Kim Jong Il Sends Gifts to Schoolchildren in Study Tour

   Pyongyang, March 25 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il sent gifts to the participants in the "250-mile journey for learning" study tour by schoolchildren from across the country.
    As a plane carrying the gifts landed in Songwon, the members of the study tour group gave cheers, shouting "Hurrah!" The group left Phophyong, a historic place, on March 16, 85 years after President Kim Il Sung made "250-mile journey for learning" and marched into Songwon through Hwaphyong, Kanggye, Jonchon and other areas, associated with the indelible footprints of the President.
    A ceremony of conveying the gifts was held on the spot on March 23.
    Speakers said at the ceremony that the gifts carry the great expectation of Kim Jong Il that through the study tour the schoolchildren would grow to be true sons and daughters who reliably carry forward the revolutionary cause of Juche, cherishing the noble intention of the President.
    They expressed the determination to prepare themselves as reliable pillars of the country with manifold knowledge, noble moral traits and sound body under the slogan of "Let's Study for Korea!"
    Present at the ceremony were Kim Jung Rin, secretary of the C.C., the Workers' Party of Korea, Ri Yong Chol, first secretary of the C.C., the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League, and others.


Talks between President of DPRK SPA Presidium and President of Angola

   Luanda, March 24 (KCNA Correspondent) -- Talks were held between Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, and Jose Eduardo Dos Santos, President of the Republic of Angola, at the presidential palace on Monday.
    At the talks both sides exchanged views on the issue of boosting the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries as required by the new century and matters of mutual concern.
    The talks proceeded in a friendly atmosphere.
    Present there were Pak Ui Chun, minister of Foreign Affairs, Ri Ryong Nam, minister of Foreign Trade, Choe Chang Sik, minister of Public Health, and Ri Won Son, DPRK ambassador to Angola.
    On hand were Joao Bernardo De Miranda, foreign minister, Carlos@Fonseca, diplomatic advisor to the president, and Joao Manuel Bernardo, Angolan ambassador to the DPRK.


Kim Yong Nam Meets Angolan Prime Minister

   Luanda, March 24 (KCNA Correspondent) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Monday met and had a talk with Fernando Da Piedade Diaz Dos Santos, Prime Minister of Angola.
    Present there from the DPRK side were Minister of Foreign Affairs Pak Ui Chun, Minister of Foreign Trade Ri Ryong Nam, Minister of Public Health Choe Chang Sik and DPRK Ambassador to Angola Ri Won Son and from the Angolan side Foreign Minister Joao Bernardo De Miranda, Minister of Foreign Trade Joaquim Icuma Muafumba, Minister of Health Anastacio Ruben Sicatu, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Pedro Canga, Minister of Science and Technology Joao Baptista Ngandagina and Angolan Ambassador to the DPRK Joao Manuel Bernardo.
    The talk proceeded in a friendly atmosphere.


Inter-Sector Talks Held between DPRK and Angola

   Luanda, March 24 (KCNA Correspondent) -- Inter-sector talks between the DPRK and Angola were held in Luanda on Monday.
    The talks were held between DPRK Foreign minister Pak Ui Chun and Angolan Foreign Minister Joao Bernardo De Miranda, between Minister of Foreign Trade Ri Ryong Nam and Minister of Foreign Trade Joaquim Icuma Muafumba and between Minister of Public Health Choe Chang Sik and Minister of Health Anastacio Ruben Sicatu.
    At the talks both sides exchanged views on the issue of steadily boosting the bilateral relations and issues of mutual concern.
    The talks proceeded in a friendly atmosphere.


Angolan Government Hosts Banquet for Kim Yong Nam

   Luanda, March 24 (KCNA Correspondent) -- The Angolan government on March 24 hosted a banquet in honor of Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, on an official goodwill visit to Angola.
    Present there on invitation together with Kim were Minister of Foreign Affairs Pak Ui Chun, Minister of Foreign Trade Ri Ryong Nam, Minister of Public Health Choe Chang Sik, DPRK Ambassador to Angola Ri Won Son and other suite members.
    On hand were Angolan Prime Minister Fernando Da Piedade Diaz Dos Santos, Foreign Minister Joao Bernardo De Miranda, Minister of Foreign Trade Joaquim Icuma Muafumba, Minister of Health Anastacio Ruben Sicatu, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Pedro Canga, Minister of Science and Technology Joao Baptista Ngandagina, Angolan Ambassador to the DPRK Joao Manuel Bernardo and officials concerned.
    Speeches were made there by Fernando Da Piedade Diaz Dos Santos and Kim Yong Nam.


