TODAY'S NEWS (August.16.2000 Juche 89)
[CONTENTS]
* Greetings to President of Gabon
* Greetings to Indonesian President
* Congratulatory message to Kim Jong Il from Chongryon
* Congratulatory message to Kim Jong Il from NDFSK
* Relay groups carrying letters of loyalty start
* Evening gala of youths and students
* Foreigners visit Ssuksom revolutionary site
* Russian charge d'affaires ad interim hosts reception
* Reunion of separated families and relatives in Pyongyang
* Visiting group of separated families and relatives of south side
sojourns in Pyongyang
* Separated families and relatives of both sides reunite with each other
in Seoul
The news continue. See <http://www.kcna.co.jp/>
Greetings to President of Gabon
Pyongyang, August 16 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium
of the Supreme People's
Assembly of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, today sent a message
of greetings to El Hadj Omar Bongo,
President of Gabon, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of its
independence.
The message extended warm congratulations to the President, government
and people of Gabon on this day.
In the belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the
two countries would develop on good terms,
the message sincerely wished the President, government and people of Gabon
greater success in their work for national
harmony and the country's prosperity.
Greetings to Indonesian President
Pyongyang, August 16 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, President of the presidium
of the Supreme People's
Assembly of the DPRK, sent a message of greetings to K. H. Abdurrahman
Wahid, President of Indonesia, today on
the occasion of the 55th anniversary of its independence.
On this day the message extended warm congratulations to the President,
government and people of Indonesia.
Expressing the belief that the good friendly and cooperative relations
between the two countries would grow
stronger and develop in the interests of the two peoples, the message
wished the President success in his responsible
work for the country's political stability and economic prosperity.
Congratulatory message to Kim Jong Il from Chongryon
Pyongyang, August 16 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il yesterday
received a congratulatory message
from the central standing committee of the General Association of the
Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon) on the
occasion of the 55th anniversary of Korea's liberation.
On this day the message paid highest tribute to the President Kim Il
Sung, a benefactor who brought Korea's
liberation and father of socialist Korea, and extended warmest thanks and
highest glory to the respected leader Kim
Jong Il who has defended the homeland of Juche which was liberated and
glorified by Kim Il Sung, led the struggle to
build it into a powerful nation and brought a great turning-point in the
cause of national reunification, an age-old desire
of the nation.
It went on:
Kim Jong Il opened up a new phase of national reunification through the
historic Pyongyang meeting, the summit
talks and the north-south joint declaration and took a meticulous measure
to ensure that an agreement was reached at the
first round of the north-south ministerial talks to realize the visit of
compatriots under Chongryon to their hometowns
in South Korea.
For the successful implementation of the historic north-south joint
declaration the officials of Chongryon and
compatriots in Japan will achieve their national unity and positively
contribute to accomplishing the national cause of
the country's reunification at an early date under the banner of national
independence and reunification by federal
formula.
The compatriots in Japan will further strengthen and develop the
friendship and solidarity with the Japanese people
and make a positive contribution to the work for establishment of the
DPRK-Japan relations.
The message wholeheartedly wished Kim Jong Il a long life in good health.
Congratulatory message to Kim Jong Il from NDFSK
Pyongyang, August 16 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il received a
congratulatory message from the
central committee of the National Democratic Front of South Korea (NDFSK)
yesterday on the occasion of the 55th
anniversary of Korea's liberation.
On this day the message extended highest glory and warmest
congratulations to Kim Jong Il, the sun of the nation
and the lodestar of national reunification, representing the unanimous will
and loyalty of the vanguard fighters and
patriots from all walks of life in the south.
The great leader Kim Il Sung took the road of revolution in his early
years, shouldering upon himself the destinies
of the country and the nation, and fought a 20-year-long anti-J0panese war
to liberate the country, the message said,
and went on:
You, possessed of brilliant ideological and theoretical wisdom,
outstanding leadership art and noble virtue, have
fully materialized Kim Il Sung's long-term plan and brought golden days to
Kim Il Sung's nation all of which are
blessed with the leaders.
You realized the historic south-north summit meeting and talks, the
first of their kinds since the August 15
liberation of Korea, produced the June 15 south-north joint declaration, a
milestone for national reunification, and thus
opened up a new turning phase of national reunification.
On the occasion of the 55th anniversary of liberation grand
pro-reunification festivals for national independence
and great unity are taking place with large attendance in the south, the
north and overseas to carry out the south-north
joint declaration and voices calling for national reunification are shaking
the world. This is an immortal great exploit
performed by you, the great leader.
The message noted that upholding the leadership of Kim Jong Il the
NDFSK would raise high the banner of
national independence and the great unity of the nation and give further
momentum to the desire of all people for
reunification and thus hasten national reunification without fail.
