People are again touched to hear the legend about the honey sent by leader Kim Jong Il with profound loving care to the Pyongyang Maternity Hospital which the Korean women call "their parents´ home."

This long-standing legend dates back to the time he began sending a lot of honey to the above-said hospital with his constant profound care for the promotion of the health of the Korean women and children.

He recently sent the hospital several tons of wild honey for women in childbed and hundreds of kilograms of rare honey tonics including honey of royal jelly, honey of Crataegus pinnatifida, honey of Epimedium koreanum, honey of Schizandra chinensis highly efficacious for the treatment of the female disorder.

The total amount of wild honey and honey tonics sent by him to the hospital in more than 50 installments since its opening reached more than a hundred and dozens of tons. This touching story has been conveyed as a legend singing of the noble personality of   Kim Jong Il who has shown profound care for the health of the women.

The medical workers and women there were moved to tears to receive again those wild honey and honey tonics, the things which had been presented to the leader by people with their best wishes for his health.

The above-said legend in the era of Songun will be handed down to posterity as a story deeply touching all those who devote themselves to the building of a great prosperous powerful nation.

　

　

　

All Koreans Urged to Remain True to

Spirit of "By Our Nation Itself"

　

"By our nation itself," the core idea of the June 15 joint declaration, a landmark of the national reunification movement in the new century, serves as an engine for carving out the destiny of the nation and provides a sure guarantee for the victory in the movement for independent reunification.

Rodong Sinmun on March 25 says this in a signed article.

It goes on:

"By our nation itself," a treasured sword for carving out the destiny of the nation, serves as a source enabling the members of the nation to creditably perform their responsibility and role as a driving force for the above-said movement.

If the Korean nation is to creditably fulfill its responsibility and role as regards the issue of reunification, it is necessary for it to unite as one, to begin with. Failure to achieve unity would give foreign forces a pretext for interfering in its internal affairs. Whenever there was a sign of favorable development of the north-south relations there broke out a variety of cases in the past, throwing hurdles in the way of the struggle to accomplish the cause of reunification. This was attributable to outside forces´ plots and tricks. Even today when the June 15 joint declaration is in the process of implementation the U.S. is still standing the way of the Koreans´ struggle for independent reunification, displeased with Korea´s reunification. This is evidenced by the madcap Key Resolve and Foal Eagle joint military exercises staged by the U.S. imperialists in collusion with the south Korean warmongers.

"By our nation itself" serves as an engine for accelerating the movement for independent reunification.

The Koreans have achieved great successes in the efforts to improve the inter-Korean relations and develop the reunification movement under the uplifted banner of "By our nation itself" over the past several years. The idea of "By our nation itself" was accepted by all Koreans and a series of substantial projects were undertaken to embody it in the reunification movement.

When all Koreans at home and abroad enshrine the idea of "By our nation itself," a sure guarantee for accomplishing the cause of independent reunification, as their faith and embody it, the moves of the foreign forces against reunification and for confrontation and war are bound to go bust and the movement for independent reunification will make a more dynamic advance.

　

　

More Songs of Enlightenment Period Unearthed

　

More songs created in the period of enlightenment have been unearthed and arranged in the DPRK.

The songs created in the period from the 1920s to the liberation of the country are progressive ones, valuable musical heritage of the nation.

In the pre-liberation days, conscientious men of literature and art wrote and composed a lot of songs to protect the national music and awaken the people to the anti-Japanese spirit under the Japanese imperialists´ colonial rule.

The government of the DPRK has paid deep attention to the discovery and arrangement of the songs for the purpose of enriching the nation´s history of literature and art and preserving the Juche character and national character.

A research team of the Institute of Juche Music under Pyongyang Kim Won Gyun Conservatory has collected songs widely sung in the enlightenment period and studied the background of their creation, visiting all parts of the country.

On the other hand, it has deepened the work of discovering songs of that period through publications, collections of songs and gramophone records brought out in the pre-liberation days.

