Among those present were Kim Yong Nam, Hwang Pyong So, Pak Pong Ju, Choe Ryong Hae and other senior party, state and army officials and the chairman of the C.C., Korean Social Democratic Party.

Vice Marshal of Korean People's Army Hwang Pyong So, member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the C.C., Workers' Party of Korea, vice-chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK and director of the KPA General Political Bureau, made a report.

The reporter said that Kim Jong Il's election as NDC chairman marked a historic event of epochal significance in the struggle for carving out the destiny of the people and achieving the prosperity of the DPRK.

Kim Jong Il brought about a new turn in building a powerful socialist country under the uplifted banner of Songun in the period of steering overall state affairs, shouldering upon himself the heavy responsibility as NDC chairman, the reporter said, adding:

Under the complicated international political situation, Kim Jong Il firmly adhered to the independent stand and led the DPRK to consistently embody the principle of independence in politics, self-support in the economy and self-reliance in national defence.

He fully equipped the army and people with the revolutionary idea of the party and consolidated the single-minded unity of the leader, the party, the army and the people as firm as a rock, thus building political forces so that the DPRK could maintain a strong independent stand in its activities.

He regarded it as a firm principle to accelerate the building of a powerful socialist country by dint of self-reliance and self-development and made sure that all issues arising in the revolution and construction were solved by our own efforts and with indigenous technology and locally available resources.

He reliably defended the socialist cause with the original Songun politics and turned the DPRK into an invincible military power and nuclear weapons state which no formidable enemy dare attack.

He glorified the DPRK as a socialist state centered on the popular masses, the state governed by the Juche-oriented viewpoint on the people and people's philosophy.

Under his leadership, there came the June 15 era of reunification in which the Koreans were making a dynamic advance, guided by the idea of By our nation itself and the DPRK's international prestige and influence rapidly rose.

His ardent and patriotic desire for a powerful country is being translated into reality under the guidance of respected Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un.

The present era going by the august name of Kim Jong Un will be glorified as the era of great succession in which Kim Jong Il's patriotic desire for a powerful country is coming true in all aspects and the great era of prosperity in which the DPRK steadily prospers and its people's dream and ideal are coming true, the reporter stressed.