BomMinRyon Activities
Joint Presidium of Pomminryon Meet
Pyongyang, February 28 (KCNA) -- The 11th meeting of the Joint Presidium of the Pan-national Alliance for Korea's Reunification (Pomminryon) was held in the north and the south and abroad on Feb. 28 by way of exchanging facsimile messages.
The meeting reviewed the activities for the reunification movement conducted by Pomminryon last year and discussed the tasks and ways for struggle this year.
A report was made at the meeting.
It highlighted the devoted struggle waged by Pomminryon under the banner of "By our nation itself" to foil the moves of the separatists at home and abroad and advance the era of reunification opened in the course of adoption and implementation of the historic June 15 joint declaration.
It referred to the tasks to be fulfilled by Pomminryon to hold high the slogan "Let the entire nation unite under the banner of north-south joint declarations and achieve national reunification at the earliest date!" this year and ways to do so. It went on:
We should, first of all, hold higher the banner of the June 15 joint declaration and the October 4 declaration and make positive efforts to open the way for improving the inter-Korean relations.
Whoever loves the country and is willing to come out to the struggle for the reunification movement being concerned about the future of the nation should advance hand in hand along the path for national reunification irrespective of partisanship, affiliation and past doings.
We should make positive efforts to get the "National Security Law" abolished, ensure the free discussion and activities for reunification, realize the legalization of the South Headquarters of Pomminryon and reenergize contacts and visits between the north and the south.
It is necessary to frustrate the moves of the separatists for confrontation with fellow countrymen, oppose the U.S. aggression, intervention and high-handedness and firmly defend the independent dignity of the nation and the security of fellow countrymen under the uplifted banner for independent reunification and the flag for peace against war.
All political parties, organizations and figures in the north and the south and abroad should get together to significantly mark the 10th anniversary of the publication of the historic June 15 north-south joint declaration and thus demonstrate the firm will of all fellow countrymen to open a new chapter for the independent reunification, peace and prosperity under the banner of the joint declaration.
The report called upon all the people to dynamically struggle to brilliantly adorn 2010 as a year for bringing about a new phase for the independent reunification under the banner of the said declarations.
A resolution was adopted at the meeting.
North Committee for Implementing June 15 Declaration Meets
Pyongyang, January 26 (KCNA) -- A general meeting of the North Side Committee for Implementing the June 15 Joint Declaration was held here on Tuesday.
Present there were Honorary Co-Chairpersons of the committee Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Kim Ki Nam, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Vice-Premier Ro Tu Chol, Kim Yong Dae, chairman of the C.C., the Korean Social Democratic Party, and Ryu Mi Yong, chairwoman of the C.C., the Chondoist Chongu Party, and An Kyong Ho, chairman of the committee, vice-chairpersons of the committee and its members, members of its various sub-committees and officials concerned.
The meeting discussed its agenda item "On the tasks for bringing about a new phase of independent reunification this year, the 10th anniversary of the publication of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration."
An Kyong Ho delivered a report at the meeting to be followed by speeches.
The reporter said that all the Koreans boundlessly revere and follow General Secretary Kim Jong Il and dynamically advance towards the morrow of a reunified nation full of conviction and optimism.
He called on all the Koreans to conduct nationwide struggle to open a new phase of independent reunification this year, holding aloft the slogan "Let the entire nation unite under the banner of north-south joint declarations and achieve national reunification at the earliest date!"
An appeal to all the Koreans was adopted at the meeting.
The appeal pointed out that the June 15 joint declaration and the October 4 declaration are programmes for reunification common to the Korean nation and the most ennobling banner of patriotism.
The road of "By our nation itself," the path of national independence, is the only genuine way all the fellow countrymen have followed and will do so in the future, too, the appeal noted, calling on all the Koreans in the north and the south and abroad to remain true to the idea of independence, the idea of "By our nation itself", decisively reject the south Korean authorities' sycophantic and treacherous theory of giving priority to foreign forces and firmly protect the dignity and interests of the nation.
It underscored the need for the people from all walks of life to join hands, irrespective of ideology, political view and religious belief, work hard to achieve national reconciliation and foil the obstructive moves of the anti-reunification forces and positively reenergize visits and contacts between people of various strata in the north and the south and their multi-faceted cooperation.
We have the pleasure to courteously propose holding grand events common to the nation to be participated in by all political parties and organizations and personages of various strata in the north and the south and abroad desirous of national unity and reunification on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the publication of the historic June 15 joint declaration, the appeal stressed.
New Year Juche 99 (2010) to Be Year of Great Changes
Pyongyang, January 4 (KCNA) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, which sent off a year when the people's ideals had been realized, is entering the new year Juche 99 (2010).
The Korean army and people are now determined to surely open the gate to a great, prosperous and powerful nation in 2012 that marks the centenary of the birth of President Kim Il Sung by making a great leap again this year under the leadership of Kim Jong Il.
Kim Jong Il, after kindling the torch of a new great revolutionary upsurge, continued the forced march of on-the-spot guidance through the year and brought the mental strength of the people into full play to work unprecedented miracles in the building of a thriving nation. At the end of last year, he kindled the flame for the new year's drive while providing field guidance to the Kim Chaek Iron and Steel Complex.
Mirrored in the field guidance was his firm belief that the entire people including the workers would continue adding luster to the era of the great upsurge by distinguishing themselves in building a thriving nation.
The inspiring slogan of the Workers' Party of Korea "Bring about a radical turn in the people's standard of living by accelerating the development of light industry and agriculture once again this year that marks the 65th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea !" stirs the entire people's hearts.
The Korean people are in high spirits, resolved to hit the targets in all fronts for the building of an economic power without fail, thus recording this as a year of great changes in the annals of the building of a thriving nation with the pride of being victors who wrote a new brilliant history of a great revolutionary upsurge.
The Korean people will dynamically conduct an all-Party and nationwide drive for improving the people's living this year to make a greater upsurge and adorn this as a prosperous year filled with the people's happiness.
S. Korean Anti-DPRK "Human Rights" Racket Flailed
Pyongyang, November 24 (KCNA) -- The south Korean puppets were recently reported to have become one of the co-sponsors of the so-called "resolution on human rights situation in the north" and voted for it at the UN.
Minju Joson Tuesday observes in a signed commentary carried in this regard:
This was another unpardonable politically motivated provocation to the DPRK.
The "human rights" racket kicked up by them only betrays their ignorance about the DPRK and, at the same time, it is no more than a ridiculous political charade which can be staged only by those who do not know where they stand.
Lurking behind the anti-DPRK human rights racket persistently kicked up by the puppets even in the international arena, quite unaware of others' derision, is a sinister political aim to chill the hard-won atmosphere favorable for improving the inter-Korean relations and bedevil them.
Facts go to patently prove that the puppets are a group of traitors opposed to reunification steeped in the idea of confrontation in the political system and the consciousness of stand-off with fellow countrymen and bitterness towards them to the marrow of their bones.
The above-said racket kicked up by them to attain such sinister political aim only brings into bolder relief their despicable true colors.
They would be well advised to bear in mind that their frantic row to escalate the confrontation with the DPRK would only precipitate their bitter defeat and destruction.
Disclosed Japan-U.S. Collusion for Nuclear Attack on DPRK under Fire
Pyongyang, October 28 (KCNA) -- Recently Reuters reported about the information declassified at the national archives of George Washington University that the United States and Japan reached an agreement on allowing U.S.-made nuclear weapons into Japanese territory when U.S.-Japan Security Treaty was revised in 1960.
Minju Joson Wednesday observes in a signed commentary in this regard:
This clearly testifies to the fact that there was a secret agreement on the use and transport of nuclear weapons between the U.S. and the government of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan besides the document made known to the public.
It is not the first time that the above-said secret agreement between Japan and the U.S. on the introduction of nuclear weapons to Japan was disclosed, the commentary says, and goes on:
Japan made desperate efforts to slander and do harm to others while pretending to be upright and honest as far as the nuclear issue is concerned. But this time it was brought to light that this country was busy colluding with the U.S. in its strategy for nuclear assault on the DPRK after discarding such international commitment as the "three non-nuclear principles" behind the scene. How shameful and cynical it is.
There is practically no other country that can match Japan in running the whole gamut of wrongdoings such as deceiving others to draw water to its mill and blaming others.
It is Japan that adamantly refuses to settle its crime-woven past though the world is so strongly demanding it do so and it is again Japan that is rushing headlong into nuclear weaponization under the pretext of "denuclearization".
The LDP of Japan should be held accountable for making the country suffer so bitter disgrace before the international community and rendering the regional situation so disturbing.
Reunion of Separated Families of North and South Begins
Pyongyang, September 28 (KCNA) -- The reunion of separated families and relatives of the north and the south began at Mt. Kumgang Resort on the occasion of the Harvest Moon Day.
Those from the north side had a group reunion with their kin from the south side on Sept. 26.
When the reunion started, those from the north and the south exchanged greetings and news of their families.
The Central Committee of the DPRK Red Cross Society gave a reception for the separated families and relatives from the north and the south on the same day.
Those from the north side had a family reunion with their kin from the south on Sept. 27 and exchanged their pent-up inmost thoughts.
KPA Supreme Command Orders Army, People and Country to Be on Special Alert
Pyongyang, August 17 (KCNA) -- The Supreme Command of the Korean People's Army made public the following report Monday as regards the U.S. imperialists and the Lee Myung Bak group of traitors kicked off the large-scale Ulji Freedom Guardian joint military exercises for aggression despite of the DPRK's repeated warnings and strong protest and denunciation of the public at home and abroad:
The adventurous war maneuvers for aggression to be staged from August 17 to 27 will massively involve more than 10,000 U.S. imperialist aggression troops based in south Korea and overseas, at least 56,000 troops of the puppet army including those of corps, fleets and air division-level commands and above them and, over 400,000 members of puppet administrative organs and military and non-military businesses and other huge forces and all sorts of lethal means.
What merits special attention is that the saber-rattling is base on the new scenario for more vicious joint operation to invade the DPRK replacing the "OPLAN 5027", scenario for the second Korean war of aggression.
The said provocative exercises are a blatant challenge and grave threat to the peace on the Korean Peninsula and the rest of Asia as they are aimed to launch aggression and mount a surprise preemptive strike on the DPRK in the light of their contents, nature and scale, to all intents and purposes.