As a result, more than 1,000 songs have been discovered and arranged and the book "Collection of 600 Songs of Enlightenment Period" has been published.

Researchers there recently went to Phyongsong of South Phyongan Province and other local areas to unearth scores of songs including "Our Pyongyang, Picturesque Place" and "Looking up to Mt. Paektu".

Brisk is the work to give fresh rendition to some of the songs of the enlightenment period and widely disseminate them.

The songs give to the Korean people a great pride in having time-honored history and culture of the resourceful nation.

　

　

　

　

Military Authorities´ Move to Take Part in U.S. MD

under Fire in S. Korea

　

The people for Achieving Peace and Reunification of south Korea had a press conference in Seoul on March 20 to lash at the military authorities for scheming to take part in the U.S. missile defense system (MD).

At the press conference the organization pointed to the media disclosure of the fact that the joint chiefs of staff of the south Korean forces examined the "proposal for taking part in the U.S. MD" at the outset of this year.

It disclosed that the above-said proposal called on south Korea to offer the U.S. places for missile launching and share the funds for purchasing U.S.-made ultra-modern MD and deploying it there.

Recalling that the military authorities are talking about the building of their own missile shield, it noted it is a matter of time for south Korea to be subject to the U.S. MD within the framework of the south Korea-U.S. "alliance."

It demanded an immediate halt to the move to build the missile shield as it is aimed at disturbing the peace on the Korean Peninsula and sparking off a new Cold War in Northeast Asia.

　

　

S. Korean Warmongers´ Treacherous Move to Partake in U.S. MD Slammed

　

Some days ago the south Korean military brought forward a plan for deploying a new missile shield with a hue and cry over a "missile threat from the north." The south Korean military´s frantic move to deploy a missile shield targeted against the DPRK is aimed at participating in the U.S. missile defense system (MD).

Rodong Sinmun on March 25 observes this in a signed article.

It goes on:

It is publicly recognized that the U.S. MD is nothing but a system for mounting a preemptive nuclear missile attack concealed with the  veil of "defense" under the pretext of "missile threat" from someone.

South Korea´s participation on the MD would help knock into shape a U.S. system for preemptive nuclear missile strike at the DPRK and the rest of Northeast Asia with the U.S., Japan and south Korea as an axis.

While boosting cooperation with the Japanese reactionaries in the efforts to build the "missile shield," the U.S. is working hard to plug even south Korea into it in a bid to realize its adventurous strategy for world hegemony and wild ambition to invade the north with ease.

It is quite clear that south Korea´s move to join the U.S. in establishing the MD is an unpardonable criminal intention to bring the disaster of a nuclear war to the compatriots in league with foreign forces.

The reality goes to prove that the south Korean warmongers are becoming evermore reckless in their moves to realize their wild ambition to invade the north with the backing of foreign forces, while desperately pursuing "alliance" and cooperation with foreign forces in the moves for war quite contrary to the trend of the times.

Unpardonable are the south Korean warmongers who are going reckless in their moves to join the U.S. in its MD targeted against compatriots, while following foreign forces and cooperating with them at a time when all Koreans are striving hard to usher in a new ear of independent reunification, peace and prosperity through their concerted efforts.

History will certainly judge the pro-American warmongers of south Korea for their treacherous acts turning their backs on compatriots and colluding with foreign forces contrary to the trend of the June 15 ear of reunification.

　

　

Apology and Reparation for Massacre of Koreans

Demanded in S. Korea

　

The south Korean society for probing the truth behind the victims of the incident of Ukishima-maru called a press conference on March 19 demanding Japan make apology and reparation for the Japanese imperialists´ massacre of Koreans.

Jon Jae Jin, chairman of the society, addressing the press conference, pointed to the publication of a book dealing with the probe made into the truth behind the sinking of the above-said ship on August 24, 1945.

