Kim Yong Nam greets Saharan President

    Pyongyang, February 26 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, sent a message of greetings to Mohamed Abdelaziz, President of the Saharan Arab Democratic Republic and secretary general of the Polisario Front (Polisario People's Liberation Front), on Friday on the occasion of the 24th anniversary of the proclamation of the republic.
    The message wished the President success in his work, expressing the belief that the friendly relations between the two countries would continue to develop on good terms.


Paek Nam Sun greets Slovenian Foreign Minister

    Pyongyang, February 26 (KCNA) -- DPRK Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun sent a message of greetings to Dimitrij Rupel on his appointment as Foreign Minister of the Republic of Slovenia.
    Extending warm congratulations to him, the message expressed the belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would continue to develop on good terms.


Yugoslav Foreign Minister and his party arrive

    Pyongyang, February 26 (KCNA) -- Zivadin Jovanovic, Foreign Minister of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and his party arrived here today.
    They were greeted at the airport by Pak Tong Chun, vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Milorad Kosovac, charge d'affaires ad interim of the Yugoslav embassy here.
    The Foreign Minister had a press interview at the airport.
    He said that he had an honor to visit the DPRK and the relations between the two countries are developing on the basis of mutual respect and trust.
    Noting that both countries, the member states of the UN and the Non-Aligned Movement, have shriven to defend the UN Charter and the fundamental principles of the movement, he expressed his belief that the relations between the two countries would further develop in political, economic, cultural and other fields.


Press conference at Russian embassy

    Pyongyang, February 26 (KCNA) -- A press conference was held at the Russian embassy here yesterday on the occasion of the "Day of the Defenders of the Fatherland."
    Present there were media persons in Pyongyang.
    Vladimir Dombrovski, military attach of the Russian embassy, addressed it.


Wreaths laid before bust of O Jin U

    Pyongyang, February 26 (KCNA) -- Wreaths were laid before O Jin U bust at the revolutionary martyrs cemetery on Mt. Taesong in Pyongyang yesterday on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of his death. He was the Minister of the People's Armed Forces and a communist revolutionary fighter.
    Present there were Jo Myong Rok, Kim Il Chol, Jon Pyong Ho, Kim Ki Nam and others.
    Wreaths and bunches of flowers were laid before the bust in the name of the central military commission of the Worker's Party of Korea, the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces, ministries, national institutions and units of the Korean People's Army.


Floral basket and congratulatory card to Kim Jong Il

    Pyongyang, February 26 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il received a floral basket and a congratulatory card from Abou Bacar Sompare, general secretary of the Party for Unity and Progress of Guinea, on the occasion of his birthday.
    Upon the authorization of the general secretary, the secretary for external relations and the secretary for youth of the party paid a congratulatory visit to the DPRK embassy in Conakry on Feb. 16 and conveyed the floral basket and the congratulatory card to the DPRK ambassador.
    Written on the card were letters "I offer your excellency Kim Jong Il congratulations and best wishes for your long life in good health, on your 58th birthday. Abou Bacar Sompare, general secretary of the Party for Unity and Progress."


