TODAY'S NEWS (January.01.2001 Juche 90) [CONTENTS] * Kim Jong Il pays homage to Kim Il Sung * Joint New Year editorial of newspapers * Victory in Cuban revolution commemorated * New Year's day celebrated * New Year's celebration of schoolchildren held Kim Jong Il pays homage to Kim Il Sung ��� Pyongyang, January 1 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il visited the Kumsusan Memorial Palace this morning on the occasion of the New Year Juche 90 (2001) together with senior party and state officials and paid homage to President Kim Il Sung. ��� An atmosphere of humble reverence pervaded the Kumsusan Memorial Palace, the supreme temple of Juche, where Kim Il Sung, founder of socialist Korea and father of the nation, lies in state for perpetuity. ��� Kim Jong Il stepped in the hall where Kim Il Sung's statue stands. ��� He was accompanied by senior party and state officials Kim Yong Nam, Jo Myong Rok, Kim Yong Chun, Kim Il Chol, Ri Ul Sol, Paek Hak Rim, Hong Song Nam, Jon Pyong Ho, Han Song Ryong, Kye Ung Thae, Kim Chol Man, Choe Thae Bok, Yang Hyong Sop, Choe Yong Rim, Kim Kuk Thae, Kim Jung Rin, Ri Yong Mu, Kim Yong Sun, Jo Chang Dok, Kwak Pom Gi, Kim Yun Hyok, Kim Yong Dae, chairman of the central committee of the Korean Social Democratic Party, Ryu Mi Yong, chairwoman of the central committee of the Korean Chondoist Chongu Party, and others. ��� A floral basket was laid before Kim Il Sung's statue in the joint name of the Central Committee of the Worker's Party of Korea, the Central Military Commission of the WPK, the National Defence Commission of the DPRK, the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly and the cabinet of the DPRK. ��� Kim Jong Il paid deep homage to Kim Il Sung's statue together with senior party and state officials. ��� Then he entered the hall where Kim Il Sung lies in state for perpetuity. ��� He made a bow to Kim Il Sung in the humblest reverence together with them. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Joint New Year editorial of newspapers ��� Pyongyang, January 1 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun, Josoninmingun and Chongnyonjonwi, newspapers of the DPRK, call for opening up the road of advance through the new century in the spirit of the victorious "arduous march". ��� In a joint editorial published today, the New Year's day, the papers make this call. ��� The editorial reviews the momentous events in Juche 89 (2000) and advances tasks to be carried out in the New Year Juche 90 (2001). ��� Describing last year as a year of great turn marked with momentous events unprecedented in the history of the Korean nation, a historic year that concluded the 20th century with brilliant achievements, it says: ��� The Korean people have decorated annals of revolution with victories under the red flag of socialism. The 20th century was a century of glory in which Korea, which once suffered an eclipse on the world map, has demonstrated its dignity as the homeland of the Juche idea, a heroic country and a country of chollima. And it was a century of great pride in which Korean socialism has emerged victorious. ��� It is the pride of the workers' party and the people of Korea that they defended the faith, system and cause of Korea through the "arduous march" and concluded the century brilliantly. ��� Noting that last year the might of the Korean people's single-hearted unity was displayed, the editorial says: ��� The celebration event for the 55th anniversary of the WPK was a grand festival of the Korean people's single-mindedness characterized by their spirit of worship of their leader and protecting him with their very lives. ��� The revolutionary ranks were built up as invincible ones. ��� Last year the Korean people decorated the final charge of the "arduous march" brilliantly through indefatigable fortitude. ��� Last year was a year of great importance when a new phase was opened in the achievement of the cause of national reunification. ��� There were the historic Pyongyang summit and the publication of the June 15 north-south joint declaration. It was the remarkable event in the Korean national history to see that more than 50-year-long bottlenecks for Korea's reunion were removed. ��� It is the enduring feat that leader Kim Jong Il advanced a fresh reunification platform to open up a broad vista for an end to the national division. ��� The dawn of national reunification is sure to break under his leadership. This is the iron faith of the 70 million fellow countrymen. ��� Last year was a year of great pride when the dignity and honor of socialist Korea were displayed to the world. ��� The DPRK firmly defending the banner of independence has become the focus of the world's politics. Its hard-line and principled struggle foiled the imperialists' moves to isolate and stifle it. And the "theory of collapse" of socialism advocated by the enemies was dismissed and the DPRK has emerged imposingly as an impregnable socialist fortress. This gives a great encouragement to the revolutionary people of the world. ��� It has become the mainstream of the times to establish and develop goodwill and friendly relations with Korea. ��� The credit for the great victory won last year which splendidly concluded the 20th century goes to leader Kim Jong Il's preeminent political ability and energetic activities. ��� The New Year 2001 is a year of new advance and a great turn in which a broad avenue will be opened for the building of a powerful nation in the 21st century guided by the