Japan's document on recruitment of Korean "student soldiers" found
Pyongyang, March 4 (KCNA) -- An official document in which the Japanese government issued a general mobilization order to recruit Korean "student soldiers" in 1944 when Japan's defeat in the second world war was coming near was found for the first time, Yonhap News of South Korea reported.
The document, sent by the vice-director of the Japanese headquarters for mobilization of students on may 4, 1944 to rectors of universities and principals of higher schools and teachers training schools, says that a main principle of enforcing mobilization of students was decided according to the emergency step taken under the situation called the pacific war and, accordingly, schools at all levels should mobilize students positively and courageously.
Written in it are directives on forcible recruitment of Korean "student soldiers" including "pure and merry acception of mobilization".
The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs had preserved the document in top secrecy.
Nam Hyon, director of the Institute of Korea-Japan Affairs in South Korea, recently obtained it from Japan and opened it to the public on Feb. 28.
Book "Kim Jong Il's Era" published in Bangladesh
Pyongyang, March 4 (KCNA) -- Book "Kim Jong Il's Era" was published in Bangladesh on the occasion of leader Kim Jong Il's birthday.
The book was written by Garib Newaz, president of the Bangladesh People's League.
He in the book refers to immortal exploits performed by Kim Jong Il for the times and humankind.
He notes that Kim Jong Il is a great creator who is leading the socialist cause, the human cause of independence, to victory, making a new political history, and an outstanding politician who will steer the 21st century.
Peruvian national preparatory committee formed to commemorate Sun's Day
Pyongyang, March 4 (KCNA) -- The Peruvian national preparatory committee was formed on Feb. 26 to commemorate Sun's Day.
The DPRK instituted April 15, the birthday of President Kim Il Sung, as Sun's Day.
At the inaugural meeting Angel Castro Lavarello, chairman of the Peru-Korea Institute of Culture and Friendship, was elected chairman of the preparatory committee.
The meeting decided to hold multifarious functions including a commemoration meeting and a retrospection meeting on Sun's Day.
The chairman of the preparatory committee said that Kim Il Sung's birth was the greatest event of the nation that heralded socialist Korea and a historic event recorded in the human history of the 20th century, and that his great idea and exploits greatly encourage the just human cause of independence, friendship and peace.
Japan's moves to tamper with history of aggression flailed in S. Korea
Pyongyang, March 4 (KCNA) -- Protest campaigns against Japan's moves to distort history textbooks are being conducted among public circles of South Korea, according to Seoul-based Yonhap News.
The "National Teachers Union" (Jongyojo) in a statement on Feb. 28 said that "we cannot repress wrath at the Japanese right-wing and government's attempt to tamper with history," and urged them to immediately stop the unreasonable act.
On the same day, the promotion council for compensation to pacific war victims held a rally in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul together with some 90 members of the "South Korean measure council for volunteers' corps issue" and teachers under Jongyojo to protest against Japan's distortion of history textbooks and to commemorate the march first popular uprising.
Meanwhile, at least 1,500 members of over 20 organizations held a rally in Seoul and condemned Japan's distortion of history textbooks as a rash act to revive militarism and restore the idea of aggression and demanded a cancellation of opening the door for Japanese popular culture.
An organization of retired teachers in a statement held that "the Japanese government should not help ultra-right organizations to tamper with history."
The South Korean Confederation of Teachers' Organizations in a statement on Feb. 27 vowed to give special lessons related to Japan's hastening distortion of history textbooks and conduct ten million signature campaign and a drive to boycott Japanese goods.
Ceremony for bidding farewell to late Han Tok Su held
Tokyo, March 3 (KNS-KCNA) -- A ceremony for bidding farewell to the late Han Tok Su, chairman of the central standing committee of the General Association of Korean residents in Japan (Chongryon) who is deputy to the Supreme People's Assembly and twice Labour Hero of the DPRK, was solemnly held as Chongryon funeral at the Korean House of Culture in Tokyo on March 3.
Participating in the ceremony were So Man Sul, first vice-chairman of the Chongryon central standing committee who is chairman of the funeral committee for the late Han Tok Su, Ho Jong Man, its chief vice-chairman who is vice-chairman of the funeral committee, vice-chairmen of the Chongryon central standing committee and other members of the funeral committee, bereaved families, Chongryon officials, Korean compatriots, youth and students, more than 10,000 persons in all.
The participants observed a moment's silence in memory of the late Han Tok Su.
Ho Jong Man read a message of condolence from the spa presidium and the cabinet of the DPRK at the ceremony.
So Man Sul made a memorial address there.
Saying that we are now bidding farewell to the late Han Tok Su with a big grief and pain of loss, So Man Sul mentioned that leader Kim Jong Il took closer to heart the death of Han Tok Su than anyone else and showed warm care for him.
He said that Han Tok Su was a true loyalist of President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il as well as a leader of the Chongryon and the movement of Koreans in Japan who was well-reputed among figures of all circles and peoples of many countries, an outstanding politician, a passionate poet and an excellent leader of the national artistic activities, a steadfast defender and propagandist of the idea and theory of Juche. He added that what Han Tok Su earnestly wished, passing away, was to hold Kim Jong Il in high esteem as the sun of the 21st century, display patriotism and loyalty, make the DPRK flag fly high in the sky over Japan generation by generation and honorably contribute to the prosperity of the fatherland and the cause of the reunification of the country, true to the noble last instructions of Kim Il Sung.
Then, vice-president of the SPA presidium Yang Hyong Sop who is leading the DPRK mourners' delegation made a condolatory address.
