Friendly Meeting Held on Day of Pakistan
Pyongyang, March 24 (KCNA) -- A friendly meeting with staff members of the Pakistani embassy here was held on March 23 at Korea-Pakistan Friendship Pyongyang June 9 Taesong Middle School No. 1 on the occasion of the Day of Pakistan.
Its participants talked about the friendly relations between the DPRK and Pakistan. They went round various educational facilities of the school and enjoyed an art performance given by its students, deepening the friendship.
Present on invitation were Noorullah Khan, Pakistani ambassador to the DPRK, and embassy officials. On hand were Vice-Chairman Han Chang Yun and members of the Korea-Pakistan Friendship Association, teachers and students of the school.
Day of Sun to Be Commemorated in Bangladesh
Pyongyang, March 24 (KCNA) -- The Bangladeshi preparatory committee for commemorating the Day of the Sun was formed with due ceremony in Dhaka on Mar. 18 under the co-sponsorship of the Left Democratic Front of Bangladesh and the Bangladesh-Korea Friendship Association.
Rashed Khan Menon, chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Bangladesh, was elected chairman of the preparatory committee, Nuran Nabie, general secretary of the Bangladesh-Korea Friendship Association, its general secretary and leading members of political parties and organizations members of the preparatory committee.
The DPRK will commemorate the Day of the Sun, the 13th anniversary of leader Kim Jong Il's election as chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK and the 74th anniversary of the foundation of the Korean People's Army in April this year.
The preparatory committee discussed the issues of organizing colorful functions including meeting, seminar, film show and photo exhibition for the purpose of highly praising President Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il for the undying feats performed on behalf of the times and humankind and widely introducing Songun Korea.
DPRK Book, Photo and Handicraft Exhibition Opens in Russia
Pyongyang, March 24 (KCNA) -- A DPRK book, photo and handicraft exhibition was opened at a museum in Belgorod City of Russia on March 10 on the occasion of the Day of the Sun and the 13th anniversary of the election of leader Kim Jong Il as chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK.
On display at the venue of the exhibition were famous works of President Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, photos showing their undying feats and books and handicrafts introducing the features of Songun Korea.
Speeches were made at the opening ceremony attended by public figures and citizens in Belgorod Region.
The deputy governor and general director for social and political affairs of the Belgorod Regional Administration said that Kim Il Sung is not only the leader of the Korean people but the great sun of the world progressive people.
The deputy general director said that the exhibition offered him an opportunity to know well about the strong spirit of the Korean people guided by the Songun politics of Kim Jong Il. He expressed the belief that the Korean people will successfully build a great prosperous powerful nation in the near future.
Greetings to General Secretary of C.C., LPRP
Pyongyang, March 24 (KCNA) -- The Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea on March 22 sent a congratulatory message to Choummaly Saynasone upon his election as general secretary of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party at the 8th Congress of the party.
His assumption as general secretary is an expression of the deep trust of all the LPRP members and the Lao people in him, the message said.
Expressing the belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two parties would continue developing in the common interests of the two peoples, the message wished him success in his responsible work to implement the decisions of the party congress under the slogan of "peace, independence, democracy, unity and prosperity".
S. Korean Press Corps' False Report Refuted
Mt. Kumgang Resort, March 23 (KCNA) -- South Korean reporters, when covering the first batch of those involved in the 13th reunion of separated families and relatives from the north and the south on Mar. 20, released a provocative false report painting a man from the north side as one "abducted" or "captured" by the north in a bid to mislead the public opinion.
In this regard the north side immediately lodged a strong protest with them against this false propaganda.
Nevertheless, the south side's press corps kicked up a fuss about its "withdrawal", refusing to cover the reunion of the second batch, far from apologizing for their provocative act.
As regards the south side's ceaseless provocations, the head of the north side's group participating in the 13th reunion of separated families and relatives clarified some points to the head of the south side on March 23.
He made it clear that if the south Korean press corps refuses to cover the reunion and wants to go back, it should no longer think of coming to Mt. Kumgang to cover the next reunion.
The north side notes with regret that the south side intended to use the reunion of separated families and relatives for a sinister political purpose from its outset, he noted, and continued: The separated families and relatives from the north side and the people
are bitterly angered by the behavior of the south side deliberately throwing obstacles to the reunion of separated families and relatives while clamoring about "abduction" and "capture". They are demanding a severe punishment of the prime movers of this farce.
He stated that the south side wantonly violated the points upon which both sides agreed regarding news coverage and its behavior is a challenge to the sincerity and magnanimity of the north side.
