Message of Sympathy to Ukrainian President

   Pyongyang, November 23 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Thursday sent a message of sympathy to Viktor Yusenko, Ukrainian President, in connection with the methane explosion that occurred in a coal mine in Donetsk Region of Ukraine, claiming big casualties.
    Kim in his message expressed deep condolences and sympathy to the Ukrainian president and, through him, to those killed and their bereaved families.


Congratulations to Polish PM

   Pyongyang, November 23 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Il, premier of the DPRK Cabinet, sent a congratulatory message to Donald Franciczek Tusk upon his appointment as Polish Prime Minister.
    The message wished the prime minister of Poland success in his responsible work for the prosperity of the country and the well-being of the people.


Congratulatory Message to Polish FM

   Pyongyang, November 23 (KCNA) -- Pak Ui Chun, foreign minister of the DPRK, sent a congratulatory message to Radoslaw Sikorski who was appointed as Polish foreign minister.
    The message wished him success in his new job.


New National Acrobatic Pieces Created

   Pyongyang, November 23 (KCNA) -- The Pyongyang Circus has produced new national acrobatic pieces.
    Based on the principles of martial arts and folk games including archery, seesaw, tug-of-war, swinging and rope jumping that the Korean people had been fond of from ancient times, the new pieces reflect the ancestors' ardent patriotism and spirit of attaching importance to military affairs.
    Physical acrobatics "Hunter and Crane", "Woman Knight" and "Double Swing", animal feat "Horse Riding Knights" and others show a high level of artistic effect as they are performed with Mt. Taesong, Moran Hill and other places of the walled city of Pyongyang, the military arts training centres, as their background.
    Particularly the physical acrobatics "Aerial Martial Arts" based on the principle of swinging is deep in martial arts color and shows well technical and rhythmic movements in the air.
    People's Artist Pak So Un, head of the Creation and Production Group of the Pyongyang Circus, told KCNA that the work keeps the martial arts character alive through diverse revolution and flip-flap in the air and aerial flight and is deep in national color, thus giving the audience the national pride of having fine traditions of national culture.
    The national acrobatic pieces are performed every day before full house.


Mansudae Art Studio

   Pyongyang, November 23 (KCNA) -- Mansudae Art Studio is a famous comprehensive base for art creation in the DPRK.
    The art studio, which was founded in November Juche 48 (1959), has created many fine arts works of national treasure over the last 48 years, thus greatly contributing to the development of the Juche-based fine arts.
    It broke new ground for creating fine arts of grand monumental edifices by making and erecting grand monumental edifices including the Grand Monument on Mansu Hill, the Tower of the Juche Idea, the Arch of Triumph and the Monument to Victory in the Fatherland Liberation War in different parts of the country.
    The murals of the Pyongyang metro and various fine arts works decorating the interior and exterior of the People's Palace of Culture, the Mansudae Art Theatre, the Grand People's Study House, the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre and other edifices have also been created by the art studio.
    It has applied the literary and art policy of the Workers' Party of Korea on developing all genres and forms of fine arts with the Korean painting as the main. It has therefore produced lots of paintings and handicrafts which are vivid in national character and high in ideological and artistic value.
    Among the valuable fine arts works are the Korean painting "The Wave of Sea Kumgang", Korean jewel paintings "Dove Dance", "A Wisteria flower and a Puppy" and "A Tiger of Mt. Paektu", embroideries "Kimilsungia" and "Kimjongilia", ivory handicraft "Mangyongdae in April" and porcelain "Vase Decorated with the Lily of the Valley".
    Its works are highly appreciated internationally.
    The Korean paintings "Lake Chon on Mt. Paektu", "The Nam River in Winter", "Reunification Rainbow" and "Masque Dance of Pongsan" were awarded gold prizes, the top ones, at the 8th and 9th Beijing international art expositions.
    Kim Tong Hwan, head of the Korean Painting Creative Group, attended its 10th exposition in July this year with valuable Korean paintings such as "Girls Full of Pride" and "On the Way to Working Site". He was honored with the prize and diploma "Ten Most Famous Artists".
    Tens of art pieces including Korean and oil paintings, posters and porcelains which were displayed at the DPRK Fine Arts Exhibition held in the UK between July and September 2007 left deep impressions in the minds of the visitors.
    Today the studio is the prestigious fine arts creation centre of the country which propels the development of fine arts.


