Military Parade Held in Celebration of WPK Birthday
Pyongyang, October 10 (KCNA) -- A parade of units of the three services of the Korean People's Army, the Worker-Peasant Red Guards and the Young Red Guards took place with splendor in Pyongyang on Monday in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the glorious Workers' Party of Korea. Standing on the square were the column of paraders carrying the banner bearing the portrait of President Kim Il Sung, columns of military schools at different levels, those of guard units and three services of the KPA, ranks of the Korean People's Security Forces, the Worker-Peasant Red Guards and the Young Red Guards and columns of revolutionary schools.
At 10 a.m. Kim Jong Il, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission and supreme commander of the KPA, appeared on the tribune of honor amid the playing of the welcome music.
That moment, cheers of "Hurrah!" burst out, shaking the sky and earth and thousands of balloons soared into the sky.
Also taking the tribune of honor were Kim Yong Nam, Jo Myong Rok, Pak Pong Ju and other senior officials of the Party, state and army. Seen on the tribune of honor were So Man Sul, chairman of the Central Standing Committee of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, and Wu Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and vice-premier of the State Council of China, and Konstantin Borisovich Pulikovski, presidential envoy to the Far East Region of the Russian Federation.
Seen on the reviewing stands were foreign delegations including party delegations from different countries and foreign delegates, delegations and delegates from organizations for the study of the Juche idea, friendship and solidarity organizations, the chief of the Pyongyang Mission of the Anti-Imperialist National Democratic Front, diplomatic envoys of various countries and representatives of international organizations, members of the military attaches' corps here, foreign guests and overseas compatriots.
A 21 gun salute boomed amidst the playing of immortal revolutionary paean "Song of General Kim Il Sung."
KPA Vice Marshal Kim Il Chol, member of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK and minister of the People's Armed Forces, made a speech. Holding a grand military parade in celebration of the 60th birthday of the WPK marks an important occasion in adding shine to the undying exploits Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il performed in building the Party and the revolutionary armed forces and carrying out the revolutionary cause of Juche, fully displaying the invincible might of Songun Korea where the entire Party and the army and the all people are single-mindedly united around the headquarters of the revolution and strikingly demonstrating the unshakable faith and will of the army and people of the DPRK to defend with arms the sacred revolutionary cause which started and won victories with arms under the Party's leadership and accomplish it, he said. He called upon all the party members, KPA servicepersons and people to cherish the fixed faith that they will certainly emerge victorious as long as they are led by Kim Jong Il and single-mindedly unite around the Party and more fully display the might of Songun.
He declared: The KPA will reliably defend the Party and the socialist country with invincible military capability in the future, too. Should the U.S. and the Japanese imperialists and their allied forces ignite a war on this land, the KPA will mercilessly wipe out them and achieve the historic cause of national reunification.
"Song of General Kim Jong Il" was solemnly played.
Kim Il Chol congratulated the parade units on the anniversary, riding past them in an open car.
Kim Jong Il received a report about the start of the parade from the minister.
Kim Jong Il raised his hand in acknowledgement of his report.
All the participants in the parade broke into shouts of "Hurrah!" and such slogans as "Kim Jong Il," "Devoted Defence," "National Reunification" and "Let us defend the headquarters of the revolution headed by great Comrade Kim Jong Il at the cost of our lives!" As the bugle call rang out for the start of the military parade, a banner bearing the portrait of President Kim Il Sung escorted by the colors of the KPA entered the square amid the playing of the song "The Leader Is Always with Us."
All the participants in the parade paid highest tribute to Kim Il Sung, looking up to the banner at the present arms.
Amid the playing of military music the columns of the parade marched past in fine array.
Columns of military schools at various levels including Kim Il Sung Military University, Kim Il Sung Political University, Kang Gon General Military School majestically marched past the tribune of honor. Then followed ranks of KPA units including the Guard Kang Gon Second Infantry Division, the Seoul Guard Third Infantry Division, the Seoul Guard Kim Chaek Fourth Infantry Division, the Guard Sixth Infantry Division and the Guard Second Naval Flotilla who performed signal exploits in the last Fatherland Liberation War, columns of KPA three services and those of the Korean People's Security Forces. This was a striking demonstration of the validity and tremendous vitality of the Songun line of the WPK.
Then columns of the Worker-Peasant Red Guards and Young Red Guards and ranks of revolutionary schools marched past in fine array to the tune of military music.
Kim Jong Il waved back to the units of the parade whenever they marched past the tribune of honor.
While the parade was going on, the crowd presented one after another huge letters such as "Kim Il Sung," "Kim Jong Il," "Songun Politics" and "Single-Minded Unity" and the banners of the WPK and the republic on the square which turned into a veritable sea of flowers. As the parade came to an end, welcome music resounded forth, the crowd broke into cheers of "Hurrah!" again and thousands of balloons flew high into the sky.
Kim Jong Il came out to the balcony of the tribune of honor and waved back to the enthusiastically cheering crowd.