Kim Jong Il gives field guidance to industrial domain

    Pyongyang, December 17 (KCNA) - General Secretary Kim Jong Il gave field guidance to the work in the industrial domain in North Phyongan Province from December 14 to 16. He was greeted on the spot by chief secretary Kim Phyong Hae of the North Phyongan Provincial Committee of the WPK and leading officials of the province, cities, counties and factories and enterprises.
    During his field guidance Kim Jong Il went round the Pukjung Machine Complex, the underground generating shop of the Suphung Power Station, the Kusong Textile Mill, the Sinuiju Cosmetics Factory, the chicken farm in North Phyongan Province and other industrial establishments to learn in detail about production and put forward tasks to be carried out by them.
    At the Pukjung Machine Complex he was very pleased to learn that the workers and technicians of the complex gave major face-lifting to the complex through devoted efforts to modernize production processes as required by the new century and succeeded in the researches to develop various types of machines requiring high technology by their own efforts and highly praised them for their feats.
    He said the position and role of the complex are very important for bringing the shipbuilding industry of the country to the world standard and set forth highly important tasks to be carried out by the complex.
    At the underground generating shop of the Suphung Power Station, a leading electricity producer of the country, he acquainted himself in detail with the assembling of newly installed generator no. 2.
    He expressed great satisfaction over the fact that the party members and other working people of the station successfully built the modern underground generating shop to generate more electricity in response to the call of the party for increased production of electricity and highly appreciated their feats.
    He put forward the tasks to steadily increase the production of electricity through scientific and technological management and operation of the station and finish the assembling of generator no.3 ahead of schedule.
    He also gave on-the-spot guidance to the Kusong Textile Mill.
    The mill is a time-honored mill built in accordance with a plan of President Kim Il Sung to solve the issue of clothing for the people when the Korean War was at its height.
    At the mill he first went round the monument to the president's on-site guidance. Then he went to the weaving shop and other production processes to see workers at work and encourage them.
    He said as the mill is associated with the warm love of the president for the people the officials, workers and technicians should put production on a high-speed basis to supply more high-quality cloth to the people.
    At the Sinuiju Cosmetics Factory he went round the soap shop, the tooth paste shop, the cosmetics shop and other production processes to learn in detail about production.
    After closely examining the quality of cosmetics he said cosmetics convenient to use and good for the health of the people should be produced on the highest level and indicated the orientation and ways to do so.
    At the chicken farm built in Sinso-ri, Sakju county, North Phyongan Province, he went round the exterior and interior of the farm equipped with up-to-date facilities to learn about the construction and management and operation of the farm. And he expressed great satisfaction over the fact that the workers in the province successfully built the modern chicken farm in a short span of time.
    While looking at the cold storages full of good quality chicken and eggs coming down in succession, he noted with pleasure that it has now become possible to supply more chicken and eggs to the people in North Phyongan Province and put forward tasks to be carried out for the management and operation of the farm.
    After getting familiar with the overall situation in the industrial domain in the province, he met with leading officials of the province and major industrial establishments and set forth highly important tasks that would serve as a guideline in improving the management and operation of the factories and enterprises and effecting a new revolutionary change in economic work.
    He said that since his field guidance in January last year the workers in North Phyongan Province have worked hard to carry out the militant tasks given by the party in the revolutionary spirit of soldiers and the spirit of devotedly carrying them out so as to work unprecedented miracles and innovations at every unit.
    The proud success, he said, is the manifestation of the indomitable will of the Korean workers to remain invariably faithful to the party in any ordeals and a striking demonstration of the inexhaustible potentials.
    He added that the workers in North Phyongan Province should make a new leaping advance on all fronts of the socialist economic construction in the same spirit and mettle as displayed by them to pull through difficulties lying in the way of the revolution in the revolutionary spirit of self-reliance.
    He set forth the task of increasing the production of electricity.
    He said more electricity can be generated when minor power stations as well as large hydropower stations are built on a large-scale and that the construction of minor power stations should be pushed forward vigorously.
    He also set forth tasks to put industrial establishments on a modern and scientific basis.
    He said when the industry with great potentials is equipped with up-to-date technologies more products can be turned out with less manpower and their quality significantly improved and that all the industrial establishments should push ahead with a vigorous drive for technical modernization to turn the industry into a juche-based industry which will remain impeccable in the 21st century, too.
    He put forward a task to boost light industry.
    He noted that as North Phyongan Province has many light industry factories urgently needed for the improvement of the standard of people's living such as textile mill, footwear and cosmetics factories, it should pay deep attention to them and adequately supply good quality light industry products to the people.
    He put forward tasks to be fulfilled to thoroughly establish cultured practices in production and hygiene.
    He said that as the Korean workers who have a strong sense of organization, discipline and militancy are not only possessors of the most revolutionary idea but creators and enjoyers of new culture, they should always keep their workshops and factories neat and tidy and plant many trees around them so that their workplaces may always admit fresh air.
    He also called on the officials to give full play to the revolutionary trait.
    Noting that all work is going well at the factories and enterprises in North Phyongan Province because officials there are setting examples in practice rather than by precept as the commanding officers of the people's army do, he pointed out that a victory in the revolution entirely depends on the loyalty, responsibility and the organizational ability of the officials, the leading personnel of the revolution.
    Officials in all the fields and at all units should be tenacious practicians who work in a militant and dynamic manner to attain the goals set before them.
    After proposing the tasks to be carried out to improve the supply service for the workers, he stressed that officials of the party organizations and administrative institutions at all levels and the factories and enterprises should provide better living conditions to the working class, the reliable vanguard who devotedly work for the party and the revolution.
    He expressed the expectation and conviction that the workers in the province would perform heroic feats once again as frontrankers of the revolution at a time when the torch of Ranam is flaring up all over the country to call for a general onward march to build a powerful nation in the new century.


