North Korea held a large military parade in Pyongyang on Thursday, using the 70-anniversary of the birth of the late leader Kim Jong Il as an opportunity to try to create a deeper reverence for his son and chosen successor, Kim Jong Un.
State television pictures of the younger Kim and senior officials of the secret system to a platform overlooking a room filled with thousands of people. The platform was covered with Kimjongilias, the brilliant pink flower named after the late leader.
With a huge portrait of a smiling Kim Jong Il, who died in december, looking down on it, soldiers performed a tribute to him and his father, Kim Il Sung, the founder of North Korea.
The soldiers "great respect" given to the two deceased Kim and pledged allegiance to Kim Jong Un, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.
In South Korea, met two dozen North Korean defectors in a park on balloons that criticism of Kim Jong Il over the heavily militarized border that separates the two countries to release, a move which Pyongyang has irritated in the past.
Thursday is the first of two large apartments in the first months of 2012 for the nuclear-armed North Korean regime to former dictators rose and strengthen the position of the young new leader.
100-anniversary of the birth of Kim Il Sung, North Korea, who ruled for almost half a decade, will take place on 15 april. The date of his birth, known as the "Day of the Sun" is the biggest national holiday in North Korea. Kim Jong Il's birthday was recently named the "Day of Shining Star."
The big anniversaries coming shortly after Kim Jong Un, which is considered to be in his late 20s, was elevated to the position of "supreme leader" of the island state.
North Korean newspapers Thursday carried special reports on Kim Jong Il. Before the parade began airing, Korean Central Television (KCTV), the state-run news channel, showed choral groups sing lyrics in his honor, but also pictures from his life.
And the state-controlled media has already documented a series of events and initiatives that took place prior to the anniversary of his birth.
Kim Jong Un, and other senior officials participated in a "national meeting" Wednesday celebrate the occasion, according to KCNA.
Kim Yong Nam, president of the North Korean parliament, a speech at the event praised Kim Jong Il "immortal exploits" and insisting that "all party members, service and people need to Kim Jong Un to protect politically and ideologically with their lives and get united around him. "
Other recent measures related to Kim Jong Il's birthday, reported state media is an ice sculpture festival in the hands of government security forces and delivering gifts to children throughout the country, in some cases by helicopter.
Pyongyang has warned South Korea and other countries not to expect a change in its policy of Kim Jong Un. It has kept its criticism of the current South Korean government under President Lee Myung-bak.
USA said Monday that a U.S. envoy will meet with North Korean officials next week to Pyongyang's position on its nuclear testing program. Special Representative for North Korea policy Glyn Davies will meet with his counterpart, the North Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Kim KYE Gwan in Beijing
The North Korean regime is willing to talk with Washington, but Seoul is not criticized in South Korea.
"Two months after a leadership change in Pyongyang, North Korea returns to the dialogue table," The Korea Times, an English-language daily, said in an editorial Thursday. "This is good news. Not so good news is that it seems to be only interested in his conversation partner across the Pacific, not the inter-Korean border."
The North Korean defectors in the park in Paju Thursday sent balloons carrying leaflets that urged the North Korean people to stand up and fight. The large helium balloons with writing on them saying things like: "Kim Jong Il starved to death 3 million people", "Free North Korean people" and "North Korea's Kim Jong Il killer."
They sent 200,000 leaflets, 500 DVDs and $ 1,000 in one dollar bills.
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