Joint communique on opening of DPRK-Italy diplomatic relations
Pyongyang, January 5 (KCNA) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Italy decided on January 4, Juche 89 (2000) to establish diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level on the principle of mutual respect for sovereignty and equality.
Repatriation of unconverted long-term prisoners demanded
Pyongyang, January 5 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun yesterday in a signed article condemned the South Korean authorities for tenaciously blocking the repatriation of the unconverted long-term prisoners to the DPRK in spite of the unanimous demand of people at home and abroad.
The paper said:
The unconverted long-term prisoners detained in South Korea should have already been repatriated to the north as they wished and in conformity with the requirements of the Korean Armistice Agreement, the Geneva convention on treatment of POWs and the universal declaration of human rights.
They, men of faith and will, did not yield to the vicious torture and persecution by the successive puppet rulers and are still strongly calling for their repatriation.
Their repatriation is the sharpest human rights issue and the purest humanitarian issue.
However, the South Korean authorities are abusing the issue for their sinister political purpose while tenaciously blocking their repatriation. They are resorting to every foul trick such as changing the terms of the unconverted long-term prisoners or calling for "exchange."
This reveals their cunning and sinister intention to refuse and put a brake on the repatriation of the unconverted long-term prisoners at any cost.
They have argued that the unconverted long-term prisoners, who are eagerly wishing to return to the north, should be "exchanged" for defectors to the north, who are refusing to go back to the south. This assertion does not work on anybody.
The unconverted long-term prisoners should unconditionally be repatriated to the north according to the requirement of the international law and the principle of humanitarianism.
DPRK's demand for removal of concrete wall supported
Pyongyang, January 5 (KCNA) -- The Guyana Labor Union and the Association of Public Peace Judges of Guyana issued a joint statement on Dec. 24 last year in support of the appeal sent by the DPRK government, political parties and organizations to their counterparts all over the world.
The statement held that it is an unpardonable anti-reunification, anti-national crime that the South Korean authorities under the patronage and instigation of outside forces built a wall of division, an indelible disgrace, regardless of the destiny of the country and the nation.
It strongly demanded the South Korean authorities promptly do away with all political and physical barriers to the desire of the times, including the concrete wall, a leftover of the 20th century.
It expressed full support for and firm solidarity with the appeal of the DPRK government, political parties and organizations for the demolition of the concrete wall.
Carry out militant tasks set forth in joint editorial
Pyongyang, January 5 (KCNA) -- Servicemen of the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces met on Jan. 4 to vow to carry through the militant tasks advanced in the joint editorial published on the occasion of the New Year, upholding the leadership of Supreme Commander Kim Jong Il.
Present at the meeting were Jo Myong Rok, director of the general political department of the Korean People's Army , Kim Yong Chun, chief of the general staff of the KPA, Kim Il Chol, Minister of the People's Armed Forces, leading officers of the ministry, generals and other servicemen.
A report was made by Jo Myong Rok, which was followed by speeches of general officers.
The reporter and speakers said that the joint New Year editorial is a highly important guideline which clearly indicated the militant tasks before the Korean people and people's army and ways to fulfil them and an inspiring banner to glorify this year with signal victory in the crucible of greatly increased activity of Chollima.
They underscored the need to strengthen the people's army in every way, reliably guarantee the building of a powerful nation with invincible military power and spearhead the advance for it in hearty response to the Supreme Commander's idea of attaching great importance to the military.
They laid emphasis on steadfastly maintaining the WPK's line of giving great importance to the ideology to more firmly prepare the entire army to be an army with intense loyalty and filial piety, an army with strong idea and faith, in which the spirit of devotedly defending the leader is prevailing.
They stressed the need to thoroughly establish within the entire army the revolutionary leadership system whereby all the servicemen move as one on the orders and instructions of the Supreme Commander and keep in full bloom the revolutionary military discipline of devotedly implementing his orders and instructions and the beautiful trait of the unity between the officers and men.
Pointing out that the people's army should become a model in all aspects of the ideology, morality and culture, they said that all the officers and men will perform heroic feats in the major domains of the economic construction in the revolutionary spirit of soldiers and thus glorify the grand festival in October with signal victory and make active contributions to the prosperity of the country.
They said that they would bring a great turn in increasing the fighting efficiency of the people's army and rounding off the combat preparations in hearty response to the army-first revolutionary leadership of the supreme commander and defend the socialist homeland as firm as a rock. The people's army will discharge its mission and role as the invincible fortress of Korean-style socialism and the main force for the building of a powerful nation and thus glorify the year 2000, the 55th anniversary of the WPK foundation, they stressed.
Liquidation of Japan's past demanded
Pyongyang, January 5 (KCNA) -- Japan must abandon its hostile policy towards the DPRK and make an honest governmental apology and full state compensation for its past crimes and thus keep pace with the domestic and foreign desire for the improvement of relations between the DPRK and Japan, Rodong Sinmun today says in its signed commentary.
Recently, the democratic party of Japan has formulated an outline of the policy calling on the government to express an official apology over the issue of "comfort women for the army" and pay funds to the victims, according to a report of Tokyo Shimbun.
Japan's liquidation of its past crimes is not simply confined to the apology and compensation, the commentary says, and continues:
The point is whether Japan is willing to repent of its crime-woven past and turn over a new leaf or not and whether it will be qualified to be a full-fledged member of the international community or not.
If the relations between the DPRK and Japan are to be improved, Japan must sincerely apologize and compensate for the immeasurable misery, pain and disaster imposed by it upon the Korean people in the past and drop its hostile policy towards the DPRK.
