Press review
Pyongyang, January 23 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today
reports that colorful events have taken place in different
countries to celebrate the 55th birthday of Secretary Kim Jong Il.
Under the headline "Immortal annals which added lustre to
the 20th century", the paper carries an article stressing
that Secretary Kim Jong Il, born as son of the great leader
President Kim Il Sung, who was the leader of the Paektusan
guerrillas, is another General gifted with characters of Mt.
Paektu.
Papers carry news that 180,000 workers of 170 unions
under the "Korean Confederation of Trade Unions" went on a
strike. Also seen in the press is news of the strikes of
workers and other people in south Korea and brisk
international solidarity movements.
Printed in Rodong Sinmun is a press statement issued by a
spokesman for the DPRK Committee for Investigation into
Damage Caused by the Japanese Imperialists' Occupation of
Korea, denouncing the remarks of the former director general
of the management and coordination agency of Japan
justifying its past crime of aggression.
The chief of the Pyongyang Mission of the National
Democratic Front of South Korea published a statement as
regards the south Korean people's struggle against the
retrogressive amendment of the fascist laws, says the paper.
Papers in commentaries brand tuesday's "ruling-opposition
talks", called by the traitor Kim Young Sam in connection
with the revised "law on the agency for national security
planning" and "labour laws", as a clumsy political drama of
a hypocrite.
An article of Rodong Sinmun calls for an intensified
struggle against dominationism, exposing its essence and
virus.
180,000 S. Korean workers on strikes
Pyongyang, January 23 (KCNA) -- South Korean workers
continued strikes on Wednesday in protest against the
retrogressively revised "labor law", according to radio
reports from Seoul.
Some 180,000 workers of 170 unions under the "Korean
Confederation of Trade Unions" (Minjurochong), the
Federation of Trade Unions for Hyundai Group Subsidiaries
(Hyunchongryon), the federation of metal workers' unions and
the federation of office workers' unions included, went on
overall or partial strikes, in the morning, urging the
abrogation of the "law".
Minjurochong declared that such Wednesday general strikes
will continue till February 18 to have the "law" amended to
suit the international standards.
More than 10,000 unionised workers under the umbrella of
the labor group held a rally at Jongmyo Park in Seoul for a
general strike against the revision of the "law", urging the
traitor Kim Young Sam to rewrite the "law" immediately.
The chairman of the labor group, Kwon Yong Gil, told the
rally that if the "government" fails to begin amending the
"law" again till February 17, the fourth stage of the
general strike involving the public sector will be started
on February 18. He then urged the ruling and opposition
camps to reamend the "labor law" till March 1 as demanded by
Minjurochong.
After the rally, they took to the street and made a
march, chanting slogans for the abrogation of the evil law.
An estimated 10,000 workers under Hyunchongryon met in
Ulsan calling for the nullification of the "labor law" and
vowing to continue the strike until their demand is met.
118 priests belonging to the "national priests' group of
the Korean Holy Catholic Church" made public a statement
saying that as the railroading through the "national
assembly" of the "labor law" and the "law on the agency for
national security planning" was not agreeable not only with
the people's desire but with the "parliament law", the
"government" and the ruling Party must repeal the evil laws
and apologize for their retrogressive revision.
On Tuesday, some 200 religionists belonging to Roman
Catholic, Christian, buddhist and one other religious groups
gathered and vowed to launch a campaign for the repeal of
the "laws" with concerted efforts, transcending their
religious belief.
NDFSK demands withdrawal of evil laws
Pyongyang, January 23 (KCNA) -- The National Democratic
Front of South Korea (NDFSK) will deal a sledge-hammer blow
at the Kim Young Sam group by escalating resistance together
with 10 million workers and other patriotic people.
Ri Jong Sang, chief of the Pyongyang mission of the NDFSK
said this in a statement issued on Jan. 22 in connection
with the nationwide struggle of south Korean people from all
walks of life against the revised "labor laws" and "law on
the agency for national security planning".
He went on:
"The NDFSK and south Korean people will overthrow the
kim Young Sam group, a band of flunkeyist traitors and
rare fascists, by the flame of the nationwide resistance.
