February 16 celebrated abroad
Pyongyang, February 2 (KCNA) -- Celebrations were held in different countries on the occasion of the 55th birthday of Secretary Kim Jong Il.
A national seminar on the subject "His excellency the great leader Kim Jong Il" was held at the Kampala International Conference Hall in Uganda on January 23.
James Bisobiye, Vice-Chairman of the Ugandan National Committee for the Study of the Juche Idea, in his report introduced the brief biography of Secretary Kim Jong Il.
Secretary Kim Jong Il, who is developing and enriching the Juche idea, is a genius of ideology and theory, the reporter said, adding:
His idea and theory are consistent with the originality and contemporaneity with which he scientifically analyses any problem and finds and creates new things.
German Sentongo, Chairman of the National Youth Council of Uganda, said in his congratulatory speech that the Juche idea is the great idea which must be followed by the whole world.
He noted that the council would activate the study and dissemination of the Juche idea among young people in the future. A letter to Secretary Kim Jong Il was adopted at the seminar.
The Pakistan-Korea Youth Friendship Association sponsored a round-table talk and a book and photo exhibition and the Limburg county committee of the Cechy, Morava and Silesia association of trade unions of the Czech Republic a round-table talk.
DPRK film shows were organised at the medical faculty of the national autonomous University of Mexico, the Ghanaian Police School, the building of the Workers' Party of Bangladesh and the Togolese Fellowship Society for Honouring the Memory of President Kim Il Sung.
International support to S. Korean workers
Pyongyang, February 2 (KCNA) -- Foreign political parties and organisations in statements, press statements and letters expressed solidarity with South Korean workers in their just struggle for democracy and the right to labour.
The Central Committee of the Communist Workers' Party of Russia in a statement January 27 said that the South Korean authorities are harshly cracking down upon the struggle of the South Korean workers for the right to existence with police force, talking about "illegal act" and "powerful countermeasure".
This reveals the fascist nature of the "civilian"-veiled regime of Kim Young Sam, the statement said, and continued:
The South Korean authorities will face bankruptcy and ruin if they tenaciously resort to the evil laws and brutal crackdown in disregard of the demands of South Korean trade union organisations, international and national labour organisations and the world progressive forces.
The general confederation of labour associations of Yemen released a statement on January 21 urging the South Korean authorities to withdraw the illegally-revised "labour laws" contradictory to the international law at once and unconditionally set free the arrested union leaders.
It expressed the conviction that the international organisations and groups would take positive measures to check the arbitrariness of the South Korean authorities in violating elementary human rights.
The Guyanese agricultural and general workers union in a statement January 22 said:
We consider the South Korean "government's" suppression of workers and arrest of union leaders to be a crakdown not only upon them but also upon the workers of Guyana and other countries all over the world.
It expressed the hope that the South Korean workers would win in their struggle for the repeal of the evil laws.
The United Nations Association of Mali and the Egypt-Korea Friendship Association in statements denounced the South Korean authorities for cracking down upon workers and expressed solidarity for their struggle.
Political parties and organisations of different countries including the Nnational Committee of the National Movement of the Genuine Lumumbist Combatants of Zaire, the public service union of Guyana in letters to the "Korean Confederation of Trade Unions" and the "Federation of Korea Trade Unions" extended support to the South Korean workers in their struggle to defend their rights and lashed out at the South Korean authorities' fascist suppression.
Special prosecutor demanded in S. Korea
Pyongyang, February 2 (KCNA) -- The opposition "National Congress for New Politics" in South Korea in a statement January 30 urged that a special prosecutor be introduced to make a substantial probe into the truth behind the Hanbo incident, a Seoul-based radio reported.
Before sweeping investigation into the incident the Kim Young Sam group hastily defined it merely as a large financial incident, not a power-backed scandal, the statement said, adding:
This is intended to block the probe into the truth behind the scandal.
Pursuit of bank accounts has not been started and investigation is receding, the statement noted.
It repeatedly urged that, for a probe into the truth behind the Hanbo incident, the ruling party accept the introduction of a special prosecutor system without delay.
S. Korean civic, social orgs. vow all-people solidarity struggle
Pyongyang, February 2 (KCNA) -- The all-people measure committee for defending democracy, made up of 60 civic and social organizations of South Korea including Minju Rochong (Confederation of Trade Unions), held a rally in Seoul on Saturday for the annulment of the retrogressive revision of fascist laws, a Seoul-based radio reported.
The committee vowed to continue an all-people solidarity struggle until the "labor law" is reamended.
