National Meeting Marks May Day
Pyongyang, April 30 (KCNA) -- A national meeting was held at the People's Palace of Culture Thursday to mark the 119th May Day.
Attending it were Kim Jung Rin, Yang Hyong Sop, the chairperson of a friendly party, leading officials of working people's organizations, officials of ministries and national institutions, labor innovators and working people in the city of Pyongyang.
Yang Hyong Sop, alternate member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea and vice-president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, made a report at the meeting.
The reporter said that May Day is a significant holiday as it offers an occasion for strikingly manifesting the revolutionary spirit and the militant might of the Korean working people all over the world and their international solidarity and unity with the workers the world over.
The popular masses' struggle for independence and socialism against imperialism was arduous and difficult but the Korean people could creditably discharge their mission and duty in the sacred struggle to victoriously advance the revolutionary cause of Juche, the socialist cause as they have been guided by the peerlessly great men, he noted.
President Kim Il Sung carved out a new path of revolution for realizing independence of popular masses under the banner of the Juche idea, the Songun idea and aroused the inexhaustible strength of the popular masses including workers, peasants and intellectuals, thus leading the revolution and construction to shining victory, the reporter said, and continued:
The leadership exploits of the President have been given a steady continuity thanks to General Secretary Kim Jong Il, who put forward the workers, peasants and intellectuals as the driving forces of the revolution and has led the popular masses' cause of independence, the socialist cause to victory only.
The annals of the Korean revolution are shining with undying feats of the workers and other working people who have devotedly worked for the country and the revolution true to the leadership of the party and the leader.
The Korean working people will strikingly demonstrate their heroic stamina as socialist workers, true to the Songun leadership of Kim Jong Il and thus fling open the gate to a great prosperous and powerful nation in 2012, the centenary of birth of the President, and get the fireworks of victory displayed in the blue sky over the country.
Referring to the grave difficulties lying in the way of national reunification due to the reckless moves for a war of aggression against the DPRK on the part of the U.S. and the south Korean conservative ruling forces, the reporter stressed the need for all the Koreans to resolutely foil the outsiders' interference and the anti-reunification forces' confrontational moves under the banner of the June 15 joint declaration and the October 4 declaration and bring about a decisive turn in the national reunification movement.
The working people in the DPRK will as ever discharge their historic mission in protecting the world peace and security and stepping up the human cause of independence and further strengthen the international solidarity with working peoples the world over in the idea of independence, peace and friendship, the reporter declared.
Friday, 1 May 2009
Friday, 20 February 2009
Living Conditions of South Korean People in 2008
Living Conditions of South Korean People in 2008
The people's living conditions in south Korea are recently getting worse owing to the treacherous economic policy of the Lee Myung-bak clan and the aftermath of the catastrophic economic crisis.
- Income imbalance widened and household debt augmented
Since the Lee group clings to the pro-big business policy despite the decrease of the real income of the south Korean lower income brackets, the income gap between the high and low income brackets widened 8.41 times in the first quarter of 2008 alone, the worst record. It was 7.75 times in 2004, 8.29 times in 2005, 8.36 times in 2006 and 8.4 times in 2007.
In the meantime, the household debt increased to 39.6 million won as of late June 2008, 10 % more than that of 2006 (36.01 million won) due to the economic stagnation.
- Tax burden increases and prices skyrocket
In 2008 tax burden per capita increased to 4.36 million won, the largest ever. If some 130 miscellaneous taxes excluded from the taxation statistics are included, the rate of total tax burden against the Gross Domestic Product is 32.1%, far higher than that of the average (26.9%) of the OECD member states.
Mass media and pundits assert that the south Korean people are forced to pay more than a third of their annual income as various taxes and miscellaneous levies, rebuking it as a “Kingdom of tax”.
Meanwhile, the consumer prices rose by 5.9% higher in August 2008 than in August 2007, and in particular, the subsistence prices including the foodstuff needed en masse in daily life rose by 6.6%, owing to the price jump of raw materials including petroleum in international markets.
As a result the people are lamenting their lot saying that they hardly eke out under the lethal bomb of price denouncing the regime which vociferated about controlling the price but molests the commoners.
