S. Koreans make overland on-site tour for building Kaesong Industrial Zone
Kaesong, February 21 (KCNA) -- An overland on-site tour was made by those concerned from the south side to build the Kaesong Industrial Zone on Feb. 21 after the completion of the west coastal temporary road, part of the projects to reconnect the west coastal rail and road links between the north and the south amid the ever-growing desire of all the fellow countrymen for reunification.
At least 30 officials of the Hyundai Asan in charge of the zone construction and a land project of South Korea including president Jong Mong Hon and managing director Kim Yun Gyu made the first trial passage through the temporary road between Munsan and Kaesong.
The buses carrying them passed through the demilitarized zone of the military demarcation line and entered the portion of the north side at 10 am.
Ri Jong Hyok, vice-chairman of the Korean Asia-Pacific Peace Committee, and other officials concerned greeted president Jong Mong Hon and managing director Kim Yun Gyu of the Hyundai Asan and other officials concerned from the south side with warm compatriotic feelings.
Those from the south side toured the point where the west coastal road line is reconnected and the sites for the building of the zone and historical relics in the area of Kaesong.
The opening of the Munsan-Kaesong temporary road to traffic in the wake of the trial excursion for the overland tour of Mt. Kumgang and the trial overland tour through the east coastal temporary road provided more favorable conditions for promoting the common interests of the nation and inter-Korean reconciliation and cooperation by concerted efforts of the north and the south under the banner of the historic June 15 North-South Joint Declaration.
Gift to Kim Jong Il
Pyongyang, February 21 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Il was presented with a gift by Raul Castro Ruz, second secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba, on the occasion of his birthday (February 16).
It was conveyed to the DPRK Ambassador in Havana by an official in charge of external affairs of the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba on Feb. 14.
Gift to Kim Jong Il from president of IADL
Pyongyang, February 21 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Il was presented with a gift by Jitendra Sharma, president of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL), on the occasion of his birthday (Feb. 16).
The gift was conveyed to the DPRK Ambassador to India by the President on Feb. 15.
When conveying it, he said that Kim Jong Il's birthday is a significant holiday not only for the Korean people but for the world peace-loving people and so it is a great pleasure and honor for him to present his humble gift to Kim Jong Il who has greatly contributed to Korea's reunification.
Although a tense situation is now prevailing on the Korean Peninsula owing to the U.S. imperialists' moves to isolate and stifle the DPRK, the Korean people will certainly reunify the country by implementing the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration under the wise leadership of Kim Jong Il, he added.
Korean people's cause supported by Vietnamese President
Pyongyang, February 21 (KCNA) -- The party, the government and the people of Vietnam will positively support the Korean people's just efforts for socialist construction and national reunification and hope that the traditional friendly relations between the two countries will steadily grow stronger and develop.
Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong said this when receiving credentials from new DPRK Ambassador to Vietnam Pak Ung Sop on Feb. 17.
Japan's formal apology for its past wrongs urged in S. Korea
Pyongyang, February 21 (KCNM) -- Members of the South Korean council for the solution of the issue of the volunteers corps reportedly staged the Wednesday demonstration in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul on February 12.
Three female members of the house of councillors of Japan joined in the demonstration.
Demonstrators released a statement saying that the Koreans are opposed to Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi's South Korea visit without making an apology for Japan's past crimes.
Tomiko Okazaki, a dietwoman from the Democratic Party of Japan, said though the Japanese Government claims that Japan apologized for the issue of the "comfort women" for the Japanese army, this cannot be regarded as a formal apology. A formal apology should be made by the government, she urged.
Reception given by Iranian Ambassador
Pyongyang, February 21 (KCNA) -- Iranian Ambassador to the DPRK Jalaleddin Namini Mianji hosted a reception at the embassy on Feb. 20 on the occasion of the birthday of Kim Jong Il.
The ambassador in a speech said that he and the embassy officials have witnessed the DPRK making big progress in the revolution and construction under the wise leadership of Kim Jong Il who is carrying forward the revolutionary cause of President Kim Il Sung.
The government of the Islamic Republic of Iran supports the government and people of the DPRK in their efforts for the progress, prosperity and the independent reunification of the country under the wise leadership of Kim Jong Il, he stressed.
