Gift to Kim Jong Il from Venezuelan President

     Pyongyang, January 18 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il was presented with a gift by Hugo Chavez Frias, president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, on the occasion of the New Year. The gift was handed to the DPRK embassy in Havana on Jan. 13.

KCNA Slams Outbursts of IAEA Director General

     Pyongyang, January 18 (KCNA) -- El Baradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, recently blustered that the DPRK is the primary threat to the nuclear non-proliferation system and has breached the NPT beyond the IAEA control for 12 years. His remarks go to prove how he busied himself backing the U.S. hostile policy toward the DPRK as he wantonly interfered in the issue outside his mandate.
    The DPRK is not a member nation of the NPT and had already withdrawn from the IAEA. It has nothing to do with the IAEA. Yet, he is still pulling up the DPRK over this or that. This is an undisguised provocation and an imprudent act exceeding his authority.
    We can hardly understand how he still remains in the office as director general of the IAEA as he does not know why and how the nuclear issue surfaced between the DPRK and the U.S. and the well known fact that the DPRK is no longer a member nation of the IAEA and NPT.
    He is known to have busied himself implementing the policies of the U.S. administration as its henchman and changed his stand without difficulty.
    He expressed a "serious concern" over the nuclear issue of south Korea when it was disclosed. But no sooner had voices patronizing Seoul come out from Washington than he made a volte-face at once. He asserted that the DPRK is to blame for the delayed settlement of the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, blustering that now is the time for the UNSC to move.
    He is now doing his best to please the U.S. in his reckless bid to serve another term as IAEA director general.
    He behaved discarding even the principle of objectivity, impartiality and neutrality which the IAEA should regard as its life and soul just to please the U.S., his master. But he is now out of favor with the U.S. due to the differences over various matters related to Iran, Iraq and some other Mideast countries.
    The U.S. has already expressed its stand more than once that it is opposed to his serving another term as IAEA director general at the end of his second term.
    The Washington Post reported that officials of the U.S. administration wiretapped scores of phone calls between El Baradei and Iranian diplomats, which was aimed to gather evidence unfavorable to him and unseat him.
    It is as clear as noonday that he, who has acted under the pulls and pressures of the superpower, will stoop to any infamy just to court the U.S. favour as he is tight-cornered.
    This time he succeeded in improving his image talking about the so-called "authority" of the IAEA. He asserted that the IAEA has sufficient modern technological means to verify even nuclear activities in any "closed facility" and as was the case with the elimination of nuclear weapons in South Africa., the IAEA can take charge of the job once an agreement is reached. This betrays his political greed.
    It is ridiculous of him to poke his nose into internal affairs of the country outside the IAEA though he has failed to solve its own problems at a time when the secret nuclear experiments conducted by its member nations are disclosed one after another. If he truly wants to discharge the mission and role as the IAEA chief, he is well advised to mind P's and Q's and stick to the principle of impartiality, though belatedly, so that the IAEA may not become a plaything of anyone.

Plan for War Exercise Announced in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, January 18 (KCNA) -- The "Army Metropolitan Garrison Command" of south Korea announced a plan to stage tank and military hardware maneuvers from Jan. 18 to 22, KBS of south Korea reported. The maneuvers will be reportedly staged in Sodaemun and Unphyong districts of Seoul and the area of Kyonggi Province with the mobilization of a tank battalion under the command.
    The south Korean bellicose military forces are hell-bent on frantic war exercises in a bid to strain the situation, going against the nation-wide march for realizing cooperation for peace against war.

Gift to Kim Jong Il from Mozambican President

     Pyongyang, January 18 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il was presented with a gift by Mozambican President Joaquim Alberto Chissano. The gift was conveyed to Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, by Antonio Inacio Junior, new Mozambican ambassador e. p. to the DPRK, on Jan. 17.

Struggle for U.S. Troop Pullout Urged in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, January 18 (KCNA) -- The south Korean Central Group against the U.S. and War and for the Withdrawal of the U.S. Troops reportedly made public an appeal on January 14 calling upon all the people to come out in the general onward movement for the pullout of the U.S. troops. The appeal said that all the fellow countrymen in the south and the north and abroad are lifting their voices calling for an anti-U.S. and anti-war struggle, holding high the slogan "Let our nation live by itself free from the U.S." to greet the year of the U.S. troop pullout.
    The central group has conducted dynamic information activities among the people to bring the justice of actions for the U.S. troop pullout home to them, the appeal said, stressing the need to struggle more vigorously to make 2005 the year of the withdrawal of the U.S. troops in the same spirit.
    The appeal called upon the youth and students to stage a vigorous all-out march, a general offensive for the withdrawal of the U.S. troops in single-minded unity and upon all the anti-U.S., patriotic youth and students to turn out in the practical activities to build up the public opinion for the U.S. troop pullout under the slogan of "Let's go among masses".

