DPRK FM Spokesperson Denounces U.S. for Its Reckless Remarks

 Pyongyang, July 23 (KCNA) -- A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) gave the following answer to a question put by KCNA on July 23, as regards the fact that the deputy national security advisor of the U.S. White House branded the DPRK as a "group of criminals", talking about "cyber threat":

Her provocative remarks against our state on July 20 represent the stand of the present U.S. administration steeped in the hostility towards the DPRK.

After all, the U.S. administration has revealed the true picture of its most vile hostile policy, once covered under the veil of "dialogue with no strings attached" and "diplomatic engagement".

In a similar fashion, the DPRK will face off the U.S., the world's one and only group of criminals. 

American “Aid” and “Investment” are Only the Bait for Interference in Internal Affairs

 

At the recent G7 Summit, the U.S. president Biden said that the U.S. would invest US$ 200 billion in the next five years to help build the infrastructure of developing countries including African countries.

This shows that the U.S. is offering “aid” and “investment” again as the bait to interfere in the internal affairs of these countries with little effort by taking advantage of the current serious economic crisis in Africa.

It is a well-known fact that the U.S. historically abused its “aid” and “investment” as a means of political domination and interference in the internal affairs of developing countries including African countries.

This has been substantiated by cut-off of its aid to the power generation sector of Tanzania in March 2016 over an alleged “opacity” of local election in this country and suspension of the agreed program to invest in communication field of Ethiopia in May 2021 over its “human rights issue”.

When he announced the investment program this time, he stressed again that these countries would get tangible benefits only when they work together with a “democratic state”.

This, in a word, means that only the country standing on side of the U.S. can receive an “investment”.

Even the Western experts criticize the U.S. for pursuing its sinister political purposes by offering the carrots of “aid” and “investment” in order to increase the U.S. influence and achieve its foreign policy on the relevant country and region.

 

The change of century and generation took place. But what does not change is the sinister intention of the U.S. which uses “aid” and “investment” as the bait to put other countries under a yoke. If anything changed, it is the U.S. trick that has become craftier.

Such American deceptive method does not work anywhere today.

Now, state leaders and political figures from many countries in the region unanimously emphasize that, instead of harboring any false hope on the U.S. “aid” and “investment”, they should resolve the African issues in their own way and that, to this end, they should give precedence to the efforts for building up their own strength.

Following the operation of the African Continental Free Trade Area, notable successes have been achieved in the work for independent development of the continent, including active socio-economic contacts and cooperation between countries through sub-regional organizations.

We will actively support and encourage African countries in their efforts to achieve independent development and prosperity with the united strength of the continent.

Ri Song Il

Member of Korea-Africa Association

Brazen Chanting of “Threat”

 

Chiefs of intelligence services of the U.S. and the U.K. recently held a joint press conference. They said that the Chinese government is stealing achievements of sci-tech researches of the West through commercial espionage and that China poses “the biggest and long-term threat” to the economy and national security of the U.S., the U.K. and their allies by interfering in the U.S. primaries.

In this regard, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry criticized politicians of the U.S. and the U.K., who share inveterate cold war mentality and ideological prejudice, for exaggerating the theory of “threat from China” and instigating confrontation, and also demanded that they should be objective and reasonable towards China’s development and that they stop spreading groundless rumors with such remarks devoid of responsibility.

The Chinese media also denounced as follows: Being in need of an enemy, the West labels China as a “threat”, no matter what it does, be it a launch of communication satellite or support for other countries or travel of Chinese tourists to the Western countries. The ambition of the U.S. and the

U.K. to maintain the anachronistic privilege designed after the period of colonial rule and the WWII is indeed a threat to global peace and stability.

When it comes to “threat”, intelligence services of the U.S. and the U.K. would be well-fitted for it as they are hardened criminals notorious for unhesitatingly conducting wiretapping, stealing, infiltration and overthrow on a world-wide scale all the time.

The international society, with the aid of data disclosed by Snowden, the former NSA (National Security Agency) agent of the U.S., woke up to the fact as to who is keeping foreign governments, enterprises and individuals under a mega-scale surveillance.

The recently released data shows that the U.S. intercepted an enormous amount of internet data and phone records from all over the world within 30-odd days alone.

The former national security adviser of the White House also confessed that the U.S. has planned coups in other countries.

The U.S. - the disturber of the global peace and security - is unfairly biased towards the rapid development of China and caught by extreme anxiety and irritation. Hence, it is infusing with the theory of “threat from China” and is proceeding with its strategy to contain China by rallying its allies.

The U.S. and Western countries are also actively disseminating the theory of “threat from China”. The ulterior purpose of such an act is to divert the public attention by creating anti-China atmosphere globally and hide their mean crimes and ultimately, to maintain its hegemonic position at all costs.

Before seeking to constrain development of other countries by chanting “threat” from others so as to seek its own hegemonic interests, the U.S. and West should first reflect, before the international society, on their past crimes which had brought about nothing but tremendous misery and disaster to mankind.

True Colors of Hypocrisy Can Never Be Covered Up

 

At the recent 50th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, an urgent discussion was held about the human rights situation of Afghan women and girls.

