S. Korean Authorities' Farce of "Inviting Divided Families" Assailed
Pyongyang, August 29 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Central Committee of the DPRK Red Cross Society issued a statement on Friday to denounce the south Korean authorities for recently holding a "function of inviting divided families on the occasion of August 15."
Referring to the fact that the south Korean puppet Ministry of Unification, a Red Cross organization and the so-called "Committee for the People from the Five Provinces in North Korea" were busying themselves "consoling divided families" in different parts of south Korea from August 13, the statement said that this is, in fact, nothing but a clumsy trick and a burlesque to evade the blame for bedeviling the inter-Korean relations and suspending the reunion of separated families and their relatives.
Such humanitarian work as the reunion of separated families and their relatives had been brisk between the north and the south since the publication of the historic June 15 joint declaration, it said, and noted:
It was envisaged this year to more extensively conduct such humanitarian work as increasing the number of those involved in the reunion of separated families and their relatives and its frequency, arranging June 15 special reunion and video exchange of correspondence and completing the reunion centre at Mt. Kumgang resort according to the October 4 declaration and the agreement reached upon between the Red Cross organizations of both sides to implement it.
As soon as the Lee Myung Bak group came to power, it totally negated the June 15 joint declaration and the October 4 declaration supported by all the fellow countrymen and obstructed their implementation, thus mercilessly dampening the hope of the separated families and their relatives and destroying the foundation for settling the humanitarian issue.
The group of traitors claimed that the "purpose of the function" was "to explain their policy toward the north and seek the understanding of it" only to reveal themselves that it is to justify their confrontation with the north.
The deceptive "invitational function" was an intolerable mockery of the separated families and their relatives and it would only add pain to them.
What is more serious is that the south Korean authorities are abusing the "function" as a platform for conducting extremely malignant anti-DPRK propaganda in a bid to incite hostility toward the DPRK under the pretext of "consoling" the "divided families."
Their moves to escalate confrontation with the DPRK are further deteriorating the inter-Korean relations and beclouding the prospect of settling the humanitarian issue.
If the south Korean authorities are truly interested in the issue of separated families and their relatives, they should roll back their treacherous policy for confrontation with the north and opt to implement the historic June 15 joint declaration and October 4 declaration.
SPA Chairman Meets Serbian Ambassador
Pyongyang, August 29 (KCNA) -- Choe Thae Bok, chairman of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, met and had a talk with Miomir Udovicki, new Serbian ambassador to the DPRK, at the Mansudae Assembly Hall who paid a courtesy call on him today.
German Lawmakers Here
Pyongyang, August 29 (KCNA) -- Detlep Parr, member of the Federal Assembly from the Free Democratic Party of Germany, and his party arrived here today.
Korean Folk Song "Arirang"
Pyongyang, August 29 (KCNA) -- The grand mass gymnastic and artistic performance "Arirang", "Kim Il Sung Prize" laureate, is going on before full capacity at the May Day Stadium of Pyongyang.
The melody of "Arirang", the theme song of the extravaganza, deeply moves the audience.
There are various legends about the origination of "Arirang", a traditional folk song in Korea.
Once upon a time a woman sang a song while eagerly waiting for her lover who had gone to a battlefield. The legend being handed down orally, "Arirang" came into being.
People had widely sung "Arirang", creating local varieties such as "Sodo Arirang" (Phyongan Province), "Tanchon Arirang" (Hamgyong Province), "Kangwondo Arirang" (Kangwon Province) and "Milyang Arirang" (Kyongsang Province).
Typical among them is "Arirang", which has been known to the world as the symbol of the Korean folk songs.
"Arirang" is played in various forms including an independent song, orchestra music, film music and dance music.
Many folk songs like "Arirang" have been created one after another in the DPRK, where the Juche-oriented literature and art are efflorescing as the days go by.
Among them are "Arirang on Pass Chol", "Arirang for Army-People Unity", "Arirang for Prosperity", "Arirang of National Reunification" in reflection of the sentiment of the Songun Korea. These songs with rich ideological content are wide in thematic spheres and strong in national coloring, which are run through with gentle melody and solemn and earnest tone colour.
"Arirang" and songs of its genre, precious cultural inheritance of the nation, are powerfully encouraging the Korean people in their efforts for achieving the reunification of the country and building a great, prosperous and powerful nation.
National Farm Machine Exhibition and Technical Innovation Presentation Held
Pyongyang, August 29 (KCNA) -- A national farm machine exhibition and technical innovation presentation took place in Hwangju County, North Hwanghae Province, from August 26 to 28.
On display there were various type farm machines and farm implements contrived and manufactured by officials and farmers, scientists and technicians in the field of agriculture through a vigorous mass technical innovation movement and scientific researches. Valuable research achievements helpful to the nation's agricultural development were presented on this occasion.