He said:

The book complied on the basis of testimonies made by survivors clearly proves that a huge number of Koreans were forcibly drafted and conscripted to undergo all sorts of maltreatment in Japan and the above-mentioned incident was not a mere sinking but premeditated and deliberate mass killings of Koreans by the Japanese imperialists.

More than 60 years have passed since the incident, but neither apology nor reparation has been made to the victims nor a probe has been conducted into the truth of it.

Accusing Japan of having evaded its responsibility for the incident, absurdly asserting that the ship sank due to torpedoes laid by the allied forces, he demanded the Japanese government rapidly set up a body to take measures and make an apology and reparation to the victims.

　

　

U.S. Anti-DPRK Confrontation Moves Assailed

　

At a recent press conference Bush carelessly termed the DPRK and other countries "rogue states" and asserted that the U.S. missile shield to be built in Europe is not targeted against countries in the region but it is aimed to contain the "missile threat" from such countries as north Korea. In the meantime some American politicians are letting loose all kinds of nonsensical lies.

Commenting on the fact, a news analyst of Rodong Sinmun on March 25 says that Bush´s labeling the DPRK as "rouge state" revealed his chronic hostile attitude towards the DPRK.

What is more preposterous is that the U.S. has justified its scheme to build missile shield in Europe under the pretext of "threat" from the DPRK, the analyst says, and goes on:

The DPRK has not turned against European countries and will never do.

However, the U.S. is persistently spreading the fictitious rumor about "threat from north Korea" without any scientific evidence or authenticity.

In this course it is trying to make a pretext and ground to justify its moves for bolstering nuclear and missile armament and building missile network worldwide.

The U.S. imperialists´ sinister intention is to militarily surround and contain big powers and realize their ambition for world supremacy with military edge by building missile shields in Northeast Asia and Europe under the pretext of "threat" from the DPRK.

Another one of their major aims is to prolong the U.S. military presence in south Korea. By doing so, the U.S. authorities intend to delay the settlement of the nuclear issue and other pending issues between the DPRK and the U.S. for an indefinite period and ignite a war against the DPRK at any time.

Now that the U.S. is vociferating about "threat from north Korea" more loudly than ever before, the Korean people will bolster their counteraction with heightened vigilance toward it.

　

　

　

U.S. Imperialists´ Reckless Nuclear Hysteria Assailed

　

The U.S. Center for Strategic and International Studies in a recent report on the "U.S. Department of Defense and nuclear strategy in the 21st century" claimed that the U.S. is still exposed to the threat from "possibility of preemptive nuclear attack" by the DPRK. It went the lengths of stressing the need to set up a "nuclear command" while asserting that the U.S. administration should pay attention to bolstering nuclear deterrent to cope with this.

Minju Joson on March 25 in a commentary terms this a revelation of the U.S. criminal scheme to secure its nuclear preponderance under the pretext of someone´s "nuclear threat" and realize its ambition for world supremacy by brandishing nukes.

The U.S. is stepping up modernization of nuclear weapons while talking about the "possibility of preemptive nuclear attack" by the DPRK. This was prompted by its aims to mount a surprise attack on the DPRK by securing a nuclear upper-hand, the commentary says, and goes on:

In recent years the U.S. planned to produce 125 nukes of new type every year and decided to set up a combined centre for producing nuclear material to this end. it is the scheme of the U.S. nuclear war maniacs to produce smaller and advanced nukes with strong explosive power that can be used in wars like conventional weapons.

It contemplates investing as many as 100 billion U.S. dollars in the development of new-type nuclear warheads and starting the full-dress production of them in 2012.

Such moves of the U.S. compel the DPRK to build up its powerful war deterrent to cope with them.

The U.S. nuclear war maniacs would be well advised to behave themselves, pondering over the grave consequences to be entailed by their reckless moves for modernizing nuclear weapons.