At the meeting, some countries including China, Russia and Venezuela maintained that the U.S. and the Western countries are chiefly responsible for massacring many civilians and for reducing tens of thousands of people including women and girls into refugees.

Also many countries strongly demanded that the U.S. and the West immediately withdraw their unilateral coercive measures including the freezing of billions of dollar fund of the Afghan government, as they inflict damage to the territorial integrity and the economic development of this country.

However, the U.S. and the Western countries including the U.K. said that there can be no political solution unless the rights of Afghan women and girls are respected. And they forced the Afghan government to fulfill its duty stipulated in the international human rights law, shifting their responsibility to it.

Indeed, this can't but be an impudent act.

Even today, the international society vividly remembers the massacre of the civilians committed by the U.S. and the West behind the signboard of “counter-terrorism” after its invasion of Afghanistan.

Due to the barbaric bombing raids of the U.S., 200-odd women and children were killed in a village near Jalalabad in October 2001, and 93 children and 140-odd villagers lost their lives in villages near Bala Boluk, Farah in 2009.

A great number of innocent peaceful residents fell victim to the reckless military operations by the U.S. and the West; in July 2002, over 40 residents including the bride, bridegroom and 25 members of their family were bombed to death in a wedding hall in Urozgan.

Owing to the 20-year-long invasion of the U.S. and the West launched behind the screen of “counter-terrorism”, as many as 241,000 people including thousands of women and children lost their lives, more than 11 million people have become refugees, and 32 million people are suffering from abject poverty in this country.

Article 7 of the “Rome Statute” of the International Criminal Court stipulated that “‘crime against humanity’ means the acts when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population”. Article 4 of the “Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide” stipulated that “persons committing genocide shall be punished, whether they are constitutionally responsible rulers, public officials or private individuals”.

However, far from seriously reflecting on and atoning for the gravest crime against humanity, the U.S. rather imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court which adopted a resolution to conduct a full investigation into the criminal acts committed by the U.S. troops in Afghanistan. This has evoked indignation and denunciation from many countries and people.

All the above facts vividly show that the U.S. and the West are entirely responsible for genocide, destruction and the present socio-economic instability in Afghanistan.

Today the U.S. and the West-the self-proclaimed “advanced states of human rights”-are making a fuss about “safeguarding human rights”, “democracy” and “observance of international law” in the international arena. But their hypocritical colors as the criminal states against humanity can never be covered up.

The international society should wake up to the deceptive maneuvers of the U.S. and the West, and resolutely carry out the struggle to bring those responsible for crimes against humanity to the court of justice.

Kim In Guk

Researcher of Korean Association for Human Rights Studies

Who Does This Expansion of Military Blocs Aim at?

 

Recently, a consultative meeting on national security was held in Khabarovsk, Russia.

At the meeting, the Secretary of Security Council of the Russian Federation blamed the NATO for making continuous provocation in the areas near the western border of Russia. At the same time, he criticized “AUKUS” for aggravating the regional situation in the eastern region.

Given that the U.S. and its following forces are tightening the encirclement ring around Russia from all sides, the Far Eastern region should not slacken vigilance and make itself prepared for the U.S. military moves, he emphasized.

This should be said as a correct judgment and a right decision on the ever-worsening military moves of the U.S. against Russia.

The U.S. is now trying to spread a global military encirclement net by expanding and linking together the U.S.-led military blocs such as “AUKUS”, “Quad” and “Five Eyes”.

This has been substantiated by the fact that the U.S. recently summoned the authorities of Japan and south Korea to the NATO summit for the first time in history and urged them to form “security partnership” with NATO.

Whom the U.S. military move aims at is not a subject for question or debate.

The military scheme of the U.S. is to expand the operational range of NATO, the tool for realizing its hegemonic strategy and the headquarters of local invasion, into the Asia-Pacific region as well as North Atlantic to contain the anti-imperialist countries and big powers in the region, thus maintaining the hegemonic position at all costs.

The U.S. is causing a constant threat to security environment of Russia with its dangerous military confrontation. In response to this, Russia is taking a series of practical measures to firmly safeguard the country’s security.

To name a typical example, Russia conducted in early June this year a large-scale maritime military exercise in the waters off the Pacific with the participation of 40-odd warships including the frigate “Marshal Shaposhnikov”, 20 fighter planes and helicopters. It also plans to newly commission 3 submarines to the Pacific Fleet by the end of this year.

The U.S. act of threatening sovereign states by forming “Asian version of NATO” will only whip up a strong rebuff and countermeasures from the countries in the region that are trying to safeguard the security and peace of the region.

Kim Yong Ho Secretary General

Korea-Russia Association for Promotion of Exchange and Cooperation

United States - Breeding Ground for Human Trafficking

 

Over 20 years have passed since human beings entered the 21st century. But there still remains a country where human trafficking, remnants of slavery society, are rampant as regular commercial activities.

It is none other than the U.S.

On June 27, the most terrible incident happened in the suburbs of San Antonio, Texas, in which 50-odd immigrants were found dead from suffocation in a container car.

