Successful Test-fire of Newly Developed Super-large Multiple Rocket Launcher Held under Guidance of Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un

Pyongyang, August 25 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, chairman  of the State Affairs Commission of  the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and  supreme commander of the armed forces of the  DPRK,  guided  the  test-fire  of  newly  developed  super-large  multiple rocket launcher on Saturday.

The Supreme Leader of the Party, state and armed forces learnt about the development of the super-large multiple rocket launcher system and issued an order to start the test-fire.

The test-fire proved that all the tactical and technological specifications of the system correctly reached the preset indexes.

He gave high  appreciation, saying that it  is, indeed, a great  weapon, our young national  defence scientists  are so clever  as to  conceive out of  their own  heads  and design  and  complete  the  weapon  system at  one  go-off although they have never seen it, and they have performed a great work.

What made him happy  today is that a contingent of young and  promising talents who will shoulder  upon the rapid development of the Juche-oriented defence industry grow in the course of the development of the new weapon, he noted,  saying with  pride that they  are precious  treasure and  wealth of the country  which cannot be  bartered for anything  and the  Juche-oriented defence industry will steadily be  developed by the talented national defence scientists and technicians faithful to the Party.

Each Juche weapon developed and completed by us reflects the greatness of  the  Workers'  Party  of  Korea  which  provided  powerful  war  deterrent capable of firmly defending Korean-style  socialism with the responsibility for the destiny and  future of the  country and the people  and the noble  loyalty of our national defence  scientists who have unsparingly devoted their  blood and sweats of patriotism true to the leadership of the Party, he said.

Saying August  24 is,  indeed, an unforgettable  good day,  and that  three years ago today  we succeeded even in the  underwater test-fire of strategic submarine ballistic missile  which only a few countries  have in the world, he together with his  dear comrades-in-arms recollected the  unforgettable days of  developing  and  completing  strategic  weapons while  braving  manifold trials.

An important  mission  our defense  industry takes  up  is to  contribute to increasing national defence  capabilities in every way so as  to safeguard the Party,  revolution, country  and  people,  guarantee  the final  victory  of  the revolution and lead  and promote the building of  a powerful socialist nation, he said, underscoring the need to  push ahead with an indomitable offensive campaign to  put our  strength onto  the level  desired by  us to  continue to step up the  development of Korean-style strategic  and tactical weapons for resolutely  frustrating   the  ever-mounting   military   threats  and   pressure offensive of the hostile forces.

He was  accompanied by  senior  officials of  the Party  Central Committee and the field  of national defence science including  Ri Pyong Chol, Kim  Jong Sik, Jang Chang Ha, Jon Il Ho and Jong Sung Il to guide the test-fire.

DPRK Foreign Ministry Denounces S. Korean Authorities

Pyongyang, August 22 (KCNA) --

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea issued the following press statement on Thursday:

Dangerous and unusual military moves are now on the horizon, which would trigger a new cold war on the Korean peninsula and in the region.

One such move is the introduction yet again by the south Korean authorities of "F-35A" stealth fighters from the United States shortly after

the end of joint military exercises, despite our repeated warnings.

This act of continuously introducing the cutting-edge lethal equipment is a grave provocation that has openly denied the joint declarations and the

military agreement between the north and the south of Korea, and as such, it only serves to graphically reveal again the hypocrisy and double-dealing conduct of the south Korean authorities who are noisily talking about making "efforts to do things more useful yet less harmful to dialogue."

Escalating hostile military moves by the United States and the south Korean authorities are reducing the dynamics of dialogue for building a

lasting and durable peace on the Korean peninsula, and this compels us to

weigh a realistic way of turning our attention more to strengthening the

physical deterrence.

Furthermore, the reality - that the United States has recently test-fired the

intermediate-range cruise missile and plans to deploy a large quantity of

offensive military equipment such as "F-35" stealth fighters and "F-16V"

fighters in Japan and other surrounding areas of the Korean peninsula, thus adding to the regional arms race and confrontation - calls for our greatest vigilance.

