Among the audience were Kim Ki Nam, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Hong Kwang Sun, minister of Culture, An Tong Chun, chairman of the Central Committee of the General Federation of the Unions of Art and Literature, creators, artistes, media persons and people in the city.

General Secretary Kim Jong Il said that the light comedy "An Echo among the Hills" produced early in the 1960s still has great vitality though half a century has passed since its production. And he instructed the National Theatrical Troupe to reproduce the comedy and perform it before full houses.

After watching the comedy for the fourth time in March last year, he expressed great satisfaction over the fact that the creators and artistes of the troupe staged the comedy 303rd times, something unprecedented in the history of literature and arts, and assigned it the task to stage it 500 times in the future.

The comedy has been staged in Pyongyang and provincial capitals including Kanggye, Hamhung, Wonsan, Phyongsong, Haeju and Hyesan for little over two years, mesmerizing audiences.

More than 400,000 service personnel of the Korean People's Army and people have watched the comedy.

Watching the comedy which vividly and truthfully represents a farm village at that time with laughter and witty humor, audiences clearly realized the noble spiritual world, lofty idea and indomitable fighting spirit of the people in the era of Chollima who raced against time with patriotic devotion to the prosperity of the country.