1997 protocol on sports exchange between DPRK and China signed
Pyongyang, December 31 (KCNA) -- A 1997 protocol on sports exchange was signed in pyongyang on December 30 between the physical culture and sports commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the physical culture and sports commission of the people's republic of china.
It was signed by ri tong ho, vice-chairman of the physical culture and sports commission of the DPRK, and zhang faqiang, vice-minister of the physical culture and sports commission of China.
Floral basket laid before statue of President Kim Il Sung
Pyongyang, December 31 (KCNA) -- The foreign economic and commercial councillors' corps in korea laid a floral basket and made a bow before the statue of the great leader President Kim Il Sung on Mansu Hill in Pyongyang on December 30 on the New Year 1997.
Pyongyang workers condemn labor law amendment in S. Korea
Pyongyang, December 31 (KCNA) -- Workers of the Pyongyang Thermal Power Complex met on Monday to denounce the Kim Young Sam group of south Korea for the malrevision of the "labor laws".
The speakers said the amended "laws on the agency for national security planning and labor affairs" are intolerable laws aimed at putting the whole of south Korea into a network of information, surveillance and fascist suppression, erecting another roadblock in the way of the country's reunification and ruthlessly trampling down the workers' democratic rights and other vital rights.
They bitterly lambasted the Kim Young Sam group of harshly suppressing south Korean people in their just, patriotic protests against the fascist clique's railroading of the amendment bills through the "national assembly".
Noting that the south Korean workers' protests are a righteous, patriotic struggle for their democratic rights, freedom and existence and for independence and reunification, the speakers voiced full support for it.
Rodong Sinmun on Kim Young Sam group's appeasement,suppression
Pyongyang, December 31 (KCNA) -- The Kim Young Sam group of south Korea recently let the "minister of finance and economy" issue a "joint statement to the people", justifying the labor law amendment.
Commenting on the fact, Rodong Sinmun today says that in the "statement" the puppets gave a facade of justification to the malrevision of the "labor laws", claiming that the amended "laws" would render "economic benefit" both to the workers and managers and seek labor-management relations based on "suffrage" and "cooperation".
The daily further says:
The amendment by the puppets is aimed at filling their own and managers' purse at the sacrifice of the workers.
So, it is only too natural that the south Korean workers are standing opposed to the amendment.
The situation indicates that the Kim Young Sam group are trying to assuage the workers' anger with appeasement and suppression, put the amended fascist laws in force, emerge from the crisis of their fascist rule and line the pocket of the rulers and comprador conglomerates at the cost of the workers' blood and sweat.
Fascist Outrages of traitor Kim Young Sam denounced
Pyongyang, December 31 (KCNA) -- Spokesmen for the central committees of the Korean Social Democratic Party and the Chondoist Chongu Party made public statements on Dec. 30 denouncing the Kim Young Sam group for having railroaded the "amendement bills on the law of the agency for national security planning and the labour laws" through a recent session of the "national assembly" from which the opposition parties were excluded.
"The amendment bills" are anti-national, anti-reunification laws which trample down even the elementary right to existence as well as the political right and freedom of the south Korean people and drive the tense inter-Korean relations to a more acute phase of confrontation, the statements said, and noted:
The reality clearly shows that with the Kim Young Sam group in power, the independence and democratization of the south Korean society and peace of the country and its peaceful reunification cannot be achieved any time.
Though the traitor Kim Young Sam is making desperate efforts to extricate himself from the ruin, he will neither turn back his way to grave nor evade stern judgment by the nation.
Talented oil painter Jang Jae Sik
Pyongyang, December 31 (KCNA) -- Jang Jae Sik art exhibition is open at the Pyongyang International House of Culture.
Put on display are more than 100 pieces of oil paintings including "snow-covered scene of Mt. Paektu", "Landscape of Unha-ri" and eight other works worthy of national treasure.
He, 64, is an oil painter of the Ryanggang provincial arts production group.
Hailing from Namsongro, Taegu, North Kyongsang Province, he had worked as a painter of the Sosong signboard store in Taegu from the age of 14.
His desire was to draw pictures. But his desire could not be realised in south Korea, a dark society.
He came under the leadership of the great leader President Kim Il Sung in September 1950 and could enjoy a true happiness of life and bring his talents into full bloom.
After graduating from Pyongyang University of fine Arts, he moved to Mt. Paektu with his determination to produce many works portraying the revolutionary exploits of President Kim Il Sung, who gave him a happy life.
Over the past 30 odd years, he has produced more than 60 pieces of oil paintings depicting Mt. Paektu. among them, ten works were registered as ones under state possession.
And 40 odd oil paintings were presented to state art exhibitions and highly appraised.
What is characteristic of his drawing technique is that he draws works vividly and truthfully, using a knife.
He is now conducting energetic creative activities, determined to open an "art exhibition on Mt. Paektu" in Seoul and Taegu, his hometown, when the country is reunified.
Senior party and government officials see film "The Nation and Destiny"
Pyongyang, December 31 (KCNA) -- Pak Song Chol, Choe Kwang and other senior party and government officials appreciated the newly-released fourth part of KAPFf" (Korea Artista Proleta Federacio) writers, part 37 of the multi-part feature film "The Nation and Destiny", on December 30.
The film anatomically shows the chequered life of literary men and artists and the social situation of those days, stressing that if one is not led by a great leader, one cannot enjoy true happiness as a human being nor see a new era of popular literature.
