DPRK's Important Holidays Marked Abroad
Pyongyang, April 29 (KCNA) -- Round-table talks, lectures, photo exhibitions and a film show were held in the Czech Republic, Ecuador, Malta, Equatorial Guinea and Senegal between April 4 and 14 on the occasion 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 birthday of the heroic Korean People's Army.
On display in the venues of those functions were photos showing the exploits of President Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il and photos introducing Songun Korea.
The chairman of the Czech Lipa County Committee of the Communist Party of Czech and Moravia and the editor-in-chief of the Czech newspaper Dialog at the round-table talks highly praised Kim Il Sung as a great man who liberated Korea and brought about epoch-making change to it and Kim Jong Il as an outstanding leader who has firmly consolidated the DPRK into a socialist fortress, successfully carrying forward the revolutionary cause pioneered by the President.
The international secretary of the Socialist Party-Ample Front of Ecuador who is president of the Canar Provincial Institute for the Friendship and Solidarity with DPRK of Ecuador in a lecture said that though socialism was collapsed in some countries in the late 20th century, Korean-style socialism has steadily advanced as it is based on the immortal Juche idea fathered by Kim Il Sung and enriched by Kim Jong Il.
The chief engineer of an architectural company of Senegal in a lecture highly praised the glorious revolutionary history of Kim Il Sung, saying that the Korean people hold him in high esteem as the eternal President of the DPRK.
The participants in the film show watched Korean film "Korean People's Army, Steel-like Ranks".
Floral Baskets Presented to DPRK Missions
Pyongyang, April 29 (KCNA) -- Political parties, ministries of governments, institutions and organizations and figures from all walks of life in different countries including the Commission for External Affairs of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam, the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Iranian army, the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics of Iran, the Egypt-Korea Friendship Association and the deputy general secretary of Syria's Baath Arab Socialist Party, the minister of Defence and the minister of Information of Syria, the chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Syria, the director of the Political Department of the Ministry of Defence of Syria and the vice-chairman of the National Democratic Party of Egypt sent floral baskets to the DPRK missions in the countries concerned on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the foundation of the Korean People's Army.
Army Day of DPRK Marked in Egypt
Pyongyang, April 29 (KCNA) -- The Egypt-Korea Friendship Association released a bulletin titled "75 years of victory and glory covered by the Korean People's Army" on April 24 on the occasion of the 75th birthday of the KPA.
The bulletin noted in detail that President Kim Il Sung founded the Korean People's Revolutionary Army and wisely led the anti-Japanese armed struggle to achieve the historic cause of Korea's liberation. It also said that he honorably defended the sovereignty and independence of the country by defeating the U.S. imperialists, who boasted of being the "strongest" in the world, in the three year-long Fatherland Liberation War and had directed primary efforts to the army-building despite of the postwar difficult and complicated situation to reliably safeguard the security of the country.
The KPA is now opening up a new chapter in its development under the leadership of Kim Jong Il, the bulletin said, adding: Guided by him, the KPA will register only the history of victory in the future, too.
67th Rally for Peace and Disarmament Held in S. Korea
Pyongyang, April 29 (KCNA) -- The 67th rally for peace and disarmament was reportedly held in front of the building of the "Ministry of National Defense" in Seoul on April 24 under the sponsorship of the People for Achieving Peace and Reunification.
Speakers at the rally demanded a halt to the provocative war maneuvers and the cancellation of the plan for offensive operation against the DPRK, noting that the military authorities are making the introduction of ultra-modern weapons and the increase of national defence spending an established fact, while trumpeting about "securing self-reliant war deterrence" and describing the "building of ultra-modern armed forces" as a need of the times.
They asserted that the military authorities' projected building of a naval base on Jeju Island is closely linked with the realization of the "strategic flexibility" of the U.S. troops in south Korea.
Read out at the rally was a questionnaire to the "minister of National Defense".
The questionnaire branded the "national defence reform" and the "mid-term plan for defence" pushed forward by the "Ministry of National Defense" as an act of running diametrically counter to the efforts to build a peace-keeping mechanism on the Korean Peninsula.
At the end of the rally, the participants conveyed the questionnaire to the ministry.