The army and people of the DPRK will never remain a passive on-looker to the prevailing touch-and-go situation where dark clouds of a nuclear war are gathering to hang heavily over the inviolable territory of their country.
It is the invariable stand and attitude of the KPA to react to the enemy's arms with artillery pieces, "sanctions" with merciless retaliation and "confrontation" with an all-out confrontation.
The KPA Supreme Command issued the following order, proceeding from its sacred mission to defend the sovereignty and dignity of the nation and devotedly safeguard the socialist homeland of the DPRK:
1. The entire army, all the people and the whole country shall be put on a special alert from August 17, 2009.
2. The units of the KPA three services and all members of the Korean People's Security Forces, the Worker-Peasant Red Guards and the Young Red Guards shall closely follow all the moves of the aggressors with high revolutionary vigilance and make an immediate strong attack on perpetrators of any hostile act of intruding the sky, land and seas of the country.
3. All the people shall bring about a new leaping forward in the 150-day campaign to step up the building of a great prosperous and powerful socialist nation in tense and mobilized posture as required by the present acute situation.
The order of the KPA Supreme Command is a just self-defensive measure to protect the supreme interests of the country and nation from the reckless moves of the warmongers to invade the DPRK.
Should the U.S. imperialists and the south Korean puppets commit even the slightest military provocation infringing upon the DPRK's sovereignty, its revolutionary armed forces grown stronger with the might of Songun will mount a merciless and prompt annihilating strike at the aggressors with all offensive and defensive means including nuclear deterrent involved.
Juche Idea, Root of Songun Idea
Pyongyang, July 17 (KCNA) -- The Songun idea, the source of the invincible strength of the Korean army and people, has the principles of the great Juche idea as its root.
The Songun idea is based on the principle of the Juche idea on defending and realizing the independence of the popular masses, country and nation.
The Juche idea regards the independence as life of the social human- being, country and nation and demands that all the problems arising in the revolution and construction should be solved independently.
The Songun idea is an out-and-out independent idea. It, proceeding from the Juche idea, calls for attaching importance to arms, strongest weapon for defending and realizing independence, and for accomplishing the independent cause of popular masses in strict reliance on it.
Fully embodied in the Songun idea is the principle of the Juche idea on intensifying the driving force of the revolution and enhancing its role.
The Juche idea regards the mighty driving force of the revolution as the basic factor for the victory in the revolution. It thus demands that the driving force be strengthened and its role enhanced so as to settle all the problems arising in the revolution and construction.
The Songun idea based on this principle is a scientific revolutionary line on firmly building the motive force of the revolution with the revolutionary army as the core and model and raising its role remarkably.
It also is based on Juche-based theory on ideology on holding the thought of people as the main in the revolution and construction.
The Juche idea elucidates that the ideological consciousness plays the decisive role in the activities of people. On the basis of this, it has put forward the Juche-based theory on ideology.
The Songun idea demands that the revolutionary soldier spirit of the revolutionary army be generalized in the whole society to push ahead with the revolution and construction and holds that the might of arms is precisely ideological and spiritual strength of the revolutionary army.
Embodied in the Songun idea is the principle of the Juche idea on firmly ensuring the leader's guidance over the revolution and construction.
The Juche idea demands of establishing the revolutionary outlook of Juche with the outlook on the leader as its core and carrying on the revolution and construction under the monolithic guidance of the leader.
The Songun idea is the revolutionary idea with the main stress on the leader. It expounds that all the members of the society should uphold the idea and guidance of the leader with the revolutionary army as a model and thoroughly establish the Songun leadership system, the monolithic guidance system of the leader.
As seen above, the Songun idea is an idea which has been developed in depth on the basis of the principles of the Juche idea and is the guideline of the Songun revolution which makes it possible to embody the theories and principles of the Juche idea and to meet their requirements to the fullest.
North-South Working Contact Made
Pyongyang, June 11 (KCNA) -- The north-south working contact for the revision of contracts on the Kaesong Industrial Zone (KIZ) was made in Kaesong on Thursday.
At the contact the north side noted with concern that the north-south relations which had favorably developed since the publication of the June 15 joint declaration have reached the phase of catastrophe and even the KIZ symbolic of the June 15 era was thrown into a serious crisis and clarified a principled stand and advanced concrete proposals for improving the operation in the KIZ as required by the changed inter-Korean relations and in line with the actual conditions.
The north side asserted that it called for the reexamination and renegotiations of the business in the KIZ because there was no reason for keeping any longer the preferential measures which had been taken in the spirit of "By our nation itself" now that the historic north-south joint declarations were totally negated.
Recalling that many enterprises of the south side are operating in the KIZ at present to gain big profits whereas the north side has not received payments at a proper level as far as land use tax, wages for workers of the north side and tax on the zone, etc. are concerned, the north side advanced draft amendments to the contracts on land use tax, wages, taxes, etc. in the KIZ.
Return of Cultural Treasures Looted by Japan in Past Urged
Pyongyang, May 22 (KCNA) -- A "joint inter-Korean Buddhist mass for urging Japan to return the cultural treasures looted by the Japanese imperialists" was held at the Kwangbop Temple on Mt. Taesong on Friday.
Present there from the north side were officials of the Central Committee of the Buddhist Federation of Korea and the National Believers Association of the federation and from the south side officials of the National Council of the south Korean Buddhist Jogye Order and the Committee for Recovering Books that Record Royal Events Kept in the Room of the King of Korea and those concerning the Movement for Recovering Cultural Treasures.
Speeches were made at the mass to be followed by the reading of a joint paper of prayer and adoption of an anti-Japanese joint statement.
The statement strongly urged Japan to behave with discretion, clearly understanding the grudge of the Korean people toward Japan and their will, and immediately stop the reckless moves to grab Tok Islet and launch militarist reinvasion and unconditionally return cultural treasures of the Korean nation.
KCNA Rebukes Japan's Moves to Go Nuclear
Pyongyang, April 28 (KCNA) -- The Japanese reactionaries have become all the more undisguised in their moves to go nuclear.
Former Minister of Finance Nakagawa blustered on April 5 and 19 that "it would be better to hold discussion on nuclear weapons" and "nuclear weapons can be coped with in kind only."
The recently released book "How strong 'SDF'" says that "the most effective means for becoming a self-reliant country is to go nuclear."
An operation to bring approximately 1.8 tons of nuclear substance from France is already underway.
This indicates that the militarist tendency guided by the theory that "a country should have access to nukes to become a militarily ordinary country" prevails in the Japanese society and that the Japanese reactionaries' moves for nuclear weaponization have entered the phase of full implementation.
Japan is a war criminal state whose possession of the three services and capability to fight a war and belligerency is banned. However, this country has persistently sought arrogant wild ambition to have access to nukes, not content with just denying "the Pacifist Constitution."
In the mid-1950s Japan introduced nuclear technology from the U.S. to massively build nuclear facilities at home. In 1967 when it made public "three non-nuclear principles" it kicked off basic researches into the country's own nuclear policy and in 1969 it worked out a clandestine document calling for "Japan's possession of the capability for manufacturing nuclear weapons." Since 1995 it has conducted study into nuclear weaponization in real earnest.
In fact, by the mid-1970s Japan was capable of manufacturing nuclear weapons in just three months. At present it has a potential strong enough to manufacture more than 1,000 nuclear bombs in just a few weeks, once it has a will.
Japan has reached such a level that it can rival world military powers in terms of the technology for manufacturing nuclear weapons, the technology for developing their carrier means and stockpiling of nuclear substance. It has all conditions necessary for producing nuclear weapons in the shortest possible time.
This was evidenced by the remarks made by Ozawa who was the leader of the Liberal Party as of April 2002 that "Japan was capable of making thousands of nuclear bombs if it has a will."
Japan's moves to go nuclear are directly related to the Japanese reactionaries' scenario for aggression as they are keen to turn their country into a military giant in a bid to launch overseas expansion and reinvasion.
Japan has channeled major efforts into building strong military muscle as evidenced by the massive production of combat equipment, launch of satellites for military purposes and introduction of a missile defense system, etc.
Japan has stepped up the moves to equip the SDF with sophisticated and ultra-modern weapons in full gear, assuming offensive nature as they are aimed at radically increasing its maneuverability and striking capability and operational capability on the ground and in the sea and in the air.
Having become fully capable of fighting a war in terms of the strength of the ground, maritime and air SDFs and their technical equipment, Japan is now talking about having access to nukes. This is designed to realize its old dream of the "Greater East-Asia Co-prosperity Sphere" by launching reinvasion with nukes.
The Japanese militarists think that Japan suffered a defeat in the war because it did not have nuclear weapons.
Obsessed by extreme revanchism to revenge the defeat and ambition for overseas expansion, the Japanese reactionaries have pushed forward nuclear weaponization by hook or by crook for years to attain their purpose.
Having technology and means necessary for manufacturing nuclear weapons, Japan can launch reinvasion any time aboard a nuclear war chariot.
Japan pushed ahead with its "Nishina programme" for the production of nuclear weapons to realize its nuclear ambition already during the Second World War. Its nuclear war maniacs are now raising a hue and cry over "threats" from someone. This is nothing but a ridiculous and foolish ploy to justify its nuclear weaponization before the international community.
The Japanese militarists' persistent moves for the nuclear weaponization, a threat to the Korean Peninsula and the rest of Asia, would only compel the army and people of the DPRK to further bolster the nuclear deterrent for self-defense to protect the global peace and stability.
Meeting of Co-chairmen of Pomchonghakryon Held
Pyongyang, April 1 (KCNA) -- The 19th meeting of co-chairmen of the north, south and overseas sides to the Pan-national Alliance of Youth and Students for Korea's Reunification (Pomchonghakryon) was held on March 31 by way of exchanging facsimile messages.
The meeting reviewed the work done by Pomchonghakryon last year and discussed an action orientation and tasks for this year.
A report was made at the meeting.
The report referred to the fact that last year Pomchonghakryon properly saw through the nature of the Lee Myung Bak conservative ruling forces and disclosed their true colors in time and joined all members of the nation in courageously waging the anti-U.S., anti-Lee Myung Bak struggle.
The report noted that the organization waged a dynamic movement to embody the spirit of "By our nation itself" in all its activities, regarding the June 15 joint declaration and the October 4 declaration as signposts for reunification.
The report proposed tasks to be fulfilled by Pomchonghakryon to energetically intensify the patriotic movement for national reunification for the purpose of firmly upholding and sincerely implementing the historic north-south joint declarations this year.
