14th International Figure-skating Festival for Paektusan Cup Opens
Korean Central News Agency of DPRK
Pyongyang, February 16 (KCNA) -- The 14th International Figure-skating Festival for Paektusan Cup opened here to mark the birthday of leader Kim Jong Il.
An opening ceremony of the festival took place at the Ice Rink on Tuesday.
Present at the ceremony were Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Kim Jung Rin, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, and officials concerned.
Nam Sung U, vice-chairman of the Central Standing Committee of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon), other overseas Koreans and staff members of foreign embassies here were also present there.
Figure-skaters from the DPRK, China, Russia, Romania, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Belarus, Switzerland, Ukraine and Chongryon entered the ice rink amid the warm welcome of the spectators.
Mun Jae Dok, chairman of the Physical Culture and Sports Guidance Commission, in his address said that the festival under way to celebrate the February holiday is a sports festival in praise of a great man as it reflects the unanimous desire and will of humankind to significantly celebrate the birthday of Kim Jong Il.
The festival is an annual event publicly recognized as a sports festival, he noted, warmly welcoming figure-skaters from different countries.
Excellent figure-skaters from the DPRK and various other countries were introduced at the ceremony.
Then it was followed by a group performance of DPRK figure-skaters.
They presented impressive beautiful rhythms, representing the deep reverence of the Korean people and the world progressives for Kim Jong Il and their praises of him.
The ceremony was followed by the first day demonstration performances.
The festival continues.
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