North Side's Delegation Leaves
Pyongyang, April 29 (KCNA) -- A delegation of the north side led by Won Hyong Guk, vice-chairman of the Central Committee of the General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea (GFTUK), left here by air on April 29 to participate in the May Day pro-reunification meeting of workers from the north and the south of Korea for implementing the June 15 joint declaration to be held in Changwon, South Kyongsang Province of south Korea.
Birthday of KPA Marked Abroad
Pyongyang, April 28 (KCNA) -- Meetings were held by the Mongolia-Korea Friendship Society, a Mongolian army unit, the Swiss Committee for Supporting the Independent and Peaceful Reunification of Korea and at the Pyongyang Cultural Interchange Centre in Lausane, Switzerland, and a seminar was held in Pretoria, South Africa, on April 20 and 21 on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Korean People's Army.
On display in the venues of the functions were famous works of President Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, photos showing their immortal Songun leadership exploits and photos showing the invincible might of the heroic KPA.
Messages to Kim Jong Il were adopted at the meetings held in Mongolia and Switzerland.
Venezuela-DPRK Friendship Parliamentary Group Reorganized
Pyongyang, April 28 (KCNA) -- A ceremony of reorganizing the Venezuela-DPRK friendship parliamentary group took place in the building of the National Assembly of Venezuela on April 12 on the occasion of the Day of the Sun.
Present there were members of the National Assembly, officials of the Foreign Ministry and members of the National Society for the Study of the Juche Idea of Venezuela and the Venezuela-Korea Friendship and Solidarity Association and other figures.
The ceremony elected Omar Marcano, assemblyman from the Communist Party of Venezuela, chairman of the parliamentary group.
The chairman in his speech at the ceremony said that the group would make positive efforts to boost the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries in various fields.
S. Korean Authorities' Arms Buildup under Fire
Pyongyang, April 28 (KCNA) -- The Korean National Peace Committee bitterly denounces the south Korean bellicose forces' moves to reinforce ultra-modern war hardware as a dangerous criminal act to torpedo the process of peaceful settlement of the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, escalate military tension and drive the situation to confrontation and to the brink of a war, going against the era of June 15 reunification.
A spokesman for the Korean National Peace Committee declared this in a statement released on April 27 as regards the fact that the south Korean authorities have become unprecedentedly frantic in reinforcing the ultra-modern war hardware, strongly backed and patronized by the U.S., behind the curtain of dialogue.
The statement said:
The reality clearly shows that the south Korean authorities are busy whetting the sword to attack their dialogue partner, while paying lip-service to "peace" and "settlement of the nuclear issue," and are keeping to the road of treachery in violation of the June 15 joint declaration.
The reckless arms build-up stepped up by south Korea with the zealous backing of the U.S. is unjustifiable as it is a criminal act of going against the peace and security not only on the Korean Peninsula but in the rest of Asia and sparking an arms race and increasing the danger of war.
The army and people of the DPRK will never remain a passive on-looker to the moves escalated by the U.S. and south Korean bellicose forces to invade it behind the curtain of dialogue but resolutely frustrate them.
Big Floral Basket and Congratulatory Message to DPRK Embassy in Jakarta
Pyongyang, April 28 (KCNA) -- Megawati Soekarnoputri, former president of Indonesia and chairwoman of the Central Directive Council of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, sent a big floral basket and a congratulatory message to the DPRK embassy in Jakarta on April 23 on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the foundation of the Korean People's Army.
Achieving Great Alliance against Conservatives Urged
Pyongyang, April 28 (KCNA) -- To form a great alliance against conservatives and thoroughly frustrate the attempt of the bellicose ultra-right wing conservatives including the south Korean Grand National Party to return to power is one of the urgent tasks facing the fellow countrymen in the struggle to foil the moves for aggression and war on the Korean Peninsula and remove the danger of war.
Rodong Sinmun today observes this in a signed article.
It goes on:
Those forces are a dangerous hotbed of war as they are bringing the dark clouds of a nuclear war to hang over the fellow countrymen by kicking up a noisy campaign of confrontation against the DPRK, zealously pursuant to the foreign forces' policy of aggression.
The GNP is joining the bellicose elements at home and abroad in posing the danger of a nuclear war to the Korean Peninsula.