We have underlined time and again that the joint military exercises and the build-up of armed forces in south Korea are dangerous acts detrimental to peace and stability on the Korean peninsula.

We remain unchanged in our position to resolve all issues in a peaceful

manner through dialogue and negotiation. However, dialogue accompanied by military threats is of no interest to us. 

Situation on Korean Peninsula Can Never Be Tool for Meeting Japan's Interests:

KCNA Commentary Pyongyang, August 22 (KCNA) --

Very noticeable under the present situation is the military move of Japan. The Japan Defense Minister recently described the DPRK's legitimate military measures for self-defence as sort of "threats" and called for further beefing up Japan's missile defence system.

He also voiced his invariable stand for the deployment of Aegis Ashore despite strong rebuff at home and abroad.

This act expressly aggravating the regional situation vividly shows the crafty aim of the Japanese reactionaries to use the present stalemate on the Korean peninsula as a good opportunity for arms buildup.

It is a trite method used by the island country to deliberately strain the situation and use it as a pretext for openly pushing forward the moves for becoming a military power under the signboard of "defence".

Persistently spreading the story of the "threats from north Korea" in the past, Japan abused it for realizing its militarist ambition and found pleasure in faulting others.

It was none other than the Japanese reactionaries who were most displeased with the recent trend toward peace created on the Korean peninsula and the region and hindered every positive move.

They are now going sly to destroy the atmosphere of dialogue, incite the feelings of "insecurity" while branding the measures taken by the DPRK for bolstering up its military capability for self-defence as "violation of the UN Security Council resolutions" and a "serious task".

But with no sleight of hand can Japan cover up its true nature as a disturber of regional peace and a chieftain of the strained tension.

The Japan Defence Ministry announced on August 16 that it officially decided to introduce F-35B equipped with the capabilities for short-distance lift and vertical landing.

This aims at their practical use not only in the Air "Self-defence Force" (SDF) but on Izmo, the largest warship of the Maritime SDF. Therefore, the SDF's possession of a carrier, which does not comply with the principle of exclusive defence, has become an established fact. Earlier, the Ministry announced that the largest-ever 5.3 trillion yen will be included in the rough budget estimate for next year.

Commenting on Japan's reckless military buildup, the south Korean MBC said that "Japan plans to squander 245 billion USD as defence expenditure for the upcoming five years. This means 50 billion USD a year, much greater than that of Britain and France.

The scale of Japan's naval forces is reported to be larger than the combination of those of France and Britain. It is so huge unbecoming for a state that has a constitution banning a war." Japan should clearly bear in mind the grave consequences to be entailed by its moves of trying to strain the regional situation and use it as a pretext for realizing their wild ambition.

The situation on the Korean peninsula can never be a tool serving Japan's interests.

Exclusion of Korean Children from Free Education System Is Serious Political Issue:

KCNA Commentary Pyongyang, August 21 (KCNA) --

Japan's mean nature has been revealed in the world's eyes once again. It is going to exclude the facilities for upbringing children of foreign schools including the schools of Koreans in Japan from the system of free infant education and upbringing that was introduced in May.

This intolerable act of national discrimination is an unprecedented fascist one aimed to stamp out the national identity of the Koreans in Japan.

It is a widely known fact that the Japanese reactionaries have long maneuvered in a mean way by stopping the disbursement of educational aid funds and excluding Korean high schools from the system of free education for high school students with a purpose to stamp out national education, lifeline of the movement of Koreans in Japan. But it is the first time they have stretched the dark tentacles even to innocent kindergarten children.

 Due to such vicious moves of the Japanese politicians, parents of children attending Korean schools are only left to face extremely unfair and heavy financial burdens of paying more consumption tax only to be excluded from the "free infant education and upbringing" that relies on the tax.

This is a revelation of the sordid intention to pressure the economic life of Koreans in Japan on purpose, undermine the national education of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon) and, furthermore, take Koreans in Japan away from the homeland and Chongryon.

The national education of Koreans in Japan is an inviolable national right as it is quite just in view of the historical background of the Koreans in Japan and the universally acknowledged principle on the education of overseas citizens.