Greetings to Bangladeshi President

   Pyongyang, March 25 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Tuesday sent a message of greetings to Prof. and Dr. Iajuddin Ahmed, President of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, on the occasion of the 37th anniversary of its independence.
    Wishing the Bangladeshi people stability, prosperity and welfare, the message expressed belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would grow stronger in the mutual interests.


Kim Jung Rin Meets Cuban Delegation

   Pyongyang, March 25 (KCNA) -- Kim Jung Rin, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, met and had a friendly talk with a delegation of the Cuban Women's Federation led by Surina Acosta Brooks, member of the Council of State who is general secretary of the Santiago de Cuba Provincial Committee of the federation, at the Mansudae Assembly Hall on Tuesday.


Gift to Kim Jong Il from Cuban Women's Federation

   Pyongyang, March 25 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il received a gift from the Cuban Women's Federation.
    The gift was conveyed to Kim Jung Rin, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, by Surina Acosta Brooks, member of the Council of State who is general secretary of the Santiago de Cuba Provincial Committee of the Federation, on a visit to the DPRK on Tuesday.


Foreign Guests Here

   Pyongyang, March 25 (KCNA) -- Ana Teresita Gonzalez Fraga, director for Information of the Cuban Foreign Ministry, a delegation of the Brazilian Foreign Ministry headed by Undersecretary General Roberto Jaguaribe and Glyn Ford, member of the European Parliament from the British Labor Party, and his entourage arrived here Tuesday by air.


Kim Jong Il Again Sends Lot of Honey to Pyongyang Maternity Hospital

   Pyongyang, March 25 (KCNA) -- People are again touched to hear the legend about the honey sent by General Secretary@Kim Jong Il with profound loving care to the Pyongyang Maternity Hospital which the Korean women call "their parents' home."
    This long-standing legend dates back to the time he began sending a lot of honey to the above-said hospital with his constant profound care for the promotion of the health of the Korean women and children.
    He recently sent the hospital several tons of wild honey for women in childbed and hundreds of kilograms of rare honey tonics including honey of royal jelly, honey of Crataegus pinnatifida, honey of Epimedium koreanum, honey of Schizandra chinensis highly efficacious for the treatment of the female disorder.
    The total amount of wild honey and honey tonics sent by him to the hospital in more than 50 installments since its opening reached more than a hundred and dozens of tons. This touching story has been conveyed as a legend singing of the noble personality of Kim Jong Il who has shown profound care for the health of the women.
    The medical workers and women there were moved to tears to receive again those wild honey and honey tonics, the things which had been presented to the leader by people with their best wishes for his health.
    The above-said legend in the era of Songun will be handed down to posterity as a story deeply touching all those who devote themselves to the building of a great prosperous powerful nation.


Birthday Spread Presented to Centenarian

   Pyongyang, March 25 (KCNA) -- A birthday spread presented by General Secretary Kim Jong Il to Choe Chae Ok on the centenary of her birth was conveyed to her. She lives in the 47th neighborhood unit of Okgye-dong, Haeju City, South Hwanghae Province.
    Born in a family of a servant, she lived a miserable life, undergoing the pain as a member of a stateless nation. It was not until President Kim Il Sung liberated the country that she could lead a worthy life.
    Choe Chae Ok worked in good health, benefiting from the socialist healthcare system. She has always been optimistic, keeping herself busy with work even after becoming an old-age pensioner.


