Present there were senior party and state officials, including Kim Yong Nam and Choe Yong Rim, chairpersons of friendly parties, officials of party, armed forces and power organs, the Cabinet, working people's organizations, ministries and national institutions, service personnel of the Korean people's Army and the Korean People's Internal Security Forces, officials in the fields of science, education, literature and arts, public health and media and meritorious persons.

Attending it were delegations of overseas Koreans including a delegation of Koreans in Japan, overseas compatriots and the chief of the Pyongyang mission of the Anti-Imperialist National Democratic Front.

Present there on invitation were diplomatic envoys of different countries, representatives of international organizations, members of the military attaches corps here and their wives and foreign guests.

A speech was made by Kim Ki Nam, member of the Political Bureau and secretary of the C.C., the Workers' Party of Korea.

The speaker referred to the fact that Generalissimo Kim Jong Il led the Korean revolution and the human cause of independence for a long period, performing immortal exploits on behalf of the country and its people, the times and the history.

He called upon everybody to advance straight along the road of independence, Songun and socialism to the last under the uplifted banner of immortal Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism, while holding Kim Jong Il in high esteem as the eternal leader of the WPK and revolution.

He called for bringing about a decisive turn in the efforts to increase the militant might of the WPK in every way and achieve a final victory in the drive for the building of a thriving nation, in hearty response to the New YearAddress made by Kim Jong Un and his important speech at the 4th Conference of Cell Secretaries of the WPK.