great party, the editorial says, and goes on: ��� This is the first year of the 21st century. The Korean people, basing themselves on the achievements gained in the "arduous march", should further display the advantages of socialism in all fields of the revolution and construction and put a new spur to the building of a powerful nation. ��� Next year we will mark the 90th anniversary of President Kim Il Sung's birth. It is our party's unshakable will to defend for ever the great deeds of merits Kim Il Sung, father of socialist Korea, performed in the building of the party, nation and armed forces, "open up the road of advance through the new century in the spirit of the victorious 'arduous march' " this is the militant slogan that the entire party, the whole army and all the people should put up this year. ��� The socialist advance in the 21st century under the red flag is an honorable campaign to thoroughly embody leader Kim Jong Il's politics of independence, unity and love for the country and nation. It is our socialist powerful nation that enjoys high dignity with independence, emerges victorious by unity and thrives with patriotism. ��� We should follow our party's great independent politics and solve all the problems in keeping with the actual conditions of our revolution and country. We should resolutely defend our ideology, our own political system and mode of revolution. ��� Stressing that strong-arm and arbitrary practices and dominationist moves of the imperialists should no longer be allowed in the new century, the editorial says: ��� We will decisively meet the imperialists' challenges and resolutely defend the sacred sovereignty of Korea and the national dignity won at the cost of blood. ��� It is our party's consistent stand to open up a new era of the independent development of international relations on its own. Our party will improve relations with all the nations which respect our sovereignty and make a positive contribution to global independence and peace of humankind. ��� We should embody our party's mighty politics of unity creditably. ��� The might of the single-hearted unity is guaranteed by devotedly defending the leader. ��� We should make efforts to see our party's politics of noble love for the country and nation blooming with flowers. ��� A key factor in making a new advance under the red flag along the path of socialism in the 21st century upholding the well-advised politics of our party is to stick to the revolutionary army-first policy, the editorial says, and continues: ��� The policy of giving top priority to the army is the permanent strategic objective in the present-time revolution and an all-mighty instrument in socialist construction. ��� The WPK has settled all the problems arising in the revolution and construction on the principle of giving top priority to the military affairs and pushing ahead with the socialist cause with the revolutionary army as the main force. This revolutionary mode will remain unchanged in the future, too. ��� Our military strength should be made invincible to meet the requirements of the revolutionary era of laying stress on the military affairs. ��� Nothing is more important task before us today than to consolidate the national economic might commensurate with the 21st century, it notes, and goes on: ��� We should give a powerful impetus to socialist construction, upholding the slogan, "glorify this year as a year of fresh onward march in the building of an economic power in the 21st century " ��� The central task of economic development for this year is to consolidate the existing economic infrastructure and display its potentials to the full, while conducting a forceful campaign for refashioning the national economy as a whole with up-to-date technology. ��� The most important front in socialist economic construction for this year is power, coal and metal industries and railway transport. ��� Referring to tasks facing the fields of light industry and agriculture and calling for the building of more cultural, welfare and health facilities and modern houses, the editorial says: ��� We should speed up an all-out march toward a socialist paradise and thus glorify this year, the first year of the 21st century, as a year of a new leap, a year of overall revival. ��� This year we should achieve decisive success in accomplishing the cause of national reunification, it notes, and goes on: ��� The momentous issue of principle for the present in achieving national reunification is to implement the June 15 north-south joint declaration to the letter. ��� This declaration is a proclamation of independence, peaceful reunification and overall national unity anchored on the three principles of national reunification and a landmark of this cause in the 21st century. ��� The north and the south should pool the nation's efforts and achieve reunification in an independent and peaceful way and through overall national unity, true to the spirit of the historic declaration. ��� When the whole nation is reconciled and united, it precisely means the reunification desired by us. All the Koreans in the north and south and abroad should join the nationwide endeavors to implement the June 15 north-south joint declaration, transcending differences in ideology, social system, political view and religious belief. ��� Our party, army and people will traverse the road of revolution to the end of the earth in any storm and stress, with a monolithic ideology, lineage and faith, the editorial concludes. