Legalization of Hanchongryon called for

     Pyongyang, April 22 (KCNA) -- 47 members of the "National Assembly" from ruling and opposition parties of South Korea issued a joint statement on April 18 demanding the legalization of the South Korean Federation of University Student Councils (Hanchongryon), the release of prisoners of conscience and the lifting of search for wanted political offenders, according to MBC of South Korea. Since the security authorities listed Hanchongryon as an "enemy-benefiting organization" in 1997, hundreds of students have annually suffered as wanted political offenders, the statement said, adding:
    The "government" and society should pave the way for lifting the "enemy-benefiting" label from Hanchongryon and opening a charter for the future-oriented movement of students.
    To this end, the "government" should examine the release of prisoners of conscience and the lifting of search for wanted political offenders and move to declare the student movement legal.

EU donates urea fertilizer to DPRK

     Pyongyang, April 22 (KCNA) -- The European Union donated more than 60,000 tons of urea fertilizer to the DPRK. The fertilizer donated by the EU this year as it did last year will help increase the agricultural production.

Book on nature of U.S. nuclear racket published

     Pyongyang, April 22 (KCNA) -- Book "DPRK's withdrawal from NPT is a self-defensive step" written by P. C. Sharma, chairman of the International Study Centre for Juche-Oriented Mass Media in Nepal, was published in Nepal on April 9. In the preface the author said that the DPRK's acceding to the NPT was aimed to remove the nuclear threat from the United States, but on the contrary the NPT has been used as a leverage to pose and justify the U.S. nuclear threat to the DPRK.
    The book, which consists of 8 subtitles, gives a logical exposition of the nature of the U.S. nuclear racket against the DPRK, the unreasonable deed of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the validity of the DPRK's withdrawal from the NPT, etc.

April 19 declaration issued in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, April 22 (KCNA) -- The group of chairmen of General Student Councils of 64 Universities of South Korea including Korea University, Kyunghee University, Duksung Women's University and Sogang University held a press conference at Dongguk University on April 19 and issued an "April 19 Declaration" demanding an immediate stop to the U.S. Iraqi war and the withdrawal of the decision on troop dispatch to it, Yonhap News from Seoul said. Humankind is so strongly opposed to the U.S. war because it is an unjust war of genocide and a reckless war to hold world supremacy by dint of the "policy of strength", the declaration said, and noted:
    We will oppose the decision of the "government" and the "National Assembly" to dispatch troops, going against the people's will, and struggle till the day it is cancelled so that young people in this land are not hurled into that war of genocide.
    The declaration stressed that they would make June 13 when a memorial service will be held one year after schoolgirls Mi Son and Hyo Sun were brutally killed by a U.S. armored car a "day of student action" to encourage 3 million students to rise up in a campaign against the U.S. war which will claim lives of so many young people like the schoolgirls.

U.S. attempt to stifle DPRK bound to go bust

     Pyongyang, April 22 (KCNA) -- The U.S. is getting frantic with its nuclear racket to isolate and stifle the DPRK, raising a hue and cry over its "nuclear issue" on the international arena. Accusing the U.S. imperialists of aggravating the situation on the Korean Peninsula under the pretext of the "nuclear issue," Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article says: They staged foal eagle and reception, staging, onward movement and integration joint military exercises together with the South Korean army in all areas of the south for over one month with various types of means for nuclear attack and ultra-modern military hardware involved.
    The Bush administration listed the DPRK as part of an "axis of evil" and the target of its preemptive nuclear attack. And it has become desperate in its nuclear racket against the DPRK and moves to provoke a new war under the pretext of its "nuclear issue". All this is aimed at executing its policy of aggression toward the DPRK.
    As the U.S. imperialists' attempt to stifle the DPRK has gone beyond the danger line, the process of peace and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula has been blocked and the danger of a nuclear war is increasing hour by hour.
    The U.S. imperialists' attempt to stifle the DPRK is a sheer daydream.
    The army and people of the DPRK is the heroic army and people who inflicted a bitter defeat upon the U.S. imperialists who boasted of being the "strongest in the world". The U.S. imperialists should draw a lesson from its defeat in the past Korean war they started against the young DPRK.
    If the U.S. ignites a nuclear war in Korea, our revolutionary armed forces will mercilessly wipe out the aggressors and put a final end to the confrontation with the U.S.

