Among them are 150-odd gold medals, which mean an increase of 3.6 times the figure of last year.

Its sportspersons showed their indomitable spirit and fortitude in every international tournament, true to the Workers' Party of Korea's intention to turn the country into a sports power.

The DPRK women's football team won the 2013 East Asian Cup, bringing a great joy to the local people celebrating the 60th anniversary of the victory in the great Fatherland Liberation War (July 27).

In this regard FIFA through its website praised the DPRK team as the strongest in East Asia. And China's Beijing Daily said in an article that the DPRK sportspersons have a strong sense of obligation to their country and have made utmost efforts in the games to show the strength of the DPRK, startling the world people.

DPRK weightlifter Om Yun Chol set a new world record with a lift of 169 kg in clean-and-jerk at the 2013 Asian Cup and Interclub Junior and Senior Weightlifting Championship held here.

Paddlers Kim Hyok Bong and Kim Jong came first in the mixed doubles of the 52nd ITTF World Championships, wrestler Yun Won Chol in the men's greco-roman 55 kg category of the 2013 World Wrestling Championship and judoist Sol Kyong in the women's 78kg category of the 2013 World Judo Championship.

The DPRK players also took titles at the 14th Asian Marathon Championship, the 2013 World Youth Weightlifting Championship and the 8th Asian Acrobatic Gymnastic Championship.

All these achievements are attributable to the energetic guidance of supreme leader Kim Jong Un, who frequently watched training and matches of sportspersons and showed warm care for the winners of international games and their coaches.

Under his careful guidance over the nation's sports development, the DPRK sportspersons will prove more successful in future international tournaments.