U.S., Strangler of Middle East Peace: KCNA
Pyongyang, January 24 (KCNA) -- The chief executive of the United States toured Middle East from January 8 to 16.
The purpose of his trip was to refurbish the image of the U.S. by "promoting" Palestinian-Israeli peace talks, build an anti-Iran alliance by winning over the local countries and establish its domination over this region.
Through his trip, the U.S. betrayed its double-dealing tactics and one-sided policy inclined to Israel in the Middle East issue.
In a statement on the Palestinian issue Bush pretended to be deeply concerned over the peace process while failing to put forward any concrete solution to such core points as the definition of the border line of the independent Palestinian state, the issue of refugees and the status of Kudus.
He talked about an end to Israeli occupation of Arab territories, but failed to specify a solution to it. And he described the expansion of Jewish "settlements" as an "obstacle," but did not pressurize Israel to stop it. He went the lengths of praising Israel as a "supporter" to the peace process, not its obstructer.
This not only added to the internal split of Palestine but also openly patronized Israel in its fascist repression and brutal murder of Palestinians.
It was with this support of the U.S. that Israel, no sooner had it "committed" itself to bending efforts for the solution of the problems pending between the Arab countries and Israel at the international meeting on Middle East peace held in Annapolis, Maryland of the U.S., last November, than it declared its plan to build Jewish "settlements" extensively and committed brutal killings of innocent Palestinians almost every day.
Blaring that it would not end its occupation of the West Bank until the "security" of its own territory was guaranteed and would never surrender Kudus to Palestine, Israel took advantage of Bush's Middle East trip as the best chance to bring into the open its ambition to keep Arab territories under its sway for ever.
Not without reason did Reuters say many people in Middle East regarded Bush as a war maniac who pursues not peace and democracy but the supremacy of the U.S. and Israel.
During his trip, Bush denounced Iran as "the world's leading state sponsor of terror". And he urged Persian Gulf leaders to confront with Iran and tried to pressurize them to join the U.S. in its efforts to isolate Iran, restricting their access to Iran's banks and other financial institutions.
Timing to coincidence with his trip, the U.S. administration notified Congress of its intent to sell to Saudi Arabia advanced weaponry worth more than 120 million U.S. dollars to bolster the defense of U.S. allies in the Gulf against Iran.
This proposal is the first part of the planned 20-billion-dollar deal with the Gulf which the U.S. announced last year.
At that time, the U.S. also declared its plan of $30 billion in arms sales to the Jewish state.
It is as clear as daylight that this will aggravate the local situation.
Facts vividly show that the U.S. posing as "an apostle of peace" and "an unbiased arbitrator" is the wrecker and strangler of Middle East peace.
Diamond Jubilee of Youth Magazine Observed
Pyongyang, January 24 (KCNA) -- A meeting took place on Jan. 24 to mark the 60th anniversary of the magazine Chongnyon Saenghwal.
Thanks to the care and trust of President Kim Il Sung the inaugural issue of the magazine was issued on Jan. 25, Juche 37 (1948).
The magazine has greatly contributed to preparing the young people politically and ideologically and encouraging them to perform fresh exploits in each period of the developing revolution and at its each stage.
O Hye Son, director and editor-in-chief of the Kum Song Youth Publishing House, in a report made at the meeting referred to the fact that Kim Jong Il personally examined the magazine, indicating the orientation and ways for its edition and, at the same time, led it with warm care to creditably fulfill its mission and role and showed profound solicitude for its journalists and editors.
The reporter called upon the officials, journalists and editors of the magazine to elevate the level of its edition and make vigorous endeavors to improve their professional qualifications so as to make the magazine a close friend and a companion for the youngsters in their activities and thus fulfill its mission.
It was attended by Kim Jung Rin, secretary of the C.C., the Workers' Party of Korea, Ri Yong Chol, first secretary of the C.C., the youth league, officials concerned and officials, journalists and editors of the publishing house.
Day of Republic of India Observed
Pyongyang, January 24 (KCNA) -- The Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries and the DPRK-India Friendship Association held a film show and a friendly meeting at the Taedonggang Club for the Diplomatic Corps on Thursday on the occasion of the Day of the Republic of India.