He further said:
It was none other than the south side that committed a provocation to bedevil the inter-Korean relations, deliberately laid a hurdle in the way of the reunion and beclouded the prospect of the inter-Korean relations.
The south side should own full responsibility for the incident and its consequences before the separated families and relatives and other fellow countrymen.
Korean Organizations Ready to Counter Military Exercises for Nuclear War
Pyongyang, March 24 (KCNA) -- Over 60 public organizations in the north and the south of Korea and abroad made public a joint statement on Mar. 23 to declare that the more the U.S. and the anti-reunification forces escalate military exercises for a nuclear war, the firmer the Korean nation will get united to counter them in defence of peace against war.
The "RSOI" and "Foal Eagle" joint military exercises will mark an occasion in hastening the relocation of the U.S. forces in south Korea, their conversion into rapid task force and the updating of the aggression weapons deployed in the Korean Peninsula, and this will make the south Korean people shoulder the relevant economic burdens, the joint statement said, and went on:
We will smash the U.S. nuclear blackmail by the concerted efforts of our nation and foil the south Korea-U.S. joint military exercises with our struggle to defend peace and drive the U.S. forces out of south Korea.
We will more dynamically step up the grand march for great national unity under the uplifted banner of "By our nation itself" in order to force the U.S. troops out of south Korea.
We, the forces for June 15 reunification, will sharpen the edge of progress to mercilessly mow down those anti-reunification forces which are shooting their mouth off, inspired by the "RSOI" and "Foal Eagle" joint military exercises.
Struggle for Peace against War Called for
Pyongyang, March 24 (KCNA) -- All the Koreans in the north and the south and abroad should turn out in the struggle for peace against the U.S. and war under the banner of "By our nation itself" now that the U.S. has gone to extremes in its moves to threaten the security and peace of the Korean nation and start a nuclear war in the Korean Peninsula.
Rodong Sinmun today urges this in an article titled "Struggle for defending peace from war guarantees the security of the fellow countrymen."
The prevailing situation requires all Koreans to unite close under the uplifted banner of "By our nation itself" and wage a vigorous struggle to defend peace from war, the article notes, and goes on:
What Koreans wish is not the reunification of the country by use of force but peaceful reunification through national reconciliation and unity.
The military tension and the danger of war on the Korean Peninsula were forced upon it by outside forces.
The arrogant and gangster-like U.S. leaves no means untried to achieve its aims. What the U.S. seeks is not a peaceful, negotiated solution to the nuclear issue between the DPRK and the U.S. but an all-out nuclear war against the north.
In order to foil the U.S. imperialists' moves for aggression and war and achieve peace and independent reunification of Korea all Koreans in the north and the south and abroad, to say nothing of political parties and organizations and individuals, should unite close in their joint struggle. This is the only way out for them to survive.
The warhawks of the military and ultra-right conservative forces of south Korea are joining the U.S. in its war moves against the north, increasingly depending on outside forces. Nothing is more treacherous act than serving the outside forces keen to hurt the compatriots.
Koreans should neither hesitate to work for national cooperation nor shun it, reading others' faces. Both the north and the south should resolutely reject the outside forces keen to launch a nuclear war against the north from a patriotic stand and pool efforts to achieve peace and reunification in the spirit of "By our nation itself" on the road of national cooperation.
Much Efforts to Cultured Way of Production and Life
Pyongyang, March 24 (KCNA) -- Streets, residential quarters and working sites of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea are being facelifted when the spring has come.
March and April have been set as the months of sanitation in the country. During the period, a campaign for doing away with the traces of the winter and keeping the living environment hygienic and cultured is being launched so as to ensure cultured practice in production and life.
Pyongyang takes the lead in this campaign. The city authorities are strengthening the education in socialist patriotism among the working people of all strata so that they may turn out in the activities to arrange well their working and living quarters with an ardent love for their hometown and factory.
Along with this, the dwelling houses and public and production buildings are being facelifted to suit the modern aesthetic sense, residential quarters and streets rearranged and a lot of trees of good species planted to add beauty to the capital city.
Intensified Veterinary and Anti-epizootic Work in DPRK
Pyongyang, March 24 (KCNA) -- A nation-wide veterinary and anti-epizootic campaign is being carried on in the March-April veterinary and anti-epizootic months in the DPRK.
The Stockbreeding Management Bureau under the Ministry of Agriculture has worked out new regulations to be abided by in the months and taken various measures to prevent epizootics.
