KCNA on Japan's "strategic review" of East Asia
Pyongyang, March 8 (KCNA) -- The "Defence Research Institution" of Japan called "think-tank" of the Japan Defence Agency released on march 1 a "2001 strategic review of East Asia" analyzing the military situation in East Asia.
What matters here is that the review analyzed and described "increased military capabilities" in a number of countries including the DPRK and china as a factor of affecting the strategic security environment in East Asia.
The review used such derogatory and malignant words against the DPRK as "the future of North Korea still remains untransparent", asserting that it staged large military exercises and is going ahead with the production of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles and beefing up special units, etc.
This is intended to divert elsewhere the attention of the international community from Japan, the root cause of threat to global peace, and to justify its wild ambition for overseas expansion which has already been brought to light.
Japan is now keen to become a leader of East Asia and, furthermore, benefit from its involvement in the moves to implement U.S. global strategy for hegemony. militarist and expansionist hysteria now prevalent in Japan reminds one of the eve of the pacific war. Madcap arms buildup, reckless military exercises staged under the simulated conditions of an actual war, evermore undisguised ultra-nationalist utterences and moves to place Japan under a fascist system are arousing the international community's apprehension.
Through the review expansionist Japan seeks to justify its militarist moves under the pretext of "threat" from someone and shift the responsibility for the unstable regional security onto him.
Japan is well advised not to forget that such a nasty and cunning way of thinking as taking issue with others for no reason has never gone down with anyone.
The review only revealed the true colours of Japan obsessed with hysteria of militarist overseas expansion.
Friendly meeting with delegation of women's association for Turkey held
Pyongyang, March 8 (KCNA) -- A friendly meeting with members of the delegation of the women's association for the Republic of Turkey led by its chairperson Cenal Sarihan on a visit to Korea was held here on March 7.
Present at the meeting were Kim Jin Bom, vice-chairman of the Korean Society for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries who is also chairman of the Korea-Turkey Friendship Association, members of the association, teachers and students of Pyongyang Ryulgok Senior Middle School.
Participants conversed with each other about developing the friendly relations between the two peoples and appreciated an art performance given by students, deepening feelings of friendship.
On the same day, officials of the central committee of the Korean Democratic Women's Union and members of the delegation met.
They talked to each other about activities of women's organizations of the two countries and their achievements and experience.
Struggle against sack of S. Korean unionists goes on
Pyongyang, March 8 (KCNA) -- At least 1,000 members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) and the Dae Woo Motor Workers Union of South Korea held a rally in Inchon on March 3 to vow to struggle against the layoff, Seoul-based MBC reported.
They demanded the immediate withdrawal of the layoff, stating that the livelihood of over 1,700 unionists and their families is seriously threatened by the layoff measure taken by the Dae Woo Motor Company.
On the same day workers under the Taegu headquarters of the KCTU and students had a rally in Taegu to vow to block the layoff, which was followed by a demonstration.
Rodong Sinmun on International Women's Day
Pyongyang, March 8 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today editorially observes March 8, the International Women's Day.
The women's movement in Korea was pioneered and developed under the loving care of President Kim Il Sung and has entered a new phase of historic turn under the tested guidance of leader Kim Jong Il, the editorial says, and goes on:
It is the precious fruition of his wise guidance that many social policies were made and such good health and public service establishments as the Pyongyang Maternity Hospital built in Korea for the women and the coming generations and that Korean women are proud of being flowers of the revolution, the country and the society.
There are no more proud women in the world than the Korean women who lead a dignified and happy life with equal social position and rights with men under the great and meticulous loving care of the party and the leader.
The Korean women devoted all their wisdom and enthusiasm to work with a view to repaying the loving care and benevolence of the party and the leader during the "arduous march" and the forced march unprecedented in recent history. Many heroines were produced from among them. The socialist construction is being stepped up by large contingents of credible women boundlessly loyal to the ideology and leadership of the party and the leader and possessed of noble moral trait and beautiful emotion.
A bright future is in store for the Korean women's movement today.
The editorial stresses the need to develop the movement onto a higher stage in keeping with the requirements of the new revolutionary era of Juche under the steermanship of Kim Jong Il.
