Kim Jong Il pays unofficial visit to China
Pyongyang, January 20 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and Chairman of the National Defence Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, paid an unofficial visit to the People's Republic of China from Jan. 15 to 20 at the invitation of Jiang Zemin, General Secretary of the central committee of the Communist Party of China and President of the People's Republic of China.
Accompanying him were Kim Yong Chun, member of the NDC of the DPRK and chief of the general staff the Korean People's Army, Yon Hyong Muk, member of the NDC of the DPRK, Kim Kuk Thae, secretary, and Jong Ha Chol, department director of the c.c. of the WPK, Kang Sok Ju, first vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kim Yang Gon, department director, and Pak Song Bong, first vice department director of the c.c., the WPK, and KPA generals Hyon Chol Hae and Pak Jae Gyong.
Party and state leaders of China warmly welcomed and cordially received Kim Jong Il on China visit.
Talks were held between Kim Jong Il and Jiang Zemin in Beijing.
Present at the talks from the Chinese side were Wei Jianxing, member of the standing committee of the political bureau of the central committee of the CPC and member of the secretariat of the c.c. of the CPC, Qian Qichen, member of the political bureau of the c.c., the CPC and vice-premier of the State Council, Zeng Qinghong, alternate member of the political bureau of the c.c., the CPC, member of the secretariat of the c.c., the CPC and director of the organization department of the c.c., the CPC, Dai Bingguo, director of the international liaison department of the c.c., the CPC, Tang Jiaxuan, Foreign Minister, Wang Guozhang, Chinese ambassador e. p. to the DPRK.
The two leaders informed each other of the situation in their countries in a friendly atmosphere and exchanged views on the issue of further developing the relations between the two countries and on major international matters of mutual concern and reached a consensus of views on them.
Both sides stressed the need to preserve the tradition of mutual visits by leaders of the two parties and two countries.
Jiang Zemin spoke highly of Kim Jong Il's visit, which was made at the beginning of the new century, saying it is an important event in the development of the party-to-party and state-to-state relations between the PRC and the DPRK in the new century.
Both sides held that all relevant departments of the two parties and countries have made active efforts to implement the consensus reached between the two party leaders since they met in Beijing in last may.
They agreed to make greater efforts to consolidate and develop the traditional friendship and push the bilateral friendly and cooperative relations up to a higher level.
Jiang Zemin was delighted to see substancial progress and new achievements made by the Korean people in economic construction, reunification of the north and the south and foreign affairs and in other fields, overcoming manyfold difficulties under the leadership of the wpk headed by Kim Jong Il and wished the WPK and the Korean people great success in various fields in the new century.
Kim Jong Il expressed the belief that the Chinese people will certainly score new achievements in realising the targets for development set in the tenth five-year plan, advancing the socialist modernization drive in all fields and carrying out the great cause of rejuvenating China under the leadership of the CPC headed by Jiang Zemin.
Jiang Zemin said that china as a neighbour of the Korean peninsula has exerted efforts for the peace and stability of the peninsula.
He noted that China would continue to support the efforts made by the north and the south of Korea to further improve inter-Korean relations and achieve independence, peace and reunification and that it would welcome the DPRK's improvement and establishment of relations with other countries.
Kim Jong Il expressed thanks for this and said that the DPRK party and government would as ever support China's stand on the Taiwan issue. And he repeatedly expressed the hope that china would succeed in its cause of the country's reunification.
He invited Jiang Zemin to visit the DPRK at a convenient time and his invitation was accepted with pleasure.
Jiang Zemin arranged a banquet in welcome of Kim Jong Il's visit to China.
Kim Jong Il visited Shanghai.
He met and had a friendly conversation with Chinese premier Zhu Rongji.
Zhu Rongji hosted a banquet for him.
Zhu Rongji in his speech said that in recent years the Korean people have made such remarkable progress and achievements in various domains including socialist construction, national reunification and foreign relations as to attract world attention, successfully surmounting manifold difficulties under the leadership of the central committee of the Workers' Party of Korea headed by General Secretary Kim Jong Il.
He said that the Chinese people are rejoiced over this and warmly congratulate the Korean people on their successes.
Kim Jong Il in his speech said that it is the common desire of the DPRK and PRC peoples vigorously advancing toward a rosy future in the new century to develop the traditional DPRK-PRC relations.
The WPK and the government and people of the DPRK will work hard to consolidate and develop the DPRK-PRC relations in the new century. Too, he stressed.
During his stay in Shanghai, he enjoyed a music and dance performance specially arranged by its artistes and children.
His unofficial visit to China was successfully made under the particular concern and warm hospitality of the central committee of the CPC, the state council of the PRC and General Secretary Jiang Zemin.
Imperialists' loud-mouthed "human rights" and "humanitarianism" under fire
Pyongyang, January 21 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article disclosing the reactionary and harmful nature of the imperialists' loud-mouthed "human rights" and "humanitarianism" calls for a vigorous struggle against their propaganda.
The article says:
By nature imperialism has nothing in common with human rights and humanitarianism.
It is preposterous for the imperialists to talk about "human rights" and "humanitarianism" as it is the intrinsic nature for them to resort to aggression, plunder, exploitation and oppression. imperialism is, in fact, the worst enemy of "human rights" and "humanitarianism."