More Songs of Enlightenment Period Unearthed

   Pyongyang, March 25 (KCNA) -- More songs created in the period of enlightenment have been unearthed and arranged in the DPRK.
    The songs created in the period from the 1920s to the liberation of the country are progressive ones, valuable musical heritage of the nation.
    In the pre-liberation days, conscientious men of literature and art wrote and composed a lot of songs to protect the national music and awaken the people to the anti-Japanese spirit under the Japanese imperialists' colonial rule.
    The government of the DPRK has paid deep attention to the discovery and arrangement of the songs for the purpose of enriching the nation's history of literature and art and preserving the Juche character and national character.
    A research team of the Institute of Juche Music under Pyongyang Kim Won Gyun Conservatory has collected songs widely sung in the enlightenment period and studied the background of their creation, visiting all parts of the country.
    On the other hand, it has deepened the work of discovering songs of that period through publications, collections of songs and gramophone records brought out in the pre-liberation days.
    As a result, more than 1,000 songs have been discovered and arranged and the book "Collection of 600 Songs of Enlightenment Period" has been published.
    Researchers there recently went to Phyongsong of South Phyongan Province and other local areas to unearth scores of songs including "Our Pyongyang, Picturesque Place" and "Looking up to Mt. Paektu".
    Brisk is the work to give fresh rendition to some of the songs of the enlightenment period and widely disseminate them.
    The songs give to the Korean people a great pride in having time-honored history and culture of the resourceful nation.


All Koreans Urged to Remain True to Spirit of "By Our Nation Itself"

   Pyongyang, March 25 (KCNA) -- "By our nation itself," the core idea of the June 15 joint declaration, a landmark of the national reunification movement in the new century, serves as an engine for carving out the destiny of the nation and provides a sure guarantee for the victory in the movement for independent reunification.
    Rodong Sinmun Tuesday says this in a signed article.
    It goes on:
    "By our nation itself," a treasured sword for carving out the destiny of the nation, serves as a source enabling the members of the nation to creditably perform their responsibility and role as a driving force for the above-said movement.
    If the Korean nation is to creditably fulfill its responsibility and role as regards the issue of reunification, it is necessary for it to unite as one, to begin with. Failure to achieve unity would give foreign forces a pretext for interfering in its internal affairs. Whenever there was a sign of favorable development of the north-south relations there broke out a variety of cases in the past, throwing hurdles in the way of the struggle to accomplish the cause of reunification. This was attributable to outside forces' plots and tricks. Even today when the June 15 joint declaration is in the process of implementation the U.S. is still standing in the way of the Koreans' struggle for independent reunification, displeased with Korea's reunification. This is evidenced by the madcap Key Resolve and Foal Eagle joint military exercises staged by the U.S. imperialists in collusion with the south Korean warmongers.
    "By our nation itself" serves as an engine for accelerating the movement for independent reunification.
    The Koreans have achieved great successes in the efforts to improve the inter-Korean relations and develop the reunification movement under the uplifted banner of "By our nation itself" over the past several years. The idea of "By our nation itself" was accepted by all Koreans and a series of substantial projects were undertaken to embody it in the reunification movement.
    When all Koreans at home and abroad enshrine the idea of "By our nation itself," a sure guarantee for accomplishing the cause of independent reunification, as their faith and embody it, the moves of the foreign forces against reunification and for confrontation and war are bound to go bust and the movement for independent reunification will make a more dynamic advance.


U.S. Anti-DPRK Confrontation Moves Assailed

   Pyongyang, March 25 (KCNA) -- At a recent press conference Bush carelessly termed the DPRK and other countries "rogue states" and asserted that the U.S. missile shield to be built in Europe is not targeted against countries in the region but it is aimed to contain the "missile threat" from such countries as north Korea. In the meantime some American politicians are letting loose all kinds of nonsensical lies.
    Commenting on the fact, a news analyst of Rodong Sinmun Tuesday says that Bush's labeling the DPRK as "rogue state" revealed his chronic hostile attitude towards the DPRK.
    What is more preposterous is that the U.S. has justified its scheme to build missile shield in Europe under the pretext of "threat" from the DPRK, the analyst says, and goes on:
    The DPRK has not turned against European countries and will never do.
    However, the U.S. is persistently spreading the fictitious rumor about "threat from north Korea" without any scientific evidence or authenticity.
    In this course it is trying to make a pretext and ground to justify its moves for bolstering nuclear and missile armament and building missile network worldwide.
    The U.S. imperialists' sinister intention is to militarily surround and contain big powers and realize their ambition for world supremacy with military edge by building missile shields in Northeast Asia and Europe under the pretext of "threat" from the DPRK.
    Another one of their major aims is to prolong the U.S. military presence in south Korea. By doing so, the U.S. authorities intend to delay the settlement of the nuclear issue and other pending issues between the DPRK and the U.S. for an indefinite period and ignite a war against the DPRK at any time.
    Now that the U.S. is vociferating about "threat from north Korea" more loudly than ever before, the Korean people will bolster their counteraction with heightened vigilance toward it.


