Kim Jong Un Visits Kumsusan Palace of Sun

Pyongyang, February 16 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK and supreme commander of the Korean People's Army, visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun at 00:00 on Feb. 16, the birth anniversary of leader Kim Jong Il (the Day of the Shining Day), the national greatest auspicious holiday to pay high tribute to him.

Respected Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un entered the hall where the statues of

President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il stand. A floral basket in the name of Kim Jong Un was placed before the statues. Also laid before the statues was a floral basket in the joint name of the Central Committee and the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea and the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK.

Kim Jong Un together with the senior officials of the Party Central Committee paid high tribute to Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il before their statues.

He entered the hall of immortality where Kim Jong Il lies in state.

He paid deep homage and made bow to Kim Jong Il.

Accompanying him were Choe Ryong Hae, member of the Presidium of the

Political Bureau of the C.C., the WPK, vice-chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK and vice-chairman of the C.C., the WPK, Pak Kwang Ho, Ri Su Yong, Kim Phyong Hae, Thae Jong Su, O Su Yong, An Jong Su, Pak Thae Song, Kim Yong Chol, Choe Hwi and Pak Thae Dok, vice-chairmen of the C.C., the WPK, and other senior officials of the Party Central Committee.

Press Statement of DPRK Permanent Mission to UN

Pyongyang, February 16 (KCNA) -- The Permanent Mission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to the United Nations issued a press statement on February 12 as regards the fact that one year has passed since the DPRK Government requested the UN Secretariat to organize an international forum of legal experts for clarification of legality of the "sanctions resolutions" of the UN Security Council imposed against the DPRK.

Recalling that in January last year the DPRK proposed the UN Secretariat to organize an international forum of legal experts for clarification of legality of the "sanctions resolutions", the press statement said:

The Permanent Mission of the DPRK to the United Nations, during past one year, has constantly requested for earliest organization of the international forum of legal experts to the UN Secretariat through the meetings with the secretary-general, the under-secretary-general for Political Affairs and the under-secretary-general for Legal Affairs, and the letters of the DPRK permanent representative addressed to the secretary-general for 5 times, releases of the Permanent Mission's press statements for 4 times as well as press conferences and interviews for 5 times.

However, the UN Secretariat still turns away our just proposal for organizing an

international forum of legal experts, continuously persisting in its outdated sophistry, saying

that pursuant to Article 39 of the UN Charter, it is for the Security Council to determine whether or not a particular action or set of actions or a particular situation or dispute constitutes a threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression and thus it is for the Security Council to decide what recommendations to make or what measures are to be taken to maintain or restore international peace and security.

The UN Secretariat should listen carefully to the voices raised from numerous legal experts and lawyers of many countries, who are supporting our proposal for international forum, insisting that the Security Council has no legal ground or moral justification to condemn nuclear test or launch of ICBM and satellite as violation of international law.

The DPRK Permanent Mission to the UN requests once again the UN Secretariat to immediately respond in a positive way to our proposal for organizing an international forum of legal experts, in conformity with the mission stipulated in the UN Charter.

Statement by Director of Press, Institute for American Studies of DPRK FM

Pyongyang, February 15 (KCNA) -- The director of the press of the Institute for American Studies of the DPRK Foreign Ministry made public the following statement on Thursday:

The United States is again kicking up a defamation campaign against the DPRK, intentionally attributing Warmbier's death to the latter.

Obviously, Warmbier is a criminal who was sentenced to reform through labor on March 16, 2016 under the relevant DPRK law on a charge of anti-DPRK hostile acts committed under an instruction from U.S. agency engaged in anti-DPRK plot.

It is none other than the present U.S. administration that has an answer to the reason why Warmbier suddenly died less than one week after his return to U.S. in normal physical condition.

In this regard, it is worth reminding of one incident that Hunziker, an American citizen who illegally entered the DPRK territory on August 24, 1996 and returned home on November 27 same year in good health, thanks to our humanitarian measure, accompanied by Bill Richardson, the then U.S. House representative, died less than one month after his return. At that time, U.S. completely ignored and mentioned no word at all of his death.

Though Warmbier was a criminal who committed hostile acts against the DPRK, we took the measure, pursuant to the decision of the Central Court dated June 13, 2017, of allowing him to return home from humanitarian point of view, in consideration of repeated requests from the current U.S. administration and his bad health.

