Present there on invitation were delegations and delegates of various countries and regions and international democratic organizations and personages of various circles that are participating in the above-said festival.

Present there were Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Kim Ki Nam, vice-chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea who is honorary chairman of the International Preparatory Committee for Gathering 2017-Praise to the Great Persons of Mt Paektu, Ri Su Yong, vice-chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Lawmaker Madav Kumar Nepal, former prime minister of Nepal and honorary chairman of the International Preparatory Committee for Gathering 2017-Praise to the Great Persons of Mt Paektu, co-chairpersons of the preparatory committee of the gathering, vice-chairman of the Korean Preparatory Committee for the gathering, and others.

Kim Jong Suk, chairwoman of the Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries who is chairwoman of the Korean Preparatory Committee for Gathering 2017-Praise to the Great Persons of Mt Paektu, spoke there.

She said that the 5th International Festival in Praise of the Great Persons of Mt Paektu is being held with splendor as the international great gathering for praising the peerlessly great persons.

She noted that the Korean people would certainly build a reunified and prosperous great Paektusan nation under the guidance of respected Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un and dynamically advance toward the rosy future of humankind with the world progressives.

Anders Kristensen, chairman of the Denmark-DPRK Friendship Association who is co-chairman of the International Preparatory Committee for Gathering 2017-Praise to the Great Persons of Mt Paektu, took the floor.

He said that HE Kim Il Sung and HE Kim Jong Il were the peerless statesmen and outstanding leaders possessed of rare ideological and theoretical wisdom, tested guidance and noble virtues.

He noted that he would extend full support and solidarity to the Korean people's just cause, always bearing in mind reverence for the great men in the future, too.