Present there on invitation were Zile Singh, Indian ambassador to the DPRK, and staff members of the embassy here.
On hand were Jon Yong Jin, vice-chairman of the committee and the association, members of the association and working people in the city.
The participants watched an Indian feature film.
Then followed a friendly meeting.
Its participants talked to one another about the need to boost the relations between the DPRK and India, deepening the friendship.
4th National Contest and Exhibition of Machine Designs to Be Held
Pyongyang, January 24 (KCNA) -- The 4th national contest and exhibition of machine designs will be held in Pyongyang from March 18 to 20 under the co-sponsorship of the Central Committee of the Korean General Federation of Science and Technology and the Bureau for Guidance to Machine Designing of the Ministry of Machine-Building Industry.
The purpose of this event is to swap the successes and experience gained in the field of machine designing and widely introduce them.
Winter Folk Games Brisk among School Children
Pyongyang, January 24 (KCNA) -- The school children across the country enjoy their winter vacation with diverse folk games.
Kim Il Sung Square, plazas of the Tower of the Juche Idea, the Monument to Party Founding and the April 25 House of Culture and various other parts of Pyongyang are alive with such children's folk games.
Schoolboys and girls fly high various kinds of kites bearing "Devoted defence," "Knowledge, good moral character and good health" and other letters and depicting the flag of the Republic while others enjoy skipping ropes.
Their cheerful folk games include playing with toy pinwheels and spinning tops that make streets in the capital city more animated in this cold winter.
Children's folk games are also brisk at schools, parks, recreation grounds and playing grounds in South Phyongan Province, Jagang Province, South Hamgyong Province and North Hwanghae Province and other provinces, cities and counties.
Fur Earmuffs of National Flavor
Pyongyang, January 24 (KCNA) -- Pupils and children across the DPRK are enjoying the joyful time with various folk games in the current winter vacation.
They, wearing flix earmuffs, are engrossed in sleigh-riding and snowball fight, which stirs up national flavor.
The fur earmuffs used by adults as well as children have a long history.
The Korean people have made and used fur earmuffs to protect their ears from biting cold in winter from the period of the three kingdoms of Koguryo (277 B.C.-A.D. 668), Paekje (late 1st century B.C.-A.D. 660) and Silla (the early middle of the 1st century-935).
Vivid is the figure of a woman wearing fur earmuffs on the mural painting of Anak Tomb No. 2 which belongs to Koguryo.
Later fur earmuffs were very popular not only in the Koryo Dynasty but also in the Ri Dynasty.
In particular, in the period of the Ri Dynasty (1392-1910) fur earmuffs were widely used by the people of all ages and both sexes irrespective of ranks. They were made of various fur-leathers of squirrel, otter, rabbit, dog, tiger, etc.
Types of the earmuffs were developed in the closing years of the Ri Dynasty. Among them were big and round earmuffs linked with spring wire.
The active children are fond of rabbit fur earmuffs.
Some earmuffs were made of cloth.
Greenhouse Environment Conditioner Developed
Pyongyang, January 24 (KCNA) -- A new kind of environment conditioner for greenhouses has been developed by the Branch Academy of Forestry under the State Academy of Sciences in the DPRK.
The conditioner makes greenhouses produce saplings three or more times a year and save a large quantity of fund, manpower, water and electricity.
A research team of the branch academy analyzed and studied in detail the influence of the major environmental factors upon sapling production of varied species in hothouses and proved the optimum conditions according to the cultivation processes. It also solved scientific and technological problems arising in manufacturing the conditioner which can simultaneously sense and control the temperature, humidity, luminous intensity and other elements in the wide space of hothouses.
Basing itself on this, the team has manufactured the conditioner on a high-level and introduced it into production.
The scientific accuracy and economic effectiveness of the product have been verified to the full at various sapling production units and flower greenhouses through long-time tests.