Nonetheless, Trump group is kicking up a fuss of denunciation against the DPRK, intentionally linking Warmbier's death to the latter. It is a manifestation of crafty intention aimed at making justification for tarnishing our international image, stirring up an international pressure and vindicating its attempt to stifle us by force, as Trump group is terrified at the strength of the DPRK that has made a dignified rise to the status of strategic state.

It is not accidental that there is an assessment coming from U.S. that the present administration's increased move of taking up the DPRK's "human rights" issue amounts to an attempt for "regime change".

Trump group is even resorting to ridiculous action of dragging those human scum, who committed crimes of treason against the nation and fled to south Korea, into anti-DPRK plot. But, it only highlights how much U.S. fears the DPRK.

The disgraceful moves of Trump group teach us that any humanitarian approach or leniency towards U.S. is a total taboo, and our determination grows stronger to further sharpen the blade of law.

U.S. would be well advised to mind its own miserable human rights record full of all social disturbances and bloody tragic events caused by Trump's unbridled remarks of advocating for white supremacy and racism, which are subject to international curse and denunciation.

U.S. should demonstrate prudence and self-restraint, bearing in mind that it shall pay a high price for all consequences to follow in case it continues to stick to anti-DPRK plot, groundlessly pointing a finger at the alleged DPRK's "human rights" issue

U.S. and Japan Flayed for Hampering Improvement of Inter-Korean Relations

Pyongyang, February 13 (KCNA) -- The director-general of the Institute for Disarmament and Peace of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the DPRK issued a statement on Tuesday over the fact that the United States and Japan, taken aback by stirring atmosphere of improvement and reconciliation in the inter-Korean relations, are running amuck to put whatever obstacles on this development.

Noting that the U.S. and Japan incited confrontation and hostility towards the DPRK at the opening ceremony of the current Winter Olympics where the whole world has extended

warm congratulations in delight and joy to the north and the south of Korea for being one, the statement says:

The reckless moves of the U.S. and Japan constitute an open challenge to our sincere efforts for improving the inter-Korean relations and creating peaceful climate on the Koran peninsula as well as to the world public aspiring to the regional and global peace and stability.

Whenever the north and the south of Korea were engaged in talks to improve their relations, which led to the heightened atmosphere for national reunification, the U.S. and Japan did never fail to create huge obstacles by conducting such deliberate aggressive maneuvers as the large-scale joint military exercises.

The above facts demonstrate once again that the U.S. and Japan are the very culprits of destroying peace, aggravating situation and obstructing national reunification on the Korean peninsula.

If the U.S. and Japanese reactionaries continue to move in a self-centered manner against our national aspirations for peace and reunification and the international support to it, they will gain only isolation.

The U.S and Japan should bear in mind that their vicious words and actions will only reveal their sinister and crafty intentions and invite international opposition and denunciation, and they would be well advised to stop their imprudent and reckless actions.

U.S. and Japan Flayed for Hampering Improvement of Inter-Korean Relations

Pyongyang, February 13 (KCNA) -- The director-general of the Institute for Disarmament and Peace of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the DPRK issued a statement on Tuesday over the fact that the United States and Japan, taken aback by stirring atmosphere of improvement and reconciliation in the inter-Korean relations, are running amuck to put whatever obstacles on this development.

Noting that the U.S. and Japan incited confrontation and hostility towards the DPRK at the opening ceremony of the current Winter Olympics where the whole world has extended warm congratulations in delight and joy to the north and the south of Korea for being one, the statement says:

The reckless moves of the U.S. and Japan constitute an open challenge to our sincere efforts for improving the inter-Korean relations and creating peaceful climate on the Koran peninsula as well as to the world public aspiring to the regional and global peace and stability.

Whenever the north and the south of Korea were engaged in talks to improve their relations, which led to the heightened atmosphere for national reunification, the U.S. and Japan did never fail to create huge obstacles by conducting such deliberate aggressive maneuvers as the large-scale joint military exercises.

The above facts demonstrate once again that the U.S. and Japan are the very culprits of destroying peace, aggravating situation and obstructing national reunification on the Korean peninsula.

If the U.S. and Japanese reactionaries continue to move in a self-centered manner against our national aspirations for peace and reunification and the international support to it, they will gain only isolation.

The U.S and Japan should bear in mind that their vicious words and actions will only reveal their sinister and crafty intentions and invite international opposition and denunciation, and they would be well advised to stop their imprudent and reckless actions.

Answer of Spokesman for Institute for American Studies of DPRK FM

Pyongyang, February 6 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Institute for American Studies, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the DPRK, gave the following answer to a question put by KCNA on February 06, as regards the U.S. release of so-called "Nuclear Posture Review".