The report set the period from June 15 to October 4 as the "period of the youth and students movement for implementing the June 15 joint declaration and the October 4 declaration" and stressed the need to wage an intensive mass movement for implementing the declarations.
Pomchonghakryon should take the lead in the struggle to resolutely frustrate the traitorous and anti-reunification idea and war moves of the conservative ruling forces, get all the fascist laws including the "National Security Law" repealed and have the reunification movement organizations legalized, it noted, and went on:
Pomchonghakryon should fully support the struggle of the overseas headquarters against the behavior of the Japanese authorities violating the rights of Koreans in Japan and trampling down upon their national dignity, in particular, and briskly conduct multifarious activities including the movement to defend Tok Islet.
The report underlined the need for Pomchonghakryon to channel primary efforts into education, information service and the work to strengthen the organization and boost solidarity with different circles and organizations and the solidarity among the north, south and overseas sides in order to launch a dynamic struggle against the evermore undisguised moves of the anti-reunification forces at home and abroad to escalate confrontation with compatriots and their fascist suppression.
A joint resolution was adopted at the meeting.
All Koreans Called upon to Preserve National Character
Pyongyang, March 5 (KCNA) -- The advantageous national character of the Koreans is a foundation for achieving the great national unity and national reunification, says Rodong Sinmun Thursday in a signed article.
It is only the national character that can serve as a foundation for achieving the great national unity and national reunification irrespective of differences in systems, ideologies, isms, political views and religious faith, classes and strata between the north and the south, the temporary phenomena caused by the national split, the article notes, and goes on:
It is the common mentality of every member of a nation to love his nation and value the national character. If all Koreans regard this national identity as a basis, they can unite as one irrespective of the differing ideologies and systems between the north and the south and reunify the country.
The community of the nation was formed and has been consolidated through its history spanning 5 000 years is strong enough to overcome the above-mentioned differences in ideologies, isms and systems. This is clearly evidenced by the great vitality of "By our nation itself" which reflects the spirit of national independence and patriotism. The June 15 era of reunification instills into all the fellow countrymen conviction and optimism that the cause of national reunification is sure to win only when they preserve and glorify the national character.
The adoption of the historic June 15 North-South Joint Declaration provided all the fellow countrymen with an opportunity to preserve the homogeneity and identity of the Korean nation. The hearts of the Koreans in the north and the south are burning with the patriotic enthusiasm to achieve the national unity and reunification though they differ in ideologies and systems. The course of the advance of the June 15 era of reunification that witnessed the strengthening of the process of national reconciliation and unity and the development of the movement for national reunification in the idea of "By our nation itself" proves that if all Koreans pool their intention and will by preserving the national identity peculiar to them, they can surely attain unity and reunification no matter how desperately foreign forces may hamstring the efforts to attain reunification.
All Koreans in the north and the south and abroad should positively turn out in the struggle to preserve and glorify the national character, bearing deep in mind that the national character serves as a precious asset for accomplishing the cause of national reunification advancing under the uplifted banner of the June 15 joint declaration and the Oct. 4 declaration.
Implementation of Inter-Korean Declarations Called for
Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- All the Koreans in the north and the south and abroad should never allow any slightest deviation from the inter-Korean joint declarations but conduct a more dynamic struggle to foil any move to scrap them in response to the call made by the joint New Year editorial, urges Rodong Sinmun Thursday in a signed article.
The present reality urgently calls upon all the Koreans at home and abroad to uphold the June 15 joint declaration and the October 4 declaration, great programmes for independent reunification common to the nation, as a banner of patriotism, the article says, and goes on:
How to approach the historic inter-Korean joint declarations is a touchstone distinguishing reunification from division and patriotism from treachery.
To defend the above-said declarations and work hard to implement them is the bounden duty of the people who struggle to achieve national reunification, the greatest desire of the nation, as their top priority task. Negating them and deviating from them quite contrary to it are nothing but moves of the group of traitors to perpetuate confrontation and division.
The implementation of the historic inter-Korean joint declarations precisely means pro-reunification patriotism but deviation from them leads to treachery.
The June 15 joint declaration and the October 4 declaration are a milestone for national reunification that all the Koreans should always hold aloft. The faithful implementation of those declarations alone can guarantee independent reunification, peace and prosperity and a rosy future of the nation.
S. Korean Puppet Plot-Breeding Group's Anti-DPRK Sabotage Moves Disclosed
Pyongyang, December 18 (KCNA) -- The moves of the puppet plot-breeding group of south Korea to sabotage the DPRK have recently reached an extremely reckless and dangerous phase. A spokesman for the Ministry of State Security of the DPRK issued a statement Thursday in this regard.
The statement said: It is well known that traitor Lee Myung Bak totally negated the June 15 joint declaration and the October 4 declaration, great programmes for national reunification, and pushed the north-south relations to stalemate as soon as he came to power.
The evermore vicious moves to destabilize and bring down the DPRK are now being put into practice in such a despicable manner as to baffle human imagination behind the scene.
The puppet National Intelligence Service is now being reorganized into an all-powerful fascist plot-breeding mechanism little different from the "Central Intelligence Agency", which earned ill fame in the past, under the signboard of increasing its function. All the intelligence-gathering and plot-breeding organs in south Korea are now locked in the war minus gunfire against the DPRK.
Recently secret agents were routed while being active in the DPRK to carry out their missions to collect environmental samplings including soil, water, tree leaves and dust, etc. in the major munitions industrial areas in order to gather its nuclear-related information as instructed by a puppet intelligence-gathering and plot-breeding institution. Also checked and frustrated was the plot to gather party, state and military secrets and lure some officials working in important fields of the DPRK into defecting to other country after enlisting a corrupt Korean woman residing in China as a spy and letting her pay private visit to it to carry out the above-said mission.
The above-said ministry exposed and frustrated a plot to form a secret "underground church" with an eye to rally dishonest and hostile elements behind an organization under the guise of religion. It also checked and foiled one after another attempts to lure and abduct ex-convicts and corrupt elements and coax them into defecting to other country in a bid to set up a "centre" fabricating misinformation about "human rights abuses" in the DPRK.
The anti-DPRK broadcasting services and "the anti-north leaflet-scattering movement" financed by the puppet authorities have become more frantic in their operations.
The anti-DPRK smear campaign is not confined to this.
Shortly ago, a person surnamed Ri was discovered and arrested while being active to carry out the terrorist mission given by a south Korean puppet intelligence-gathering organization to do harm to the safety of the top leader of the DPRK.
According to the disclosure, he crossed the border in violation of the law and order early this year. He was absorbed by an agent surnamed Hwang serving an intelligence organ of south Korea who had the mission to rally dishonest elements after finding his way into an area near the border of the DPRK.
The south Korean puppet intelligence-gathering and plot-breeding institution let him undergo necessary training and go back to the area of the DPRK with the mission to gather information about the courses and the period of the field guidance by the top leader of the DPRK. The organization sent him speech and acoustic sensing and pursuit devices for tracking the movement of the top leader and even violent poison in the end.
This case goes to prove that the south Korean puppets have gone the lengths of resorting to thrice-cursed methods to dare harm the headquarters of the DPRK, hell-bent on inciting confrontation with the DPRK.
The weak are apt to employ such despicable terrorist method like a stray cat when they find themselves in an inferior position in the showdown with their rival in the political and military aspects.
The puppet terrorist and plot-breeding group, however, are going reckless, not aware of who their opponent is.
No one can be out of vigilant watch by the state security organ of the DPRK which has the single-minded unity of the people as the source of its invincible strength.
The enemies would be well advised to draw a lesson from the fact that their moves to spy, sabotage and destabilize the DPRK which have rapidly escalated this year have been exposed and frustrated one after another.
They are seriously mistaken if they think that the DPRK uses only shield as its weapon.
It is our duty and mission to ferret out and deal a merciless blow at anyone who dares give his eye-teeth for the headquarters of the Korean revolution no matter from where he makes such attempt.
Traitor Lee Myung Bak and his intelligence-gathering and terrorist group should clearly understand that the treasured sword of the state security organ of the DPRK, whose mission is to safeguard its leader, system and people as its life and soul, shows no mercy for the enemies.
Unity, Strong Weapon for Shaping Destiny Independently
Pyongyang, November 17 (KCNA) -- All the members of the Korean nation should closely unite as one to realize the reunification of Korea. This is because unity is the mode of existence of the nation and the fundamental guarantee for national reunification.
If a nation is separated, failing to be united, the social group, the community of destiny, that means the nation can not be maintained and it goes to ruin in the end. This is truth shown by the history of the Korean nation.
The Korean nation, which had realized the importance of unity in bitter tears, forced into the lot of a ruined nation, could create a new history of national unity thanks to President Kim Il Sung.
It was priceless results of the might of unity that they defeated the Japanese imperialists and achieved national liberation under the banner of the anti-Japanese national united front and the young DPRK shattered the myth of the "mightiness" of U.S. imperialism which boasted of its being "the strongest in the world" and defended the sovereignty of the country.
The tradition of great national unity is now being successfully carried forward by General Secretary Kim Jong Il.
He set forth the idea of great national unity that the whole nation in the north, the south and overseas should get united under the banner of patriotism and the banner of national reunification, irrespective of differences in idea, system, political view and religious belief, transcending the interests of classes and social strata, if the country is to be reunified.
The splendid achievements recorded in the history of the nation's movement for reunification prove that great national unity is the only powerful weapon for national reunification and prosperity.
After the publication of the historical June 15 North-South Joint Declaration, fellow countrymen in the south confirmed their will to promote reconciliation and unity and reunify the country, visiting Pyongyang and Mts. Paektu and Kumgang.
In Korea today which is opening up the glorious heyday of the June 15 reunification era, smashing the challenges of the imperialist allied forces by dint of Songun, the idea of "by our nation itself" is calling the whole nation to the righteous patriotic struggle for the national unity.
Troubles still lie in the way of the Koreans for achieving national unity and reunifying the country owing to the confrontation moves against reunification of the outside forces and flunkeyist treacherous forces following their lead.
The Korean people will vigorously carry on the struggle for national reunification and prosperity, holding aloft the banner of unity, under the Songun revolutionary leadership of Kim Jong Il.
