Post date: Apr 15, 2013 3:35:57 PM
North Korea celebrates its founder's 101th birth anniversary with flowers and carefully choreographed dancing.
PYONGYANG, NORTH KOREA (APRIL 15, 2013) (KRT) - North Korea celebrated the 101th anniversary of its founder's birth on Monday (April 15) with a festival of flowers named after Kim and a massive dancing party.
The North Korea's state-run television KRT on Monday showed thousands of North Korean people offering flowers to status of North Korean founder Kim Il-sung and late leader Kim Jong-il.KCNA, the North's news agency, reported that people were flocking to a statue of Kim Il-Sung, uttering "My father, our great leader".
KRT also released a video of North Koreans visiting Kumsusan Palace of Sun, where the bodies ofKim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il lie in state, to pay tribute.
State media also showed thousands of people, dressed in brightly coloured traditional costumes, dancing to celebrate its leader's birthday.
Many Pyongyang watchers expected North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to attend a big military parade showcasing North Korea's armed forces on the holiday. But neither Kim nor a military parade were shown on state television on Monday.
In contrast to weeks of tirades against its enemies, North Korean state media made hardly a mention of conflict.
North Korea has repeatedly stressed that it fears the United States wants to invade and has manipulated the United Nations to weaken it. At the weekend, the North rejected an overture by new South Korean President Park as a "cunning" ploy.
The United States has offered talks, but on the pre-condition that North Korea abandons its nuclear weapons ambitions. North Korea deems its nuclear arms a "treasured sword" and has vowed never to give them up.
Kim Il-Sung led his country from its founding in 1948 through the 1950-53 Korean War and until he died in 1994. His son, Kim Jong-il, then took over.