Recently, Trump administration released the so-called "Nuclear Posture Review" which has clearly exposed its heinous ambition to blackmail other sovereign states and dominate the world with nuclear weapons by speeding up modernization and diversification of all its nuclear lethal weapons for possible use at any moment.

The United States is the only country which developed nuclear weapons first in the world and slaughtered hundreds of thousands of civilians by using them. It is a nuclear criminal state which has huge stockpile of all kinds of nuclear lethal weapons and drives the world into an outbreak of nuclear war.

It has been the consistent policy of the previous U.S. authorities to realize wild ambition for world domination by relying on absolute nuclear supremacy, and Trump administration is more frantic for its realization, as befits a faithful advocate of the U.S. military monopolies.

The United States has stated through the Review that it will develop new nuclear weapons including low yield tactical nuclear warhead and carry out pre-emptive strike against adversaries whether the latter’s' attack is nuclear or conventional, and thus, the U.S. has made declaration of war against the whole world.

This clearly shows that Trump is seeking nuclear war.

Our state completed war deterrent in order to protect our sovereignty and rights to existence and development from the half-a-century-long nuclear threat of the U.S. However, the U.S. recklessly denounces our deterrent as a "threat" to world peace. This is a high manifestation of the thief turning on the master with a club.

The U.S. is becoming all the more undisguised in its attempt to maintain its sphere of world domination by wantonly violating the international law, clinging to highhandedness and arbitrariness, and wildly brandishing its nuclear club. Today's stern reality proves that we were absolutely right in having bolstered up the nuclear deterrent, braving through all difficulties, upholding the line of simultaneously developing the two fronts, and it further hardens our determination to resolutely continue the road we chose.

As a peace-loving and responsible nuclear power, the DPRK will not use nuclear weapons unless aggressive hostile forces infringe upon our sovereignty and interest and will not threaten any nation or region with nuclear weapons. However, we will strongly counter any acts of destroying peace and security of the Korean peninsula.

Japanese Reactionaries' Suppression of Chongryon Blasted

Pyongyang, February 6 (KCNA) -- A spokesman of the Committee for Aiding Overseas Compatriots of the DPRK in a statement Tuesday denounced the Japanese reactionaries for getting frantic in their suppression of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon).

The joint investigation headquarters, made up of policemen from the Metropolitan Police Office and Saitama Prefecture of Japan, on Feb. 1 hurled more than 100 armed policemen to search the Tokyo Metropolitan Headquarters of Chongryon and the house of a Chongryon official and the Future Foundation set up for rendering support for the Korean school.

Earlier on Jan. 31, the Japan police authorities walked off the former chairman of the Katsushika branch of Chongryon on charges of "violation of the law on second-hand dealers".

Charging that the banknote of the former Chongryon branch chairman had a record of remitting money to Chongryon organization, they ransacked the Tokyo Metropolitan Headquarters of Chongryon and the house of a Chongryon official who had nothing to do with the remittance.

Lurking behind the recent acts hostile toward the DPRK and Chongryon which the Japanese reactionaries committed in broad daylight is a crafty and sordid political attempt peculiar to the island country, the spokesman said, and went on:

Clear is the aim sought by Japan through its rare act of swindling which it orchestrated with much effort.

That is to charge Chongryon, a dignified overseas citizens' organization of the DPRK, as an "illegal organization" and "lawless body", heighten atmosphere against the DPRK and Chongryon throughout Japan, escalate the tension on the Korean peninsula with it as an occasion and thus pave the way for realizing Japan's dirty militarist ambition.

The Japanese authorities' frantic anti-Chongryon and anti-Korean moves will only disclose the despicable and shameless nature of Japan as the tundra of human rights and a political dwarf.

If the Japanese authorities do not stop at once such vicious and childish suppression of Chongryon and Koreans in Japan, they will be made to hold full responsibility for the catastrophic consequences to be entailed by such acts.

DPRK Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Blasts Trump

Pyongyang, February 4 (KCNA) -- A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea gave the following answer to a question put by KCNA on February 4, as regards "State of the Union Address" made by Trump.

In the "State of the Union Address", Trump described last year as a year fully recorded with "incredible progress and extraordinary success"- the year during which he pushed the American society and the world into disturbance through his reckless words and deeds as well as aggression moves dumbfounding the world public. This is indeed the height of Trump-style arrogance, arbitrariness and self-conceit.

