N. Korea enters celebratory mood ahead of Feb. 16 birthday of late leader
SEOUL, Feb. 5 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has entered a celebratory mood ahead of late leader Kim Jong Il's birthday on Feb. 16, one of the most widely-celebrated national holidays, even as the country faces accelerating tension with the international community …, according to North Korean media outlets on Tuesday.
The birthday of Kim Jong Il, known in the North as the Day of the Shining Star, was designated as the most important national holiday in 1995, and has since been widely celebrated every year.
North Korean radio Pyongyang Radio Station reported on Tuesday a wave of North Koreans are visiting Mount Jangja, a historical site in Jagang Province where the late leader is known to have spent his childhood, in commemoration of Kim's birthday.
A group of young North Koreans went on a group trip to the late leader's birthplace near Mount Paektu from Jan. 22-28 while another band of young workers embarked on a group trip there on Friday, according to North Korean media reports.
Groups of soldiers and government employees also pledged allegiance to the late leader in Kim's hometown there, the reports said.
The reports also covered the country's cooking competition as well as a festival and a sports event, all held in celebration of the anniversary of Kim's birth.
The birthday of Kim Jong Il, known in the North as the Day of the Shining Star, was designated as the most important national holiday in 1995, and has since been widely celebrated every year.
North Korean radio Pyongyang Radio Station reported on Tuesday a wave of North Koreans are visiting Mount Jangja, a historical site in Jagang Province where the late leader is known to have spent his childhood, in commemoration of Kim's birthday.
A group of young North Koreans went on a group trip to the late leader's birthplace near Mount Paektu from Jan. 22-28 while another band of young workers embarked on a group trip there on Friday, according to North Korean media reports.
Groups of soldiers and government employees also pledged allegiance to the late leader in Kim's hometown there, the reports said.
The reports also covered the country's cooking competition as well as a festival and a sports event, all held in celebration of the anniversary of Kim's birth.