Anti-U.S., anti-war struggle called for

    Pyongyang, January 23 (KCNA) -- A seminar on the subject "the prospect of situation and counteraction of grassroots of camp in 2002" was reportedly held in Seoul on Jan. 14 under the sponsorship of the "National Solidarity of the People for Attaining National Independence, Democracy and People's Vital Rights" (Minjungryondae). Speeches were made by the chairman of the policy committee of Minjungryondae, the chairman of the policy committee of the "council for independence and reunification, the chief of the policy section of the "Korean confederation of trade unions", the chairman of the planning committee of the Democratic Workers' Party, the representative of the "workers' power" and others.
    They said that unilateralism and hegemonism of the U.S. that proclaimed this year as a "year of war" would render the international situation strained and create tensions on the Korean peninsula. But as there are the increasing sentiment against such moves of the U.S. to expand war and its hard-line policy toward the north, the anti-U.S. struggle will be waged in 2002 more broadly than in any year, they noted.
    They called for conducting a more dynamic anti-U.S., anti-war struggle and waging a joint powerful struggle to check the U.S. strategy for military supremacy and bar the South Korean society from turning into conservative and fascist one.

U.S. warned not to forget lesson from "Pueblo" incident

    Pyongyang, January 23 (KCNA) The U.S. imperialists' armed spy ship "Pueblo" is exhibited on the River Taedong, Pyongyang. It was captured by navy men of the Korean People's Army on Jan. 23, Juche 57 (1968) when it intruded illegally into the territorial waters of the DPRK. An endless stream of people are now visiting it.
    Foreigners looked round the ship and were deeply moved to see the heroic struggle of the Korean people who are smashing all the U.S. moves for aggression and war and glorifying the dignity and honour of the nation.
    Omar Lopez Perez, chairman of the Venezuelan National Society for the Study of the Juche Idea, said that "Pueblo" is a historical evidence that shows aggressive nature, brutality and craftiness of the U.S. imperialists.
    He went on:
    The U.S. imperialists were defeated in the Korean War ignited by themselves and surrendered to the heroic Korean people.
    They suffered a disgraceful defeat, the first of its kind in history, which started them on the downhill.
    They are now watching for a chance to invade the DPRK, far from drawing the lesson from the defeat in the Korean War.
    Their provocative moves are frustrated by the heroic Korean people.
    Guy Dupre, secretary general of the International Liaison Committee for Reunification and Peace in Korea, said that the U.S. should neither forget the lesson from "Pueblo" incident nor act rashly.
    Marwan Sudah, a member of the friendship delegation of political parties of Jordan, noted that in the "Pueblo" incident, the large spy plane ec-121 incident and the "Panmunjom" incident which caused the hair-raising danger of war on the Korean peninsula and drew the world's attention, the Korean people humbled the pride of the U.S.
    No one on earth can match the servicemen of the heroic Korean people's army who are ready to lay down their lives to defend their leader, ideology and political system, he stressed, and went on:
    In the vortex of history the Korean people could achieve a great victory and work miracles of success thanks to the peculiar army-based policy of supreme commander Kim Jong Il.

Ri Hoe Chang urged to apologize to nation

    Pyongyang, January 23 (KCNA) -- Minju Joson today runs a commentary denouncing Ri Hoe Chang, president of the "Grand National Party" of South Korea, for making imprudent remarks harmful to inter-Korean relations, as part of his diatribe against the north at a "New Year press conference" on January 17. The news analyst says: Ri, styling himself a would-be "president" of South Korea, talked about what he called "principles." His remarks were designed to throw a stumbling block in the way of the implementation of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration.
    What merits a serious attention is that he pulled up the north over the issues of "terrorism" and "weapons of mass destruction."
    The United States is escalating the campaign to stifle the DPRK, citing the DPRK as "a sponsor of terrorism" in the wake of the "September 11 incident."
    Ri is chiming in with the words of the u.s., going against the mindset of the people.
    It is not hard to guess that he is trying to curry favor with the U.S. master to become the next "president" of South Korea. It is an act of a miserable servant and a mucky political swindle to try to seize power with the help of outsiders, turning his back on the nation.
    The traitors who sacrifice the interests of the nation for the sake of outsiders are bound to meet a stern judgement by the nation. Ri should draw a lesson from the miserable end of the pro-American flunkeyist traitors and apologize to the nation for his anti-national, anti-reunification crimes. If he refuses to do so, the nation will never tolerate him.