Koreans Called upon to Struggle for Great National Unity

   Pyongyang, November 23 (KCNA) -- The great national unity is the most right shortcut to reunification in the June 15 era of reunification and a powerful weapon for achieving Korea's reunification and the prosperity of the nation.
    Rodong Sinmun Friday says this in a signed article.
    Unity is the nation's mode of existence and provides a sure guarantee for national reunification and prosperity, the article notes, and goes on:
    The struggle to rejoin the blood ties of the divided nation and establish national sovereignty throughout Korea precisely means a struggle for achieving the great national unity.
    There are no two different nations that stand in confrontation in the north and the south. The Koreans, a homogenous nation, were divided against their will by foreign forces though they lived in one and the same territory. The fact that Koreans live separated in the north and the south constitutes a temporary pain and tragedy in the nation's history spanning 5,000 years. It is an irresistible trend of the national history and a law-governed requirement of the development of the nation for the divided Koreans to become one nation. No force on earth can perpetuate the division of the Korean nation which came into being and developed throughout a long history or eliminate the nation and its identity. Koreans should no longer allow themselves to live in separation as they are a homogeneous nation. This is the very reason why they should get united and serves as a premise on which unity can be achieved.
    The atmosphere of reconciliation and unity is growing stronger than ever before among all the countrymen under the banner of independent reunification.
    They have the most just idea, line and policy of the great national unity put forward by President Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il and its excellent tradition. Thanks to the outstanding leadership of Kim Jong Il who has creditably inherited the President's idea of the great national unity there arrived the June 15 era of reunification and the idea of "By our nation itself" is arousing all Koreans to the sacred patriotic struggle for national unity.


Rodong Sinmun on Basic Source of Koreans' National Self-Esteem

   Pyongyang, November 23 (KCNA) -- The Korean nation-first spirit of the Korean people stems from the great pride and honor of holding Kim Jong Il in high esteem as their leader. Rodong Sinmun today says this in a signed article.
    Noting that the Korean people came to have the strong Korean nation-first spirit from long ago as they were guided by President Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, the greatest men in the nation's history, the article goes on:
    By acclaiming Kim Il Sung as their great leader for the first time in the nation's history spanning thousands of years, the Korean people could put an end to the long history of sufferings and greet a new era in which they could carve out their own destiny by themselves and emerge a heroic people who defeated the two formidable imperialist enemies and a dignified people who set a shining example in socialist construction.
    It is the greatest national honor for the Korean people to have held Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il in high esteem as the leaders of the Workers' Party of Korea and the Korean revolution.
    The guidance of Kim Jong Il brought an immensely bright future to the Korean people struggling to achieve the eternal prosperity of the country and accomplish the cause of Juche. The last more than a decade, in particular, was a period in which the Korean people more keenly realized than ever before the greatness of Kim Jong Il, a peerlessly outstanding leader.
    The Korean nation-first spirit is based on the Korean people's pride and honor of holding Kim Jong Il in high esteem as a distinguished thinker and theoretician.
    It was thanks to him that Korean-style socialism remained unshaken even under the complicated situation where socialism collapsed in various countries and it could win one victory after another despite the grim situation where the imperialists got evermore undisguised in their reactionary offensive.
    The Korean nation-first spirit also stems from the Korean people's pride and honor of holding Kim Jong Il in high esteem as a great politician and a great father.
    The above-said Korean nation-first spirit will display ever greater might with each passing day in the worthwhile struggle to make the country of Songun richer and more glorious.


