True to his instruction, athletes of the DPRK have won more than 1 400 gold medals in international tournaments, including Olympic Games and world championships, for the last two decades.

Those of the Korean People's Army hoisted the DPRK flag 11 times at the First Military World Games held in Rome in September Juche 84 (1995).

Judoist Kye Sun Hui defeated her Japanese rival to bag a gold medal in the 26th Atlanta Olympiad on July 27, 1996, thus flying the DPRK flag in the United States to delight the people in the homeland celebrating the war victory day.

Jong Song Ok breasted the tape in the women's marathon of the 7th World Track and Field Championships in August 1999 to show the true picture of Songun (military-first) Korea whose people are rallied as one in mind around their leader.

The DPRK bagged 60 gold medals in 2001, 88 in 2002 and more than 90 in 2008.

Its Taekwon-do players snatched nearly 500 gold medals in various international tournaments, including the World Taekwon-Do Championships and the International Martial Arts Games.

In 2012 the DPRK sportspersons proved successful in the London Olympic Games and international tournaments held in China, Myanmar, Kyrgyzstan, Sweden, Poland and other countries.

Last year alone, they won 185 gold medals in such sporting events as judo, weightlifting, wrestling, table-tennis, marathon, boxing, speed skating, diving and gymnastics.