Pyongyang, December 19 (KCNA) -- The Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, the WPK Central Military Commission, the National Defence Commission of the DPRK, the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK and the DPRK Cabinet received a message from the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People's Congress, the State Council and the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China on Monday expressing condolences over the demise of leader Kim Jong Il.

The message said:

Upon hearing the shocking news that Kim Jong Il, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK and supreme commander of the Korean People's Army, passed away to our sorrow, we express with bitterest grief most profound condolences and sincerest sympathy to all the Korean people.

Kim Jong Il was the great leader of the WPK and the DPRK. He devoted energy all his life to the great cause of the Korean people for building Korean-style thriving socialist nation and performed immortal historic feats.

Kim Jong Il was a close friend of the Chinese people. It was with great enthusiasm that he carried forward and developed the traditional Sino-DPRK friendship provided and cultivated by the revolutionaries of the elder generation of the two countries, forged close relations with the Chinese leaders and dynamically promoted the steady development of the relations of good neighborliness, friendship and cooperation between China and the DPRK.

The Chinese party, government and people profoundly grieve over the demise of Kim Jong Il and the Chinese people will always miss him.

Though he passed away all of a sudden, he will live in the hearts of the Korean people forever.

We are convinced that the Korean people will overcome sorrow and display strength under the leadership of Kim Jong Un, united close around the WPK, true to the behests of Kim Jong Il, and make uninterrupted advances to build a thriving socialist nation and achieve lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.

China and the DPRK are linked with each other with a mountain and rivers and are sharing weal and woe. It is the consistent policy of the Chinese party and government to steadily consolidate and develop the traditional Sino-DPRK friendly and cooperative relations.

We are convinced that the friendship between the two parties, countries and peoples of China and the DPRK will surely continue to grow stronger thanks to the concerted efforts of both sides.

The Chinese people will as always stand by the side of the Korean people.

Kim Jong Il is immortal.