The international convention on abolishing all forms of racial discrimination adopted in UN in 1965 also termed any forms of discrimination, rejection and restriction on the excuses of family line and nationality racial discrimination, and branded organizations encouraging such acts and those affiliated to it as international criminals.

The Japanese reactionaries are a group of morally depraved and lawless ruffians who do not bother to trample elementary humanitarianism and humanity in order to meet their dirty political purpose.

The issue of excluding Korean children from the system of free education and upbringing is an issue related to the stand and attitude toward overseas citizens of sovereign states and, furthermore, a serious political issue related to the attitude of the Japanese authorities to the DPRK, before a simple financial issue of giving monetary support to the parents of Korean children.

The criminal state Japan calls for dialogue in front but behind the scene, it grinds its teeth to do harm to the DPRK and Chongryon. This is Japan's true nature.

The Korean people and the international community now hardly repress the towering grudge at the Japanese authorities following in the footsteps of the brigandish Japanese imperialists who committed the unethical crimes of ruthlessly encroaching upon the right to existence and the right to development of Koreans in Japan, to say nothing of their inviolable right to national education during the colonial fascist rule over Korea in the last century.

The Japanese reactionaries must ponder over the catastrophic consequences from their dirty anti-DPRK and anti-Chongryon moves, and stop the reckless farce.

KCNA Commentary Urges S. Korea to Drop Stand Submissive toward U.S.

Pyongyang, August 22 (KCNA) --

The south Korean authorities are in trouble now under the pressure from the U.S. for increased "funds for defense" ahead of the 11th negotiations on the "special agreement on sharing the expenses for defense funds".

Keeping pressurizing south Korea to fulfill its obligation to contribute to military defense offered by the U.S. forces, the U.S. speaks loudly about its ally's promise to pay more money and the start of the negotiations for increased payment to the U.S.

The U.S. State Department recently emphasized that the increased "funds for defense" has been one of issues that the U.S. has pushed forward in a bid to make it an established fact even before the start of the negotiations. What matters is that the south Korean authorities are showing a leaning toward accepting the U.S. gangster-like demand, while talking about "correct standard" and "improvement of supply method" regarding the "defense funds".

This is a truly senseless act. As known, the presence of the U.S. forces in south Korea is pursuant to the U.S. strategic purpose to perpetuate the country's division and put the world under its control. The south Koreans have long strongly demanded the withdrawal of the U.S. forces from south Korea as the forces commit only crimes like murder and robbery.

But a long line of the past south Korean rulers went mean, offering nearly one trillion won of funds as the upkeep for the U.S. forces every year, far from taking out the root cause that destroys the regional security and imposes only disaster on the people.

It was under this patronage that the U.S. has grown greedier enough to choose south Korea as the first target of its plan for drastic increase in the defense funds out of the countries and regions in which its forces are stationed.

And such insulting words are openly heard from the U.S. that it is much easier to get defense funds from south Korea than to collect an apartment rent.

The U.S. gangster-like act of considering south Korea as a target of plunder and a faithful servant for meeting its greedy interests is an inevitable result produced by the south Korean authorities' servile policy submitting to the U.S. Concession to aggression-minded outsiders instead of standing up against them will bring tremendous misfortune, pain and disaster to the people.

The south Korean authorities must drop the shameful submissive stand toward the U.S.

Japanese Authorities' Crackdown on Korean Children in Japan under Fire

Pyongyang, August 19 (KCNA) --

The Committee for Aiding Overseas Compatriots of the DPRK issued a statement on Monday to denounce Japan which is dead set again on the policy of oppressing and obliterating the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon) and Koreans in Japan though it had called for "dialogue with the DPRK without precondition".

As already reported, the Japanese authorities will put into practice the measure of free expenses for all 3-5 year-old children at infant education and childcare facilities, including kindergartens and nurseries, from October 1, according to the "law on support to upbringing children" with "free infant education and child upbringing" as its content adopted at the Diet on May 10.

