Guest performance by Ensemble of Far Eastern Military District of Russia
Pyongyang, May 30 (KCNA) -- The Ensemble of the Red Flag far Eastern Military District Under the Russian Federal Armed Forces gave a guest performance at the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre yesterday.
The performance was enjoyed by generals, officers and servicemen of the Korean People's Army, working people in the city, and the Russian ambassador to the DPRK and staff members of the embassy and diplomatic envoys and officials of foreign embassies here.
The performance raised the curtain with the immortal revolutionary paeans "Song of General Kim Il Sung" and "Song of General Kim Jong Il." through male chorus "Way to Berlin," dance "Dance of Victors," song and dance "We won victory at last" and other numbers the performers impressively depicted the pride of the Russian army and people who won victory in the fight against the aggressors with ardent love for their motherland.
Particularly, dancers put on the stage the numbers which depict the feelings of the army and people of Russia with cheerful and elegant rhythms.
The performers presented a dance symbolic of the DPRK-Russia friendship, to the tune of the song "Out friendship will be ever-lasting," which was enthusiastically acclaimed by the audience.
Ugandan Committee for Remembering President Kim Il Sung formed
Pyongyang, May 30 (KCNA) -- The Ugandan Committee for Remembering President Kim Il Sung was inaugurated in Kampala on May 23.
At the inaugural ceremony the minister of state for water, land and environment of Uganda was elected chairman of the committee.
The ceremony set a month of remembering Kim Il Sung from June 8 to July 8 and decided to conduct colorful functions including a memorial meeting, seminar, lecture meeting, photo exhibition and film show in the period.
Abolition of SL urged in S. Korea
Pyongyang, May 30 (KCNA) -- Organizations of South Korea demanded abolition of the "security law" and the withdrawal of the label of "enemy-benefiting organizations" from the National Alliance for the Country's Reunification (Pomminryon), the South Korean Federation of University Student Councils (Hanchongryon) and other non-governmental reunification movement organizations.
The people's solidarity for the abolition of the "security law" in a statement on May 25 made a protest against the "ministry of unification" authorities' blocking of a working-level contact for the promotion of the June 15 grand festival for national reunification for the mere reason that invitation cards were conveyed through Pomminryon.
The solidarity will wage a struggle until the SL is abolished and Pomminryon and Hanchongryon are rid of the label of "enemy-benefiting organizations," the statement stressed.
The "might of workers", a labour movement organization, in a statement on May 24 denounced the present "government's" arrest of deputies to the 7th-term Hanchongryon as an anachronistic and anti-democratic action.
The statement demanded the authorities withdraw the label of "enemy-benefiting organization" from Hanchongryon and abrogate the SL which blocks the freedom of ideology, conscience and association.
Neo-liberal education policy protested in S. Korea
Pyongyang, May 30 (KCNA) -- A meeting of South Korean teachers was reportedly held in Seoul on May 26 to eliminate inequality in education and normalize public education.
Present there were organizations of the (South) Korean Confederation of Trade Unions including the "National Teachers Union" (Jongyojo), the "National Federation of Civil Servants Associations" and the "National Federation of Public Service Trade Unions" and over 30,000 workers.
At the meeting the chairman of Jongyojo, underscoring the need to oppose the authorities' neo-liberal education policy, called for a more vigorous struggle in solidarity with parents of students, professors, students, teachers and employees of universities for a stop to the education policy based on the principle of marketing and the elimination of inequality in education.
The chairman of the emergency measure committee of the KCTU encouraged members of Jongyojo in their struggle for true education and social progress. The KCTU will as ever dynamically struggle against the authorities' ceaseless suppressions, he added.
Ri Hoe Chang and GNP denounced
Pyongyang, May 30 (KCNA) -- Different circles of South Korea are becoming increasingly critical of the call of Ri Hoe Chang, a "presidential candidate," for the abolition of the second point of the June 15 joint declaration, and the "Grand National Party's" act of blindly following him, according to news reports.
The "National Alliance for Democracy and Reunification" in a commentary on May 23 said that Ri Hoe Chang's call for the abolition of the June 15 joint declaration is obviously a treachery as it revealed his typical anti-reunification view.
In the second point of the joint declaration the north and the south, recognizing the commonness of their reunification proposals, agreed to work for reunification in this direction. It, therefore, indicates the most fair and aboveboard way of ensuring peace on the Korean Peninsula and achieving co-existence and co-prosperity and reunification of the nation.
