The 14th Plenary Meeting of the 14th Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK was held on April 30.

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 SPA, presided over the plenary meeting.

The plenary meeting was attended by Vice-Chairmen Thae Hyong Chol and Pak Yong Il, Secretary General Ko Kil Son and members of the Standing Committee of the SPA.

Present there as observers were officials concerned of the Standing Committee of the SPA.

Put on the agenda items were the issue of adopting the Law of the DPRK on the Administration of Revolutionary Relics, the Law of the DPRK on the Protection of Software and the Law of the DPRK on the Administration of Bar Codes and the issue of modifying and supplementing the Law of the DPRK on the Protection of Environment and the Law of the DPRK on the Construction.

The participants were briefed on the main contents of the relevant laws and drafted modification and supplementation of the Law of the DPRK on the Protection of Environment and the Law of the DPRK on the Construction examined by the SPA Legislation Committee.

The Law of the DPRK on the Administration of Revolutionary Relics, which is composed of 5 chapters and 44 articles, deals with the principles of administration of the revolutionary relics, the honourable and important work for defending and carrying forward the glorious revolutionary history and immortal feats of the Workers' Party of Korea and arming the people firmly with the revolutionary traditions of Juche. It also contains the detailed articles related to the establishment of the system of administering the revolutionary relics for finding, collecting, ascertaining and preserving the revolutionary relics.

The Law of the DPRK on the Protection of Software stipulates the issues of protecting the copyrights of software, promoting the development of software and increasing investment in software development by establishing a strict system and order in registration and use of software. It also specifies the practical matters arising in observing and enforcing the law, including the guidance and control over software protection.

The Law of the DPRK on the Administration of Bar Codes deals with the issues arising in setting and using bar codes to ensure convenience of producers in development and undergoing relevant procedures for new products. It calls for ensuring the socialist commercial development and socio-economic stability by putting commodity sales on an IT basis and tightening supervision and control over the use of bar codes.

The law on the protection of environment stipulates the legal guarantee for providing cultured living conditions and environment to the people by enforcing a strict system and order in environment management, preservation and betterment of natural environment and prevention of environmental pollution, and the law on the construction details the contents concerning guidance and control over the designing, building, inspection of completed structures and construction. These laws also specify penalties to be imposed on violations of the laws.

Based on the study and discussion of the agenda items, the plenary meeting adopted with unanimous approval the decrees of the SPA Standing Committee "On Adopting the Law of the DPRK on the Administration of Revolutionary Relics", "On Adopting the Law of the DPRK on the Protection of Software", "On Adopting the Law of the DPRK on the Administration of Bar codes" and "On Modifying and Supplementing the Law of the DPRK on the Protection of Environment" and "On Modifying and Supplementing the Law of the DPRK on the Construction".