Birthday greetings for Kim
Source: Agencies |
February 17, 2011, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
NORTH Korea urged its citizens yesterday to rally around Kim Jong Il on his 69th birthday.
The head of parliament told a national meeting on the eve of Kim's birthday that all North Korean soldiers, officials and people "should remain loyal to the monolithic leadership of Kim Jong Il" and build a "great, prosperous and powerful nation," according to North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency.
Kim's birthday is one of the most important holidays in North Korea, along with the birthday of his father, the country's founder Kim Il Sung. Kim Jong Il took over after his father died of heart failure in 1994.
Kim suffered a reported stroke in 2008 and is apparently moving to hand over power to his third and youngest son, Kim Jong Un. The son - believed to be in his late 20s - made his international debut late last year by taking up a slew of political jobs.
In the capital Pyongyang, streams of soldiers, citizens and children offered bouquets of flowers and bowed before a giant statue of Kim Il Sung.
"We are greeting the 16th of February, an important holiday in our country, completely sure that the day of becoming a powerful and prosperous country will definitely come, under the leadership of our respected General Kim Jong Il," Yun Kum Sun, a Pyongyang citizen, said at Mansu Hill, which overlooks the city.
A giant portrait of Kim and replicas of automatic rifles and rockets with North Korea's national flag were set up near flowers at a flower show, together with a sign reading "Let's fight desperately to safeguard Kim."
The head of parliament told a national meeting on the eve of Kim's birthday that all North Korean soldiers, officials and people "should remain loyal to the monolithic leadership of Kim Jong Il" and build a "great, prosperous and powerful nation," according to North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency.
Kim's birthday is one of the most important holidays in North Korea, along with the birthday of his father, the country's founder Kim Il Sung. Kim Jong Il took over after his father died of heart failure in 1994.
Kim suffered a reported stroke in 2008 and is apparently moving to hand over power to his third and youngest son, Kim Jong Un. The son - believed to be in his late 20s - made his international debut late last year by taking up a slew of political jobs.
In the capital Pyongyang, streams of soldiers, citizens and children offered bouquets of flowers and bowed before a giant statue of Kim Il Sung.
"We are greeting the 16th of February, an important holiday in our country, completely sure that the day of becoming a powerful and prosperous country will definitely come, under the leadership of our respected General Kim Jong Il," Yun Kum Sun, a Pyongyang citizen, said at Mansu Hill, which overlooks the city.
A giant portrait of Kim and replicas of automatic rifles and rockets with North Korea's national flag were set up near flowers at a flower show, together with a sign reading "Let's fight desperately to safeguard Kim."
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