The whole world is deeply concerned, seeing as an omen of new disaster the Address of Trump who asserted "America First" and "unmatched power" based on nuclear weapons while forcing other countries to submit themselves to the U.S. chauvinistic interest.

Trump also insisted upon the "maximum pressure" against our country, viciously slandering our most superior people-centered social system. However, it is no less than screams of Trump terrified at the power of the DPRK that has achieved the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force and rapidly emerged as the strategic state recognized by the world, and it is purely a nasty perversity aimed to disturb the advance of inter-Korean relations.

Trump even reveals his sinister intention to do something against us by relying on strength while talking about "American resolve". Our self-reliant defence capability with the nuclear force as its backbone will, however, completely deter Trump and his lackeys from showing off on the Korean peninsula.

If Trump does not get rid of his anachronistic and dogmatic way of thinking, it will only bring about the consequence of further endangering security and future of the United States.

S. Korean Conservatives Urged to Stop Impudent Remarks against Event of North

Pyongyang, February 3 (KCNA) -- Now heard from south Korea are a flurry of improper remarks criticizing an event to be held in the DPRK in celebration of the birthday of the Korean People's Army.

In this regard, Rodong Sinmun Saturday in a commentary says:

Since the middle of January, such puppet conservative media as Yonhap News, Chosun Ilbo, Choongang Ilbo and Dong-A Ilbo have made such coarse invectives that the "north is preparing for a large-scale military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the KPA" and "it is its intention to dramatize the political effect that it completed the nuclear weaponization".

Reckless remarks are being made by gentries of the conservative opposition parties such as Kim Song Thae, floor leader of the "Liberal Korea Party", Kim Yong Thae, a lawmaker from the same party, Jang Je Won and Jong Thae Ok, spokespersons of the party, Ryu Sung Min, representative of the Parun Party, and Ha Thae Gyong, executive chairman of the same party.

The puppet conservative group criticize the DPRK's event for celebrating the founding anniversary of the KPA as a "provocation", "show of nuclear weapons" and "part of the war preparations", asserting that the planned event should be canceled at once.

All the facts clearly show how wicked, narrow-minded and tricky the puppet conservatives engrossed in pro-U.S. flunkeyism and confrontation with fellow countrymen are and that they are a despicable group of traitors.

What matters is that the south Korean authorities are taking a noncommittal and irresolute attitude, reading minds of the conservatives clinging to heinous confrontational acts to stem the trend of mending the inter-Korean relations.

If the south Korean authorities continue taking an indecisive stand, allowing the reckless confrontational acts of the anti-reunification conservative forces going against the desire of the nation and trend of the times, it will only bring about the consequences of souring the successful opening of the Winter Olympics and the blame for this will be with them as well as the conservative group.

The puppet conservative group should immediately stop their impudent and shameless remarks against the event of fellow countrymen, properly facing up the surging resentment of the army and people of the DPRK and the whole nation

Declaration of Kim Jong Un

In his New Year Address for 2018, Kim Jong Un, Supreme Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, said: In no way would the United States dare to ignite a war against me and our country; the whole of its mainland is within the range of our nuclear strike and the nuclear button is on my office desk all the time; the United States needs to be clearly aware that this is not merely a threat but a reality.

This is a declaration addressed to the US.

Last year the US moves to isolate and stifle the DPRK went to an extreme. Whenever the DPRK took a self-defensive measure against its nuclear threat and blackmail, the US railroaded a harsh and groundless sanctions resolution at the UN Security Council by even enlisting its vassal forces, claiming that the measure was a "threat" to global peace and "provocation" against the safety of mankind.

In a keynote speech at a session of the UN General Assembly in September last year, US President Trump called for "total destruction" and "annihilation" of the DPRK. The US dispatched strategic nuclear assets to south Korea and the surrounding areas, intensified nuclear threat and blackmail, and conducted the largest-ever joint naval and air drills with south Korea, targeting the strategic objects in the DPRK. It even staged a missile information drill in the waters around the Korean peninsula with south Korea and Japan with the aim of detecting and monitoring the DPRK's ballistic missiles.

Towards the end of last year, it was often said that Trump may resort to pre-emptive strike against the DPRK. According to those related to the Pentagon, the probability of

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a military conflict on the Korean peninsula in 2018 by a pre-emptive strike by the US is 40-50%.

Paying attention to the fact that Trump separately met Pompeo, director of the CIA, and Bolten, former ambassador to the UN, and other hawks, who advocate pre-emptive strike against the DPRK, the US mass media wrote: The war machine of the Trump and administration has begun to operate; the present administration is reminiscent of the Bush administration in the days of making preparations for the Iraq war.