End to U.S. Policy for Aggression on DPRK Demanded
Pyongyang, January 24 (KCNA) -- On Jan. 23, 1968, brave seamen of the Korean People's Army Navy captured the U.S. imperialist armed spy ship "Pueblo" and its 80 odd crewmen when they illegally intruded into territorial waters of the DPRK to commit espionage. This was an exercise of the internationally-approved right to legal self-defence and due punishment for the provokers and aggressors.
Rodong Sinmun Thursday says this in a signed commentary.
Nevertheless, the U.S. was so insolent as to send aircraft carrier flotillas to the waters off Wonsan, talking about "revenge" for the capture of the spy ship and foolishly seeking to bring the DPRK into submission by threat and blackmail, the commentary notes, and goes on:
The 40 years since the capture of the ship "Pueblo" is a history of crimes in which the U.S. has persistently conducted the moves to provoke a war against the DPRK, challenging the unanimous desire of the Korean nation for peace and reunification of the country.
Even now, the U.S. invariably pursues the hostile policy towards the DPRK and steadily strains the military tension on the Korean Peninsula, talking about "dialogue" and "peace."
The U.S. conservative hardliners are ceaselessly staging military rackets against the DPRK even under the situation where the implementation of the agreements made at the six-party talks is going on.
The facts clearly prove that the source of military tension and danger of war on the Korean Peninsula is the confrontation moves of the U.S. conservative hardliners seeking to invade the DPRK while insisting on the anachronistic hostile policy towards the DPRK.
In order to ease the constant tension and achieve durable peace on the Korean Peninsula, it is important to put an end to the U.S. hostile policy towards the DPRK and get its imperialist aggressor troops withdrawn from south Korea.
All Koreans Called upon to Unite Close under Banner of "By Our Nation Itself"
Pyongyang, January 24 (KCNA) -- Now that the idea of "By our nation itself," a great banner of the times, indicates the way of achieving unity every Korean desirous of reunification should join the patriotic ranks irrespective of class, social stratum, political affiliation and position and make a positive contribution to strengthening the driving force for reunification.
Rodong Sinmun Thursday says this in a signed article.
It goes on:
It is an essential requirement for strengthening the driving force for reunification to rally all Koreans close under the patriotic banner in order to accomplish the cause of national reunification.
The idea of "By our nation itself" which displays great vitality in practice guarantees the independent development of the nation and its peace and prosperity.
Koreans should not cooperate with outside forces who are opposed to reunification but work hard to consolidate the ranks for national unity by pooling the will and efforts of the nation desirous of reunification.
The authorities, political parties, organizations and patriotic people from all walks of life in the north and the south should turn out in the movement for reunification as masters irrespective of idea, ism, political view and religion.
It is important to remove obstacles lying in the way of pooling the efforts of the nation.
It is necessary to eradicate such leftovers of the old era of confrontation as the "National Security Law" and the concrete wall.
All Koreans who love the country and the nation should swim with the trend of the June 15 era of reunification with patriotism and come out without hesitation to the scene of actions for achieving the great unity of the nation.
All Koreans in the north and the south and overseas should join the patriotic ranks for achieving independent reunification and peace and prosperity and intensify the nationwide movement for great national unity with the awareness of being responsible for national reunification and thus bring about a landmark phase of independent reunification this significant year.
Apology from Ri Hoe Chang Urged in S. Korea
Pyongyang, January 24 (KCNA) -- Choe Ju Hyong, chairman of the preparatory committee for the 16th-term south Korean Federation of University Student Councils, on Jan. 17 issued a statement titled "Ri Hoe Chang, a judicial killer, should apologize before the history and nation on his knees," according to a news report.
Recalling that Jo Yong Su, chief of the newspaper Minjok Ilbo who fell a victim to the "case of Minjok Ilbo," one of the plots concocted during the past military fascist dictatorship, was given a verdict of not guilty on January 16, 40 odd years since the case, the statement said:
This "case" was evidently the worst incident intended to shackle the freedom of speech and the press. Such past anti-reunification and anti-national crimes should be settled without fail in the June 15 era.
It is none other than Ri Hoe Chang who, as a judge, gave the death penalty to Jo Yong Su, the statement pointed out, urging him to apologize on his knees before the people for the crimes he committed as a judge.
