Present there were senior party, army and state officials, the chairperson of a friendly party, deputies to the Supreme People's Assembly, leading officials of party, armed forces and power organs, public organizations, ministries and national institutions, anti-Japanese revolutionary fighters, servicepersons of the Korean People's Army, former unconverted long-term prisoners who are pro-reunification patriots, officials in the fields of science, education, culture and arts, public health and media, heroes and heroines, persons of merit, congratulatory groups, delegations and visiting groups of overseas Koreans, compatriots and the chief of the Pyongyang mission of the Anti-Imperialist National Democratic Front.

Present there on invitation were diplomatic envoys of foreign countries and representatives of international organizations here, delegations of different countries and foreign guests now staying in the DPRK.

Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, said in his speech at the banquet that over the last more than six decades the DPRK has recorded a history of glorious struggles and victories and a history of gigantic creations and changes; it has defended the independence and sovereignty of the country and built rich and powerful and prosperous Korean-style socialism, weathering the grim tempest of the revolution under the leadership of President
Kim Il Sung and the great party.

Recalling that Kim Il Sung built the best independent socialist state centered on the popular masses on this land and wisely led it, regarding believing in people as in Heaven as the basic idea of nation-building and independence as the life and soul of the country and the nation, and thus laid powerful political, military and economic foundations for accomplishing the revolutionary cause of Juche, the speaker noted that this constitutes a precious and immortal exploit performed by the President for the growth and development of the DPRK and the bright future of the country and the nation.

Kim Yong Nam said that under the ever-victorious Songun guidance of

General Secretary Kim Jong Il the DPRK has ushered in a great heyday of prosperity, exalting the dignity and might of Kim Il Sung's Korea generation after generation.

The DPRK will more strikingly demonstrate to the whole world its dignity and might as glorious
Kim Il Sung's Korea, a thriving socialist power shining with Juche and Songun thanks to the outstanding Songun revolutionary leadership of Kim Jong Il, the single-minded unity of all the servicepersons and people rallied close around the headquarters of the revolution and their inexhaustible mental power and the firm military guarantee provided by the invincible revolutionary army of Mt. Paektu.