Japan Accused of Disturbing Six-Party Talks
Pyongyang, October 22 (KCNA) -- Recently Japan dastardly decided to extend its sanctions against the DPRK for another six months. It is now behaving so shamelessly as to insist that it would not fulfil its commitment to make economic compensation on which an agreement was reached among the six parties unless progress is made in the solution of the "abduction issue". This demeanor of Japan comes under fire by a signed commentary of Rodong Sinmun Wednesday.
Japan's dastardly behavior is nothing but a silly fuss made by the above-said disturber of the six-party talks ostracized there, the commentary notes, and goes on:
The above-said talks are not a platform for discussing the "abduction issue" but are aimed at finding a solution to the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.
Japan has so far persistently raised the "abduction issue" at the talks, the issue which has nothing to do with the discussion of the agenda of the talks, creating complexities and obstacles in their way.
Japan has never tried to implement the issues discussed and agreed upon by the six parties under the pretence of solving the "abduction issue" and conducted hectic diplomacy to persuade the U.S. not to cross the DPRK off the list of "state sponsors of terrorism."
Japan was disgruntled and displeased with the U.S. measure to delist the DPRK as "a state sponsor of terrorism". This is little short of putting a brake on the implementation of the Oct. 3 agreement and standing up against the above-said talks.
It is useless and an act of wasting time to try to discuss and solve pending issues with such state as Japan which reneges on everything, changing its attitude and going this or that way whenever a regime changes.
They are misleading the public opinion by creating impression that there is no progress in the settlement of the pending issues between the DPRK and Japan due to the lack of sincerity on the part of the former.
Japan's claim that the above-said measure taken by the U.S. is a sort of "concession" and "betrayal" is little short of tarnishing its image itself.
Japan's attempt to use the six-party talks as a platform for realizing its selfish ambition is nothing but a behavior of a short-sighted political pigmy.
To make economic compensation to the DPRK is the commitments the other five parties to the talks are obliged to fulfill under the Oct. 3 agreement. How to approach this agreement may advance the above-said talks or put them at a stalemate.
Japan's insistence that it will not participate in the above-said economic compensation means deliberately neglecting and disturbing the implementation of the Oct. 3 agreement. This is intended to torpedo the talks, in the final analysis.
It is the ulterior intention of Japan to create hurdles and complexities in the way of the talks at any cost in a bid to block the solution of the issue and steadily strain the situation on the Korean Peninsula.
Japan had better come to its senses, though belatedly, and stop such foolish an act as lifting an axe to drop it on its own foot.
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Slams Japan's Dishonest Stance towards Issue of Fulfillment of Its Commitment
Pyongyang, October 22 (KCNA) -- Japan's act of vitiating the atmosphere of the six-party talks is causing furor in the international community.
Japan extended the sanctions against the DPRK and is insisting that it cannot render energy assistance to it as agreed upon at the six-party talks for the mere reason that the "abduction issue" has not been settled.
The "abduction issue," being an issue to be handled between the DPRK and Japan, has been discussed between the two sides and, therefore, it does not allow any other country to meddle in it, much less being a matter to be taken up at the six-party talks.
This notwithstanding, Japan refuses to fulfill the commitments it is obliged to honor on the principle of "action for action" while linking the issue with the six-party talks. This cannot be construed otherwise than a desperate bid of those bereft of reason.
As already reported, the U.S. recently announced a decision to cross the DPRK off the list of "state sponsors of terrorism". Japan, however, very much displeased with it, is trying hard to disturb the process for the settlement of the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.
To make everything clear as regards the "abduction issue" so much touted by Japan, the DPRK has so far made every possible effort for its settlement.
At the Shenyang talks in August it was agreed to take specific actions to settle the inglorious past and the pending issues between the DPRK and Japan. Both sides confirmed the plan to conduct reinvestigation into the "abduction issue" on the basis of the agreement and detailed matters including its modality, methods and period.
The "abduction issue" much touted by Japan does not stand comparison with such crimes committed by the Japanese imperialists against humanity in the past as the forcible drafting of more than 8.4 million Koreans, massacre of more than one million Koreans and forcing 200,000 Korean women into sexual slavery for the Imperial Japanese Army, the crimes it has left unsettled. That is why the world considers the measure taken by the DPRK as a magnanimous bold decision made out of broad perspective.
Japan, however, has responded to the DPRK's sincerity with systematic perfidy and is only doing something obstructive to the settlement of issue.
As a matter of fact, Japan has never cooperated with the DPRK in the settlement of the "abduction issue".
It has always broken its promises. To cite just a few examples, it refused to send back those who had gone to Japan to visit home quite contrary to its earlier promise and escalated sanctions against the DPRK although it promised to lift part of them. It even savagely cracked down upon Koreans in Japan, reneging on its promise to protect their rights. Japan responded to the DPRK's repeated magnanimous steps by whipping up the bitterness toward the DPRK and chauvinism against Koreans and escalating the sanctions against it.
Japan's attitude remained unchanged even after the Shenyang talks. In a bid to convince the world that the talks handled the "abduction issue" only Japan hyped the agreed point concerning the "abduction issue" only among several points agreed while ignoring or downplaying other issues for the purpose of fanning up hostility toward the DPRK, when conveying their accounts. It thus craftily evaded the obligation to take practical measures for creating atmosphere favorable to the improvement of the bilateral relations.
The course in which the "abduction issue" was discussed and handled between the DPRK and Japan helps the former clearly understand that political forces in Japan have used the issue as a mere lever for meeting such sinister purposes as stay in power or seizure of power.
What merits attention is that after its emergence in Japan the Aso regime only staged a charade to give impression that it respects the agreement reached between the DPRK and Japan during the Fukuda regime and, in fact, it has stuck to the hostile policy pursued by the Abe Cabinet towards the DPRK.
Japan's refusal to abide by the principle of "action for action" while linking the "abduction issue" with the six-party talks is aimed to scuttle the talks and justify its hostile moves toward the DPRK and its serious human rights abuses against Koreans in Japan.
It is as clear as noonday that if Japan is allowed to participate in the talks it would create only complexities in their way as it lets loose sheer sophism that the process of the denuclearization should not be allowed to make any progress unless the "abduction issue" is settled while standing in the way of its settlement.
The DPRK is compelled to raise a question as to whether there is any need to have the six-party talks attended by Japan as it is challenging the agreement reached at the talks.
Japan had better drop its foolish attempt to use the talks aimed at the denuclearization as a platform for achieving the aim sought by it through the "abduction issue," cogitating about the consequences to be entailed by its mean behavior.
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Japan Not Qualified to Participate in Six-Party Talks
Pyongyang, October 21 (KCNA) -- Senior government officials of Japan including the prime minister, the chief cabinet secretary and the foreign minister are blustering "they can never lift sanctions against North Korea," asserting that Japan would discuss the issue of liquidating Japan's past after the settlement of the "abduction" issue. Minju Joson Tuesday in a signed commentary carried in this regard observes:
The "abduction" issue much advertised by Japan as "cure-all" has been discussed between the DPRK and Japan so far and it has already become clear thanks to the sincere efforts of the DPRK.
The Japanese reactionaries are driving the DPRK-Japan relations to an extremely tense phase and working hard to torpedo the six-party talks, shelving the issue of settling Japan's past crimes and hyping the "abduction" issue, the commentary notes, and goes on:
The row kicked up by the Japanese reactionaries over the "abduction" issue is a reckless act of carrying the hostile relations between the DPRK and Japan into extremes and little short of committing a double or treble crime in addition to those crimes perpetrated by Japan in the past.
The servicepersons and people of the DPRK feel irrepressible resentment at the mean actions of the Japanese authorities to attain a sinister political aim under the pretext of the "abduction" issue and harden their will to settle accounts with the Japanese reactionaries at any cost.
It is our view that Japan has already lost the qualification to participate in the six-party talks as it has obstructed the talks so far. In particular, Japan is making desperate efforts to dodge the fulfillment of the commitment on which an agreement was reached among the six parties. This compels us to think if Japan is allowed to participate in the talks, it will create complexities in the way of settling the issue and the talks turn into mayhem and raise a question as to whether there is any need to have the six-party talks attended by Japan.
It is the view of the DPRK that now is the time to have an exhaustive discussion on the qualification of Japan to participate in the talks as it has persistently stood in their way even after being branded as a disturber of the six-party talks.
It is quite natural to deprive the Japanese reactionaries of the qualification to participate in the said talks as they are unilaterally sticking to the stand not to honor Japan's commitment at a time when actions are being taken to implement the commitments the six parties promised to fulfill before the world.
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Blasts U.S. for Putting on Hold Effectuation of Its Measure
Pyongyang, September 19 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry gave the following answer to a question put by KCNA Friday as regards the U.S. act of misleading the public opinion while persistently evading the implementation of the October 3 agreement:
As already clarified by the DPRK, it suspended the disablement of its nuclear facilities and a work has been under way to restore its nuclear facilities in Nyongbyon to their original state since some time ago as a counter-measure against the action taken by the U.S. to indefinitely put on hold the effectuation of the measure for delisting the DPRK as a "state sponsor of terrorism."
This was a logical product of the U.S. non-abidance by the principle of "action for action" stipulated in the September 19 joint statement, the February 13 agreement and the October 3 agreement.
The U.S., however, is asserting that the measure taken by the DPRK is in violation of the agreement of six parties while trying hard to convince the public that the DPRK's presentation of the nuclear declaration was premised on the verification in line with the "international standard."
It is sophism totally distorting the agreements so far reached to claim that the measure for taking the DPRK off the list of the "state sponsors of terrorism" was to take effect only when an agreement is made on the verification of the nuclear declaration in line with the "international standard."
No verbal agreement, to say nothing of a written one on this issue was made either among the six parties or between the DPRK and the U.S.
The core of the October 3 agreement is for the five parties including the U.S. to make political and economic compensation in return for the DPRK's disablement of its nuclear facilities and presentation of the declaration on its nuclear program.
It was the commitment the U.S. was obliged to completely fulfill at the second phase for the implementation of the September 19 joint statement according to this October 3 agreement to implement the measure for delisting the DPRK as a "state sponsor of terrorism." It is, therefore, an issue quite different from the verification of the nuclear declaration.
The issue of setting up a verification and monitoring mechanism which was agreed upon at the talks of heads of the delegations to the six-party talks in July was envisaged as a measure for verifying the fulfillment of the commitments by all six participating parties at the phase of realizing the denuclearization of the whole Korean Peninsula according to the September 19 joint statement.
