Message of Sympathy to Russian President

   Pyongyang, September 15 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, on Sunday sent a message of sympathy to Russian President Dmitri Anatoliyevich Medvedev as regards an airliner crash in Russia that claimed human losses.
    Kim in the message expressed deep consolation and sympathy to the President and, through him, to the victims and the bereaved families and sincerely hoped that the president and the Russian government would eradicate the aftermath of the accident as early as possible.


Greetings to Nicaraguan President

   Pyongyang, September 15 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, today sent a message of greetings to Daniel Ortega Saavedra, President of Nicaragua, on the occasion of the 187th anniversary of its independence.
    Kim in the message wished him greater success in his noble work for the prosperity of the country and expressed belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the DPRK and Nicaragua would grow stronger in the future.


Greetings to President of Guatemala

   Pyongyang, September 15 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, today sent a message of greetings to Albaro Colom, President of Guatemala, on the occasion of the 187th anniversary of its independence.
    Kim in the message expressed belief that the relations between the DPRK and Guatemala would positively develop in the mutual interests in the future and sincerely wished him success in his noble work for the prosperity of the country and the well-being of its people.


DPRK Ambassador to Bangladesh Appointed

   Pyongyang, September 15 (KCNA) -- Sin Hong Chol was appointed as DPRK ambassador to Bangladesh, according to a decree promulgated by the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly.


Kim Yong Nam Meets Congratulatory Group of Koreans in Japan

   Pyongyang, September 15 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, met and had a talk in a compatriotic atmosphere with the congratulatory group of Koreans in Japan for celebrating the 60th founding anniversary of the DPRK headed by Nam Sung U, vice-chairman of the Central Standing Committee of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, at the Mansudae Assembly Hall today.


Foreign Delegations Here

   Pyongyang, September 15 (KCNA) -- A delegation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia headed by State Secretary Tsogtbaatar Damdin, a delegation of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of Vietnam led by its Vice-Minister Bui Suan Khu and a delegation of the National Sports Commission of Laos led by its President Phouthong Seng-Akhom arrived here today.
    Arrivals on the same day included a delegation of the Chinese People's Daily led by its Secretary General Zhang Dexiu, a delegation of the All-China Women's Federation headed by its Vice-Chairwoman Liu Xiao Lian and a delegation of the Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong led by its President Paul T. S. Yin.


Traditional Grass Crafts in Korea

   Pyongyang, September 15 (KCNA) -- The grass crafts of Korea have a long tradition.
    The grass craftworks are made by weaving sedge, reed, bush clover, willow, rice straw, broomcorn stalk, millet straw and so on, which have been widely disseminated and popular among the people.
    A piece of antique reed mat discovered in Namgyong Relics in Honam-ri, Samsok District, Pyongyang, shows well the time-honored history of Korean grass crafts.
    There are many kinds and forms of grass crafts used in daily life.
    Among the artifacts handed down to the present day are mats, round baskets and fittings such as rush-mat, reed mat, bamboo basket, round wicker basket, straw sandals, hemp-cord sandals, straw raincoat, straw hat worn by young married man and kat (horse-hair hat).
    Under the care of the state encouraging the folk tradition the grass crafts continue to develop to suit the people's taste and modern aesthetic sense.


Smear Campaign against Progressive Organization Assailed in S. Korea

   Pyongyang, September 15 (KCNA) -- The Solidarity for Implementing the South-North Joint Declaration in south Korea released a special statement on Sept. 9 to denounce the security authorities' smear campaign against it.
    The statement charged that the security authorities have directed the spearhead of suppression at the solidarity, arresting, detaining and tailing after its leading members and keeping an eye on its office.
    It is rumored that the security authorities are these days cooking up a plot against the organization, it pointed out, adding:
    The Lee Myung Bak regime has so far found fault with the organization over "defamation" and "violation of the law on information and telecommunication network." As such smear campaign did not work, the regime is attempting to invent a plot against it by dint of the "National Security Law."
    The suppression of the organization is just repression of the June 15 joint declaration and the October 4 declaration and this is little short of a declaration of war as it means the intention to oppose the reunification and totally bedevil the inter-Korean relations, the statement said, urging the Lee regime to immediately stop its plots designed to crack down on the organization.
    The statement warned again the Lee regime against its rash act.