According to the results of investigations, there were over 60 immigrants in the container car, who were all from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and beyond. They lost their lives from heatstroke and dehydration because the air conditioner of the car was not in operation.

An official of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection admitted that this was the most terrible case of human trafficking. The U.S. media including the ABC News also deplored that many people are being killed by human trafficking committed even in broad daylight, saying that this was the worst case of human trafficking in the U.S. history.

Human trafficking is an incurable disease that has been in place for hundreds of years ever since the founding of the U.S.

According to the data, from 1525 to 1866, 12.5 million Africans were brought to the U.S. and were forced into slavery.

From 2014 to date alone, about 2,980 migrants, who were lured by human traffickers, lost their lives in the U.S.-Mexico border area while they were heading for the U.S. dreaming of “wealth and prosperity”.

That the U.S., which still follows its nasty human trafficking history, issues the “Trafficking in Persons Report” every year and assesses the “human trafficking situation” of other countries at its will is absolute nonsense and an insult to the human rights.

Referring to such situation, a professor of the People’s University of China jeered at the U.S., depicting it as a patient who forces his medicine down the throat of other person and even writes a prescription to him. It will only worsen his disease, he noted.

The U.S. should place itself on the operating table first rather than hiding its ills by making a fuss about other’s “ills”.

Press Statement by Spokesperson for Korea- Europe Association

 

On July 20, a spokesperson for the EU picked on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), condemning its recognition of the independence of the People’s Republic of Donetsk and the People’s Republic of Lugansk as a “violation of international law” and “hostile act towards sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

We have recently recognized the independence of the People’s Republic of Donetsk and the People’s Republic of Lugansk. As this decision is within the legitimate rights of a sovereign state, it does not stand to reason at all that EU is making nonsensical comment about it.

EU takes its view that the international law is respected if it suits its geopolitical interests and political strategic purpose. If not, it becomes a breach of it. This is clearly a double standard and a sophism, which can convince nobody.

The EU is not in a position to talk loudly about so-called violation of sovereignty and hostile act, given that it has followed the U.S. in its illegal and inhumane hostile policy towards the DPRK.

The EU should learn first how to approach the issue in an impartial manner in strict compliance with the UN Charter and international law stipulating the principles of respect for sovereignty, sovereign equality and non-interference in internal affairs, rather than poking its nose into the others’ business by criticizing their exercise of sovereignty.

Chinese Foreign Minister Lambasts U.S. Over Taiwan Issue

 

Recently, Wang Yi, State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, on his visit to Indonesia to participate in G20 foreign ministerial meeting gave an answer to a question raised by a journalist over the Taiwan issue at ASEAN Secretariat. Here, he warned if the principle of “One China” faces challenges, the Taiwan Strait may as well expect dark clouds and strong storm.

He pointed out that the root cause of tension in the Taiwan Strait is attributed to the authority of the Democratic Progressive Party which has abandoned “joint recognition of 92 ” embodying the principle of “One China”, undermined the main foundation for peaceful development of the cross-strait relations and also strayed into the wrong path of “seeking independence with Western backing”. It is also attributable, he said, to the

U.S. is constantly distorting the policy of “One China” while trying to hamper the development of China with “Taiwan Card”.

He further stressed that the Taiwan issue is the most important one among the core interests of China and no one, no force or no country should dream about separating Taiwan from China.

He continued as follows: The principle of “One China” is the main principle of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and other countries, and it is also one part of international order established after WWII; hence, China objects to the U.S. acts of applying double-standard to Taiwan issue and the repeated breaking of its promises; and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China should be respected and safeguarded.

It is the common recognition of the international society that Taiwan is an inseparable part of the Chinese territory.

But despite its nominal adherence to the principle of one China, the U.S., in fact, is escalating its acts of encouraging the “independence of Taiwan”.

Crystal clear is the intention of the U.S. that justifies support for the separatist forces of Taiwan, openly provides military aid to Taiwan and persistently interferes in the Taiwan issue.

As the Chinese Foreign Minister pointed out, the real intention of the U.S. is to steadily weaken China and hinder its development by continuously using Taiwan as a chess piece to contain China.

The reality proves that the impudent interference, division scheme and open double standard of the U.S. is the hot bed leading to destruction of regional peace and stability as well as constant tension and confrontation.

U.S. Condemned for Its Outdated "Human Rights" Racket

 

Pyongyang, July 21 (KCNA) -- A spokesperson of the Korea Association for Human Rights Studies issued the following press statement on July 21:

In the "Trafficking in Persons Report" announced on July 19, the United States again took issue with the DPRK, China, Russia and other countries courting its displeasure.

The "Trafficking in Persons Report" consistent with groundless lies and all faked data is no more than a tricky document for interfering in the internal affairs of other countries.

In fact, the U.S. should have been subject to an international investigation and punishment as it is a prototype state in human trafficking where such countless acts are committed without let up as extra-large traffic in human cargo reminding one of slave trade in the medieval age. It is the height of impudence and an insult to the human rights for the U.S. to "estimate" the human rights situation in other countries and admonish them while giving marks as it pleases.