The improvement of relations between the DPRK and Japan would be unthinkable without this action.
Any attempt to cover up its past crimes and go out for overseas aggression will only lead Japan to its ruin.
Italian organization condemns U.S. crimes against humanity
Pyongyang, January 5 (KCNA) -- The Italian Committee for the Reunification and Peace of Korea released a statement on Dec. 26 last year condemning the U.S. for their crimes against humanity such as massacring peaceable people during the Korean War and spraying defoliant in the demilitarized zone along the Military Demarcation Line in the 1960s.
Those crimes were perpetrated by the illegally organized "UN forces" present in South Korea for scores of years, the statement said, and continued:
We in the name of all the peace-loving organizations of Italy bitterly condemn the U.S. for illegally organizing the "UN forces" and committing monstrous crimes against Korean people during the Korean war and in the 1960s under its name.
Calling attention to the fact that the dissolution of the "UN command" is an urgent demand of the times, the statement strongly demanded the U.S. promptly dismantle it without any condition.
Prerequisite to country's reunification
Pyongyang, January 5 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article deals with the idea of great national unity underlined in the joint New Year editorial.
It says: The joint New Year editorial appeals to all Koreans at home and abroad to firmly unite as one, transcending differences in idea and system, political view and religious belief under the banner of the five-point policy of great national unity set forth by the great leader Kim Jong Il. This reflects the unanimous will of all the Korean people to achieve the cause of great national unity, the cause of the country's reunification, without fail in the near future.
The national unity and reunification, which the Korean people wish to attain, can be achieved only when the great idea and policy of great national unity are carried out.
The great national unity should be achieved on the principle of national independence under the banner of patriotism and reunification.
Invariable is our stance that we will join hands with anyone aspiring after national reunification with national conscience not only on the road of the country's reunification but in the struggle for the prosperity of a reunified country, not delving into his past, regardless of what crimes he committed against the country and the nation.
All the workers, peasants, intellectuals, youth and students, urban petty propertied class, national capitalists, politicians, businessmen, men of culture, religionists and soldiers in South Korea should make contributions to national reunification, the common cause of the nation.
Only by doing so, can they fulfil their duty and obligation as members of the nation.
In spite of differences in idea and ideal, political view and religious belief within our nation, all the fellow countrymen except a tiny handful of anti-reunification forces can think, act and unite as one on the road of reunification and patriotism.
All the fellow countrymen in the north, south and overseas should make visits and contacts, develop dialogue and strengthen solidarity and thus escalate the movement for great national unity and national reunification.
Great man Kim Jong Il
Pyongyang, January 5 (KCNA) -- N. Garifullina, member of the Council of the Union of Communist Parties-the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, contributed an article captioned "Great man Kim Jong Il" to the magazine "Marxism And Modern Society" no. 2, 1999 which was published in Ukraine.
She wrote about the noble personality of the great leader Kim Jong Il.
Recalling the election of Kim Jong Il as General Secretary of the Worker's Party of Korea which evoked worldwide response in early October 1997, she noted that it is for his extraordinary greatness that not only friends but enemies spared no words of respect and admiration at him.
She continued:
Kim Jong Il is possessed of rock-firm will and spirit. He reacted to the U.S. threat and blackmail by stating that the DPRK decided to withdraw from the nuclear nonproliferation treaty when the U.S. was taking issue with the DPRK over "nuclear issue" in 1993.
It was thanks to Kim Jong Il's leadership ability that the Korean people continued to achieve fresh successes without any vacillation after passing away of President Kim Il Sung in 1994 and despite consecutive years of natural disasters in the subsequent period.
Happy are the Korean people guided by a tested leader who leads the country to peace and prosperity.
They have Kim Jong Il as their leader who is an indomitable revolutionary, brave and courageous fighter, illustrious commander and a most prominent statesman. The Korean people are ever victorious as Kim Jong Il believes in the people and they trust and follow him as their great leader.
Ideal of socialism remains alive
Pyongyang, January 5 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article reiterates the validity and vitality of the Pyongyang declaration released in April Juche 81 (1992), stressing that the ideal of socialism is sure to triumph.
250 political parties signed the declaration "let us defend and advance the cause of socialism" as of early November last year.
Progressive political parties around the world, praising the declaration, vied with each other to sign it and have worked hard to implement the tasks set forth in it.
These facts indicate that though the socialist cause undergoes ordeals at present, socialism remains a fighting goal of the revolutionary parties and the desire of progressive humankind, the article says, and continues:
No force on earth can check the popular aspiration after socialism because it is the ideal of humankind and a society representing its future.
The socialist ideology is a noble ideal reflecting the intrinsic nature of a social being to let all the people live independently and happily on an equal footing free from exploitation and oppression of man by man.
Socialism may go through temporary trials and vicissitudes in its advance but the ideal of socialism will never change as it embodies the intrinsic nature of a social being and represents the desire of all nations and humankind for independence.
The intrinsic nature of a social being aspiring after socialism develops with the advance of history and development of society. Accordingly, it is an unbreakable law for the people to go in for socialism.
The realities of those countries where capitalism revived clearly prove that people's desire for socialism cannot be checked.
Those countries found no solution to such serious problems as economic bankruptcy, massive unemployment, crimes and immorality and corruption last year.
The only way out of such politico-economic crisis and ideological and moral confusion is to revive socialism.
Foreign public figures who visited the DPRK last year unanimously lauded socialism of Korean style and hardened their resolution to learn from the DPRK.
No matter how complicated the international situation may be the socialist cause is sure to triumph despite obstacles and difficulties in its advance.