Kim Jong Il receives Ho Jong Man
Pyongyang, March 2 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il on March 1
received Ho Jong Man, chief
vice-chairman of the central standing committee of the General Association
of Korean Residents in Japan
(Chongryon) staying in the socialist homeland.
Ho Jong Man offered the warmest greetings to Kim Jong Il, representing
the unanimous loyalty and reverence
of all the Chongryon officials and 700,000 Koreans in Japan.
Kim Jong Il expressed thanks for this and conversed with him in a
cordial atmosphere.
He arranged a dinner for Ho Jong Man.
Message of sympathy to Malagasy President
Pyongyang, March 2 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium
of the DPRK Supreme People's
Assembly, on Feb. 29 sent a message of sympathy to Didier Ratsiraka,
President of Madagascar, in connection with
the human loss and big damage from cyclone and torrential rain in Toamasina
Province and many other areas of the
country.
The message expressed the belief that the President, his government and
people would recover from the damage
and bring the life of the people in the afflicted areas to normal as soon
as possible.
Greetings to Libyan leader
Pyongyang, March 2 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium
of the Supreme People's
Assembly of the DPRK, today sent a message of greetings to Moammer El
Gaddafi, leader of the great September
1st Revolution of the great socialist people's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, on
the occasion of the 23rd anniversary of its
proclamation.
Expressing the belief that the excellent relations of friendship and
cooperation between the two countries would
continue to develop in the future, too, the message sincerely wished him
and the Libyan people greater success in
their work for the independent development and prosperity of the country.
DPRK delegation leaves
Pyongyang, March 2 (KCNA) -- A DPRK delegation led by Kim Kye Gwan,
vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs,
left here today to participate in the DPRK-U.S. talks to be held in New York.
The delegation was seen off at the airport by vice-Minister of Foreign
Affairs Pak Kil Yon.
Greetings to Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau
Pyongyang, March 2 (KCNA) -- Hong Song Nam, premier of the DPRK
cabinet, sent a message of greetings
to Caetano N'tchama upon his appointment as Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau.
The message expressed the belief that the friendly and cooperative
relations between the two countries would
continue to grow stronger and develop in the interests of the two peoples
and wished him success in his work.
Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun sent a message of greetings to Yaia Djalo
upon his appointment as Minister of
Foreign Affairs and community.
Congratulatory message to Finnish President
Pyongyang, March 2 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium
of the Supreme People's
Assembly of the DPRK, yesterday sent a congratulatory message to Tarja
Halonen on her assumption of office as
President of Finland.
The message wished the President success in her responsible work for
the prosperity of the country and
expressed the belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between
the two countries would further develop on
good terms.
Brisk preparations made to found WPK
Pyongyang, March 2 (KCNA) -- The liberation of Korea in August Juche 34
(1945) gave a great impetus to the
work for founding the Worker's Party of Korea, a Juche-type revolutionary
party.
The President Kim Il Sung set forth a policy on creating a powerful
party central guidance body in North
Korea, first of all, under the situation where the country was divided into
two parts after its liberation.
The complicated internal and external political situation of the Korean
revolution at that time urgently called for
the emergence of a revolutionary party capable of correctly leading the
people's struggle to build a new society.
The U.S. who occupied South Korea and their stooges brought together
reactionary forces in a bid to disunite
the revolutionary forces for building a new country while all sorts of
"communists" were locked in scrambles for
power to expand the sphere of their influence.
Under this situation Kim Il Sung met many communists separately active
at home and abroad to explain to them
the line of nation-building and policy on founding the party in detail and
thus get them united close.
He dispatched anti-Japanese revolutionary veterans to local areas so as
to revamp and expand party
organizations in a short span of time, organize party cells and increase
the party membership at factories and
enterprises and in rural areas.
He also set up institutions to train party cadres on a systematic basis.
On the basis of these preparations he called a party inaugural congress
in Pyongyang on October 10, 1945.
At the congress he formed the central organizing committee of the
communist party of North Korea as a party
central guidance body and proclaimed its foundation.
The party foundation enabled the working class and other laboring
people of Korea to have reliable vanguard
and political staff and successfully carry out the cause of building a new
society under the leadership of the party.
DPRK proud of birth of many triplets
Pyongyang, March 2 (KCNA) -- Seven triplets were born in the first
month of the year to please the people of
the DPRK.
More than 260 triplets and quadruplets have been born at the Pyongyang
Maternity Hospital since it was opened
in Juche 69 (1980).
The state has bestowed all sorts of profound solicitude upon the newly
born triplets and quadruplets,
considering their birth as a sign of the country's prosperity and an
auspicious event.