64th Anti-U.S. Meeting for Solidarity Held in S. Korea

     Pyongyang, January 18 (KCNA) -- The 64th anti-U.S. meeting for solidarity was reportedly held in citizens' park in Kwanghwamun of Seoul on Jan. 11 under the co-sponsorship of the People for Achieving Peace and Reunification, the Phyongthaek Measure Committee for Opposing Expansion of U.S. Military Base, the Anti- U.S., Anti-War and Solidarity Council for the Withdrawal of the U.S. Troops and other organizations. Speakers at the meeting termed the U.S. attempt to expand its military base in Phyongthaek in the wake of the deployment of Stealth fighter bombers in Kunsan and "PAC-3" missile unit in Kwangju as part of its moves to establish the Missile Defence system. They called for checking this move.
    An open letter of protest to U.S. President Bush was published at the meeting.
    The letter strongly demanded an immediate stop to the moves to set up a "council for the security policy initiative of the south Korea-U.S. alliance" and hold "high-ranking dialogue for strategy" which are being pushed forward in accordance with the "agreement" reached at the "annual meeting of the security consultative council" held between the U.S. and the south Korean authorities last year. The people can never tolerate such moves as they are going against the peace and reunification on the Korean Peninsula and will result only in strengthening the shackling south Korea-U.S. relations, the letter noted.
    It also demanded an immediate stop to the moves to expand the U.S. military base in Phyongthaek which pose a serious threat to the peace on the Korean Peninsula and in the rest of Northeast Asia.

Kim Jong Il's Birthday to Be Celebrated

     Pyongyang, January 18 (KCNA) -- A preparatory committee for celebrating leader Kim Jong Il's birthday (February 16) was formed by the Ukrainian Association for the Study of Songun Policy. Chairman of the association Grigori Shubed in a report at the inaugural ceremony said that its members would successfully organize functions for celebrating the birthday of Kim Jong Il and widely introduce the successes made by the Korean people under his Songun leadership.
    Grigori Shubed was elected chairman of the preparatory committee.
    The committee decided to set the period from Jan. 15 to Feb. 20 as a period for celebration, organize a variety of functions including a meeting, film show, book and photo exhibition and contribute commemorative articles to media.

Sun's Day and February Fete to Be Marked

     Pyongyang, January 18 (KCNA) -- A meeting was held in Quito on Jan. 9 to discuss the significant commemoration of the Sun's Day (President Kim Il Sung's birth anniversary) and the February fete (leader Kim Jong Il's birthday) under the sponsorship of the Ecuadorian preparatory committee for successfully ensuring the "meeting praising the great persons of Mt. Paektu" and building of a monument to the three generals of Mt. Paektu. At the meeting, Fabian Guerrero, chairman of the Ecuadorian Committee for Supporting Korea's Independent and Peaceful Reunification, who is a member of the preparatory committee, underlined the significance of the grand commemoration of the Sun's Day and the February holiday this year in which fall the 60th anniversaries of the Workers' Party of Korea and the liberation of Korea.
    Discussed at the meeting were issues of widely introducing the greatness of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il in various forms and methods including film show, lecture, special TV program and commemorative meeting in February and April.

Songun Policy Praised in Britain

     Pyongyang, January 18 (KCNA) -- An Internet homepage praising leader Kim Jong Il's Songun policy was opened on Jan. 7 by the British Association for the Study of Songun Policy and the British Group for the Study of the Juche Idea. The homepage carried a photo of Kim Jong Il in a field guidance and gave detailed accounts of the shining achievements made in the DPRK under his Songun leadership, stressing that the Songun policy is the most judicious political mode in this era.
    Recalling that world-startling miracles have been wrought in the DPRK and great advance made in the inter-Korean relations and the DPRK's external relations under the great Songun policy, it said: The DPRK is advancing along the road chosen by it, countering unflinchingly all manner of aggressive and provocative acts of nuclear threat and racket of isolation and stifling on the part of the U.S. imperialists.
    The DRPK has entered a new era of victory under the Songun policy of Supreme Commander Kim Jong Il, stressed the homepage.

