THE EMBASSY OF THE DEMOCRATIC
PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF KOREA TO SWITZERLAND
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E-mail: dprk.embassy@bluewin.ch
No 91/23 November 23, 2023
1. DPRK NATA's Report on Successful Launch of Reconnaissance Satellite
2. Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un Visits Pyongyang General Control Center of NATA
3. Statement by DPRK Ministry of National Defence
4. Election System in the DPRK
5. November is kimchi-making season in the DPRK.
DPRK NATA's Report on Successful Launch of Reconnaissance Satellite
Pyongyang, November 22 (KCNA) -- The National Aerospace Technology Administration (NATA) of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea successfully launched the new-type carrier rocket "Chollima-1" loaded with the reconnaissance satellite "Malligyong-1" at the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground in Cholsan County, North Phyongan Province, at 22:42:28 on November 21, Juche 112 (2023).
The carrier rocket "Chollima-1" flew normally along the preset flight track and accurately put the reconnaissance satellite "Malligyong-1" on its orbit at 22:54:13, 705s after the launch.
The launch of reconnaissance satellite is a legitimate right of the DPRK for strengthening its self-defensive capabilities and it will make a significant contribution to definitely ramping up the war preparedness of the armed forces of the Republic in conformity with the security environment created in and around the country owing to the enemies' dangerous military moves.
Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, oversaw the launch on the spot.
He was accompanied by Kim Jong Sik, vice department director of the WPK Central Committee, and Jang Chang Ha, general director of the DPRK General Missile Bureau.
The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch and warmly congratulated all the cadres, scientists and technicians of the NATA and relevant institutions on having made a great contribution to enhancing the Republic's war deterrent and most correctly and excellently implementing the resolution of the Eighth Congress of the WPK.
The NATA is to present to the 9th Plenary Meeting of the 8th WPK Central Committee a plan for continuing to secure the capability to reconnoiter the south Korean region and the region of operational interest of the DPRK armed forces by additionally launching several reconnaissance satellites in a short span of time.
Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un Visits Pyongyang General Control Center of NATA
Pyongyang, November 22 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, visited the Pyongyang General Control Center of the National Aerospace Technology Administration (NATA) at 10:00 a.m. on Nov. 22 to learn about the operation of the reconnaissance satellite "Malligyong-1" on orbit, its fine-tuning process and the state of aerospace photographing of a specific area under the ground command.
He was accompanied by Kim Jong Sik, vice department director of the C.C., WPK.
The NATA of the DPRK reported to Kim Jong Un that the reconnaissance satellite "Malligyong-1" would formally start its reconnaissance mission from December 1 after finishing 7 to 10 days' fine-tuning process.
Noting that the DPRK has finally developed and possessed aerospace reconnaissance capability by its own efforts and technologies, Kim Jong Un said that it is a great event in developing the armed forces of the Republic and coping with a new military situation in the region. And he highly praised once again the scientists and technicians in the field of aerospace science research for making tangible contributions to the Party's cause of building a powerful and modern army.
Then he watched the aerospace photos of Anderson Air Force Base, Apra Harbor and other major military bases of the U.S. forces taken in the sky above Guam in the Pacific, which were received at 9:21 a.m. on Nov. 22.
Noting that the armed forces of the DPRK have taken in their hands both "eyes" overlooking a very long distance and a strong "fist" beating a very long distance, he stressed once again that it is necessary to operate many more reconnaissance satellites in the aspect of increasing the effectiveness of the powerful military strike means of the DPRK as well as for self-defence.
Underlining the need to take note of the fact that the U.S. imperialists brought the nuclear carrier Carl Vinson and the nuclear-powered submarine Santa Fe to the south Korean region yesterday and today to turn the region into an advanced base of their aggressor forces and nuclear arsenal, he said that to closely monitor and grasp the nature of such maneuvers of the U.S. imperialists and their vassal armies endangering the regional military situation is a serious issue directly related to the security of the DPRK. He then stressed the need to launch more various reconnaissance satellites, put them on different orbits and operate them in a combined and practical manner, as already clarified, in order to provide the DPRK armed forces with abundant valuable real-time information about the enemy and further promote their responsive posture.
Approving the suggestion made by the NATA to submit to the 9th Plenary Meeting of the 8th WPK Central Committee the immediate plan for securing the aerospace reconnaissance capability for monitoring south Korea and the Pacific and their vicinity, he said that the above-said plenary meeting would discuss and decide the plan for the launch of reconnaissance satellite for 2024.
Statement by DPRK Ministry of National Defence
Pyongyang, November 23 (KCNA) -- The following is the full text of "Those of the 'Republic of Korea' can never evade the responsibility for scrapping the north-south military agreement and must pay dearly for it", a statement made public by the Ministry of National Defence of the DPRK on November 23:
The DPRK's launch of a reconnaissance satellite is a step pertaining to the right to self-defence and the legitimate and just exercise of sovereignty to closely monitor and thoroughly cope with the enemies' various military moves around the Korean peninsula that provoke graver concern as days go by.
