Functions Held Abroad

   Pyongyang, April 27 (KCNA) -- Meetings, opening ceremonies of book, photo and handicraft exhibitions, film shows and receptions were held at the National Museum of Russian Armed Forces and in Loja City, Loja Province, Ecuador, Chorillos District, Lima, Peru and Alexandria Province, Egypt from April 13 to 18 on the occasions of the Day of the Sun, the 14th anniversary of Kim Jong Il's election as chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission and the 75th anniversary of the foundation of the heroic Korean People's Army.
    On display in the venues were famous works of President Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, photos showing their immortal exploits, books and photos introducing the successes gained by the Korean people in socialist construction and handicraft representing their wisdom and skills.
    Participants of the film shows watched Korean films including "The Great Leader Comrade Kim Il Sung Meets Heads of State and Prominent Figures of Foreign Countries".
    Present at those functions were figures from all walks of life and other people of the countries concerned.


14th Congress of WIDF Supports Korean People's Cause

   Pyongyang, April 27 (KCNA) -- The 14th Congress of the Women's International Democratic Federation held in Caracas, Venezuela on April 13 expressed full support to the Korean people in their struggle to frustrate the U.S. hostile policy and achieve the reunification of the country.
    A declaration on solidarity with the Korean people was adopted at the congress.
    The declaration denounced the U.S. for its moves to stifle people-centered socialist Korea by force of arms and keep Korea divided into two permanently.
    The WIDF resolutely brands the U.S. anachronistic hostile policy toward the DPRK and reckless moves for a new war against it as a grave criminal act to disturb the peace and security on the Korean Peninsula, Northeast Asia and the rest of world and block the independent and peaceful reunification of Korea, the declaration said, strongly demanding the U.S. give them up at once.
    Noting that the WIDF fully supports the three principles of independence, peaceful reunification and great national unity for national reunification set forth by President Kim Il Sung, the declaration said that it extends firm solidarity to the Korean people in their struggle to withdraw the U.S. troops from south Korea and achieve the independent and peaceful reunification of the country by the concerted efforts of the Korean nation itself under the banner of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration.


Letter to Kim Jong Il Adopted at National Meeting in India

   Pyongyang, April 27 (KCNA) -- A letter to Kim Jong Il was adopted at the national meeting for commemorating the Day of the Sun held in India on April 7.
    Praising Kim Il Sung, the sun of the 20th century, as the greatest man, the letter said that the President was a prominent thinker and theoretician who indicated the way to be followed by humankind by expounding a great idea, a prominent politician who provided the Korean people with a happy life by pursuing a policy of love, trust and benevolence and a great man who gripped the hearts of the people with his rare humanity.
    Kim Jong Il, possessed of the same personality as a great man as the President did, has defended Korean-style socialism, the legacy left behind by the President, and wisely led the struggle to build a great prosperous powerful nation in Korea with his unique Songun politics, the letter noted.
    The letter expressed full support to the Korean people in their struggle to build a great prosperous powerful socialist nation and achieve national reunification.


Indonesian President Supports DPRK's Efforts for National Reunification

   Pyongyang, April 27 (KCNA) -- Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono supported the government and people of the DPRK in their efforts to reunify the country independently and peacefully, when meeting with a delegation of the DPRK Foreign Ministry led by Vice-Minister Kim Yong Il on a visit to Indonesia on April 24.
    Highly praising the Korean people for having wrought miracles in all fields in recent years, the president hoped that the traditional relationship between the two countries would continue to develop.


National Sports Festival Closes

   Pyongyang, April 27 (KCNA) -- The national sports festival commemorating the Day of the Sun closed.
    The festival recorded excellent results in many events including ball games and heavy games.
    Notably, marksmen, archers and weightlifters rewrote national records in a number of events.
    The April 25 Sports Group took the men's team titles in football, basketball and volleyball and the women's team title in volleyball. In football and basketball, the titles were captured by the women's teams of the Amnokgang Sports Group.
    The closing ceremony was held at the Weightlifting Gymnasium in Chongchun Street, Pyongyang, on Thursday.
    New record medals were awarded to 18 players including marksman Kim Jong Su and woman archer Kwon Un Sil of the April 25 Defence Sports Group, woman weightlifter Pak Hyon Suk of the Amnokgang Sports Group and man weightlifter Kim Chol Jin of the Pyongyang City Sports Group. Rotating cups, cups and medals went to sports groups and players that gave good accounts of themselves in football, basketball and volleyball games.
    Present at the closing ceremony were Secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea Kim Jung Rin, officials concerned and sportspersons.


