Talks between DPRK and Singaporean Foreign Ministers Held
Pyongyang, July 23 (KCNA) -- Talks were held between Pak Ui Chun, foreign minister who is heading the DPRK delegation on a visit to Singapore, and George Yong|Boon Yeo, foreign minister of Singapore, in Singapore on July 22.
Present there from the DPRK side were members of the delegation and the DPRK ambassador to Singapore and from the Singaporean side the second permanent secretary of the Foreign Ministry and officials concerned of Singapore.
At the talks, both sides exchanged views on boosting the relations between the two countries and a series of matters of mutual concern.
Kim Yong Nam Receives Credentials from Yemeni Ambassador
Pyongyang, July 23 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, received credentials from Abdulmalek Sulaiman Mohammed Al-Muaalemi, ambassador e.p. of Yemen to the DPRK, at the Mansudae Assembly Hall today.
After receiving credentials, Kim talked with the ambassador.
Bust of Ri In Mo Unveiled
Pyongyang, July 23 (KCNA) -- The bust of Ri In Mo, an indomitable pro-reunification patriotic fighter and an incarnation of faith and will, was erected in Thongil Street, Pyongyang.
The bust standing on the granite pedestal on which the gold medal of the National Reunification Prize is carved in relief represents Ri In Mo in a prison uniform, tightly gripping his handcuffed fists, indicative of all sufferings he underwent in jail for 34 years.
The erection of his bust is a manifestation of profound solicitude shown again by General Secretary Kim Jong Il for a revolutionary soldier who devoted his whole life to the struggle for national reunification to add eternal shine to his noble life.
An unveiling ceremony was held on the spot on Wednesday.
Present there were Yang Hyong Sop, Kim Ki Nam and others and officials of social organizations, ministries and national institutions, former unconverted long-term prisoners, family members of Ri In Mo and working people in the city.
Overseas Koreans visiting the socialist motherland were among those present there.
A wreath sent by Kim Jong Il was laid before the bust of Ri In Mo.
Also laid before the bust were wreaths in the names of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, the DPRK Cabinet, ministries, national institutions and social organizations, party and power organs, enterprises, farms and schools in the city and former unconverted long-term prisoners.
The participants paid a silent tribute to the memory of Ri In Mo.
Yang Hyong Sop in his unveiling address recalled that President Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il repeatedly bestowed great trust and loving care upon Ri In Mo who fought, remaining true to his faith and principle to the last in order to fulfill the pledge he made before the Party and the revolution.
He added that thanks to their profound love and solicitude Ri enjoyed a worthwhile life and happiness for 14 years since he came into the care of the socialist homeland though he was at the jaw of death after becoming a man no better than a living fossil behind bars in the south.
He called on all Party members and other working people to follow the example set by Ri, in remaining loyal to Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.
Friendly Gathering with Staff Members of Egyptian Embassy Held
Pyongyang, July 23 (KCNA) -- A friendly gathering with staff members of the Egyptian embassy here was held at Kim Song Ju Primary School, the DPRK-Egypt friendship school, on July 23 on the occasion of the 56th anniversary of the July 23 revolution in Egypt.
Present at the gathering on invitation were Egyptian Ambassador to the DPRK Ismail Abdelrahman Ghoneim Hussein and staff members of the embassy.
On hand were So Ho Won, vice-chairman of the DPRK-Egypt Friendship Association, officials concerned and teachers and pupils of the school.
The participants in the gathering laid bunches of flowers before the statue of President Kim Il Sung at the school and paid tribute to him.
They were briefed on the history of the school associated with the leadership exploits of the three generals of Mt. Paektu before looking round various educational facilities and appreciating an art performance and a Taekwon-Do demonstration given by pupils of the school.
They played sports and amusement games and talked to one another about the need to boost the relations between the DPRK and Egypt, deepening the friendship.
Over 60 Sportsmen and Sportswomen of DPRK Will Go to Beijing
Pyongyang, July 23 (KCNA) -- The 29th Olympic Games is scheduled in China next month.