Primary attention has been directed to prophylactic treatment in the rural villages and stock-breeding and poultry fields across the country. A campaign of vaccinating newly-developed Koryo veterinary preventive medicine to the domestic animals according to their ages and of exterminating insects is going on. Activities for cleaning and disinfecting cages and pens of domestic animals and arranging environment are being conducted on a mass scale.
The Central Anti-epizootic Centre under the Ministry of Agriculture has directed a special attention to taking steps to prevent bird flu.
The centre has amended and supplemented a directive in a scientific way with regulations that should be adhered to in the anti-epizootic and quarantine work in connection with bird influenza. And it sent the directive and world divination materials
to the inferior units and helps the relevant organs and units thoroughly carry through it.
Great Ryongmun Cavern, Underground "Palace"
Pyongyang, March 24 (KCNA) -- The Great Ryongmun Cavern is located at the foot of Mt. Ryongmun over 300 meters above the see level which is nearly eight kilometers away from the township of Kujang County, North Phyongan Province, the DPRK.
The mountain is linked with famous Mt. Myohyang and the cavern has been registered as a natural monument in the country.
The cavern consists of myriad shaped wonders which had been formed by limestone solubilization and corrosion from several tens of million years ago. It is a natural cavern rare to be seen in the world for its grandeur, gracefulness and beauty.
It has two main and more than 30 branch caves.
There are over 20 beauty spots including Phungnyon-dong, Sokhwa-dong, Paekhwa-dong, Manmul-dong and Posok-dong in the cavern.
The cavern is characterized with the noted places concentrated in a short section and a long history.
Conspicuous among them are the underground square and the more than 30-meter-high underground waterfall in the Chonsangrakwon-dong.
Built at the entrance of the cavern were the stone gate depicting dragon and the observation stand. And lighting fixtures add beauty to stone flowers and stalagmites of the noted places.
The cavern is visited not only by Korean people but by a lot of foreigners.
The visitors are charmed by a mysterious beauty of the cavern. A foreigner says: Korea not only is a paradise on earth but also has an underground palace. Indeed, it is rather an underground palace than a great cavern.
The cavern, a treasure of the nation, has turned into the underground "palace" under the wise leadership of Kim Jong Il, who always directs deep attention to the cultural and emotional life of the people.
He, making rounds the cavern in March Juche 85 (1996), solved all the issues arising in its construction and management from the work of ascertaining the noted places to the work for building it as a cultural resting place, its preservation and organization of visit to it.
Kim Jong Il Inspects Unit for Training Recruits of KPA Air Force
Pyongyang, March 24 (KCNA) -- Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army Kim Jong Il, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK, inspected Unit 236 for Training Recruits of the Air Force of the KPA.
He received a salute from commanding officers of the unit. Going round technical lecture rooms, he learned in detail about how education is conducted.
He set forth the tasks to be tackled by the unit, expressing great satisfaction over the fact that it is giving effective education by manufacturing modern visual aids-based practice equipment by itself so that the recruits may effectively acquire basic special technique.
Then he paid deep attention to the service and living of the servicepersons, going round a servicepersons' hall, a library, an education room, a bedroom, a mess hall, a non-staple food store, a foodstuff processing room, a laundry, and other entertainment, educational and supply service facilities.
As the period to be spent by recruits is very important because it means the beginning of their military service, it is necessary to properly conduct training and education to suit the period and, at the same time, pay a special attention to their living.
He highly appreciated the laudable feats performed by the servicepersons of the unit, noting that the unit founded and led by President Kim Il Sung has achieved many successes in training reserves by devoting all wisdom and enthusiasm in the past.
He had a photo session with the servicepersons of the unit.
He was accompanied by KPA Generals Ri Myong Su, Hyon Chol Hae and Pak Jae Gyong and Vice Department Director of the WPK Central Committee Hwang Pyong So.
For Spanish-speaking people
Kim Jong Il inspecciona puesto de mando de Unidad No. 435
@Pyongyang, 24 de marzo (ATCC) -- El Comandante Supremo Kim Jong Il, Secretario General del Partido del Trabajo de Corea y Presidente del Comite de Defensa Nacional de la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea, inspecciono el puesto de mando de la Unidad No. 435 de las fuerzas aereas del Ejercito Popular de Corea.
El Comandante Supremo, guiado por el jefe de la unidad, recorrio la sala de presentacion del historial.
Al ver los objetos y datos historicos en que estan impregnadas las sagradas huellas del Presidente Kim Il Sung, recordo con profunda emocion las hazanas de direccion del Presidente grabadas en la historia de desarrollo de la unidad.