This notwithstanding, the U.S. is foolishly trying to force the DPRK to dismantle its nuclear weapons unilaterally through pressure and deception while misleading the public opinion by creating impression that the process of the denuclearization was put into stalemate because the DPRK evaded the verification.
The U.S. put on hold the effectuation of the measure for taking the DPRK off the list of "state sponsors of terrorism," its commitment, under the pretext of the verification of the nuclear declaration in line with the "international standard," though no agreement was made on it. This glaringly reveals its true intention to step up its hostile policy toward the DPRK in the end.
The U.S. seeks to make a house-search of the DPRK, which is neither signatory to the NPT nor member of the IAEA, under the pretext of "international standard." This is no more than a pipedream.
Now that the U.S. true colors are brought to light, the DPRK neither wishes to be delisted as a "state sponsor of terrorism" nor expects such a thing to happen. It will go its own way.
KCNA Slams U.S. Provocative Act to Scuttle Denuclearization Process of Korean Peninsula
Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- The United States is again raising the "human rights issue" of the DPRK.
This is clearly evidenced by the fact that U.S. President Bush during his junket to Asian countries blustered that he would handle the "human rights issue" as "an element for negotiations with north Korea."
We categorically dismiss this as a premeditated act of the U.S. to deliberately throw a hurdle in the process of the six-party talks and, furthermore, go without implementing points of the October 3 agreement on denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula.
As far as the "human rights issue" touted by the U.S. is concerned, it is a trite method it employed whenever it felt it necessary to delay or scuttle the talks in a bid to pursue its hostile policy toward the DPRK.
This is clearly proved by the whole process of the six-party talks.
At the third session of the six-party talks held in June 2004 all the parties to the talks agreed in unison to abide by the principles of "words for words" and "action for action".
But no sooner had the talks come to an end than the U.S. enacted and put into force the "North Korean Human Rights Act". It went the lengths of peddling the story of the "test of poisonous gas on human bodies" based on "testimonies made by defectors from the north", thus branding the DPRK as a "human rights abuser".
Even after the adoption of the September 19 joint statement in 2005 the U.S. escalated "human rights offensive" against the DPRK, talking about "counterfeiting" and "drug smuggling", thus throwing a big hurdle in the progress of the six-party talks and the implementation of the joint statement.
It even cooked up the story of "illegal trafficking" and applied sanctions against the dialogue partner, thus completely scuttling the already scheduled six-party talks and putting the talks in a stalemate for more than one year.
The "human rights" ruckus again kicked up by the U.S. is a product of its deliberate scheme to deter the six-party talks from making progress and completely scuttle the denuclearization process on the Korean Peninsula.
As already known, the DPRK submitted an accurate and complete nuclear declaration according to the October 3 agreement of the six-party talks.
The U.S., however, has not honored its commitment to write the DPRK off the list of "state sponsors of terrorism", a key political compensation in concluding the implementation of the agreement, although the date it promised to do so has already passed.
This is obviously a violation of the principle of "action for action" essential for realizing denuclearization.
The implementation of the agreed points of the six-party talks has been delayed due to the U.S. perfidious attitude.
However, the U.S. raised the "human rights issue" before the deadline it set as regards the delisting of the DPRK as a "state sponsor of terrorism". Lurking behind this is its sinister intention to shirk off the responsibility for the delayed implementation of the agreement on to the DPRK.
This proves that the U.S. has sought the sinister purpose of putting pressure upon the DPRK while letting the talks to drag on without any results, showing no interest in settling the nuclear issue between the DPRK and the U.S. through the talks from their outset.
Explicitly speaking, there is no "human rights issue" much touted by the U.S. in the DPRK.
The Korean people fully enjoy genuine freedom and rights under the socialist system where all people form a big family. It is the consistent popular policy of the DPRK government to fully guarantee the rights of the citizens in a responsible manner.
In the DPRK based on the man-centered Juche idea all working people do labor according to their abilities and wishes and lead a genuine life, given ample opportunity of learning.
It is absolutely illogical for the U.S. to talk about the "human rights issue" while ignoring such reality.
There is the most serious human rights issue in the U.S. as it is a rogue state that exterminated tens of millions of native Indians and accumulated wealth through slave trade and flesh traffic and a country where the almighty dollar principle and the fin de sickle lifestyle based on the law of the jungle prevail.
The impoverishment of Americans in the mental and cultural lives is actively fostered institutionally, driving them into the abyss of corruption, despair and crimes. This is a true picture of the American society today.
The U.S. administration fabricated the "Cuban Adjustment Act", thus causing huge casualties and preventing independent countries from making progress for the past more than four decades. It even infringed upon the sovereignty of Iraq by force of arms on the basis of false information and indiscriminately dropped bombs upon heads of innocent and peaceable citizens and children. This was the most vivid manifestation of human rights abuses.
The U.S. cursed and censured as the kingpin of human rights abuses is still behaving as if it were a "human rights judge". This is nothing but a poor charade of the U.S. which does not know where it stands and does not feel ashamed of itself.
The "human rights" piffle made by the U.S. high-ranking officials indicates that they have no stand to recognize and respect the dialogue partner.
The U.S. is persisting in the politically motivated provocations as evidenced by the ruckus kicked up over the non-existent "human rights issue" in the DPRK, an indication of its deep-rooted hostility and inveterate enmity toward the DPRK. This attitude leaves the DPRK and the countries concerned skeptical about the U.S. intention to implement the points of the October 3 agreement.
Such provocative acts of the U.S. as slandering and pulling up its dialogue partner can never help the talks make any progress in the positive direction.
Adherence to Three Principles of National Reunification Called for
Pyongyang, July 10 (KCNA) -- The three principles of national reunification serve as the main cornerstone and eternal and great platform for independent reunification that the Korean nation should always and firmly rely on in the efforts to reunify the country, stresses Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article.
The three principles are a great charter for independent reunification carrying the extraordinary ideological and theoretical wisdom and the noble patriotic will of President Kim Il Sung, the peerlessly great man, it says, and goes on:
The Korean nation's cause of reunification is the cause of national independence to put an end to the foreign forces' domination, interference and military occupation of south Korea. And it is the cause of achieving the great unity of the nation divided into the north and the south.
The cherished desire of the fellow countrymen is to retake the national sovereignty on a nationwide scale and achieve the durable peace of the country and the national reunification.
The three principles of national reunification have fully demonstrated their invincible might and vitality in the struggle of the Korean people to achieve the independent and peaceful reunification.
The historical experience eloquently proves that the rosy future of national reunification and prosperity can be brought only when the Koreans invariably uphold the banner of the three principles provided by the President.
The Koreans should realize the cause of national reunification, regarding the three principles as the basic cornerstone invariably no matter how the situation and circumstances may change.
The Lee Myung Bak group in south Korea is now making desperate efforts to overturn all the achievements gained in the June 15 era of reunification while seeking sycophancy toward the U.S., confrontation with the fellow countrymen and war against the DPRK.
The way for meeting challenges of anti-reunification forces at home and abroad and activating the national reunification movement under the present grave situation is to thoroughly adhere to and implement the three principles.
DPRK-Japan Inter-Governmental Working Talks Held
Pyongyang, June 13 (KCNA) -- Inter-governmental working talks between the DPRK and Japan were held in Beijing on June 11 and 12 to redeem the inglorious past and normalize the relations between them according to the DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration.
According to a press release made public in Pyongyang on Friday, at the talks both sides had an exhaustive discussion on the issue of settling the outstanding matters of mutual concern and decided on the following matters:
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea will reinvestigate the abduction issue.
The DPRK also expresses willingness to cooperate in the efforts to settle the issue of those related to the Japanese plane Yodo.
As part of the measures to lift the on-going sanctions against the DPRK the state of Japan will lift the restriction on visits of persons, the restriction on the use of chartered planes and allow the DPRK-flagged ships' port-calls for the purpose of transporting cargo related to humanitarian aid.
Anniversary of Kwangju Popular Uprising Observed
Pyongyang, May 18 (KCNA) -- It has been 28 years since patriotic youth and students and people in Kwangju of south Korea turned out in the popular resistance for independence, democracy and reunification.
Rodong Sinmun today dedicates a signed article to the anniversary of this Kwangju Popular Uprising.
The uprising was an eruption of pent-up wrath and resentment of the south Korean people against the unpopular rule by the military fascist clique, and it was a heroic popular resistance that seriously shook the foundation of the fascist rule, the article notes, and says:
The uprising involving more than one million people from all walks of life proved once again the historical truth that the popular masses can defeat any outrageous enemy and realize independence when they struggle in unity, defying death.
The south Korean people's struggle for independence and democracy of society and national reunification is still arduous and the Kwangju uprisers' long-cherished desire for independence, democracy and reunification has not yet been realized.
The reality shows that it is hard to achieve peace of the country, security of the nation and the cause of national reunification unless the anti-national and anti-reunification moves of the sycophantic traitorous forces are checked in south Korea.
The Lee Myung Bak group is now seeking to overturn the precious achievements made in the June 15 era of reunification and reduce the south Korean society to the dark land of fascism again. Such anti-reunification reckless moves are laying a grave barrier to the development of inter-Korean relations and the cause of national reunification.
All the Koreans should bitterly condemn this group, who is running amuck to obstruct the way of independent reunification and peace and prosperity while negating the June 15 joint declaration and the October 4 declaration, and resolutely smash its anti-reunification moves.
Moves to Obliterate National Education of Koreans in Japan under Fire
Pyongyang, April 24 (KCNA) -- 60 years have passed since the Japanese reactionaries mercilessly suppressed the struggle of Koreans in Japan for protecting their right to democratic national education.
After their defeat the Japanese reactionaries persistently worked to hamstring the efforts of the Koreans in Japan to develop democratic national education.
It was the lifelong desire of the Koreans in Japan to send their children to school as they were denied an opportunity to study under the rule of the Japanese imperialists. That was why Koreans in Japan conducted national education as a movement involving all compatriots under the slogan "Let those who have money donate their money, those who have strength devote their strength and those who have knowledge contribute their knowledge to building Korean schools!" despite the complicated political situation in Japan and their hard life.
The U.S. and Japanese reactionaries reacted to this by issuing an "order to close Korean schools" in Hyogo, Osaka, Yamaguchi, Tokyo, Okayama, Ibaraki and other areas where Korean schools were concentrated. Then they issued the threatening "statement" titled "Warning to Koreans in Japan" and mobilized army, police, heavy weapons and fire-engines to start the operations to close Korean schools by force.