Next, memorial addresses were made by Yukio Hatoyama, leader of the Japanese Democratic Party, Takako Doi, leader of the Japanese Social-Democratic Party, Masaaki Nakayama, chairman of the Dietmen's League for Japan-Korea Friendship, and Motofumi Makieda, chairman of the Japan Committee for Supporting the Independent and Peaceful Reunification of Korea.
Chief mourner Han U Chol expressed a resolution at the ceremony on behalf of the bereaved families.
Implementation of inter-Korean joint declaration called for
Pyongyang, March 4 (KCNA) -- An attitude towards the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration, which solemnly declared the desire of the Korean nation for independent reunification, is an attitude towards the issue of national reunification.
Rodong Sinmun says this in a signed article today.
It goes on:
It is because the declaration, first of all, carries a firm will to achieve national reunification independently with the concerted efforts of the Korean nation.
The declaration lays stress on the independent solution of reunification issue by the Korean nation and clarifies the target and method of the Korean nation, which are independent reunification and reunification by federal formula.
For this, the declaration constitutes a milestone of national reunification in the 21st century.
It is also because the declaration reflects the unanimous demand, desire and aspiration of the Korean nation.
In the declaration the north and the south agreed to solve the humanitarian issues as quickly as possible, develop the national economy in a balanced way through economic cooperation and promote cooperation and interchange in various fields to build mutual trust.
This reflects the desire of the nation to remove confrontation and distrust between the two sides and speed up national reunification with reconciliation, harmony and great unity.
The joint declaration also confirms the way of reunification. Both sides recognized the common denominator of the north's proposal for low level federation and the south's proposal for confederation and accepted it.
Therefore, any side should not pursue military ties-up and cooperation with outside forces under the name of "security."
Now that the movement for national reunification has entered the track of national independence, it is high time to think twice before doing something.
Anyone should refrain from insulting the dialogue partner as a "principal enemy," obsessed by the old way of thinking and conception. The north and the south, should put spurs to the implementation of the north-south joint declaration on the principles of national independence and great unity.
Japan's heinous massacres cannot be concealed
Pyongyang, March 4 (KCNA) -- A ceremony took place in Australia some days ago with the attendance of its prime minister to remember the day (Feb. 19, 1942) when it was attacked by the Japanese imperialists for the first time. It underscored the need for all people to loudly denounce their crime of aggression, not forgetting it.
A recent issue of the U.S. magazine News Week also disclosed the atrocities of the germ warfare by notorious unit no. 731 of the Japanese imperialists.
In this regard, Rodong Sinmun today runs a commentary, which says the Japanese imperialist aggressors during the war of continental aggression were not men but devils and murderers rare in history.
It goes on:
The Japanese imperialists brutally killed millions of people in Korea alone. As unit no. 731 did, they killed people as targets of germ experiment or spread a large sum of bacteria so that people died of diseases en masse. They also drove out people to battle sites and toilsome work and murdered them at random. To "keep a secret" they buried people in groups in the earth or at sea and took away numerous women as "comfort women for the army," most of whom were killed.
The Japanese imperialists' massacres have been brought to light by witnesses and historic documents.
But the Japanese reactionaries are refusing to admit the past crimes in the new century, too, and resorting to a sleight of hand to shun the responsibility for them.
The crimes are bound to be redressed.
Japan should take a resolute step to apologize and compensate for the past crimes as soon as possible, mindful that its refusal to redress the past crimes will bring fatal consequences to it.
Message of condolence to co-representative of South Korean organization
Pyongyang, March 4 (KCNA) -- Former 63 unconverted long-term prisoners who came into the care of the DPRK sent a message of condolence today to Kwon Rak Gi, co-representative of the South Korean Committee for Promoting Repatriation of Unconverted Long-Term Prisoners, on the death of his wife Ri Ok Sun.
Ri Ok Sun was a faithful and staunch woman activist of the labour movement who devoted her all to the struggle for social justice, independence, democracy and reunification and took utmost care of unconverted long-term prisoners after turning her house into a "reunification square" though she was suffering from an incurable disease, the message said, and went on:
Though she passed away without seeing the day of reunification, independence, democracy and reunification which she desired so much will certainly come true.
We express expectation and belief that you and the bereaved families will continue to work hard to see the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration implemented to the letter and all the remaining unconverted long-term prisoners in South Korea repatriated to the north together with their families as the deceased wished in her lifetime.
Message of condolence to South Korean organization
Pyongyang, March 4 (KCNA) -- The DPRK Measure Committee for Rescuing Unconverted Long-Term Prisoners in South Korea on Sunday sent a message of condolence to the South Korean Committee for Promoting the Repatriation of Unconverted Long-Term Prisoners on the death of Ri Ok Sun, wife of Kwon Rak Gi, co-representative of the committee.
The message said that Ri Ok Sun, who was chairperson of the foreign cooperation committee of the "national alliance for democracy and reunification" and chairperson of the women's council for opening the door of reunification, was a faithful and staunch woman activist who devoted her all to independence, democracy and reunification.
Though she was in a critical condition owing to an incurable disease, she took utmost care of unconverted long-term prisoners as their kinswomen would do and worked hard for their repatriation, the message said, and continued:
Though she passed away without seeing the dawn of reunification, she will always be with our militant ranks as a beautiful flower and woman activist in the movement for independence and democracy and on the patriotic road of reunification.
We express the belief that your organization will continue to work hard to build a new society, independent, democratic and reunified, under the banner of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration which the late Ri Ok Sun desired so much and realize the repatriation of all the remaining unconverted long-term prisoners in South Korea and their families to the north.