When looking back on history, the gentries of the GNP have done nothing but crimes against the DPRK, while placing foreign forces above the nation, prompted by the inveterate idea of submitting to them and the consciousness of standing in confrontation with the DPRK, both inherited from their predecessors.
The GNP's policy of following the U.S. has become a main source of misunderstanding and distrust between the north and the south and a stumbling block lying in the way of improving the inter-Korean relations and achieving national unity.
Defending peace on the Korean Peninsula is a vital issue directly related to the destiny of the nation. In order to defend peace it is, therefore, necessary to throw overboard the ultra-right conservative forces including the GNP through the great alliance against the conservatives.
All the patriotic people and progressive forces representing different circles in south Korea should turn out as one in the movement to achieve the great alliance against the conservatives for the purpose of defending peace on the Korean Peninsula decisive of their destiny, irrespective of political view, religious belief and ism, the article concludes.
Anniversary of Kim Jong Il's Famous Work Observed
Pyongyang, April 28 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun Saturday dedicates a signed article to the 28th anniversary of the work "On Thoroughly Establishing the System of Party Leadership" published by Kim Jong Il on April 28, 1979.
In the work he clarifies the essence of establishing the system of party leadership and indicates tasks and ways to do so, stressing that it is essential for carrying out the cause of Korean-style socialism to thoroughly establish the system of party leadership.
Since the publication of the work the validity and vitality of the ideas and theories expounded by him in the work have been fully proved in reality, the article notes, and goes on:
The wise leadership provided by Kim Jong Il to thoroughly establish the system of party leadership is that he established the revolutionary traits of unconditionally implementing to the letter the decisions and instructions of the party throughout the whole party and society.
Under the energetic Songun leadership of Kim Jong Il, the whole party is pervaded with the traits of devotedly implementing the decisions and instructions of the party.
His wise leadership lies in that he has augmented the militancy of the party in everyway by establishing strict revolutionary discipline throughout the party.
The WPK is now demonstrating its might as an invincible party strong in revolutionary discipline.
The wise leadership of Kim Jong Il also lies in that he made sure that a great leap forward was made in building a great prosperous powerful nation through the increased function and role of all party organizations.
All of them are now creditably fulfilling their missions and tasks as powerful militant organizations which give a strong impetus to the building of a great prosperous powerful nation by breathing the same breath with the masses and enlisting the revolutionary enthusiasm of the masses.
Honorary Doctorate of Medicine Awarded to Secretary General of Germany-Korea Medicine Association
Pyongyang, April 28 (KCNA) -- Secretary General of the Germany-Korea Medicine Association Ri Jong Su was awarded the Honorary Doctorate of Medicine of the DPRK, who succeeded in the liver transplantation and development of artificial liver and liver preservation secretion and made an important contribution to the development of the medical science and technology in the homeland.
An awarding ceremony was held at the Mansudae Assembly Hall Friday.
Present there were Vice-Premier of the DPRK Cabinet Kwak Pom Gi who is chairman of the State Commission for Conferring Degrees and Titles, Minister of Public Health Choe Chang Sik and other officials concerned and German Charge d'Affaires ad Interim here Jens-Peter Voss and members of the association.
All-People Education in DPRK
Pyongyang, April 28 (KCNA) -- Colorful functions are taking place in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the week of "All-People Education" (April 23 - 29) set by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Activities for arousing greater state and social attention and increasing assistance to the educational field are being organized in varied forms and methods under the auspices of the national coordinating committee for "All-People Education".
During the week, the successes and experience made in the educational work over the last five years, future strategy and tasks are being introduced, and meetings for enhancing the role of education-supporting institutions and seminars on teaching methods and pedagogical science are being held throughout the country.
Senior officials of central and local bodies are acquainting themselves with the work of the educational units to take relevant measures.
The DPRK government, which regards the educational work as the fundamental issue governing the rise or fall of the country and deciding the future destiny of the nation, has directed deep concern to the development of the all-people education since the liberation of the country.
A powerful campaign against illiteracy was launched under the guidance of President Kim Il Sung, with the result that illiteracy was completely abolished as of March Juche 38 (1949) and a free and compulsory education has long been introduced to realize the all-people education fully.
The universal compulsory primary education system was enforced in August 1956 and the universal 11-year compulsory education in September 1975. As a result, all the people are fully ensured the right to education and all the rising generation receives primary and secondary education without distinction of sex.
