Politics

The Third People's Art Festival in Celebration of February 16 opened in the DPRK to mark the 84th birth anniversary of Chairman Kim Jong Il.

The festival, divided into the categories of mobile artistic motivational teams and art groups, will be held at theatres and halls in the capital city and regions with the attendance of the team and group members selected from Pyongyang and local areas.

An opening ceremony took place at the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre on February 13.

Present there were Ri Il Hwan, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Jon Kyong Chol, deputy department director of the WPK Central Committee, officials concerned, the festival participants and working people in Pyongyang.

Minister of Culture Sung Jong Gyu, chairman of the festival organizing committee, made an opening address.

He declared the opening of the festival after expressing belief that through the festival all the participants would highly praise the immortal exploits of the peerlessly great man and powerfully encourage all the people in the struggle to bring earlier the era of comprehensive prosperity of the state, rallied firmly behind the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un with patriotism.

The flag of the festival was hoisted amid the playing of the song "Shine, Jong Il Peak".

Then there was an opening performance by artistes of the Mansudae Art Troupe and other national art troupes.

Performances of the festival were given at theatres and halls across the country on the same day.