Jong Hae Man, vice-chairman of the Sports Subcommittee of the DPRK Olympic Committee, told KCNA that more than 60 sportsmen and sportswomen of the country will compete in over 10 events at the Olympics.
The women's football team with Ri Kum Suk, a world women's football master, as its captain has won landslide in Asian regional games over Australia, Taipei of China and Hong Kong of China held in Juche 96 (2007) to be qualified for the Olympics.
Kye Sun Hui, a "Kim Il Sung Prize" laureate, a Labor Hero, a People's Athlete and a four-time world judo champion, and An Kum Ae of the Moranbong Sports Group have been qualified for the Olympics by finishing respectively first and third in the 2007 world judo championships.
Cha Kum Chol, a weightlifter, and Cha Kwang Su, a wrestler, of the April 25 Sports Group, Im Yong Su, a weightlifter of the Kigwancha Sports Group, Pak Hyon Suk, a weightlifter of the Amrokgang Sports Group, and others will take on world's sports masters. They emerged successful in the 2007 world men's weightlifting championships, 2008 Asian wrestling championships and other international tournaments.
Many other sportsmen and sportswomen including Kwon Un Sil, Kim Jong Su, Ryu Myong Yon, Pak Jong Ran and Jo Yong Suk of the April 25 National Defence Sports Group, Son Hye Yong of the Amrokgang National Defence Sports Group and Kim Song Guk of the Pyongyang City Sports Group will compete in archery, shooting, boxing, table-tennis, marathon, gymnastics, diving and synchronized swimming.
Now they are all full of confidence to display the honor of the DPRK with high scores by applying Korean-style competing principles and methods in each game.
National Oratorical Meeting of Youth and Students Held
Pyongyang, July 23 (KCNA) -- A national oratorical meeting of youth and students took place at the Central Youth Hall on July 23 to celebrate the 55th anniversary of victory in the Fatherland Liberation War.
At the meeting several youth and students took the floor on the subjects of "Matchless Grit", "Strength", "Peerlessly Illustrious Commander", "Road" and "The Victory of Korea Will Last Forever".
They said that the DPRK and its people could demonstrate their dignity as heroic Korea and heroic people under the commandership of President Kim Il Sung, the invincible and iron-willed commander, as he forced the U.S. imperialists, who boasted of being "the strongest" in the world, to sink like the setting sun with his Juche-oriented military idea and war methods.
They spoke highly of the revolutionary history of General Secretary Kim Jong Il identical to the President as he reinforced the country like a fortress for self-defence and brought about the dawn of a great prosperous powerful nation by making endless journeys for the Songun revolution, the historic journeys for the country and the nation.
They stressed that thanks to Kim Jong Il the feats the President performed by leading the war to victory would shine forever in the annals of the country.
It was attended by Kim Jung Rin, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Ri Yong Chol, first secretary of the Central Committee of the youth league, its officials and youth and students in the city.
U.S. Branded as Spreader of WMD
Pyongyang, July 23 (KCNA) -- A few days ago, the U.S. Department of Defense put forth a "new policy" on cluster bombs with high rate of failure to go off. This calls on the U.S. to sell such cluster bombs to other countries and develop new type cluster bombs in the fixed period.
In this regard Rodong Sinmun Wednesday runs a signed commentary which notes that not a few cluster bombs are now being used in various dispute-and war-torn areas of the world where peaceable inhabitants ceaselessly lose their lives or become disabled due to the explosion of the dud bombs in roads and bushes.
If there is no country producing or spreading the cluster bombs, those bombs will not be used in battles or in wars at random and casualties will drop accordingly, the commentary observes, branding the U.S. as the arch criminal using, producing and spreading those cluster bombs.
The commentary goes on:
The "Human Rights Watch," an international human rights organization, recently disclosed that the U.S. is the world's leading producer and exporter of cluster bombs and it is the world's biggest possessor of those bombs.