Greetings to Malaysian king

    Pyongyang, December 17 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, on Dec. 15 sent a message of greetings to his majesty Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Ivni Al-Marhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail upon his accession to the throne of Malaysia. Expressing belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would further develop in the future, the message wished the king and people of Malaysia great success in their work for the prosperity of the country.


Japan urged to return Korean cultural assets

    Pyongyang, December 17 (KCNA) -- The DPRK delegate made a speech at the 81st plenary session of the 56th UN General Assembly on the agenda item "return and restoration of cultural assets to the countries of origin" on Dec 10. The Korean nation has created native culture from the dawn of human culture and preserved many cultural assets, most of which were damaged and lost by Japan's aggression and military occupation, he said, and went on:
    Japan banned Korean language and education of history, confiscated and burnt history, geography and other books and destroyed monuments, buildings and other cultural assets in a bid to stamp out the Korean nation during its military occupation of Korea for at least 40 years.
    Recalling that Japan has not yet admitted its past crimes, he urged Japan to return all the cultural assets plundered from Korea at once and compensate for the destroyed cultural assets.
    The DPRK will, in the future, too, continue to excavate and preserve historical relics to make a positive contribution to enriching the treasure house of humankind, he added.


Anti-U.S. rally held in Seoul

    Pyongyang, December 17 (KCNA) -- The 27th rally for solidarity against the U.S. was held on a side of the U.S. embassy in Seoul on Dec. 13, according to a news report. Father Mun Jong Hyon, permanent representative of the people's action for the revision of the unequal "ROK-U.S. status of forces agreement," said in a speech that all sorts of crimes committed by the U.S. forces such as the environmental pollution, the problem of the U.S. base and the building of apartment houses in the U.S. base in Ryongsan are attributable to the unequal status of forces agreement. It is impossible to prevent all sorts of shameful crimes and illegal acts of the U.S. forces unless the agreement is revised, he noted.
    He called for waging a struggle for the revision of the agreement and the cancellation of the plan to build apartment houses in the U.S. base in Ryongsan.
    General secretary of the association for independent reunification Kim Jong Il who is also co-executive chairman of the headquarters of the movement for the return of the U.S. base in Ryongsan held that South Korea should not allow the wrong and unequal status of forces agreement to remain, quering: how can houses be built as the master of the land has not permitted the plan?
    A letter of protest to the U.S. embassy was read out at the rally.
    The letter demanded the cancellation of the plan to build apartment houses in the U.S. base in Ryongsan, immediately return it, withdraw the deceptive "plan for the joint management of land" and the return of all the U.S. bases.
    At the end of the rally its participants staged a demonstration.


U.S. escalated moves for MD assailed

    Pyongyang, December 17 (KCNA) -- The DPRK cannot but heighten vigilance against the moves escalated by the U.S. to establish the Missile Defense system (MD) under the pretext of "missile threat" from the DPRK, says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary. It goes on:
    The interceptor missile test conducted again by the U.S. to establish the MD is arousing global concern and apprehension.
    The U.S. MD is increasing the danger of military confrontation and war. This compels not only those countries which do not possess any nukes and missiles but the countries that have relatively a few nukes and missiles to take self-defense measures to cope with the U.S. imperialists' nuclear and missile threat.
    As it is a proper self-defense measure against the U.S. imperialists' arms build-up and war moves for the sovereign states to increase their combat capabilities, no one has the right to find fault with it.
    Given that the DPRK is exposed to the u.s. imperialists' threat of nuclear and missile attack, it has given priority to the army and made every effort to increase the capability for self-defence.
    The reality proves the justness of the DPRK's idea of attaching priority to the army and its policy on increasing the capability for self-defence consistently followed to defend it from the u.s. imperialists.