According to Yu Yong Il, deputy director in charge of technical affairs
of the hospital, the best health care is
given to the mothers and the babies. The doctors and nurses in charge of
the triplets and quadruplets and their
mothers always pay primary attention to their condition. They are entirely
brought up by the state till they join
kindergartens.
In addition, the state grants allowance to the triplets and provides
foodstuff, dresses and bedclothes,
medicament and all other things free to them till they go to school.
It is a commonplace in this land that a group of competent doctors is
formed for the newly born triplets and their
mothers and helicopters fly to bring them to hospitals.
Profound, indeed, is the loving care of the great leader Kim Jong Il
for the triplets and quadruplets.
He presented silver knives and gold rings to the newly born triplets
and quadruplets, including 148 triplets born
after the country's liberation to be preserved by them forever. Whenever
opportunities present themselves, he
inquires after the work and life of all of them and shows loving care for
them, saying that they should be brought up
as true sons and daughters of the country.
In November of 1996 he spared time to meet 22 triplet soldiers of the
Korean People's Army who were
attending the third meeting of youth league workers of the KPA. Greatly
pleased to see all of them stoutly grown up
to stand guard over the posts for the defence of the country, he presented
gold watches to them.
His loving care for them was unbounded. Triplet officers Rim Tong Son,
Rim Tong Jung and Rim Tong Hu
were honored to receive wedding tables of best wishes from him at the same
time.
The triplets and quadruplets who have grown up under the great care of
the party and the state are devoting
themselves to repaying it at educational institutions of various levels and
at posts for the defence of the country and
in other domains.
Spring tree-planting starts
Pyongyang, March 2 (KCNA) -- Spring tree-planting started in Korea.
The Ministry of Land and Environment Protection set a target to plant
hundreds of millions of rapidly growing
trees of good species such as larch, pine-nut, poplar and acacia trees in
the area of about 100,000 hectares during the
period of spring tree-planting from March to May this year.
Many trees will be planted at revolutionary battle and historic sites,
along highways and railway lines, in
provincial seats, cities, county seats and recreation grounds.
The President Kim Il Sung climbed up moran hill in Pyongyang on March
2, Juche 35 (1946) to plant trees and
teach how to build up it into a picturesque pleasure ground for the people.
That day was set as the tree-planting day in Korea.
The state annually carries out a spring tree-planting as a mass
movement on the occasion of the day.
Last year over 833 million trees were planted on mountains and fields
throughout the country.
Working people, youth and students in Pyongyang, south Hwanghae and
south Phyongan provinces and all
other parts of the country are now all out in a drive to cover mountains,
fields, streets and villages with green
foliage.
S. Korean rulers' anti-DPRK confrontation moves condemned
Pyongyang, March 2 (KCNA) -- The secretariat of the Committee for the
Peaceful Reunification of the
Fatherland issued its information bulletin no. 802 on March 1 condemning
the South Korean authorities for
justifying their anti-DPRK confrontation moves by clamoring about the
"engagement policy toward the north."
The bulletin said:
Some time ago, the "vice-Minister of Unification" uttered that they
would induce someone to "reform" on the
basis of the "Liberal Democracy System."
His remarks betray the anti-DPRK confrontation moves to destabilize the
DPRK and realize "unification under
the system of liberal democracy."
It is impertinent for those who are colonial stooges, puppets of the
outside forces, to talk about "engagement"
and "change" toward someone.
Worse still, they are even trying to extend to the DPRK their wretched
colonial fascist ruling system which has
turned South Korea into a waste land of independence and democracy and a
living hell.
Their attempt is an illusion that can never be realized any time.
The baloney of the South Korean rulers is no more than the scream of
those in fear of the might of our people
and people's army who are vigorously advancing toward a powerful socialist
country.
However loudly they may propagandize about the "engagement policy," we
will go our own way and climb the
pinnacle of victory.
Projected deployment of new type of laser weapon denounced
Pyongyang, March 2 (KCNA) -- The United States' plan to equip the U.S.
air force stationed in South Korea
with a new type of laser weapon for intercepting missiles under the
signboard of "intercepting medium- and
long-range missiles" of the DPRK is aimed at making a forestalling strike
at it, says Rodong Sinmun today in a
signed commentary. It urges the United States to clarify its stand
concerning this plan.
The commentary goes on:
The DPRK army and people strongly assert that the DPRK should not deal
with the United States any more as
its deeds do not agree with its words though it is talking a lot about
"dialogue" and "improved relations" with the
DPRK.
The United States is seriously mistaken if it seeks to get any
concession from the DPRK in the dialogues
through a military pressure.