Friendship gathering at Chinese embassy

    Pyongyang, January 23 (KCNA) -- Wu Donghe, Chinese ambassador to the DPRK, held a friendship gathering at the embassy yesterday on the occasion of the New Year. Invited there were Ji Jae Ryong and Pak Kyong Son, vice department directors of the central committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, and officials concerned.
    Staff members of the Chinese embassy were present.
    Speeches were made at the gathering.
    Participants underscored the need to boost friendly relations between the two countries.

Anti-U.S. education intensified in DPRK

    Pyongyang, January 23 (KCNA) -- Many people are visiting the U.S. imperialists' armed spy ship "Pueblo" anchored close to the bank of the River Taedong flowing through Pyongyang. "Pueblo" was captured by navymen of the people's army on patrol duty while committing espionage after intruding into the territorial waters of the DPRK on Jan. 23, Juche 57 (1968).
    There were on board the 1,000-odd-ton class ship more than 80 GIs, various types of weapons and sophisticated spying equipment.
    The DPRK's seizure of "Pueblo" was a legitimate exercise of its sovereignty.
    But the U.S. imperialists amassed their aggressor forces in waters off the DPRK coast and threatened the DPRK with "military retaliation", clamoring that the spy ship was seized in the "open sea" and it was not engaged in any espionage.
    The DPRK declared that it would react to the U.S. imperialists' "retaliation" with retaliation and counter an all-out war with an all-out war.
    The U.S. government was compelled to admit "Pueblo's" espionage and sign a document giving assurances that it would not repeat such an act in the future.
    Hearing an explanation about the crime and seeing evidence, visitors expressed bitter resentment at the U.S. imperialists' shameless nature and moves to provoke a war.
    There are so many places in the DPRK which bear witness to the crimes committed by the U.S. imperialists including the victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum and the Sinchon Museum.
    Visits to these places deeply convince everyone that the U.S. imperialists are the sworn enemy of the Koreans and the harasser of peace.

Shock brigades of scientists and technicians

    Pyongyang, January 23 (KCNA) -- The shock brigades of scientists and technicians have proved themselves successful in the DPRK. They have been active at the main units of different sectors of the national economy from over 20 years ago.
    The members of the shock brigades take it as the main duty to solve on the spot the urgent scientific and technological problems.
    They contrived and introduced tens of thousands of technical innovation proposals and new techniques, which are greatly profitable, throughout the country last year when they were pressed hard for everything.
    In the coal industrial domain they introduced highly efficient machines and equipment and new excavating techniques into production to produce coal hundreds of thousands of more tons of coal a year.
    In the sector of railway transport, they developed modern sensing devices and control programs to lay solid foundations for computerization of the domain.
    Those active at metal, electric and light industrial factories and enterprises stepped up the computerization of production processes and management in conformity with the requirements of the era of information industry. Therefore, they netted the state great profits.
    More than 700 units in Pyongyang introduced at least 7,000 technical innovation proposals to save much materials and manpower including 7 million kwh of electricity, over 800 tons of steel, more than 40,000 tons of coal and at least 1,000 tons of crude oil.