- The jobless steeply increased
At present the jobless are numbered 3.37 million, 14 % of economic manpower, and among them university-graduated high intellectual unemployed are roughly 2.57 million.
If the irregular jobholders (daily employees and temporary workers) are added, the actual unemployed are no less than 11.97 million.
- Middle class and medium and small-size businessmen go to ruin
The portion of the middle class, once called a pivotal force in society, was 68.6% of all the households in 1996, but dropped to 57.6% now.
11 % of the households were estranged from the middle class for the past 13 years, and 70% of them were reduced to the poor, so that the poor class increased to over 18% of all households now from 11.3% of 1996.
Now medium and small-size businesses are numbered about 3 million, assuming 99% of all businesses, but only in the first half of 2008 some 5 000 medium and small-size businesses went bankrupt, so their situations are getting more miserable.
Besides, because of the world-highest educational expenses a great number of students quit schools or earn the tuition fees by working at a part-time job.
All sorts of diseases including tuberculosis are rampant due to the economic hardship and deteriorated living environment, increasing number of despaired people commit suicide, and murder, robbery and other heinous crimes are sharply prevailing.
Mass media censure that south Korea is a “land of disease”, “republic of suicide” and “kingdom of crime”.
Now the people from all works of life are out in anti-regime struggle upholding such slogans as “Drop the policy for only 1% wealthy people at once” and “We want to live in a country guaranteeing the human treatment”, urging the Lee Myung-bak clique to step down now holding accountable for the ruin of the economy and people's living.
The people's living conditions in south Korea are recently getting worse owing to the treacherous economic policy of the Lee Myung-bak clan and the aftermath of the catastrophic economic crisis.
- Income imbalance widened and household debt augmented
Since the Lee group clings to the pro-big business policy despite the decrease of the real income of the south Korean lower income brackets, the income gap between the high and low income brackets widened 8.41 times in the first quarter of 2008 alone, the worst record. It was 7.75 times in 2004, 8.29 times in 2005, 8.36 times in 2006 and 8.4 times in 2007.
In the meantime, the household debt increased to 39.6 million won as of late June 2008, 10 % more than that of 2006 (36.01 million won) due to the economic stagnation.
- Tax burden increases and prices skyrocket
In 2008 tax burden per capita increased to 4.36 million won, the largest ever. If some 130 miscellaneous taxes excluded from the taxation statistics are included, the rate of total tax burden against the Gross Domestic Product is 32.1%, far higher than that of the average (26.9%) of the OECD member states.
Mass media and pundits assert that the south Korean people are forced to pay more than a third of their annual income as various taxes and miscellaneous levies, rebuking it as a “Kingdom of tax”.
Meanwhile, the consumer prices rose by 5.9% higher in August 2008 than in August 2007, and in particular, the subsistence prices including the foodstuff needed en masse in daily life rose by 6.6%, owing to the price jump of raw materials including petroleum in international markets.
As a result the people are lamenting their lot saying that they hardly eke out under the lethal bomb of price denouncing the regime which vociferated about controlling the price but molests the commoners.
- The jobless steeply increased
At present the jobless are numbered 3.37 million, 14 % of economic manpower, and among them university-graduated high intellectual unemployed are roughly 2.57 million.
If the irregular jobholders (daily employees and temporary workers) are added, the actual unemployed are no less than 11.97 million.
- Middle class and medium and small-size businessmen go to ruin
The portion of the middle class, once called a pivotal force in society, was 68.6% of all the households in 1996, but dropped to 57.6% now.
11 % of the households were estranged from the middle class for the past 13 years, and 70% of them were reduced to the poor, so that the poor class increased to over 18% of all households now from 11.3% of 1996.
Now medium and small-size businesses are numbered about 3 million, assuming 99% of all businesses, but only in the first half of 2008 some 5 000 medium and small-size businesses went bankrupt, so their situations are getting more miserable.
Besides, because of the world-highest educational expenses a great number of students quit schools or earn the tuition fees by working at a part-time job.
All sorts of diseases including tuberculosis are rampant due to the economic hardship and deteriorated living environment, increasing number of despaired people commit suicide, and murder, robbery and other heinous crimes are sharply prevailing.
Mass media censure that south Korea is a “land of disease”, “republic of suicide” and “kingdom of crime”.