But the DPRK now possesses means of nuclear strike powerful enough to turn the US mainland into a lake of fire. What the US may win in a war Against the DPRK will only be humiliation and self-destruction.

Many Americans raise voices of concern: If a war with north Korea breaks out, a disaster greater than that of the Second World War may hit the US proper; it may produce a disastrous result of the death of 2 million lives in an instant in the US, south Korea and Japan.

Trump is well advised not to gamble with lives of his fellow countrymen.

Trump and the Lesson Learned by Johnson

I feel fun in striking panic and disturbance into my opponent and seeing his reaction. Achieving notoriety, rather than becoming an unknown man, brings more profits than losses.

These sentences are from a book authored by US President Donald Trump.

His abnormal likings are reflected in a concentrated way in the US policy hostile towards the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

He uttered such violent words as "fire and fury," "total destruction," "ready for a war" and "the one and only way" on official occasions including the UN arena and on his Twitter account, making a nuclear war against the DPRK a fait accompli.

The US dispatched a huge amount of strategic nuclear assets including carrier strike groups to south Korea and its surrounding waters, and B-1B strategic bombers flew into the sky over the East Sea of Korea, creating a touch-and-go situation. In December it conducted the largest-ever joint air exercise with south Korea. The US railroaded superintends sanctions resolutions one after another through the UN Security Council with a view to "totally cutting off the lifeline of north Korea," and has blackmailed big and small countries into joining in its attempts to impose political and economic blockade on the country, the worst of its kind.

But Trump's policy of maximum pressure failed to surprise or pull down the country.

High-ranking political figures and former public servants of the US, including the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Senate, said: Trump is straining the relations with north Korea unnecessarily; he should stop reckless blackmailing of the country and keep his hands off the Korean issue.

Although Trump took office in his advanced years to everybody's surprise, he still has many things to learn as he is yet a political neophyte.

He is well advised to learn the lessons Johson learned 50 years ago from the Pueblo incident, which shook the world. The then US President Johnson was informed, in his pyjamas at midnight on January 23, 1968, that the US armed spy ship Pueblo was captured by the Navy of the Korean People's Army. He concluded that "demonstration of power" was the only way to bring the DPRK to its knees. According to his order, nuclear aircraft carrier Enterprise and other huge military forces were dispatched to the waters around the Korean peninsula. Then the US threatened that it would strike the Wonsan Port and other strategic targets in North Korea as a "punitive measure," if necessary.

To cope with this, the DPRK declared that it would answer "retaliation" with retaliation and "all-out war" with all-out war. Immediately it switched over to war readiness and demonstrated its strength, making public for the first time its ground-to- air missiles which had so far been unknown to the US.

Frightened by the DPRK's resolute and hard-line countermeasures, Johnson gave up the "demonstration of power" and had the aggressive forces in and around south Korea withdrawn two weeks later.

Trump has dispatched huge aggressive forces to the waters around the Korean peninsula and conducted war games of various names to bring the DPRK to its knees by "force." This is a repetition of what Johnson did and will cut no ice with the DRPK.

Another lesson that Trump should learn is that the DPRK is immune to the big countries' interference and pressure.

During the Pueblo incident Johnson also asked the big countries that could exert influence on the DPRK to bring pressure to bear upon the leadership of the country. The leadership of the former Soviet Union accepted the US request, and advised the DPRK that it would be better to release the ship, lest it suffer damage for keeping the ship.

But the DPRK maintained its resolute stand that the crew of the Pueblo would not be released before the US submitted a letter of apology and that even though the US submitted a letter of apology, the ship Pueblo would not be returned as it is its war trophy.

Now Trump is enlisting the big countries neighbouring the DPRK in bringing pressure to bear upon the country, but it remains unperturbed and follows the road of its own choice on its own terms.

At the time of the Pueblo incident the DPRK was a non-nuclear state. But now it is a world-class nuclear power which possesses not only A-bomb but even H-bomb and ICBM.

If Trump wants to fight with this country, he should be determined to accept a result worse than that of the Pueblo incident. In other words, he should know that Johnson's administration submitted a letter of apology, but this time there may remain no one who will sign the surrender document to the government of the DPRK.

Truth of the "War on Terror"

Twenty years have passed since the US began the "war on terror." However, the world now faces more complicated international problems and more dangerous threat from terrorism; stability and peace are yet to settle in the world.