New type farm machines for soil amelioration, sowing, manuring, harvesting, threshing and processing of agricultural produce on display drew attention of the participants.
In the presentation, the participants swapped achievements and experience gained in the course of inventing, manufacturing and introducing farm machines and implements and views on scientific and technological problems arising in the agricultural production.
FIFA Short Course for Football Coaches in Pyongyang
Pyongyang, August 29 (KCNA) -- A short course of the International Football Federation (FIFA) for football coaches is going on at Kim Il Sung Stadium in Pyongyang.
Attending the course are football coaches of sports groups, teachers of juvenile sports schools and football experts in Pyongyang.
Theory is combined with practice in the course which deals, among other things, with experiences of world renowned football coaches in guiding training.
The course is managed by Andy Egli, a Swiss lecturer dispatched by FIFA.
New Book "Korean Folk Customs of Family Life" Brought out
Pyongyang, August 29 (KCNA) -- The new book "Korean Folk Customs of Family Life" has of late been brought out by the Working People's Organizations Publishing House in the DPRK.
The book gives detailed descriptions of the makeup of a family, inheritance, the system and range of relations, the surname and family origin, genealogy, wedding custom, custom after the birth of a baby, custom of memorial service, family decorum, inheritance of the customs of family life.
It introduces folk holidays in different seasons such as the lunar January 15th and Chusok (the lunar August 15th) which were celebrated by the Korean ancestors through generations.
It also gives fragmentary common knowledge and anecdotes on the Korean folk customs and common knowledge on life customs of other nations in the world.
End to Suppression of Leading Members of Organization Demanded in S. Korea
Pyongyang, August 29 (KCNA) -- The south Korean puppet police suddenly arrested seven members of the "Socialist Workers' Federation" including Chairman of its Steering Committee O Se Chol, honorary professor at Yonsei University, on August 26 by invoking the ill-famed "National Security Law."
The police took this action on charges that they "propagandized and agitated a rebellion and produced and distributed propaganda literature."
Various circles issued statements in this connection in which they deplored that "cases of fabricating organizations are reoccurring though they believed there are no more" and branded the "Lee Myung Bak force infringing upon the freedom of thinking as the force breeding danger."
The statements demanded that the police crackdown upon the above-said organization be stopped at once.
All-Buddhist Meeting Held in Seoul
Pyongyang, August 29 (KCNA) -- An all-Buddhist meeting denouncing the breach of the constitution, religious discrimination and the Lee Myung Bak "government" took place at the plaza of the Seoul City Office of south Korea on August 27.
The meeting was attended by at least 10,000 members of different Buddhist organizations including Jogye, Thaego and Chonthae orders and more than 200,000 citizens from all walks of life.
The resolution read out at the meeting accused the Lee Myung Bak "government" of getting evermore pronounced in the religious discrimination, adding that this was a reckless act of violating the law banning the religious discrimination, etc. and disturbing the harmony among people.
The resolution raised the 4-point demands that Lee Myung Bak own responsibility for the religious discrimination, make open apology for it, immediately fire the chief of the Police Office and institute a law banning the religious discrimination, etc.
Then speakers called upon all the Buddhist circles to take the lead in the struggle to check the arrogant and self-righteous acts of Lee Myung Bak, declaring that they can not remain a passive on-looker to the reckless acts of the present "government" to bring back the old era of dictatorship.
At the end of the meeting the participants marched as far as the Jogye Temple.
Prior to the meeting, Jin Kwan, chairman of the south Korean Buddhist Orders Council who is chief of the Administrative Office of the Buddhist Jogye Order, and other representatives of different Buddhist orders marched from the Jogye Temple to the plaza of the City Office, holding placards.
Remains of Civilians Killed during Last Korean War Unearthed
Pyongyang, August 29 (KCNA) -- The Committee for Settling the Past History for Truth and Reconciliation of south Korea held a briefing on August 25 in connection with the unearthing of remains of civilians killed during the last Korean war in Sanchong County, South Kyongsang Province.
Professor at Kyungnam University Ri Sang Gil who is leading the unearthing and survey of the remains made public their interim results.
He noted that the survey of the five places where civilians were massacred conducted from July 18 resulted in unearthing remains of at least 200 people.
He testified to the fact that the remains were found in rows and waist bones were bent down.
He added that all the civilians were believed to be shot to death in big hollows, their hands tied up and forced to be on their knees.
Buttons, pieces of cloth, rubber strings, broken pieces of glass and piles of empty cartridges, etc. were unearthed in the course of the survey, he said, stressing that findings included ornamental hairpins, in particular, a proof that there were women among those killed.
