Kim Jong Il inspects KPA unit no. 529
Pyongyang, December 22 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il inspected KPA unit no. 529 Friday.
He was greeted by commanding officers of the unit on the spot.
He heard a report on the situation from the commander at the operation command room and acquainted himself in detail with the performance of the unit's duty.
Greatly satisfied with the many successes made by the officers and men of the unit in their energetic endeavours to implement the WPK's military line of self-defence to the letter, he put forward highly important tasks to be fulfilled to increase the combat capability of the unit in every way.
At the servicemen's hall he saw the records of the unit and said that the unit is a proud unit which has achieved shining feats in the sacred struggle to defend the socialist gains made by the Korean people at the cost of blood in the past. The noble spirit displayed by the servicemen of the unit with total dedication to the struggle for the party and the leader and the homeland and the people will shine forever, he added.
Getting familiar with the revolutionary and class education brisk at the unit, he highly praised the unit for conducting the class education in diverse forms and ways and in a unique manner to suit the characteristic features of young servicemen. He called for paying primary attention to the ideological education so as to fully prepare all of them as ideologically strong combatants. After seeing the records of the distinguished services rendered by exemplary soldiers in the performance of their guard duties, he praised the officers and men of the unit for having admirably discharged their duties.
Kim Jong Il took warm care of the living of the soldiers of the unit with paternal love, looking round an education room, bedroom, mess, kitchen, washroom, daily provision store and other cultural entertainment and supply facilities.
He underscored the need for all commanding officers to clearly know the importance of supply service and always pay a deep attention to it in order to provide the best living conditions to the soldiers always standing guard over the defense line of the country despite rain or snow for the security of the country and people.
He gave the unit an automatic rife as a gift and had a picture taken with them.
He was accompanied by chief of KPA general staff Kim Yong Chun and minister of the People's Armed Forces Kim Il Chol.
National photo exhibition opens
Pyongyang, December 22 (KCNA) -- A national photo exhibition was opened at the People's Palace of Culture yesterday to celebrate the 10th anniversary of leader Kim Jong Il's election as supreme commander of the Korean People's Army.
Displayed there are more than 150 photos showing the revolutionary activities of Kim Jong Il, who has victoriously led the cause of Juche-oriented army building and the socialist cause with his army-centered policy, the immortal exploits he has performed in this course and the efforts of the army and the people of the DPRK to implement it.
Photos have such titles as "our supreme commander," "ideologically strong army, army strong in faith" and "the KPA has grown to be an invincible army."
Present at the opening ceremony were Jong Ha Chol, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Kang Nung Su, minister of culture, and others.
DPRK women footballers feted
Pyongyang, December 22 (KCNA) -- The DPRK cabinet gave a reception yesterday for the women footballers who placed first in the 13th Asian Women's Football Championships vice-premier Jo Chang Dok said in a speech that they proved successful in the championships because leader Kim Jong Il paid deep attention to the country's development of sports technique and bestowed particular love and trust upon them.
He called on the Korean women's footballers to sweat more in their future trainings as sportspersons in the era of army-based policy who have grown up under the care of the leader and thus display with pride and dignity the might of Juche Korea in each international match.
Chief coach Ri Song Gun and footballer Jo Song Ok spoke in reply.
Noting that their proud success was attributable to Kim Jong Il's meticulous guidance and warm care, they said they keenly realized once again this time that they could attain anything and defeat any rival only if they fight with absolute reverence and trust in their leader.
They renewed their resolution to glorify the honor of the country in international sports games.
Drop of policy to commercialize education demanded in S. Korea
Pyongyang, December 22 (KCNA) -- The South Korean Federation of University Student Councils reportedly released a statement on Dec. 17 protesting the South Korean education authorities' policy to commercialize education.
The statement said:
The proposed revision requires university presidents and college rectors to fix tuition and entrance fees which have so far been done by education authorities. This is little short of covering up with other veil the "national university special accounts law" which the "government" authorities were forced to shelve by the public opinion and the people's opposition.
This is a green light to the privatization of national universities and an attempt to obliterate the public education. And it will deprive the people of educational right.
Opposing the increase of the registration fee without any guarantee for educational fund, the statement demanded an immediate cancellation of the "plan for the development of national universities," part of the policy to commercialize the education.
New sports facilities under construction
Pyongyang, December 22 (KCNA) -- The construction of new sports and catering facilities is now underway in Chongchun Street in the area of Mangyongdae, Pyongyang.
Among them are an archery ground, a lodging house for marathoners, a sports apparatus institute and a meat and soft drink processing factory.
Chongchun street is also called sports village as it has already gymnasiums for over ten sports events.
The archery ground will appear in the area 400 meters away from the space between the basketball gymnasium and the weightlifting gymnasium.
The ground (138105m) will stand towards east and west.
Over 20 target boards will be set up there. It will have spectators' stands on its both sides. Behind it will appear an indoor archery training hall, physical training hall, restroom for players and sauna, etc.
The lodging house for marathoners has a total floor space of 1,200 square meters. It will have all amenities for sportspersons.
The sports apparatus institute will contrive and develop a variety of sports equipment for contest and training.
A sick ward and a meat and soft drink processing factory now under construction at the sports medical institute will render services and produce things needed for promoting the health and physical ability of players.
Various projects are close to completion.
Letter of request to Japanese Foreign Ministry
Pyongyang, December 22 (KCNA) -- Representatives of the Nagano Prefectural People's Society for Supporting the Independent and Peaceful Reunification of Korea including its chairman Isamu Shimizu submitted a letter of request to the Foreign Ministry on December 11 demanding Japan compensate for its past and open diplomatic relations between Japan and the DPRK at an early date.
The letter said:
If Japan is to go as a peace-loving state like other Asian nations in the 21st century the Japanese government should open diplomatic relations with the DPRK as early as possible and strive to turn Japan-DPRK relations into "good neighbourly ties" from the "near yet distant relations."
The government should raise the issue of making honest apology and compensation for its past crimes as its top priority task at the talks for establishing diplomatic relations between Japan and the DPRK and realize it as early as possible.
They enclosed in the letter the signature paper signed by over 32,300 people in the prefecture urging the Japanese government to open the Japan-DPRK diplomatic relations and support the reunification of Korea.
Construction of "Kimilsungia-Kimjongilia Green House" on expansion basis completed
Pyongyang, December 22 (KCNA) -- The construction of the "Kimilsungia-Kimjongilia Green House" of the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces on an expansion basis has been completed on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of leader Kim Jong Il's election as supreme commander of the Korean People's Army.
The green house with a total floor space of more than 1,800 square metres has two flower exhibition halls, cultivation rooms covering an area of 800 square metres, tissue culture room and other places.
More than 3,000 Kimilsungias and over 2,000 Kimjongilias are in full bloom at the green house which will cultivate more than tens of thousands of plants of Kimilsungia and Kimjongilia a year for units of the people's army and disseminate the method of cultivation among all the units of the people's army.