U.S. Must Compensate

     Pyongyang, January 18 (KCNA) -- Minju Joson today comments on the ruling of a south Korean court some time ago on the payment of compensation to the tune of 8,150 million won to the residents of Maehyang-ri for the damage caused by a bombing drill of the U.S. air force in south Korea. Noting that the south Korean authorities are compelled to bear the whole amount of compensation as the U.S. forces, the very one accountable for the loss, are evading responsibility, the analyst says:
    The compensation issue surfaced as a serious matter after the A-10 fighter-bomber of the U.S. air force in May five years ago dropped six bombs on a firing range in Maehyang-ri, which hit a spot near a residential quarter, causing a heavy human and material loss.
    The U.S. forces have even carried out nuclear bombing exercises in the area, inviting a good deal of public criticism. This seriously polluted the local environment and exposed the people's lives to a constant threat.
    The damage inflicted upon the Maehyang-ri people could be compensated with nothing. What was open to question was that the U.S. forces which caused the enormous loss evaded their responsibility altogether, though even a hundred-fold compensation would not have been enough.
    The United States again stands stark naked as a regular rogue state which lacks elementary conscience and morality.
    The compensation should be paid by the U.S. forces as the damage to the Maehyang-ri people was caused by them.
    As long as the U.S. forces stay in south Korea, the second and third Maehyang-ri tragedies will be inevitable. The U.S. forces present in south Korea are a caner-like existence which imposes only misfortunes and sufferings upon the Korean nation.

Japan's Demand for "Reinvestigation" Rejected

     Pyongyang, January 18 (KCNA) -- The DPRK feels no need to have inter-governmental contact with Japan any longer now that the "abduction issue" had been settled with the Japanese prime minister's visit to Pyongyang as an occasion and the DPRK has made all sincere efforts it can. And it explicitly states to the Japanese side that there will be no "reinvestigation into the issue".
    Minju Joson today says this in a signed commentary.
    The ultra-right reactionaries of Japan do not wish to tackle the "issue" in the direction of improving the relations with the DPRK but seek to use it as a "playing card" for stepping up their hostile policy towards the DPRK, the news analyst points out, and goes on:
    Their ulterior intention is to keep using the "abduction issue" as a leverage to complicate the situation and orientate the DPRK-Japan relations towards achieving their insidious political purpose.
    The reality urgently requires the DPRK to reformulate its policy towards Japan. There is no other option for the DPRK as it has taken every measure for Japan in good faith.
    As far as the relations with Japan are concerned, there should be only "strong counteraction" against it and the DPRK should not rule out even physical counteraction, if necessary. This is the lesson that the DPRK has drawn from the whole historical course of its contacts with Japan.

Malicious Smear Campaign against DPRK Flailed

     Pyongyang, January 18 (KCNA) -- Kanzaki, representative of the Komeito Party, a party of the ruling coalition of Japan, in a recent NHK program palavered about the "abduction issue", throwing together the balderdash that "pressure should be put on north Korea" and "stage-by-stage reaction is necessary." Timed to coincide with this, it has recently been revealed by media reports that an amendment to the "harbor management act" is being examined to empower Niigata Prefecture to refuse the portcall of specified ships by the authority of the Prefectural governor.
    Commenting on this, a Rodong Sinmun analyst Tuesday says:
    This anti-DPRK campaign of the Japanese reactionaries is a dastardly act to wreck the DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration. It must never be overlooked.
    In the Pyongyang declaration published in Sept. 2002 the two sides promised to observe the international law and not to threaten each other's security.
    But the Japanese reactionaries, quite contrary to the spirit of the declaration, have engaged themselves in anti-DPRK moves, zealously banking on the U.S. hostile policy toward the DPRK, thereby driving the DPRK-Japan relations to the worst phase.
    What must not go unnoticed is that the ultra-right forces of Japan are screwing up to the highest pitch their moves to invoke sanctions against the DPRK and their hostile acts against it by inventing even "fiction of false remains", abusing the sincerity and humanitarian efforts of the DPRK.
    The Korean people are not afraid of sanctions by Japan and will not be frightened or alarmed even if it scuttles the DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration. Needless to say, the DPRK would immediately take a proper and tough countermeasure, if the Japanese authorities dared apply sanctions.
    The Japanese reactionaries would be well advised to keep this in mind and refrain from impudent acts.

