Sun's Day observed

    Pyongyang, April 15 (KCNA) -- Papers today dedicate editorials to the birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung. Rodong Sinmun in an editorial says that Sun's Day is a historic day when the Korean people and progressive humankind greeted the eternal sun of Juche.
    Stressing that Kim Il Sung is a peerlessly great man and the most outstanding statesman representing the 20th century, the editorial continues:
    Kim Il Sung is the most outstanding thinker and theoretician produced by the 20th century and the master of leadership who performed such exploits as winning one victory after another and a great revolutionary saint in the 20th century possessed of extraordinary personality and charisma that fascinated all the people.
    Endowed with gifted wisdom and conducting energetic ideo-theoretical activities, he fathered the immortal Juche idea and made unprecedented history of leadership without making any mistake or failure as far as his line was concerned in nearly 70 years of his revolutionary activities.
    The whole course of his revolutionary activities was replete with total dedication to the country and the people, noble humanity and warm revolutionary comradeship.
    The immortal exploits he performed in the century serve as a precious asset of eternal value as they greatly inspire the Workers' Party of Korea and the Korean people in their advance of socialism under the red flag in the 21st century.
    His idea and exploits also serve as wherewithal of eternal value as they enable the Korean revolution to invariably advance along the road of independence in the 21st century, too, as a sure guarantee for the wpk and the Korean people's thorough implementation of the army-first political line and as an enduring foundation whereby the Korean people can successfully accomplish the cause of building a powerful nation in the 21st century under the guidance of leader Kim Jong Il.
    The advance in the 21st century to put into practice the idea and cause of the president is victoriously advancing under Kim Jong Il's steermanship.
    Kim Jong Il's leadership over the advance in the 21st century provides every way of firmly defending the revolutionary line and principles set forth by the president and successfully putting into practice everything planned by him.
    Referring to the tasks to be carried out to vigorously speed up the advance in the 21st century for the accomplishment of the cause of Juche and the prosperity of the country along the road indicated by the president, the editorial calls for pushing ahead with the revolution and construction as the president did and fully embodying Kim Jong Il's politics and putting into practice his gigantic plan to build a powerful socialist nation in the new century.
    Minju Joson in an editorial calls on all the people to unite close around Kim Jong Il and carry the revolutionary cause of Juche started by the president to completion generation after generation and thus glorify the history of the sun for all ages.

Message to Kim Jong Il from V. Putin

    Pyongyang, April 15 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il received a message from President of the Russian Federation V. Putin today on the occasion of Sun's Day, the birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung. The message reads:
    Esteemed your excellency Kim Jong Il, I extend congratulations to you on Sun's Day, the national holiday of the DPRK.
    I am convinced that the friendly relations between the two countries, whose tradition was provided by President Kim Il Sung, will develop in all fields on the basis of the treaty of friendship, good-neighbourliness and cooperation and in the spirit of the Russia-DPRK joint declaration.
    I wish you a long life in good health and success and the Korean people peace and prosperity.

Letter to Kim Jong Il

    Pyongyang, April 15 (KCNA) -- A letter was presented yesterday to leader Kim Jong Il by the participants in the 8th meeting of the executive committee of the board of directors of the International Institute of the Juche Idea held here. The letter noted that the meeting held on the occasion of Sun's Day, the birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung, was one of great significance as it reviewed the IIJI's work last year and discussed a series of issues of intensifying the study and dissemination of the Juche idea in the new century.
    It pointed out that the participants recollected with deep emotion the outstanding revolutionary feats performed by kim il sung and called on all the organizations for the study of the Juche idea and its followers to conduct tangible activities on the occasion of Sun's Day in 2002, the 90th birth anniversary of the president.
    Through this historic meeting we are firmly convinced that the popular masses' cause of independence is invincible and its final victory is certain, the letter stressed.
    Saying that Kim Jong Il is standing at the head of the dynamic advance of the popular masses for global peace, progress and independence, the letter recalled that the meeting decided to organize a grand world conference on the Juche idea on the February holiday in 2002.

8th meeting of executive committee of board of directors of IIJI closes

    Pyongyang, April 15 (KCNA) -- The 8th meeting of the executive committee of the board of directors of the International Institute of the Juche Idea closed yesterday after its inaugural session here on April 13. That day, the meeting discussed the issue of significantly commemorating Sun's Day in 2002, the birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung, and having grand and meaningful celebrations of the birthday of leader Kim Jong Il (Feb. 16) next year.
    Vishwanath, director general of the IIJI, in his speech on the issue proposed to the meeting an issue of commemorating Sun's Day and celebrating the February holiday next year with a main emphasis on organizing a world conference on the Juche idea on the occasion of February 16 next year and arranging visits of representatives of the organizations for the study of the Juche idea at various levels to the supreme temple of Juche on the occasion of Sun's Day.
    Baguma Isoke, vice-director general of the African Regional Committee for the Study of the Juche Idea, Alva Chavez, secretary general of the Latin American Institute of the Juche Idea, Garib Newaz, executive director general of the Asian Regional Institute of the Juche Idea, and Kim Yong Il, vice-chairman of the Korean Social Scientists Society, and other delegates of the organizations for the study of the Juche idea from different countries in their speeches expressed full support to the proposal.
    A special resolution of the meeting was adopted there.
    The resolution took note of the initiative taken by the organizations for the study of the Juche idea, political parties and organizations of Bangladesh, Peru and other countries to have grand commemorations of Sun's Day and celebrations of the birthday of Kim Jong Il next year as splendid world political festivals.
    It called on all the organizations for the study of the Juche idea on every continent and in all the countries to actively enlarge and strengthen their ranks and work hard to deepen study of the Juche idea and widely disseminate it, and thus make tangible contributions to commemorating Sun's Day in 2002 as a grand world festival.
    It recommended the secretariat of the IIJI to organize visits of representatives of organizations for the study of the Juche idea at various levels to the supreme temple of Juche on the occasion of Sun's Day, 2002, work out a long-term plan and realize them as an annual event and the board of directors of the IIJI to organize a world conference on the Juche idea on the occasion of February 16, 2002.
    A letter to Kim Jong Il was adopted at the meeting.
    Meanwhile, the government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea hosted a reception in honour of the participants in the meeting yesterday.