To look back upon the course of the "war on terror" by the US gives a glimpse to its real goal.

Opening the Pandora's Box

The US, availing itself of 9/11, worked out a new concept of war, "war on terror," and declared a war against terrorism throughout the world.

It drew the curtain of the war by launching military operations against Afghanistan with the purpose of eliminating Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda.

Since then, the US has fought hard to "stamp out" terrorism and "defend" democracy in Iraq, Libya, Syria and so on; but instead of achieving the set purpose, it threw the world into a greater confusion.

Still now, the US is drawn into quagmire in Afghanistan and Iraq, and al-Qaeda, once considered to have been stamped out, has raised its head, emerging as a more dangerous terrorist group.

The sectarian religious contradiction and social chaos prevalent in Iraq have thrown the US into perplexity. ISIS, an international terrorist organization, which emerged and grew in strength amidst the US "war on terror," is committing acts of terrorism across the world, going beyond the bounds ones of the relevant countries and region.

Counterterrorism, which the US once clamoured for loudly, has now produced political instability, social disorder, ethnic disputes and refugee crisis in many countries of the world.

It can be said that the US opened the Pandora's box with the key, called counterterrorism.

Real Goal of the "War on Terror"

The greater the US expands the "war on terror," the greater doubt the international community entertains: What does the US pursue in the war: elimination of terrorism or encouragement of terrorism?

The answer can be found in Syria.

Taking advantage of the internal dispute in Syria, ISIS infiltrated into Syria and extended the sphere of its influence by building its bases in several regions. Now the US has interfered in this issue under the guise of "counterterrorism," but in fact it is actively encouraging and supporting the terrorists. Today, when the fight against ISIS is drawing to a close thanks to the persevering efforts of the Syrian government forces and active cooperation from Russia and Iran, the US is propagandizing that it is a success achieved by the international allied force led by it, turning black into white.

If the US goal was to make a clean sweep of the terrorists, why did it fire missiles and bombs on the positions of the Syrian government forces fighting with ISIS, why did its aircraft fly over an array of terrorists' vehicles without dropping even a bomb, and why did it give the terrorists, who were trapped in Ar-Raqqah Province, a chance to escape to another region?

All these explain that the US is attempting to overthrow the Assad government hostile to it.

The real goal the US pursues in the "war on terror" is to remove the governments which are not obedient to it and dominate the world.

It is trying to use the card of "counterterrorism" in its relations with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The US has put the DPRK back on the list of state sponsors of terrorism without any reason, calling it a "bad country."

The sophism cuts no ice with the international community, and it may induce a greater resistance on the part of the DPRK. It is well aware of the vulnerability of the US and possesses the power with which to staunchly smash the high-handed and arbitrary behaviours by the US.

The international community is closely watching the US "war on terror."

Trump's Illusions

In 2017, an anchor for the satire programme of a German TV channel said that the previous two world wars were induced by the Germany-first policy. When the scenes showing Hitler's bust and the construction of the Berlin Wall during the Cold War appeared, he, mimicking Trump's voice, said: We have also built a great wall and let the Russians pay for it.

What an ironic saying making fun of the Trump doctrine. This is an alarm over Trump's unusual behaviour and remarks reminiscent of the style of Hitler.

Whereas Hitler drove mankind into the catastrophe of war by clamouring about Germany-first, Trump's doctrine of America-first is running to extreme on the Korean peninsula.

Trump once said: If a war breaks out it will be fought on the Korean peninsula and even though thousands are to be killed, they will be killed there. He uttered such words as preventive war, preemptive strike, beheading operation and the like. He did not hesitate to repeat these reckless remarks in the UN arena.

In his keynote speech in the UN General Assembly he called for the "total destruction" of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and "extinction" of its people. This is no different from Hitler's words that for the prosperity of the Aryans all the other nations including the Slavs should be exterminated.

He frequently dispatched a huge amount of strategic nuclear assets including carrier strike groups to south Korea and its surrounding waters for large-scale joint military exercises in an attempt to invade the DPRK.

He railroaded superintense sanctions resolutions one after another through the UN Security Council with a view to "totally cutting off the lifeline of north Korea," and has blackmailed other countries, big and small, into joining in its attempts to impose political and economic blockade on the country, the worst of its kind.

Can these attempts bear any fruit?

In retrospect, the DPRK, armed with rifle, defeated the US, possessed of A-bomb, in the 1950s. During the Pueblo incident in the 1960s, the US had to sign for the first time in its history a letter of apology, and the captured armed spy ship is anchored on the Pothong River in Pyongyang as a trophy of the DPRK.

