North Korean TV Shows Torchlight ‘Soiree’ Marking 60th Anniversary
At 1255 gmt [ 1255 local] on 9 September, the 60th founding anniversary of the DPRK, Pyongyang Korean Central Television (KCTV) via Satellite in Korean carried ad hoc a 50-minute recorded relay of a “torchlight soiree” of youths and students held under the title of “Military-First Fatherland” at Kim Il Sung [Kim Il-so'ng] Square to celebrate the national anniversary, almost immediately following another recorded relay of a Worker-Peasant Red Guards parade. The programme did not mention leadership appearance at the soiree. Instead, it showed a group of officials and military officers standing on the rostrum only for several seconds. The programme showed participating youths and students forming, with torchlight, various shapes, letters, and slogans, which feature or represent Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il [Kim Cho'ng-il], the military-first idea, and the reunification of Korea, with a male and a female announcer taking turns in providing narration. Frequently, the announcers were barely heard because of shouts of the participants and loud background music.
The recorded relay begins by showing participating youths and students moving with torchlight in the dark square in ranks and files, and soon, video shows the participants making some shapes, such as the DPRK national flag, with the Juche Tower lit amid darkness in the background.
Video still shows the DPRK national flag represented by torchlight holders.
Video still shows leaders standing on the rostrum. Kim Kyo’k-sik [Kim Kyok Sik], Ri Yong Mu [Ri Yong-mu], Kim Yong Chun [Kim Yo'ng- Chun], Kim Yong Nam [Kim Yo'ng-nam], and Kim Yo’ng-il appear to be among them.
An unidentified on-the-spot announcer is heard announce the start of the “Military-First Fatherland,” a “torchlight soiree of youths and students.” A female television announcer begins to speak about various topics, such as Kim Il Sung living forever in the heart of the people and the spirit of the youth.
Video still shows a long shot of a “torchlight soiree” held in Kim Il Sung Square. The Juche Tower is shown in the background.
With background music, video continues to show different shapes being formed by torchlight holders. At around 1310 gmt, a male and a female announcer begin reciting a poem-like brief statement in an epic tone, which admires Kim Il Sung for dedicating his life to the people and the fatherland. Following the recital, the female announcer continues by admiring Kim Il Sung and his “great achievements,” saying that the people of the DPRK will continue to sing about his achievements, while a song on Kim Il Sung is heard in the background while the letters “Eternal President” are shaped.
Video still shows torchlight holders shaping “Kim Il Sung” in Korean.
The programme then shows the torchlight holders shaping “Kim Jong Il” and the supreme commander’s flag, while multiple announcers or singers are heard shouting “Long live Kim Jong Il!” in the background.
Video still shows “Kim Jong Il” in Korean.
Video still shows torchlight holders forming “Glory to the General.”
The supreme commander’s flag is being formed by torchlight.
After featuring Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, the torchlight holders begin to shape various slogans, such as “Spiritual Strength,”"Militarily Powerful State,”"Army-People Unity,”"Economic Power,” and “National Defence Industry.” The announcer goes on by admiring Kim Jong Il for making efforts to turn the Republic into a powerful socialist state [see farther below for more stills].
Video still shows “Economic Strength” and “National Defence Industry” being formed in Korean in the Kim Il Sung Square.
The torchlight soiree then goes on with the fatherland’s reunification as the subject by shaping “15 June [joint declaration].” The male announcer says that “holding high the fatherly leader’s [suryo'ngnimu'i] behest on the fatherland’s reunification,”"the general opened up a bright prospect for the fatherland’s reunification through the 15 June joint declaration and the 4 October declaration, its implementation programme,” admiring him as “the great lodestar of the fatherland’s reunification” and “a peerless patriot and the nation’s parent.”
Video still shows “6.15,” meaning “15 June.”
At 1342 gmt, an unidentified on-the-spot announcer declares the end of the torchlight soiree when the participants form “Glory to general.” Following the declaration of the end of the soiree, the male announcer concludes the recorded relay at around 1345 gmt by saying that “as long as we have our youths who are endlessly loyal to the leadership of the party, our fatherland, the DPRK, will prosper for tens of thousands of years, forever demonstrating the might of invincibility” and by shouting “Long live the great leader [suryo'ng] Comrade Kim Il Sung’s revolutionary idea! Long live the great leader [ryo'ngdoja] Comrade Kim Jong Il! Long live the DPRK, our glorious fatherland!” Video finally shows a long shot of the square where fireworks are going off.
Video still shows the Kim Il Sung Square where torchlight soiree participants are lined up while fireworks are going off at the end of the soiree.
Following are other video stills from the programme. Captions in quotes mean slogans formed by torchlight.
“Congratulating the 60th [anniversary]“
“9 September”
“Military-First Fatherland”
“Juche”
“Liberation” with two handguns in the middle
“9 September 1948″ with the DPRK national flag on top
“Serve the People as Heaven”
“Socialism”
“Eternal President” under the shape of the rising sun
Torchlight holders are shaping a rifle and bullets.
“Military-First Politics”
“Single-Hearted Unity”
“Hundred Victories, Militarily Powerful State, Ideologically Powerful State”
“Spiritual Strength, Defence of the Leader”
“Spiritual Strength, Military-First Idea”
“Spiritual Strength, Patriotism”
“Spiritual Strength, Self-Reliance”
“Military Strength, the Seventh Regiment”
“Military Strength, Matchless Strong Army”
“Military Power, a One-a-Match-for-100″
“Military Strength, Army-People Unity”
“Economic Strength”
“Economic Strength, Agriculture”
“Light Industry”
“General Onward March of the Military-First Revolution”
“2012, Powerful State”
“Three Charters, Kim Il Sung”
“Independence, Peace, and Friendship”
“Successor”
“Death-Defying Defence”
“Comradeship”
Video stills show various shapes formed by torchlight holders.
Originally published by Korean Central Satellite TV, Pyongyang, in Korean 1255 9 Sep 08.
(c) 2008 BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.