KIM JONG UN GUIDES SHOOTING CONTEST OF TEACHING STAFF OF MILITARY UNIVERSITIES

Pyongyang, March 12 (KCNA) -- Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army Kim Jong Un, first secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and first chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK, guided a shooting contest of teaching staff of military universities.

The contest was to test the marksmanship of teaching staff of military universities and let the whole army intensify the movement for becoming crack shots.

Kim Jong Un gave an instruction to start the contest.

It was divided into pistol shooting and automatic rifle shooting.

Watching the contest with deep attention, he said only when commanding officers have good marksmanship, can they prepare soldiers as crack shots. To this end, it is necessary for the whole teaching staff of the military educational institutions to acquire good marksmanship, he added.

Although soldiers are fully ready politically and ideologically and physically, they cannot satisfactorily perform their combat duties if they are not good at shooting, he noted, underlining the need for the People's Army to frequently hold shooting contests in order to raise a strong wind of firing drills.

Kim Il Sung University of Politics emerged a winner in the pistol shooting while Kim Il Sung Military University came first in the automatic rifle shooting. Kim Il Sung University of Politics placed first in total points.

Kim Jong Un said the contest proved once again that only when the commanding officers make it a rule and a part of everyday life to conduct a drill, placing it above all, can they prepare soldiers as crack shots capable of hitting targets at a single shot without fail under whatever conditions and circumstances.

Stressing that drills are essential for bolstering up military capabilities, he indicated important tasks to be fulfilled by the People's Army to round off its combat readiness and capabilities in every way.

At the end of the contest there was a demonstration by players of the Pyongyang Air Club.

Among the spectators were Choe Ryong Hae, Jang Jong Nam, Pyon In Son, So Hong Chan, Kim Su Gil, Kim Yong Chol, Jo Kyong Chol, Hwang Pyong So, and other commanding officers of the People's Army including members of the executive committee of the KPA committee of the WPK and teaching staff and cadets of the military universities.

KIM JONG UN VISITS CENTRAL ZOO

Pyongyang, March 12 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Un, first secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, first chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK and supreme commander of the Korean People's Army, went round the Central Zoo where projects are under way to build new buildings and remodel the existing ones.

He made the rounds of various objects now under construction and in the process of remodeling.

He gave an instruction to build new buildings including a shed for penguins to suit the ecological characteristics of animals and provide the best convenience to visitors.

He underscored the need to build all structures being remodeled including the aquarium into good recreation places giving laughter and joy to visitors.

He instructed officials to pay deep attention to increasing the species of rare animals with ornamental effect and takes thorough measures to fully supply food and water to animals and set up a perfect veterinary and anti-epizootic system while carrying out the project for remodeling the zoo.

He underlined the need to construct its main gate in such a way as to preserve well the features of the Central Zoo, build a sturgeon pond in it and successfully conduct its greening so as to fundamentally improve its environment.

He called for building in the zoo a comprehensive nature museum to help school youth and children and other people get a rich knowledge and common sense about fauna and flora.

He expressed expectation and belief that officials and workers of the zoo and relevant fields would successfully remodel the zoo within the timetable set by the party.

He was accompanied by Han Kwang Sang, Ri Jae Il, Hwang Pyong So and Ma Won Chun.

SPOKESMAN FOR MARITIME ADMINISTRATION OF DPRK ON "OIL TANKER INCIDENT" IN LIBYA

Pyongyang, March 12 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Maritime Administration of the DPRK Wednesday gave the following answer to the question raised by KCNA in connection with the recent DPRK-flagged "oil tanker incident" which occurred in Libya:

On March 8 the government of Libya informed the DPRK of the fact that the DPRK-flagged oil tanker Morning Glory made an oil contract with an individual armed group in Libya and illegally entered a port under the control of the group in the eastern part of Libya, and urged the DPRK to take a necessary measure for settling it through a formal channel.

As far as the oil tanker is concerned, it is a ship run by the Golden East Logistics Company in Alexandria, Egypt and is allowed to temporarily use the DPRK flag for six months in accordance with the contract made by the company with the DPRK at the end of February.

Right after being informed of the fact by the Libyan side, the DPRK strongly blamed the company side for the violation of the contract and demanded it let the ship leave the port at once without loading oil.

In addition to it, the DPRK formally notified the Libyan government and the International Maritime Organization that it cancelled and deleted the ship's DPRK registry and invalidated all the certificates as the ship violated the DPRK's law on the registry of ships and the contract that prohibited it from transporting contraband cargo and entering the warring, dispute-torn or natural disaster-affected areas.

Therefore, the ship has nothing to do with the DPRK at present and it has no responsibility whatsoever as regards the ship.

What matters is that some foreign media are making much fuss, deliberately linking the case with the DPRK, claiming that "the north Korean ship tried to purchase oil from Libya in an illegal manner" and "the government force of Libya opened fire on the north Korean flagged oil tanker."

Some forces are misleading the public opinion, persistently linking the issue with the DPRK. This is obviously aimed at achieving a sinister political purpose to tarnish its image.

They should clearly know that with neither false propaganda nor mud-slinging can they damage the image of the dignified DPRK.