Kim Yong Dae, Vice-President of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, in a speech said that the birth of Kim Jong Il was an auspicious event for the Korean nation as it acclaimed one more great man born of heaven in its history and a historic event that promised a bright future of the country and people.
He noted that the Korean people rejoice over the fresh successes made by the friendly government and people of Iran in their work to achieve the nation's economic growth and build a highly civilized Islamic society under the guidance of Islamic leader Khamenei and President Khatami and extend full support to the just cause of the Iranian people for peace and stability in the region.
Present on invitation were minister of foreign trade Ri Kwang Gun, Minister of Labour Ri Won Il who is chairman of the DPRK-Iran Friendship Association and other officials concerned.
U.S. plan for military drills under fire
Pyongyang, February 21 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun Friday denounces the U.S. projected foal eagle military drill and "reception, staging, onward-movement and integration" exercise as a nuclear test war and a preliminary war, aimed to make a military attack upon the DPRK and stifle it under the pretext of the nuclear issue.
The news analyst says:
The military maneuvers, in view of their scale, characters and contents, are designed for a forestalling nuclear attack on the DPRK, replacing the "Team Spirit" joint military exercises.
Lurking behind the joint military drills planned by the U.S. at the time of the worsening nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula is a criminal attempt to hinder the independent and peaceful reunification of the Korean nation, aggravate the military confrontation and tension on the Korean Peninsula and, furthermore, militarily stifle the DPRK.
We can never overlook the U.S. bid to stage the dangerous drills at a time when the nuclear confrontation between the DPRK and the U.S. is going to extremes.
We do not want a war but we are not afraid of it. Our pluck is firm.
Our army and people will not remain an onlooker at the U.S. imperialists' reckless moves to provoke a war of aggression but deal a stern and decisive blow to the aggressors with the might of army-based policy to prove how miserable the end of the aggressors is.
If the South Korean warhawks join in the U.S. war moves, regardless of the interests and security of the nation, they would face a stern judgment by the nation and history.
North-South Joint Academic Symposium held
Pyongyang, February 21 (KCNA) -- The north-south joint academic symposium on the crimes related to the Japanese imperialists' forcible drafting of Koreans was held here on Thursday.
Present there were scholars in the field of social science, members of the institutions concerned and members of the south side's delegation to the north-south joint exhibition of materials on these crimes including South Korean historians.
Ho Jong Ho, chairman of the history society of the DPRK, and Kang Man Gil, president of Sangji University of South Korea, addressed the symposium. They were followed by others.
They said that in the whole period of their military occupation of Korea after their invasion the Japanese imperialists forcibly drafted Koreans in a brutal manner and massacred them, the most hideous state-sponsored crimes against humanity in human history.
They cited historical facts to prove that the indiscriminate drafting of the Koreans for slave labor was part of the Japanese imperialists' policy to enforce a harsh colonial rule over Korea aimed at exterminating the Korean nation and a deliberate and premeditated crime to attain its final goal of sacrificing the Korean nation for the prosperity of the Yamato nation.
Referring to the recently disclosed fact that since the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese war in 1937 the Japanese imperialists forcibly drafted more than 8.4 million Koreans, they cited Japanese government documents including the recently surveyed statistical data to prove that the Japanese imperialists drafted a great number of young and middle-aged Koreans under the pretexts of "military service," "labor conscription" and "volunteers' corps".
All these facts go to clearly prove that it is an unavoidable state duty of Japan to compensate Koreans whom it had forcibly drafted, they added.
They urged the Japanese Government, an assailant, to probe the truth behind the hideous crimes committed by Japan against the Korean people in the past and make a sincere apology and a full compensation for them.
An appeal to all the Koreans in the north and the south and abroad was released there.
The appeal called on all the Koreans to wage a nationwide movement to denounce Japan's brazen-faced criminal acts and force it to apologize and compensate for its unprecedented crimes against humanity.
It expressed the belief that all the Koreans and the world progressive people would positively respond to this just appeal.
Full play to revolutionary spirit of soldiers called for
Pyongyang, February 21 (KCNA) -- The people, once equipped with the revolutionary spirit of soldiers, can firmly defend the country from any enemy's aggression and successfully build a powerful nation, says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article.