"We strongly urge the Kim Young Sam group to
stop fascist suppression of the just struggle of south
Korean people against the 'labor laws' and 'law on the
agency for national security planning' revised in favour of
big business, withdraw all the fascist laws and step
down from power before they are overthrown by the strength
of the indignant popular masses."
Papers on appeasement and deception of Kim Young Sam group
Pyongyang, January 23 (KCNA) -- The traitor Kim Young Sam
and a spokesman for the "New Korea Party" at the "talks
between opposition and ruling parties" held on January 21
refused to meet the demand for nullification of the
unilateral "law on the agency for national security
planning" and "labor laws" and took issue with the
opposition parites.
Rodong Sinmun says in a commentary today that this
clearly shows once again that the traitor Kim and his "NKP"
clan have no intention to rewrite the fascist laws as
demanded by the people. The analyst goes on:
It is the height of impudence for the puppet traitor to
talk about the "lawfulness" of the "laws" he and his "NKP"
clan railroaded through the "national assembly" in the
absence of the opposition lawmakers in violation of the
"national assembly law".
Such act does not "conform with" the constitution. It is
a political gangsterism of violating even elementary
parliamentary democracy and bloodless coup d'etat.
The puppet traitor contended that the retrogressive
revision of the laws the people set themselves against
"conforms with the constitution", while the struggle of the
people for their nullification "is a violation of the
constitution". This is a reversed logic and the most vicious
sophism that can be made by the fascist tyrant who has
turned his back on the people.
His statement that the "national assembly may debate on
the issue of rewriting the two evil laws" is not aimed at
rewriting them but to gain time, tide over the crisis
and destroy the labor movement organisations one after
another.
Minju Joson says that it is only too natural that the
"Korean Confederation of Trade Unions" and other labor
movement organisations warned that they will mount a more
powerful all-people struggle unless their demands for
nullification of the evil laws are met.
European headquarters of Pomminryon publishes appeal
Pyongyang, January 23 (KCNA) -- The European headquarters
of the National Alliance for the Country's Reunification
(Pomminryon) in an appeal to all the fellow countrymen
called upon them to join in one mind in the nationwide
struggle to check the moves for prolonging the Kim Young
Sam dictatorial regime.
The appeal called for joining the workers and patriots in
the struggle braving suppression by the "government power"
and the becoming large one irrespective of the stand and
understanding of their organisations and public bodies, for
the historic mission of achieving national reunification.
The European headquarters of Pomminryon on January 15
staged a protest demonstration in front of the south Korean
puppet consulate general in Berlin in support of the south
Korean workers' struggle for repealing the evil laws.
The demonstration continued on January 16.
Korean compatriots, south Korean students studying in
Germany, German metal trade unionists and other German
citizens staged a demonstration, shouting slogans with the
placards "kim Young Sam 'civilian-veiled' dictatorship,
resign" and "We support struggle of south Korean workers" in
their hands.
The demonstrators made public a statement solidarizing
the south Korean workers in the struggle against the evil
laws.
S. Korean labor union leaders on unreasonable revision of labor law
Pyongyang, January 23 (KCNA) -- Delegates of the "Korean
Confederation of Trade Unions" and the "Federation of Korean
Trade Unions" voiced objection to south Korea's "labor law"
at a meeting of the Labor Consultative Committee of the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
held in Paris on Tuesday, according to a radio report from
Seoul.
They said the "labor law", revised by the puppet clique
in secret way, is an evil law trampling down the workers'
elementary right to democray and other vital rights.
The committee noted that the evil law is unsuitable to
the international standards and urged OECD to criticize the
south Korean puppet government.
It also called for removal of articles prohibiting the
formation of more than two unions at any one work site and
the formation of teachers' unions.
Meanwhile, delegates of south Korean businesses
shamelessly defended the evil law, which has drawn worldwide
fire, at a meeting of the oecd economic and industrial
consultative committee.
Recalling to my mind noble obligation
Pyongyang, January 23 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun dated Jan.