For nearly 400 years after the discovery of the American continent, over

15 million colored persons have become targets of human traffic and suffered from forced labor while being treated as animals in the U.S. where the issue of slave trade is becoming incurable cancer.

It is none other than the U.S. where more than 100 000 people taken away from over 40 countries and regions are being traded as "popular goods" and "dumb slaves" every year in the new century.

It is also the U.S. where more than 300 000 women and girls are forced into sexual slavery and, to top it all, female prisoners are being gotten out of jails and forced into sexual trade in league with the judiciary authorities.

Recently over 50 innocent persons died from suffocation while being "delivered" to the U.S. like packages by slave traders. This extra-large incident astonished all people.

The reality clearly proves that various kinds of "reports on human rights" made public by the U.S. and its "human rights" rackets are nothing but a mean to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries and ultimately topple their social systems while covering its poor human rights situation.

It is by no means fortuitous that many countries, censuring the U.S., the biggest market of human traffic in the world, for its amazing carelessness about its poor situation, have dismissed the "Trafficking in Persons Report", announced by the U.S. Department of State every year, as no more than a list of those countries turning their backs on it.

It is worth recalling that the U.S., the kingpin of human rights violation, has long been disqualified to talk about the human rights issue of other countries.

The U.S. had better bear in mind that when it beats the outdated "human rights" drum, it will raise only its "prestige" as the dumping ground of all social evils.

IDP Deputy Director-General Has an Interview with Producers of APTN Pyongyang Representative Office

 

On July 21, Choe Jin, Deputy Director General of the Institute for Disarmament & Peace (IDP), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) had an interview with the producers of Associated Press Television News (APTN) Pyongyang Representative Office on the occasion of the 69th anniversary of the victory in the Fatherland Liberation War.

The contents of the interview are as follows:

Q: The coming July 27 marks the 69th anniversary of conclusion of the Korean armistice agreement. However, the Korean peninsula is still caught in increased military tension, without having durable peace so far.

The international society is now expressing great concern about it. What do you think is the cause of the current aggravated situation on the Korean peninsula?

A: July 27 is a day of victory for the Korean people when we had defended the sovereignty, political system and territory of our newly founded Republic from the aggressive war ignited by the U.S. imperialists.

The country which shot off the fireworks of victory in this war was the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, while the humiliating defeat was for the U.S. which was boasting of being the “strongest” in the world.

But the U.S., instead of drawing a due lesson from its defeat, is given to its vicious move to provoke a new war throughout decades and centuries, without abandoning its wild dream for aggression against our Republic.

A few years ago, thanks to our proactive and peace-loving efforts, the détente and peaceful climate were created on the Korean peninsula. But they are vanished into thin air. This is entirely attributable to the U.S. which remains unchanged in its hostile policy against the DPRK and poses a military threat to it.

Notably, the joint military exercises conducted frequently by the U.S. and its vassal forces this year constitute the main factor in driving the situation on the Korean peninsula to the brink of war.

I would like to cite a few examples.

The U.S. ruler, during his visit to south Korea in May, has made a commitment to the delivery of extended deterrence including the nukes, expansion of joint military exercises in scale and scope and deployment of the U.S. nuclear strategic assets on the Korean peninsula. After that, the military moves by the U.S. and its following forces against the DPRK are spiraling into danger.

Let us see one month of June. The U.S. and south Korea have staged a joint military exercise, including the anti-aircraft, anti-ship and anti- submarine operations, and sea lane interception. Moreover, the U.S. forces, air self-defense forces of Japan and air forces of south Korea have conducted joint aerial exercises almost every day in the skies over the Korean peninsula and its vicinity.

Also in the Pacific, the strike groups of the U.S. nuclear carriers “Ronald Reagan”, and “Abraham Lincoln” and nearly 13,000 U.S. troops were mobilized for mobile exercise codenamed “Valiant Shield”.

According to the agreement made in mid-June at the U.S.-Japan-south Korea trilateral defense ministers’ meeting held on the occasion of the Asia Security Summit, they are planning to conduct “Pacific Dragon” exercise in August in the waters off Hawaii, which is aimed at detecting and tracking the ballistic missiles.

From June 29, the U.S., together with south Korean army, have started the “RIMPAC” in the Pacific, the world’s biggest multi-national naval exercise to conduct the operation of searching and seizing the ship.

And from June 14 to July 9, it has also conducted “Combined Special Forces Training” at Fort Irwin base in California with the participation of 5,000 troops including the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division and 1st Special Forces and 100 south Korean troops including 70-odd soldiers belonging to the Special Forces Command of south Korean army.

On July 5, “F-35A” stealth fighters of the U.S. Air Force have openly flied into south Korea again after 4 years and 7 months to conduct joint aerial drill with fighters of south Korean Air Force. The spokespersons for the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Pacific Air Forces Command did not hide the fact that this drill is aimed at posing a military threat to our Republic.

