National Memorial Service Held on Third Anniversary of Demise of Kim Jong Il

Pyongyang, December 17 (KCNA) -- A solemn national memorial service was held in Pyongyang on Wednesday, the third anniversary of demise of leader Kim Jong Il.
Present at the service was Kim Jong Un, first secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, first chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK and supreme commander of the Korean People's Army.
Among those present there were Kim Yong Nam, Choe Ryong Hae, Pak Pong Ju, Hwang Pyong So and other senior officials of the party, state and army, chairperson of a friendly party, officials of the party, armed forces and power bodies, social organizations, ministries and national institutions, heroes and those who had the honor of being received by the peerlessly great men of Mt. Paektu and merited persons from across the country, service personnel of the Korean People's Army and the Korean People's Internal Security Forces, bereaved families of the revolutionary martyrs, working people, overseas Koreans and those related to the revolutionary activities of the peerless great men of Mt. Paektu and the chief of the Pyongyang mission of the Anti-Imperialist National Democratic Front.
Present there were foreign diplomatic envoys and representatives of international organizations here, staff members of the military attaches corps here and other foreign guests.
All the participants paid silent tribute in the humblest reverence to Kim Jong Il.
Kim Yong Nam, member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the WPK and president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, made a memorial address.
Kim Jong Il, who was born as a son of the guerillas in the biting cold of the thick forest of Mt. Paektu, hewed the arduous revolution with the soul and spirit of Mt. Paektu till the last moments of his life, accomplishing the greatest cause no one in the world could ever do at that time, Kim Yong Nam said, and went on:
He made a pledge of history to glorify the DPRK, true to the noble intention of President Kim Il Sung, standing on Ryongnam Hill aglow with sunrise in his early years. He regarded it as his lifelong mission to carry forward the President's cause through generations and worked heart and soul to perform it.
He formulated the revolutionary idea of the President as Kimilsungism and indisputably proved its invincibility and truth. He guaranteed the absolute authority and prestige of the President in every way and thoroughly established the President's monolithic ideological system, monolithic leadership system.
Always finding himself on the forefront of the anti-imperialist military confrontation and national defence over more than half a century, he led to steady victories the unheard-of confrontation with imperialism and the U.S., and the battle for defending socialism.
He settled lots of contemporary difficult and complicated problems in a perfect manner and at the best level while steering the historic cause of developing in all fields socialism centered on the popular masses which was set up by the President.
From the very day he embarked upon the road of revolution he always shared joy and sorrow with the service personnel and people. He made ceaseless journeys to mix with the people, going in jumper till the last moments of his life.
He took warm care of revolutionary soldiers and led them forward, regarding them as the most precious revolutionary comrades.
He provided undying ideological and theoretical guidelines promising the everlasting victory for the era of independence and Songun and enriched the treasure house of the history of human thought.
He laid powerful political, military and economic foundations for the rosy future of Songun Korea for all eternity.
It was his greatest exploit on behalf of the country and its people, times and history that he successfully settled the issue of succession to the leadership, the basic issue in accomplishing the revolutionary cause of Juche.
He provided the eternal foundation for the ever-lasting prosperity of the glorious era of Kim Jong Un and sowed seeds for the prosperity of the generations to come. These immortal exploits will shine forever with the triumphant advance of the great Paektusan nation.
Kim Yong Nam called on all the people to dynamically advance towards the final victory of the revolutionary cause of Juche under the wise leadership of Kim Jong Un, holding aloft the unfurled flag bearing the immortal beaming images of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.
Choe Ryong Hae, member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau and secretary of the WPK Central Committee, made a speech to vow loyalty on behalf of the WPK; KPA Vice Marshal Hwang Pyong So, director of the General Political Bureau of the KPA, on behalf of the KPA; and Jon Yong Nam, chairman of the Central Committee of the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League, on behalf of the youth.
They said the revolutionary career and undying feats of Kim Jong Il, who laid eternal foundation for steady victories of the glorious era of Kim Jong Un, leaving unprecedented traces in the history of the nation spanning 5 000 years, are shedding rays as the most precious wealth of Kim Il Sung's Korea.
They called on all the party members, service personnel and people to devotedly implement the last instructions of Kim Jong Il and surely build the great Paektusan nation where his lifelong intention and wishes will come true on this land.
Then the artillery salute boomed in memory of Kim Jong Il.
Memorial services took place in all provinces, cities (districts) and counties and at industrial complexes on Wednesday. -0-