The U.S. is talking about the reduction of the cluster bombs with high rate of failure to explode not because it feels guilty conscience of the crimes committed by it in the past or it stands for world peace and security.
Its assertion is nothing but sophism intended to increase the delivery of cluster bombs to its allied countries. Through this the U.S. seeks to gain more profits and arm its allied forces with weapons of mass destruction (WMD). That is to say, it wishes to kill two birds with one stone by use of cluster bombs.
The U.S. can never cover up its true colors as a spreader of WMD.
Japan's Projected Missile Test-fire Blasted
Pyongyang, July 23 (KCNA) -- Some days ago, the Japanese Ministry of Defence announced that Japan would test-fire PAC-3 belonging to the Air "Self-Defence Force," a major element of the missile defence system (MD), in the middle of September.
Minju Joson Wednesday observes in a signed commentary in this regard:
If Japan test-fires even PAC-3, it will mean Japan's MD will be fully ready to go into action.
Japan's moves to build a missile shield are dangerous ones as they may wreck peace and security in Northeast Asia and other parts of the world.
The Japanese reactionaries claim that their MD is to "cope with someone's threat of ballistic missiles" to Japan but this is nothing but sophism intended to cover up their ulterior motive.
Japan is busy establishing the MD not because of any threat to security but because it is prompted by its aim to acquire capability to mount preemptive attacks.
Japan is zealously involved in the moves to establish the U.S. MD designed to gain a military and strategic edge in the areas of strategic importance in a bid to accelerate the conversion of the country into a military power and thus emerge a leader of Asia.
Japan's military capability has now reached a very high level. It is capable of undertaking any military operation overseas by itself.
In case Japan has access to a perfect missile "shield," it will mean Japan's acquisition of full capability to mount preemptive attacks.
This indicates that the Japanese reactionaries' moves to turn Japan into a military giant and launch reinvasion have reached a very dangerous phase and they began assuming real danger.
The above-said moves are as foolish acts as precipitating their own self-destruction.
They would be well advised to cogitate about the grave consequences to be entailed by those moves.
National Cooperation Called for
Pyongyang, July 23 (KCNA) -- The Lee Myung Bak group have gone to extremes in their treacherous confrontational racket to realize their ambition to invade the DPRK in collusion with aggressor foreign forces and this is further escalating the military confrontation and tension on the Korean Peninsula than ever before.
Rodong Sinmun Wednesday says this in a signed article.
National independence and cooperation are the unanimous desire of the whole nation and the trend of the era, it notes, and goes on:
The present times are the era of "By our nation itself" and national cooperation in which the nation is advancing along the road indicated by the historic June 15 joint declaration.
The June 15 joint declaration indicates a programme for achieving reunification common to the nation as it is aimed at attaining the independent national reunification by the concerted efforts of the nation while rejecting the interference and the moves of the foreign forces for aggression as well as the most correct guidelines for the development of the inter-Korean relations.
The national cooperation provides a basic mode of struggle for the development of the inter-Korean relations and national reunification.
To cooperate with outside forces while denying cooperation with compatriots amounts to negating the idea of "By our nation itself" and a criminal act against the times and peace as it is aimed at blocking the development of the above-said relations and national reunification and igniting a war against the DPRK.
The cooperation with the foreign forces pursued by the Lee group means cooperation in starting a war against the DPRK as it is designed to kill compatriots by force of arms.
The above-said cooperation pursued by the Lee group cannot escape the strong protest and condemnation from the whole nation as it is nothing but a dangerous and foolish act to realize their ambition to invade the DPRK, rejecting national cooperation.
The Lee group are going mad with cooperation with foreign forces in the moves for a war against their fellow countrymen while vociferating about the regaining of the "lost decade," clean indifferent to the need of the era and the desire of the nation. This is no more than foolish desperate efforts of the traitors who have no other choice but to depend upon foreign forces as they are forsaken by the nation.
The cooperation with the foreign forces in their moves for a war is unpardonable thrice-cursed treachery.