In order to cope with the persistent nuclear threat by the US, the DPRK has now attained the status of a world's nuclear-armed nation by overcoming all trials and difficulties.

Is Trump courageous enough to take actions which may result in the total destruction of his country and the extinction of his people no matter how he enjoys going on an adventure?

The former and incumbent commanders of the US strategic forces are now insisting on depriving their president of the right to order nuclear strike. The US congressmen are so worried about giving him this right for his Don Quixote style of mental instability and fickleness.

Buchanan, chief of staff during the Nixon, Ford and Reagan administrations and known as a leading conservative politician in the US, said that the US-south Korea mutual defence treaty is a dead treaty and that the GIs stationed in south Korea should be withdrawn to escape a nuclear war with north Korea.

A professor and social scientist of the US said: The blackmail policy, a stereotyped policy of the Trump administration, may work in the Middle East, but not in the DPRK, possessed of nuclear weapons and ICBM; the US cannot dominate north Korea as its government and its people are fully prepared to defend their sovereignty; the only solution for the US is to come to the negotiation table and conclude a peace treaty with north Korea.

Rogue President, Boss of Gangsters of an Evil Empire, Incurable Psycho, Pinocchio President and Hitler in the 21^st Century-these are nicknames given to Trump by the world people. It will be wise for Trump to get rid of his illusions as soon as possible and see the reality as it is.

Kim Jong II: People's Leader

Kim Jong Il (1942-2011), eternal Chairman of the National Defence Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, was a genuine people's leader who firmly believed in his people and led his country by relying on them.

He loved his people infinitely. His love for his people found expression in his endless devotion to their wellbeing while regarding them as the most precious and almighty beings in the world and versatile teachers. People's interests were always the starting point of his thinking and activities. Whenever a new structure was built or an undertaking was finished, he would ask first if the people liked it; whenever the people experienced a trouble, he would feel heart-broken at the thought of their inconvenience.

When on a foreign tour, he would concern himself with the wellbeing of his people. A Russian presidential delegate, who had accompanied him during his visit to the Russian federation, wrote in his book: Chairman Kim Jong Il was a leader who devoted all his passion and thoughts to the happiness of his people.

Protecting and taking care of the people's destiny on his responsibility was the acme of his love for his people. He remarkably strengthened the defence capability of his country, thus firmly safeguarding the security of the people from the nuclear threat and military aggression by the US. His raising the status of the DPRK to that of a nuclear state was a historic event that guaranteed the everlasting security of the people as well as the regional peace.

Kim Jong Il was always unconventional, simple and modest in front of the people. Always regarding himself as a son of the working people, he shared weal and woe with them; he would go to the people wearing casual wear and eating rice-balls; he went to underground faces and walked along farm roads; when he met people, he would lend an attentive an ear to them. And wherever he may go, he used to pose for a photograph with the people, standing shoulder to shoulder with them. He once accepted willingly a countrywoman's request to name her child which was due.

With his outstanding leadership ability, Kim Jong Il pushed his way through the trials of the history and turned the DPRK into a genuine people-centred socialist country.

On one occasion he said: While capitalists believe in the money, I believe in the strength of the masses; money cannot move people's minds, but trust can arouse the masses of the people and encourage them to display their strength to the full; this is my philosophy of strength.

These words offer a glimpse of how the unique single-hearted unity in Korea had been achieved.

Entering the 1990s, the DPRK faced temporary hardships owing to the collapse of the world socialist system, the extreme moves of the US and its followers to stifle the country and the natural disasters that hit it for several consecutive years. At that time, he got over all the difficulties on the strength of the single-hearted unity; as anti- socialist schemes by the US and its followers grew more undisguised, he led all the people to cherish a firm belief in the victory of socialism and aroused them to the struggle for defending socialism, braving the obstacles with the revolutionary spirit of self-reliance and fortitude; he himself visited factories, rural villages and construction sites, giving advices on how to break through the ordeals.

He unfolded an ambitious blueprint for building a powerful socialist country and aroused the people to the struggle. Looking far ahead into the future in the most arduous days, he gave precedence to the introduction of CNC technology into the machine-building industry. He created a climate of prioritizing science and technology throughout the country and kindled the flames of the industrial revolution in the new century, so as to put the overall economy of the country on a Juche-oriented and modern basis. He led the projects that demanded enormous investment and manpower like large-scale land realignment, gravitational waterway construction and construction of small and medium-sized power stations by enlisting the people's high creative enthusiasm and unquenchable strength. Under his wise leadership, the Korean people braved every manner of trials and hardships and opened wide the way for building a powerful socialist country.

