calendar>>April 23. 2013 Juch 102

Anniversary of Kim Jong Il's Election as NDC Chairman Marked by Britons

Pyongyang, April 23 (KCNA) -- The British Association for the Study of Songun Policy, the British Group for the Study of the Juche Idea and the British Branch of the Korean Friendship Association marked the 20th anniversary of general secretary Kim Jong Il's election as chairman of the National Defence Commission (NDC) of the DPRK.

They released a joint statement on April 7.

The statement said Kim Jong Il was elected chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission on April 9, 20 years ago.

This was an expression of all the Korean people's absolute trust in him, the statement said.

It added that he wisely led the cause of army-building of Juche and formulated the Songun politics as a basic political mode under socialism.

Toward the end of the last century he defended socialism despite the worst adversity blamed on the imperialists' moves to stifle the DPRK and a succession of natural disasters that hit the country, demonstrating the dignity and honor of Korea, the statement stressed, adding:

Kim Jong Il also brought about a great victory in the battle minus gunfire with the U.S. imperialists who tried to stifle the DPRK over its nuclear issue.

It was thanks to his wise guidance that the DPRK could emerge as a military power and a nuclear weapons state.

He is alive as eternal chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission for his huge exploits, the statement said.

It expressed deep respects to him.