Past news

Brazilian Party Leader Praises President Kim Il Sung

    Pyongyang, July 21 (KCNA) -- General Secretary of the October 8 Revolutionary Movement of Brazil Claudio Campos made public a statement titled "The exploits of the great leader will shine for all ages" on July 8. In the statement he noted that since the demise of President Kim Il Sung, the greatest of the outstanding great men, the Korean people have worked unimaginable miracles despite unprecedentedly stern ordeals of history for ten years. This has been possible thanks to the President's immortal exploits, he added.
    The general secretary went on: Kim Il Sung made immortal contributions to the Korean revolution and the human cause of independence under the banner of independence. He defeated U.S. and Japanese imperialism in one generation and turned the DPRK into an independent, developed socialist powerful country in a short span of time. Dismissing great-power chauvinism, flunkeyism, dogmatism and factionalism, he fully supported the world revolutionary people in their struggle for independence. Leader Kim Jong Il is successfully carrying the revolutionary cause of Kim Il Sung to completion.
    The Korean people and other progressives pay highest tribute to Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.

KCNA Blasts U.S. MD

    Pyongyang, July 21 (KCNA) -- The U.S. is now working hard to input the European countries which newly joined the NATO into the missile defence system (MD). The Bush administration has reportedly negotiated with Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania and Bulgaria for several months and recently started negotiations with Hungry in a bid to establish MD in Central Europe.
    It is reported that officials and experts of the U.S. Defence Department have conducted frequent field surveys of areas in those countries where interceptor missiles are expected to be deployed.
    This indicates that the Bush administration is putting into practice in real earnest the new "theory of preemptive attack" it set out as the state security strategy in September 2002.
    The U.S. moves to establish MD in Central Europe are part of its reckless strategy to control and dominate the world with a military and strategic edge.
    The U.S. has zealously pushed forward the building of interceptor missile launching bases in Alaska and California and an early warning radar station on Aleutian Islands allegedly to defend its mainland.
    After inputting Japan and south Korea into MD in Northeast Asia the U.S. seeks to build this system in Central Europe in a bid to completely contain its strategic rivals in Northeast Asia and Europe.
    The moves stepped up by the U.S. to establish MD not only in its mainland but in Northeast Asia, Europe and the rest of the world are an indication that the U.S. is still considering Russia, China and other powers as its potential rivals even after the demise of the Cold War and working hard to completely contain them in the shortest possible time, taking the best advantage of its favorable political and military position.
    Such moves of the U.S. are very dangerous as they will spark a global arms race bound to lead to a new "Cold War."
    It is as clear as daylight that other countries will take measures to cope with the U.S. frantic moves for MD in a bid to retain a nuclear edge for world domination.
    This would trigger off a new nuclear arms race and the world would face a new danger of thermonuclear war.
    The U.S. MD is an extremely dangerous and rash act which will entail catastrophic consequences and disasters.
    The situation goes to prove that the peace, stability and prosperity of the world are unthinkable unless the Bush administration's wild ambition to dominate the world is held in check.
    The U.S. hegemonic and brigandish moves strongly convinces everyone of the justice of the steps taken by the DPRK to increase its capability for self-defence to be strong enough to repel any aggressors and pushes the DPRK to bolster its war deterrent force.

Friendly Gathering with Staff Members of Egyptian Embassy Held

Pyongyang, July 21 (KCNA) -- A friendly gathering was held at the DPRK-Egypt Friendship Sosamjong Cooperative Farm Tuesday on the occasion of the 52nd anniversary of the July 23 Revolution, the Egyptian people's national day. Present there on invitation were Ambassador to the DPRK Ahmed Ramy and staff members of the Egyptian embassy here. On hand were officials concerned and officials of the farm.
After looking round the historic building visited by President Kim Il Sung, the participants sang songs and talked to one another about the need to boost the friendly relations between the DPRK and Egypt.

