*** TOPIC OF THE WEEK (Part 1)

N. Korea Marks WPK Anniversary in Ordinary Scale without National Meeting

SEOUL (Yonhap) -- To mark the 66th anniversary of the foundation of its ruling party on Oct. 10, North Korea emphasized the "great achievements" of the North's founding president Kim Il-sung and his son and current leader Kim Jong-il, deeply eulogizing their "juche" (self-reliance) doctrine and "songun" (military-first) politics.

   This year's anniversary for the Workers' Party of (North) Korea (WPK) was small in scale compared to previous years, but a number of events and festivals were still held in Pyongyang and other cities across the country.

   Against public expectation, this year the socialist country did not hold a national meeting where leading figures of the nation delivered messages to the nation.

   Usually the country holds a national meeting in Pyongyang on the eve of its main national holidays, such as the foundation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (the official name for North Korea) on Sept. 9.

   Just a month ago, the North held a military parade on the 63rd anniversary of the nation's founding on Sept. 9, with both Kim Jong-il and his heir-apparent son Kim Jong-un in attendance.

   The ruling party's anniversary is another of North Korea's most-celebrated holidays, along with the birthdays of the late national founder Kim Il-sung, and his son and current leader Kim Jong-il.

   According to media reports, the capital city of Pyongyang was in a festive mood for the party anniversary this year. Streets were decorated with WPK and national flags, red banners and placards reading, "Celebration of October 10," and, "Great Party, Motherly Party."

   North Korean officials visited the Kumsusan Memorial Palace, where the embalmed body of the North's founder, Kim Il-sung, lies in state, according to the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

   A floral basket in the joint names of the Central Committee and the Central Military Commission of the WPK, the National Defense Commission of the DPRK (North Korea) and the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly and the Cabinet of the DPRK was placed before a statue of Kim Il-sung.

   The KCNA said participants paid their respects to Kim Il-sung, who developed the WPK into a powerful guiding force of the revolution and an invincible vanguard organization.

   Ordinary North Koreans also laid baskets of flowers at statues of Kim Il-sung across the country while paying their respects. "Many people visited statues of President Kim Il-sung on Ryongnam Hill and in other places of the city with floral baskets and bunches in their hands," according to the KCNA. "The Party Founding Museum and the Party Founding Memorial Tower were crowded with people."

   Dance performances by youth and students were held in the capital and other cities, while other performances were given at the central and local theaters to celebrate the party's anniversary.

   The Mansudae Art Troupe and the State Folk Art Troupe gave concerts at the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre, the National Symphony Orchestra at the Moranbong Theatre and the orchestra of the Yunisang Music Institute at the Yunisang Concert Hall in the city, the KCNA said.

   State-run newspapers praised the WPK editorially. Rodong Sinmun, the organ of the ruling party, said the WPK blazed a new trail for the construction of the revolutionary party in the era of independence under the leadership of Kim Il-sung.

   The WPK is the only party in the world which constantly adheres to its ideology and nature as they were at the time of its foundation. It has welcomed the golden days of its development under the leadership of Kim Jong-il, the paper said.

   "The WPK conference last year fully showed before the world that the WPK has secured a fundamental guarantee for the accomplishment of the ideas and cause of Kim Il-sung," it reported.

   Just days before the WPK anniversary, North Korea stressed the "historic significance of the WPK Conference last year, in which Kim Jong-un was named vice chairman of the WPK's Central Military Commission."

   The KCNA said, "It was of great significance in developing the WPK eternally as the party of Kim Il-sung and providing a definite guarantee for dynamically promoting the revolutionary cause of Juche (Kim Il-sung's doctrine of self-reliance) and the building of a thriving socialist nation.

   "After the conference, public trust in the headquarters of the revolution has been deepened and the determination to unfailingly build a powerful socialist nation has become steadfast among the Korean people."

   The KCNA said the historic conference of the Workers' Party of Korea "shines as an important event that provided a landmark of an epochal turn in strengthening the party and accomplishing the revolutionary cause of Juche."

   Last year, Kim Jong-il's youngest son, Kim Jong-un, came into the spotlight for his first appearance at a massive military parade, after he was named a four-star general and given the No. 2 title in the party's powerful Central Military Commission headed by his father.

   In South Korea, however, several dozens of North Korean defectors marked the party's 66th anniversary by floating tens of thousands of anti-Pyongyang leaflets from the South Korean side of the heavily fortified border with North Korea under balloons. They brushed off the North's latest threats of retaliation against what it termed their "psychological warfare."

   For years, defectors and other South Korean activists have sent leaflets condemning North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and calling for an uprising against him across the shared border.

   Just a day earlier, North Korea had threatened to launch "direct fire" against South Korea over such propaganda leaflets, calling their release "an undisguised war action."

   The North has bristled at any outside criticism of its leader and has made similar verbal threats against the South before. "The scattering of leaflets is not a simple provocation, but an undisguised war action against fellow countrymen," the KCNA said in a report.

   Meanwhile, North Korean leader Kim Jong-il enjoyed an October Concert entitled, "We Will Travel One Road Forever," given by the Unhasu Orchestra to celebrate the anniversary of the WPK, according to KCNA on Oct. 11.

   "Kim Jong-il expressed great satisfaction over the fact that the creators and artistes of the orchestra presented a splendid concert rich in ideological content and high in artistry, as it truthfully represented the aspiration and desire of the Korean people by displaying the revolutionary creative spirit," the news agency said.

   Also among the audience were senior officials of party and armed forces organs, including Kim Jong-un and other party and military figures including Ri Yong-ho, Kim Ki-nam, Choe Thae-bok, Kim Kyong-hui, Jang Song-thaek and Kim Jong-gak.

   The news agency also reported on Oct. 11 that Kim Jong-il provided field guidance to the Tudan Duck Farm, where he said the farm has "a long history that is associated with the warm loving care of President Kim Il-sung for the people."

   He was accompanied by Kim Kyong-hui, a member of the Political Bureau and department director of the Central Committee of the WPK; Jang Song-thaek, an alternate member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the WPK and vice chairman of the NDC; Mun Kyong-dok, an alternate member of the Political Bureau and secretary of the Central Committee of the WPK and chief secretary of the Pyongyang City Committee of the WPK; and Pak Pong-ju, first-vice department director of the WPK Central Committee.

   Meanwhile, the KCNA reported on Oct. 12 that a banquet for the party's anniversary was held in Pyongyang by the WPK's Central Committee and Central Military Commission, with Kim Jong-il and Kim Jong-un in attendance.

   The KCNA said Ri Yong-ho, vice chairman of the CMC, made a congratulatory speech at the banquet, but did not elaborate on details of his speech and venue of the party.

   "Kim Jong-il warmly acknowledged enthusiastic cheers of the participants and heartily congratulated them who have devoted themselves to the effort for the development of the WPK and the prosperity of the country," the KCNA said.

  (END)