　

　

Improvement of Japan-DPRK Relations Demanded in Japan

　

  A seminar on the subject of "restart of action to improve Japan-DPRK relations" was held in Japan on March 9.

  The floor was taken by several figures including Fumitoshi Yoshizawa, associate professor at Niigata University of International Information, Shiho Yokoyama, journalist of Niigata Daily, Mitsuhoro Mitsumura, chief of a research room of the Rim Japan Sea Economic Institute.

  They disclosed the injustice of Japan´s hostile policy towards the DPRK, urging the government to seek a negotiated settlement of issue.

  An appeal adopted at the seminar stressed that it is not realistic to try to solve problems through sanctions, demanding the government resume the talks for the normalization of relations with the DPRK, lift sanctions against it ad prevent the abuses of rights of Koreans in Japan.

　

　

Struggle for Peace and Reunification Called for in S. Korea

　

The Solidarity for Progress of south Korea sponsored the first "Friday meeting for peace and reunification" in front of the U.S. embassy in Seoul on March 21.

The organization charged that after the appearance of the present "government", the U.S. has got evermore pronounced in its arbitrary practice and war moves in south Korea.

The U.S. has sought only its unilateral benefits while burdening the south Korean side with the funds for the redeployment of the U.S. forces to be carried out for their "strategic flexibility" and forcing it to establish the missile defence system which will pose a threat to peace not only in the Korean Peninsula but also in the rest of Northeast Asia, it said.

It denounced that the present "government" is unconditionally following the U.S. under the signboard of "alliance" while creating a horrible atmosphere and threatening the people, talking about what it called "law and principle".

The progressive civic and public organizations and people from all walks of life will continue their struggle outside the U.S. embassy every Friday until their desire for peace and reunification has been realized, it declared.

That day, the participants in the meeting staged an art performance sneering at the authorities flattering and yielding to the U.S. and conducted information activities.

　

　

　

Japan´s Senior Officials Accused of Crying out for

 Extending Sanctions against DPRK

　

The preceding "cabinet" of Japan ill-famed for abduction, was forced to step down while frantically working to destroy even the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon), a legitimate organization of overseas citizens of the DPRK, not satisfied with the sanctions applied against it. The present Japanese authorities had better draw a lesson from this and stop their reckless acts.

Rodong Sinmun on March 26 urges this in a signed commentary.

It says:

Of late media of Japan are working hard to build up public opinion that the Japanese government should not lift the "sanctions against north Korea" unless there is progress in the way of settling the nuclear issue and "abduction issue." In another development, such senior officials as the chief cabinet secretary and the foreign minister are busy letting loose similar outbursts.

The sanctions expected to remain in force for six months after the repeated extension since October, 2006 under the pretext of the DPRK´s missile launch and nuclear test are set to expire on April 13. The story about the extension of these sanctions now afloat in this connection should never be overlooked.

Japan´s farce of extending the above-said sanctions is nothing but a reckless move to put a brake on the process of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula as it does not help settle the nuclear issue.

Japan is contemplating extending the sanctions against the DPRK, persistently raising a hue cry over the "abduction issue" which had already found a solution as it is absolutely irrelevant to the mission and purport of the six-party talks. This only betrays Japan´s political imbecility, diplomatic immaturity and ill-natured character.

Japan seeks to attain its sinister aim by tightening the harsh sanctions against the DPRK under the pretext of the "abduction issue".

It is the ulterior intention of the Japanese reactionaries to seize the building of Chongryon and keep the embargo on the ship Mangyongbong-92 through the sanctions in a bid to physically destroy Chongryon and tear compatriots in Japan off the care of the DPRK.

This is an inhuman criminal act quite contrary to the spirit of humanitarianism and requirements of human rights as it is a mean act of wantonly abusing the rights of Koreans in Japan and their rights to existence.

Japan´s attempt to browbeat someone and fish in troubled waters through the above-said farce is nothing but a stupid ploy of the political dwarfs.