What is worthy of special notice is the fact that the U.S. and south Korea are attempting to conduct joint military exercise targeting our Republic from August 22. And according to a report, the defense minister of south Korea is to discuss detailed action plan for expansion of joint military exercise in scale and scope and deployment of the U.S. strategic nuclear assets on the Korean peninsula during his visit to the U.S.

The U.S. and its vassal forces are increasing their military pressure on our Republic. All this is raising a serious concern that the ravages of the war 72 years ago could be repeated on this land.

Q: Not only on the Korean peninsula, but also in different parts of the world, the U.S. is conducting joint military exercises of different codenames with other countries. Anyhow, it is worth noting that the U.S.-south Korea joint exercises are considered to be a dangerous factor undermining peace and stability of the Korean peninsula and the region. What reason do you think stands behind this?

A: Whenever the U.S. conducts a joint military exercise against us, it is always insisting that they are for the “defensive” and “annual” event. But the purpose and content of the exercise alone are enough to show the aggressive nature of the exercise.

The U.S.-south Korea Joint military exercises are totally different from the joint drills conducted by the U.S. with other countries under the names of “disaster rescue” and “humanitarian operation”. Their underlying objectives, to all intents and purposes, are to make themselves well-versed in the war plans for surprise attack against the DPRK in an atmosphere of real war.

Take an example of “OPLAN 5015”.

“OPLAN 5015” is an extremely dangerous nuclear war plan that includes the war scenarios drafted by the U.S. and south Korea against the DPRK, namely, “OPLAN 5027” and “OPLAN 5029”, as well as “tailored deterrence strategy” to preemptively attack us by all means including nuclear weapons.

The U.S. and south Korea conduct large-scale military exercises twice every year, one in the first half of the year, and the other in the second half. They all use “OPLAN 5015” as their operation manual.

Whenever joint military exercise takes places, “decapitation operation”, large-scale landing operation and “invasion of Pyongyang” by the commando unit go in tandem with it. Even a mere child knows that the content of the exercise is a far cry from being “defensive” in nature.

In May this year, the U.S. ruler visited south Korea. During his visit, he reaffirmed that he will provide south Korea with extended deterrence that involves the use of all possible means including nuclear weapons targeting us.

Such being the situation, it is crystal clear that the U.S.-south Korea joint military exercise to be held at the end of August this year will become a real war exercise aimed at attacking us preemptively, just like in the past periods.

The offensive nature of the joint military exercise is also revealed through the scale and scope of the exercise.

Here is the data released by the U.S. and south Korea. According to it, more than hundreds of thousands of troops have been mobilized in each exercise, and at one time, as many as 500,000.

In May this year, a NATO military exercise was conducted in Poland under the participation of over 20 countries. This has made the news. But that exercise has seen the participation of only 18,000 troops.

What’s more, the U.S. deployed nuclear submarines, strategic bombers such as “B-52H”, “B-1B”, “B-2” and even nuclear carriers on the Korean peninsula every time it conducts joint military exercises with south Korea. We can easily guess what roles these nuclear strategic assets have played.

Q: Now the U.S. is working on bilateral/multilateral security system in the Asia-Pacific region as part of implementation of Free and Open Indo- Pacific Strategy. Do you see any connection between the above and the U.S.-south Korea joint military exercises?

A: Recently, the U.S. is saying that the “alliance” with south Korea will be converted into a “comprehensive strategic alliance”. At the same time, it is now pushing ahead with the creation of “Asian version of NATO”.

Especially, after change of the regime in south Korea, the region of north-east Asia witnessed much more intensified joint military exercises of all sorts involving the U.S., Japan and south Korea. And the U.S. is now set on forming a tripartite military alliance.

Recently, Esper, the former U.S. defense secretary said that south Korea should unite with the Western countries to stand up to China. He also said that south Korea should join “Quad”. He further noted, should the U.S. intervene in Taiwan Emergency, south Korea would also join the U.S. in one way or another. This is a passage suggestive of potential devastating impact of the U.S.-led joint military drills on the security structures of the northeast Asia and Asia-Pacific region.

This corroborates that the joint military exercises of the U.S. and its allied forces are not aiming at us alone.

The above facts clearly show that the U.S. is indeed a cancer disturbing peace and stability not only in northeast Asia but also in the whole of Asia- Pacific region.

Q: The U.S. and south Korea claim that their military exercises are the countermeasures against the weapon test of the DPRK. How is the DPRK going to respond to the American extended deterrence and its joint military exercises with south Korea?

A: Our measures to build up national defense capabilities are legitimate and righteous exercise of our sovereignty to defend the national security and territory against the military threat from the outside. They have never done any harm to any country.

Talking about tests, the U.S. has also recently conducted a new-type ICBM test launch and hypersonic missile test. South Korea as well is now hyping up the development and deployment of high-destructive ballistic missiles and SLBMs, and additional introduction of ultra-modern stealth fighters.

It does not stand to reason that such people are picking a quarrel with us over the development and tests of our weapons. This indeed is a height of absurdity, shamelessness and double-standard.

Now the U.S. is inviting a security crisis, a crisis far beyond its control.

American attempt at military confrontation against us is a strategic blunder of dire consequences that would plunge its own national security into grave danger.