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Victory in Cuban revolution commemorated ���Pyongyang, January 1 (KCNA) -- Papers here today observe the 42nd anniversary of the victory in the Cuban revolution. ��� Rodong Sinmun in a signed article says that the victory was a historic event which brought a bright future to the Cuban people who had been groaning under dictatorship and subjugation and opened the road of building socialist Cuba. ��� The Cuban people have vigorously advanced the socialist cause chosen by themselves under the correct leadership of the Communist Party of Cuba led by Fidel Castro, courageously frustrating the imperialists' ceaseless and vicious moves to invade, blockade and stifle Cuba with revolutionary principles and indomitable will, the article notes, and goes on: ��� The Korean people have always expressed firm support and solidarity with the fraternal Cuban people in their just cause and highly appreciate achievements made by them in the efforts to build socialism. ��� The friendship and solidarity between the two peoples have steadily grown strong in the joint struggle to defend socialism from imperialists. ��� Their ties are unbreakable as they are based on the particularly close relations and the sense of comradely obligation between President Kim Il Sung and President Fidel Castro. ��� The Korean people will as ever make positive efforts to boost the traditional friendly and cooperative relations with the Cuban people based on the sense of revolutionary obligation and true comradeship. ��� Minju Joson in a signed article says that the Korean people wish the Cuban people greater success in their future struggle to defend their revolutionary gains and build socialism. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ New Year's day celebrated ��� Pyongyang, January 1 (KCNA) -- The first New Year's day of the 21st century is being celebrated with pomp and splendor in Korea. ��� Seen in different streets and villages are slogans and letters "Let us open up the road of advance through the new century in the spirit of the victorious 'arduous march' " "Glorify this year as a year of fresh onward march in the building of an economic power in the 21st century " "Celebration of New Year 2001", "A happy New Year" and large visual materials, flags and colourful decorative lamps. ��� From early morning of the New Year's day working people from all walks of life, soldiers of the people's army and school youth and children in the capital are visiting the Kumsusan Memorial Palace where President Kim Il Sung, father of socialist Korea, lies in state for perpetuity to pay respectful homage to him. ��� An endless stream of people and servicemen are visiting his statues on Mansu Hill in Pyongyang and in different parts of the country to lay floral baskets, bouquets and flowers before them. ��� Grand celebrations of schoolchildren are taking place and art performances going on at theatres and halls. ��� New feature films are shown at cinema houses across the country. ��� Different places hum with working people's sports and amusement games. Schoolchildren enjoy folk games such as kite-flying and top spinning. ��� Public catering network is busy giving special services to working people on the New Year's day. ��� All the people look optimistic about the future of a prosperous and powerful nation. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ New Year's celebration of schoolchildren held ���Pyongyang, January 1 (KCNA) -- A grand New Year Juche 90 (2001) celebration of schoolchildren was held at the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium today. ��� The area around the stadium hummed with schoolchildren's colorful New Year's games. ��� It was gorgeously bedecked with slogan boards reading "Juche 90", "2001" and "a happy New Year," flags of the Worker's Party of Korea and the DPRK, New Year's lanterns and other various decorations. ��� Present there together with schoolchildren were Kim Yong Nam, Hong Song Nam and other senior party and state officials, officers and men of the Korean People's Army, men and women of distinguished services and other working people in the city. ��� Also present were unconverted long-term prisoners and overseas Koreans. ��� Present on invitation were diplomatic envoys and staff members of various embassies here and foreign guests. ��� In the hall of the stadium its participants saw various models and visual aids showing signal achievements made by the Korean people in the building of a powerful nation last year. ��� Then there began schoolchildren's celebration of the New Year 2001 "sun and flowers." ��� Schoolchildren and little New Year's callers offered New Year's greetings to leader Kim Jong Il, carrying the best wishes of the people and the younger generation from across the country while a gorgeous performance was under way. ��� Put on the stage were a song and dance "We Offer New Year's Greetings", a national instrumental music and song, a tale in dance, choruses, dances and other colorful numbers. ��� Through songs and dances the schoolchildren represented their happiness, joy and optimism about Korea's future in the 21st century. ��� Heroes and heroines, men and women of distinguished services and unconverted long-term prisoners who are pro-reunification patriotic fighters came out to the stage to congratulate the performers and danced together with them. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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