Pyongyang celebrates key anniversary

PYONGYANG — The Democratic People's Republic of Korea held a grand celebration on Thursday in Pyongyang as the country marked the 70th anniversary of the victory in its Fatherland Liberation War (1950-53), state media reported on Thursday.

Kim Jong-un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, enjoyed the performance staged by art troupes, social and military art troupes and artists and students of art education institutions during the celebrations, according to the Korean Central News Agency.

Li Hongzhong, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, also attended the event.

Li said in a speech at the event that China is ready to promote the sound and stable development of relations with the DPRK, the report said.

Kim, who had talks with Li before the performance, said the DPRK people will never forget the efforts of soldiers of the Chinese People's Volunteers, or CPV, adding that the DPRK's ruling party and the country will strive to further strengthen the friendship and solidarity with the Chinese people.

The war is known in China as the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea.

More than 2 million CPV soldiers fought alongside the DPRK army in the conflict. Nearly 180,000 of them were killed, with most buried in the DPRK or the Republic of Korea.

The Russian delegation, led by Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, also attended Thursday's celebrations.

Kim met with Shoigu and discussed military issues and the regional security environment with him, KCNA said. The state media also said they reached a consensus on unspecified "matters of mutual concern in the field of national defense and security and on the regional and international security environment".

In China's Jilin province, commemoration events, including song and dance performances and a photo exhibition, were held on Thursday to pay tribute to CPV heroes in the city of Ji'an, where the first troops of CPV crossed the border to fight alongside the army of the DPRK against US aggression.

Agencies - Xinhua