It is the spirit and grit of the Korean People's Army and people that
once they are exposed to any threat, they do
not waver but stand up to cope with it.
The DPRK is strong enough to retaliate against any u.s. Strike.
The KPA and people are firmly determined to make the U.S. Imperialists
pay a thousand times for the blood
shed by millions of innocent people massacred by them during the Korean war.
If the United States eventually starts a war, the DPRK will not avoid it.
The United States should clearly tell the DPRK whether it stands for
dialogue or war, and improvement of
relations or confrontation.
The DPRK will closely watch the U.S. attitude and take a corresponding
action.
If the United States wants dialogue and improved relations with the
DPRK without any prejudice, it should stop
military threat and war moves against the DPRK at once.
Film show on National Day of Bulgaria
Pyongyang, March 2 (KCNA) -- A film show was held by the Korea-Bulgaria
Friendship Association at the
Chollima House of Culture on March 1 on the occasion of the National Day of
Bulgaria.
Present there were Jon Kuk Man, vice-Minister of Education and chairman
of the association, officials
concerned and working people in the city.
They appreciated Korean feature film "the Forest Sways" part 6.
National spirit of March 1st condemns traitors
Pyongyang, March 2 (KCNA) -- Yun Song Sik, permanent member of the
Consultative Council of Former
South Korean Politicians In the North for the Promotion of Peaceful
Reunification, made public an article headlined
"The national spirit of March 1st condemns traitors."
Although 81 years have passed since the March 1st Popular Uprising, the
anti-Japanese shouts which were
raised across the country are still lingering in the ears of all fellow
countrymen, the article said, and went on:
The Korean people's March 1st struggle for independence demonstrated
all over the world that Koreans are the
people with strong independence, indomitable stamina and ardent patriotism.
The Japanese militarists are hindering the Korean nation's cause of
reunification by thrusting their claws of
aggression into our country with the backing of U.S. in a bid to restore
their old position in the Korean peninsula.
The present rulers in the south are not only itching to make a clean
sheet of Japan's past crimes against Korea
but also making no scruple of doing a treacherous act of putting forward
Japanese militarism as the "leader in
aggression of Asia."
The patriotic people in South Korea should not overlook the reinvasion
moves of the Japanese militarists and
the treacherous act of the pro-American and pro-Japanese flunkeyist traitors.
There is only extension of MDL fixed by the DPRK at West Sea of Korea
Pyongyang, March 2 (KCNA) -- Recently the South Korean authorities,
backed by the U.S., have left no stone
unturned to "maintain" the illegal "Northern Limit Line," while resorting
to unabated military provocations at the
west sea.
In this regard the spokesman for the navy command of the Korean
People's Army issued a statement today.
He said:
Of late the South Korean authorities, supported by the U.S., are
getting frantic in their ill-boding moves to
spark another shocking incident at the west sea, going against the trend
towards detente and peace.
Far from drawing a due lesson from the west sea incident which took
place last year, they continue to deploy
more 155 mm self-propelled howitzers and other combat equipment of the
latest type and armed forces on five
islands at the west sea. They dispatched high-ranking military officers
there one after another to have operation
confabs almost every day to "maintain" what they call "Northern Limit Line"
and provoke another war under that
pretext.
Some time ago, they let warships of the navy of "ROK army" frequently
violate the MDL at the west sea as part
of their provocations in the sea in a bid to "maintain" the illegal
"Northern Limit Line" at any cost.
They went the length of interpreting the basic agreement between the
north and south and the north-south
non-aggression agreement, products of our sincere efforts to implement the
three principles of national reunification,
in favor of their own interests and using the agreements for justifying the
"Northern Limit Line."
As for the boundary and zone laid down in those agreements, they mean
the extension of the Military
Demarcation Line at the sea fixed under the Korean Armistice Agreement
which was already agreed upon by the
warring sides from the ground MDL and the boundary line between Hwanghae
and Kyonggi provinces stipulated by
the AA, not the "Northern Limit Line" fixed unilaterally by one of the
warring sides without the consent from the
other.
The South Korean authorities claim that the "point" which was fixed for
meeting of the north and south at the
sea when many relief goods were delivered to the South Korean side for the
flood victims in 1984 as the result of a
humanitarian measure as well as our stand that represented warm love for
the compatriots is evidence of our
recognition of the "Northern Limit Line."
They are nowadays distorting facts, saying that at a meeting of the
military armistice commission in 1963 we
recognized what they call "Northern Limit Line" and that our side was not
opposed to the "Northern Limit Line"
which was used as a base line when the west sea boundary in the flight
information zone was fixed in 1997.