The statement said that what matters is that the Japanese authorities openly express their intention to exclude the infant classes of Korean schools from the support system and work hard to do it. It went on: Lurking behind the Japanese reactionaries' moves to exclude the infant classes of Korean schools from the support system for infant education and child upbringing is their cunning and wicked politically-motivated attempt to frustrate the national education for Koreans in Japan and cast a dark shadow on the future development of the Korean community in Japan. As clear as noonday is the ulterior motive of the Japanese reactionaries who are hell-bent on their moves to enforce the unprecedented discriminatory policy against infants and preschool children of Koreans in Japan.

Their purpose is to tear the rising generations of Koreans in Japan away from the DPRK and Chongryon and assimilate and naturalize them in order to stamp out the Korean community in Japan. In view of historical and moral obligation and duty, the Japanese authorities should include the infant classes of Korean schools in the support system ahead of others.

But they openly discriminate against the infants in the prime of learning mother tongue and exclude them from the system, indifferent to reflection on their past crimes and moral obligation for them, under the pretext that they are Koreans residing in Japan. This is the most mean and shameless crime which can be committed only by political dwarfs of the island nation.

The DPRK will never remain a passive onlooker to the Japanese reactionaries' ever-cunning and ever-vicious poor and slush moves to crack down and obliterate Chongryon and Koreans in Japan

Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un Guides Test-fire of New Weapon Again

Pyongyang, August 17 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, chairman  of the State Affairs Commission of  the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and  supreme commander of the armed forces  of the DPRK, guided the test-fire of new weapon again on Friday morning.

Juche shells were fired in the presence of the Supreme Leader. The national defense scientists showed a perfect result in the test-fire, too, and helped cement bigger confidence in this weapon system.

He  said that  our  reliable scientists  in  the field  of  the national  defense science developed  in the  shortest span  of time  the major  military striking means the Party  planned recently and showed  the mysterious and amazing success rates, adding  with great satisfaction that one  can imagine the level of development of the national defense science and technology and it vividly proved  that  the  material  and  technological  foundations  for the  national defense industry are being perfected at a high level.

Our party has  strictly maintained the principles  of self-reliance and Juche in national defence  building, and recently set forth  a strategic policy on the direction of the development of the Juche-oriented national defence building based on  our own  science, technology and  strength to  meet the needs  of the developing situation, he  said, stressing the need to keep  channeling all-state efforts into,  taking deep care  of and rendering unreserved  support to the  sacred   national  defence  building   so  as  to   reliably  guarantee  the sovereignty and security of the country and the happy future of the people.

He  said it  is  our Party's  goal  of defence  building  to  possess invincible military capabilities  no one  dare provoke and  to keep  bolstering them.  He said  that step-by-step  objectives for  implementing  this goal  have  already been delivered as a  policy task, calling on the  fields of the national defence scientific  research  and the  munitions  industry  to  make  all-out efforts  to perfectly  uphold the  Party's line  on  national defence  building with  loyalty under the slogan "leap higher and faster".

He said  everyone  should remember  that it  is the  Party's core  plan and fixed  will  for  defence  building to  possess  such  a  powerful  force  strong enough to discourage any  forces from daring to provoke us  and to leave all others  vulnerable to  our  Juche weapons  of  absolute  power even  though there comes the situation where physical strengths clash with each other.

He appealed  to the fields  of national defence  scientific research  and the munitions  industry  to  cherish  unchanged  loyalty  for  the  Party  and  the revolution and make redoubled efforts for the sacred activities for increasing the national defence capabilities in every way.

Accompanying him   were   the leading   officials of   the Party   Central

Committee and the field of national defence science to guide  the test-fire.

Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un Orders to Promote Military Ranks of National Defense Research Scientists

Pyongyang, August 13  (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Un,  chairman of the Central Military  Commission  of the  Workers'  Party  of  Korea  (WPK),  on Aug.  12 issued Order No.  008 to promote the military  ranks of scientists in  the field of national defense  science research who have  made great contributions to bolstering up the military capabilities for self-defence.

