Kim Jong Il gives field guidance to various domains in Jagang Province
Pyongyang, December 24 (KCNA) - General Secretary Kim Jong Il gave field guidance to the work in various domains in Jagang province.
During his field guidance he went round the august steel works, the Hungju Youth Power Station, the Kanggye Wine Factory, the Kanggye Knitting Factory, the Kanggye Chicken Farm, the Kanggye Koryo Medicine Factory and other units.
Giving on-the-spot guidance to the august steel works, he encouraged the workers in the dynamic drive for increased production to send more iron and steel to different domains of the national economy and advanced tasks to be fulfilled by the works.
At the Hungju Youth Power Station he was very pleased to see the people who greatly benefit from the station, saying it is very good to satisfactorily settle the problem of lighting for Kanggye city with the electricity produced by the station and supply the power to different factories and enterprises.
At the Kanggye Wine Factory he went round the production processes and the newly built bean milk shop, met technicians and had an amicable talk with them while acquainting himself in detail with the technological modernization of the factory and its production.
After getting familiar details of the overall economic performance in the province, he put forward the highly important tasks that would serve as a guideline in raising the economic work in the province to a higher stage and remarkably improving the standard of people's living.
He expressed satisfaction with the great change brought about by the people of the province in all domains and said that they should perform once again the role of the vanguard, standard-bearer in the honorable drive to build a powerful nation.
He set forth the tasks to be tackled by the power industry and the light industry and those of building up factories and workplaces, cities and villages in a hygienic and cultured way and improving the standard of people's living.
Saying that the cultured practices in production and in the industrial management in the Kanggye Wine Factory and the newly built factories and catering centres and modern houses have reached a high level which can be safely described as a model in the 21st century, he noted that this reflects the spiritual features peculiar to the most revolutionary, advanced and cultured Korean working class.
Thanks to the devoted efforts of the workers and other people in the province who have waged a dynamic drive, full of conviction of the future and optimism, holding high the slogan of faith "Let's always be cheerful although our path is thorny" a great change has taken place in the province in the literal sense of the word, he said, stressing that the whole country should earnestly learn from this fighting spirit and trait of the people in the province.
He expressed expectation and conviction that the officials, party members and other working people in the province would give fuller play to the Kanggye spirit and demonstrate once again the heroic stamina and the spirit of certain victory in the general onward march to build a powerful nation.
Hong Song Nam greets Syrian prime minister
Pyongyang, December 24 (KCNA) -- Hong Song Nam, premier of the DPRK cabinet, sent a message of greetings to Muhammad Mustafa Mero on his reappointment as prime minister of the Syrian Arab Republic.
Expressing belief that the good relations of friendship and cooperation between the two countries would grow stronger, the message sincerely wished him greater success in his responsible work.
Greetings to Syrian foreign minister
Pyongyang, December 24 (KCNA) -- DPRK foreign minister Paek Nam Sun sent a message of greetings to Farouq al Shara, vice-prime minister and foreign minister of the Syrian Arab Republic.
The message warmly congratulated him on his appointment as vice-prime minister and foreign minister of Syria.
It sincerely wished him greater success in his responsible work.
Congratulatory message to Kim Jong Il from NDFSK central committee
Pyongyang, December 24 (KCNA) -- The central committee of the National Democratic Front of South Korea (NDFSK) today sent a congratulatory message to leader Kim Jong Il on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of his election as supreme commander of the Korean People's Army.
His election as supreme commander of the KPA was a great national jubilee of the Korean people and a historic event of epochal significance in accomplishing the cause of Juche, the message said, and continued:
Greeting the 10th anniversary of your election and the 84th birth anniversary of anti-Japanese heroine Kim Jong Suk, we are looking back on her life with deep emotion.
Kim Jong Suk provided a sure guarnatee for the brilliant future of the cause of Juche and gave Kim Il Sung's nation good luck to be blessed with illustrious leaders and generals forever. This is a great noteworthy feat which will shine forever.
You, with the rock-firm will to accomplish with arms the cause of Juche pioneered by President Kim Il Sung with arms, have successfully applied the army-centred revolutionary idea and strengthened the KPA into a steel-like combat rank of each being a match for a hundred.
The vanguard fighters of the NDFSK and patriotic people from all walks of life are full of the boundless national pride of having you at the head of defending the nation.
Korea's reunification is sure to come because you provided the historic June 15 joint declaration with your army-centred revolutionary leadership to open an epochal phase of reunification and are wisely leading all the fellow countrymen.
New souvenir stamps released
Pyongyang, December 24 (KCNA) -- The Korean Stamp Corporation released two kinds of souvenir stamps (sheets) on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the election of leader Kim Jong Il as supreme commander of the Korean People's Army and the 84th birth anniversary of Kim Jong Suk, an indomitable anti-Japanese heroine.
The sheet marking the 10th anniversary of his election has a picture of him inspecting a flying unit of the KPA in the centre of the red flag in which the star of marshal of the DPRK is inscribed.
Given in the sheet marking the 84th birth anniversary of Kim Jong Suk is a picture of her protecting the personal safety of President Kim Il Sung in June Juche 29 (1940).
The corporation also released two kinds of souvenir envelopes.