U.S. argument about "human rights situation" rejected

     Pyongyang, April 22 (KCNA) -- The United States is taking issue with the DPRK over the "human rights issue" to attain its sinister aims, but it is as foolish an act as trying to sweep the sea with a broom, says Rodong Sinmun today in a commentary. The U.S. is a graveyard of human rights where the rich get richer and the poor poorer and many people are not granted even an elementary right to existence. It is monstrous that such country talks about the "human rights situation" in the DPRK, the news analyst says, and goes on:
    What the U.S. seeks in raising the "human rights issue" as well as the "nuclear issue" is to cripple the Korean people's trust in their socialist system and violate the DPRK's sovereignty while impairing its international prestige and increasing the international pressure upon it.
    Human rights mean national rights and sovereignty is the most vivid manifestation of human rights. This is the truth evidenced by the historical practice.
    Nothing can break the Korean people's confidence in the DPRK and its socialist system. steadfast is the singlehearted unity of the leader, the party and the masses in the DPRK.
    Though the U.S. persistently plays the old tune about "human rights", nobody pays attention to it as it will only reveal more faults of the U.S. as a violator of human rights.
    The U.S. is well advised not to engage itself in such vain efforts.

43rd anniversary of April Popular Uprising commemorated

     Pyongyang, April 22 (KCNA) -- Meetings and demonstrations to honour the memory of forerunners were held in different parts of South Korea on April 19 on the occasion of the April Popular Uprising, according to Yonhap News from Seoul. A ceremony for commemorating the April Popular Uprising took place at the cemetery of April 19 martyrs in Seoul with the attendance of more than 1,000 members of organizations concerning the uprising, citizens and students.
    At the ceremony chairman of the society of the wounded of the April 19 revolution Kang Jae Sik made a report on the then uprising, which was followed by a memorial poem recitation, April 19 singing in unison, photo exhibition and musical concert to the memory of forerunners.
    Members of the national alliance for democracy and reunification and other public organizations held a commemoration meeting at the same place.
    Over 400 members of the solidarity for implementing the south-north joint declaration made the "April 19 street march for the defence of peace against U.S. and war" from the square of the Seoul railway station to the Thapgol park on the same day, shouting slogans "against the U.S. war in the Korean Peninsula," "withdrawal of the U.S. troops, murderer of school girls" and so on.

Foundations of Songun politics provided by Kim Il Sung

     Pyongyang, April 22 (KCNA) --The foundations of the Songun politics pursued by the Workers' Party of Korea were laid by President Kim Il Sung. He, who started the revolutionary activities in his early years, formulated the idea that the only choice for the liberation of the country from the Japanese imperialists' rule was to wage an armed struggle. He formed an anti-Japanese guerrilla army and accomplished the historical cause of national liberation through the armed struggle.
    During the Korean war and in the period of the peaceful construction, he always attached great importance to the military, regarding it as the most important thing in the state affairs.
    Under his leadership the Korean people have emerged victorious in the long-standing political and military confrontation with the U.S. imperialists and successfully built the socialist society with the backing of a strong military power.
    For military buildup he advanced policies of training the whole army into a cadre army, modernizing the whole army, arming the entire people and turning the whole country into a fortress and made inspection tours of army units for their implementation.
    He also put forward a policy of carrying on the economic construction in parallel with military buildup so that the Korean people could defend the country by themselves.
    He provided conditions for the continuity of the Songun revolutionary leadership.
    The Korean revolution has triumphantly advanced in the face of the imperialists' challenges, as leader Kim Jong Il has increased the nation's defence capacity with the Songun politics.