Now the people from all works of life are out in anti-regime struggle upholding such slogans as “Drop the policy for only 1% wealthy people at once” and “We want to live in a country guaranteeing the human treatment”, urging the Lee Myung-bak clique to step down now holding accountable for the ruin of the economy and people's living.
Saturday, 17 January 2009
Basic Information on the GFTUK
Information on the General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea of the DPRK.The
GFTUK consists of the following trade unions
Trade Union of Construction and Foresty Workers
Trade Union of Chemical Industry Workers
Trade Union of Commercial Workers
Trade Union of Education and Cultural Workers
Trade Union of Light Industry Workers Union
Trade Union of Metallurgical and Machine Industry Workers
Trade Union of Transport and Fishery Workers
Trade Union of Mining and Power Workers
Trade Union of Public Employees
The GFTUK holds a congress every 5 years.Basic unit committees meet twice a month with a general membership meeting every 3 months.
The GFTUK works to improve labour protection work and supply services for the workers.Also to ensure state benefits are enjoyed by working people.
The GFTUK has its origins in the Anti Japanese Labour Union organised by the great leader comrade Kim Il Sung in Jilin on the 5th of August 1928.
The GFTUK strives to make workers take the role of a master leading an independent and creative life and work for the cause of the victory of socialism.
GFTUK consists of the following trade unions
Trade Union of Construction and Foresty Workers
Trade Union of Chemical Industry Workers
Trade Union of Commercial Workers
Trade Union of Education and Cultural Workers
Trade Union of Light Industry Workers Union
Trade Union of Metallurgical and Machine Industry Workers
Trade Union of Transport and Fishery Workers
Trade Union of Mining and Power Workers
Trade Union of Public Employees
The GFTUK holds a congress every 5 years.Basic unit committees meet twice a month with a general membership meeting every 3 months.
The GFTUK works to improve labour protection work and supply services for the workers.Also to ensure state benefits are enjoyed by working people.
The GFTUK has its origins in the Anti Japanese Labour Union organised by the great leader comrade Kim Il Sung in Jilin on the 5th of August 1928.
The GFTUK strives to make workers take the role of a master leading an independent and creative life and work for the cause of the victory of socialism.
Thursday, 25 December 2008
S. Korean Trade Union Leader on Hunger Strike in Prison
S. Korean Trade Union Leader on Hunger Strike in Prison
Pyongyang, December 21 (KCNA) -- Ri Sok Haeng, chairman of the south Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), has been going on a hunger strike in prison for over ten days, according to KBS of south Korea on Dec. 18.
The KCTU announced that from Dec. 6 after he was arrested by the police he has staged the hunger strike in protest against the policy of destroying people's life pursued by the Lee Myung Bak "government" which incriminates the workers' struggle for the population's existence and tramples on the vital rights of part-time workers under the pretext of economic crisis.
Meanwhile, trade unions under the KCTU have waged the struggle outside the Chongwadae from Dec. 12 in demand of the release of Ri Sok Haeng and stop to suppression under the pretext of "security," KBS said
Pyongyang, December 21 (KCNA) -- Ri Sok Haeng, chairman of the south Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), has been going on a hunger strike in prison for over ten days, according to KBS of south Korea on Dec. 18.
The KCTU announced that from Dec. 6 after he was arrested by the police he has staged the hunger strike in protest against the policy of destroying people's life pursued by the Lee Myung Bak "government" which incriminates the workers' struggle for the population's existence and tramples on the vital rights of part-time workers under the pretext of economic crisis.
Meanwhile, trade unions under the KCTU have waged the struggle outside the Chongwadae from Dec. 12 in demand of the release of Ri Sok Haeng and stop to suppression under the pretext of "security," KBS said
Thursday, 20 November 2008
South Korean People’s Living Gets Worse
South Korean People’s Living Gets Worse
In south Korea the people’s living is getting worse owing to the anti-people and treacherous economic policy of the Lee Myong-bak regime and the daily-aggravating economic crisis.
- Income reduces and prices skyrocket
While the monthly income of the people continuously shrinks due to the economic crisis, in particular, the income of the lower income brackets fell to the minimum so that they were reduced to the poor.