Stop to Suppression of Candlelight Actions Demanded in S. Korea

   Pyongyang, September 15 (KCNA) -- Members of the Family Movement for Realizing Democracy and the Measure Committee of Families of Candlelight Action-related Persons on Want List in south Korea held a Thursday meeting in Seoul on Sept. 11, demanding halt to the police search for the participants involved in candlelight actions.
    Speakers at the meeting charged that the security authorities are getting hell-bent on crackdown upon the people involved in candlelight actions against the American beef import, issuing warrants of arrest for them.
    They noted that many people are suffering from the police search only because of their involvement in candlelight actions though they are not imprisoned.
    Charging that Lee Myung Bak is harshly suppressing the people disobedient to him by invoking the evil law, they held that he should stop the suppression of the participants in candlelight actions, if he truly wants to share the will with the people.
    They urged the authorities to release the detainees and stop the police search as soon as possible.
    They declared that the families of those on the want list would wage a vigorous struggle to bring earlier the day when democracy is achieved and human rights are guaranteed.


DPRK's Achievements Praised by Figures of Uganda and Egypt

   Pyongyang, September 15 (KCNA) -- Chango Machyo, senior adviser to Presidency of Uganda who is director of the Board of the International Institute of the Juche Idea, made public a statement on September 3 on the occasion of the 60th birthday of the DPRK.
    He said in the statement that President Kim Il Sung put forward the unique line of building a sovereign and independent state and set up the most advanced and popular regime in the DPRK.
    The Korean people have built the DPRK into a socialist power, independent in politics, self-supporting in economy and self-reliant in national defence, by fully embodying the great Juche idea founded by the President in all fields of society, he noted, adding that the DPRK, which was founded and developed by the President, is dynamically accelerating the building of a great prosperous powerful nation under the Songun leadership of Kim Jong Il and it will win one victory after another in the future, too.
    Ahmad Hassan, general secretary of the Nasser Arab Democratic Party of Egypt, in a statement issued on September 8 said that on September 9, 1948, the President founded the DPRK, a new type people's power, and built it into a powerful state, independent in politics, self-supporting in economy and self-reliant in national defence.
    The solid political, military and economic foundations provided by the President have served as an engine making it possible for the DPRK to win victory after victory, he noted.
    He stressed that the DPRK is now energetically pushing forward the building of a great prosperous powerful nation under the leadership of Kim Jong Il.


Diamond Jubilee of DPRK Observed in Czech Republic

   Pyongyang, September 15 (KCNA) -- The Paektusan Czech|Korean Friendship Association issued a special bulletin on September 4 on the occasion of the 60th birthday of the DPRK.
    The bulletin edited a portrait of smiling President Kim Il Sung and a picture of the President and General Secretary Kim Jong Il standing together. Under the headline "60 Years of successful building of socialism in DPRK" the bulletin carried articles titled "DPRK is a country of happy future" and so on and a photo showing a panoramic view of Pyongyang.
    In an article captioned "60 Years of DPRK" the bulletin said that the DPRK has regarded the Juche idea and the Songun idea founded by the President as the only guidelines and fully embodied them in its activities.
    The Juche idea and the Songun idea are indicating the way for the Korean people to consistently push ahead with socialist construction despite all ordeals and difficulties, the bulletin said, and continued:
    The whole world admires the heroic Korean people who have turned their country into a military power and into a country where they benefit from free education and medical service and where beautiful arts and others are in full bloom by overcoming all difficulties.
    The bulletin in an article titled "Three principles of Korea's reunification, three charters for Korea's reunification" introduced in detail the proposals for national reunification put forward by the President.
    In an article headlined "DPRK does not yield to the imperialist moves" the bulletin blasted the U.S. moves to stifle the DPRK, stressing that the moves of the U.S. and its stooges can never play down the achievements made by the Korean people over the past six decades.