Destruction of statues of Tangun denounced

    Pyongyang, December 17 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the history society of the DPRK released a statement yesterday denouncing some of the South Korean religious organizations for conducting an undisguised anti-DPRK campaign over the issue of Tangun. The "Federation of Christians" and some other pro-U.S. anti-communist religious organizations in South Korea are savagely destroying statues of Tangun, the ancestral father of the Korean nation, in different parts of South Korea, the statement said, and went on:
    Anyone born in this land should have great national pride and self-respect in finding the ancestral father of the nation. But some religious organizations in South Korea committed such vandalism as destroying statues of Tangun.
    This is nothing but a treacherous act of those who are ignorant of their ancestor and nation.
    Such vandalism is intended to negate the ancient history and homogeneity of the Korean nation, sow the seeds of discord among compatriots, block national reconciliation and unity and throw a wet blanket over the growing desire of all the fellow countrymen for reunification.
    They should admit their reckless crime, apologize to the nation for it, stop destroying statues of Tangun at once and immediately discontinue their anti-national action of inciting inter-Korean confrontation and tensions as a shock brigade of the anti-reunification forces.
    Pro-U.S., anti-communist religious organizations of South Korea should face up to the trend of the times and act with discretion.


DPRK girls place first in 13th Asian Women's Football Championships

    Pyongyang, December 17 (KCNA) -- DPRK girls came first in the 13th Asian Women's Football Championships which brought together footballers from 14 countries and regions. The DPRK eleven emerged victorious in all league matches of the championships. It trounced Guam Island 19-0, Vietnam 4-0. It also beat Singapore 24-0, a record high in the 24 year-long history of the championships.
    DPRK girls defeated Japan 1-0 in the league match held later to be qualified for a semi-final.
    In the semi-final the DPRK eleven beat china 3-1 that proved successful in the past championships several times.
    In the final match held yesterday the DPRK team defeated Japan 2-0 through hot attacks.
    The DPRK eleven scored a total of 53 goals in the six games during the championships.


Japan's fuss about "suspected kidnapping" condemned

    Pyongyang, December 17 (KCNA) -- A spokeswoman for the central committee of the Korean Democratic Women's Union yesterday issued a statement slamming Japan for making much fuss about "suspected kidnapping" as part of its anti-DPRK campaign these days. The spokeswoman recalled that the Japanese reactionaries passed the "anti-terrorism special law" which legalizes the dispatch of the "self-defense forces" overseas, timed to coincide with Japan's much fuss about "suspected kidnapping" aimed to groundlessly keep the DPRK on the list of "terrorist states and sponsors of terrorism."
    The central committee of the Korean Democratic Women's Union on behalf of all the Korean women bitterly condemns Japan's anti-DPRK smear campaign over "suspected kidnapping" and the enactment of the "anti-terrorism special law" as a vicious challenge and an unpardonable criminal act against the world progressives and the women who demand Japan apologize and compensate for its past crimes and oppose its overseas expansion, the spokeswoman said, and went on:
    The Japanese authorities should bear in mind that if they persistently pursue the hostile policy toward the DPRK, vociferating about the non-existent issue of "suspected kidnapping", and opt for turning Japan into a military power, they will meet a more miserable end than what it sustained in the past.
    Japan should sincerely apologize and compensate for its past crimes as soon as possible as demanded by the people of Korea and the rest of the world, face up to the trend of the present times and stop acting rashly.


New plant stimulant developed

    Pyongyang, December 17 (KCNA) -- "Rokhyong no 4", a new variety of broad-spectral plant stimulant, was developed in the DPRK. Its components are natural active plant ferment substance including humus acid and nucleic acid, synthetic stimulant and sterilizer.
    It contains different kinds of microelements including humus acid, natural active plant restorative, nucleic acid, sugar, vitamin, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and biological active substance in the largest density.
    This stimulant is to be used in agriculture. It facilitates segmentation and promotes plant growth.
    It is good for improving the quality of crops and increasing their yield.
    It also helps increase resistance against various diseases and stand unfavorable climatic conditions.
    It is not harmful to people, livestock and fish. The amount of its application per one hectare is very small.
    The stimulant developed by the academy of agricultural science is popular on foreign markets.