Noting that Ri Hoe Chang is now turning up in the political arena though he committed the murderous deed which can never be pardoned by the nation and history, the statement held that he should not be forgiven in any case.
DPRK's Joint New Year Editorial Favored
Pyongyang, January 24 (KCNA) -- The France-Korea Friendship Association issued a statement on Jan. 15 in support of the joint New Year editorial of the DPRK.
The joint editorial clarified in detail the tasks and ways for realizing the Korean people's desire and basic interests, the statement said, hoping that the Workers' Party of Korea and the Korean people would register success in their efforts to carry out the tasks set forth in the joint editorial.
The association will widely introduce the joint editorial to French people, it said.
Gouressiou Bari, chairman of the Guinean Committee for Supporting the Independent and Peaceful Reunification of Korea, released a statement on the same day supporting the joint editorial.
He in the statement said that the committee will fully support the slogan calling for ushering in a new era of independent reunification and peace and prosperity by the concerted efforts of the Korean nation. It will extend positive support and encouragement to the Korean people in their efforts to realize the national reunification independently and peacefully without outsiders' interference, it added.
For Spanish-speaking people
Acto por 60 aniversario de la revista "Chongnyon Saenghwal"
Pyongyang, 24 de enero (ATCC) -- Tuvo lugar el dia 24 el acto por el 60 aniversario de la fundacion de la revista "Chongnyon Saenghwal".
El 25 de enero del 37 (1948) de la Era Juche se dio a luz el primer numero de la revista por el amor y confianza del Presidente Kim Il Sung.
La revista hizo una gran contribucion a armar en lo ideo-politico a los jovenes en cada periodo y cada etapa del desarrollo de la revolucion y a estimularlos a la creacion de nuevas hazanas.
El informe de la ocasion estuvo a cargo de O Hye Son, directora y editora jefa de la Editorial Juvenil Kum Song.
El Dirigente Kim Jong Il vio en persona la revista "Chongnyon Saenghwal", enseno la orientacion y medios de su redaccion, presto gran atencion a la revista para que esta cumpla satisfactoriamente con su mision y papel y dispenso gran benevolencia a los periodistas y redactores, senalo la informante.
Los funcionarios, periodistas y redactores deben librar energicamente la labor para mejorar el nivel de la redaccion de la revista y elevar el arte de escribir para que la revista pueda cumplir con su deber siendo intimo amigo y acompanante de los jovenes en lucha, apunto.
En el acto participaron el secretario del Comite Central del Partido del Trabajo de Corea, Kim Jung Rin, el primer secretario del Comite Central de la Union de la Juventud Socialista Kim Il Sung, Ri Yong Chol, y otros funcionarios, cuadros, periodistas y redactores de la citada Editorial.
ATCC comenta gira del mandatario norteamericano por Medio Oriente
Pyongyang, 24 de enero (ATCC) -- El presidente norteamericano realizo del dia 8 al 16 la gira por el Medio Oriente con el proposito de mejorar la imagen de Estados Unidos al "promover" las conversaciones de paz Palestina-Israel, involucrar a los paises regionales en la alianza contra Iran y tomar el dominio sobre esa area.
Pero, este periplo volvio a corroborar el doble rasero y la politica de favoritismo a Israel que aplica EE.UU. en el problema del Medio Oriente.
En su declaracion relativa al problema palestino, el mandatario norteamericano fingio como si tuviera gran interes en el proceso de paz de esta region.
Sin embargo, en esa nota el no presento ninguna solucion concreta de los asuntos claves como la fijacion de la frontera del Estado independiente de Palestina, el problema de los refugiados y el estatus de Kuds.
Aunque abogo por el fin de la ocupacion de los territorios arabes por Israel, no planteo el remedio para llevarlo a la practica.
Y califico de "escollo" las maniobras para ensanchar los "asentamientos" judios, pero no ejercio presion a Israel para que se abstuviera de ellas.
Al contrario, elogio a este pais hebreo como "colaborador" en el proceso de paz cuando en realidad es un estropeador.