The noble image of Kim Jong II as a genuine people's leader will remain for ever in the minds of the Korean people and the progressive peoples of the whole world.

Kimjongilia and the World

Thirty years have passed since Kimjongilia was born, a flowering plant named after Kim Jong Il, eternal Chairman of the National Defence Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Birth of Kimjongilia

Kimjongilia is a flower bred by Kamo Mototeru, a Japanese horticulturist, by cross­breeding a variety of plants of South American origin. Plants of the tuberous begonia species grow in the vast areas of the tropics and subtropics and its species number 2 300, but no species is more unique than Kimjongilia.

Mototeru who had heard legendary tales of President Kim Il Sung of the DPRK from his mother in his early years read a lot of books on the country with unusual interest and passion. During a visit to the DPRK he witnessed the ever-changing reality of the country in person. In those days he was very impressed by the wise leadership, warm love and lofty virtue of President Kim II Sung and Chairman Kim Jong Il who were taking care of the people with maternal affection and bringing all their wishes into full bloom.

When he heard that Kimilsungia had been born in 1965 out of the boundless respect of the Indonesian people for President Kim Il Sung, he made up his mind to breed a flower that would be named after Kim Jong Il, another peerlessly great man, who was leading Juche Korea to prosperity.

He deepened his study of the tuberous begonia which he had been cultivating with great interest and finally succeeded in breeding a new species of the tuberous begonia, whose flowers as red as a blazing sun are in full bloom for over four months.

He presented it to Kim Jong Il in February 1988 on the occasion of the 46th anniversary of the latter's birthday, together with a letter, in which he wrote, "I send you the tuberous begonia I bred with sincerity to congratulate Your Excellency on your 46th birthday, and hoping for friendship between Japan and Korea. I ventured to name my plant after Your Excellency's august name, as Kimjongilia, wishing you a long life in good health and a bright future of prosperity and development. If you allow me to present this plant to Your Excellency, I will take it as honour more than I deserve."

King of Flowers, Fascination of Humankind

Kimjongilia aroused a wave of passion in the world horticultural circles and a wave of jubilation in the minds of humankind.

In February 1989 a festival of political songs was held in Germany. Kimjongilia appeared on a flat-screen display in the festival arena. The deep red petals, large flower filling a flowerpot to its brim, a thick stem holding up the flower, heart-shaped green leaves-all these raised a storm of cheers and applause. Voices of praise rang out. "It is the first time for me to see such a brilliant, beautiful and charming flower," "Kimjongilia outshines other flowers in the world," and "It is a source of pleasure and pride for humankind that this flower was born."

Later, the flower demonstrated its beauty at international horticultural expositions and flower shows-special prize and the gold medal at the 12th International Horticultural Show held in former Czechoslovakia in May 1991; the optimal award in a horticultural exposition held in Jilin, China, in August 1997; Grand Prize and its diploma at the Kunming International Horticultural Exposition in China in 1999, a highest level of flower exposition in the world; the first place and ribbon at a begonia show held in California, the US, in August 2004; and optimal awards at the International Horticultural Exposition held in Shenyang, China, in 2006, the International Horticultural Exposition in Venlo, the Netherlands, in 2012, and the International Flower Show held in Mongolia in 2014. On the authorization of the International Society for Horticultural Science, the American Begonia Society deliberated the species characteristics and horticultural value of Kimjongilia and registered it as new species No. 991 in 2004. Introducing the flower in its journal Begonia, it highlighted that the flower was named after General Kim Jong Il of the DPRK.

Fascination of humankind with Kimjongilia raised a hot wind of cultivating it.

Formation in 1995 of the Nordic Kimjongilia Association in Sweden was followed by the opening of Kimjongilia greenhouses and establishment of numerous associations and fanciers societies in China, Indonesia, Mongolia, Japan, Ethiopia and other countries and regions of the world.

Many foreign visitors from over 100 countries to the DPRK returned home with tuberous roots of Kimjongilia and over 100 rounds of shows of this flower took place in foreign countries.

It is not simply because of its unique beauty that the flower enjoys fascination of the peoples the world over. It is an expression of genuine respect and reverence of humankind for Kim Jong II, who is still regarded in the international community as one of the most famous persons in the world.