Ri Hoe Chang's Greed for Power Blasted by Korean Youth Leader in China

   Pyongyang, November 23 (KCNA) -- Mun Thae Hwan, chairman of the Federation of Korean Youth in China, released a statement on November 20 blasting the wild ambition of Ri Hoe Chang, a sycophantic traitor in south Korea, to grab power.
    Recalling that Ri at a press conference called on the day he declared his candidacy for the "presidential elections" slandered pro-reform forces and, not content with this, openly revealed his sinister attempt to bar the inter-Korean relations from favorably developing by blustering that "he would radically reshape the policy toward the north", the statement went on:
    Ri Hoe Chang is the guy forsaken by the Korean nation for being a traitor without an equal in history and a kingpin of irregularities and corruption. His father was an ill-famed pro-Japanese stooge and Ri Hoe Chang himself committed so many crimes against the nation and reunification. He was censured for his son's evasion from military service and forced big businesses to provide truck loads of money as election funds.
    Ri is an ultra-right conservative opposed to reunification who was twice defeated in the "presidential elections" after facing a stern judgment by the south Korean people.
    He embezzled truck loads of money collected from people as taxes in a bid to realize his sinister political ambition, accumulated wealth and wallowed in luxury through all sorts of irregularities and corruption. Worse still, this confrontational maniac openly termed the day when the June 15 joint declaration was adopted a "day of national humiliation" and vociferated about "the principal enemy", supporting foreign forces in their hostile policy towards the DPRK.
    If such human scum is allowed to win the elections, the south Korean society will be completely deprived of justice, the favorably developing inter-Korean relations will again collapse and the south Korean people be thrown into distress again.
    All the youths and students in the north and the south and abroad should turn out as one in the actions to positively support and implement the Declaration for Development of North-South Relations and Peace and Prosperity and completely eliminate Ri from the arena of history.


74th Meeting for Peace and Disarmament Held in S. Korea

   Pyongyang, November 23 (KCNA) -- The 74th meeting for peace and disarmament was reportedly held near the building of the "National Assembly" in Youido of Seoul on Tuesday.
    It was attended by members of civic and public organizations including the People for Achieving Peace and Reunification of south Korea and residents of Jeju Island and Mugon-ri of Phaju City of Kyonggi Province.
    Speakers at the meeting accused the military authorities of introducing to the NA a defence budget bill for 2008 which showed a nine percent increase over this year's.
    They charged that the military authorities included in the budget bill not only expenses for building a naval base on Jeju Island and the expansion of the drill ground of U.S. forces in Phaju of Kyonggi Province but those for the purchase of weapons for preemptive strikes at the north, adding that this is a treacherous move to torpedo the peace process on the Korean Peninsula.
    They also condemned the military authorities for such sycophantic and submissive moves as including in the budget bill the increased share of funds for the upkeep of U.S. forces and expenses for extending the presence of south Korean troops in Iraq and the transfer of U.S. military bases, etc. under the pretext of maintaining the "alliance" with the U.S.
    A proposal to the lawmakers read out at the meeting urged the NA not to pass the anti-peace and humiliating defence budget bill.


Anti-Chosun Ilbo Campaign Unabated in S. Korea

   Pyongyang, November 23 (KCNA) -- The Young Buddhist Association of south Korea reportedly held a meeting in Kwanghwamun of Seoul on Nov. 18 at which it vowed to carry on its actions against "Chosun Ilbo."
    The organization accused conservative media including "Choson Ilbo" of still releasing distorted and biased reports in a bid to deceive people and block national reconciliation.
    The organization declared that it would carry on the signature campaign to boycott "Chosun Ilbo" and activities to distribute literature critical of the newspaper and, at the same time, hold an exhibition of unfair information spread by conservative media.