Total Withdrawal of U.S. Troops from S. Korea Demanded

    Pyongyang, July 21 (KCNA) -- If the DPRK-U.S. stand-off is to be terminated, the U.S. should drop its hostile policy toward the DPRK and what is essential for this is to pull its forces out of south Korea. Rodong Sinmun Wednesday says this in a signed article. It goes on: The U.S. partial "reduction" of its forces in south Korea is nothing but an attempt to take to other places some forces it feels unnecessary as a result of their modernization with ultra modern military hardware and the introduction of the mode of long-range naval and air strike. This is a revelation of a dangerous plot to round off their preparations for a war in Korea and bring the Korean people another war disaster.
    It is 59 years since the U.S. occupied south Korea. The U.S. protracted presence in south Korea and its ceaseless moves for a war against the DPRK drove the DPRK-U.S. confrontation to an extreme pitch of tension and sparked the present serious nuclear crisis.
    The DPRK-U.S. military confrontation can never be terminated and peace on the Korean peninsula is unthinkable as long as the U.S. troops whose main mission is to invade the north remain in south Korea.
    In the Cold War era the U.S. justified its policy of military occupation of south Korea with the assertion that it is necessary to cope with the "threat from the Soviet Union", but this is no longer workable now.
    If the U.S. has no intention to invade the DPRK, it will feel no need to keep its forces in south Korea any longer.
    The Bush regime once expressed its will to pull its troops out of south Korea any time the south Koreans oppose the U.S. forces' presence in south Korea. If this is true, the U.S. should opt for the total withdrawal of its forces from south Korea, not their partial "reduction." Even in the light of the six-party talks this would be very helpful to the progress of the talks as it would be a practical measure for the renouncement of the U.S. hostile policy towards the DPRK.
    The total pullback of the U.S. troops from south Korea would create an environment favorable for turning the region with the greatest danger of war in the world into a peace zone and guaranteeing the peace and security of Asia and, furthermore, the rest of the world. This would be in line with the U.S. interests, too.
    If the United States, ignoring this, unleashes a war of aggression against the DPRK, it will bring catastrophic consequences to the U.S., too.

Total Abolition of Security Law Demanded in S. Korea

Pyongyang, July 21 (KCNA) -- The People's Solidarity for Abolition of the "Security Law" in south Korea in a statement on July 16 recalled that a motion on revising the SL pushed ahead by national assemblymen of the Uri Party was opened to the press on July 15 and charged that their talking about the "revision of the SL" as the conservative forces did is a betrayal of the people's wish for democratic reform. The SL should not be revised but be totally abolished, the statement said, stressing: This is the only way suitable for the present current of history and the mature stage of social democracy.
National assemblymen of the Uri Party should not talk about the revision of the SL but have a firm stand for its total abrogation and take the lead in abolishing it, emphasized the statement.

Ultra-Right Conservatives' Moves to Stifle Democracy under Fire

    Pyongyang, July 21 (KCNA) -- The South Headquarters of the National Alliance of Youth and Students for the Country's Reunification made public a statement on July 15 denouncing the moves of the ultra-right conservatives including the Grand National Party of south Korea to stifle democracy. The statement referred to the fact that the Committee for Probing the Truth behind Suspicious Deaths decided to take a measure for reinstating the three unconverted long-term prisoners who died due to the suppression and torture committed by the former military dictatorial regime in violation of democracy and human rights. They made due contribution to democracy by fighting against the dark military dictatorship, it added.
    The statement continued: The conservative forces threatened members of the committee with arms and let loose such outcries calling for a military coup d' etat as claiming that "the ROK army should intervene in the matter to reverse the decision." They have gone to the lengths of taking issue with the measures taken to dismantle the propaganda means in the areas along the Military Demarcation Line for inter-Korean reconciliation and national reunification.
    These moves are anachronistic foolish actions as they assert they do not care about whether those who have struggled in defence of their own faith and freedom of conscience are now tortured to death after being branded as "left pro-communist forces." They are just like acts of psychopaths to revive the military dictatorship.