"Grand National Party's" anti-reunification moves denounced
Pyongyang, December 24 (KCNA) -- The solidarity preparatory committee of youth and students for the implementation of the June 15 joint declaration reportedly issued a statement on Dec. 18 bitterly denouncing Ri Hoe Chang and other anti-reunification forces for going against the desire for reconciliation and cooperation on the Korean peninsula.
Referring to the rapid aggravation of the south-north relations which had been in the process of improvement since the publication of the historic June 15 joint declaration, the statement said all this is due to the U.S. standing in the way of the independent reunification of the country and obstructions of Ri Hoe Chang and the "Grand National Party" subservient to it.
Ri, the boss of the anti-reunification forces, is dead-set against the joint declaration, because he is keen to realize his political ambition by tickling the fancy of the U.S., the statement noted, and went on:
The youth and students in Pusan area and South Kyongsang Province will never tolerate any acts of Ri Hoe Chang and the "Grand National Party."
The statement urged the "party" to immediately disband itself and Ri to quit the political arena at once.
Film shows held
Pyongyang, December 24 (KCNA) -- Films are on at cinemas, houses of culture and other places throughout the country on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of leader Kim Jong Il's election as supreme commander of the Korean People's Army and the 84th birth anniversary of the indomitable anti-Japanese heroine Kim Jong Suk.
Among them are the documentary film "With the Great Brilliant Commander" (serial parts) and the feature film "Far Away From Headquarters" which deal with Kim Jong Il's immortal army-based leadership feats and Kim Jong Suk's brilliant revolutionary life.
Also shown are feature films "Road of Service" and "Soldier's Oath" reflecting the advantages of the Korean-style socialist system growing stronger thanks to the army-centred policy.
10th anniversary of Kim Jong Il's election as supreme commander of KPA
Pyongyang, December 24 (KCNA) -- Papers here today editorially observe the 10th anniversary of leader Kim Jong Il's election as supreme commander of the Korean People's Army on December 24, Juche 80 (1991).
Rodong Sinmun dedicates its whole front page to an editorial captioned "our army and people will fly the red flag of revolution forever under the great supreme commander."
Kim Jong Il's election as supreme commander of the KPA marked a proud event which gave steady continuity to the history and tradition of the victorious Korean revolution shining thanks to the army, the editorial says, and goes on:
He has adorned the past decade full of ordeals with an immortal heroic epic, shouldering upon himself all the burdens of the Korean revolution and the socialist cause.
It was under his leadership that the destiny of the homeland and the people was saved from the crossroads of life or death, the socialist cause firmly safeguarded, the stern ordeal during the "arduous march" victoriously overcome and a new era of Juche-oriented revolution opened up.
The path covered by him to steer the Korean revolution as the supreme commander represented an immortal history in which an unprecedented unique army-based political mode was created and the new era of army-centered revolution dawned.
The Korean people are loudly beating the drum of the drive to build a prosperous and powerful nation in a daring spirit and with optimism about future braving difficulties even under the present acute and complicated situation. This is a stirring reality brought about by the great army-based policy.
The editorial calls for glorifying forever the era of army-based policy led by Kim Jong Il, great iron-willed commander, holding him in high esteem as supreme commander of the revolution.
The whole party and army and all the people should devotedly defend him and unite closer around him, the editorial notes, and goes on:
It is of particular importance to make the spirit of becoming human bombs and the self-sacrificing spirit, the spirit of devotedly fighting for the sake of Kim Jong Il, firmly trusting him as the sun and benefactor of their life in any storm and stress, prevail throughout the revolutionary ranks.
It is necessary to train the people's army into a guard unit of the supreme commander and an invincible army of general Kim Jong Il-type and consolidate the whole country as an impregnable bulwark capable of repelling any surprise attack of imperialists.
All the officers and men of the KPA and the people will as always win victory after victory flying high the flag of the supreme commander even if they may face such a trial as the "arduous march" and dynamically advance towards a bright future of the new century.
Joint press release on Christmas issued
Pyongyang, December 24 (KCNA) -- A joint press release on Christmas was published here.
The Christians in the north and the south of Korea pray for the achievement of lasting peace and independent reunification of the Korean peninsula through the implementation of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration published in Pyongyang last year, the press release said.
Noting that foreign forces should not threaten the peace on the Korean peninsula for any reason, it said that the Christians in the north and the south would resolutely oppose their military moves against the Korean peninsula together with the peace-loving Christians of the world.
The Christians in the north and the south visit each other and jointly worship, clarifying their joint views that foreign forces, talking about "freedom" of religion, should never jump to an unilateral conclusion of the efforts made by the Christians in the north and the south, the release said.
The press release was signed by Kang Yong Sop, chairman of the central committee of the Korean Christian Federation, and Kim Tong Wan, director general of the council of Christian churches of South Korea, on Dec. 11.
Congratulatory letter to Kim Jong Il
Pyongyang, December 24 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il received a congratulatory letter from the economic and commercial councillors' corps here on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of his election as supreme commander of the Korean People's Army.
It was handed to an official concerned today by commercial councillor of the Russian embassy Sergei Lyoushkin, doyen of the corps.