Birthday of DPRK to Be Observed in Different Countries
Pyongyang, August 29 (KCNA) -- Romanian and Indonesian preparatory committees for celebrating the 60th anniversary of the foundation of the DPRK were inaugurated with due ceremonies on Aug. 23 and 25.
At the inaugural ceremonies Victor Voichita, chairman of the Romania-Korea Friendship Association, was elected chairman of the Romanian preparatory committee and Ristiyanto, chairman of the Indonesia-Korea Association for Friendship and Cultural Exchange, chairman of the Indonesian preparatory committee.
The Romanian preparatory committee decided to hold colorful events including a meeting for adopting a message of greetings to General Secretary Kim Jong Il and widely introduce Songun Korea through media on the occasion of the birthday of the DPRK.
The Indonesian preparatory committee set a celebration period from Sept. 1 to 10 and decided to organize various events in the period.
A message of greetings to Kim Jong Il was adopted at the inaugural meeting of the Indonesian preparatory committee.
Anniversary of DPRK's Founding Observed in Mexico
Pyongyang, August 29 (KCNA) -- The Mexican Committee for the Study of Kimilsungism released bulletin No.11 on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the foundation of the DPRK.
The bulletin said in an article titled "Holding aloft the Banner of Independence" that the foundation of the DPRK six decades back was the fruition of the Korean people's arduous and protracted struggle for national independence.
It went on:
The six-decade-long history of the DPRK is recorded with the struggles for defending and glorifying its sovereignty.
The U.S. started a war to stifle the just two years old DPRK in June of 1950 to realize its wild ambition for dominating the whole of Korea, but the Korean people honorably defended the dignity and sovereignty of the DPRK.
In the post-war period, too, the DPRK firmly defended its sovereignty by frustrating every military threat and provocation of the U.S.
Socialist Korea has stood in confrontation with the U.S. which persisted in its offensive to stifle the country under the pretext of its "nuclear issue" since early in the 1990s. This was the height of its struggle to defend the sovereignty.
The DPRK has stood up single-handed against the imperialist allied forces including the U.S. styling itself as the world's "only superpower," protecting socialism and the sovereignty of the nation.
The bulletin carried a photo showing a mass demonstration in Pyongyang.
For Spanish-speaking people
ACR de RPDC denuncia a autoridades surcoreanas
Pyongyang, 29 de agosto (ATCC) -- El portavoz del comite central de la Asociacion de la Cruz Roja de la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea publico el dia 29 una declaracion de denuncia a las autoridades surcoreanas que libran el "acto de invitacion de los familiares separados con motivo del 15 de agosto".
El ministerio de reunificacion titere, la sociedad de la cruz roja y el "comite de 5 provincias del Norte" se ajetrean para "consolar" a los "familiares separados" por todas partes del Sur de Corea a partir del pasado dia 13, senala el documento y prosigue:
Esto es una irrisoria ardid y payasada para evadir la responsabilidad de haber llevado al fracaso las relaciones entre el Norte y el Sur de Corea e interrumpido el encuentro de familiares y parientes separados.
Despues de publicada la historica Declaracion Conjunta del 15 de Junio, entre el Norte y el Sur se libro animadamente la labor humanitaria incluyendo el encuentro de los familiares y parientes separados.
La Declaracion del 4 de Octubre y el acuerdo de las entidades de la cruz roja de ambas partes para la ejecucion de esta preveian realizar con mas amplitud este ano la labor humanitaria, es decir aumentar el numero de entrevistados y de encuentros de los familiares y parientes separados, realizar el encuentro especial del 15 de junio y el intercambio de correspondencia de imagen e inaugurar el Puesto de Encuentro del monte Kumgang.
Pero, la banda de Lee Myung Bak, desde el primer dia de su acceso al poder, nego totalmente la Declaracion Conjunta del 15 de Junio y la Declaracion del 4 de Octubre a las que apoya toda la nacion y estorbo la ejecucion de estas pisoteando despiadadamente la esperanza de los familiares y parientes separados y destruyendo la base de la solucion del problema humanitario.
Lo dicho de la banda traidora de que el "proposito del presente acto" es "para dar explicacion y comprension de la politica para con el Norte" es en fin de cuentas una artimana para legalizar su acto de confrontacion con la RPDC.
La payasada de "ceremonia de invitacion" es insoportable insulto a los familiares y parientes separados y solo aumenta el sufrimiento de estos.
Lo mas grave es que las autoridades surcoreanas, so pretexto de "consolar" a los "familiares separados", malemplean el presente "acto" como maligna escena de propaganda para inculcar la hostilidad a la RPDC.
Debido a las maniobras de confrontacion con la RPDC de las autoridades surcoreanas las relaciones intercoreanas se empeoran mas y la perspectiva de la solucion del problema humanitario se entenebrece.