The article continues:
The revolutionary spirit of soldiers represents a powerful ideological and moral weapon which was instrumental in ushering in the era of the great army-based policy and an ideological and mental pabulum for training the Korean people as staunch fighters in that era.
Kim Jong Il set forth the original army-centered revolutionary line in the most arduous period of the Korean revolution and directed primary efforts to strengthening and developing the people's army. It was in that historic period that the revolutionary spirit of soldiers, a model in the times, was created and a breakthrough was made towards the victory of the Korean revolution and the prosperity of the country.
A radical change is taking place in the ideological and moral aspects of our people. it is the real picture of our society that all members of the society are emerging staunch fighters in the era of the army-based policy to display heroism and perform feats by learning from the ideological and mental traits of the servicemen of the KPA.
The revolutionary spirit of soldiers represents a powerful engine for the building of a powerful nation in the era of the army-based policy.
This is clearly evidenced by such proud victories and successes achieved in the revolution and construction in recent years as continued victories in the political and military confrontation with the imperialists, a brilliant victory in the "arduous march", the forced march and a leaping advance made in the drive to build an economically powerful nation.
The prospect of the Korean revolution advancing in the revolutionary spirit of soldiers under the leadership of Kim Jong Il is bright, it is sure to triumph and a prosperous and powerful socialist nation is certain to emerge on this land..
Papers on missing of plutonium in Japan
Pyongyang, February 21 (KCNA) -- Japan should probe the nuclear-related crime and the United States and the International Atomic Energy Agency should drop unfair double standards.
Pyongyang-based papers today say this in a signed commentary on the missing of plutonium in Japan.
The news analyst of Rodong Sinmun says:
The recently disclosed missing of plutonium in Japan proves once again that doubt of the international community about the nuclear policy of Japan is by no means accidental.
The missing case suggests what a dangerous stage Japan's nuclear weaponization has reached which has long been worried about by the international community.
The case brought to light double-dealing attitude and hypocritical nature of the U.S. and the IAEA.
As regards the plutonium missing in Japan, the U.S. and the IAEA are patronizing Japan, saying that they did not believe some nuclear substance was used for any other thing.
The U.S. and the IAEA are keen to internationally isolate and stifle the DPRK with no evidence while defending Japan for no reason over the disclosed missing of plutonium. This is a shameless mockery of human conscience and justice and a revelation of partiality and double standards.
The reality clearly shows who should be called into question as regards the nuclear issue.
Minju Joson says the behaviour of the U.S. and the IAEA applying the double standards to the nuclear field is no more than a rash act of those accustomed to dealing with the international issue in their political interests
7th Kimjongilia Show closes
Pyongyang, February 21 (KCNA) -- The 7th Kimjongilia Show and similar ones in provinces which opened on the occasion of the February Holiday closed.
The show was a significant political festival which powerfully demonstrated the perfect unity of the leader, the army and the people and the fixed faith and will of the Korean people to accomplish the revolutionary cause of Juche without fail under the wise guidance of Kim Jong Il.
A closing ceremony took place at the Kimilsungia-Kimjongilia exhibition on Feb. 21.
The jury announced results of the participation in the show at the ceremony.
Top prizes were awarded to 26 units including the ministry of the people's armed forces, the academy of sciences, the committee for cultural relations with foreign countries, North Hwanghae Province, the central committee of the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League and the Ministry of Metal and Machine-Building Industries.
Excellent prizes and prizes of meritorious service and labour went to more than 40 servicemen, working people and students.
Then Kwak Pom Gi, chairman of the Korean Kimilsungia-Kimjongilia Federation, made a closing address. He said:
Displayed at the show were more than 17,000 potted Kimjongilias cultivated by many units and organizations, working people and figures at home and abroad with good care.
The show was crowded with visitors every day. It was a flower festival that praised the great man as it contributed to celebrating the February Holiday as a great jubilee common to humankind.
During the show the army and people of the DPRK greatly contributed to cultivating and propagating Kimjongilia in a bid to keep the flower in fuller bloom as the eternal national treasure and immortal flower of Korea where the sun rose and foreigners expressed support and solidarity for the Korean people in their cause of building a just and peaceful powerful socialist nation under the leadership of Kim Jong Il.