Should the U.S. and its vassal forces opt for military confrontation with us, they would be faced with unprecedented instability security-wise.

We are keeping a watchful eye on how the U.S. is going to deal with the military confrontation with us, with all its painstaking efforts at security crisis management in Europe.

Gone are the days when the U.S. used to pose unilateral nuclear threat to us. The U.S. should keep in mind that it will be treated on a footing of equality when it threatened us with nukes.

Our mode of countermeasure is quite obvious when we deal with the reckless moves of military confrontation of the U.S. and its followers.

We will deal with the U.S. strictly with the principle of power for power and head-on contest.

Comrade Kim Jong Un, President of the State Affairs said that the prevailing situation compels us to take yet more proactive measures to permanently guarantee the modernity and military-technical superiority of the armed forces of our Republic and that we will advance faster with enhanced dynamic along the path of building modern arms for self-defense to cope with the rapidly changing politico-military situation and all the potential crisis in the future.

The U.S. is well-advised to learn a serious lesson from its humiliating defeat in the past fatherland liberation war, the war that may well be metaphorically termed a confrontation between a rifle and an A-bomb, and it should come up with a resolute decision to give up its anachronistic and suicidal policy of hostility towards the DPRK.

Doing so would be the only way out for the U.S. to ensure its national security and avoid undesirable consequences for it.

We Should Keep a Close Watch on Japan’s Constitutional Amendment

 

The election of the House of Councilors was held in Japan on July 10. As a result, those in favor of constitutional amendment took more than two thirds of seats in the Diet.

In this regard, foreign media unanimously comments that Japan will further speed up its constitutional amendment.

After the election, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida expressed his intention to accelerate constitutional amendment, saying that “he will immediately propose a bill on it in the Diet.”

If Constitution is amended, more exactly, if Article 9 of Japan’s “Peace Constitution” stipulating the renunciation of war and the waiver of its combat strength and the right of belligerency is amended, Japan will become a country that can fight a war.

It is too natural that the Asian countries and the international society are raising their voices of concern over the constitutional amendment of Japan.

It is because Japan is a war criminal state that inflicted untold pains and misfortunes on the people of Asian countries including Korea in the last century.

What’s more, Japan is now denying and distorting its past history of aggression, far from reflecting on it in a proper manner. Such an impudent act is no different from expressing Japan’s willingness to repeat the criminal history.

Japan’s constitutional amendment is by no means the beginning of its preparation for realizing the wild ambition to become a military power and to reinvade.

Right-wing conservative forces have long secured attack capability by squandering a large amount of military expenditure in the sky, land, waters, space and cyberspace under the pretext of “threats from its neighbors”. They are also going to specify its possession of the “capability to attack enemy base” in the “national security strategy”, to be amended at the end of this year.

Also they are blowing hot air that they would increase the military expenditure to the level of over 2% of GDP in 5 years in order to possess enormous military strength.

If the constitution is amended and the possession of army is legalized, present “Self-Defense Force” will be transformed into a dangerous offensive force. And if so, there will be no guarantee that its dirty boots will not head for the Korean peninsula and Asian countries again just like 100- odd years ago.

However, Japan should never misjudge the strength and will of the Asian countries to defend themselves from foreign invasion. They are not the same as 100-odd years ago.

Japan should not act rashly, being aware of the catastrophic consequences to be entailed by its constitutional amendment, increased military expenditure and possession of the “capability to attack enemy base”.

Ra Guk Chol

Researcher of the Institute for Studies of Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, DPRK

ONLINE SEMINAR HOSTED BY THE D.P.R OF KOREA EMBASSY IN ABUJA, NIGERIA

 An online seminar was organized by the African-Arab-Korean Friendship Association at the D.P.R OF KOREAN embassy in Abuja, Nigeria on Friday 8th July, 2022 at 4:00pm Nigerian time.

The seminar was co-hosted by Mr. Demian and Yahya Khairullah, the president the Africa-Korean Friendship Association Korean Friendship Association and the president of the Arab Korean Friendship Association.

In attendance at the Abuja end were: H.E. Comrade Jon Tang Chol, the Ambassador of the D.P.R of Korea; Prof. Alhassan Mamman Muhammad, National Chairman of the Nigerian National Committee on the Study of Juche Idea; Chief Sam Anyamele, National Chairman, Nigerian /Korean Friendship Association; Ho. Yilkes Berminas, National Organizing Secretary Nigerian /Korean Friendship Association; and select group of students of the great University of Abuja.

Many others joined online across Africa and the world. 

                                DPR of Korea Ambassador with some students of Univ. of Abuja

                        DPR of Korea Ambassador with some students of Univ. of Abuja

                           

                        Prof. Alhassan, Mr. Damien, H.E. Jon Tang Chol and Chief Sam Anyamele

Prof. Alhassan, Mr. Damien, H.E. Jon Tang Chol and Chief Sam Anyamele

United States – Organizer of War Exercise Threatening Peace and Security

 

The joint military exercise “RIMPAC”, being conducted by the U.S. in the Pacific, set the stage for increased tension in the Asia-Pacific region.