The reunification solidarity for the implementation of the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration and peace on the Korean Peninsula in a protest letter on May 24 said that Ri Hoe Chang should quit the political arena at once, aware that his remarks were absolutely unpardonable. It urged the GNP to withdraw the nomination of Ri Hoe Chang as a "presidential candidate" because he has betrayed his anti-national, anti-reunification nature.
The Taegu and North Kyongsang provincial reunification solidarity in a statement on May 24 said Ri Hoe Chang's call for the abolition of the second point of the joint declaration laid bare his intention to scrap the core point of the joint declaration and to obstruct the implementation of the declaration.
It declared that the organization is opposed to Ri Hoe Chang running for presidency on the ticket of the GNP, because he is defiling the joint declaration.
Meanwhile, the peasants council of Wanju county, the General Student Council of Konkuk University, Seoul Women's University and the committee for implementing the June 15 joint declaration released a similar joint statement on May 26.
KCNA slams U.S. foolish attempt
Pyongyang, May 30 (KCNA) -- U.S. secretary of defense Rumsfeld at a recent committee meeting of the U.S. Senate talked rubbish that "North Korea is supplying mass destruction weapons to terrorists."
This is a groundless provocative remark which reveals the U.S. foolish attempt to keep accusing the DPRK of being part of the "axis of evil" at any cost.
It is the principled stand of the DPRK to oppose all forms of terrorism and any support to it and, accordingly, the DPRK's supply of weapons of mass destruction to terrorists claimed by the U.S. can never happen.
What merits attention is that Rumsfeld's remark came at a time when the U.S. department of state issued its "annual report on terrorism" that labeled the DPRK as a "sponsor of terrorism" by bringing a new "charge" against it.
This shows that there is no change in the u.s. hostile policy toward the DPRK and the U.S. is working hard to step up it as it is nothing but a ruse to build up public opinion favorable for branding the DPRK as a "missile exporter" and a "sponsor of
terrorism" on all accounts.
The United States has incited antagonism against the DPRK while designating it as a "missile exporter arousing concern."
But this time it went the length of floating the lie that the DPRK is offering mass destruction weapons to terrorists after dreaming up the fiction that it is getting in touch with them. This goes to clearly prove that the U.S. is persistently seeking confrontation with the DPRK, while talking about "dialogue" with it.
If dialogue is to be held, there should be no confrontation. The ceaseless confrontation will further strain the situation on the Korean Peninsula.
An atmosphere of national reconciliation and cooperation is prevailing on the Korean Peninsula according to the April 5 joint press release.
The U.S. behavior to put a brake on such positive developments can never be justified and it will only meet bitter criticism from the world progressives.
The United States is well advised to face up to the reality of the Korean Peninsula aspiring after dialogue and drop its anachronistic hostile policy toward the DPRK.
Pujon plateau
Pyongyang, May 30 (KCNA) -- Pujon plateau, one of the eight scenic spots of Korea, is situated in South Hamgyong Province, the northeastern part of Korea.
Its area is 1,770 square kilometers and it stands 1,490 meters high above the sea-level on an average.
The plateau is surrounded by mountains of less than 2,000 meters high above the sea level. Seen in the centre of the plateau is Lake Pujon which is called a sea among mountains.
The plateau commands a fine natural view of a peculiar landscape, the beauty of valleys, dense forests, scenery on the lake and sunrise on the East Sea of Korea at a distance.
It is rich in larch, abies nephrolepis, spruce and other forest resources.
There are a bed of paekam iris setosa pall (more than 20 hectares) designated as a precious natural product, many precious flowers that can be seen only in highlands, swamp plants, Pujon birch trees, a special plant of Korea, and medicinal herbs.
Inhabitants of the plateau include tigers, bears, roe deers, musk deers and otters.
An average temperature is 17 degrees centigrade in July and August. So it is a summer resort.
Ryongrim brown bears
Pyongyang, May 30 (KCNA) -- Ryongrim brown bears are designated in Korea as a precious natural product of Korea.
The bears are under the international protection as a rare animal on a world-wide scale.
Their bodies are usually 150 or 180 cm long, 200 cm at the maximum.
They weigh 150 or 250 kg, 500kg at the maximum.
Fur color is dark brown and black and the color changes according to season.
They copulate in June and July and the period of being with young is 180 or 250 days.
They have a litter of one or three cubs and live 40 or 50 years.
