The Department of Press and Information of the DPRK Foreign Ministry issued on March 9 the following press statement entitled "US’ excessive exercise of strength will result in severer security crisis":

The roaring sound of war machinery, full of hostility and mistrust, is coming from the area over the southern border of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The US is going to stage the large-scale joint military exercises Freedom Shield 2025, an aggressive and confrontational war rehearsal, in collusion with the ROK military gangsters to heat up the atmosphere of the ceasefire region.

A spokesperson for the Association of Korean Victims of Forcible Drafting and Their Bereaved Families issued the following press statement entitled "Japanese imperialists' unethical atrocities against Korean people will be surely counted" on March 9:

Nearly 80 years have passed since Korea was liberated from the barbarous colonial rule of the Japanese imperialists. But the hot-blooded outcries of the souls of those who were forcibly abducted to alien lands by the Japanese imperialists and died without satisfying their grudge are still resounding.

After annexing Korea by force of arms in the last century, the Japanese imperialists committed unheard-of unethical crimes. Among the atrocities clearly recorded in the crime-woven history are the historical facts that the Japanese imperialists forcibly took away more than 8.4 million young and middle-aged Koreans and drove them out to the theatres of war of aggression and sites of hard labour as bullet shields and labour slaves and made them undergo the wholesale deaths in the large-scale air raids by the US forces.

Organizations of Koreans in Russia issued statements in denunciation of the US for exacerbating the tension on the Korean peninsula.

The Central Association of Korean Nationals in Russia issued a statement entitled “The US must stop at once the provocative act of threatening the security environment of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea” on March 4. It said that the US nuclear carrier Carl Vinson entered Pusan Port in the ROK on March 2 and that it is the US’ invariable policy toward the DPRK to stifle it by force.

The US persists with the criminal aggressive war drills targeting the DPRK, regardless of the Korean and world people’s unanimous desire and demand for the military detente and durable peace, the statement said, stressing it should clearly know that its reckless war drills with the ROK will only hasten their own ruin.

A national meeting was held at the People’s Palace of Culture in Pyongyang on March 8 on the occasion of the 115th March 8 International Women’s Day.

Present there were Choe Ryong Hae, member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, first vice-president of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK and chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly, other senior Party and government officials, officials of the central committee of the women’s union, and exemplary women officials, labour innovators and women’s union members in Pyongyang.

On hand were women from foreign diplomatic missions in the DPRK.

On the 115th March 8 International Women’s Day, the whole of the DPRK is full of joy of the women honestly serving as flowers of amity and merry laugh at their houses and workplaces.

People visited the sacred temple of Juche with deep yearning and reverence for President Kim Il Sung and Chairman Kim Jong Il.

A large number of people visited the statues of the President and the Chairman on Mansu Hill in Pyongyang and in other parts of the country and the mosaics of the peerlessly great men to pay floral tribute to them.

A group of journalists and other media people from across the DPRK made a study tour of revolutionary battle sites in the area of Mt Paektu from March 2 to 8.

They toured the Rimyongsu Revolutionary Site, Chongbong Bivouac and other places, following the immortal footprints the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un, the peerlessly great man, personally left at the historic places associated with the soul of the revolutionary forerunners. Then they arrived at Chairman Kim Jong Il’s birthplace in the Paektusan Secret Camp, the sacred place of the revolution.

There they recollected the sacred revolutionary career and immortal exploits of the Chairman who devoted his all to the prosperity of the country and happiness of the people and made a continued long journey of patriotic devotion all his life.

An event took place at the Rungna People’s Sports Park on March 8 to mark the AFC Women’s Football Day.

Present there were officials of the DPRK Football Association, women coaches and instructors of professional sports units and reserve players training units in Pyongyang and students of Pyongyang International Football School.

Kim Il Guk, minister of Physical Culture and Sports who doubles as chairman of the Football Association, made a remark at the event. Then the participants spent a pleasant time playing sports and amusement games.

The tariff regulations committee of the State Council of China on March 4 issued an official notice on imposing additional tariffs on some US-made imported goods from March 10. 

Taking issue with the fact that the US announced on March 3 that it would impose 10 percent additional tariffs again on all Chinese goods to be exported to it for an unjust reason, the official notice said that the unilateral measure of the US for additional tariffs will damage the many-sided trading system and increase the burden of US businesses and consumers.      

It emphasized that China would impose corresponding additional tariffs on US-made imported goods respectively on the basis of the existing tariff rate. 

Greeting cards of distinctive styles have been produced in the DPRK to add to the pride and joy of women greeting the 115th March 8 International Women's Day.

Depicted in those cards are such beautiful letters of various styles as "March 8 International Women's Day" and "Congratulations", and flowers and bouquets presented to the women who are prides and treasures of the families, workplaces, society and collective.

Seen on some cards are pictures of women workers enjoying a worthwhile working life at new regional-industry factories. They show the precious patriotism with which to produce famous goods favoured by everyone, true to the noble intention of the Workers' Party of Korea to provide the people with a highly-civilized life.