Seminar of Korean Social Scientists in Japan Held

   Pyongyang, September 15 (KCNA) -- A seminar of the Association of Korean Social Scientists in Japan was held at the Korean Press Hall in Tokyo on Sept. 12 to mark the 60th anniversary of the DPRK.
    Present there were Pak Ku Ho, vice-chairman of the Central Standing Committee of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon), Korean social scientists in Japan, officials of Chongryon and other Korean residents in Japan.
    Kim Hwa Hyo, chairman of the above-said association, made a report at the seminar on the subject of "The roadmap towards the 'DPRK, an economic power'". Then followed speeches under such titles as "Six decades of building independent national economy and the looks of economic power", "New tendency in development of natural resources and the potentials of 'power in natural resources'" and "The 5-year plan for development of science and technology and the blueprint of a scientific and technological power".
    The reporter and speakers referred to the signal achievements made by the people in the homeland in economic construction with the 60th birthday of the DPRK as an occasion, adding that they serve as a precious asset in widely opening the gate of a great prosperous powerful nation.
    They said that the people in the homeland are now dynamically pushing ahead with the construction of a socialist economic power after setting it as a high goal to build an independent economic power and a scientific and technological power.
    They expressed the belief that the gate of a great prosperous powerful nation would be surely opened in 2012, the centenary of birth of President Kim Il Sung, under the Songun leadership of Kim Jong Il.


Joint Seminar on DPRK Held in Peru

   Pyongyang, September 15 (KCNA) -- A joint seminar of universities of Peru and Ecuador on the Juche idea and socio-economic development of the DPRK was held in Peru on September 8 on the occasion of the 60th birthday of the DPRK.
    On display in the venue of the seminar were works of President Kim Il Sung and General Secretary Kim Jong Il and Korean books.
    An opening address was made at the seminar which was followed by speeches by the coordinator of the Group for the Study of the Kim Il Sung Economic Theory of the Faculty of Economics of Federico Villareal National University of Peru who is professor at the university, the chairman of the Peru-Korea Friendship Institute for Study of the Juche Based Songun Policy who is professor at National University of Callao, the vice-director of the Doctoral Institute of Guayaquil University of Ecuador and other figures.
    The speakers highly praised in unison the undying feats Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il performed by founding the DPRK and developing it into a powerful socialist fortress and warmly congratulated the Korean people on the 60th birthday of the DPRK.
    The Korean people are now firmly defending socialism and pushing forward the building of a great prosperous powerful nation while shattering the moves of the imperialists, guided by the Songun politics of Kim Jong Il, the speakers noted, stressing that the Korean people could register successes in all fields because they are taking the Juche idea, the Songun idea as the guidelines.
    They went on:
    The Songun politics is the most just one for checking the high-handed and arbitrary practices of the imperialists. It is the will and grit of the Korean people united close around Kim Jong Il to react imperialists' arms for aggression with arms of justice, their hateful nuclear weapons with weapons of justice. A letter to Kim Jong Il was adopted at the seminar.


Kim Jong Il's Work Published in Peru

   Pyongyang, September 15 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il's famous work "Giving Priority to Ideological Work Is Essential for Accomplishing Socialism" was brought out in pamphlet by a Peruvian publishing house.
    The work, published on June 19, Juche 84 (1995), clarifies the idea that priority should be given to the ideological work before anything else to successfully carry out the socialist cause and the idea that the basic duty of the ideological work is to model the whole society after the socialist idea and this work should be conducted on the principle and by method suited to the intrinsic requirements of socialism.


