[2017-04-18]









A military parade and Pyongyang mass demonstration took place at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang on April 15 in celebration of the 105th anniversary of the birth of President Kim Il Sung.
Amid the playing of welcoming music, Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, chairman of the DPRK State Affairs Commission and supreme commander of the Korean People's Army, appeared on the platform.
He warmly waved back to the cheering crowds.
The guard of honour and general military band of the KPA held a rite to signal the start of the event.
Then the flags of the DPRK and the WPK were hoisted.
The Minister of the People’s Armed Forces reported to DPRK Marshal Kim Jong Un that they would start the military parade.
Then the bugle call reverberated through the square before a 21-gun salute was fired.
Choe Ryong Hae, member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee, vice-chairman of the DPRK State Affairs Commission and vice-chairman of the WPK Central Committee, delivered a congratulatory speech.
He referred to the large-scale military parade and mass demonstration as a proud report of loyalty the descendants of Kim Il Sung and the soldiers and disciples of Kim Jong Il present to the great leaders while carrying on their sacred revolutionary cause without an inch of deflection. He also said it was a momentous success that the DPRK tremendously built up the self-reliant defence associated with the whole lives of the President and the Chairman, adding that at this plaza the Korean people can rightly pride themselves on being fully ready to mercilessly crush the enemy’s nukes of tyranny by dint of the nuclear weapons of justice impregnated with their precious blood and sweat.
Then the flags bearing the beaming images of the great leaders entered the square, escorted by KPA officers.
As the military parade started, the columns representing the periods of the anti-Japanese armed struggle, the building of regular armed forces and the Fatherland Liberation War marched past in fine array.
The columns also included those of guards units including the Seoul Guards 3rd Infantry Division and the Navy, Air and Anti-aircraft Force, Strategic Force and special operations corps, large combined units and infantry divisions at the first echelon of frontline army corps.
The columns of military schools including Kim Il Sung Military University were followed by those of revolutionary schools including Mangyongdae Revolutionary School.
The Supreme Leader raised his hand in salute as the paraders strode past, shouting “Hurrah!”
The columns of Worker-Peasant Red Guards of Pyongyang and provinces, Young Red Guards and such universities as Kim Il Sung University walked past in high spirits with the firm determination to fully demonstrate their heroic mettle in national defence and the building of a powerful socialist country.
Military aircraft flew past the air above the square forming the shape of “105” representing the birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung, and setting off fireworks.
There then came the columns of motorized units flexing the muscles of the powerful revolutionary army of Paektusan.
Preceded by the command vehicles, tanks and other armoured vehicles, artillery and rockets of the services entered the venue flying the flags of the Workers’ Party of Korea, the DPRK and the supreme commander.
The rocket columns of the Strategic Force advanced dynamically, demonstrating its might as a force which was founded thanks to the outstanding foresight, courageous determination and devotion of the great leaders and strengthened both in quantity and quality under the uplifted banner of simultaneous promotion of the two fronts.
The military parade culminated with the lively procession of the military band and the flight of combat flying corps leaving coloured vapour trails behind.
It was followed by the mass demonstration of Pyongyang people.
Demonstrators of all social strata marched through the plaza, along with floats embossed with and slogan boards bearing such words as “Eternal Sun of Juche”, “Highest honour to the great leaders!”, “Towards victory of socialism!”, “With the great spirit of self-reliance and self-development as the dynamic force!” and “Led by Marshal Kim Jong Un, Korean socialism emerges victorious”.
After the demonstration was over, thunderous cheers rocked heaven and earth once again as fireworks were set off and balloons released.
The Supreme Leader went out to the balcony of the platform to acknowledge the cheers of crowds.
 
KCNA