New potato processing method developed

     Pyongyang, April 22 (KCNA) -- The grain processing institute of the branch academy of light industrial science has developed a new method of potato food processing. The method makes it possible to produce riced potato, dried potato noodle, potato bread, etc.
    The streamlined system consists of peeling, slicing, wring, mixture of potato flour with other kinds of flour, and packing.
    The new method increases the actual extraction rate up to 90 percent by using most of nutritive elements such as protein, vitamin and mineral matter contained in potato.
    The institute has also developed a method of preventing potato discoloration with the help of enzyme, different from the chemical method using sulphurous acid, hydrochloric acid, etc.
    And it has lifted the proportion of potato up to 50 percent in the production of potato bread.

Jo Myong Rok's sojourn in Beijing

     Beijing, April 21 (KCNA) -- A ceremony took place in the plaza in front of the August 1 Building here today to welcome Jo Myong Rok, first vice-chairman of the National Defence Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, visiting China. Present at the welcome ceremony were Jo Myong Rok and general Pak Jae Gyong and col. gen. Pak Sung Won of the Korean People's Army, DPRK Ambassador Choe Jin Su and other suite members.
    On hand were col. gen. Guo Boxiong, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China and vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China, col. gen. Xu Caihou, director of the general political department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army who is member of the CPC Central Military Commission and concurrently member of the PRC Central Military Commission, col. gen. Xiong Guangkai, deputy chief of the CPLA general staff, and other officials concerned.
    On the same day, Jo Myong Rok met with Guo Boxiong.
    Guo said that China and the DPRK are friendly neighbors bordering on the same mountain and river and their traditional friendship has a long history. The Sino-Korean friendship had been cultivated and developed by Chairman Mao Zedong, Premier Zhou Enlai, Deng Xiaoping and President Kim Il Sung and other veteran revolutionaries of the two countries, and it is a precious heritage they left for us, he noted.
    At the new historical time, the bilateral friendship is further developing under the care of Chairman Jiang Zemin and General Secretary kim jong il, he said, expressing belief that the friendly relations between the two parties, governments and armies of china and the DPRK will be put on a higher stage.
    He hoped that the Korean people and army would make greater success in the state building, the improvement of the standard of people's living and the modernization of the army under the correct guidance of Kim Jong Il and the Workers' Party of Korea.
    Jo also met and had a friendly talk with col. gen. Cao Gangchuan, state councillor and minister of defence who is vice-chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission and concurrently vice-chairman of the PRC Central Military Commission.

Koreans called upon to turn out for national reunification

     Pyongyang, April 22 (KCNA) -- The south headquarters of the National Alliance for the Country's Reunification released a statement on April 18 on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the joint conference of representatives of political parties and public organizations in South and North Korea. The joint conference demonstrated to the world that the Koreans can certainly achieve the independent and peaceful reunification of the country if they unite, irrespective of ideology, system and religious belief, and the Korean nation is a dignified nation with wisdom and ability to settle its issue by itself, the statement noted, and continued:
    The Korean nation is responsible for achieving national reunification and independent and peaceful reunification would be unthinkable without the unity of the south and the north and great national unity.
    The statement called on all Koreans to intensify the struggle, deeply aware that the great national unity is a shortcut to national reunification.
    The statement appealed to the 70 million Koreans to vigorously turn out on the road of patriotism to bring earlier the independent and peaceful reunification of the country by fully realizing the national cooperation between the south and the north in the same spirit of great national unity as was displayed during the April joint conference and thoroughly implementing the June 15 Joint Declaration, a landmark of national reunification.

