Official Statement of International Preparatory Committee for “Gathering 2017-Praise to the Great Persons of Mt Paektu”

January 8, 2017

Organizations and individuals from all walks of life in various countries across the world, who aspire to genuine international justice and sustainable peace and prosperity, greeted the auspicious year of 2017 in great joy and festivity.

This year is a meaningful year in which we mark the 105^th birthday and 75^th birthday of President KIM IL SUNG and His Excellency KIM JONG IL respectively, who have made undying contributions to freedom and independence of Korea and its prosperity and development, and to accomplishment of the cause of global independence, and the 5^th anniversary of election of His Excellency KIM JONG UN, who is faithfully carrying forward the cause of leaders of preceding generations, into the highest post of the party and the state of Korea.

International Preparatory Committee for “Gathering 2017-Praise to the Great Persons of Mt Paektu” , in its inaugural ceremony held last year in October, decided to hold an international grand gathering in praise of peerlessly great persons in Mt Paektu area and Pyongyang in August this year, a month which is associated with exploits of President KIM IL SUNG for Korea’ s liberation and feats of His Excellency KIM JONG IL for Songun leadership.

In order to fully demonstrate the boundless admiration of the world’s progressive peoples towards the peerlessly great persons of Mt Paektu and to glorify their greatness and immortal exploits for good, International Preparatory Committee declares as follows;

We shall erect the Monument to the Great Persons of Mt Paektu in Mt Paektu area which is deeply associated with the immortal exploits of the peerlessly great persons of Mt Paektu.

President KIM IL SUNG, His Excellency KIM JONG IL, and His Excellency                      KIM JONG UN are enjoying the boundless admiration of the world’s progressive peoples as the great persons of Mt Paektu and the Sun of mankind along with Mt Paektu, which is the symbol and spirit of Korea.

We shall magnificently erect the Monument to the Great Persons of Mt Paektu on occasion of the forthcoming event, reflecting the ardent desire and inflexible will of progressive mankind to accomplish the cause of global independence by upholding noble intentions of the peerlessly great persons.

International Preparatory Committee will be in charge of erection of the monument, and entrusts the Korean Preparatory Committee with its practical arrangements.

International Preparatory Committee for “Gathering 2017-Praise to the Great Persons of Mt Paektu” would like to take this opportunity to call upon all the progressive peoples of the world, including the preparatory committees across the world, friendship and solidarity organizations with the Korean people, international democratic organizations and individuals from various circles to actively participate in erection of the Monument to the Great Persons of Mt Paektu.

We shall hold the future events in praise of the great persons of Mt Paektu under the name of  “International Festival in Praise of the Great Persons of Mt Paektu”, adding sequence numbers into its title.

The progressive peoples of the world have made visits to the scared place of the Sun on regular basis, highly praising the peerlessly great persons, in compliance with Declaration of Mt Paektu issued at the “Gathering to Greet the Sun of the 21^st Century” held in 2002 on occasion of the 60^th birth anniversary of the great His Excellency KIM JONG IL.

Reflecting the unanimous desire of the world’s progressive peoples to immortalize the august name and exploits of the peerlessly great persons by organizing and holding an event in praise of the great persons of Mt Paektu more splendidly as a regular international event, we shall indicate sequence numbers of the event, while naming the future event as “International Festival in Praise of the Great Persons of Mt Paektu”.

In this respect, “Gathering 2017-Praise to the Great Persons of Mt Paektu” will be  the 5^th International Festival in Praise of the Great Persons of Mt Paektu, according to the sequence order of events held in praise of the great persons so far.

Erection of the Monument to the Great Persons of Mt Paektu and the International Festival will be momentous events of historic significance in fully demonstrating to the entire world the boundless admiration and respect of the world’s progressive peoples towards the peerlessly great persons.

International Preparatory Committee will fully discharge its responsibility and duty in marking this year as the meaningful year of a turning point in the activities of progressive mankind to praise the revolutionary lives and greatness of the great persons of Mt Paektu, who have accumulated the undying feats in the accomplishment of the cause of global independence.

Preparatory committees for “Gathering 2017-Praise to the Great Persons of Mt Paektu” in various countries, friendship and solidarity organizations with the Korean people, and international democratic organizations shall advance vigorously towards the grand festival of August, enveloping the whole world with seething enthusiasm for praising the great persons of Mt Paektu.

 International Preparatory Committee for

“Gathering 2017-Praise to the Great Persons of Mt Paektu”