He said in  the order that  in hearty response to  the decision made at  the historic Seventh Congress of the WPK and the spirit of the 8th Conference of Munitions  Industry, our  reliable  scientists in  the field  of  national defence science research, who are firmly equipped with the WPK's revolutionary idea, performed feats to be specially  recorded by developing and completing new powerful weapon systems one  after another which are of key importance  in defending  the  Party,   the  revolution,  the   country  and  the  people   and guaranteeing  the victorious  advance  of  the revolutionary  cause  of  Juche with matchless military strength.

He,  in  the   name  of  the  Party   and  government,  highly   praised  the scientists in  the field of  national defence science  research for  providing an epoch-making   turning   point   in   bolstering   up   the   country's   military capabilities for self-defense and successfully implementing the strategic  plan and intention of  the Party by  settling highly difficult technological  problems of  the  ultra-modern  national  defense   science  with  indomitable  spiritual strength and remarkable creative  power and by researching and developing new  weapon  systems  with  our  own  efforts,  wisdom  and  technology. He issued the order to award a higher military rank to 103 scientists.

S. Korean Chief Executive Blasted for His Anti-DPRK Remarks

Pyongyang, August 16 (KCNA) -- A spokesperson for the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country made public a statement on Aug. 16.

Its full text is as follows:

There is a proverb that the mountains have brought forth a mouse. This  is an  appropriate comment  on  the "liberation  day commemorative speech" by the south Korean chief executive.

In the speech,  he failed to put  forward any proper  measures against the insult by  the Japanese islanders  and any ways  to overcome the  worsening economic situation, but only played with words.  So, his speech deserves the comments   "foolish commemorative   speech"   and   "citation of   spiritual slogans".

What can not but  be pointed out is that he  said the dialogue atmosphere was not  marred despite some  recent "worrisome  acts" of north  Korea and that things have  changed from that in  the past when the  Korean Peninsula vibrated  owing  to  a  single  "provocation" by  north  Korea  -  the  reckless remarks which had nothing to do with the "liberation day."

He meant  that south  Korea is  making efforts  to maintain  the prevailing dialogue   climate,   build   a   peace   economy   through   the   north-south cooperation  and   establish  a   peace-keeping  mechanism  in   the  Korean Peninsula -  remarks  that make  the boiled  head of  a cow  provoke a  side-splitting laughter.

Even at  this moment, there  go on in south  Korea joint military  exercises against the DPRK. Does he have any face to talk about dialogue atmosphere, peaceful economy and peace-keeping mechanism.

The joint military exercises  are now at their  full swing and their keynotes are "annihilating" the  main force of our  army within 90 days,  removing the weapons of  mass destruction  and  "stabilizing the  life of  inhabitants". And what's  more,  there  go  on the  counter-strike  drills.  His  open  talk  about "dialogue" between  the north  and the  south under  such situation raises  a question as to whether he has proper thinking faculty.

He is, indeed, an impudent guy rare to be found.

He often  calls for  peace. Then  is he  going to  make an  excuse that  the drones and  fighters being  purchased from  the U.S.  are just  for spreading agrochemicals and for circus flights?

How  can he  explain the  "mid-term  defence plan"  aiming  at developing and securing  the  capabilities of  precision guided  weapon, electromagnetic impulse shell, multi-purpose large transport ship, etc.  whose missions are to strike the entire region of the northern half of the Republic.

What is clear is that all of them are aimed at destroying the DPRK. He may  utter such to  save his  damaged face before  the south  Koreans. But  how dare  can he  let  out such  remarks and  how  is going  to give  an account of it to us.

A sure thing  is that the  south Korean chief executive  is so funny man  as he just reads what was written by his juniors. He used to get shocked  into fright even at the sound of a  sporting gun in the north. Yet, he, wearing a  still look on his face, bluffs that he would  help north Korea opt for economy and prosperity, not nukes. It is obvious that he is overcome with fright.

The implementation of the historic Panmunjom declaration is now at a deadlock and the power for  the north-south dialogue is divested. This is the natural outcome of the wayward acts of the south Korean chief executive.