For Spanish-speaking people

clausurado v festival de kimilsungias

     pyongyang, 22 de abril (atcc) -- el v festival de kimilsungias quedo clausurado el dia 21 en la exposicion permanente de kimilsungia y kimjongilia. fue un festival politico de gran significado que formo una flor y nata de la adoracion absoluta y la fe en el gran hombre del pueblo coreano y los demas pueblos progresistas del mundo entero que se hacen mas ardientes de siglo en siglo.
    en el acto clausural estuvieron presentes hong song nam, choe thae bok, yang hyong sop, jong ha chol, kwak pom gi, funcionarios dirigentes de los ministerios y los organos centrales, funcionarios de las unidades que exhibieron flores del sol al festival, trabajadores de distintos sectores, militares del ejercito popular y huespedes extranjeros.
    quedo publicado el resultado del examen.
    fueron otorgados el premio especial de flor de sol, el premio mejor y la medalla de oro a la embajada de la republica de indonesia en corea y a la delegacion del invernadero de kimilsungia y kimjongilia de dandong de china, el premio excelente de flor de sol a las embajadas de la republica popular china, la federacion rusa, la republica arabe de siria y otros paises en la rpdc y el premio especial de flor de sol y el premio mejor a 2 chinos residentes en corea.
    el vicepremier kwak pom gi, presidente del comite organizador del festival de kimilsungias en su discurso clausural dijo que en el festival exhibieron las flores del sol 46 entidades de todo el pais entre otras ministerios, organos centrales y organos de las fuerzas armadas y la ciudad de pyongyang, trabajadores individuales, 29 embajadas y organizaciones internacionales no gubernamentales, 18 entidades de amistad y solidaridad y personalidades de 13 paises y lo visitaron mas de 650 mil personas en total.
    esto demuestra claramente que el gran lider camarada kim il sung estara siempre con nosotros y que son inconmovibles la conviccion revolucionaria y la voluntad de nuestro pueblo de completar hasta el fin de generacion en generacion la causa revolucionaria del juche iniciada por el, subrayo el orador.

permanencia de jo myong rok en beijing

     beijing, 21 de abril (atcc) -- tuvo lugar el dia 21 en la plaza frente al edificio primero de agosto de beijing la ceremonia para dar bienvenida a jo myong rok, primer vicepresidente del comite de defensa nacional de la republica popular democratica de corea de visita en china. en el acto participaron junto con jo myong rok el general de ejercito pak jae gyong y el coronel general pak sung won, del ejercito popular de corea, el embajador de corea en china choe jin su y otros acompanantes.
    estuvieron presentes el coronel general guo boxiong, vicepresidente de la comision militar del cc del partido comunista de china y de la comision militar central de la republica popular china, el coronel general xu caihou, miembro de la comision militar del cc del pcch y de la comision militar central de la rpch y jefe del departamento politico general del ejercito popular de liberacion de china: el coronel general xiong guangkai, subjefe del estado mayor general del eplch y otros funcionarios.
    el mismo dia, jo myong rok se encontro con guo boxiong.
    en la ocasion guo dijo que china y corea son paises vecinos amistosos, separados por el mismo monte y rios, y la amistad tradicional entre los dos paises tiene una larga historia.
    la amistad chino-coreana la prepararon y desarrollaron para legarsenos personalmente como un precioso patrimonio el presidente mao zedong, el premier chou enlai, el camarada deng xiaoping, el presidente kim il sung y los demas revolucionarios de la vieja generacion de ambos paises, senalo.
    en la nueva epoca historica esta amistad se desarrolla aun mas bajo la profunda atencion del presidente jiang zemin y el secretario general kim jong il, subrayo y expreso la conviccion de que las relaciones de amistad entre los partidos, los gobiernos y los ejercitos de ambos paises se situaran a una etapa mas alta.
    manifesto la esperanza de que bajo la correcta direccion del camarada kim jong il y del partido del trabajo de corea su pueblo y ejercito logren mayores exitos en la construccion estatal, la mejora de la vida del pueblo y la modernizacion del ejercito.
    el mismo dia, jo myong rok sostuvo una conversacion amistosa con el coronel general cao gangchuan, vicepresidente de la comision militar del cc del pcch y de la comision militar central de la rpch, consejero de estado y ministro de defensa nacional.

union europea dona fertilizante ureico a corea

     pyongyang, 22 de abril (atcc) -- la union europea dono mas de 60 mil toneladas de fertilizante ureico a corea, que contribuiran a aumentar la produccion agricola en corea. lo hizo tambien el ano 2002.