When there is no response to their allegations, they are using sea
routes and movements of our navy warships
and civil ships at the west sea for justifying the "Northern Limit Line,"
and stole a 1959 version of a publication
whose prescription expired to prove the "validity" of the "Northern Limit Line."
They are now using even a "principle" and "principle of prescription"
for maintenance of the "Northern Limit
Line" only to be ridiculed by the world people. The principle means that
the acquisition of rights is recognized by
such complex factors as agreement with a country concerned, its consent and
connivance, which does not work
even in the western world where a jungle law prevails. This reminds one of
a saying a drowning man will catch at a
straw.
With whom did they agree and from whom did they get consent to fix the
"line" and at whose connivance did
they have the right recognized?
The "principle of prescription" is a brigandish logic as it stipulates
that one side's violation of sovereignty over a
territory, a clear breach of the international law, is not punishable if
the other side fails to protest it and connives at it
for a long time. Moreover, the "principle" asserts that there should be
tranquility without inviting protest.
Judging from this, the South Korean authorities can neither turn their
face away from the strong demands of the
fellow countrymen for the nullification of the "Northern Limit Line" nor
can they describe the controversial waters
of the west sea of Korea as "calm waters."
The criterion that should be applied in settling the sensitive and
important issue is a fair legal ground and desire
and demand of the army and people.
The "Northern Limit Line" advertised by the South Korean authorities is
the ghost line unilaterally fixed by the
side of the U.S. forces without any prior consultation with our side= it is
an illegal line that ignores the elementary
requirement of the armistice agreement and international law of the sea.
The enemies themselves admitted that the "Northern Limit Line" was
unilaterally fixed by the side of the U.S.
forces in august 1953.
The far-fetched description of the illegal line which was fixed without
any legal ground, consent from the other
warring party and any notification to the DPRK, as the MDL at the sea
cannot be construed otherwise than a
brigand's act of drawing a line in the middle of the yard of other's house
without any notification and insisting that
belongs to him.
We have so far made all sincere efforts to settle the issue of the MDL
at the west sea that has been a source of
military conflicts.
In particular, now that the issue is related to the matter of
armistice, we tried to settle the issue with the side of
the U.S. forces, a signatory to the Korean Armistice Agreement . Taking
interests of the South Korean authorities
into full consideration, we have worked with the utmost magnanimity and
patience to settle the issue through the
three-way negotiations involving the DPRK, the U.S. and South Korea.
The U.S. forces side backpedaled its earlier claim of its own accord
that it could not discuss the issue related to
the armistice under any circumstances without a mandate as "allied forces"
and took the conflicting attitude by
asserting that the issue of the MDL at the west sea should be solved
through discussions with the South Korean side
which is not a signatory to the Military Armistice Agreement. This was a
crafty trick to flee from the responsibility
for the unilateral fixing of the "Northern Limit Line."
Under the situation the side of the Korean People's Army declared in
September last year the fair and
aboveboard MDL at the west sea acceptable to anyone reflecting the desire
and demand of the people of the whole
country for peace and stability.
Firstly, the MDL at the west sea declared by the DPRK is the most
correct MDL at the sea that was fixed to meet
the requirements of the Military Armistice Agreement signed by the warring
sides.
The paragraph 13 B of the Korean Armistice Agreement stipulates that
all the islands lying to the north and west
of the provincial boundary line between Hwagnhae-do and Kyonggi-do shall be
under the military control of the
Korean People's Army, except the island groups of Paengyong-do,
Taechong-do, Sochong-do, Yonpyong-do, and
U-do, which will shall remain under the military control of the "UN
command" side.
Now that the MDL at the West Sea of Korea was fixed as an extension of
the boundary line between Hwanghae
and Kyonggi provinces (A-B line) laid down under the paragraph of the
Korean Armistice Agreement , the
armistice-related issue was most correctly handled to meet the requirements
of the Armistice Agreement.
Secondly, the MDL at the west sea is the fairest line fixed on the
basis of the international law of the sea.
The international law of the sea demands that the two sides maintain
the principle of fixing sea boundary at the
end of the land or between islands at equidistance.
The MDL fixed by the DPRK at the west sea is an extension passing
through the point a of the boundary line
(A-B line) between Hwanghae-do and Kyonggi-do, the equidistance between
Tungsangod, the tip of the Kangryong
peninsula of our side, and Kulop Island under the control of the U.S.
forces side, and the equidistance between Ong
Island of our side and Sogyokryolbi Island and Sohyop Island under the
control of the U.S. forces side. So,
sea-related issue existing between warring sides has been settled in the
fairest way under the international law of the
sea.