21 carried reminiscences "recalling to my mind noble
obligation" written by mariya novichenko, widow of the late
Ya. T. Novichenko, an internationalist soldier of the former
Soviet Union.
The reminiscences tells in detail about the deep love and
solicitude shown by the great leaders President Kim Il Sung
and Secretary Kim Jong Il to Novichenko and his family to
repay an obligation.
Novichenko, a second lieutenant of the former Soviet
Union Red Army, was an internationalist soldier, who covered
with his body a handgrenade at the platform of a celebration
meeting in Pyongyang in March 1946 to safeguard the brain
of the Korean revolution. Mariya wrote in her reminiscences:
On his visit to the former Soviet Union in May 1984,
President Kim Il Sung met Novichenko at Novosibirsk railway
station and highly praised his obligatory deed as a heroic
act.
President Kim Il Sung called my husband and family to
Korea several times and showed benevolent love and
solicitude to them like to family members.
Novichenko used to say in his lifetime that the respected
President Kim Il Sung is the benefactor and father of
probity who bestowed glory upon him. We will always
remember the President down through generations.
Secretary Kim Jong Il has always welcomed Novichenko and
his family in Korea as guests of the state, made itinerary
and sent them gifts and a birthday table.
Secretary Kim Jong Il sent a message of condolence and a
wreath to express deep condolences over the death of
Novichenko. He personally organised the work of carrying on
the instruction of the President to look for Novichenko and
finally found him out, so that the President met him.
A legend of noble obligation shown by
President Kim Il Sung and Secretary Kim Jong Il to my
husband, who carried out his duty as a soldier and was a
foreign farmer, and to my family will be praised by all the
people century by century.
Korea's central task of economic construction this year
Pyongyang, January 23 (KCNA) -- Korea set it as the
central task of socialist economic construction this
year to tap and utilize the economic potentials to the
maximum, decidedly solve the food problem, radically improve
the people's standard of living, promote land administration
and lay a solid foundation for the prosperity of the
country. The rural economy is confronted with a task to do
scientific and technical farming this year as demanded by
the Juche method of farming and in keeping with the desire
of the farmers and specific conditions and increase
production of rice and meat.
The agricultural workers who think that it is necessary
to increase the fertility of soil for the increased
production of grain are making full preparations for this
year's farming, including production of manure and its
carriage to fields and the spreading of fertile soil on the
fields. And with a view to increasing the production of meat
they are extensively on creating grass fields and conducting
all-people campaign to breed grass-eating domestic animals.
The light industry is to direct great efforts to the
production of mass consumer goods to more satisfactorily
meet the growing demands of the people for light industrial
goods. Factories and enterprises under the light industry
commission and the ministry of local industries are
effecting a new upswing in production this year.
Factories under the associated bureau for the shoe-making
industry registered a high record of 150 percent in the
production of shoes in the recent one week as against the
same period last year.
Foreign trade should build up export production bases
and decisively increase production to advance into foreign
markets.
Innovations should be effected in the pace-setting
domain of the national economy, including coal and power
industries and railway transport, and metal industry
developed to properly meet the increasing demands.
All the people should make a decisive progress in
afforestation and river-improvement projects, road
management and city administration to turn the mountains and
fields of the country, streets and villages into a paradise
of the people better to live in.
Rodong Sinmun calls for anti-dominationism struggle
Pyongyang, January 23 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today
carries an article titled "let us further intensify struggle
against dominationism".
Fighting against dominationism is an important task to
safeguard the sovereignty and dignity of a country and a
nation and make the whole world independent, the daily says,
and continues:
What is important in the struggle against dominationism
is to totally reject illusion about imperialism.
Illusion about the imperialists, dominationists can be
removed only when each country maintains an independent
stand. Each country should carry on the revolution and
construction with a firm belief that its problems can be
resolved by itself.
In foreign relations, too, independence should be
maintained and cooperation and solidarity strengthened on
its basis.
It is also important in the struggle to thwart the
dominationists' activities to sow discord among other
nations, answering them with strategy of unity.
