N. Korean leader attends fireworks display to honor Kim Il-sung

SEOUL, April 15 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-il on Wednesday attended a fireworks display to mark the 97th birthday of his late father and founder of the communist country.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Kim watched the fireworks that took
place in Pyongyang along with "countless" numbers of citizens who cheered the
leader.
April 15 is the birthday of Kim Il-sung and celebrated as the "Day of Sun" in the
Stalinist country. The elder Kim founded the Democratic People's Republic of
Korea, (North Korea) in 1948 and ruled it until his death in 1994.
The KCNA said the North Korean leader "warmly greeted" the cheering crowd who
gathered along the Taedong River that flows through the North Korean capital.
It added other high ranking officials, including Kim Yong-nam, the chairman of
the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly were present at the ceremony.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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