Pyongyang's appearance to change

    Pyongyang, January 23 (KCNA) -- A project to give face-lifting to Pyongyang, the capital city of the DPRK, is now underway. Monumental edifices, public buildings and dwelling houses in the city will be repaired overall. The exterior of dwelling houses will be coated with different colors to suit their architectural and formative artistic features and their interior refurbished for the convenience of people's living.
    Old and backward buildings will be pulled down and modern dwelling houses and public buildings built.
    The Grand People's Study House, the People's Palace of Culture, buildings of national institutions and other public buildings will be renovated and bedecked with architectural and lighting decorations.
    All streets and roads will be given face-lifting.
    Tramcar railways will be moved from the centre of roads to both sides for convenience and security of vehicles.
    Pyongyang will be in parks covered with green foliage and all kinds of flowers in full bloom.
    All streets, villages, parks and recreation grounds will be more afforested and amusement facilities and historical relics and remains adjusted and preserved as they were.
    The country is hard pressed for everything, but those units concerned are making full preparations for repair and construction of buildings.

Rodong Sinmun on driving force for national reunification

    Pyongyang, January 23 (KCNA) -- The slogan "Reunify the country by united efforts of our nation" contained in the joint editorial for this year ardently appeals to all the Koreans to turn out in a struggle for national reunification, says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article. The news analyst says:
    The key to national reunification is in the hands of the Korean nation because it is the driving force for national reunification.
    This key should not be left to others.
    The U.S. imperialists are working hard to bar the Koreans from paving the way for independent and peaceful reunification by the concerted efforts of the Korean nation under the banner of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration and isolate and stifle the DPRK.
    The U.S. is going to unleash another war against the Korean nation and its invariable wild ambition to invade the DPRK is getting ever more undisguised.
    It is urgently required by the situation that the Korean nation as the driving force for national reunification should hold fast to the key to national reunification.
    The Koreans are fully capable of achieving national reunification on their own efforts.
    The key to national reunification means warm patriotism based on profound understanding of the country and boundless love for the nation and the mental strength of the Koreans fully aware of their position as the driving force for national reunification.
    Reflected in the joint declaration that instilled strong enthusiasm for reunification into the whole nation are tremendous attraction and the fair and aboveboard nature of the patriotic all-embracing policy of leader Kim Jong Il.
    The joint declaration serves as a milestone showing a shortcut to national reunification to the Korean nation.
    This short-cut lies in achieving reunification independently by the united efforts of the Korean nation in the spirit of the declaration.

Rodong Sinmun calls for developing science and technology

    Pyongyang, January 23 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today editorially calls for bringing about a new surge in building a powerful nation with main emphasis laid on science and technology. A powerful nation now being built under the leadership of Kim Jong Il means a scientifically and technologically strong nation.
    The efforts to build the scientifically and technologically strong nation reflect noble patriotism of the leader who is responsible for the present and future of Kim Il Sung's Korea and his clairvoyance with which he gives precedence to the development of science and technology.
    The ideological and military positions of the DPRK are strong. When the people put the nation's economy on the basis of uptodate science and technology, they are sure to build a powerful socialist nation of the 21st century in the near future.
    Thanks to his guidance the DPRK's Juche-based science wrought a world-startling miracle such as the successful launch of satellite Kwangmyongsong 1 despite a rigorous trial and is now gaining signal successes in the efforts to attain a higher goal in the 21st century.
    Our scientists are valuable patriots who devotedly worked for the development of the nation's science and technology with the firm faith that they were happy to engage themselves in researches for the country, though they had to eat gruel mixed with vegetables during the "arduous march" and the forced march. The DPRK is proud to have many talented, honest and simple intellectuals with pure and clean conscience and noble outlook on life that they should devote their wisdom and energy to materializing his plan for the building of a scientifically and technologically powerful nation. This is a solid foundation for the building of such nation.
    The science and technology of the DPRK will be put on the world level in a short span of time and will pay off as the driving force for the building of a powerful nation thanks to his Juche-based idea of attaching importance to science and technology, a large contingent of able scientists and the best socialist system in the world.