S. Korean Authorities' Inhumane Action under Fire

    Pyongyang, July 21 (KCNA) -- The south Korean authorities disallowed the proposed visit of a non-governmental delegation to Pyongyang to take part in the memorial functions on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the demise of President Kim Il Sung. Rodong Sinmun Wednesday in a signed commentary terms such action of the south Korean authorities a despicable behavior devoid of any national conscience and will for reunification and an anti-national unethical rash action swimming against the times as it denies the June 15 declaration, the charter for reunification common to the nation, and challenges the fellow countrymen in the north and the present inter-Korean relations. The action taken by the present regime of south Korea styling itself a "government for the people" is, in essence, little short of the unethical crime committed by the "civilian government" in the past, the commentary notes, and continues:
    The present government talked about "cooperation and exchange" with smile and good words at talks with the north. But, when the issue of a non-governmental delegation's visit to Pyongyang for such a purpose was raised, the government turned down its request under an unreasonable pretext. Good faith is proved by actions rather than words.
    "Chongwadae" disallowed the above-said visit, talking about the unreasonable principle that "the south should not give up its law and principle under the pretext of satisfying the north." This laid bare the south Korean authorities' wrong view on fellow countrymen and ulterior design veiled with glossy words "reconciliation and cooperation."
    The former president, high-ranking officials and many people of south Korea have already visited Pyongyang. It is, therefore, self-contradictory to talk about "law and principle" under this situation. There are other matters that merit attention. Their assertion means putting their "law and principle" above anything else without any consideration of the nation, denying both the Pyongyang meeting and the June 15 joint declaration. This cannot but be a challenge and provocation to the north as their behavior reveals their intention to apply their "law and principle" to the north-south relations and fellow countrymen.
    If the south Korean authorities have even the slightest intention to deal with the June 15 joint declaration with good faith and get reconciled with compatriots, they should answer to the nation as regards the open questionnaire issued by the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland and the National Reunification Institute. The time is running out.
    The south Korean authorities should make an apology in any form for their wrong behavior before it is too late.

Japan's Sinister Intention Disclosed in "Defense White Paper"

    Pyongyang, July 21 (KCNA) -- The Japanese Defense Agency recently worked out a "defense white paper" for 2004 and presented it to the Cabinet meeting. In the paper Japan painted a distorted picture of the state of affairs, alleging that the situation in the Asia-Pacific region was rendered unstable by the DPRK, pulling it up again. Minju Joson Wednesday in a commentary says that as for the military capabilities of the DPRK with which Japan took issue, they are means of legitimate self-defense designed to protect the sovereignty of the country and security of the nation from the U.S. imperialists' hostile policy toward the DPRK and their moves to strangle it. Every sovereign state has the right to possess this means and there is no cause for Japan to talk this or that about the matter, it adds.
    The commentary cites facts exposing the aim pursued by Japan in trying to find fault with the DPRK in the paper.
    It is the petty trick of Japan to attain everything needed for turning itself into a military power and implementing its policy of overseas expansion under the pretext of coping with "threat from the DPRK", it notes, and continues:
    It is a mistake if Japan thought its imprudent scheming would work all the time. Japan would be well advised to refrain from the frivolous act of absurdly slandering others. It should discard cold war mentality such as confrontation and distrust in Northeast Asia and look squarely into the trend of the times in which moves toward reconciliation and cooperation are picking up greater momentum than ever before.

U.S. Reckless Military Racket Denounced

    Pyongyang, July 21 (KCNA) -- The United States is staging "RIMPAC 2004" joint military exercises and a large-scale military drill code-named "Summer Pulse 04" in the Asia-Pacific region. This goes to prove that the black-hearted intention of the Bush administration to realize the strategy of preemptive attack in the Asia-Pacific region and the rest of the world at any cost has reached a very serious and dangerous phase. Rodong Sinmun Wednesday says this in a signed commentary.
    It goes on:
    It is the U.S. calculation that it can dominate the world only when the Asia-Pacific region is placed under its control as "the 21st century would be a century for Asia-Pacific". Its Asia-Pacific strategy is aimed to establish its domination over the region and prevent any force seeking hegemony and union from emerging. The U.S. foresees that its potential enemy may emerge in the region. The bellicose Bush group set out a new "national security strategy" the keynote of which is "preemptive attack" and is using it as a main leverage for realizing its ambition for world domination. It is now putting spurs to the moves to increase its combat capacity, focusing on Northeast Asia.
    The on-going large-scale military exercises are aimed to carry out the U.S. Asia-Pacific strategy and its new "strategy of preemptive attack." In a word, the main purpose of these maneuvers is to improve the long-range deployment capacity of the U.S. forces and the mobile capability of its forces overseas and help them acquire those capabilities in order to realize the strategy of blitz warfare by a surprise war and preemptive attack.
    The U.S. is staging maneuvers under the simulated conditions of an actual war with huge forces involved in an area near Taiwan. In recent years the U.S. has massively shipped its weapons into Taiwan. But the saber-rattling for a preemptive attack launched by the U.S. to realize its Asia-Pacific strategy is as dangerous an act as jumping from a frying pan into the fire.
    The U.S. adventurous strategy of preemptive attack is, however, bound to go bust. It. is well advised to stop its reckless play with fire.