For Spanish-speaking people



Kim Jong Il inspecciona la unidad aerea No. 874 del EPC

   Pyongyang, 23 de noviembre (ATCC) -- El Dirigente Kim Jong Il, Secretario General del Partido del Trabajo de Corea, Presidente del Comite de Defensa Nacional de la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea y Comandante Supremo del Ejercito Popular de Corea, inspecciono la unidad aerea No. 874 del EPC.
    Despues de enterarse del estado de cumplimiento del deber de la unidad vio los registros de victorias de la unidad.
    Dijo que esta unidad formada bajo la atencion personal del Presidente Kim Il Sung y crecida como destacamento invencible por su sabia direccion y cuidado pudo recorrer el unico camino de la gloria y victoria de largo tiempo y evaluo altamente las proezas de la unidad.
    A continuacion vio ejercicios de los aviadores en los campos de entrenamiento.
    Expreso gran satisfaccion de que la unidad libra energicamente la lucha por materializar cabalmente la linea militar del partido y forma a todos los aviadores como valerosos combatientes del cielo analogos al heroe Kil Yong Jo.
    Al enterarse del estado de disposicion combativa en la sala de preparacion de vuelo elogio los esfuerzos abnegados de los pilotos, defensores seguros del cielo de la patria.
    Senalo que vivir de manera heroica y hacerse heroe deviene una vida mas valiosa y digna y un honor altisimo para el ser humano independiente y subrayo que todos deben ser heroes en la sagrada batalla de defensa de la patria.
    Al recorrer la Casa de Militares, el dormitorio, el comedor, el bano y el deposito de alimentos diarios y otros varios lugares de la unidad, atendio cordialmente con un sentimiento fraternal la labor y la vida de los aviadores.
    Se mostro satisfecho de que la unidad dispone de suficientes instalaciones de cultura, educacion e intendencia y se realiza eficientemente la labor ideologica con varios metodos conforme a las caracteristicas de los aviadores.
    Senalo que nuestros aviadores valerosos son los fuertes en la conviccion e ideologia llenos del ardiente patriotismo decididos a dedicar sin titubeo hasta su juventud y vida en la sagrada causa de la defensa de la patria y acentuo que nuestro pais es una fortaleza inexpugnable por contar con fidedignas filas defensoras del cielo de la patria.
    El Dirigente se fotografio junto a los militares de la unidad.


Kim Yong Nam envia telegrama de consuelo al presidente ucranio

   Pyongyang, 23 de noviembre (ATCC) -- El presidente del Presidium de la Asamblea Popular Suprema de la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea, Kim Yong Nam, envio la vispera un telegrama de consuelo al presidente de Ucrania, Viktor Yusenko, en relacion con numerosas perdidas humanas que causo una explosion de metano en una mina de carbon de la region de Donetsk de este pais.
    En la misiva el remitente expresa profundo pesar y consuelo al mandatario y, por su conducto, a los fallecidos en el accidente y sus familiares.


Rodong Sinmun convoca a la gran unidad nacional

   Pyongyang, 23 de noviembre (ATCC) -- En un articulo individual publicado este viernes, el diario Rodong Sinmun subraya que la gran unidad nacional deviene en la actual epoca del 15 de junio la senda mas correcta hacia la reunificacion y poderosa arma para lograr la prosperidad de la nacion coreana.
    Tras destacar que la unidad es el modo de subsistencia de la nacion coreana y la garantia fundamental para la patria de la patria y la prosperidad nacional, el articulista afirma que luchar por unir los vasos sanguineos de la nacion dividida e implantar la soberania nacional en todo el pais da lo mismo que trabajar por la gran unidad nacional.
    En el Norte y el Sur de Corea no estan enfrentadas dos naciones diferentes, sino vive una sola nacion dividida artificialmente por las fuerzas extranjeras, apunta Rodong Sinmun y prosigue:
    @Pero, esta division es una desgracia temporal acontecida en la historia de 5 milenios de la nacion coreana porque es una demanda legitima de ella reunirse y desarrollarse como una sola nacion.
    @Ninguna fuerza puede lograr la separacion perenne de la homogenea nacion coreana formada y desarrollada durante su larga historia ni suprimir su nacionalidad.
    @La nacion coreana es la homogenea que no puede vivir separada, he aqui la premisa de la unidad nacional.
    En estos momentos, todos los coreanos dan mas calor al clima de reconciliacion y unidad bajo la bandera de reunificacion independiente.
    La nacion coreana cuenta con la mas justa idea, linea y orientacion sobre la gran unidad nacional, dilucidadas por el Presidente Kim Il Sung y el Dirigente Kim Jong Il, y la excelente tradicion de la misma.
    @Gracias a la destacada guia del Dirigente, quien continua la gran idea sobre el particular del Presidente, hoy dia se inicia la epoca de reunificacion del 15 de junio y toda la nacion coreana se alza a la sagrada lucha patriotica por la unidad nacional bajo el ideal de "entre nosotros, los connacionales".