It wholeheartedly wished Kim Jong Il a long life in good health.
Relay groups carrying letters of loyalty start
Pyongyang, August 16 (KCNA) -- Relay groups carrying letters of loyalty
to the great leader Kim Jong Il started
from different places of the country with the approach of the 55th
anniversary of the glorious Worker's Party of Korea.
A group left Ungsang workers' district in Sonbong county, Rajin-Sonbong
city, on Aug. 8 and groups of officers
and men of the Korean People's Army who are standing guard over the defence
lines of the country including Height
1211 started on Aug. 10 and 13 at the end of meetings.
The letters read out at the meetings expressed the pledge of the people
of north Hamgyong Province to speed up
the building of a powerful socialist country and that of the servicemen to
further strengthen the KPA as an army of the
party and an army of the revolution.
Everywhere they reached on their way to Pyongyang they were warmly
welcomed by servicemen, working
people, school youth and children.
Evening gala of youths and students
Pyongyang, August 16 (KCNA) -- An evening gala of youths and students
in Pyongyang celebrating the 55th
anniversary of Korea's liberation took place on August 15 around the arch
of triumph, the Tower of the Juche idea, the
Monument to Party Founding, the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium, the April 25
House of Culture, Pyongyang Circus and
other places of the capital.
They danced to the tune of "My Country Is Best" and "My Country Is an
Eternal Country of Leader" and other
songs full of boundless happiness and pride they enjoy in their being born
and exalting their youthful life in socialist
country built by the President Kim Il Sung.
When evening gala places were filled with songs "Our General Is Best",
"Let's Sing of Dear General of People"
and "We Will Hold Our General in High Esteem", loyalty was growing stronger.
The evening gala showed the unwavering will and revolutionary zeal of
the youths and students to make life
replete with loyalty and feats by devoting their youthful life to the
struggle for adorning the 55th anniversary of the
party foundation as a grand festival of victors under the leadership of the
respected leader Kim Jong Il.
Foreigners visit Ssuksom revolutionary site
Pyongyang, August 16 (KCNA) -- Foreign diplomatic envoys and
representatives of international organizations
here and Pak Kwang Gi, chief of the Pyongyang mission of the National
Democratic Front of South Korea, visited the
Ssuksom Revolutionary Site on August 15, the 55th anniversary of the
liberation of Korea.
It is located in the middle of the Taedong River flowing through Pyongyang.
It is a significant place associated with the history of the united
front. In that place the President Kim Il Sung sat
together with leaders of political parties and public organizations of
South Korea who participated in the historic
north-south joint conference and led them to the road of national unity in
early May 1948.
Being briefed on the revolutionary site which conveys the immortal
feats of Kim Il Sung through generations, the
guests looked round the United Front Tower, the consultative meeting place,
a look-out for a field, a ferryboat and
other mementos.
Russian charge d'affaires ad interim hosts reception
Pyongyang, August 16 (KCNA) -- Alexander Timonin, charge d'affaires ad
interim of the Russian embassy here,
gave a reception on August 15 on the 55th anniversary of Korea's liberation.
Invited to the reception were Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the
presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's
Assembly, Kim Yang Gon, department director of the Central Committee of the
Worker's Party of Korea, and Paek
Nam Sun, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and other officials.
Alexander Timonin said in his speech that the historic events in August
1945 will always remain in the memory of
the Russian and Korean peoples, adding that eternal friendship was forged
between the peoples of the two countries in
the arduous struggle against the common enemy.
The joint declaration that V. V. Putin and Kim Jong Il, the respected
leaders of the two countries, signed at the
Pyongyang meeting and talks some time ago laid a reliable groundwork to
further develop the Russia-DPRK relations
in all fields, he said, and went on:
Strengthening and developing cooperation between the Russian Federation
and the DPRK on the basis of a new
inter-state treaty signed in February meet the interests of the two peoples
and will contribute to ensuring stability in
northeast Asia and the rest of the world.
Speaking next, Minister of Foreign Trade Kang Jong Mo said that August
15 was a historic day of victory in
which Korea's liberation was achieved through a national-liberation
struggle of all the Korean people, mainly the
anti-Japanese armed struggle commanded by the great leader Kim Il Sung.
We have honored with homage the memory of the soldiers of the soviet
army who fell in battles for Korea's
liberation, he noted, adding this is an expression of the sense of moral
obligation of the Korean people who set store
by fraternal friendship with the Russian people.
Recalling that the long-standing DPRK-Russia friendship has entered
into a new stage of development in
accordance with the summit talks of the two countries and the spirit of the
new inter-state treaty and the DPRK-Russia
joint declaration signed some time ago, he stressed that further boosting
the traditional DPRK-Russia relations is in full
line with the aspiration of the two peoples and their fundamental interests.