Si las autoridades surcoreanas tienen interes de veras en el problema de los familiares y parientes separados, deben abandonar su politica anti-nacional de confrontacion y ejecutar la historica Declaracion Conjunta del 15 de Junio y la Declaracion del 4 de Octubre.
Simposio central sobre hazanas de grandes hombres simpares
Pyongyang, 29 de agosto (ATCC) -- Tuvo lugar el dia 28 en el Palacio Cultural del Pueblo el simposio central sobre las inmortales hazanas del Presidente Kim Il Sung y el Dirigente Kim Jong Il realizadas en la fundacion y el fortalecimiento de la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea.
En la ocasion participaron el vicepresidente del Presidium de la Asamblea Popular Suprema de la RPDC, Yang Hyong Sop, el secretario del Comite Central del Partido del Trabajo de Corea, Kim Ki Nam, el ministro de Educacion, Kim Yong Jin, los funcionarios de los organos del partido, la administracion y organizaciones de masas del centro y la ciudad de Pyongyang, los funcionarios de los sectores de ciencia, ensenanza, literatura y arte, prensa e informacion, organismos de formacion de cuadros partidistas y el sector de materiales historicos de la revolucion.
En el simposio fueron publicadas 5 disertaciones que explicaron y argumentaron las nobles personalidades de los grandes hombres simpares quienes realizaron inmortales hazanas en la fundacion de la RPDC, el fortalecimiento del poder popular y la construccion de la rica y poderosa patria.
Los oradores se refirieron a que el Presidente expuso temprano la idea de que el objetivo de la lucha revolucionaria reside en derrotar a los imperialistas japoneses y establecer el Poder de obreros y campesinos, dio inicio a la construccion del Poder popular en los dias sangrientos de la lucha antijaponesa, establecio en la tierra patria liberada el primer Poder popular y fundo la RPDC.
Argumentaron que lo mas importante de entre las hazanas de la direccion del Presidente quien hizo brillarla como una potencia independiente es que preparo la gran idea directriz para forjar el destino de la patria y la nacion, creo un ejemplo de epoca de la politica independiente que soluciona todos los problemas que se presentan en las actividades estatales conforme a la demanda y el interes fundamental del pueblo y preparo el poderio estatal capaz de defender con firmeza con su propia fuerza su idea, regimen y causa.
Anadieron que gracias a la extraordinaria capacidad politica y el noble patriotismo del Dirigente Kim Jong Il se abre una era de gran prosperidad nacional.
Subrayaron que todos los funcionarios deben glorificar de generacion en generacion las imborrables hazanas del Presidente acumuladas en la construccion del Estado, quedar fieles a la guia del Songun (priorizacion militar) del Dirigente Kim Jong Il y lograr la prosperidad de la RPDC.
Exhibicion nacional de maquinas agricolas
Pyongyang, 29 de agosto (ATCC) -- Tuvieron lugar del dia 26 al 28 en el distrito de Hwangju de la provincia de Hwanghae del Norte la exhibicion nacional de maquinas agricolas y el acto de presentacion de las innovaciones tecnicas.
Los funcionarios, trabajadores, cientificos y tecnicos del sector agricola exhibieron las maquinas y aperos agricolas de distintos generos inventados en el proceso de librar energicamente el movimiento masivo de las innovaciones tecnicas y la investigacion cientifica y publicaron los valiosos datos de exitos de investigacion que contribuiran al desarrollo agricola del pais.
En particular, llamaron atencion de los participantes nuevas maquinas agricolas para la administracion de tierra, la siembra, el abonamiento y cuidado de los cultivos, la cosecha, la trilladura y la elaboracion de productos agricolas.
Los participantes en el cenaculo de presentacion intercambiaron los exitos y experiencias logrados en el proceso de invencion, produccion e introduccion de las maquinas y aperos agricolas y los problemas cientifico-tecnicos que se presentan en la produccion agricola.
Corea: cursillo de FIFA para entrenadores
Pyongyang, 29 de agosto (ATCC) -- Ahora el capitalino Estadio Kim Il Sung es la sede del cursillo de la Federacion Internacional de las Asociaciones de Futbol (FIFA, en ingles) para los entrenadores.
En la ocasion participan los entrenadores de futbol de los equipos deportivos y los maestros directivos de las escuelas de deportes para jovenes y ninos y los especialistas de este deporte en la ciudad de Pyongyang.
El cursillo se realiza en combinacion de la teoria y la practica y trata de las experiencias de famosos entrenadores de futbol de talla mundial en la orientacion de ejercicio y otros problemas.
El profesor enviado por la FIFA Andy Egli (suizo) preside el cursillo.