Korea agree to non-governmental cooperation in fisheries

    Pyongyang, February 26 (KCNA) -- Contacts between the "National Economic Cooperation Federation" from the DPRK and the "National Alliance of Fishermen" from South Korea took place in Beijing from February 20 to 26 as regards the offering to South Korean fishermen of some fishing grounds in the economic zone of the DPRK in the East Sea of Korea.
    At the contacts the two sides exchanged views on the issues raised out of the love for compatriots and in the spirit of national unity and reached a complete agreement.
    A joint press statement based on this was made public on February 26.
    It is the main form of non-governmental fisheries cooperation at the present stage that the "National Economic Cooperation Federation" of the north side offers fishing grounds and fishing boats belonging to the "National Alliance of Fishermen" of the south side operate in fishing grounds of the economic zone in the East Sea of Korea, according to the statement.
    It continues:
    The fishing waters link the point 38 degrees, 36 minutes, 50 seconds n latitude, and 130 degrees, 30 minutes, 06 second e longitude and the point 40 degrees, 00 minute, 00 second n LON. And 131 degrees, 23 minutes, 00 second E. Lon. And from these points the waters extend in the direction of SEBE 90 degrees towards the boundary line of 200 mile economic zone.
    The two sides agreed to call these waters "Undok fishing zone."
    According to the agreement, fishing operation will start in spring of the year 2000 and continue under consultation of the two sides with a cycle of five years.
    The operation is to go on all the year round except unavoidable case, provided it does not give a negative affect on the protection of marine sources.
    The "National Economic Cooperation Federation" of the north side and the "National Alliance of Fishermen" of the south side have the priority in the use of this fishing zone. If necessary, they may allow other businesses or groups to use it, under an agreement of the two sides.
    The recent agreement is a good fruition produced by the independent non-governmental organizations in the north and south of Korea in fisheries as it is the first of its kind in the history of national division. This will undoubtedly be greatly helpful to promoting the national reconciliation and unity, reunifying the country and achieving co-prosperity of the nation.


KCTU calls general strike

    Pyongyang, February 26 (KCNA) -- The South Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) in a message of protest to the "Prime Minister" on Feb. 22 reportedly demanded a reduction of weekly working hours for workers, a halt to the murderous "restructuring" and recovery of damage done by the international monetary fund.
    The organization declared that if such demand was not met it would conduct an anti-candidate campaign against the ruling parties and conservative politicians and call a general strike at the end of may.
    It also stated that it would stage a strike and a mammoth demonstration in March to stop the sale of the Daewoo Business Group and the Ssangryong Motor Co. Ltd., to foreign business, check unreasonable merger of stock-breeding sector and let some 10 members of the KCTU run for elections on the Democratic Worker's Party ticket in the area where workers are concentrated.


GI's killing of S. Korean woman denounced

    Pyongyang, February 26 (KCNA) -- A ceremony of presenting DPRK books was held in the building of the c.c., the All-India Forward Bloc on Feb. 15.
    At the ceremony the DPRK ambassador to India conveyed General Secretary Kim Jong Il's famous works including "Let Us Reunify the Country Independently and Peacefully Through the Great Unity of the Entire Nation" and Korean books to G. Devarajan, international secretary of the c.c., the All-India Forward Bloc.
    The international secretary said that Kim Jong Il's works clarify the orientation and ways of the revolutionary struggle, revolutionary party building and state-building.
    The c.c., the All-India Forward Bloc and all its members extend firm solidarity to the worker's party and people of Korea in their dynamic struggle to reunify the country under the energetic guidance of Kim Jong Il, he noted.


DPRK books presented to India

    Pyongyang, February 26 (KCNA) -- Women met here yesterday to denounce the murder of a South Korean woman by a soldier of the U.S. aggressor forces.
    Present there were Ryo Won Gu, presidium member of the central committee of the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland, Chon Yon Ok, chairwoman of the central committee of the Korean Democratic Women's Union (KDWU), and women in Pyongyang.
    Speeches were made at the meeting by Kim Kyong Ok, vice-chairwoman of the KDWU central committee, and women of different social standings.
    A killing of a South Korean woman by a gi on February 19 was an atrocity that resulted from the arrogant racial discrimination and misanthropy of the U.S., who treat the South Koreans like animals, they said, and continued:
    Unceasing cases of shuddering murder in South Korea are attributable to the despicable flunkeyist and traitorous acts of the South Korean authorities who are faithful servants of the U.S.
    They called on the women and other people in South Korea to courageously rise up under the banner of independence against the U.S. to give vent to the pent-up grudge of mothers and all other women violated and killed by the GIs.
    A letter to the South Korean women was adopted at the meeting.
    The South Korean women should hold aloft the banner of resistance against the U.S. and turn out as one to build a new society free from aggressors, a bright society where rights are guaranteed to the women and they suffer no disgrace, the letter said, and went on:
    They should severely punish the U.S. brutes for toying with and insulting Korean women everywhere in South Korea so as to make them pay a thousand times for the blood shed by the mothers and other women.
    The South Korean mothers and other women should put an end to the U.S. occupation of South Korea that has lasted for over half a century by driving the U.S., uninvited guests, out of South Korea at an early date and fight against the South Korean authorities who have forced women and other people to fall victim to the U.S. man-hunters, though they styled themselves "people's government."