Greetings to Colombian President

March for Korean Peace and Reunification Starts in Pyongyang

    Pyongyang, July 21 (KCNA) -- An international march for Korean peace and reunification started here on July 21. A ceremony for the start of the march took place prior to it.
    Alejandro Cao de Benos, head of the marchers, declared its start. Then there began the march amid the bugle call and the playing of the song "We Are One."
    Mun Jae Chol, acting chairman of the Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries who is chairman of the Korean Committee for Solidarity with World People, and others joined the marchers.
    Many working people in Pyongyang turned out to streets to welcome the participants in the march that started from the Monument to the Three Charters for National Reunification to lead to Kaesong.
    The participants marched in fine array, holding Korean peninsula flags and placards reading "A group of participants in an international march for Korean peace and reunification" and "U.S. troops, quit south Korea at once!"
    The crowd sent warm applause to them, shouting pro-reunification slogans.
    The marchers responded to them by chanting the slogan "Korea is one."
    They said that the Korean people would certainly reunify their country by their concerted efforts under the banner of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration, noting that the situation clearly proves that Korea cannot be reunified nor can the regional peace be preserved unless the U.S. drops its hostile policy towards the DPRK.
    The participants will march as far as Panmunjom via Sariwon, Sinchon and Kaesong.

Participants in March for Korean Peace and Reunification Meet

    Sinchon, July 21 (KCNA) -- Members of the group of participants in an international march for Korean peace and reunification held a meeting in the chest-nut valley in Wonam-ri, Sinchon County of South Hwanghae Province Wednesday to condemn the U.S. imperialists' mass killings of Koreans. They laid bouquets and flowers before the grave of 400 mothers and the grave of 102 children before listening to the testimonies made by those who underwent great misfortune and pain due to the U.S. imperialist aggressors in the land of Sinchon during the last Korean war.
    Ju Sang Won, lecturer at the Sinchon Museum, who narrowly escaped death in a powder storage in Wonam-ri, told about the monstrous crime committed by GIs. He said they herded children into the powder storage and did not give them even a drop of water before spraying gasoline over them to burn them.
    Then they threw hand-grenades into the storage, killing all of them, he added.
    Choe Kyong Nyo, section chief of the Sinchon County People's Committee, testified to the mass killings of innocent civilians including children and old people committed by GIs and asked the marchers to fully expose and condemn these hideous crimes before the world.
    Michel Watts, a participant in the march and chief of the U.S. branch of the Association for Friendship with the Korean people, said in his speech that everyone should clearly know about the bloodbath in Sinchon and the blood-stained history of the United States and that he, an American, would like to apologize for GIs' crimes in Korea.
    He vowed to fight to prevent the repetition of the crimes the U.S. committed against other nations and other countries and the atrocities it perpetrated in Korea.
    A letter to the U.S. president was adopted at the meeting.
    The letter said the destruction and killing of civilians committed by Gis during the last Korean war are the inhumane and monstrous crimes unprecedented in the world history of war in their scale and targets and in their ferocious and brutal nature. The U.S. government should be held fully responsible for the above-said crimes and make an honest apology and compensation to the Korean people, the letter demanded, and continued:
    The U.S. has stood in the Korean nation's way of independent reunification and seriously threatened peace and security on the Korean peninsula over the last 51 years. It must stop running wild, pondering over the grave consequences to be entailed by its hostile policy toward the DPRK.
    If the U.S. is truly concerned for the peace and reunification of the Korean peninsula, it should immediately accept the fair and aboveboard proposal of the DPRK to seek a peaceful and negotiated solution to the nuclear issue on the principle of simultaneous actions. And it should withdraw its troops from south Korea and stop at once its military threat and blackmail which may lead the situation on the peninsula to catastrophe.
    Prior to the meeting the marchers visited the Sinchon Museum.

Talks between WPK and Thai Party Delegations Held

    Pyongyang, July 21 (KCNA) -- Talks between the delegations of the Workers' Party of Korea and the Thai Rak Thai Party were held here Wednesday. At the talks both sides informed each other of their parties' activities and exchanged views on the issue of boosting the friendly and cooperative relations between them and a series of issues of mutual concern.
    Present at the talks from the DPRK side were Secretary Choe Thae Bok of the WPK Central Committee and officials concerned and from the Thai side the members of the delegation of the Thai Rak Thai Party headed by Dr. Kantathi Suphamongkhon, a special envoy of its leader and Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and its special representative.
    The talks proceeded in a friendly atmosphere.