The Korean women are discharging an important role in a drive to build a powerful nation, the editorial says, calling upon all the women to always live and work in a revolutionary and militant manner as befitting women in the era of revolution and the era of struggle.
Women's social role in DPRK
Pyongyang, March 8 (KCNA) -- The women, who account for a half of the population in the DPRK, have a big role to play in society.
Women take an active part in state affairs with an equal right with men and play an important role in different fields of the national economy.
Women deputies to power organs at all levels account for 20.1 percent of all the deputies and the proportion of women in the work force in the national economy is nearly 50 percent.
Women are performing a very important role in education, culture, public health, commerce and other fields.
The state provides the women with all conditions for being active in society.
The women at the Pyongyang Textile Mill can be cited as a good example.
The mill is the nation's leading textile producer. It is practically managed and operated by the women who account for 75 percent of the employees.
There are several creches and kindergartens in the mill. It also has a sanatorium, a hospital, a shop and all other welfare service facilities.
There are more than 60 teams made up of working mothers with babies. They work, receiving many additional benefits from the state.
The mill boasts of dozens of women recipients of Kim Il Sung Order, labour heroines and merited weavers.
Japan's colonial rule over Korea ambiguously described in its report
Pyongyang, March 8 (KCNA) -- Japan in its report submitted to the U.N. commission on human rights asserted that Koreans settled in Japan for "various reasons", downplaying the forcible drafting of Koreans by the Japanese imperialists and other facts and gave no specific explanation to them, Seoul-based Yonhap News said.
By using the ambiguous term "rule" instead of using the words colonial domination over Korea by the Japanese imperialists, the report suggested that there is no change in the Japanese government's understanding of the past history of overall relations between Korea and Japan including the issue of Koreans in Japan, the news noted.
The report admitted the facts that the Japanese authorities have disqualified the graduates from high schools run by Koreans in Japan from entering Japanese universities under various pretexts and discriminations against Koreans in Japan still remain in their everyday life including employment and lease of houses, the news added.
DPRK-Cuba friendship will be ever-lasting
Pyongyang, March 8 (KCNA) -- Papers here today dedicate articles to the 15th anniversary of the visit of Fidel Castro Ruz, supreme leader of the Cuban revolution, to the DPRK (March 1986).
Rodong Sinmun in a signed article stresses that the visit marked an epochal occasion of putting the friendly and cooperative relations between the two parties, two countries and two peoples on a new higher stage.
The DPRK-Cuba friendship has been solidified as it is based on the particular intimacy and comradely obligation between President Kim Il Sung and Fidel Castro Ruz, the daily notes.
Saying that leader Kim Jong Il is paying deep attention to consolidating and developing the traditional DPRK-Cuba friendship, it continues:
Cuba serves as a banner of socialism in the western hemisphere.
Under the revolutionary slogan "Let us defend the fatherland, the revolution and the gains of socialism " the Cuban people are stoutly struggling against the U.S. anti-Cuba moves.
The Korean people are rejoiced as their own over the brilliant successes made by the Cuban people in their struggle to defend the sovereignty of the country and the gains of revolution, and extend full support to their just cause.
The DPRK-Cuba friendship is a solid, invincible and fraternal one which was established in the common struggle for independence against imperialism and for socialism and has undergone severe trials of history.
The Korean people will as ever work hard to continue to develop the traditional friendly and cooperative relations with the Cuban people.
Minju Joson in an editorial article stresses that the DPRK-Cuba friendship will contribute not only to common interests of the two peoples but to world peace and progress and the immortal feats Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il and Fidel Castro Ruz performed in this cause will shine long.
Collective self-reliance called for
Pyongyang, March 8 (KCNA) -- Collective self-reliance is a principle and way to be held fast to by developing countries in their struggle and activities to achieve social progress in the new century, says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article.
Collective self-reliance is one of the most effective ways for developing countries to make rapid progress in keeping with the trend of the new century by making an effective use of the existing capacities and potentials, the article notes, and continues:
If developing countries promote mutual cooperation and exchange on the principle of collective self-reliance, it will be possible to successfully achieve socio-economic progress with less expense of financial resources and energy and significantly raise their qualitative level.