According to the report, huge military forces including 38 surface ships, 4 submarines, 170 aircraft and 25,000 troops have been mobilized for this exercise which would go on for scores of days.

The U.S. is advocating that the goal of “RIMPAC” is to ensure the security of the free and open Indo-Pacific and establish the rules-based international order.

But this is simply a honeyed word for covering up the aggressive character of the exercise.

All humanity is now suffering from the global pandemic and consequential economic crisis. Just at this time, the U.S. is spending vast sums on conducting this exercise. Its ulterior motive is to contain China and hold sway over the Asia-Pacific region.

Its real intention is to tighten anti-China encirclement ring by drawing its allies into the implementation of Indo-Pacific strategy under the pretext of ensuring “freedom of navigation” and “safeguarding democracy”. This has been posing a serious threat to the peace and security of the Asia-Pacific region.

It is no accidental that the international media are raising voice of concern that “RIMPAC” has put many cities in the East Asia in potential danger of destruction.

 People in the Pacific countries are also roundly denouncing “RIMPAC” as a perilous military move that destroys the regional ecosystem and incurs violence.

The U.S. and its vassal forces, carried away by the wild ambition for world hegemony and lunacy of confrontation, have set off the dark wave of neo-cold war in the Asia-Pacific. This wave is also finding its way into the Korean peninsula.

It is evidenced by the joint military exercise the U.S. is planning to conduct together with south Korea in the coming August.

It is axiomatic that the reckless military moves of the U.S. would push the Korean peninsula into a vicious cycle of tension and military collision.

We are keeping a close watch on the development of situation on the Korean peninsula and the Asia-Pacific region.

Ri Myong Hak

Researcher of Institute for Disarmament and Peace

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

DPRK Foreign Ministry Spokesman on Independence of Donetsk and Lugansk

 

Pyongyang, July 15 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry Friday gave the following answer to a question put by KCNA as regards the fact that the DPRK recognized the independence of the People's Republic of Donetsk and the People's Republic of Lugansk:

As reported, on July 13 the DPRK decided to recognize the independence of the People's Republic of Donetsk and the People's Republic of Lugansk and expressed the will to develop the state-to-state relations with those countries in the idea of independence, peace and friendship.

To develop the state-to-state relations of friendship on the basis of respect for the principle of people's rights to equality and self- determination is the peculiar and legitimate right of a sovereign state specified in the purpose and principles of the UN Charter.

Ukraine, which had committed acts quite contrary to impartiality and justice in the state-to-state relations while aligning itself with the U.S. unreasonable and illegal hostile policy toward the DPRK in the past, has no right and qualification to take issue with the DPRK over its legitimate exercise of sovereignty.

The DPRK will as ever develop the bonds of friendship and cooperation with all other countries in the world that respect its sovereignty and are friendly to it, on the principles of sovereignty equality, non-interference and mutual respect.

U.S. Mean Campaign Against Cuba Over its Human Rights is Doomed to Failure

 

Recently, the U.S. is getting more aggressive in its human rights campaign against Cuba.

On June 16, the Department of State took steps to impose visa restrictions on five Cuban officials pursuant to presidential proclamation 5377. And on July 3, the Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs called on the international society to “denounce the human rights violation by the Cuban government”.

Against this backdrop, the U.S. State Department issued another press statement on July 9 whereby it has denied U.S. entry visa to 28 high- ranking officials of the Communist Party of Cuba and state-run press bodies.

The U.S. is hell-bent on putting pressure upon Cuba over the “human rights issue” at this point of time when it is exactly one year since “July 11 incident” occurred under the manipulation of the U.S. Its sinister intention is to topple down the socialist system in Cuba by putting pressure on this country which is now at a hard time due to sanctions, blockade and health crisis.

Miguel Diaz-Canel, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic of Cuba, while revealing the injustice and meanness of the U.S., expressed firm will that the Cuban people will beat off the offensive launched by imperialism.

Bruno Rodriguez, Cuban Foreign Minister also condemned the U.S. for its measures against Cuba, saying this constitutes a flagrant breach of the international law and the UN Charter.

Then does the U.S. have any basic face or qualification to pick on the “human rights issue” of Cuba?

During the last 6 years, over 6,400 people were shot dead by the police who are supposed to maintain public security and protect human rights.

It is said that the children’s death toll in the gun-related crimes has reached to 6,300 from January 2022 to date.

Even the sacred campus serves as a place for modern “slave trade” in the U.S. where white students are putting up a black student for “slave” auction.

It is none other than the U.S. which is the mastermind behind the massacre of 800,000-odd civilians and the generation of more than 38 million refugees in many parts of the world under the pretext of “counter- terrorism”.

The U.S. is now being criticized as the kingpin of the human rights violations. We scathingly condemn it for interfering in the internal affairs of a sovereign state over “human rights issue”.

The Cuban people are safeguarding the principle of independence against imperialism and the principle of socialism while resolutely smashing the U.S. “human rights” campaign against Cuba to interfere in its internal affairs. We extend our invariable support, encouragement and solidarity to the Cuban people in their struggle.