Report of DPRK Red Cross Society

    Pyongyang, December 17 (KCNA) -- The DPRK Red Cross Society made public a press release today. The full text of the press release reads as follows:
    Reactionary organizations and riffraffs in Japan are these days making much fuss about the issue of "suspected kidnapping", a fiction, at the connivance and instigation of the government authorities to seriously get on the DPRK's nerves.
    The Japanese reactionaries are persisting in the anti-DPRK hostile policy, raising a hue and cry over that nonexistent issue. Lurking behind such moves is a criminal purpose to keep the DPRK on the lists of "terrorist states and sponsors of terrorism" and "violators of human rights" in a bid to slander and stifle it and step up the preparations for Japan's militarization.
    Such issue as "kidnapping" can never be nor has there been in the DPRK whose intrinsic nature is to hold dearest independence of human being and human rights.
    At the repeated and earnest request of the Japanese side for investigation into "ordinary Japanese missing", we however, have made sincere efforts to find out their whereabouts in cooperation with competent organs concerned of the DPRK over the last years, proceeding from our humanitarian stand.
    This course has confirmed that there are no such "Japanese missing" in the territory of the DPRK mentioned by the Japanese side.
    On the contrary, we were requested by many Koreans to find out whereabouts of those who were abducted for military service and forced labour during the Japanese imperialists' military occupation of Korea.
    Japan has no right to take issue with the DPRK over the issue of "kidnapping," but the latter has many reasons to bring the former to task.
    In the nearly half century of their military occupation and rule over Korea, the Japanese imperialists took away over six million Koreans and forced nearly 200,000 Korean women into sexual slavery for the imperial army, most of whom were killed or crippled. It is a publicly recognized historical fact.
    Therefore, we, at the past DPRK-Japan talks and contacts, urged the Japanese side not to raise that issue of suspected "kidnapping" but to honestly admit Japan's past abduction and drafting of Koreans and probe the truth about those missing and make their whereabouts clear as soon as possible. We also demanded that the Japanese side make a promise and pledge not to repeat such unethical crimes.
    But Japan has turned down this reasonable and fair demand and shamelessly made much fuss about "kidnapping" to slander the DPRK like a thief crying "stop thief" lurking behind this racket is a sinister aim to create impression that Japan is a "victim of kidnapping" in a bid to shift the blame for the deadlocked DPRK-Japan talks on the other and evade the apology and compensation for its past crimes.
    The Korean people are expressing bitter indignation and resentment at Japan's base and shameless provocation.
    Moreover, Japan enacted and effectuated the "anti-terrorism special law," timed to coincide with the row about "kidnapping." it has become undisguised in its moves for overseas aggression, escalating the anti-DPRK smear campaign and speeding up militarization. The Korean people are following these moves with high vigilance.
    The Japanese side's fuss about "kidnapping" has done harm to the dignified DPRK and extremely provoked the Korean people, thus creating great difficulties in the investigation into "missing persons." it has made it impossible for us to go ahead with this work any longer.
    This situation compels the red cross society of the DPRK to declare that it totally suspends the investigation into the "missing persons" requested by Japan.
    Japan should ponder over the serious consequences to be entailed by its anti-DPRK smear campaign over the non-existent issue of "kidnapping." It should discontinue such base acts at once and take practical measures to honestly apologize and compensate for its unethical past crimes as rightly required by the peoples of Korea and other parts of the world.


South Korea urged to put north-south relations on normal track

    Pyongyang, December 17 (KCNA) -- We urge the south side to value time and make a bold decision to take a landmark measure to be accepted by all the countrymen before it is too late and thus put the north-south relations on a normal track at an early date. a spokesman for the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland said this in a statement issued today. The statement said:
    The public at home and abroad is showing ever-growing expectations for the restoration of the improved north-south relations. This reality requires the South Korean authorities directly responsible for the present crisis to make an immediate decision.
    The "minister of unification" of South Korea, instead of repenting of his wrong behavior, is pulling up even the north's military with a hue and cry over "conflict" and "isolation."
    His reckless remarks only worsen the north-south relations and add crime to his wrongs already committed.
    Such facts clearly indicate that the south side does not want to remove the brake it had put on the process of improving the north-south relations and those responsible for it are still free to let loose jargons intended to strain the north-south relations.
    The north remains unchanged in its will and stand to respect and firmly preserve the June 15 joint declaration and implement all the timetables agreed between the north and the south.
    The prospect of the north-south relations entirely depends on the stand of the south side.
    The north will keep its eyes on the stand of the south side.


Greetings to President of Niger

    Pyongyang, December 17 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, on Dec. 13 sent a message of greetings to Mamadou Tandja, President of Niger, on the occasion of the 43rd anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Niger. In the belief that the friendly ties between the two countries would grow stronger in the future, the message wished the president and the people of Niger greater success in their work for the prosperity of the country.



BACK

HOME