The national cooperation which calls for pooling the efforts of the nation leads to patriotism and means the only way of achieving independent national reunification and peace and prosperity.
The article calls on all Koreans at home and abroad to resolutely foil the cooperation pursued by the conservative ruling forces in south Korea with foreign forces in the moves for a war against compatriots, firmly defend the peace of the country and vigorously push ahead with the cause of national reunification in the spirit of "By our nation itself" and through national cooperation.
Japan's Claim to Tok Islet Slashed
Pyongyang, July 23 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Anti-Imperialist National Democratic Front released a statement on July 21 in denunciation of Japan's moves to grab Tok Islet, according to Kuguk Jonson (Internet).
The statement condemned the Japanese authorities' undisguised scheme to seize the islet as a wanton violation of the Korean nation's sovereignty and dignity and an unpardonable challenge to all Koreans and the international community.
The AINDF bitterly denounces the Japanese government for insisting that Tok Islet, part of the inviolable territory of Korea, belongs to Japan despite strong protest of the people at home and abroad, it said, adding: The fact that the islet is part of the inviolable territory of the Korean nation is undeniable from the historical point of view and from the legal and geographical viewpoints.
It further said:
Not content with such far-fetched claim, the Japanese reactionaries officially described it in the "new teaching guidelines" of the government to infuse this idea into the minds of the rising generation. This is one more reckless act that could be perpetrated only by a group of vicious aggressors and brazen-faced burglars. This clearly proves that Japan's scheme to reinvade the Korean Peninsula and conquer Asia has entered the stage of its implementation.
Such shameless and arrogant moves of Japan are chiefly attributable to the Lee Myung Bak group's treachery to serve Japan, the statement pointed out, and went on:
The reality evidently shows once again that it is impossible to protect the sovereignty and territory and ensure peace of the people if a traitor is allowed to stay within the nation.
The AINDF will never tolerate the above-said treachery of the Lee Myung Bak group, a gang of traitors identical to the "five traitors in 1905".
The Japanese authorities should stop foolishly working to grab Tok Islet, taking Lee Myung Bak's seizure of power as the best chance for realizing it.
S. Korean Police Brutal Suppression Chided by AI
Pyongyang, July 23 (KCNA) -- The investigator for East Asia of Amnesty International (AI) held a press conference at the Press Hall in Seoul on July 18 at which he made public the results of the investigation made into the puppet police brutal suppression of candlelight actions.
At the conference he said that he personally went to the scenes of candlelight rallies and listened to the testimonies made by participants of demonstrations and riot policemen involved in the violent crackdown upon them for the past two weeks to look into the police's human rights abuses.
He accused the police of excessively using force against the participants of the peaceful candlelight demonstrations.
He also denounced the police for suppressing civic and social activists and inflicting inhuman punishment upon those arrested and detained.
Referring to the so-called "argument about forces behind the candlelight rallies," he made it clear that obviously there were no such forces behind the candlelight rallies and all those involved in them participated in them according to their own will.
He demanded the south Korean "government" thoroughly investigate the police human rights abuses, punish those responsible for them and take measures for the relief of the victims of the police violence.
He declared that the AI would work out a report on the basis of the results of the recent survey and those of the additional investigation and distribute it to the whole world and, at the same time, get in touch with the international human rights organization to conduct activities for building public opinion critical of the south Korean police's human rights abuses.
S. Korean Military Authorities' Seizure of Land Assailed
Pyongyang, July 23 (KCNA) -- The People for Achieving Peace and Reunification and the Measure Committee for the Removal of Mugon-ri Training Ground in south Korea jointly called a press conference in Seoul on July 18, condemning the puppet military authorities for their moves to grab land.
Speakers at the press conference charged that the Defence Ministry is seeking to seize the land owned by inhabitants in Ohyon-ri, Popwon Township, Phaju City, Kyonggi Province, in a bid to enlarge the Mugon-ri training ground while peddling the deceptive "plan for land compensation."