KPA company political instructors vow loyalty

    Pyongyang, February 26 (KCNA) -- Participants in a meeting of company political instructors of the Korean People's Army met at the plaza of the Kumsusan Memorial Palace on Friday to vow loyalty to the President Kim Il Sung and the General Secretary Kim Jong Il.
    Present there were Jo Myong Rok, director of the general political department of the KPA, Kim Yong Chun, chief of the general staff, Kim Il Chol, Minister of the People's Armed Forces, commanders of the KPA arms and services and company political instructors.
    A guard of honor of the KPA three services presented arms toward Kim Il Sung.
    All the participants made a solemn oath to Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, led by the director of the general political department of the KPA.
    They declared that they would glorify Kim Il Sung's immortal revolutionary exploits, holding him in high esteem as an eternal leader down through generations.
    They vowed to fully prepare all the soldiers of the companies to be heroes and heroines who devotedly defend the leader as human bombs and suicide bombers and thus protect the headquarters of the revolution led by Kim Jong Il at the cost of their lives as the guards unit did in the period of the anti-Japanese war.
    They pledged themselves to make an all-out charge under the great leadership of Kim Jong Il so as to build up companies into combat ranks, each of whose members is a match for a hundred foes, like the fourth company of the seventh regiment in the period of the anti-Japanese war, in the run-up to the 55th anniversary of the Worker's Party of Korea and win the final victory of Korean-style socialism with arms.


Japan's plan to reorganize "SDF" system

    Pyongyang, February 26 (KCNA) -- The Japan Defence Agency's decision to reorganize mixed units of the "Self-Defense Forces" (SDF) stationed in Shikoku of Okinawa into brigades made in its next "mid-term arms buildup draft plan" is part of its premeditated and systematic moves to reinvade Korea now under way under the signboards of "intensified actions" and "increased efficiency" of its ground force, observes Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary.
    Under the "defense programme outlines" worked out in 1995 the Japan Defense Agency is reorganizing some of divisions and brigades into units armed with up-to-date equipment capable of harassing enemy's rear and conducting special operations under the pretext of "countering guerrilla attack and terrorism."
    "Strategic mobile divisions and brigades" and "mobile attack divisions" have been formed under the pretext of coastal "defense" to be massively deployed in western coastal areas near the Korean peninsula, the commentary notes, adding that focus of all military actions of Japan is to reinvade Korea.
    Paying lip-service to "dialogue" and "improved relations," Japan is whetting its sword to invade Korea behind the scene.
    The ground "SDF's" reorganization of its system with "importance attached to the west" is a clear indication that the Japanese militarists' war scenario to stage a comeback to Korea has entered the phase of implementation.
    Japan is well advised to stop folly inviting misfortune and opt for peace.