The ralliers charged the puppet clique and employers with no pay for unionized strikers and litigation over losses and strongly urged them to stop the suppression of trade unions at once.
They warned that if the Kim Young Sam group failed to make public a concrete plan to rewrite the "labor law", an overall strike called by Minju Rochong will be staged on February 18 as scheduled.
Saying that the insolvency of the Hanbo steelworks is a product of the political-economic collusion and political financial structure, they urged a special prosecutor's system to be introduced to make a thorough investigation into the scandal.
After the rally, they made a march in high spirits.
Unconditional repatriation of unconverted long-term prisoner urged
Pyongyang, February 2 (KCNA) -- Ri Song Ho, acting Chairman of the Central Committee of the DPRK Red Cross Society, sent a letter on Saturday to Kang Yong Hun, President of the South Korea Red Cross, urging him to unconditionally send back old Kim In So, an unconverted long-term prisoner in south korea, on receiving the news that his sickness is going from bad to worse.
As known, Kim In So, a prisoner of the Korean War (1950-1953), who was carried to a hospital for treatment of aftereffects of his brain haemorrhage, was compelled to come out from the hospital in December last year, unable to pay hospital fees. He is in a sickbed with continued nerve paralysis, seized with relapse, losing his sight.
Recalling that on December 13, last year, the north side proposed to send back the old man to his hometown and dispatch a medical group and his two daughters to the south side, the letter said that the President of the South Korea Red Cross took such a very irresponsible and inhuman attitude as giving no answer to it.
Never should it go unnoticed that the South Korean authorities are continuing to watch Kim In So sick in bed, persecuting his mind and body and branding as impure elements those who are going to nurse him.
The south side should ponder over grave consequences to be entailed in case an untoward incident happens to him, the letter said, urging it to immediately take a necessary and positive step to send back old Kim In So, an unconverted long-term prisoner, without condition, true to the mission and duty of red cross man, though belatedly.
Papers urge Japan to settle the past immediately
Pyongyang, February 2 (KCNA) -- The Japanese authority, describing "lump sum compensation to former comfort women for the army by a civilian fund" as a solution to the crime, said the "compensation" will be continued in such a way. In a commentary Rodong Sinmun says such an act is an expression of the undisguised intention to flee from the state responsibility for the crime and its obligation for compensation. Japan should not delay the settlement of the past to the 21st century, it stresses. The daily says:
Recently, Japan's "civilian fund" suddenly paid two million yen to each of some former "comfort women" in a secret way.
As the world public circles consider, the crime is not a matter to be solved by such a civilian fund as "national fund". It needs the Japanese government's compensation because the crime was committed by the Japanese state.
But the Japanese authorities have neither admitted nor atoned for the crime. They are still justifying the crime in every way.
If they see the 20th century out without admitting and apologizing and compensating for the crime, it will not be good for Japan.
With such a wrong position, Japan can neither become a permanent member of the UN Security Council, nor can it win confidence from the international community.
If Japan does not want to suffer a deep disgrace and isolation, it had better settle the past with sincerity as Germany has done.
In a commentary Minju Joson accuses the Japanese government of trying to evade the state and legal responsibility in such a way as assuaging the anger of the "comfort women" with "lump sum".
Rodong Sinmun favors DPRK's new proposal
Pyongyang, February 2 (KCNA) -- The joint meeting of political parties and organizations of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea which was held on January 30 set 1997 as "a year of solidarity among the Koreans in the north, south and abroad for national independence and peace" and put forward a new proposal for a solidarity meeting of representatives of political parties and organizations in the north, south and overseas this year marking the 25th anniversary of the historic July 4 North-South Joint Statement.
In a commentary Rodong Sinmun today views the proposal as a just measure reflecting the whole nation's desire to reject foreign interference, defend the nation's dignity and independence and achieve the country's peace and peaceful reunification through great national unity at an early date.
The daily says:
The situation of the Korean Peninsula, which has been rendered acute by the South Korean and foreign bellicose elements, requires the Korean people to invigorate the nationwide joint struggle to win national independence and safeguard peace.
The Kim Young Sam group are desperately resorting to adventurous moves of war and confrontation against the north in a bid to get out of their serious ruling crisis.
It is right and timely that the joint meeting called on all the fellow countrymen in the north, south and overseas to strengthen solidarity among themselves this year in the efforts for national independence and peace.
If the proposed solidarity meeting is convened to reaffirm the three principles of national reunification -- independence, peaceful reunification and great national unity -- which has served as a great reunification programme common to the nation, and discuss measures to promote solidarity and unity, a bright prospect of national reconciliation, unity and reunification will be opened undoubtedly.