In the meantime, affected by the sharp rise of prices of the international raw materials including oil, in last July the consumer prices rose 5.9% more than that of the same period of the last year, recording the highest level since the foreign exchange crisis in 1998, and the prices of daily commodities including foodstuff jumped to 7.1%.
As a result, people complain that they hardly eke out for the awful rise of consumer prices and the present living is bitterer than that of the period of the IMF trusteeship.
- Tax burden records the highest
The tax burden for a citizen in south Korea this year increased by 510, 000 won more than last year to reach 4.22 million won.
The household debt increased to 38.41 million won as of late March, the highest record in history.
- Tuition fees of university are largest in the world and various diseases widespread
Tuition fees of national and public universities run by the puppet regime or local administrations amount to 10 million won and private universities to 20 million won, increasing 10% more than that of last year, the highest figure in the world.
With the rampant diseases throughout south Korea due to the economic hardships and deteriorating living environment, meningitis patients, for example, increased by 2090 from January to July this year only or two folds of the average number of the last five years.
There are 101 tuberculosis patients among the 20s, 284 patients among the over 70s for every 100, 000 population, so that south Korea is stigmatized as a “country coughing in tuberculosis”.
- Millions reduced to the unemployed
Now the unemployed are 3.37 million, more than 14 % of the labor force.
Among them the completely unemployed who could not work even an hour a week amounted to 800, 000 and the university-graduate unemployed are more than 2.57 million.
In addition to that, if 3.25 million daily-workers and part-timers are included, the actual figure of the unemployed is as many as 6.62 million.
- Sorts of social evils prevail
Due to the living difficulties atrocious crimes including kidnapping, murder and robbery recorded 449, 000 cases in 2006 and 461, 000 cases last year with 10, 000 case-increase every year.
Those who give up any optimism and commit suicide disappointed by the difficulties of job-seeking and livelihood, and various diseases, get more numerous every year. According to a recent report from the puppet police agency the suicides rapidly increased to 13 400 persons last year from 12 900 in 2006.
So, south Korea is now branded in the world as a “kingdom of crime” and a “republic of suicide”.
Though the Lee Myong-bak clique is now busy presenting the so-called “measures for people's livelihood” and “promise of ameliorating the quality of life” in a bid to calm down the complaints and anti-government sentiment of the people, it can never appease the infuriated people.
In south Korea the people’s living is getting worse owing to the anti-people and treacherous economic policy of the Lee Myong-bak regime and the daily-aggravating economic crisis.
- Income reduces and prices skyrocket
While the monthly income of the people continuously shrinks due to the economic crisis, in particular, the income of the lower income brackets fell to the minimum so that they were reduced to the poor.
In the meantime, affected by the sharp rise of prices of the international raw materials including oil, in last July the consumer prices rose 5.9% more than that of the same period of the last year, recording the highest level since the foreign exchange crisis in 1998, and the prices of daily commodities including foodstuff jumped to 7.1%.
As a result, people complain that they hardly eke out for the awful rise of consumer prices and the present living is bitterer than that of the period of the IMF trusteeship.
- Tax burden records the highest
The tax burden for a citizen in south Korea this year increased by 510, 000 won more than last year to reach 4.22 million won.
The household debt increased to 38.41 million won as of late March, the highest record in history.
- Tuition fees of university are largest in the world and various diseases widespread
Tuition fees of national and public universities run by the puppet regime or local administrations amount to 10 million won and private universities to 20 million won, increasing 10% more than that of last year, the highest figure in the world.
With the rampant diseases throughout south Korea due to the economic hardships and deteriorating living environment, meningitis patients, for example, increased by 2090 from January to July this year only or two folds of the average number of the last five years.
There are 101 tuberculosis patients among the 20s, 284 patients among the over 70s for every 100, 000 population, so that south Korea is stigmatized as a “country coughing in tuberculosis”.
- Millions reduced to the unemployed
Now the unemployed are 3.37 million, more than 14 % of the labor force.
Among them the completely unemployed who could not work even an hour a week amounted to 800, 000 and the university-graduate unemployed are more than 2.57 million.
In addition to that, if 3.25 million daily-workers and part-timers are included, the actual figure of the unemployed is as many as 6.62 million.