Rodong Sinmun Calls for Rejecting Foreign Interference

     Pyongyang, January 18 (KCNA) -- If the U.S. is allowed to interfere in the issue of national reunification and internal affairs of the Korean nation any longer and, moreover, its anti-reunification moves are overlooked, the inter-Korean ties can never get rid of difficulties and trials and the cause of national reunification can never escape the crisis of setback, says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article. It continues:
    Last year the atmosphere of reconciliation and cooperation steadily mounted in the north and the south of Korea and all the Koreans worked hard together for independent reunification, but the inter-Korean relations remained at a stalemate quite contrary to their expectation. It was attributable to the U.S. vicious obstructions. Its criminal moves to bar the inter-Korean ties from improving and chill the atmosphere of peace and reunification on the Korean Peninsula reached their height last year.
    This is evidenced by the fact that the U.S. deliberately meddled in the issue of the inter-Korean ties and carried matters with a high hand, acting a "gendarme."
    Last year the U.S. intervened in the internal affairs of south Korea in a bid to orchestrate grave political events. This was aimed to block progress and reforms in south Korea and stem the trend of warming up the inter-Korean ties.
    The circumstances under which the movement for national reunification was waged last year once again taught a serious lesson that if the U.S. interference is not terminated, it is quite impossible to achieve the reconciliation between compatriots and their cause of reunification.
    This year the Korean nation should reject the aggressor foreign forces opposed to Korea's reunification and get united as one in the struggle for harmony and reunification under the uplifted slogan of three forms of cooperation--cooperation for national independence, cooperation for peace against war and cooperation for reunification and patriotism--put up by the joint New Year editorial.

Increase of Defense Capability Called for

     Pyongyang, January 18 (KCNA) -- The joint New Year editorial said that the defence industry is the foundation of the nation's military and economic potentials. It is a strategic primary task of the revolution and construction to augment the military potential of the country and further develop the defence industry now that the U.S. imperialists are escalating their moves to isolate and stifle the DPRK. Rodong Sinmun today says this in a signed article. It goes on:
    Generally speaking, the military might provides an important guarantee for defending the dignity and security of the country and the nation and protecting the revolutionary achievements from the moves of the imperialists.
    The present situation clearly indicates it is only defence industry that serves as a foundation providing a sure material and technical guarantee for the military might of the country.
    The defence industry does not simply uses the material wealth created in the field of civilian industry but serves as a foundation for augmenting the economic potential of the country by giving a strong impetus to the development of the social production.
    Therefore, the defence industry plays an important role in the development of overall national economy.
    The science and technology introduced to the defence industry before any other fields are bound to be transferred to different fields of national economy including heavy industry to promote economic progress.
    The most important task for further developing the defense industry at present is to implement the line of economic construction in the Songun era to the letter.
    The Workers' Party of Korea put forward this line as required by the present era in which the U.S. imperialists have gone into extremes in their moves to isolate and stifle the DPRK. Therefore, the line has become a strategic line that should be always held fast to as long as imperialism remains on our planet.
    The thorough implementation of the above-mentioned line provides a sure guarantee for defending the sovereignty and dignity of the country and giving full play to the advantages and might of socialism

Section Doctor System Develops in DPRK

     Pyongyang, January 18 (KCNA) -- The section doctor system has developed in depth in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The government has taken a measure to properly reorganize the medical service network and decrease the number of households per doctor so as to make an effective use of doctors and preventive and treatment facilities for medical service to the inhabitants in a comprehensive way. It also took measures to make city and county people's hospitals engage in giving special medical service to people and give technical guidance to the affiliated preventive and treatment institutions, and let general clinics and clinics take charge of households. The increased number of doctors makes it possible to decrease the number of households per doctor and give more effective medical service to people.
    The section doctor system was established in the DPRK under the wise guidance of President Kim Il Sung.
    He worked out a plan for enforcing the section doctor system in Juche 37 (1948) and saw to it that its preparations had been made across the country.
    And he let the 4th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea (September 1961) take a measure to increase the number of the city and county people's hospitals and ri (village) clinics (at that time) and assign a lot of medical workers to them for an early introduction of the section doctor system.
    In his concluding speech made at the 13th Plenary Meeting of the Sixth Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea held in March 1988, the President outlined the need to further develop the section doctor system and said that each doctor who had taken 20 and 10 households should now look after five in commensuration with the increase of doctors.
    True to the will of the President, leader Kim Jong Il saw to it that the section doctor system has been converted into household doctor system. As a result, the Korean people have their health protected by "family doctors".