Koreans in Japan turned out in the struggle against the outrageous and impudent moves of the U.S. and Japanese reactionaries for closing the Korean schools.
The Japanese reactionaries became ever more furious in the moves to eliminate Korean schools.
The successive Japanese governments have invariably pursued the reactionary policy for obliterating national education of Koreans in Japan and imposing education aimed at assimilating them into Japanese.
They have persistently pursued the above-said educational policy, regarding it as the most important means for benumbing Koreans' consciousness of national independence and completely assimilating them into Japanese.
The Japanese authorities' policy for obliterating the national education of Koreans in Japan is a heinous policy of national discrimination.
It is due to the national discrimination policy of the Japanese government that Korean schools are excluded not only from receiving financial support including educational subsidies but from being provided with necessary educational facilities. Advancement to higher schools by graduates from Korean schools is also restricted.
The right to education is an especially important issue as it is directly related to human dignity.
Nevertheless, Japan is sticking to the education aimed at assimilation and policy of discriminating against the Korean schools. This is a wanton violation of the independent right of Koreans in Japan, the right to education guaranteed by human rights conventions.
Violence against students of Korean schools and reckless remarks made against them are part of the despicable moves of the Japanese authorities to bar the development of national education of Koreans in Japan.
At least 160 cases of violence against Korean girl students occurred in 1994 alone and as many as 319 cases of violence and harsh remarks against Korean students were reported in four months from September 17, 2002. These facts clearly show how desperately the Japanese reactionaries have worked to check the advance of Koreans in Japan to defend and expand the right to national education at any cost.
It is well known to the world that innocent students of Korean schools were threatened and assaulted and even lives of Koreans in Japan were threatened whenever bigwigs of the Japanese political circles let loose a spate of outbursts slandering the DPRK and the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon).
It is intolerable for Japan to desperately bar the independent development of national education of Koreans in Japan, remaining hostile to Chongryon, the defender of democratic national rights of Koreans in Japan, far from properly repenting of its past crimes.
Spokesman of Foreign Ministry Lambastes Joint Military Exercises
Pyongyang, March 3 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry gave the following answer to the question put by KCNA on Monday as regards the Key Resolve and Foal Eagle joint military exercises launched by the U.S. and south Korea:
The U.S. and the south Korean bellicose forces started the above-said military exercises throughout south Korea on March 2 despite the repeated warnings of the DPRK, thus rendering the situation on the Korean Peninsula to an extreme pitch of tension.
Involved there are the U.S. forces present in south Korea and forces from its mainland and the south Korean forces and latest military hardware including the nuclear-powered
ultra-large carrier Nimitz and nuclear-powered guided-missile submarine Ohio of the U.S. Navy. They are, to all intents and purposes, maneuvers for a nuclear war to seize the DPRK by force of arms in light of their scale and nature.
The U.S. kicked off the nuclear war maneuvers against its dialogue partner though it has talked about a "peaceful solution of the nuclear issue" and the "establishment of a peace-keeping mechanism on the Korean Peninsula." This is a clear indication that the U.S. is invariably sticking to its hostile policy to stifle the DPRK by force.
Such nuclear threat and blackmail do not work on the DPRK but will only put a brake on the process of the denuclearization of the peninsula.
The army and people of the DPRK are following with the highest vigilance the military attempt of the U.S. to gravely threaten the sovereignty of the DPRK and take necessary countermeasures including those to further bolster up all its deterrent forces.
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Stop to Joint War Exercises Targeted against DPRK Demanded
Pyongyang, March 3 (KCNA) -- The United States and the south Korean bellicose forces had better ponder over the catastrophic consequences to be entailed by their reckless moves to invade the north and stop at once their provocative joint war exercises against it.
A spokesman for the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland demanded this in a statement issued on March 2 assailing the U.S. and the south Korean military warmongers for launching the Key Resolve and Foal Eagle joint military exercises, large-scale war maneuvers targeted against the north.
These war exercises the main purpose of which is to promptly hurl and deploy forces for invading the north into south Korea in case of "contingency" and escalate and conclude a war are very dangerous maneuvers for a preliminary war, a nuclear war targeted against the north as they are little different from the past Team Spirit and RSOI in their nature.
They are arousing ever greater apprehension at home and abroad as they are to be staged under the simulated conditions of an actual war in a bid to develop the "CONPLAN 5029," a war scenario for invading the north, which has been pushed forward by the U.S. and the south Korean military warmongers in real earnest, into "OPLAN 5029," a scenario for mounting a surprise preemptive strike.
The U.S. and south Korean war-like forces claim that the above-said exercises are of "defensive nature" but this is nothing but sophism which can convince no one.
The warmongers' reckless moves for a war of aggression against the north are throwing a stumbling block in the way of settling the nuclear issue between the DPRK and the U.S. and developing the inter-Korean relations and creating a very grave situation which may bring back the atmosphere of reconciliation, unity, peace and reunification on the Korean Peninsula to the phase of confrontation and war any moment.
The reality more clearly proves that the source of tensions and the danger of war on the Korean Peninsula have always come from the U.S. and south Korea.
Dialogue and confrontation, and peace and war cannot go together.
Now that the U.S. and south Korean bellicose forces are persistently pursuing a war of aggression against the north, while brandishing a nuclear stick behind the scene of "dialogue," "peace" and "improved relations," the DPRK has no option but to take strong self-defensive measures for protecting the dignity and sovereignty of the country and nation and peace and stability on the peninsula.
2008 to Be Chronicled as Victorious Year
Pyongyang, January 10 (KCNA) -- Juche 97 (2008) is a significant year marking the 60th anniversary of the founding of the DPRK.
The Korean people with joy and excitement have ushered in 2008 to be recorded in the history of the DPRK as one more victorious year. They are now full of enthusiasm to make a new giant leap forward this year without fail, rallied close around Kim Jong Il.
They have celebrated each decadal anniversary of the DPRK with remarkable achievements from 1948.
They marked the 10th birthday of the DPRK in 1958 with the heyday of the Chollima era and the establishment of the socialist system and its 20th jubilee in September 1968 with the high pride of having brought to its knees U.S. imperialism which raised war clamors triggered off by its armed spy ship Pueblo incident and of having entered a prosperous age of socialism.
Its 30th and 40th anniversaries were also commemorated with laudable successes made by the wisdom and sweat of the people.
The Korean people vigorously turned out in the efforts to implement the letter of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea calling for the fulfillment of the grand Second Seven-Year Plan to bring out a new turning-point of the Korean revolution and to observe the 30th birthday of the DPRK in 1978. They also made a new turning-point in the socialist construction through the historic 200-day campaign and dynamic nation-wide grand construction campaign in 1988 before celebrating the 40th anniversary in a grand way.
The Korean people fully demonstrated their firm confidence and will to certainly see in the morrow of the thriving country by launching the first artificial satellite Kwangmyongsong No.1 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the DPRK.
They are drumming up support for the general advance from the outset of the new year, holding aloft the slogan "Glorify this year of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the DPRK as a year of historical turn which will go down in the history of the country!"
The Korean people, inheriting the great tradition of having made the annals of the DPRK replete only with victory and glory, are sure to commemorate its diamond jubilee grandly with world-startling miracles and feats as a revolutionary event which is of greatest significance in the history of the country.
Kim Jong Il's Feats for Reunification Praised
Pyongyang, December 28 (KCNA) -- In the joint New Year editorial the Workers' Party of Korea expressed the steadfast will to achieve the national reunification in the present generation, true to President Kim Il Sung's last instructions for reunification, and on this basis made a patriotic proposal for glorifying the June 15 era of reunification by attaching importance to the nation, defending peace and achieving unity.
In response to this proposal, the government, political parties and organizations of the DPRK made public a joint statement calling on the Koreans to make this year a year of turning point in history whereby to usher in the new annals for national reunification.
The joint statement has served as a banner of powerfully encouraging all Koreans in the north and the south and overseas to the dynamic nationwide movement for glorifying the June 15 era of reunification, says Rodong Sinmun Friday in a signed article.
Noting that the joint statement attracted positive support and approval from all Koreans and the Koreans in the north and the south and overseas turned out as one in the drive to glorify the June 15 era of reunification from the outset of this year, the article goes on:
Not a few achievements have been made in the development of the inter-Korean relations this year.
Thanks to the DPRK's patriotic will for reunification and initiative measures, there took place such talks of various forms between the north and the south as the premier-level talks, defence minister-level talks, ministerial-level talks, general-level military talks and the Red Cross talks. The agreements reached at the talks helped reconnect the severed railways between the north and the south and activate the north-south economic cooperation projects.
It is entirely thanks to the tested and distinguished leadership of Kim Jong Il that the Korean nation's movement for national reunification has advanced as required by the times and desired by Koreans.
Firmly resolved to advance the June 15 era of reunification on a new high stage, he provided the historic inter-Korean summit in October and the adoption of the October 4 Declaration for the Development of North-South Relations and Peace and Prosperity. The adoption of the Oct. 4 declaration was one more event to be specially recorded in the history of the nation as the north and the south ushered in an era of national prosperity, a new history of the movement for independent reunification under the uplifted banner of "By our nation itself."
The June 15 era of reunification advancing under the uplifted banner of "By our nation itself" will surely greet the dawn of reunified Korea in the near future as Kim Jong Il, the sun of the nation and the lodestar of national reunification, is wisely leading the cause of reunification.
First Round of Inter-Korean Premier Talks Closes
Seoul, November 16 (KCNA Correspondent) -- The first round of the inter-Korean premier talks closed on Friday.
At the talks both sides had an exhaustive discussion on practical issues arising in invariably upholding and honoring the June 15 joint declaration and fully implementing the October 4 declaration and adopted an agreement on the talks and annexed agreements.
The agreements were inked by Premier of the DPRK Cabinet Kim Yong Il and Prime Minister of the south Han Tok Su.
According to the agreement, the north and the south agreed to definitely turn the inter-Korean relations into those of mutual respect and trust in the spirit of "By our nation itself" and take steps to develop them for the purpose of reunification.
To this end, both sides agreed to take measures necessary for marking June 15 as a day common to the nation and hold celebrations of the 8th anniversary of the June 15 joint declaration in Seoul next year with an attendance of authorities and people.
They also agreed to discuss such matters as readjusting their legal and institutional mechanisms and revitalize dialogues and contacts in different fields including their parliaments.