We will continue to make positive efforts to develop the DPRK-Russia
relations of friendship on the principle of
mutual respect for sovereignty, non-interference in internal affairs and
equality and mutual benefit.
Reunion of separated families and relatives in Pyongyang
Pyongyang, August 16 (KCNA) -- Members of the visiting group of
separated families and relatives of the south
side had emotional reunions with their kinsmen at Pyongyang Koryo Hotel on
August 15 amid the mounting desire of
all the fellow countrymen for reunification on the occasion of the 55th
anniversary of the country's liberation.
They warmly hugged each other after calling out the names of those whom
they have wished to see even in dreams
for over half a century of separation.
At every meeting place separated families and relatives were seen
hugging each other, their cheeks pressed against
each other in tears. These scenes proved that the Koreans of the same blood
and the same nation can never live
separated.
That day, Jang Chung Sik, president of the South Korean Red Cross, and
his party visited the central committee
of the DPRK Red Cross Society.
The c.c., the Red Cross Society of the DPRK gave a reception for the
visiting group at the People's Palace of
Culture on the same day.
Jang Jae On, chairman of its central committee, in his speech said that
the current exchange of the visiting groups
of separated families and relatives, the first step taken for national
reconciliation and unity in the spirit of the
north-south joint declaration, will bolster up the Korean people's desire
for national independence and unity.
He called for pooling will and intention to make this undertaking serve
the purpose of achieving the cause of
national significance to put an end to the tragedy of the division and open
a new phase of reconciliation and
reunification, going beyond the bounds of families.
The head of the group Jang Chung Sik said that the exchange of the
visiting groups of separated families and
relatives in the south and the north will be a starting point to put an end
to the history of division and open a new
national history of reunification and concord.
He expressed belief that the current visit arranged on the occasion of
the 55th anniversary of the liberation would
be an important stepping stone to rejoin the severed blood ties of all the
separated compatriots and bring earlier the day
of reunification.
Visiting group of separated families and relatives of south side sojourns in
Pyongyang
Pyongyang, August 16 (KCNA) -- The members of the visiting group of
separated families and relatives of the
south side had family-to-family reunions with their kinsmen at Pyongyang
Koryo Hotel today.
They shared joy of reuniting with each other in harmony.
Conveying each other news from their hometowns, inquiring after the
health of families and relatives and telling
about the paths of their lives, they shared the views on putting an end to
the national tragedy caused by split and
pictured to themselves the day of reunification when they will live altogether.
The visiting group of the south side headed by Jang Chung Sik,
president of the South Korean Red Cross, toured
different places of Pyongyang today.
Cruising in the Taedong River, they commanded a bird's-eye view of the
Taedong Gate, the Ryongwang Pavilion,
Moran Hill and other spots of scenic beauty and historic interests and
Thongil Street.
They went on a sightseeing tour of different parts of the city
including Kwangbok and Chongchun streets.
They went to the mausoleum of king Tangun, the ancestral father of the
Korean nation, located in Kangdong
county.
Meanwhile president Jang Chung Sik and his party looked round the
Pyongyang metro.
Separated families and relatives of both sides reunite with each other in Seoul
Seoul, August 15 (KCNA) -- The members of the visiting group of
separated families and relatives of the north
side arrived in Seoul and had emotional reunions with their families and
relatives in South Korea on August 15.
They warmly hugged each other after calling out the names of those whom
they have wished to see even in dreams
as they have never met for over half a century.
The members of the group and their families and relatives, their
pent-up cares set aside, inquired after their
kinsmen's health and exchanged tidings.
The meeting proved once again that no matter how time may flow and
rivers and mountains may change, blood
ties can never change nor can be severed and that the reunification of the
country is the historic task of the nation whose
fulfillment brooks not a moment's delay.
That day, the South Korean Red Cross hosted a reception for the
visiting group.
Vice-president Pong Tu Wan of the South Korean Red Cross in his speech
said: All of us, deeply moved to watch
the reunion of the members of the visiting group with their families of the
south, can keenly feel how profoundly you
must be touched to reunite with your families for the first time since your
separation more than 50 years back. He
sincerely congratulated them.
In this place I more deeply realize that there is still a lot of work
to be done by us in the future, too, and I keenly
feel the responsibility for it, he said.
Head of the visiting group Ryu Mi Yong, chairperson of the central
committee of the Korean Chondoist Chongu
Party, said: The current exchange of the visiting groups was arranged by
our respected leader Kim Jong Il, a man of
noble virtue and humanity, together with President Kim Dae Jung, despite
pressure of time two months ago.
She expressed strong belief that the exchange of the visiting groups
would be made with success in a favourable
atmosphere to meet the expectation of the leaders of the two sides.
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