Kim Yong Nam meets Czechoslovak party delegation

    Pyongyang, April 15 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, member of the political bureau of the central committee of the Workers' Party of Korea and President of the presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, met and conversed with a delegation of the Czechoslovak communist party headed by general secretary of its central committee Miroslav Stepan at the Mansudae Assembly Hall yesterday. Present on the occasion was Ji Jae Ryong, vice department director of the WPK central committee.
    At the meeting Stepan said that Sun's Day, the birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung, is a significant holiday not only for the Korean people but also for the world revolutionary people and that the president was a great man who greatly contributed to the Korean and world revolution.
    The revolutionary cause started by the president is being successfully carried forward to completion by leader Kim Jong Il, who wisely leads the Korean revolution with his unique army-first politics, he said.

Joint art performances given by participants in April Spring Friendship Art Festival

    Pyongyang, April 15 (KCNA) -- Joint performances of the 19th April Spring Friendship Art Festival were given at theatres and halls here on April 13 and 14. Foreign artistes and Korean artistes put on stages choruses songs, dances, instrumental music and other colorful numbers representing the longing for president kim il sung, the sun.
    The state academy ensemble of the Ministry of Interior of Russia and a Mongolian troupe of famous actors and actresses sang the immortal revolutionary paean "Song of General Kim Il Sung" in chorus, deeply touching the audience.
    "Song of Peace and Freedom" written and composed by Pilar Garcia Idalgo who is heading a Spanish art troupe, "Our Mind is One" by Naim Hamdy, a Syrian soloist, and other works highly praised the immortal revolutionary feats and noble traits of Kim Il Sung.
    Foreign artistes successfully presented "Song of General Kim Jong Il" representing boundless respect and reverence for leader Kim Jong Il.
    Put on stages were "Cantata to Marshal Kim Il Sung" by a male soloist of an art troupe of the Japan-Korea Society for Musical and Artistic Interchange, "Mt. Paektu is the native home of revolution" by a male soloist of a Mongolian art troupe, "Song of Comradeship" by a male soloist of a Vietnamese musicians' group and many other Korean songs.
    "Dance with Bowls" by a Chinese art troupe, chorus "Just War" by the state academy ensemble of the Ministry of Interior of Russia, an instrumental quartet by a Slovak folk musical company and other colorful numbers by foreign artistes truthfully represented the noble spiritual world of their people and their love for countries and diligent and optimistic work.
    Joint art performances continue.

14th Int'l Marathon Race for Mangyongdae Cup held

    Pyongyang, April 15 (KCNA) -- The 14th International Marathon race for Mangyongdae Cup took place here today. The race has been an annual event since Juche 70 (1981) to commemorate Sun's Day, the birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung.
    It is sponsored by the DPRK athletic association on the principle of the international amateur athletic federation.
    The race brought together over 500 men and women athletes from over 20 countries including China, Russia, Kenya, the United States and the DPRK.
    Kenyan boy and Korean girl separately placed first at the race last year.
    The athletes were warmly welcomed by citizens along the route.
    The standings of the race are as follows:
    Man
    1. Kim Jung Won (DPRK) 2 hours 11 minutes 48 seconds 2. Song Yong Ho (DPRK) 3. Eshetu Bekelle (Ethiopia)
    Woman
    1. JongYyong Ok (DPRK) 2 hours 28 minutes 32 seconds 2. Ham Pong Sil (DPRK) 3. Jo Pun Hui (DPRK)

Greetings to Fidel Castro Ruz

    Pyongyang, April 15 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il today sent a message of greetings to Fidel Castro Ruz, first secretary of the central committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (CPC), on the occasion of the 40th founding anniversary of the party. The message reads:
    I extend warm congratulations and fraternal greetings to you, the central committee of the CPC and all the members of the party and the people of Cuba on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the party.
    Over the last 40 years the CPC has achieved great successes in its struggle to defend the sovereignty of the country and push ahead with socialist construction despite the imperialists' vicious moves for aggression, interference and blockade.
    Believing that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two parties would as ever grow stronger and develop through the joint struggle for independence and socialism against imperialism, I wish you fresh success in your noble work.