A kick-off ceremony took place in front of the statues of President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il in Hyesan City of Ryanggang Province Sunday.

The participants laid a floral basket and bouquets at the statues and paid homage to the great leaders.

Making a report at the ceremony, Kim Ki Nam, vice-chairman of the C.C., Workers' Party of Korea, said:

Respected Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, who kindled the hot wind of education in the revolutionary traditions across the country, made sure that the party information workers directly responsible for the party ideological work could visit the area of Mt Paektu on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the historic victorious Pochonbo battle.

The expedition will be an important occasion in learning more about Mt Paektu which represents the spirit and stamina of Songun Korea and inspiring the army and people to the drive for devotedly defending the leader and implementing the party's idea by conducting the party ideological work exactly the way the anti-Japanese guerrillas did.

At the end of the ceremony, they looked round the Monument to the Victorious Battle of Pochonbo and the Ryanggang Provincial Revolutionary Museum.