Taking part in the tournament held at Pyongyang Indoor Stadium are more than 500 officials, according to Hong Song Hyon, department director of the C.C., General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea.

Divided into four groups, the tournament will have preliminaries until next Tuesday and semifinals and finals within January next year.

Chairman of the Joint Venture and Investment Commission Ri Kwang Kun, who is participating in the tournament, told KCNA:

"I am pleasant to have won the first match with my rival from the Ministry of Commerce. Most of those present at the tournament are good in playing table-tennis.

The tournament is arousing the officials' sports enthusiasm as it takes place amid the growing public concern for sports.

True to the policy of the Workers' Party of Korea on popularizing physical culture and sports, I will intensify sports activities."