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Lider de partido politico de Brasil elogia a Kim Il Sung

    Pyongyang, 21 de julio (ATCC) -- El secretario general del Movimiento Revolucionario "8 de Octubre" de Brasil, Claudio Campos, publico el dia 8 una declaracion intitulada "Las hazanas del gran Lider brillaran eternamente". El senalo que durante los 10 anos posteriores al fallecimiento del Presidente Kim Il Sung, el pueblo coreano pudo registrar un milagro que supera la imaginacion aun en medio de severas pruebas sin precedentes en la historia, lo que se debe a las inmortales hazanas acumuladas por el Presidente quien es el mas destacado hombre.
    Destaco que el presidente Kim Il Sung hizo aporte inmortal a la revolucion coreana y la causa de independencia de la humanidad con la bandara de la independencia en alto y apunto que el vencio a los dos imperialismos, el norteamericano y el japones, en una generacion, convirtio en un corto periodo a Corea en el poderoso pais socialista, independiente y desarrollado, rechazo el chovinismo de gran potencia, el servilismo a las grandes potencias, el dogmatismo y el fraccionalismo y brindo activo apoyo y respaldo a la lucha de los pueblos revolucionarios del mundo por la independencia.
    Destaco que el Dirigente Kim Jong Il lleva adelante con exito la causa revolucionaria del Presidente y subrayo que el pueblo coreano y la humanidad progresista rinden el mas sublime homenaje al Presidente Kim Il Sung y el Dirigente Kim Jong Il.

Conversaciones entre PTC y partido tailandes

    Pyongyang, 21 de julio (ATCC) -- Tuvieron lugar el dia 21 en esta capital las conversaciones entre la delegacion del Partido del Trabajo de Corea y la del Partido Rak Thai de Tailandia. En esta ocasion, ambas partes informaron una a la otra sobre el estado de actividades de sus respectivos partidos e intercambiaron opiniones acerca del problema de desarrollar las relaciones de amistad y cooperacion entre ambas agrupaciones politicas y una serie de problemas de interes mutuo.
    Asistieron por la parte coreana Choe Thae Bok, secretario del Comite Central del PTC, y otros funcionarios y por la parte visitante, los integrantes de la delegacion del Partido Rak Thai de Tailandia presidida por Dr. Kantathi Suphamongkhon, representante especial de esta organizacion politica y enviado especial del S. E. Thaksin Shinawatra, lider del mismo partido y primer ministro del Reino de Tailandia.
    Las conversaciones transcurrieron en un ambiente amistoso.

Caravana internacional por paz y reunificacion de Corea

    Pyongyang, 21 de julio (ATCC) -- Llego el dia 20 a esta capital la caravana internacional por la paz y la reunificacion de Corea presidida por el presidente de la Asociacion de Amistad con Corea Alejandro Cao de Benos. La caravana, integrada por los miembros de dicha Asociacion que tiene filiales en mas de 60 paises, emprendera la marcha de Pyongyang a Phanmunjom.
    En el aeropuerto los huespedes fueron acogidos por Hong Son Ok, vicepresidenta del Comite Coreano de Solidaridad con los pueblos del mundo y del Comite de Relaciones Culturales con el Extranjero y otros funcionarios coreanos.
    Al llegar al aeropuerto, el jefe de la caravana hizo publica una declaracion.
    El documento senala que por culpa de EE.UU. fautor de la division de Corea, la paz de la Peninsula Coreana se ve amenazada gravemente y condena la anacronica politica hostil de esta superpotencia a Corea.
    Apunta que a traves de la marcha internacional se manifestara vigorosamente la fervorosa aspiracion de la humanidad progresista a la paz y la reunificacion de Corea y expresa firme apoyo y solidaridad al pueblo coreano en lucha por la reunificacion independiente y pacifica del pais.
    Alejandro subrayo que en el futuro tambien los pueblos progresistas del mundo apoyaran activamente la justa causa del pueblo coreano por la paz y la reunificacion del pais y clamo consignas "!Viva la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea reunificada y prospera!" y "!Corea es una!".
    Acto seguido, se ofrecio una rueda de prensa.