Famous Symphony Orchestra of DPRK

     Pyongyang, January 18 (KCNA) -- The State Symphony Orchestra of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has given performances at the 3,000-seat theatre of the People's Palace of Culture in Pyongyang from last December. Put on the stage are famous orchestral music pieces of Korea and newly created music pieces. Its performance fully shows its historical tradition and ability. The orchestra proclaimed its foundation with the playing of the immortal revolutionary paean "Song of General Kim Il Sung" nearly sixty years ago.
    The symphony orchestra skillfully plays world traditional symphonies as well as Korea's.
    The symphonic suite "Long Journey of Songun" and orchestral music pieces "Rich Harvest Comes to the Chongsan Plain" and "Arirang", and music pieces for dance "Snow Is Falling" and "Azalea of Homeland" put on the stage were all composed and performed in a unique way.
    Leader Kim Jong Il enjoyed its performance towards the end of last year and praised its creators and artistes who had developed the symphony to be the Juche-oriented one loved by the people.

DPRK Pays Attention to Tsunami

     Pyongyang, January 18 (KCNA) -- The mammoth tsunami in the sea off Indonesia at the end of last year has struck terror and uneasiness into the mind of people across the world. Every day mass media of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has given a wide publicity to the cause, scale and damage of the tsunami and efforts of Asian countries and international organizations to remove the damage.
    Korea is washed on three sides by the sea.
    There have been more than 30 tsunamis in the East Sea of Korea from A.D.701.
    The tsunamis in the East Sea of Korea off the west coast of Japan in May 1983 and July 1993 severely damaged Japan and affected the Korean peninsula and the coastal areas of the Far Eastern region of Russia.
    Historical records say that the west coast of Korea was damaged by tsunamis.
    Extensive information activities have been conducted in the DPRK so that the people may turn out in efforts to prevent damage by tsunami and tidal waves.
    The government has taken steps to establish a forecasting and information system concerning tsunami and set up norms of construction to prevent tsunami damage.
    In an interview with KCNA, Prof. and Dr. Pak Jin Gil said that efforts should be directed to education and scientific research in tsunami to enhance the observing and forecasting capacity and that oceanographic research should be made so as to easily prevent damage by tsunami.

For Spanish-speaking people

Kim Jong Il recibe regalo del presidente mozambiqueno

     Pyongyang, 18 de enero (ATCC) -- El Dirigente Kim Jong Il recibio presente que le enviara el presidente de la Republica de Mozambique, Joaquim Alberto Chissano. El nuevo embajador extraordinario y plenipotenciario de este pais africano en Corea, Antonio Inacio Junior, lo entrego el dia 17 al presidente del Presidium de la Asamblea Popular Suprema de la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea, Kim Yong Nam.

Ucrania: comite preparatorio para el 16 de febrero

     Pyongyang, 18 de enero (ATCC) -- La Asociacion de Estudio de la Politica de Songun (priorizacion militar) de Ucrania organizo el Comite Preparatorio para el 16 de Febrero (cumpleanos del Dirigente Kim Jong Il). El presidente de la citada Asociacion, Grigori Shubed, al hacer uso de la palabra en el acto, senalo que los integrantes de esta entidad deben organizar en un alto nivel las actividades para celebrar el cumpleanos del Dirigente y dar a conocer ampliamente los exitos que el pueblo coreano logra bajo su direccion mediante el Songun.
    Como presidente del comite fue electo Grigori Shubed.
    El Comite decidio fijar como periodo de festejo del 15 de enero al 20 de febrero, organizar mitin, proyeccion filmica, exhibicion de libros y fotos y otras actividades e insertar articulos conmemorativos en las publicaciones.

Ecuador: reunion para celebrar fiestas de Corea

     Pyongyang, 18 de enero (ATCC) -- El Comite Preparatorio del Ecuador para asegurar con exito el "Encuentro de elogio a los grandes hombres del monte Peektu" y la construccion del Monumento a los 3 Generales del Monte Paektu auspicio el dia 9 en Quito una reunion para discutir el problema de celebrar con significacion el Dia del Sol (cumpleanos del Presidente Kim Il Sung) y la fiesta de febrero (cumpleanos del Dirigente Kim Jong Il). En la ocasion, el presidente del Comite Ecuatoriano de Apoyo a la Reunificacion Independiente y Pacifica de Corea, Fabian Guerrero, quien es miembro del Comite Preparatorio subrayo la significacion de celebrar el Dia del Sol y la fiesta de febrero de este ano en que se cumplira el 60 aniversario de la fundacion del Partido del Trabajo de Corea y de la restauracion de Corea.
    La reunion discutio el problema de organizar en febrero y abril proyecciones filmicas, conferencias, programas especiales de TV, mitines y otras variadas actividades para dar a conocer ampliamente las nobles personalidades del Presidente y el Dirigente.