Greetings to President of South Africa

   Pyongyang, April 27 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, sent a message of greetings to Thabo Mbuyelwa Mbeki, President of South Africa, on April 25 on the occasion of "Freedom Day", its national day.
    Expressing the belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would grow stronger in the future, too, Kim in the message sincerely wished the president and people of South Africa great success in their work for building a free and prosperous new society.


Greetings to Togolese President

   Pyongyang, April 27 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, sent a message of greetings to Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe, President of Togo, on April 23 on the occasion of the 47th anniversary of its independence.
    Kim in the message sincerely wished the Togolese president great success in his work for the national unity and the economic reconstruction, expressing the belief that the good friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would continue to develop in the mutual interests.


Greetings to President of Sierra Leone

   Pyongyang, April 27 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, sent a message of greetings to Al Haji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, President of Sierra Leone, on April 25 on the occasion of the 46th anniversary of its independence.
    The message wholeheartedly wished the president and people of Sierra Leone greater success in their work for peace, stability and economic reconstruction of the country.


National Classic "Tonggukjiriji"

   Pyongyang, April 27 (KCNA) -- The historical geography book "Tonggukjiriji" is a mediaeval classic of Korea. It deals with the ancient history and geography, capital cities, territories, topographies and castles of feudal states and so on.
    The book was written by realist scholar and geographer Han Paek Gyom (1522-1615).
    It was published in 1640. There are two kinds of books, one printed from wood blocks and the other printed with metal letters.
    The book was written, divided into the geography of Ancient Korea, Koguryo, Paekje, Silla and Koryo and their capital cities, territories, topographies and military establishments.
    This book is composed of the historical investigation of the ancient territory of Korea, the historical investigation of the national roads, territories, topographies and castles of the three kingdoms, Koguryo, Paekje and Silla and Koryo.
    The book, written about the history and geography of the country in a practical way, is a priceless geographical heritage of the nation.


Hoejang Jogori for Korean Women

   Pyongyang, April 27 (KCNA) -- Hoejang Jogori has been a favorite one of the Korean women from olden times.
    The dress looks very smart and beautiful.
    Hoejang jogori is a jacket whose edges of the collar, breast-ties, sleeves and lower parts of armholes are decorated with pieces of cloth differing from the ground color.
    Korean women used to decorate the conspicuous parts of jogori with pieces of cloth thicker than the ground color of the dress.
    Especially, hoejang decoration of armholes is well blended with other parts of the dress, making the jogori more graceful.
    There are two kinds of hoejang jogoris, samhoejang (triple-hoejang) and panhoejang (semi-hoejang) jogoris.
    The samhoejang is decorated in three parts such as collar, armholes and sleeves and the panhoejang is decorated in one or two parts.
    The hoejang jogori is further developing to suit the national emotion and the aesthetic sense of the women in the present times.
    Spectacular are the women in the dress playing seesaw, swing, yut and other fold amusement games on holidays.


Kimilsungia Festival and Kimilsungia-Kimjongilia Show Close

   Pyongyang, April 27 (KCNA) -- The 9th Kimilsungia Festival and Kimilsungia-Kimjongilia show celebrating the 75th founding anniversary of the Korean People's Army successfully closed with due ceremony Friday.
    Present at the ceremony were Choe Thae Bok, Yang Hyong Sop, officials of commissions of the Cabinet, ministries and national institutions, working people's organizations, servicepersons, working people and school youth and children.
    Also present were members of the delegation of Koreans in Japan led by Nam Sung U, vice-chairman of the Central Standing Committee of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon), Indonesian Ambassador to the DPRK Daulat Hotma Audison Passaribu and staff members of the Indonesian embassy here.
    Certificates of the top prize of the festival and show were awarded to 68 units and certificates of prize went to 14 units.
    And the certificate of the top prize was awarded to the Central Standing Committee of Chongryon and the certificate of special prize and a cup were awarded to the Indonesian embassy.
    Certificates of prize of merit went to more than 30 servicepersons, working people and school youths and children.


Kim Yong Nam Meets Delegation of Koreans in Japan

   Pyongyang, April 27 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, met and had a conversation with the delegation of Koreans in Japan led by Nam Sung U, vice-chairman of the Central Standing Committee of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, in a compatriotic atmosphere at the Mansudae Assembly Hall today.