They agreed to set up "a West Sea special area for peace and cooperation" to meet the purpose of peace and common interests in the West Sea. As a necessary measure, they adopted an agreement on the formation and operation of "a committee for the promotion of the West Sea special area for peace and cooperation" to be co-chaired by officials at ministerial level. They agreed to hold the first meeting of the committee in Kaesong within December.
The north and the south agreed to positively push forward economic cooperation for the balanced development of the national economy and common prosperity.
To this end, both sides agreed to cooperate with each other in various fields including roads and railways, zones for cooperation in shipbuilding and the Kaesong Industrial Zone and form the North-South Joint Committee for Economic Cooperation to be co-chaired by officials at vice-premier level for the smooth progress of those projects. A relevant agreement was adopted and it was agreed to have its first meeting in Seoul from Dec. 4 to 6.
The north and the south also agreed to inaugurate the North-South Committee for the Promotion of Social and Cultural Cooperation with a view to promoting exchange and cooperation in history, language, education, culture, arts and other social and cultural fields and positively push forward cooperation projects in the humanitarian field from the stand of promoting national reconciliation and unity.
The north and the south agreed to hold the inter-Korean premier talks once in six months and the next round of the talks within the first half of 2008 in Pyongyang.
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First Round of Inter-Korean Premier Talks Opens
Seoul, November 14 (KCNA Correspondent) -- The first round of the inter-Korean premier talks was opened here on Wednesday.
Present there from the north side were Premier of the Cabinet Kim Yong Il and his party and from the south side Prime Minister Han Tok Su and those concerned.
At the talks Kim Yong Il said that what is important is for the north and the south to uphold and implement the June 15 joint declaration, to begin with, and hold fast to the principle of giving importance to the dignity and interests of the nation and making everything serve it.
For the Koreans to pool their will and efforts provides a sure guarantee for implementing the joint declaration, Kim said, adding: Proceeding from such viewpoint, the north and the south should promptly take positive steps to put into practice the matters specified in the points of the declaration, including matters of commemorating June 15, refraining from interfering in each other's internal affairs and adjusting the legal and institutional mechanisms in favor of national reunification.
The north and the south should positively reenergize and steadily expand and develop cooperation projects for the uniform development of the nation's economy and the co-prosperity on the principle of ensuring common prosperity and interests and mutual accommodation, as enshrined in the October 4 declaration, he said, referring to specific tasks for carrying out cooperation projects in economic, social, cultural and humanitarian and other fields and ways to do so.
If the October 4 declaration is to be successfully implemented, it is necessary for both sides to have a proper way of thinking, understanding and basic stand, among other things, and build, first of all, a new system and order as required by the new century and changed circumstances, he said, and went on:
The inter-Korean cooperation can make smooth progress only when both sides respect each other's systems because of the differing political, economic and social and cultural systems that exist in the north and the south.
Cooperation projects can make dynamic progress to bring earlier the era of peace and prosperity only when the inter-Korean relations are definitely turned into those of mutual respect and trust.
What is important next is for the north and the south to show their will to implement the declaration in practical deeds, not in words, he noted, declaring that the north would fulfill its mission and responsibility to implement the declaration in the future, too.
The prime minister of the south side, addressing the talks, said that the publication of the June 15 joint declaration was a great historical event that ushered in the era of peace and co-existence between the south and the north.
Referring to the achievements made in developing the inter-Korean relations since the publication of the joint declaration, he expressed the hope that the talks would prove to be a constructive dialogue which will result in bringing about a productive agreement. He clarified the stand of the south side for implementing the October 4 declaration.
The talks will continue till Nov. 16.
The prime minister of the south side gave a reception for Premier Kim Yong Il and his party in the evening.
National Unity Called for
Pyongyang, October 14 (KCNA) -- The present reality requires all Koreans to pool their will and efforts to stage a more dynamic sacred struggle to usher in an era of national prosperity, the new era of independent reunification.
Rodong Sinmun Sunday says this in a signed article.
The era of independent reunification that came to Korea thanks to the adoption of the historic June 15 joint declaration eloquently proves that there is nothing impossible for the Koreans when they pool efforts and achieve unity and cooperation, the article observes, and goes on: The Koreans have victoriously advanced the movement for independent reunification, bravely meeting all the challenges despite the evermore undisguised moves of the separatist forces inside and outside Korea in recent years. This is entirely ascribable to the might of national unity and cooperation based on the idea of "By our nation itself".
The historic June 15 joint declaration is a banner of national unity as it calls on all Koreans to achieve reconciliation and unity under the banner of national independence. Only when the Korean nation has the stand and attitude of national independence, can it achieve the reconciliation, unity and cooperation on the road of national reunification.
The declaration underscores the need to independently solve the issue of national reunification by the concerted efforts of the Korean nation responsible for the issue.
The declaration is a patriotic banner encouraging all Koreans in the north and the south and overseas to actively turn out in the struggle to achieve the unity, enshrining the noble spirit of patriotism.
The declaration set forth the patriotic great proposition "By our nation itself," stirring up the love for the country and the nation enshrined in the hearts of all Koreans.
All Koreans are turning out in the movement for national reunification, greatly inspired by the spirit of patriotism enshrined in the above-said proposition.
Unity Is Decisive Guarantee for Nation's Independent Reunification: Rodong Sinmun
Pyongyang, September 20 (KCNA) -- To realize the unity of the whole nation is a decisive guarantee for achieving independent and peaceful reunification, says Rodong Sinmun in an article Thursday.
The author of the article continues:
Korea's reunification is not for eliminating any contradiction or institutional confrontation within the nation, but for rejoining the blood vessel of the nation cut off by outside forces and realizing national harmony. So the unity of the nation is the great premise and main content of national reunification.
It is unbearable national misfortune and tragedy that the Korean nation has been forced to suffer the pain of division for over 60 years, bisected into the north and the south by outside forces.
The main point in reunifying the country is not certain matters of procedure and method but the achievement of the unity of the whole nation. The main point will be resolved in achieving the reunification of the country, if the north and the south realize harmony and all the fellow countrymen put their minds together and, on this basis, attain great unity.
Achievement of the unity of the nation is the main propelling force and the decisive factor in reunifying the country.
The reunification of the country can be successfully achieved only when the whole Korean nation strengthens the internal force of reunification in every way, closely united in one as the force responsible for national reunification.
The reality in the June 15 era of reunification in which the struggle for national reconciliation and unity is developing to a new higher plane under the banner of "By our nation itself" eloquently proves the might and vitality of great national unity as the propelling force of the cause of independent reunification.
The unity of the nation can be successfully realized if it advances in close unity, irrespective of idea and system, in conformity with the idea of "By our nation itself", the banner of the national unity.
Songun Politics Praised as Patriotic Politics for Independent Reunification
Pyongyang, August 25 (KCNA) -- The Songun politics is great patriotic one as it guarantees the achievement of national sovereignty and peaceful reunification and firmly promises even the bright future of the reunified country.
Rodong Sinmun Saturday observes this in a signed article.
It goes on: The vitality of the Songun politics lies in that it serves as an invincible weapon for protecting the way of national independence and guaranteeing independent reunification in reliance upon the matchless army and as a treasured sword reflecting patriotism as it helps remove the danger of war from the Korean Peninsula and achieve national reconciliation, unity and peaceful reunification.
Reflected in the banner of Songun are the firm will and intention of the Korean people to defend the sovereignty of the country and nation and achieve independent reunification without fail as unanimously desired by the nation.
The DPRK has firmly protected the national dignity and sovereignty while increasing the nation's defence power in every way under the banner of Songun in view of the evermore undisguised hostile moves of the United States to invade it.
The present reality goes to prove that but for such powerful weapon as Songun the prospect of national independence would have been gloomy and the cause of national reunification would have met frustration.
Under the umbrella of peace provided by Songun Koreans are now holding events for reunification, safely visiting each other and sharing compatriotic feelings, and thereby consolidating the national unity. The Songun politics serves as a powerful weapon for defending peace and a decisive factor of promoting national reconciliation and unity and accelerating the reunification of the country, concludes the article.
Intensified Movement for Reunification Called for in Japan
Pyongyang, August 10 (KCNA) -- A general meeting of the Headquarters of Koreans in Japan of the Pan-Korean Alliance for Reunification (BomMinRyon) was held in Tokyo on Aug.1.
The general meeting took up issues of encouraging BomMinRyon to creditably perform its role as standard-bearer in the movement for national reunification. It discussed the matters of extending positive support to the struggle of the forces of the progressive movement in south Korea including members of the south Headquarters of BomMinRyon.
Present there were Im Thae Gwang, chairman of the Headquarters of Koreans in Japan of BomMinRyon, and others.
Struggle for Implementing Three Tasks Called for
Pyongyang, July 16 (KCNA) -The struggle for attaching importance to the nation, defending peace and achieving unity is the powerful motive force in the June 15 era of reunification and the basic way of rejecting foreign forces and achieving independent reunification by the concerted efforts of the Korean nation, stresses Rodong Sinmun in an article Monday.
Much more remains to be done and mounting troubles lie in the way of the Koreans, if it is to achieve the historic desire for independent reunification, the author of the article notes, and continues:
Hating the trend of the times in which the Korean nation spurns foreign forces and is heading for achieving independent reunification by itself, the United States has been creating military tensions on the Korean Peninsula and becoming more outspoken in its interference against reunification. The pro-U.S. conservative forces in south Korea including the "Grand National Party", instigated by the U.S., are desperately blocking the trend of the June 15 era of reunification, while denying the idea of "By our nation itself" and crying for confrontation against reunification. The fanatics of confrontation of the GNP are kicking and struggling to grab power at any cost at the forthcoming "presidential election" and turn the flow of history back to the past era of confrontation.
All the Koreans who seek national reconciliation and unity and want peace and reunification should turn out as one in the patriotic struggle for attaching importance to the nation, defending peace and achieving unity, regardless of differences in ideology and system, and dynamically push forward the trend of the June 15 era of reunification.
All the Koreans should wage this patriotic struggle with redoubled efforts and thus promote national reconciliation and cooperation, give impetus to the development of north-south relations and bring earlier the common prosperity of the nation and the future of a reunified country.
Implementation of Three Tasks Called for
Pyongyang, June 27 (KCNA) -- All the Koreans should give full play to their patriotic zeal under the uplifted banner of three tasks--attaching importance to the nation, defending peace and achieving unity--and thus invariably defend and glorify the June 15 era of reunification, says Rodong Sinmun Wednesday in a signed article.