Nonetheless, the political and military gangsters of the "Republic of Korea" (ROK) have gone extremely hysterical with confrontation, labeling the legal right of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) as a violation of UN "resolutions" and "illegal action".
At an emergency meeting of the standing committee of the "national security council" and a "state council meeting", the south Korean traitors termed the DPRK's launch of a reconnaissance satellite a "violation" of the north-south military agreement, citing unreasonable and illogical reasons, and didn't hesitate to announce the nullification of some articles of the agreement as if they have earnestly waited for that moment.
It is just the "ROK" that has scaled up in an all-round, 3-D and phased way various sorts of military provocations in frontal challenge to the spirit of the agreement adopted to defuse the danger of an armed conflict along the Military Demarcation Line.
The September 19 North-South Military Agreement has long been reduced to a mere scrap of paper owing to the intentional and provocative moves of those of the "ROK".
The enemy’s reckless act of abruptly nullifying some articles of the military agreement over the recent reconnaissance satellite launch of the DPRK is a vivid expression of their hostility toward the DPRK and a reflection of their uneasiness at the impending threat.
Those of the "ROK" must pay dearly for their irresponsible and grave political and military provocations that have pushed the present situation to an uncontrollable phase.
Upon authorization of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea, the Ministry of National Defence of the DPRK clarifies the following principled stand under the current situation:
1. From now on, our army will never be bound by the September 19 North-South Military Agreement.
It is the conclusion made once again that we can not recognize any agreement with those of the "ROK" who have broken the elementary faith with the partner and definite promise already made without hesitation and we must refuse to deal with them.
2. We will immediately restore all military measures that have been halted according to the north-south military agreement.
We will withdraw the military steps, taken to prevent military tension and conflict in all spheres including ground, sea and air, and deploy more powerful armed forces and new-type military hardware in the region along the Military Demarcation Line.
3. Those of the "ROK" will be held wholly accountable in case an irretrievable clash breaks out between the north and the south.
The most dangerous situation in the area of the military demarcation line, where the world's most acute military confrontation lingers and any slight accidental factor may aggravate an armed conflict to an all-out war, has become irreversibly uncontrollable, due to the serious mistake made by the political and military gangsters of the "ROK".
The prevailing military tensions, created by the enemy's anti-DPRK confrontation hysteria that has gone beyond the red line, more clearly proves the justice of the work for strengthening the nuclear war deterrent and modernizing the armed forces being pushed forward with by us above all.
The DPRK armed forces will always maintain overwhelming and offensive posture and closely watch the enemy's confrontation hysteria.
Election System in the DPRK
The election system in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is the most people-oriented and democratic one which enables the masses of the people to fully exercise their rights as genuine masters of state power.
The power organs at all levels in the country consist of deputies elected directly by the people, and the masses participate in the political affairs of the state and exercise their independent rights through these deputies.
Through the elections, the Korean people elect their genuine representatives, who can fully represent their independent demands and interests as deputies to power organs at all levels, thus steadily consolidating their position and successfully accelerating socialist construction under institutional and legal guarantee.
All the citizens have the right to elect and to be elected, and can participate in exercising state power on an equal footing.
They have the right to elect and to be elected, irrespective of gender, nationality, occupation, duration of residence, property status, education, party affiliation, political view and religious belief. All those who are able and are faithful to the Party, the leader, the country and the people can be elected as representatives of the people to power organs at all levels.
The organs of state power at all levels, from the county people’s assembly to the Supreme People’s Assembly, are elected on the principle of universal, equal and direct suffrage by secret ballot.
The masses of the people are fully guaranteed to express their free will in the elections and allowed to exercise their power as masters of the state and society.
As their will is fully displayed in the elections, they greet election day as a significant day, an auspicious holiday. It is a tradition of the Korean people to consolidate the people’s power rock-solid by taking part in the elections with high political enthusiasm and labour achievements.
The coming November 26 is the day of election of deputies to the provincial (municipal), city (district) and county people’s assemblies in the DPRK.
November is kimchi-making season in the DPRK.
It is a tradition for all families in the country to make whole cabbage kimchi, an indispensable part of the Korean people's diet. The cabbage is first salted before being washed. Mixture of condiment made of pepper, onion, garlic, ginger and others and pickled fish is put to the cabbage which is left to ferment.
The ingredient of condiment varies from region to region. Croakers are mainly used in the west coastal area, Alaska pollack in the east coastal area and various kinds of pickled fish in North and South Phyongan provinces and North and South Hwanghae provinces.
There are also kaktugi(diced radish pickles), kimchi wrapped in large cabbage leaves, watery radish kimchi and other kinds of kimchi.
Kimchi is a unique national food of the DPRK which cannot be found in other parts of the world in terms of its nutritional composition and processing method.
The traditional method of making kimchi is still maintained.
Kimchi is famous as one of the five world health foodstuffs for its fresh taste, peculiar aroma, and nutritional and medicinal value.
In Juche 104 (2015), UNESCO registered the Korean custom of making kimchi as a world intangible cultural heritage.