The developing countries have rich natural resources and manpower.
They also have a wealth of experience gained in the fields of science and technology and economy. When they properly draw on it they will be able to successfully push ahead with building a new society and make rapid progress commensurate with the new century, without depending on developed countries.
What is important for the developing countries to promote collective cooperation is to have a stand to achieve common prosperity and progress by helping each other, not seeking national interests.
Collective self-reliance among the developing nations also means boosting production and pushing ahead with construction by widely introducing up-to-date technologies and methods so as to reach a higher level, while positively pursuing exchange and cooperation.
In promoting cooperation and exchange among developing countries they should neither disregard nor sidestep advanced science and technologies, reasonable and effective methods of advanced countries.
The developing countries should glorify the new century as a century of independence and a century of a high level of civilization by intensifying cooperation among them under the uplifted slogan of collective self-reliance in keeping with the requirements of the new century.
National meeting held
Pyongyang, March 8 (KCNA) -- A national meeting to commemorate the 91st International Women's Day was held here today.
The meeting was attended by Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, Kim Jung Rin, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Ryu Mi Yong, chairwoman of the central committee of the Chondoist Chongu Party, and working women in the city.
Also present there on invitation were wives of embassy officials of different countries here and foreign women.
Pak Sun Hui, chairwoman of the central committee of the Korean Democratic Women's Union, in a report delivered there said that President Kim Il Sung, with a deep insight into the importance of the position of the women and the mission performed by them in the revolutionary struggle and construction, expounded an original idea and theory on the emancipation of women and the women's movement based on the immortal Juche idea and had successfully put them into practice.
Under his wise guidance the anti-Japanese women's association, the first revolutionary organization of the Korean women, was formed, giving origin to the Juche-oriented women's movement in Korea. And the foundation of the Korean Democratic Women's Union and the promulgation of the law on sex equality helped bring about a fundamental change in the position of the Korean women, she said, and went on:
Leader Kim Jong Il further enriched the president's idea and theory on the Juche-oriented women's movement and put the position of the women on the highest level.
Kim Jong Il's leadership over the women's movement clearly proved its sagacity and vitality over the past six years in which the great history of his revolutionary activities was glorified despite ordeals.
Today Korean women are active as deputies to power organs at all levels including the Supreme People's Assembly and as officials of the party and state institutions. They are displaying to the full their creative talents and making innovations in different domains of the national economy.
Credit for all these successes entirely goes to the peerlessly great men who have led the Korean revolution and the women's movement.
All the women should further develop the Juche-oriented women's movement in Korea, strengthen friendship and solidarity with all the progressive women in the world and work hard for global peace and the happiness of the women and children in the 21st century, too.
DPRK hails formation of African Union
Pyongyang, March 8 (KCNA) -- The foundation of the African Union is a historic event as this makes it possible for the countries in the region to meet the challenge of "globalization" by accelerating political, economic and social integration in the continent and raise the position of Africa and reliably defend its dignity and interests on the international arena.
A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry declared this stand in an answer to a question put by KCNA today as regards the formation of the union.
He further said:
It is the consistent foreign policy of the DPRK government to further develop the friendly and cooperative relations with African countries in the idea of independence, peace and friendship.
We will as ever support the cause of the African union and countries in the continent to ensure regional peace and stability by their united efforts and develop the economy with their own enormous potentials and rich natural resources and thus build a free, peaceful and prosperous, new society.
Greetings to Syrian President
Pyongyang, March 8 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, yesterday sent a message of greetings to President Bashar al Assad on the occasion of the 38th day of March 8 Revolution in Syria.
The message extended warm congratulations to the president, government and people of Syria on this day.
The friendly government and people of Syria have achieved great successes in the work for building new independent and prosperous Syria true to the cause of Hafez al Assad, under the correct leadership of the Arab Socialist Baath Party headed by the president, the message said, and continued:
The Korean people are sincerely rejoiced over them and send full support to the just cause of the Syrian Arab people.
Expressing the conviction that the excellent friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would grow stronger and develop in the future, the message sincerely wished the president and the people of Syria greater success in their struggle to take back the Golan Heights and achieve just and comprehensive peace in the middle east.