If the developing nations and all other anti-imperialist
independent forces of the world put unity above anything
else and struggle in close unity, irrespective of the
difference in social system, political view and religious
belief, the imperialists, the dominationists will become
impotent and genuine peace can be ensured in the world.
S. Korean workers' struggle supported worldwide
Pyongyang, January 23 (KCNA) -- The "Working Russia"
movement held a mass rally in Moscow on Jan. 18 supporting
the south Korean workers' struggle.
V. Anpilov, chairman of the executive committee of
the movement, and other speakers bitterly denounced the
south Korean authorities' fascist suppression of the
struggle of the south Korean workers.
A decision was adopted at the rally to express full
support and solidarity for the struggle of the south Korean
workers and demand the puppet authorities withdraw the evil
laws immediately.
That day, the third conference of the "working capital"
movement adopted a statement actively supporting and
encouraging the massive protest of the south Korean workers
and other people and denouncing the puppet clique, a herd
of fascist gangsters and the united states and Japan which
are continuously patronizing them, as proposed by Vladimir
Gusev, chairman of the executive committee of the movement.
Members of these movements staged a protest action in
front of the south Korean puppet embassy in Moscow on Jan.
19 and 20 and handed over a decision and a statement.
The all-India Trade Union Congress in a statement on
Jan. 15 strongly called for the abrogation of the new
"labour laws" of south Korea.
The all-India agricultural workers union published a
statement on January 14 extending solidarity to the strikers
in south Korea. The statement called upon all the workers in
India to extend assistance, material and mental, to their
just struggle.
The Chairman of the Federal Trade Union of Austria in a
press statement on Jan. 16 said that the union strongly
protested the action of the south Korean "government" and
demanded an immediate stop to the ruthless arrest of labour
union leaders and the bloody suppression of demonstrators.
Dr. Friedebert Kollmann, Chairman of the Austrian
Jurists' Union for the Defence of Democracy and Human Rights
in South Korea, in a press statement on the same day
expressed solidarity for the south Korean workers' struggle,
saying that the behaviour of the south Korean "government"
in violent suppression of their struggle cannot be tolerated
in any case.
The Zimbabwean National Committee for the Study of the
Juche Idea, the Zimbabwe-Korea Solidarity and Friendship
Association, the Yemen-Korea Friendship Association, the
Mexico-DPRK Institute of Friendship and Cultural Interchange
and the Ghana-DPRK Friendship Association sent letters to
the "Korean Confederation of Trade Unions" in support of the
strike of south Korean workers.
DPRK official on Kim Young Sam's planned visit to Japan
Pyongyang, January 23 (KCNA) -- The spokesman for the
Korean Society for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries
issued a statement today on the traitor Kim Young Sam's trip
to Japan slated for late this month. The statement says:
Why the traitor Kim Young Sam is going to visit Japan in
the beginning of the year and at this time when the
political situation of south Korea is totally paralysed
draws international attention.
He is in the most serious political and economic crisis
in his term of office.
As is known to all, the unprecedented general strike of
south Korean workers against the retrogressive revision of
the "law on the agency for national security planning" and
the "labor law" by the Kim Young Sam puppet regime is
developing into a serious political struggle for the ouster
of Kim Young Sam and driving into catastrophe the south
Korean economy saddled with last year's trade deficit of 23
billion dollars and the foreign debt of some 100 billion
dollars.
The socalled "international cooperation system" is
destined to break down, though Kim Young Sam has asked his
masters and worked so hard for it, sometimes complaining to
the masters.
It is obvious that during his overseas trip, Kim Young
Sam, forsaken at home and abroad, will beg Japan to remain
in the "cooperation system" against the DPRK and to refrain
from humanitarian assistance to the DPRK.
He is mistaken if he thinks that will help him live in
peace during the rest of his term.
Even if he makes much ado abroad while being denied
dialogue with the DPRK for his heinous crimes against the
nation, no one will be affected. His trip reminds one of a
bird looking for shelter after losing its nest.
Whoever dances to the tune of Kim Young Sam or encourages
his misconduct, if any, will also be criticized by the south
Korean people and the world public as a third-rate
politician and enemy of humanitarianism.