Adult education had been conducted in an extensive way. All the members of the society, therefore, came to have the general knowledge of middle school graduator and one or more technologies by the end of the 1980s.
The DPRK government, at present, is striving to decisively raise the educational quality to suit the requirement of the new century while consolidating the already-made achievements in the work for educating all the people.
In particular, vigorous undertakings are being waged to bring about a fresh turn in the educational work in the year of 2007 greeting the 30th anniversary of the publication of the "Theses on Socialist Education".
Foreigners Give Impressions of "Arirang"
Pyongyang, April 28 (KCNA) -- The mass gymnastic and artistic performance "Arirang" is going on in Pyongyang, drawing a large number of spectators.
It was appreciated by the participants in the WHO Southeast Asian Regional Consultation on Strengthening Health Systems based on PHC Approach. They were unanimous in saying with deep emotion that such wonderful performance can never be seen in any other part of the world.
The performance "Arirang" is a great masterpiece, Tarun Seem, head of the Indian delegation, said, adding that he could came to know well about the meaning of the Korean song "Arirang" and the "Arirang" nation, watching the performance.
Sultana Khamum, director of the Regional Office for South-East Asia of the World Health Organization, said that the performance made him see how high the Korean people's wisdom, talent and sense of discipline are.
Mohammad Shahjahan, a member of the Indonesian delegation, said that it is great fortune of his to have enjoyed the performance, describing the performance as the best both in contents and level of creation.
Secretary of C.C., WPK Meets Iranian Delegation
Pyongyang, April 28 (KCNA) -- Kim Ki Nam, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, met and had a friendly talk with the delegation of the Iran Parties House led by Yadollah Tahernejad, first vice-president of its Central Council, on Saturday.
Japanese Authorities' Unwarranted Search under Fire
Tokyo, April 26 (KNS-KCNA) -- Ko Tok U, vice-chairman and director of the Department in Charge of Compatriots' Living of the Central Standing Committee of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon), called a press conference on April 26, at which he denounced the Japanese authorities for their unwarranted act of searching offices of the Union of Korean Students in Japan and the Institute for Korean Studies.
He accused the Public Security Department of the National Police Agency of Japan of rushing 15 large armored buses, 42 police vans and 300 armed policemen to perpetrate fascist search operations against offices of the union and the institute covering a little more than 10 phyong (one phyong equals six square feet) inside the Korean Press Hall on April 25.
Dismissing these search operations as politically motivated brutal suppression perpetrated by the Japanese police authorities to paint what happened more than three decades back as a new "abduction case" and launch a smear campaign against Chongryon before Abe's visit to America, the statement went on:
What should not be overlooked is that the Abe regime and the police authorities are floating wild rumors in a bid to far-fetchedly link Chongryon officials with the "abduction case" though they have nothing to do with it and give the impression that Chongryon is "committing crimes."
Yomiuri Shimbun in an article on April 25 described Chongryon officials as "suspects" as part of the smear campaign.
It is as clear as noonday that Chongryon officials had never been involved in such "case."
The statement urged the Abe regime and the police authorities to apologize for the unjust search operations and immediately discontinue the mean action to bring groundless charges against Chongryon and Koreans in Japan and suppress them by misusing the "abduction issue."
It demanded the police authorities release at once the unreasonably detained Koreans in Japan and Yomiuri Shimbun make a correction of the article describing Chongryon officials as "suspects" and apologize for it.
For Spanish-speaking people
CNDPC denuncia a las autoridades surcoreanas
Pyongyang, 28 de abril (ATCC) -- Condenamos severamente las maniobras de las fuerzas belicistas del Sur de Corea para aumentar los equipos belicos ultramodernos calificandolas de peligrosos actos criminales encaminados a detener el proceso de la solucion pacifica del problema nuclear de la Peninsula Coreana, agravar la tension militar y llevar la situacion a la confrontacion y al borde de guerra nadando contra la corriente de la epoca de la reunificacion iniciada el 15 de junio.