U.S. Imperialists' Reckless Nuclear Hysteria Assailed

   Pyongyang, March 25 (KCNA) -- The U.S. Center for Strategic and International Studies in a recent report on the "U.S. Department of Defense and nuclear strategy in the 21st century" claimed that the U.S. is still exposed to the threat from "possibility of preemptive nuclear attack" by the DPRK. It went the lengths of stressing the need to set up a "nuclear command" while asserting that the U.S. administration should pay attention to bolstering nuclear deterrent to cope with this.
    Minju Joson Tuesday in a commentary terms this a revelation of the U.S. criminal scheme to secure its nuclear preponderance under the pretext of someone's "nuclear threat" and realize its ambition for world supremacy by brandishing nukes.
    The U.S. is stepping up modernization of nuclear weapons while talking about the "possibility of preemptive nuclear attack" by the DPRK. This was prompted by its aims to mount a surprise attack on the DPRK by securing a nuclear upper-hand, the commentary says, and goes on:
    In recent years the U.S. planned to produce 125 nukes of new type every year and decided to set up a combined centre for producing nuclear material to this end. It is the scheme of the U.S. nuclear war maniacs to produce smaller and advanced nukes with strong explosive power that can be used in wars like conventional weapons.
    It contemplates investing as many as 100 billion U.S. dollars in the development of new-type nuclear warheads and starting the full-dress production of them in 2012.
    Such moves of the U.S. compel the DPRK to build up its powerful war deterrent to cope with them.
    The U.S. nuclear war maniacs would be well advised to behave themselves, pondering over the grave consequences to be entailed by their reckless moves for modernizing nuclear weapons.


S. Korean Warmongers' Treacherous Move to Partake in U.S. MD Slammed

   Pyongyang, March 25 (KCNA) -- Some days ago the south Korean military brought forward a plan for deploying a new missile shield with a hue and cry over a "missile threat from the north." The south Korean military's frantic move to deploy a missile shield targeted against the DPRK is aimed at participating in the U.S. missile defense system (MD).
    Rodong Sinmun Tuesday observes this in a signed article.
    It goes on:
    It is publicly recognized that the U.S. MD is nothing but a system for mounting a preemptive nuclear missile attack concealed with the veil of "defense" under the pretext of "missile threat" from someone.
    South Korea's participation in the MD would help knock into shape a U.S. system for preemptive nuclear missile strike at the DPRK and the rest of Northeast Asia with the U.S., Japan and south Korea as an axis.
    While boosting cooperation with the Japanese reactionaries in the efforts to build the "missile shield," the U.S. is working hard to plug even south Korea into it in a bid to realize its adventurous strategy for world hegemony and wild ambition to invade the north with ease.
    It is quite clear that south Korea's move to join the U.S. in establishing the MD is an unpardonable criminal intention to bring the disaster of a nuclear war to the compatriots in league with foreign forces.
    The reality goes to prove that the south Korean warmongers are becoming evermore reckless in their moves to realize their wild ambition to invade the north with the backing of foreign forces, while desperately pursuing "alliance" and cooperation with foreign forces in the moves for war quite contrary to the trend of the times.
    Unpardonable are the south Korean warmongers who are going reckless in their moves to join the U.S. in its MD targeted against compatriots, while following foreign forces and cooperating with them at a time when all Koreans are striving hard to usher in a new era of independent reunification, peace and prosperity through their concerted efforts.
    History will certainly judge the pro-American warmongers of south Korea for their treacherous acts of turning their backs on compatriots and colluding with foreign forces contrary to the trend of the June 15 era of reunification.