Japanese reactionaries' fuss about "mysterious ship" blasted

    Pyongyang, February 26 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun yesterday in a signed article disclosed the Japanese reactionaries' real intention hidden behind their fuss about the "mysterious ship."
    All that the Japanese authorities have done over the past one year under the pretext of what they called "mysterious ship" was to increase the naval operation capacity of the Japan "Self-defence Forces" (SDF) and give them a legal right to carry out a naval strike at any target, the article said, and continued:
    Having made thorough-going preparations for overseas aggression, the Japanese reactionaries tried to scrap the existing Japanese legislation which bans the SDF from undertaking any offensive operation against other countries under the pretext of the "mysterious ship."
    They lost no time to take an "emergency counter-measure" to cope with the "case of the mysterious ship."
    Under this measure, the SDF is allowed to launch a unilateral attack, including a preemptive strike at its opposite side.
    Now they intend to legalize even a unilateral attack aimed at inflicting casualties upon the rival side. They kicked up every conceivable racket in a bid to make material and legal preparations for overseas invasion.
    Their anti-DPRK diatribe launched after describing its satellite launch as a "ballistic missile launch," the anti-DPRK feelings fanned up by them in Japan by dreaming up the fiction of someone's "suspected kidnapping" were all aimed at creating a social atmosphere and conditions for making these preparations.
    The DPRK is the first target of the attack of the SDF.
    Their moves to legalize the naval attack indicate that Japan's military attack against the DPRK is imminent.
    The people's army and people of Korea are closely watching Japan's militarist moves, it warned.


Foreign capital invested in business transfer and integration

   Pyongyang, February 26 (KCNA) -- Foreign capital invested in the business transfer and integration till Feb. 9 in South Korea reportedly amounted to 2.8 billion dollars or an all-time high in Asia.
    These funds swelled to 11.98 billion dollars last year from 1.7 billion dollars in 1997.
    A huge influx of foreign capital is attributable to the South Korean authorities' treacherous sale of enterprises to foreign businesses at a cheap price as part of "restructuring".


Gift plants

    Pyongyang, February 26 (KCNA9 -- Gift plants are coming to leader Kim Jong Il from the world's politicians, public figures and businessmen. The kind of these plants presented since Juche 65 (1976) has now reached 2,210.
    Those that have come in recent years to mark his birthday included 6,000 bulbs of tulip and daffodil from the Second Dutch Trade Mission= allinm and chionodoxa sp from general secretary of the New Communist Party of Great Britain= amaranthu caudatus, celosia cristata and plumbago capensis from the reinsurance director of the French NASCO insurance broker= and lychnis chalcedonica and lupinus regalis from chief of the branch editorial board of Reuters.
    The donors also included the botanical research institute of a Polish university, a delegation from U.S. Christian friends of Korea, the Switzerland-DPRK Relation Promotion Association and Beijing Botanical Garden.
    The head of the Second Dutch Trade Mission said that Korean leader Kim Jong Il who loves his people and works for their welfare in an excellent people's leader.
    The chief of the branch editorial board of Reuters sent flower seeds, wishing Kim Jong Il, who devoted his life for humankind and journalists, be always amid the flowers.
    The plants are now preserved in the international friendship gift plant hall of the Central Botanical Garden.


Japanese reactionaries' outbursts against DPRK

    Pyongyang, February 26 (KCNA) -- The Japanese reactionaries including the leader of the Liberal Party and the chairman of the political affairs research council of the Liberal Democratic Party are persistently raising a hue and cry over non-existent "nuclear and missile threat" from the DPRK.
    Minju Joson today comments on their anti-DPRK diatribe.
    The news analyst says:
    Japan has accelerated the conversion of Japan into a military power and its nuclear arming under the signboard of "peace" after the war, which is being clearly disclosed.
    Japan has a bad habit of refusing to recognize its wrongdoing. It, therefore, seeks to shift its crimes on to others and shake itself free from international criticism and precaution.
    The Japanese reactionaries' murmuring about non-existent "nuclear and missile threat" from the DPRK is part of this.
    They are making a "pretext" of the "nuclear and missile threat" from the DPRK to realise their overseas expansion.
    It would be a mistake to think that if they resort to pretty tricks, everything will be solved.
    They should abandon their habit of groundlessly slandering others.
    They should clearly know that it bodes no good for them to plot to harm and slander the DPRK.



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