The  south  Korean  authorities  are  snooping  about  to  fish  in  troubled waters  in  the  future   DPRK-U.S.  dialogue,  dreaming  that  the  phase  of dialogue would  naturally arrive  after the  join military exercises  just as  the natural change  of the time  of the  year. He had  better drop that  senseless lingering attachment.

They can clearly  see what we  feel now, i.e. we  have nothing to  talk any more with the  south Korean authorities  nor have any idea  to sit with  them again.

Japanese Thrice-Cursed Crimes under Fire

Pyongyang, August  15 (KCNA)  -- A  spokesperson for  the Association  of Korean Victims of Forcible Drafting and Their Bereaved Families made public a statement  Thursday,  seventy four  years since  the Japanese  imperialists sustained  a  defeat  after  being  sternly  judged   by  history  for  launching overseas  aggression  with  the blood-stained  "flag  of  rising  sun  shedding rays" flying.

The statement  said that no matter  how much water  may flow under  the bridge, the DPRK will never forget the heinous crimes committed by Japan.

It went on:

We can not but emphasize that the Japanese imperialists dragged about 8 400 000  Korean young and  middle-aged people to  the sites of  the war for overseas aggression  and hard-work  sites in  order to invade  the continent, compelled 200  000  Korean women  to suffer  the miserable  fate as  sexual slaves for the Imperial  Japanese Army and mercilessly killed  more than one million people.

This  being a  hard fact,  the  Japanese government  is  leaving no  means untried to  evade the  responsibility for  the settlement  of its  past, far  from sincerely admitting  all the  crimes committed  by Japan  against the  Korean people and reflecting on them.

It is also rushing  headlong into militarism in order to  realize its daydream about  the  "Greater   East  Asia  Co-Prosperity  Sphere"   by  describing  the heinous  killers as  "heroes"  and  imbuing the  rising  generation with  ultra-nationalism  while  groundlessly  beautifying  and   justifying  the  history  of crimes.

The  horrible  climate   of  the  Japanese  society  affected   by  the  harsh whirlwind of  national chauvinism  and hostile policy  towards the  DPRK and the General  Association of Korean  Residents in Japan  reminds everyone of the  days  when  the   Japanese  imperialists  embarked  upon  the   road  of invading Korea with sharp military swords a century ago.

All the  Korean victims of Japan's  past crimes and  their bereaved families sharply  denounce  with bitter  resentment  the  arrogant  and  anachronistic behaviors  of  Japan  which  is   running  amuck  to  realize  its  ambition  to reinvade the  Korean Peninsula  while going  against the  trend of  the times without any guilty conscience of its past crimes.

Japan's settlement of the past is not an issue which may be settled or not, but is  the moral duty  of the  Japanese government under  international law and historical  and bounden state  duty that must  be fulfilled even  after the replacement of generations.

The longer  the Japanese  government evades  the settlement of  its past, the greater  the national  anger of  our people  will become  beyond control, and it will have to pay dearly for it.

Japanese Thrice-Cursed Crimes under Fire

Pyongyang, August  15 (KCNA)  -- A  spokesperson for  the Association  of Korean Victims of Forcible Drafting and Their Bereaved Families made public a statement  Thursday,  seventy four  years since  the Japanese  imperialists sustained  a  defeat  after  being  sternly  judged   by  history  for  launching overseas  aggression  with  the blood-stained  "flag  of  rising  sun  shedding rays" flying.

The statement  said that no matter  how much water  may flow under  the bridge, the DPRK will never forget the heinous crimes committed by Japan.

It went on:

We can not but emphasize that the Japanese imperialists dragged about 8 400 000  Korean young and  middle-aged people to  the sites of  the war for overseas aggression  and hard-work  sites in  order to invade  the continent, compelled 200  000  Korean women  to suffer  the miserable  fate as  sexual slaves for the Imperial  Japanese Army and mercilessly killed  more than one million people.

This  being a  hard fact,  the  Japanese government  is  leaving no  means untried to  evade the  responsibility for  the settlement  of its  past, far  from sincerely admitting  all the  crimes committed  by Japan  against the  Korean people and reflecting on them.