To carry out this scheme, the military authorities enforced an "official instruction on enforcement plan" to seize land of 3.7 million phyong in Mugon-ri, Joksong Sub-county and its surrounding areas in November last year and have hastened the preparations to grab the land of the inhabitants refusing to accept the "instruction" from May this year, they pointed out.
The said moves, timed to coincide with the expansion of the U.S. military base in Phyongthaek, are designed to intensify the war exercises for preemptive attack on the DPRK as the operational theatre of the U.S. forces in south Korea has been extended overseas with the materialization of their "strategic flexibility," they disclosed.
They denounced such moves as an act of going against the trend toward building the peace-keeping mechanism on the Korean Peninsula.
Then a press release was read out, which said that the military authorities should immediately stop the moves for enlarging the Mugon-ri training ground as demanded by the inhabitants, though belatedly.
Stop to Suppression of Patriotic Students Urged in S. Korea
Pyongyang, July 23 (KCNA) -- The Action Headquarters of the 16th-term south Korean Federation of University Student Councils (Hanchongryon) issued a statement on July 18 demanding that the Lee Myung Bak "government" immediately stop the security authorities' crackdown upon the patriotic students and kneel down before the people.
The statement noted that recently the security authorities issued summons against the chairman of the south Korean Students Association for the 21st Century, charging that he "wire-pulled" the candlelight struggle.
The Lee Myung Bak "government" is getting hell-bent on the violent suppression of the candlelight struggle, claiming that "there might be a special group of activists behind the candlelight struggle" and "security is at stake," it pointed out.
It stated that the candlelight action going on across south Korea including Seoul everyday has been not motivated by someone's agitation but by the inhabitants themselves in protest against the unpopular policy of the "government".
It is quite right that the association, a mass organization of students, took part in the struggle against the beef import, the statement said, adding that nothing can break the spirit and will of youth and students.
Hanchongryon will stage a vigorous struggle in solidarity with different student organizations, it declared.
Replacement of KAA by Peace Accord Urged
Pyongyang, July 23 (KCNA) -- The British Association for the Study of Songun Policy and the British Group for the Study of the Juche Idea issued a joint statement on July 17 as regards the lapse of 55 years since the Korean Armistice Agreement was concluded.
Over half a century has passed since the U.S. imperialists knelt down before the Korean people to sign the Armistice Agreement, the statement noted, and said:
But, the signatories to the agreement are technically at war still now.
The U.S. imperialists have kept huge military equipment and armed forces in south Korea while staging joint military exercises such as Key Resolve and Foal Eagle to pose a threat to the DPRK.
They should stop the military reinforcement in south Korea and immediately withdraw their aggression forces from it. They should also halt the war exercises against the DPRK, the homeland of Juche, at once.
We contend that the only way for ensuring peace on the Korean Peninsula and the rest of the world is to replace the Armistice Agreement by a peace agreement.
The U.S. imperialists should respect the sovereignty of the DPRK and discontinue threatening it.
Japan's Moves to Grab Tok Islet Condemned
Pyongyang, July 23 (KCNA) -- Members of 10 odd organizations of U.S.-resident Koreans in New York held a rally outside the Japanese Consulate General in Manhattan on July 18 to condemn Japan's claim to Tok Islet, according to south Korea's CBS.
They denounced the Japanese government for its moves to grab the islet, chanting such slogan as "Tok Islet belongs to Korea!"
They stated that they would launch a signature campaign declaring that the islet is part of territory belonging to the Korean nation.
For Spanish-speaking people
Conversan los cancilleres de Corea y de Singapur
Pyongyang, 23 de julio (ATCC) -- Tuvieron lugar el dia 22 en Singapur las conversaciones entre el canciller Pak Ui Chun, quien preside la delegacion de la RPDC de visita en la Republica de Singapur, y su homologo de este pais George Yong-Boon Yeo.
En la ocasion estuvieron presentes por la parte coreana los integrantes de la delegacion coreana y el embajador coreano en Singapur y por la contraparte, el segundo secretario permanente de la cancilleria y otros funcionarios.