Authorities' Move to Organize Terrorist Group Blasted in S. Korea

   Pyongyang, March 25 (KCNA) -- The Solidarity for Implementing the South-North Joint Declaration of south Korea, the Association for Supporting Prisoners of Conscience of the Family Movement for Realizing Democracy, the National Consultative Council of Bereaved Families for the Nation and Democracy, the south Korean Federation of University Student Councils and the Youth and Students Solidarity for Implementing the June 15 Joint Declaration had a press conference in Seoul on March 20 to denounce the authorities' move to organize a terrorist group.
    Speakers at the conference accused the authorities of contemplating creating a "team which specializes in arrests" little different from the "Paekgoldan (scull team)" dating back to the period of fascist dictatorship under the pretext of "establishing law and order."
    They said that the authorities' measure to hurl the above-said group into scenes of meetings and demonstrations and use such repressive tools against participants in protests as those for electric shock is a move to trample down the people's democratic rights and abuse human rights.
    Assailing the authorities for scheming to revive the "Paekgoldan" in defiance of the people's demand for the right to existence, they urged them to bear in mind what miserable end those dictators met.


Military Authorities' Move to Take Part in U.S. MD under Fire in S. Korea

   Pyongyang, March 25 (KCNA) -- The People for Achieving Peace and Reunification of south Korea had a press conference in Seoul on March 20 to lash at the military authorities for scheming to take part in the U.S. missile defense system (MD).
    At the press conference the organization pointed to the media disclosure of the fact that the joint chiefs of staff of the south Korean forces examined the "proposal for taking part in the U.S. MD" at the outset of this year.
    It disclosed that the above-said proposal called on south Korea to offer the U.S. places for missile launching and share the funds for purchasing U.S.-made ultra-modern MD and deploying it there.
    Recalling that the military authorities are talking about the building of their own missile shield, it noted it is a matter of time for south Korea to be subject to the U.S. MD within the framework of the south Korea-U.S. "alliance."
    It demanded an immediate halt to the move to build the missile shield as it is aimed at disturbing the peace on the Korean Peninsula and sparking off a new Cold War in Northeast Asia.


Korean People's Struggle Supported by Peruvian Party Leader

   Pyongyang, March 25 (KCNA) -- Victor Oliva Miguel, general secretary of the Revolutionary Socialist Party of Peru, met the delegation of the Workers' Party of Korea led by Vice Department Director of its Central Committee Kim Thae Jong in Lima on March 22 and had a talk with him.
    He expressed belief that the Korean people would certainly achieve great success in the struggle to build a great prosperous powerful socialist nation and reunify the country under the leadership of Kim Jong Il who faithfully carried forward the outstanding idea and clairvoyant wisdom of President Kim Il Sung.
    He stressed that the struggle of the WPK and the Korean people to build a great prosperous powerful socialist nation is encouraging the world progressive political parties and peoples in their struggle to realize their desire for socialism.


Improvement of Japan-DPRK Relations Demanded in Japan

   Pyongyang, March 25 (KCNA) -- A seminar on the subject of "restart of action to improve Japan-DPRK relations" was held in Japan on March 9.
    The floor was taken by several figures including Fumitoshi Yoshizawa, associate professor at Niigata University of International Information, Shiho Yokoyama, journalist of Niigata Daily, Mitsuhoro Mitsumura, chief of a research room of the Rim Japan Sea Economic Institute.
    They disclosed the injustice of Japan's hostile policy towards the DPRK, urging the government to seek a negotiated settlement of issues.
    An appeal adopted at the seminar stressed that it is not realistic to try to solve problems through sanctions, demanding the government resume the talks for the normalization of relations with the DPRK, lift sanctions against it and prevent the abuses of rights of Koreans in Japan.