Present there were Choe Thae Bok, Yang Hyong Sop, Jong Ha Chol and others.
For Spanish-speaking people
presidente del cc de acrc envia telegrama de condolencia a surcorea
pyongyang, 21 de febrero (atcc) -- el presidente del comite central de la asociacion de la cruz roja de corea, jang jae on, envio el dia 20 via phanmunjom un telegrama de condolencia al presidente de la sociedad de la cruz roja de sudcorea, so yong hun, en relacion con que ocurrio un accidente de incendio en el metro de taegu de sudcorea.
el remitente expreso profundo pesame como la misma nacion por el hecho de que el pasado dia 18 muchas personas resultaron muertas y heridas por un inesperado incendio en el metro de taegu, y deseo al destinatario que los damnificados y sus familiares y otros habitantes de taegu eliminen cuanto antes la tristeza y la calamidad y recuperen la vida normal.
inaugurada exhibicion conjunta de datos norte-sur
pyongyang, 21 de febrero (atcc) -- con motivo del 84o aniversario del levantamiento popular del primero de marzo, resistencia antijaponesa y patriotica pannacional, quedo inaugurada en esta capital la exhibicion conjunta de datos norte-sur alusivos al arresto forzoso a los coreanos por los imperialistas japoneses.
en la ocasion estan exhibidos mas de 200 materiales fotograficos y documentales y mas de 230 libros que relatan el arresto forzoso a los coreanos por los imperialistas japoneses de entre los crimenes antieticos cometidos por estos contra la nacion coreana.
segun los materiales, los imperialistas japoneses lanzaron como carne de canon de la guerra de agresion a mas de 417 000 adultos, jovenes y ninos de corea, "reclutaron" a 7 784 839 coreanos para llevarlos al trabajo forzoso en las minas de carbon y otras, lugares de construccion de las vias ferroviarias, plantas electricas, astilleros, aeropuertos y otras instalaciones militares y los asesinaron en masa por el metodo barbaro para guardar el secreto y llevaron a 200 mil coreanas al campo de guerra de agresion para asesinarlas cruelmente luego de violarlas.
tuvo lugar el dia 20 en el palacio cultural del pueblo el acto inaugural de susodicha exhibicion conjunta.
participaron alli ri jong hyok, vicepresidente del comite coreano por la paz de asia-pacifico, ho jong ho, presidente de la asociacion de historiadores de la republica popular democratica de corea y jong chang gyu, director del instituto de historia de la academia de ciencias sociales.
tambien, estuvieron presentes los miembros de la delegacion surcoreana.
al hacer uso de la palabra en el acto ju jin gu, presidente del comite preparatorio de la parte norte, dijo:
durante el periodo de ocupacion militar y dominacion colonial sobre corea, los imperialistas japoneses cometieron los crimenes ineditos en la historia: llevaron al trabajo forzoso a los coreanos desde los ancianos de 70 anos hasta las muchas decenarias y los asesinaron.
el arresto forzoso a los coreanos por los japoneses es un hecho historico reconocido por la historia. por eso, el que japon reflexione sinceramente e indemnice por sus crimenes de pasado es la obligacion y la demanda de la epoca. la debida indemnizacion es legitima exigencia de toda la nacion coreana.
por lo tanto, el norte y el sur deben desplegar una lucha comun pannacional.
el rector de la universidad sangji kang man gil, presidente del comite de promocion de la parte sur, al hacer uso de la palabra en el acto, dijo que los historiadores del sur y del norte deben encontrarse frecuentemente para lograr la cooperacion cientifica y redactar un unico manual de historia de nuestro pais para los miembros de la nueva generacion, lo que contribuira grandemente a adelantar la reunificacion del pais.
los miembros de la "asamblea nacional" de surcorea kim won ung y kim hui son dijeron que japon no hace disculpa e indemnizacion al sur y el norte de corea y otros paises danados de asia sino justifica la guerra de agresion y el arresto forzoso tratando de tergiversar la historia y subrayaron que la nacion coreana debe mancomunar las fuerzas para solucionar el problema de la historia pasada con ese pais isleno.
terminado el acto, los participantes recorrieron los materiales exhibidos.
por otra parte, el mismo dia se ofrecio una rueda de prensa con victimas de arresto forzoso residentes en la rpdc.