For Spanish-speaking people



Aprobada en la India carta dirigida a Kim Jong Il

   Pyongyang, 27 de abril (ATCC) -- Fue aprobada una carta al Dirigente Kim Jong Il en un mitin nacional en conmemoracion del Dia del Sol (15 de abril, cumpleanos del Presidente Kim Il Sung), que tuvo lugar el dia 7 en la India.
    La misiva elogia que el Presidente Kim Il Sung, Sol del siglo XX, es el mas grande entre los grandes hombres y destacado ideologo y teorico que al concebir la gran idea, ilumino el camino a seguir por la humanidad.
    @Prosigue que el es destacado politico que preparo al pueblo coreano una vida feliz con su politica signada de amor, confianza y benevolencia y gran hombre que conmovio los corazones de las personas con su incomparable humanitarismo.
    Ademas, senala que Su Excelencia Kim Jong Il, quien es identico al Presidente Kim Il Sung en sus nobles personalidades, defendio el socialismo al estilo coreano, herencia del Presidente y dirige sabiamente la lucha por construir una gran potencia prospera en Corea practicando su original politica de Songun (priorizacion militar).
    Y xpresa el apoyo total a la lucha del pueblo coreano por construir una gran potencia prospera socialista y realizar la reunificacion del pais.


Restablecen relaciones diplomaticas la RPDC y la Union de Myanmar

   Pyongyang, 27 de abril (ATCC) -- Quedo publicado el dia 26 en Yangon el comunicado conjunto sobre el restablecimiento de relaciones diplomaticas entre la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea y la Union de Myanmar.
    Segun el protocolo, partiendo del deseo de desarrollar las relaciones de amistad y la cooperacion bilateral entre los dos paises y pueblos, los gobiernos de ambas partes acordaron restablecer las relaciones diplomaticas a nivel de embajador ateniendose a los principios de respeto mutuo a la soberania de su contraparte, la no intervencion en asuntos internos, la igualdad y el beneficio mutuo y respetando las normas del derecho internacional, el objetivo y los principios de la Carta de la ONU y los articulos de la Convencion de Viena del 18 de abril de 1961 sobre las relaciones diplomaticas.
    Los gobiernos de la RPDC y de la Union de Myanmar expresaron conviccion de que esta medida conviene a los intereses nacionales de los dos paises y contribuira a la paz mundial y al fortalecimiento de la cooperacion internacional.


XIV congreso de la FDIM apoya la causa del pueblo coreano

   Pyongyang, 27 de abril (ATCC) -- El XIV Congreso de la Federacion Democratica Internacional de Mujeres (FDIM), que tuvo lugar el dia 13 en Caracas de Venezuela, expreso irrestricto apoyo a la lucha del pueblo coreano contra la politica hostil de Estados Unidos y por lograr la reunificacion del pais.
    En el conclave se aprobo una declaracion de solidaridad con el pueblo coreano.
    Ante todo, el documento condena las maniobras de EE.UU. orientadas a atropellar por via militar a la Corea socialista centrada en las masas populares y hacer perenne la division en dos partes de la nacion coreana.
    Prosigue que la FDIM denuncia categoricamente la anacronica politica hostil a Corea de EE.UU. y sus imprudentes maniobras encaminadas a provocar una nueva guerra contra la RPDC calificandolas de graves actos criminales, que destruyen la paz y seguridad de la Peninsula Coreana, el Nordeste Asiatico y del resto del mundo e impiden la reunificacion independiente y pacifica de Corea, y demanda fuertemente a este pais renunciarlas inmediatamente.
    Subraya que la FDIM respalda activamente los 3 principios de la reunificacion de la patria basados en la independencia, la reunificacion pacifica y la gran unidad nacional, presentados por el Presidente Kim Il Sung.
    @Reafirma que se solidariza firmemente con la lucha del pueblo coreano por hacer retirarse a las tropas norteamericanas del suelo surcoreano y lograr la reunificacion independiente y pacifica del pais uniendo las fuerzas entre los connacionales bajo la bandera de la Declaracion Conjunta Norte-Sur del 15 de Junio.


Hoejangjogori, vestido nacional de las coreanas

   Pyongyang, 27 de abril (ATCC) -- Desde la antiguedad las coreanas solian ponerse el hoejangjogori (vestido con ribetes de colores).
    Este vestido es uno de los trajes frescos y hermosos de las mujeres coreanas.
    Hoejang significa ribetes de diferentes colores. El cuello, el cordon, la bocamanga y la sisa del jogori (chaqueta) llevan piezas de telas con los colores distintos a los de las demas partes de este vestido.
    En este tipo del vestido hay dos generos: samhoejangjogori y panhoejangjogori.
    El primero tiene sus ribetes en tres partes: el cuello, la bocamanga y la sisa y el segundo en una o dos partes.
    Hoy en dia, el hoejangjogori se desarrolla aun mas conforme al gusto de la epoca de hoy.
    Las coreanas suelen vestirse de este tipo de chaqueta. En particular, en las fiestas y otros dias feriados se lo llevan para ostentar su hermosura pasando el tiempo alegre con los juegos folkloricos tales como el salto sobre el paladin y el juego con yut.