- Sorts of social evils prevail
Due to the living difficulties atrocious crimes including kidnapping, murder and robbery recorded 449, 000 cases in 2006 and 461, 000 cases last year with 10, 000 case-increase every year.
Those who give up any optimism and commit suicide disappointed by the difficulties of job-seeking and livelihood, and various diseases, get more numerous every year. According to a recent report from the puppet police agency the suicides rapidly increased to 13 400 persons last year from 12 900 in 2006.
So, south Korea is now branded in the world as a “kingdom of crime” and a “republic of suicide”.
Though the Lee Myong-bak clique is now busy presenting the so-called “measures for people's livelihood” and “promise of ameliorating the quality of life” in a bid to calm down the complaints and anti-government sentiment of the people, it can never appease the infuriated people.
Wednesday, 19 November 2008
All-out Struggle for Repeal of Evil Labor Law Declared in S. Korea
All-out Struggle for Repeal of Evil Labor Law Declared in S. Korea
Pyongyang, November 18 (KCNA) -- The south Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) held a rally in Ryoju, Kyonggi Province, on November 12 with representatives of trade unions of at least 2,500 work places affiliated to KCTU attending.
Speakers at the rally denounced the authorities for contemplating enacting an evil law banning the payment of wages to the full-time trade union leaders, adding that this is a move to hold in check the trade union activities and stamp out the labor movement.
They also held that the moves of the "government" and the business management side to make a retrogressive revision of "the law on part-time job" would only result in further expanding the part-time job.
The "government" should halt at once the retrogressive revision of the above-said law, they urged.
A resolution read out at the rally declared that KCTU would launch an all-out struggle including a general strike to check the passage of the evil labor law through the "National Assembly".
Pyongyang, November 18 (KCNA) -- The south Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) held a rally in Ryoju, Kyonggi Province, on November 12 with representatives of trade unions of at least 2,500 work places affiliated to KCTU attending.
Speakers at the rally denounced the authorities for contemplating enacting an evil law banning the payment of wages to the full-time trade union leaders, adding that this is a move to hold in check the trade union activities and stamp out the labor movement.
They also held that the moves of the "government" and the business management side to make a retrogressive revision of "the law on part-time job" would only result in further expanding the part-time job.
The "government" should halt at once the retrogressive revision of the above-said law, they urged.
A resolution read out at the rally declared that KCTU would launch an all-out struggle including a general strike to check the passage of the evil labor law through the "National Assembly".
Friday, 24 October 2008
South Korea, Republic of Suicide
South Korea, Republic of Suicide
Suicide, a commonplace in capitalist societies dominated by money, is raised as a serious social problem in south Korea , a colony of US imperialism.
The rate of suicide is on steady increase every year in south Korea .
According to an official data of the government 13,407 persons in all committed suicide last year or over 36.7 persons killed themselves every day.
This figure is much more than that of 2006 by 439 suicides.
An analysis of the suicides of each sex for the last 5 years indicated that the suicide rate of men is higher in general by 65 to 70 % but the women suicides are increasing remarkably every year.
The number of women suicides has increased by 19.3% for the last 5 years from 3,871 in 2003 to 4,617 in 2007.
Of the motive of suicide the pessimism is 46.7% (31,002 persons), taking the lion’s share, and in ages, the middle-aged suicides in their 40s were 23.2% (15,454), the most.
The yearly increase of suicides in south Korea is caused by the unpopular policies of the government.
A lawmaker of south Korea deplored the reality of suicide saying “If we fail to check the social phenomena of suicide which has high contagious speed the whole of society would be engulfed in destruction. As it has the first responsibility for safeguarding the people's life the government should take prompt measures”.
Nonetheless, by pursuing the big-business-benefiting policy the Lee Myong-bak clique is driving small and medium enterprises into bankruptcy, dismissing lots of workers from workshops, knocking down the stock-breeders en mass by allowing the import of cheap American beef, and endangering the people's life.
So, the people, who were deprived of their valuable living place, have no choice but committing suicide cursing the decadent society.
In the gangster-like society overpowered by the jungle law, where they unscrupulously kill even their parents and children for the sake of money and power, and in the misanthropic capitalist society where man is regarded as slave of money and capital, the suicide is unavoidable phenomena and incurable disease.
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