The three tasks are the most important tasks facing the Koreans in their struggle to achieve the independent and peaceful reunification of the country, the article says, and goes on: Attaching importance to the nation represents a basic stand that should be maintained to improve the north-south relations and solve the reunification issue independently.
No outsiders can be better than the nation and no foreign interests can be more important than those of the nation. It is possible to meet the requirements of attaching importance to the nation only when the requirements and the interests of the nation are considered as an absolute standard and fully met and the independent principle and the principle of putting the interests of the nation above all and defending it are firmly maintained, not yielding to the outsiders' pressure and blackmail. It presents itself as a more important issue than ever before to develop the inter-Korean relations and the reunification movement in the idea of "By our nation itself" and oppose and reject the outsiders' interference and obstructions and the anti-reunification conservative forces in south Korea, their lackeys.
Defending peace is a militant task vital to the nation.
The situation on the Korean Peninsula still remains tense due to the moves of bellicose forces at home and abroad for a war of aggression. The war-like forces of the U.S. and south Korea continue staging DPRK-targeted large-scale military exercises, while getting evermore frantic in their arms buildup.
It is quite natural for the Koreans to have stood against the moves of outsiders and their followers for aggression and war and waged a dynamic struggle to drive the U.S. forces out of south Korea under the uplifted banner of defending peace.
Achieving unity provides a sure guarantee for achieving the independent and peaceful reunification of the country.
The present era requires the achievement of the national unity on a new higher stage.
It is important to foil the moves of the anti-reunification forces in south Korea opposed to national unity while dynamically waging the struggle to achieve the national unity among Koreans at home and abroad.
Dynamic Actions for National Reconciliation and Unity Called for
Pyongyang, May 22 (KCNA) -- The present times are the June 15 era of reunification in which the Koreans are promoting reconciliation and cooperation with each other and working hard to achieve independent reunification, says Rodong Sinmun Tuesday in a signed article.
The June 15 era of reunification is an era of national independence in which the north and the south are developing their relations and paving the way for independent reunification by their concerted efforts, guided by the idea of "By our nation itself", the article notes, and goes on: It is the need of the times and the will of the nation to solve all the issues in conformity with the idea of "By our nation itself" which the north and south promised to embody and has been hailed and supported by all the compatriots.
None of the two sides is, therefore, allowed to deny and sidestep the above-said idea. If any side gives importance to the foreign forces instead of valuing its nation in contravention of the principle of "By our nation itself" or cooperates with them instead of joining hands with its compatriots, it should be branded as an act of betraying its nation and going against the times.
The present times call for placing the common interests of the nation above anything else, subordinating everything to the cause of national reunification, promoting co-existence, co-prosperity and common interests on the basis of the commonness of the nation and achieving genuine reconciliation.
The common points of the nation remain unchanged as the north and the south belong to the same nation.
The differing ideologies and systems in the north and the south do not pose any problem, given the commonness of the nation formed and consolidated for thousands of years.
The north and south can surely get reconciled and promote co-existence, co-prosperity and common interests, should they place the common interests of the nation above anything else and subordinate everything to the cause of national reunification and approach and solve all the issues on the basis of the national community.
In order to accelerate the independent reunification through genuine reconciliation between the north and south it is necessary to put the earliest possible end to the foreign presence and domination over south Korea and reject foreign forces' meddling in the issue of the relations between the north and south and the issue of reunification.
It is also necessary to stop the confrontation and war moves quite contrary to the trend of the times towards reconciliation and cooperation and remove the legal and political barriers lying in the way of national reconciliation and unity of the nation from south Korea.
Joint Communique on Reestablishment of Diplomatic Relations
between DPRK and Union of Myanmar Released
Pyongyang, April 26 (KCNA) -- A Joint communique on the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between the DPRK and the Union of Myanmar was released in Yangon on April 26.
According to the joint communique, the government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the government of the Union of Myanmar, desirous of developing friendly relations and bilateral cooperation between the two countries and peoples, based on the principles of respect for each other's sovereignty, non-interference in their internal affairs, and equality and mutual benefit, as well as the norms of international law and the objectives and principles of the United Nations Charter, have agreed to reestablish the diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level in accordance with the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 18th April 1961.
The governments of the DPRK and the Union of Myanmar expressed their assurances that the reestablishment of diplomatic relations responds to the national interests of both countries and will consolidate the strengthening of international peace and cooperation.
Japan Not Qualified to Participate in Six-party Talks: KCNA
Pyongyang, March 26 (KCNA) -- Japan has persistently misbehaved in the international arena only to see its poor image sagging. At international meetings now, Japan is behaving rashly, hammering repeatedly away at its chosen theme of "abduction issue", ignorant of their main theme and purport.
It insisted that "sanctions should not be eased", "north Korea can not sidestep the 'abduction issue' within the framework of the six-party talks" and "Japan is concerned over the U.S. 'perfidy'." This misbehavior on the part of Japan has left a disgusting and unpleasant impression on the international community and media.
Japan took such approaches at the previous talks, adversely affecting the progress of the talks and becoming a target of accusing fingers. Still today it refuses to abandon this misbehavior.
Japan is stooping to any infamy in hindering and barring the settlement of a problem in the international political arena to gratify its ambition of ultra-nationalism. This extremely shrewd selfishness is a natural result of the nature of the state of Japan.
For Abe to make any concession over the "abduction issue" means his political death, considering that he succeeded in assuming the premiership by lifting his approval rating through his hard-line policy toward the DPRK in reliance upon the political foothold of the ultra-right conservative forces.
Now he finds himself in an embarrassing situation as he is compelled to go against the general trend of the international community in order to pay what he owes to them.
Japan has entered the new century without settling its crime-woven past in which it brought misfortunes and pains to a countless number of people in the Asia-Pacific region. Now it is vociferating about a "threat" from the DPRK in a bid to cover up its moral vulgarity and create an atmosphere favorable for reviving militarism.
The settlement of the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula at the six-party talks would leave Japan stripped of one of its major pretexts for realizing its militarist ambition to become the leader of Asia. For this reason Japan is resorting to every conceivable means to scuttle the talks.
The misbehavior of Japan to drive the six-party talks to a collapse by throwing an artificial snag in the way of their progress is inviting criticism and derision.
It was against this backdrop that Japan made it its state view that "there should be no aid to north Korea unless the abduction issue is solved." In order to get rid of the situation where it stands isolated in the trend of the times, Japan is playing sleight of hand, crying that "if the U.S. pays no heed to the shared understanding, it will inflict a deep wound on the matchless bilateral relations" and "Japan-U.S. alliance will face a crisis if there is any difference in the recognition of threat."
It is illogical for a country which does not wish to see any success of the talks to involve itself in the talks.
Japan is not qualified to attend a political dialogue for peace and stability as it is swimming against the trend of the times.
Co-Chairmen of Pomchonghakryon Meet
Pyongyang, February 28 (KCNA) -- Co-chairmen of the National Alliance of Youth and Students for the Country's Reunification (Pomchonghakryon) had its 17th meeting by way of exchanging facsimile messages among the north and south sides and the overseas side on Feb. 27.
The meeting reviewed the organization's movement for independent reunification of the nation last year and discussed the orientation of its movement for this year.
It was mentioned at the meeting that Pomchonghakryon has waged a strenuous struggle to foil the anti-reunification moves of the U.S. and pro-U.S. conservative forces including the "Grand National Party," thus contributing to the cause of national reunification last year.
The meeting put up "Add brilliance to the June 15 reunification era by attaching importance to the nation, maintaining peace and achieving unity!" as a slogan for actions for this year and considered it as the general orientation of its movement for this year to concentrate all efforts on carrying out the tasks of attaching importance to the nation, defending peace and achieving unity.
The meeting underlined need for Pomchonghakryon to take the lead in grandly commemorating June 15 as the "Day of by our nation itself," set a period from June 15 to August 15 as one for a joint movement of Pomchonghakryon for attaching importance to the nation, defending peace and achieving unity and wage a dynamic patriotic movement for reunification to suit the specific conditions of the regions in this period.
Pointing out that to force the U.S. forces to quit south Korea is the foremost task for averting a war, ensuring peace and achieving reunification, the meeting called on the youth and students in the north and the south of Korea and abroad to stage a dynamic struggle for the withdrawal of the U.S. forces from south Korea.
The meeting decided to significantly hold commemorations including the joint meeting of Pomchonghakryon to vow to intensify the actions on the occasion of August 15 this year, its 15th founding anniversary, boost unity and alliance with pro-reunification patriotic movement organizations and decisively throw overboard pro-U.S. reactionary and conservative forces in south Korea.
A joint resolution was adopted at the meeting.
Imperialists' Scheme for "Globalization" Bound to Go Bust
Pyongyang, January 28 (KCNA) -- The reactionary "globalization" can never be realized no matter how desperately the U.S. and other imperialist forces may try, says Rodong Sinmun Sunday in a signed article. The imperialists' reactionary policy to obliterate the Juche character and national identity of the progressive countries has taken up another form with the unjustifiable sophistry what they call new "globalization". It is because the "globalization" policy pursued by the imperialist forces for years is on the verge of bankruptcy, the article says, and goes on:
The new "globalization" asserted by several Western forces including the U.S. calls for converting the world into the "free world" of the Western style more openly than the previous "globalization", and herein lies the reactionary nature of the new "globalization".
The imperialist forces are trying to justify their interference in the internal affairs of other countries and military invasion of them with such "globalization".
The U.S. imperialists' occupation of Iraq reveals their intention to realize the "globalization" in a gangster-like manner by exercising the imperialist state authority and strength to the full.
The "globalization" sought by the imperialist forces is bound to go bankrupt.
There can never be a universal "view on value" and standard of development suited to all countries.
It is an independent right of each country and nation to carve out its own destiny with its own idea and system, and doing so is the requirement of the times. A great number of countries and nations across the world have chosen systems suited to their specific conditions and are hewing out their own destinies. Under such situation there can never be the global "integration" involving politics, economy, culture and all other fields.
It is a preposterous and gangster-like sophism to assert that the American "view on value" becomes a "standard" applicable to all the countries over the world. Almost all the countries are opposing the introduction of the U.S. style "view on value."
No force on earth can ever check the desire and struggle of the world progressive countries to defend the Juche character and national identity, the article concludes.