For Spanish-speaking people



Kim Jong Il envia mensaje de felicitacion a Medvedev

   Pyongyang, 15 de septiembre (ATCC) -- El Dirigente Kim Jong Il envio el dia 14 un mensaje de felicitacion al presidente de la Federacion Rusa, Dmitri Anatoliyevich Medvedev, en ocasion de su cumpleanos.
    La misiva senala:
    Hago llegarle a usted mi felicitacion con motivo de su cumpleanos.
    Le deseo buena salud, felicidad y exitos en su labor responsable para la prosperidad del pais.


Kim Yong Nam envia mensaje a su homologo guatemalteco

   Pyongyang, 15 de septiembre (ATCC) -- El presidente del Presidium de la Asamblea Popular Suprema de la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea, Kim Yong Nam, envio este lunes un mensaje al presidente de la Republica de Guatemala, Alvaro Colom, felicitandole por el 187o aniversario de la independencia de este pais latinoamericano.
    El remitente expresa su conviccion de que las relaciones entre los dos paises se desarrollaran activamente en el futuro conforme a los intereses mutuos y desea al destinatario exitos en su noble labor para la prosperidad del pais y el bienestar del pueblo.


Kim Yong Nam felicita al presidente nicaraguense

   Pyongyang, 15 de septiembre (ATCC) -- El presidente del Presidium de la Asamblea Popular Suprema de la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea, Kim Yong Nam, envio este lunes un mensaje de felicitacion al presidente de la Republica de Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega Saavedra, con motivo del 187o aniversario de la independencia de este pais.
    El remitente desea al destinatario mayores exitos en su noble labor para la prosperidad del pais y expresa la conviccion de que las relaciones de amistad y cooperacion entre Corea y Nicaragua se desarrollaran mas favorablemente en lo adelante.


Simposio conjunto en Peru

   Pyongyang, 15 de septiembre (ATCC) -- En ocasion del 60o aniversario de la fundacion de la Republica Popular Democratica de Corea tuvo lugar el dia 8 en el Peru el simposio conjunto de las universidades del Peru y del Ecuador sobre la idea Juche y el desarrollo socio-economico de la RPDC.
    En la sede del foro estaban exhibidos las obras del Presidente Kim Il Sung y del Dirigente Kim Jong Il y otros libros coreanos.
    En la ocasion hubo el discurso de apertura e intervinieron varias personalidades, entre otras, el profesor titular de la Universidad Nacional Federico Villa Real del Peru y coordinador del Grupo de Estudio de la Teoria Economica de Kim Il Sung de la Facultad Economica de este plantel docente, el prof. titular de la Universidad Nacional de Callao y presidente de la Asociacion de Amistad Peru-Corea para el Estudio de la Politica de Songun Juche, y el vicepresidente del doctorado de la Universidad de Guayaquil del Ecuador.
    Los oradores fueron unanimes en elogiar las imborrables proezas del Presidente, fundador de la RPDC, y del Dirigente quienes la fortalecieron como potente baluarte socialista, y felicitaron calurosamente al pueblo coreano en celebracion del 60o aniversario de la fundacion de la RPDC.
    Apuntaron que hoy dia, bajo la politica de Songun (priorizacion militar) del Dirigente, el pueblo coreano defiende con firmeza el socialismo frustrando las maniobras de los imperialistas y acelera la construccion de una gran potencia prospera y agregaron que los exitos del pueblo coreano logrados en todos los dominios se deben a que toma por la guia directriz la idea Juche y la del Songun.
    Destacaron que la politica de Songun es la mas justa para frenar el despotismo y las arbitrariedades de los imperialistas y apuntaron que responder a la agresion de los imperialistas con la justicia y a las viles armas nucleares de estos con las armas nucleares de justicia es la voluntad y coraje del pueblo coreano unido compactamente en torno al Dirigente Kim Jong Il.
    En el simposio fue aprobada una carta al Dirigente.