U.S. hit for escalating tensions on Korean peninsula

    Pyongyang, January 23 (KCNA) -- The United States has escalated the military tensions on the Korean peninsula, more desperately pursuing the hostile policy toward the DPRK in the new century, said Rodong Sinmun Tuesday in a signed article. The U.S. policy of aggression against the DPRK is to swallow it up by force of arms and, to this end, the U.S. is escalating the tensions and confrontation, the article said, and went on:
    The U.S. thinks it can use "military threat" from the DPRK as the best pretext to put military pressure on it and, furthermore, ignite a war on the Korean peninsula.
    The Bush administration is pursuing a military hard line toward the DPRK after totally derailing the positive process of improving the DPRK-U.S. relations in the days of the preceding administration. Since the U.S. designated the DPRK as the "arch enemy" it has escalated the military pressure, threat and blackmail against the DPRK while threatening to take a military option, against the DPRK if it refuses to yield to the U.S. strong-arm demand.
    In the meantime, the U.S. is rounding off its preparations for a war while beefing up its aggressor forces in South Korea and its surroundings.
    The U.S. armed forces present in South Korea are the main factor of aggravating the situation on the Korean peninsula and a source of war. The U.S. is working hard to unleash a new Korean war by deploying its forces in South Korea on the forefront and swiftly hurling its forces in the Japanese proper, Okinawa, Guam island, Hawaii and its mainland, etc. into it.
    The U.S. is well advised to recognize that its policy for stifling the DPRK by force of arms is totally wrong and drop this in keeping with the trend of the times toward independence in the new century.

U.S. use of germ weapons in Korea condemned

    Pyongyang, January 23 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Korean Democratic Lawyers Association yesterday issued a statement 50 years after the United States' use of germ weapons in Korea. Pointing to the biological and chemical warfare conducted by the U.S. in Korea, he said:
    The U.S. began to use germ weapons in Korea by dropping bombs containing smallpox bacteria while fleeing from the temporarily occupied areas in the winter of 1950, the early period of the Korean War.
    The U.S. imperialists massively scattered such insects as fly, spider and bedbug carrying pest, cholera, and typhoid bacteria and other germs all over areas of the north from Jan. 28, 1952.
    They killed many Koreans by indiscriminately dropping germ weapons on over 800 occasions in less two months since then.
    They massively used toxic chemical weapons on the front and in the rear of Korea besides germ weapons. Poison-gas bombs were dropped over Nampho city and other areas on May 6, 1951.
    These atrocities were objectively proved on the spot by the fact-finding group of the then international democratic lawyers association, the international scientific and other international investigation groups and confirmed by the testimonies made by POWs of the U.S. forces who participated in this warfare.
    This notwithstanding, the U.S. has not yet admitted the crimes committed by it. It tries to bring again untold misfortune to the peoples in Korea and the rest of the world after massively stockpiling all types of biological and chemical weapons enough to exterminate humankind tens of times.
    This is clearly evidenced by the recent "bacillus anthracis incident" that occurred in the U.S.
    The U.S. is well advised to officially admit its biological and chemical warfare committed in Korea and make an apology to the Korean people and immediately eliminate all nuclear and biological and chemical weapons and other weapons of mass destruction stockpiled in its country and South Korea.

Greetings to Indonesian President

Pyongyang, January 23 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, yesterday sent a message of greetings to Megawati Soekarnoputri, President of Indonesia, on the occasion of her 55th birthday. The message wished the president good health and happiness and greater success in her responsible work for the stability and prosperity of the country.

Chief of general staff of KPA meets new Chinese ambassador

Pyongyang, January 23 (KCNA) -- Vice marshal Kim Yong Chun, chief of the general staff of the Korean People's Army, today met and had a talk with Wu Donghe, new Chinese ambassador to the DPRK, who paid a courtesy call on him. Present there were generals and officers of the KPA and the military attache of the Chinese embassy here.