Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Banquet Given on DPRK Birthday

Korean Central News Agency of DPRK

    Pyongyang, September 10 (KCNA) -- The DPRK government arranged a banquet at the People's Palace of Culture Thursday evening in celebration of the 56th anniversary of the DPRK. Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, said at the banquet that President Kim Il Sung founded the DPRK on the basis of the tradition of building people's power established in the crucible of the anti-Japanese revolution under the banner of the Juche idea, thus enabling the Korean people to become the master of the state and society for the first time in the national history spanning 5,000 years and their country to begin a new history of building a powerful, dignified, independent and sovereign state.
    Today the DPRK is making steady progress at a new high stage of its development glorifying the new era of the Juche revolution, the Songun era, under the experienced and tested leadership of Kim Jong Il, he said, and went on:
    As long as there is the wise Songun leadership of Kim Jong Il, the Korean People's Army and the people will achieve eternal prosperity of the country along the road of Juche despite any challenge of history and the DPRK will shine as a glorious state of Kim Il Sung for all ages.
    The situation on the Korean peninsula has reached a very dangerous line owing to the U.S. extremely hostile policy towards the DPRK and its moves to isolate and stifle the latter.
    The U.S. is continuously shipping modern military equipment into the Korean peninsula and its vicinity behind the curtain of the six-party talks in a desperate bid to put into practice its scenario for a war of aggression against the DPRK according to the "strategy of preemptive attack"
    A preemptive attack is not a monopoly of the U.S.
    We will increase our war deterrent force in every way to foil the reckless strategy of preemptive attack of the U.S. imperialists and will not tolerate any act of infringing upon our sovereignty and national dignity but immediately take legitimate measures for self-defence.
    The U.S. should properly understand the revolutionary will of our army and people, ponder over it and behave itself.
    The DPRK government and people will certainly achieve national reunification through national cooperation under the banner of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration and continue to strengthen the solidarity with all the people of the world advocating independence in the idea of independence, peace and friendship.
    Present at the banquet were senior officials of the Party, state and army and heads of the friendly parties and so on.
    Also present there were overseas compatriots including a congratulatory group of Korean residents in Japan, who came here to celebrate the 56th birthday of the DPRK, and the chief of the Pyongyang Mission of the National Democratic Front of south Korea.
    Present there on invitation were diplomatic envoys of various countries here and foreign guests.