The U.S. mean campaign against Cuba over its human rights is doomed to failure.

Song Se Il

Director-General of the African, Arab and Latin American Affairs

Department Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

The U.S. Must Not Forget Disgraceful Defeat of the Past

 

70-odd years have passed since the 1950s when the U.S. brought ravages of war to this land.

The bygone days and today’s reality show that the U.S. imperialism is fated to be a loser in the DPRK-U.S. showdown from the historical point of view and that humankind is the same as before in its ardent aspiration for safeguarding justice and truth.

Today, the international society is raising its voices in denunciation of the reckless behavior of the U.S. which clings to its indiscreet hostile policy towards the DPRK in an attempt to put the situation on the Korean peninsula again into a vicious cycle of tension. They are also raising their voices in support of the righteous stand and measures of the Party and the government of our Republic to safeguard state sovereignty, national dignity and to ensure peace and security of the Korean peninsula and the region.

Prestigious Russian experts on international affairs, including researchers of the Institute of Oriental Studies and the Institute of Far East of the Russian Academy of Sciences branded the U.S. as the mastermind of disturbing stability on the Korean peninsula, which has posed a nuclear threat to the DPRK since the 1950s.

Saying that the U.S. wild ambition for world hegemony has not changed a bit even after long years, they underlined the fact that the U.S. is increasing military tension on the Korean peninsula by continuously bringing in many troops and ultra-modern weapons to south Korea, and that it is making desperate efforts to create Asian version of NATO.

They also asserted that this shows that lasting peace on Earth cannot be ensured as long as the U.S. imperialism exists and that only military build- up is the best way to defend peace and security.

The Korean War Veterans’ Council, the Russia-Korea Friendship Association and other social organizations, through their interviews and statements, took the U.S. to task for its dangerous moves of putting military threats, which is the provoker of the Korean War in the past and the main culprit of increasing tension on the Korean peninsula today.

The Korean War Veterans’ Council of Russia issued the following statement.

The U.S. and south Korean trigger-happy elements are building up tension on the Korean peninsula, oblivious of the historic lesson learnt 72 years ago. Lasting peace and stability can never be ensured as long as imperialism remains on Earth. We condemn the U.S. for its attempt to bring dark clouds of a new war while being engrossed in arms-build up in defiance of peaceful proposals from the DPRK.

Voices ringing out from different circles of Russia are due condemnation of the U.S. which is aggravating the situation on the Korean peninsula while remaining unchanged in its policy of isolating and putting pressure on the DPRK, without drawing on the lessons from its bitter defeat in the last century.

If the U.S. forgets even for a single moment about its disgraceful defeat it had suffered in the past history of DPRK-U.S. showdown, it will only speed up its miserable downfall.

Who Threatens Whom?

 

The recent NATO Summit held in Madrid, Spain revised the NATO strategic concept which was adopted in 2010.

In the revised strategic concept, NATO has downgraded Russia from “strategic partner” to “principal enemy”. It also stipulated the future action plan to cope with the “most significant and direct threats” from Russia.

At a glance, it looks like this is an emergency measure to counter the “serious threats” posed by Russia.

But it a well-recognized fact that NATO, which took “threat” from the former Soviet Union as justification for its existence during the Cold War, has maintained its strong presence even after the breakup of former Soviet Union. It made an open invasion of other countries under the pretext of safeguarding peace. Not content with this, it does not hesitate to even commit terrorist acts against the state leadership.

Advocating the protection of peace and security in Europe, it made a promise to Russia that it would not advance eastwards even an inch. However, it broke its promise and moved closer to the Russian border through gradual expansion towards Russia five times. Since 2008, it has seriously threatened the security of Russia, openly inducing Ukraine to join NATO in a bid to turn this country into a bridgehead for containing Russia.

Such being the case, NATO’s branding of Russia as “principal enemy” is like turning black into white and the guilty party filing the suit first.

Moreover, at the recent NATO Summit, the U.S. and the West decided to continue their military aids to Ukraine “as long as necessary”, obstinately stoking an atmosphere of confrontation with Russia. Moreover, they conspired to bring Finland and Sweden into NATO, which have remained as the neutral states for decades and hundreds of years.

It is too natural that Russia is clarifying its tough stand to firmly defend national security, condemning NATO, a legacy of the Cold War, for seeking an all-out confrontation with Russia in quest of its wild dream of hegemonic position, being obsessed with an imperialist ambition.

Many countries are now expressing understanding and empathy with Russia in its stand to defend its strategic security. On the other hand, they are turning their back to the U.S. and the West which are coercing them into sanctions against Russia, being disillusioned at NATO’s ill-willed behavior of seeking its sinister purpose behind the scenes of the Ukrainian crisis.

The reality clearly verifies that the present world is no longer the one of the past when the highhandedness and arbitrariness of the U.S. and the West worked. It also proves that as the aspiration of the international society for the independence, peace and justice is growing stronger, so is the voice opposing the existence of NATO itself, an aggressive military organization and the mastermind of all threats and injustice.