras tanto, los trabajadores de las fabricas, empresas y granjas y los habitantes de los barrios y unidades de vecinos tambien organizan en horas extralaborales y los dias de descanso los partidos deportivos y de juegos recreativos tales como ajedrez coreano, Yut (juego folclorico de Corea), carrera colectiva, gimnasia ritmica masiva y Taekwon-Do para salud.
    　De otro lado, los ninos escolares pasan momentos de sus vacaciones invernales con el patinaje, trineo y juegos con cometa y peonza.
    　Diversos programas literario-artisticos de TV y peliculas de ficcion abundan mas la vida cultural de los trabajadores una vez regresados a sus hogares de respectivos trabajos.