General Secretary Kim Jong Il was present at the session.

It was attended by newly elected deputies to the SPA.

Officials of Party, armed forces and power organs, public organizations, ministries and national institutions and officials in the fields of science, education, culture and arts, public health and media attended it as observers.

The session elected deputy Choe Thae Bok chairman of the SPA, deputies Kim Wan Su and Hong Son Ok vice-chairpersons.

It elected deputy Kim Kuk Thae chairman of the Deputy Credentials Committee of the 12th SPA and six deputies its members.

The session discussed the following agenda items: "1. Election of chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission", "2. Election of the DPRK state leadership body", "3. On adopting the ordinance of the SPA of the DPRK 'On revising and supplementing the Socialist Constitution of the DPRK'" and "4. On the results of the implementation of the DPRK state budget for Juche 97 (2008) and its state budget for Juche 98 (2009)."

Deputy Kim Yong Nam in his speech made on the first agenda item courteously presented to the session of the SPA the proposal of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea and the WPK Central Military Commission to elect Kim Jong Il chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission, reflecting the unanimous will of the whole party and army and all the people.

The proposal representing the ardent desire and unanimous will of all the servicepersons and people was fully supported and seconded by all those present.

The session solemnly declared that Kim Jong Il was elected chairman of the NDC of the DPRK.

The session discussed the second agenda item. Kim Yong Nam was elected president of the Presidium of the SPA of the DPRK.

It elected Yang Hyong Sop and Kim Yong Dae vice-presidents, Kim Yong Ju honorary vice-president, Choe Yong Rim general secretary and Ryu Mi Yong, Kang Yong Sop, Sim Sang Jin, Hong Sok Hyong, Kim Yang Gon, Ri Yong Chol, Kim Pyong Phal, Kang Chang Uk, Ro Song Sil, Pyon Yong Rip and Thae Hyong Chol members of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly.

On the motion of Kim Jong Il, the session elected the first vice-chairman, vice-chairmen and members of the NDC of the DPRK.

Jo Myong Rok was elected first vice-chairman, Kim Yong Chun, Ri Yong Mu and O Kuk Ryol vice-chairmen and Jon Pyong Ho, Kim Il Chol, Paek Se Bong, Jang Song Thaek, Ju Sang Song, U Tong Chuk, Ju Kyu Chang and Kim Jong Gak members of the NDC.

The session elected Kim Yong Il premier of the Cabinet of the DPRK.

The premier of the Cabinet proposed members of the Cabinet and they were appointed with a unanimous approval.

Kwak Pom Gi and Thae Jong Su were appointed as vice-premiers, Ro Tu Chol as vice-premier and concurrently chairman of the State Planning Commission, O Su Yong as vice-premier, Pak Ui Chun as minister of Foreign Affairs, Ju Sang Song as minister of People's Security, Ho Thaek as minister of Electric Power Industry, Kim Hyong Sik as minister of Coal Industry, Kang Min Chol as minister of Mining Industry, Kim Hui Yong as minister of Oil Industry, Kim Thae Bong as minister of Metal Industry, Jo Pyong Ju as minister of Machine-Building Industry, Han Kwang Bok as minister of Electronics Industry, Tong Jong Ho as minister of Construction and Building-Materials Industry, Jon Kil Su as minister of Railways, Ra Tong Hui as minister of Land and Marine Transport, Kim Chang Sik as minister of Agriculture, Ri Mu Yong as minister of Chemical Industry, Ri Ju O as minister of Light Industry, Ri Ryong Nam as minister of Foreign Trade, Kim Kwang Yong as minister of Forestry, Pak Thae Won as minister of Fisheries, Hwang Hak Won as minister of Urban Management, Pak Song Nam as minister of Land and Environmental Conservation, Pae Tal Jun as minister of State Construction Control, Kim Pong Chol as minister of Commerce, Mun Ung Jo as minister of Food Procurement and Administration, Kim Yong Jin as minister of Education, Ryu Yong Sop as minister of Posts and Telecommunications, Kang Nung Su as minister of Culture, Kim Wan Su as minister of Finance, Jong Yong Su as minister of Labour, Choe Chang Sik as minister of Public Health, Kim Ui Sun as minister of State Inspection, Pyon Yong Rip as president of the State Academy of Sciences, Pak Hak Son as chairman of the Physical Culture and Sports Guidance Commission, Ri Kwang Gon as president of the Central Bank, Kim Chang Su as director of the Central Statistical Board, Kim Yong Ho as director of the Secretariat of the Cabinet and Kim Ung Gwan as minister of Capital City Construction.

The session appointed Ri Kil Song as director of the Central Public Prosecutors Office and elected Kim Pyong Ryul president of the Central Court.

The Legislation Committee and the Budget Committee, the panel committees of the SPA, were elected with Ju Sang Song as chairman and Ri Kil Song, Kim Pyong Ryul, Kim Phyong Hae, Song Ja Rip, Pak Kwan O and Kim Yong Il as members and with Pak Nam Gi as chairman and Ri Chol Bong, Hong So Hon, Kye Yong Sam, Mun Myong Hak, Kim Myong Hwan and Jo Hye Suk as members.

The premier of the Cabinet took an oath before deputies to the SPA on behalf of the members of the Cabinet.

Deputy Kim Kuk Thae made a report of the above-said credentials committee at the session, and the session adopted a decision on approving it.

The session discussed the third agenda item and adopted the ordinance of the SPA "On revising and supplementing the Socialist Constitution of the DPRK" with a unanimous approval.

Deputy Kim Wan Su, minister of Finance, delivered a report on the fourth agenda item, which was followed by speeches of deputies.

According to the report, the plans for the revenue from the profits of state enterprises and cooperative organizations, the main source of state budgetary revenue, were overfulfilled and as a result, last year's plan for state budgetary revenue was carried out at 101.6 per cent, an increase of 5.7 per cent over the previous year.

Last year's plan for local budgetary revenue was carried out at 117.1 per cent.

Last year's plan for state budgetary expenditure was implemented at 99.9 per cent and 15.8 per cent of the total expenditure was spent for national defence.

This year's plan for state budgetary revenue is expected to grow 5.2 per cent over last year and the plan for the state budgetary expenditure 7 per cent over last year and a big share of it will be allocated for the development of the national economy and the improvement of the standard of people's living. 15.8 per cent of the total state budgetary expenditure is expected to be spent for national defence.

Speakers said that last year the Cabinet provided a firm financial guarantee for the dynamic advance of all the servicepersons and people to accelerate the building of a great prosperous and powerful nation, thus powerfully demonstrating the validity of the financial policy of the Workers' Party of Korea and the vitality of the DPRK socialist state budget. They evinced their determination to successfully implement the state budget and bring about a signal turn in the efforts to open the gate to a thriving nation and thus glorify this year as a year of a new great revolutionary surge.

The session adopted the decision of the SPA "On approving the results of the implementation of the DPRK state budget for Juche 97 (2008)" and the ordinance of the SPA "On the DPRK state budget for Juche 98 (2009)".