Ambas partes intercambiaron opiniones sobre el mayor desarrollo de las relaciones entre los dos paises y una serie de problemas de interes mutuo.
Este dia, George Yong-Boon Yeo ofrecio una recepcion en honor de Pak Ui Chun.
Kim Yong Nam recibe cartas credenciales de embajador yemeni
Pyongyang, 23 de julio (ATCC) -- Abdulmalek Sulaiman Mohammed Al-Muaalemi entrego este miercoles en el Palacio de los Congresos Mansudae al presidente del Presidium de la Asamblea Popular Suprema de la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea, Kim Yong Nam, sus cartas credenciales que le acreditan como nuevo embajador extraordinario y plenipotenciario de la Republica de Yemen en Corea.
Tras recibirlas, Kim Yong Nam departio con el nuevo embajador.
Deportistas coreanos calificados para participar en Olimpiada
Pyongyang, 23 de julio (ATCC) -- En agosto que viene tendran lugar en Beijing, China los XXIX Juegos Olimpicos.
Segun Jong Hae Man, vicepresidente del subcomite deportivo del Comite Olimpico de la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea, participaran mas de 60 deportistas coreanos de ambos sexos de mas de 10 disciplinas.
El equipo de futbol femenino de Corea encabezado por la maestra de futbol mundial Ri Kum Suk vencio por gran disparidad de notas a los equipos de Australia, Taipei de China y Hong Kong de China en las competencias de la region asiatica para la obtencion de la calificacion de la participacion en la Olimpiada, que tuvieron lugar en el 96 (2007) de la Era Juche.
Kye Sun Hui, laureada con el "Premio Kim Il Sung", Heroina del Trabajo, Deportista del Pueblo y Cuadruple Campeona Mundial de Judo y An Kum Ae del Equipo Deportivo Morambong adquirieron la calificacion al ocupar el primer y tercer lugares respectivamente en el Campeonato Mundial de Judo de 2007.
Cha Kum Chol (levantamiento de pesas) y Cha Kwang Su (lucha) del Equipo Deportivo 25 de Abril, Im Yong Su (levantamiento de pesas) del Equipo Deportivo Kigwancha, Pak Hyon Suk (levantamiento de pesas) del Equipo Deportivo Amrokgang y otros jugadores ganaron en varias competencias internacionales a saber, el Campeonato Mundial de Levantamiento de Pesas (M) de 2007 y el Campeonato Asiatico de Lucha de 2008 y asi obtuvieron la calificacion de competir con los maestros de deporte mundial.
Kwon Un Sil, Kim Jong Su, Ryu Myong Yon, Pak Jong Ran y Jo Yong Suk del Equipo Deportivo Kukbang 25 de Abril, Son Hye Yong del Equipo Deportivo Kukbang de Amrokgang, Kim Song Guk del Equipo Deportivo de la Ciudad de Pyongyang y los demas deportistas iran a rivalizar el tiro al arco, el tiro, boxeo, ping pong, maraton, gimnasia y natacion (salto al agua y natacion sincronizada).
Ahora todos los jugadores renuevan las determinaciones de obtener buenas notas en las competencias en estricta adhesion a los principios y metodos de partido a nuestro estilo para exaltar el honor de la RPDC.
Coreanos en EE.UU. rechazan intento de Japon de extorsionar isla Tok
Pyongyang, 23 de julio (ATCC) -- Segun la cadena surcoreana "CBS", los miembros de mas de 10 entidades de los coreanos residentes en Nueva York condenaron la insistencia de Japon en el "derecho de posesion sobre la isla Tok" en un mitin efectuado el dia 18 frente al Consulado General del pais isleno en Manhattan.
Ellos condenaron las maniobras del gobierno japones de extorsionar la isla Tok coreando la consigna "La isla Tok es nuestra tierra", etc.
Y expusieron la decision de librar la campana de recogida de firmas para declarar que la isla Tok es territorio propio de la nacion coreana.