Korea, WPK Celebrates 55th Founding Anniversary (10-10-2000)

(2000 The People's Korea)

Photo shows General Secretary Kim Jong Il and senior party, state and military officials at the platform of the ceremony.

A mass gymnastics display and an art performance are held in the May Day Stadium on Oct. 12, participated in by 100,000 Pyongyangites.

Showing their strong confidence in construction of a powerful socialist nation, the Korean people celebrated the 55th anniversary of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) in an unprecedented festive mood with colorful signs and slogans. It was marked by military parades, mass demonstrations and a variety of ceremonies and events.

With relations between the DPRK and the U.S. dramatically improving in Washington, the Party’s 55th birthday celebrations were held nationwide, marked by a grand parade, an evening gala, a gigantic gymnastic display and various kinds of congratulatory meetings.

In a mood of reconciliation between north and south Korea after the historic inter-Korean Pyongyang summit in June, 42 south Korean delegates, including representatives of civic and religious groups, were invited to attend the ceremony for the first time.

General Secretary Kim Jong Il appeared at the platform of the ceremony. Accompanying Kim Jong Il at the meeting were Kim Yong Nam, Kim Yong Ju, Pak Song Chol, Hong Song Nam and other senior party and state officials, commanders of the Korean People’s Army and leading officials of working people’s organizations. Diplomatic envoys and members of the corps of military attaches and foreign guests also attended the founding ceremony.

Vice Marshal Kim Yong Chun, chief of the general staff of the KPA, made a speech at military and civilian parades. “Let’s fight to realize socialism based on ‘Juche’ and national reunification, with belief in victory and revolutionary optimism in accordance with the Workers’ Party principles,” he said.

The 55th anniversary of the WPK is “a grand proud festival of victors who have overcome the unprecedented ‘arduous march’ and the forced march under the leadership of the great Kim Jong Il,” said Rodong Sinmun, organ of the WPK, in its editorial. On the WPK’s founding anniversary, General Secretary Kim Jong Il, accompanied by high-ranking official, also visited the Kumsusan Memorial Palace in Pyongyang to pay homage to the late President Kim Il Sung. All the paraders pledged their loyalty to Kim Jong Il and the ruling WPK, shouting slogans “Kim Jong Il,” “priority to defense” and “national reunification.”