The statement said:

Kim Il Sung embarked on the road of revolution in his teens and hewed out a new road of the Korean revolution and led the struggle for the independence of the country and people's liberation to victory in his twenties.

He, who brought about miracles and victories to the DPRK decade after decade, was the great sun of the revolution.

He built Pyongyang, which was reduced to ashes by the U.S. imperialists, as a modern city after war and turned the DPRK into a socialist power, independent in politics, self-supporting in economy and self-reliant in national defence in a short period.

Kim Il Sung was a distinguished leader of the world revolution who led the cause of socialism and human cause of independence to victory.

He strengthened and developed the DPRK into a socialist fortress, unfazed by the collapse of socialism in the eastern European countries and set forth ways for defending and advancing socialism.

He will always live as the sun who brightly indicates the way ahead of the era and humankind.

I extend warm congratulations to the Korean people marking the centenary of the birth of Kim Il Sung.