The MDL fixed by the DPRK at the west sea is similar to the "imaginary
equidistance between the north and
south" at the West Sea of Korea laid down in an official document
distributed by the U.S. government to the
participants in a meeting on the international law of the sea in 1980,
which is based on the "UN Convention on the
law of the sea."
Thirdly, the MDL at the west sea is an impartial line that enjoys full
support from the people at home and
abroad.
It mirrors the will of the Korean People's Army and people to defuse
tensions in the waters, a source of
permanent military conflicts that has been "controversial waters" for
nearly half a century after the signing of the
Korean Armistice Agreement and ensure peace and stability on the Korean
peninsula as a whole.
The South Korean authorities, however, have persistently insisted on
the "Northern Limit Line" whose falsity
has been brought to light. This is intended to get rid of the predicament
in which they find themselves after our
proclamation of the impartial MDL at the west sea.
We will never pardon a foolish attempt of the South Korean authorities
to maintain the "Northern Limit Line" at
any cost and the crafty moves of the U.S. who fixed it unilaterally and
pretend to be ignorant of it.
There is only the extension of the MDL fixed by the DPRK at the West
Sea of Korea. The U.S. and the South
Korean authorities should have a correct understanding of the will and
demand of the KPA and the people for peace
and reunification, immediately stop all the military provocations at the
West Sea of Korea and honor the MDL fixed
by the DPRK at the West Sea of Korea.
If they turn their back on the just demand of ours, the U.S. and the
South Korean authorities will be held
entirely responsible for all the consequences arising therefrom.
Covering whole country with green foliage
Pyongyang, March 2 (KCNA) -- March 2 is the Day of Tree Planting and
March the month of tree planting in
the DPRK.
On this day, Rodong Sinmun editorially calls upon all the people to
turn out in spring tree-planting to cover the
whole country with green foliage.
The editorial underscores the need to carry out tree planting as a mass
movement in a short span of time.
It calls for planting many trees of good species to meet scientific and
technological needs in the tree-planting
month.
It is a consistent policy of the Worker's Party of Korea to cover all
the country with green foliage by planting
trees on a large-scale.
Considering it as an important work for the prosperity of the country
and improving the standard of the people's
living to cover all the country with green foliage, the WPK has exerted
great efforts to this work.
Anniv. of proclamation of People's Jamahiriya commemorated
Pyongyang, March 2 (KCNA) -- Papers here today observe the 23rd
anniversary of the proclamation of the
great socialist people's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.
Since its proclamation the Libyan people have waged positive struggle
to build a new independent society along
the road chosen by themselves under the leadership of Colonel Moammer El
Gaddafi, leader of the September 1st
Revolution, while frustrating the constant aggression and threat from the
United States, Rodong Sinmun in a signed
article says, and goes on:
The Libyan people have held fast to the anti-imperialist independent
stand and fought against the U.S.
anti-Libyan moves, not shrinking back from this stand.
The Korean people have extended support and solidarity to them in their
struggle for defending the sovereignty
of the country and the dignity of the nation.
The friendly and cooperative relations between the two peoples formed
in the common struggle for
independence against imperialism have developed on good terms.
The Korean people wish the Libyan people greater success in the
struggle to build a new, free and prosperous
society.
A singed article of Minju Joson says that the Korean people will make
tireless efforts to develop the friendly and
cooperative relations with the Libyan people in the future, too.
Committee for study of Juche idea formed in Egypt
Pyongyang, March 2 (KCNA) -- An inaugural meeting of the Egyptian
Committee for the Study of the Juche
Idea was held in Cairo on Feb. 22 on the occasion of the birthday of
General Secretary Kim Jong Il.
The general secretary of the Arab Art, Culture and Information
Association of Egypt who is the director of the
board of the African Regional Committee for the Study of the Juche Idea in
his speech at the meeting highly praised
the revolutionary exploits of Kim Jong Il as a genius of ideology and
theory and outstanding practician, who is
developing and enplaned on mountains and fields throughout the country.
Working people, youth and students in Pyongyang, south Hwanghae and
south Phyongan provinces and all
other parts of the country are now all out in a drive to cover mountains,
fields, streets and villages with green
foliage.
Japanese PM meets DPRK A-bomb victims delegation
Pyongyang, March 2 (KCNA) -- Keijo Obuchi, Prime Minister of Japan, met
the DPRK delegation of A-bomb
victims on a visit to Japan on March 1.
Present there were former Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama and acting
secretary general of the Liberal
Democratic Party Hiromu Nonaka.
__________________________________
KOMINFORM
P.O. Box 66
00841 Helsinki - Finland
+358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081
e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.kominf.pp.fi
___________________________________
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subscribe/unsubscribe messages
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
___________________________________