Asi senala el portavoz del Comite Nacional de Defensa de la Paz de Corea (CNDPC) en una declaracion fechada 27 en relacion con que bajo el activo apoyo e instigacion de Estados Unidos las autoridades surcoreanas se afanan en el aumento de equipos belicos ultramodernos detras de la cortina del dialogo, y continua:
La realidad demuestra fehacientemente que ellas hablan de la "paz" y la "solucion del problema nuclear", pero, de hecho, se preparan para dar golpe a su contraparte del dialogo y se precipitan por el camino de la traicion a la nacion desacatando la Declaracion Conjunta del 15 de Junio.
Tal aumento armamentista contraviene a la paz y la seguridad de la Peninsula Coreana y el resto de Asia, acelera la carrera armamentista y aumenta el peligro de la guerra. Este acto criminal es injustificable por nada.
El ejercito y el pueblo de Corea no estaran con brazos cruzados ante las maniobras de guerra de agresion al Norte que EE.UU. y las fuerzas belicistas surcoreanas promueven detras de la cortina del dialogo, sino haran frente rotundo a ellos.
Rodong Sinmun subraya necesidad de gran union anticonservadora
Pyongyang, 28 de abril (ATCC) -- Una de las tareas apremiantes de la nacion coreana para detener las maniobras de agresion y guerra en la Peninsula Coreana y eliminar el peligro de la guerra es realizar la gran union anticonservadora para llevar al fracaso el intento del "Gran Partido Nacional" y otras fuerzas ultraderechistas de acceder de nuevo al Poder.
Asi senala el periodico Rodong Sinmun en un articulo individual del dia 28 y continua:
El "GPN" y otras fuerzas conservadoras ultraderechistas devienen foco de la guerra. En adhesion activa a la politica de agresion de las fuerzas foraneas desatan la campana de confrontacion con la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea (RPDC) acarreando asi un nubarron de la guerra nuclear a la nacion.
Historicamente, los compinches de este partido quienes heredaron la idea de sus antepasados de obediencia a las grandes potencias y de confrontacion con la RPDC anteponen las fuerzas foraneas a la nacion y registran solo el expediente delictivo anti-RPDC.
La politica de sumision a EE.UU. del "GPN" deviene fuente del malentendido y la desconfianza entre el Norte y el Sur de Corea y obstaculo principal de la mejora de las relaciones intercoreanas y la unidad nacional.
La defensa de la paz de la Peninsula Coreana es una cuestion vital directamente relacionada con el destino de la nacion y para preservarla es preciso eliminar el "GPN" y otras fuerzas conservadoras ultraderechistas mediante la realizacion de la gran union anticonservadora.
Todos los habitantes patrioticos y otras fuerzas progresistas de distintos sectores del Sur de Corea, por encima de las diferencias de criterio politico, creencia religiosa e insistencias, deben levantarse como un solo hombre en la realizacion de la gran union anticonservadora para la preservacion de la paz de la Peninsula Coreana que deviene cuestion vital para si mismos.
Renace grupo de parlamentarios de amistad Venezuela-Corea
Pyongyang, 28 de abril (ATCC) -- Con motivo del Dia del Sol (15 de abril, cumpleanos del Presidente Kim Il Sung), quedo reorganizado el dia 12 el Grupo de Parlamentarios de Amistad Venezuela-Corea en la sede de Asamblea Nacional Venezolana.
En la ocasion estuvieron presentes las personalidades y miembros de varios circulos sociales como la Asamblea Nacional, la cancilleria, la Asociacion Nacional Venezolana para el Estudio de la Idea Juche y la Asociacion de Amistad y Solidaridad Venezuela-Corea.
Como presidente de la entidad naciente fue electo Omar Marcano, legislador perteneciente al Partido Comunista de Venezuela.
En su discurso, el nuevo presidente subrayo que se esforzaria dinamicamente por ampliar y desarrollar las relaciones de amistad y cooperacion entre los dos paises en varias esferas.
Ex presidenta de Indonesia felicita aniversario 75 del EPC
Pyongyang, 28 de abril (ATCC) -- En ocasion del aniversario 75 de la fundacion del Ejercito Popular de Corea, Megawati Soekarnoputri, ex presidenta de Indonesia y presidenta general del Consejo de Direccion Central del Partido Democratico de Lucha de Indonesia, envio el dia 23 un cesto de flores de gran tamano y una carta de felicitacion a la embajada coreana acreditada en su pais.