Dijo que la unidad, al recorrer el unico camino de la victoria y gloria bajo la direccion y atencion esmerada del Presidente, hizo gran aporte al fortalecimiento y desarrollo de las fuerzas aereas y senalo que la unidad debe llevar adelante estas brillantes tradiciones de lucha.
El destaco que la unidad acondiciono bien la sala de presentacion del historial para demostrar graficamente la historia de su desarrollo y subrayo que hay que realizar ampliamente la labor de educacion a traves de esta sala.
Tras enterarse del estado de cumplimiento del deber de la unidad vio con gran satisfaccion un ejercicio de mando de estado mayor, evaluo de altos sus hazanas y presento las tareas para fortalecer por todos los medios la combatividad de la unidad.
Recorrio la Casa de Militares, la sala de transmision alambrica y videocasete y otras instalaciones de cultura y educacion para hacer conocimiento detallado del estado de la labor de educacion ideo-politica para los militares.
Se mostro satisfecho de que la unidad realiza sustancialmente en diversas formas y medios la labor de educacion ideologica entre los militares y subrayo que hay que prestar primordial atencion a la labor ideologica para formar a todos los militares como heroes al estilo de Ri Su Bok y Kil Yong Jo que se inmolen al lanzarse como una bomba y bala cuando les exige la situacion en el curso del cumplimiento del deber militar.
Al hacer un recorrido por el recinto del puesto de mando se entero del estado de reforestacion.
El Dirigente evaluo que los militares de la unidad con el ardiente patriotismo plantaron y cuidaron con todo esmero los arboles en el recinto y a periferia del cuartel.
Acto seguido, recorrio las instalaciones de intendencia y evaluo altamente las magnificas condiciones de vida preparadas para los militares.
En la epoca del Songun (priorizacion militar) las unidades del ejercito popular encauzaron las fuerzas a la administracion de la unidad a la par del fortalecimiento de la combatividad para renovar su fisonomia, dijo y senalo que esta gran transformacion es un valioso fruto dado por el alto espiritu revolucionario, la disposicion combativa y el caracter organizativo y disciplinario que caracterizan a nuestro ejercito.
El Comandante Supremo se fotografio junto a los militares de la unidad.
Le acompano el subjefe de departamento del CC del PTC Hwang Pyong So.
Coreanos haran frente comun al simulacro militar conjunto
Pyongyang, 24 de marzo (ATCC) -- Unida mas monoliticamente, la nacion coreana aspirante a la paz antibelica hara frente a los ejercicios militares de guerra nuclear de Estados Unidos y otras fuerzas anti-reunificacion.
@Senalaron asi mas de 60 entidades del Norte, el Sur y en ultramar een una declaracion conjunta fechada 23 y continuaron:
El "ejercicio conjunto de refuerzo en el tiempo de guerra" y el simulacro "Aguilucho" serviran de un motivo para realizar la reubicacion, elevar la movilidad de las tropas norteamericanas y sustituir las armas convencionales existentes en la Peninsula Coreana por las sofisticadas, lo que correra a cargo de la poblacion surcoreana.
Rechazaremos con las fuerzas unidas de la nacion el chantaje nuclear de EE.UU. y frustraremos el simulacro conjunto Sur de Corea-EE.UU. mediante la lucha por la preservacion de la paz y la retirada de uniformados norteamericanos.
A fin de expulsar a las tropas norteamericanas del suelo surcoreano desplegaremos con mas vigor la gran marcha de la gran unidad nacional bajo la bandera de "entre nosotros, los connacionales".
Nosotros, fuerzas del 15 de junio para la reunificacion, aniquilaremos despiadadamente a las fuerzas anti-reunificacion que estimuladas por dichos ejercicios belicos sueltan peroraciones.
MINREX denuncia maniobras militares EE.UU. - Sur de Corea
@Pyongyang, 24 de marzo (ATCC) -- El portavoz del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea publico el dia 23 una declaracion denunciando el "ejercicio conjunto de refuerzo en el tiempo de guerra" y el simulacro militar conjunto "Aguilucho", de gran envergadura, que la banda belicista de Estados Unidos desarrollara junto con las autoridades surcoreanas del 25 al 31 de marzo en toda la extension surcoreana.
En las venideras maniobras militares participaran mas de 20 mil efectivos norteamericanos estacionados en el territorio norteamericano, el Sur de Corea y en ultramar y un gran numero de uniformados surcoreanos, precisa el portavoz y continua:
Esos ejercicios belicos devienen de punta a cabo maniobras de ataque preventivo