For Spanish-speaking people



Kim Yong Nam departe con Jose Eduardo Dos Santos

   Luanda, 24 de marzo (Corresponsal de ATCC) -- Tuvieron lugar el dia 24 en el Palacio Presidencial las conversaciones entre el presidente del Presidium de la Asamblea Popular Suprema de la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea, Kim Yong Nam, y el presidente de la Republica de Angola, Jose Eduardo Dos Santos.
    En la ocasion ambas partes intercambiaron opiniones sobre el problema de ampliar y desarrollar mas conforme a la demanda del nuevo siglo las relaciones de amistad y cooperacion entre los dos paises y sobre otros asuntos de interes comun.
    Las conversaciones transcurrieron en un ambiente amistoso.
    Estuvieron presentes aqui por la parte coreana el canciller Pak Ui Chun, el ministro de Comercio Exterior Ri Ryong Nam, el ministro de Salud Publica Choe Chang Sik y el embajador coreano en Angola Ri Won Son y por la angolena el canciller Joao Bernardo de Miranda, el asesor del presidente para asuntos diplomaticos Carlos Fonseca y el embajador angoleno en Corea Joao Manuel Bernardo.


Kim Yong Nam se reune con el premier angoleno

   Luanda, 24 de marzo (Corresponsal de ATCC) -- El presidente del Presidium de la Asamblea Popular Suprema de la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea, Kim Yong Nam, departio el dia 24 en una atmosfera amistosa con el premier de la Republica de Angola, Fernando Da Piedad Diaz Dos Santos.
    En esta ocasion estuvieron presentes por la parte coreana el canciller Pak Ui Chun, el ministro de Comercio Exterior Ri Ryong Nam, el ministro de Salud Publica Choe Chang Sik y el embajador coreano en Angola Ri Won Son, y por la angolena, el canciller Joao Bernardo De Miranda, el ministro de Comercio Exterior Joaquim Icuma Muafumba, el ministro de Salud Publica Anastacio Ruben Sicatu, el ministro de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural Pedro Canga, el ministro de Ciencia y Tecnica Joao Baptista Ngandagina y el embajador angoleno en Corea Joao Manuel Bernardo.


Gobierno angoleno ofrece banquete en honor de Kim Yong Nam

   Luanda, 24 de marzo (Corresponsal de ATCC) -- El gobierno de la Republica de Angola ofrecio el dia 24 un banquete en honor de Kim Yong Nam, presidente del Presidium de la Asamblea Popular Suprema de la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea, de visita oficial y de amistad en este pais africano.
    A la comida fueron invitados junto con Kim el canciller Pak Ui Chun, el ministro de Comercio Exterior Ri Ryong Nam, el ministro de Salud Publica Choe Chang Sik, el embajador coreano en Angola Ri Won Son y otros acompanantes.
    Estuvieron presentes Fernando Da Piedade Diaz Dos Santos, premier de la Republica de Angola, el canciller Joao Bernardo De Miranda, el ministro de Comercio Exterior Joaquim Icuma Muafumba, el ministro de Salud Publica Anastacio Ruben Sicatu, el ministro de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural Pedro Canga, el ministro de Ciencia y Tecnica Joao Baptista Ngandagina y el embajador angoleno en Corea Joao Manuel Bernardo y otros.
    En la ocasion hicieron uso de la palabra Fernando Da Piedade Diaz Dos Santos y Kim Yong Nam.


Conversaciones por ramas entre Corea y Angola

   Luanda, 24 de marzo (Corresponsal de ATCC) -- Tuvieron lugar el dia 24 en esta capital las conversaciones por ramas entre la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea y la Republica de Angola.
    Los encuentros se llevaron a cabo por separado en un ambiente amistoso entre el canciller Pak Ui Chun, el ministro de Comercio Exterior Ri Ryong Nam y el ministro de Salud Publica Choe Chang Sik y sus homologos angolenos Joao Bernardo De Miranda, Joaquim Icuma Muafumba y Anastacio Ruben Sicatu, respectivamente.
    En las ocasiones ambas partes intercambiaron opiniones sobre los problemas de interes mutuo, inclusive el de seguir fortaleciendo y desarrollando con dinamismo las relaciones bilaterales.