"Labour law" amendment of S. Korea denounced
Pyongyang, December 31 (KCNA) -- The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions released a statement lashing out at the "labour law" amendment in south Korea, according to a report.
It said that the revised "labour laws" in south Korea have not a regard for the rights of workers.
It stressed that it officially notified the international labour organisation of this fact.
The secretary general of the foundation of the confederation charged that the revised "labour laws" allow companies to lay off workers and to set more flexible working hours, which touched off strikes in all parts of south Korea.
He said that Kim Young Sam should not make new evil laws.
Comrade Kim Jong Il sends message of greetings to Fidel Castro Ruz
Pyongyang, December 31 (KCNA) -- The great leader comrade Kim Jong Il sent a message of greetings to comrade Fidel Castro Ruz, first secretary of the central committee of the Communist Party, president of the council of state and president of the council of ministers of Cuba, on December 24 on the occasion of the 38th anniversary of the victory of the Cuban revolution.
Comrade Kim Jong Il extended warm congratulations to comrade Fidel Castro Ruz, the central committee of the Communist Party, the government and people of Cuba on the 38th anniversary of the victory of the Cuban revolution.
He wished the fraternal Cuban people greater success in their struggle to defend national sovereignty and socialist gains and achieve the prosperity of the country and expressed the belief that the traditional relations of friendship and cooperation between the parties, the governments and the peoples of the two countries will steadily consolidate and develop.
Comrade Kim Jong Il sends floral basket to Cuban embassy here
Pyongyang, December 31 (KCNA) -- The great leader comrade Kim Jong Il today sent a floral basket to the Cuban embassy here on the occasion of the 38th anniversary of the victory of the Cuban revolution.
The floral basket was handed to Jose Ramon Rodriguez Varona, Cuban ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Korea.
Written on ribbons hanging from the basket were letters "warm congratulations to the 38th anniversary of the victory of the Cuban revolution".
DPRK public organisations on settlement of "submarine incident"
Pyongyang, December 31 (KCNA) -- Spokesmen for the central committee of the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland (DFRF) and the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland (CPRF) issued statements today on the settlement of the "submarine incident" following recent DPRK-U.S. talks.
The spokesman for the DFRF central committee says:
The "submarine incident" which had had an impact on the situation on the Korean peninsula for nearly four months came to an end as the dead bodies of the people's army soldiers were delivered to the DPRK side in the wake of talks between the DPRK and the United States. This is a result of the consistent peaceful efforts of our side.
As is known, at the beginning of the "incident," our side officially confirmed that a small submarine belonging to a unit of the Korean People's Army (KPA) drifted after an engine trouble during a regular training on the East Sea of Korea and ran aground in the waters of south Korea, and demanded that the bodies of the dead crewmen and the submarine be returned unconditionally and immediately.
This was an expression of our side's sincere intention to prevent the accident from being a factor of tension on the Korean peninsula. Our demand was a legitimate one of the victim in accord with the usage of humanitarian practices.
The south Korean authorities, however, ignored our effort for a peaceful solution to the problem, took a position of challenge and confrontation from the beginning, described the maritime accident as a "case of infiltration of armed communist bandits," launched a smear campaign against the north, totally blocked north-south relations on that pretext and created international complexities, clinging to foreign forces.
Thus, they carried out a campaign for confrontation with the DPRK in order to use for sinister political purposes this "incident" that should be solved on humanitarian principles. as a result, the problem could not be solved soon and the north-south relations were rendered more strained.
As a matter of fact, the delivery of the bodies of the dead crewmen means that the south Korean authorities admitted their inhumane deed and apologized though belatedly, as demanded by our side several times.
The CPRF spokesman says in the statement:
Though they knew that our sailors had no other choice but to go ashore after the submarine ran aground off a south Korean coast, the south Korean authorities, describing the victims as "spies", mobilized hundreds of thousands of troops and police belonging to the "joint search team" in manhunt, rendering the situation all the more strained. So, the south Korean rulers, who have abused the "sub incident" for their political purpose, should be held responsible for the human losses and increased tension.
If they sought a proper solution to the "incident" with a good intention as fellow countrymen from the beginning, there would not have been outcries over the "incursion" and the "incident" would have been settled quickly.
After negotiations between the KPA side and the u.s. forces side at Panmunjom on Monday, the remains of our sailors were repatriated through Panmunjom. from this point of view, we consider that the south Korean authorities, though belatedly, admitted their crime and apologized for it as demanded by our side.
They must draw a proper lesson from their misdealing with the "incident" and make sure that such a mishap never recur within the nation.
Floral baskets, gifts and letters to comrade Kim Jong Il from foreigners
Pyongyang, December 31 (KCNA) -- The great leader comrade Kim Jong Il received floral baskets, gifts and congratulatory letters from foreign diplomatic envoys and embassies in korea on the threshold of the new year 1997.
The floral baskets, gifts and letters were conveyed to officials concerned by diplomatic representatives of Iran, Cambodia, India, Libya, Ethiopia, China, Indonesia, Mongolia, Viet Nam, Russia, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Algeria, Pakistan, Egypt, Nigeria, Romania, Poland, Sweden, Cuba, Palestine, Syria, Yemen and Hungary.
He also received gifts and letters from the representative of the un development programme, the acting head of the German interests section, the representative of the un children's fund, and military attaches of the Egyptian, Iranian and Russian embassies.