It is also rushing  headlong into militarism in order to  realize its daydream about  the  "Greater   East  Asia  Co-Prosperity  Sphere"   by  describing  the heinous  killers as  "heroes"  and  imbuing the  rising  generation with  ultra-nationalism  while  groundlessly  beautifying  and   justifying  the  history  of crimes.

The  horrible  climate   of  the  Japanese  society  affected   by  the  harsh whirlwind of  national chauvinism  and hostile policy  towards the  DPRK and the General  Association of Korean  Residents in Japan  reminds everyone of the  days  when  the   Japanese  imperialists  embarked  upon  the   road  of invading Korea with sharp military swords a century ago.

All the  Korean victims of Japan's  past crimes and  their bereaved families sharply  denounce  with bitter  resentment  the  arrogant  and  anachronistic behaviors  of  Japan  which  is   running  amuck  to  realize  its  ambition  to reinvade the  Korean Peninsula  while going  against the  trend of  the times without any guilty conscience of its past crimes.

Japan's settlement of the past is not an issue which may be settled or not, but is  the moral duty  of the  Japanese government under  international law and historical  and bounden state  duty that must  be fulfilled even  after the replacement of generations.

The longer  the Japanese  government evades  the settlement of  its past, the greater  the national  anger of  our people  will become  beyond control, and it will have to pay dearly for it.

KCNA Blasts S. Korean Authorities for Becoming Bullet-Shield

Pyongyang,  August  14 (KCNA)  --  The  structural  remodeling is  now  in progress at full swing at the  THAAD base in south Korea under the baton of the U.S.

The project for turning a building of the former Songju Golf Links into a facility of the base is set to be finished within four or five months by the U.S. troops in south Korea and the south Korean army.

Meanwhile, the  U.S.  pointed out  that  it  is  now  examining  a  plan for deploying ground-to-ground medium-range  missiles in the Asian  region and south Korea has been singled out as a place for the deployment.

It is  a reckless act  of escalating regional  tension, an  act that may  spark off a new Cold War and arms race in the Far Eastern region to deploy a new offensive   weapon  in   south   Korea,  not   content   with   the  permanent deployment of THAAD, a system that must be withdrawn for sure.

What should be called into question is that the south Korean authorities are on the gamble now, taking the advantage of such a dangerous move. It is a hard fact that the deployment of THAAD is pursuant to the U.S. strategy to contain great powers and hold supremacy in Northeast Asia, not the one for "shielding" south Korea from someone's "threat".

In  fact,  the  south Korean  people  suffer  uneasiness  at  war,  economic damage  and  physical  pain   owing  to  the  deployment  of   THAAD.  Daily increasing are the grudges of   inhabitants in Songju, North Kyongsang Province, who are deprived of their space for living.

If  the  south  Korean  authorities  finish  the  deployment of  THAAD  and introduce the medium-range missile in the  end, south Korea will be reduced into an advanced base for nuclear strike at the DPRK and other parts of Asia and into a target of direct strikes by neighboring countries determined never to overlook the U.S. military supremacy.

The consequences of the deployment of the medium-range missile will be more serious than those of THAAD. Now, mass media, analysts and military experts all over the world voice concern that the U.S.  allies, which  allowed  the deployment  of  American-made medium-range  missiles,  could face  greater security  danger because they can be the first targets of strike.

The Chinese  Huan Qui  Shibao  commented on  August 5  that Japan  and south Korea should  clearly know that if they allowed  the deployment of the U.S. medium-range missiles, they  will become the targets of all  the missiles of China and Russia and they would be  cannon fodder for the ferocious U.S.

Asia policy, saying that the medium-range missile is evidently an  offensive weapon.

Now  lots  of  countries  around  the  world  opt  for defending  their  own sovereignty and  national interests.  So it is foolhardy to act a war servant while offering outsiders stupendous amount and allowing its land to be used as a theatre of nuclear war.

The south Korean authorities should meditate before it becomes too late what its blind act of submission will bring. They have two options, becoming bullet-shield to meet self-destruction or removing trouble-makers that bring disasters only