Their gall, fur and leather, meat and oil are used as drugs.
They inhabit Ryongrim county, Jagang Province, the northern inland of the country.
The area is thick with spruce, abies nephrolepis, aspen trees and other bushes and many shrubs, medicinal herbs and grass are growing.
The area is surrounded by mountains more than 1,800 metres high inhabited by musk deers, wild boars, foxes, weasels, badgers, and other animals.
Compiling and publication of large Korean encyclopedia reviewed
Pyongyang, May 30 (KCNA) -- A meeting was held at the People's Palace of Culture on Wednesday to review the compiling and publication of "large Korean encyclopedia" (30 volumes).
Present at the meeting were secretary Jong Ha Chol of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, vice-premier of the cabinet Jo Chang Dok who is the chairman of the compiling committee of the encyclopedia, journalists, editors and employees of the science and encyclopedia press and officials concerned.
Jong Ha Chol read out a letter of thanks the WPK Central Committee sent to the journalists and editors of the science and encyclopedia press and scientists and technicians of various sectors who participated in compiling and publishing the encyclopedia.
The C.C., the WPK highly appreciated them for devoting all their efforts to compiling and publishing the encyclopedia of weighty significance in the ideological and cultural life of the people and the economic, scientific and technological development of the country for over ten years.
Jo Chang Dok in a report noted it is a national auspicious event of enriching the treasurehouse of Juche Korea that under the energetic guidance of Kim Jong Il they completed the encyclopedia, a politico-ideological, scientific and cultural library which generalizes and compiles all the achievements and experience of humankind on a scientific and theoretic basis.
He went on:
The encyclopedia contains materials including over 100,000 entries and at least 25,000 pieces of visual aids and photographs. It serves as a model book representing the scientific and cultural development of the country and stimulates the popular masses to the revolution and construction because the make-up of entries is diverse, its scale is vast and its contents and materials are rich and scientific. It is entirely thanks to the wise leadership of President Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il that the encyclopedia has been completed as the most authoritative encyclopedia in the world so as to fulfill its mission and duty with credit.
Pyongyang fine art festival closes
Pyongyang, May 30 (KCNA) -- The Pyongyang fine art festival which was opened on the occasion of the auspicious February holiday, the birthday of leader Kim Jong Il, and the Day of the Sun, was closed.
Of tens of thousands fine art pieces produced by Koreans at home and abroad and foreigners, more than 5,240 pieces were presented to the festival.
A closing ceremony took place at the Pyongyang Theater on May 29.
Festival prize, diploma, medal and certificate were awarded to at least 70 professional artists, amateurs and schoolchildren who contributed to successfully decorating the festival by producing fine art pieces of high ideological and artistic value.
Among highly-estimated art works were Korean paintings "the spring when ordeal was overcome" and "guerrilla base in the morning" and sculpture "remembering the great life."
S. Korean police suppression under fire
Pyongyang, May 30 (KCNA) -- The reunification solidarity reportedly held an emergency press conference on May 25 in protest against the police blocking of the news conference scheduled to be held on May 24 to denounce Ri Hoe Chang's remarks.
Ri Jong Rin, chairman of the south headquarters of the National Alliance for the Country's Reunification, said that Ri Hoe Chang who took such an arrogant attitude as calling for the abrogation of the June 15 joint declaration "is just like militarists of Japan, Hitler of Germany and Mussolini of Italy." and he urged Ri to withdraw his remarks and make an apology for them.
The secretary general of the reunification solidarity in his report denounced the police for suppressing the old and the weak by force in conspiracy with the "Grand National Party".
The press release said "Ri Hoe Chang's call for the abrogation of the June 15 joint declaration is a blatant challenge to the desire of the 70 million people. Such outbursts can not be let loose by one with a sound mind, it noted.
Laying bare the police crackdown, it demanded him make an apology for his anti-national remarks and the chief of the police station, who commanded the suppression, resign.
Message of sympathy to Mozambican President
Pyongyang, May 30 (KCNA) -- President Kim Yong Nam of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK sent a message of sympathy to Joaquim Alberto Chissano, President of Mozambique, on May 29.
The message said:
It was with sorrow that I heard the sad news that a recent train collision in Mozambique took many human lives.
Expressing deep condolences and sympathy to the Mozambican President and, through him, to the bereaved families of the deceased and victims, the message wished the president and the government of Mozambique success in the work to recover from the damage and bring their living to normal as soon as possible.