TODAY'S NEWS (January.11.2001 Juche 90) [CONTENTS] * Nation's concord and unity called for * Friendship meeting with Chinese embassy officials * Abolition of SL called for * DPRK's joint New Year editorial hailed * Program development center * Rodong Sinmun on "Song of Comradeship" * Kim Yong Nam meets former German party leader * Yang Hyong Sop meets Lao Women's Union delegation * Gift to Kim Jong Il from Lao Women's Union leader * Resumption of inter-Korean Red Cross talks proposed For Spanish-speaking people * base de desarrollo de programas * vocero de cc de asociacion de cruz roja de rpdc propone ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Nation's concord and unity called for Pyongyang, January 11 (KCNA) -- Only when the whole Korean nation achieves concord and unity can it accomplish national reunification, an urgent task, says rodong sinmun today in a signed article. The article says: Unity is strength and guarantee for the reunification. It serves as a powerful instrument for the development of the nation. Reunification can be accomplished only when the whole nation achieves unity, placing the common interests before anything else, given that differing ideas and systems exist in the north and south of Korea and neither side gives them up. The issue of Korea's reunification is not one of system and idea but one of relinking the blood ties of the nation and establishing its sovereignty. The whole nation's concord and unity precisely mean the reunification of the country desired by the Korean people. Great national unity is awfully needed for national independence against outsiders and the independent settlement of the reunification issue. It is important for great national unity to stick to the principle of national independence. The article calls upon the whole nation to work hard to reunify the country, rallied close under the patriotic banner of national reunification, irrespective of idea, system, political view and religious belief and the interests of classes and strata. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Friendship meeting with Chinese embassy officials Pyongyang, January 11 (KCNA) -- The DPRK Foreign Ministry held a friendship meeting with officials of the Chinese embassy here at the Mokran House yesterday evening on the occasion of the New Year Juche 90 (2001). Invited there were Chinese charge d'affaires ad interim Li Bin, embassy officials and Chinese guests. Participated in the meeting were Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Pak Kil Yon and officials concerned. Speeches were made at the meeting. The participants conversed with each other about further developing the Korea-China friendship sealed in blood, deepening friendly feelings. An art performance was given by artistes in Pyongyang at the meeting. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Abolition of SL called for Pyongyang, January 11 (KCNA) -- The South Korean newspaper Hangyore (internet) said that So Jun Sik, representative of the society for human rights movement, and other human rights activists were on a 12-day hunger-strike in Seoul as of Jan. 8, calling for the repeal of the "Security Law" (SL). They held a meeting with the attendance of about 100 people on Jan. 7 and demanded the repeal of the SL and institution of a law of human rights committee and a law on prevention of corruption and a meeting of citizens and religionists on Jan. 8. They decided to conduct a "national signature campaign for abolition of the SL and institution of legislation on reform," vowing to strengthen their struggle, and to go on a hunger-strike again in February. Meanwhile, so jun sik made it clear that "they will employ all means of struggle to make the repeal of SL and institution of legislation on reform pass through an "extraordinary national assembly session" and announced that they will not stop their struggle whatever difficulties there may be. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ DPRK's joint New Year editorial hailed Pyongyang, January 11 (KCNA) -- Public figures and an organization of different countries released statements in support of the joint New Year editorial of the newspapers of the party, the army and the youth league of the DPRK. Wilfred Saens Vigo, chairman of the Peruvian National Association for the Study of Kimjongilism, in a statement on January 3 said that the joint New Year editorial is a banner of struggle the Korean people should hold high this year for the building of a powerful socialist country under the wise guidance of leader Kim Jong Il. I will express more support and solidarity with the Korean people in their struggle to achieve national reunification, he added. Felix Fernandez Tores, secretary general of the Peruvian Committee for Supporting the Independent and Peaceful Reunification of Korea, in a statement on January 2 noted that as pointed out in the editorial, an important and principled issue in achieving Korea's reunification is to implement the June 15 north-south joint declaration to the letter. He said that the north and south of Korea should reunify the country independently, peacefully and with great national unity by the concerted efforts of the nation in the spirit of the historic north-south joint declaration. Vishwanath, director general of the International Institute of the Juche Idea, said that followers of the Juche idea, together with the world progressive people, fully support the joint editorial full of confidence in hope and victory and will conduct a more vigorous international solidarity movement in order that the Korean people's cherished desire to live in a reunified country may be realised. All-India Agricultural Workers Union in a statement on January 5 extended full support to the joint editorial and expressed belief that the Korean people's movement for the country's reunification, advancing by the idea and leadership ability of Kim Jong Il, would win a brilliant victory. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Program development center Pyongyang, January 11 (KCNA) -- The Pyongyang Information Center (PIC) recently developed the Korean speech recognition and synthesis program, data base management, "PIC Font", 3D Cad "San Ak" and multimedia program "Korea Today". "PIC Font" includes character fonts of various countries developed by the center. The developed programs are introduced at home and abroad. The center disseminates the latest computer technology through the operation of program training course and the PIC bulletin. The Korean language documentation program "Chang Dok", Korean optical character recognition program "In Sik" and 2D Cad "Dul" were highly favored at the Comdex Asia and other international exhibitions. The center has exchanges of diverse forms with different countries. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Rodong Sinmun on "Song of Comradeship" Pyongyang, January 11 (KCNA) -- "May 'Song of Comradeship' resound in century " is the title of a by-lined political essay of Rodong Sinmun today. The political essay says: Comradeship represents a fixed faith and everlasting will of the Korean revolutionaries and people to build the most powerful and dignified socialist nation in this land in the new century, rallied close around leader Kim Jong Il in one mind. It is the lineage and inexhaustible potentials of the Korean revolution. The brilliant history of the Korean revolution in the past century and its victory in the new century would have been unthinkable without comradeship. It was thanks to comradeship that the Korean people could face up to two revolutionary wars, post-war difficulties, socialist construction in fierce confrontation with imperialists and dominationists and a multitude of ordeals following the death of President Kim Il Sung and the "arduous march." Revolutionaries should achieve monolithic unity on the basis of trust in and love for like-minded people. Ideology and faith are the lifeline of a revolutionary and comradeship is the basis of the ideology and faith. Comradeship is the revolutionary lineage that was created for the first time in the Korean revolution by Kim Il Sung, the most distinguished leader of the 20th century, a passionate person and a champion of justice, and that is being carried forward by Kim Jong Il in its entirety. It is the seed of the Korean revolution planted and cultivated by Kim Il Sung all his life and a valuable revolutionary heritage passed on to us by him. It is Kim Jong Il's love for the revolution and strength to push ahead with it. He makes revolution with trust in like-minded people and gains strength and courage from the comradely confidence and love from his subordinates. He finds a joy and happiness in comradeship. Trust in and love for comrades of Kim Jong Il who is responsible for the destinies of the country and nation and all the revolutionary comrades are the strength with which 10 million tons of gold is not comparable= They are the greatest joy in the world. Comradeship is a permanent banner of unity and victory in the Korean revolution. The flag of comradeship is fluttering in this land where the people work hard to build a powerful nation in the 21st century without fail under the guidance of Kim Jong Il under the uplifted red flag of revolution. The leader is the primary life and comrade of revolutionaries. The revolutionaries are permanent comrades of the leader. Only those who are ready to dedicate themselves to the revolution and comrades can become genuine and permanent comrades of the leader. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Kim Yong Nam meets former German party leader Pyongyang, January 11 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, member of the political bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea and President of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, met and conversed with Gregor Gysi, former president of the Party of Democratic Socialism of Germany, and his party at the Mansudae Assembly Hall today. Present there were Pak Kyong Son, vice department director of the c.c., the WPK, and Thomas Wulfing, representative of the interest section of Germany here. The former president said that the WPK has advanced the correct line for the reunification of the country and wisely led the struggle for its materialization. He added that he would continue efforts to develop the relations between Germany and the DPRK. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Yang Hyong Sop meets Lao Women's Union delegation Pyongyang, January 11 (KCNA) -- Vice-president Yang Hyong Sop of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK today met and had a conversation with a delegation of the Lao Women's Union led by its vice-president Bouavone Onechanhom at the Mansudae Assembly Hall. The head of the delegation said that the Korean people are indeed the proud people, expressing belief that the traditional relations of friendship between the peoples and women of the two countries would be further consolidated and developed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Gift to Kim Jong Il from Lao Women's Union leader Pyongyang, January 11 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il received a gift from Onechanh Thammavong, president of the central committee of the Lao Women's Union. The gift was handed to an official concerned by vice-president of the c.c., the Lao Women's Union Bouavone Onechanhom who is heading the visiting delegation of the union. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Resumption of inter-Korean Red Cross talks proposed Pyongyang, January 11 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the central committee of the Red Cross Society of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea issued a statement today proposing to hold in January the third round of the Red Cross talks which had been suspended. The 2001 meeting for the independent reunification of the Korean nation which was held in Pyongyang on Jan. 10 stressed the need not to delay the settlement of the humanitarian issues including the issue of alleviating the sufferings of the separated families and relatives in the north and south but resume the suspended red cross talks as soon as possible. This is an expression of our fixed stand and will to sincerely implement the points agreed upon by the north and the south to rapidly settle the humanitarian issues, as required by the historic Pyongyang meeting and the June 15 north-south joint declaration, the statement said, and went on: Both sides should positively push forward the already agreed agenda including the confirmation of whereabouts of separated families and relatives, their correspondence and exchange of the third home visiting groups and discuss as early as possible practical steps to set up and operate meeting places. At the same time, they should find an early solution to the issue of repatriating the remaining unconverted long-term prisoners to the north, a humanitarian issue pending an urgent settlement, according to their wishes regardless of their past. It is our stand to hold in January the third round of Red Cross talks which had been suspended in order to smoothly discuss and settle all the humanitarian issues high on the agenda. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ For Spanish-speaking people ------------------------------------------------------------------------ base de desarrollo de programas pyongyang, 11 de enero (atcc) -- el centro de informacion de pyongyang (pic) acabo de desarrollar el programa de manejo fonetico de la lengua coreana, la administracion de base de datos, la "coleccion de fonts pic", 3d cad "san ak", el programa de multimedio "corea, pais de las mananas serenas" y otros. la "coleccion de fonts pic" contienen fonts de varios paises explotadas por el pic. los programas explotados se aplican en diversos objetos del pais y el extranjero. el centro gestiona el curso de programas y edita el "boletin del pic" con el proposito de divulgar ampliamente la tecnica de computacion ultramoderna. el programa de redaccion de documentos de la lengua coreana "chang dok", el programa de cognicion de letras "in sik", 2d cad "dul" y otros explotados por el pic gozaron de buena reputacionen la exposicion comdex asia y otras exhibiciones internacionales. el centro desarrolla el intercambio de diversas formas con varios paises del mundo. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ vocero de cc de asociacion de cruz roja de rpdc propone pyongyang, 11 de enero (atcc) -- el vocero del comite central de la asociacion de cruz roja de la republica popular democratica de corea hizo publica hoy una declaracion proponiendo reanudar este mes la tercera ronda de conversaciones de cruz roja. el "acto del ano 2001 para abrir la puerta de reunificacion con las fuerzas propias de la nacion" efectuado ayer en pyongyang subrayo con importancia la necesidad de dar sin demora solucion al problema de aliviar el sufrimiento de los familiares y parientes separados en el norte y el sur y a otras cuestiones humanitarias y de reanudar pronto las conversaciones de cruz roja suspendidas. esto es una expresion de nuestra firme posicion y voluntad de ejecutar sinceramente los puntos de acuerdo que lograron el norte y el sur para dar solucion pronta a las cuestiones humanitarias segun el historico encuentro de pyongyang y la declaracion conjunta norte-sur del 15 de junio, senala la declaracion y continua: ambas partes deben promover activamente los puntos ya acordados como la confirmacion de los paraderos de los familiares y parientes dispersados, el intercambio de correspondencias y el intercambio del tercer grupo de visita y consultar pronto las medidas practicas para la instalacion y gestion de los puestos de entrevista. deben solucionar pronto el problema de la devolucion al norte de los presos de larga condena no abjurados que quedan todavia en el sur -problema que se presenta como una apremiante labor humanitaria que ha de ser resuelta primordialmente- segun sus deseos, sean cuales fueren sus antecedentes. por eso exponemos la posicion de reanudar este mes la tercera ronda de conversaciones de cruz roja para consultar y solucionar satisfactoriamente todas las cuestiones humanitarias presentadas. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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