Kim Jong II answers questions raised by 'Itar-Tass'

This article is the excerpt of answers from Kim Jong Il to questions raised by Itar-Tass on July 24, 2001. The following piece appeared on the July 27, 2001 edition of the Pyongyang- based KCNA (Korean Central News Agency).

I am grateful that Itar-Tass has asked for an interview with me.

First, I would like to mention the relationship between Korea and Russia and the prospect of its development.

Korea and Russia are neighbors and they have maintained traditional friendly relations for a long time. The development of these relations fully accords with the interests of the peoples of the two countries and is of great significance in ensuring peace and security in Asia and the rest of the world.

The Pyongyang summit of the leaders of the two countries held in July last year was a landmark event in developing the friendly relations between the two countries onto a new, higher stage. The visit to Pyongyang by President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, the first of its kind by the Russian head of state, proved a great contribution to the development of the relations between the two countries.

At the summit meeting and talks we had an open-hearted exchange of opinions concerning the bilateral relations and a series of international issues of mutual concern, and in accordance with the results of the talks signed the DPRK-Russia joint declaration in which we made public the common will and desire of the governments and peoples of our two countries to develop the bilateral, friendly and cooperative relations onto a new, higher stage and clarified our unanimous view and stand with regard to important international issues. The joint declaration as well as the DPRK-Russia treaty of friendship, good- neighborliness and cooperation signed in February last year are historic documents that provide a guarantee for promoting the friendly relations between Korea and Russia.

In accordance with the spirit of the declaration and the treaty, practical measures have been taken between the two countries concerning cooperation in the fields of the economy, military affairs, science, technology, education and culture.

We believe that the Korea-Russia relations of friendship and cooperation will be promoted remarkably in the new century, the 21st century, by the joint efforts of the governments and peoples of the two countries.

Dialogue between the leaders of the states plays an important role in developing relations between countries.

If the leaders maintain close relations with one another, their countries and peoples will inevitably establish friendly ties.

I am going to visit Russia soon at the invitation of President Putin.

I am pleased that I will be visiting Russia and meeting President Putin again in Moscow.

Meeting the friendly people of Russia will be a deeply emotional experience for me. I am sure that the upcoming Moscow summit will be an important occasion for cementing the relations between the leaders of the two countries, which were established in Pyongyang last year, and for further promoting Korea-Russia friendship.

Next, as for the question of the united states' establishment of its missile defense system, I shall touch upon the question since the United States is provoking us in connection with the attempt.

The United States is now coming out with the so-called missile threat from our country and some others in an attempt to set up the missile defense system. The United States' attempt to establish the missile defense system has now become the target of worldwide denunciation because it may renew the arms race. We support the Russian standpoint for maintaining strategic stability through the ABM treaty. The United States' clamor about the "missile threat" from our country is totally unfounded.

No matter how much they fuss, saying, "North Korea is threatening the United States by means of missiles," and therefore "the United States is trembling with anxiety and fear," nobody will believe it.

Worse still, the United States' administration is now talking about the "threat" of our conventional armed forces, not satisfied with the hullabaloo about "North Korea's missile threat"; that is preposterous. That is another outrageous challenge to us. Our missile program is of purely peaceful nature.

The world knows that we are not threatening the United States, but the United States is constantly threatening us by occupying a half of our country by force of arms.

You have also asked about the prospect of normalizing relations between our country and the United States and Japan. That depends entirely on the standpoints and attitudes of the United States and Japan. Our invariable standpoint is to approach goodwill with goodwill and respond to a hard line with a super hard line. Our independent politics, our independent foreign policy is consistent and unshakable.

We will keep the sovereignty and dignity of our country and confidently advance along the road we have chosen.

We will develop good-neighborly, friendly relations with all countries on the basis of mutual respect for independence, and make efforts to improve relations with the countries which have been hostile towards us, if they respect our sovereignty and discard their hostile policy towards us.

A prerequisite for improving our relations with Japan is that Japan should atone for the crimes it committed against our country and nation. To improve relations while ignoring its criminal past does not stand to reason.

If Japan takes a sincere attitude towards the question of redressing its past considering the general trend of the world and gives up its policy and acts hostile to our country, the relationship between Korea and Japan can be improved.

Last, you have asked me how I spend my leisure and what my hobbies are.

Frankly speaking, I have a lot of work to do. Following the lifetime will of the great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung, we must build a powerful socialist state on our land and achieve national reunification as soon as possible. Our reality does not allow me to waste time before having built a powerful state and achieved national reunification.

As for my hobbies, I am fond of going among the people and soldiers and spending time among them.

I find my life worth living and feel my best pleasure when I learn how they live and work and take care of them, talking with them and sharing their feelings. I also like reading and music.

Reading and music are a part of my life and a pabulum of my work.