Tales palabras significan la defensa abierta de la represion fascista y la matanza a palestinos por parte del pais sionista, al tiempo que agravan la escision interna de Palestina.
Estimulado por el apoyo de EE.UU., Israel, que se ha comprometido a esforzarse por resolver los problemas con los paises arabes en la reunion internacional sobre la paz del Medio Oriente sesionada en noviembre del ano pasado en Annapolis, Maryland, anuncio pronto su plan de construir en gran medida los "asentamientos" judios y esta matando casi todos los dias a muchos palestinos inocentes.
Ademas, exteriorizo su voluntad de seguir ocupando la Cisjordania hasta que sea garantizada la "seguridad" del territorio israeli y de nunca traspasar Kuds a Palestina.
De esta manera, utilizo la gira del presidente estadounidense por el Medio Oriente como una buena oportunidad para exponer abiertamente su intento de tomar de modo perenne los territorios arabes ocupados.
No por casualidad, la agencia britanica Reuters comento que muchas personas del Medio Oriente califican a Bush de maniaco de guerra que persigue la hegemonia EE.UU.-Israel, lejos de la paz y la democracia.
Durante su estancia en esa area, calificando a Iran del "peor patrocinador del terrorismo" de este mundo, el actual inquilino de la Casa Blanca instigo a los paises regionales a la confrontacion con el primero y les exigio sumarse a los esfuerzos de EE.UU. por aislarlo por diferentes vias como la suspension de las transacciones con las entidades financieras iranies.
Coincidiendo con esa gira, la administracion norteamericana anuncio al congreso el plan de venta a Arabia Saudita de los armamentos valorados en mas de 120 millones de US$ trazado bajo el pretexto de mejorar la capacidad de los "aliados" del Medio Oriente para hacer frente a Iran.
Esta suma forma parte del plan de venta de armamentos a los paises del Medio Oriente equivalente a 20 mil millones de US$, anunciado el ano pasado por EE.UU. junto con el otro para Israel contabilizado en 30 mil millones de US$.
No cabe ninguna duda de que ese trasiego de armas empeorara aun mas la ya grave situacion del Medio Oriente.
Todos los hechos muestran patentemente que el destructor y verdugo de la paz de esa region es precisamente EE.UU. que anda como si fuera "angel de la paz" y "mediador imparcial".
EE.UU. debe desistir de su politica de agresion a Corea
Pyongyang, 24 de enero (ATCC) -- El 23 de enero de 1968, los valientes marineros del Ejercito Popular de Corea capturaron el barco espia armado del imperialismo yanqui "Pueblo", que realizaba el espionaje tras infiltrarse ilegalmente en las aguas territoriales de la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea, y la totalidad de sus tripulantes (mas de 80).
Esta medida fue reconocida en el ambito mundial como un justo ejercicio del derecho soberano y un castigo merecido a los provocadores y agresores.
Rememora el diario Rodong Sinmun en un comentario individual difundido este jueves y continua:
Sin embargo, hablando en tono arrogante de la supuesta "represalia", Estados Unidos desplego en el mar frente a la ciudad de Wonsan las flotillas de portaaviones para poner de rodillas a la RPDC con la amenaza y el chantaje, lo cual nunca pudo ser conseguido.
La historia de 40 anos posteriores a aquel incidente esta llena de crimenes de EE.UU. que perpetro tenazmente las maniobras de provocacion de guerra contra el Norte de Corea desafiando a la unanime aspiracion de la nacion coreana a la paz y la reunificacion del pais.
Hoy dia, el imperio habla tanto del "dialogo" y la "paz", pero en realidad sigue practicando su politica hostil a Corea y exacerba la tension militar en la Peninsula Coreana.
Lo peor del caso es que las fuerzas conservadoras intransigentes de EE.UU. no dejan de practicar sus maniobras militares anti-RPDC aun en estos tiempos cuando se implementan los consensos logrados en las conversaciones a 6 bandas.
Para aliviar el estado de tension permanente y lograr la paz duradera en la Peninsula Coreana, EE.UU. debe poner fin a su politica hostil contra la RPDC y retirar a sus trapas agresoras del suelo surcoreano.