The imperialists' talk about human rights and humanitarianism is, firstly, aimed to deceive the popular masses by creating the impression that a capitalist society is a society which provides them with "human rights" and a society based on "humanitarianism" and paint the right of a handful of people belonging to the exploiting class to exploit, plunder, dominate and oppress popular masses as that of a superclass.
At the same time they style themselves champions of "human rights" and "humanitarianism" in a bid to create among other countries and nations an illusion about them and make those countries obedient to their neo-colonial domination.
Dismissing "human rights" and "humanitarianism" on the lips of the imperialists as sheer sophism, the article notes:
Their assertion that "guarantee of human rights is a humanitarian measure to provide for individual character and human dignity" and their preach about "popular capitalism" and "state for all people's welfare" are a height of absurdity in the capitalist society.
The shameless and reactionary nature of imperialists' loud-mouthed "human rights" and "humanitarianism" finds its vivid expression in their aggression, plunder, domination and intervention in other countries and nations.
The imperialists commit without hesitation intervention in others' internal affairs and armed invasion against other countries and nations, asserting that "human rights know no border", "human rights are above sovereignty" and "it is necessary to leave no stone unturned for the sake of humanitarianism."
They even use their trumps of "human rights" and "humanitarianism" in perpetrating their neo-colonial exploitation and plunder against the developing countries.
The world people should be highly alert against the imperialists' touted "human rights" and "humanitarianism" aimed to achieve a sinister political purpose.
Apology and reparation for Rogun-ri mass killings urged
Pyongyang, January 21 (KCNA) -- Civic organizations of South Korea denounced the United States of America for working hard to gloss over GIs' mass killings in Rrogun-ri during the Korean War with such words as "pity" and "sympathy."
Jong Ku Do, spokesman for the measure committee for probe into mass killings of civilians in Rogun-ri, charged that the U.S. government has not admitted mass killings by denying the issue of orders to fire by superiors and this is the natural outcome of the investigation conducted by the government from the outset with the purpose of downplaying them, according to Yonhap News.
The committee declared that it would stage a mock trial in South Korea and the U.S. around February with ex-U.S. soldiers who were involved in massacres, families of victims and lawyers attending to disclose facts not mentioned in a report on investigation and take a series of steps together with South Korean and international non-governmental organizations, he said.
Chairman Jong Un Ryong of the committee warned that he would bring Rogun-ri mass killings to the international court of justice unless the U.S. government reinvestigates them, stating it did not mention any compensation to victims, refusing to admit mass killings in Rogun-ri.
Cha Sung Ryol, general director for the people's action for the revision of the shackling "status of forces agreement," held that truth should be clarified before discussing on any reparation, charging that "pity" expressed by the U.S. authorities is nothing but an attempt to clinch the case as smoothly as possible.
Ri So Hui, deputy general director of the "headquarters of the movement for eradicating crimes by the U.S. forces in South Korea," stated that the U.S. government is evading its responsibility to make apology and reparation for mass killings in Rogun-ri, describing them as accidental ones.
The agreement reached on the investigation is null and void and there should be thorough-going reinvestigation to force the U.S. side to make an official apology and reparation, ri added.
Rally in S. Korea demands reinvestigation into Rogun-ri mass killings
Pyongyang, January 21 (KCNA) -- At least 100 members of the national measure committee for the closure of the U.S. forces' bombing range in Maehyang-ri held a rally by the side of the U.S. embassy in Seoul on January 16, demanding the reinvestigation into the truth about Rogun-ri mass killings, according to the South Korean newspaper Hangyore.
Preparatory committees inaugurated
Pyongyang, January 21 (KCNA) -- An inaugural meeting of Nepalese national preparatory committee for celebrations of leader Kim Jong Il's birthday which will fall on February 16 and Sun's Day was held in Kathmandu on January 15.
Bamdev Gautam, general secretary of the central committee of the Nepal Communist Party (Marxism-Leninism), was elected chairman of the preparatory committee at the meeting.
The meeting discussed a program for colorful celebrations to be held on those occasions.
A letter to Kim Jong Il was adopted at the meeting.
Meanwhile, preparatory committees of the International United Confederation of Koreans (International Kothongryon) and the Kothongryon in the far east were formed to celebrate his birthday.
Appeal to 70 million fellow countrymen supported
Pyongyang, January 21 (KCNA) -- The European regional headquarters of the national alliance for the country's reunification issued a statement on January 13 in support of the appeal adopted at the 2001 meeting for the independent reunification of the Korean nation.
The statement said:
Through the recent publication of the appeal the Pyongyang meeting once again declared that the June 15 north-south joint declaration is a proclamation common to the nation strictly based on the three principles of national reunification and an enduring landmark to pave the way for building a reunified federal state.
The statement hailed the appeal as a patriotic declaration to enable the compatriots in the south to live happily in a society where national independence has been established.
We fully support the appeal adopted at the Pyongyang meeting which called for setting this year as a "year for opening up the door of independent reunification of the Korean nation" and fixing the period from June 15 to August 15, 2001 as "a period of the movement for promoting national reunification", the statement noted, and continued:
We will struggle to the last against the anti-reunification forces' politics of depending on outside forces who are hell-bent on the treacherous acts while paying lip-service to reunification.