Reporting from Pyongyang, North Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Il presided over a military parade Sunday alongside his youngest son and eventual successor in a massive coming out party for the newly anointed and still-mysterious young heir.

Kim Jong Eun, believed to be 27, stood near his ailing father on a long rostrum overlooking tens of the thousands of civilian performers and goose-stepping troops in a special celebration broadcast on state television. Until last month, when he was promoted to four-star general at a special meeting of the ruling Workers' Party, Kim Jong Eun had never appeared by name or face in the North Korean press.

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National Democratic Front of the Philippines congratulates North Korea on 60th Anniversary

By Luis Jalandoni (NDFP)

Comrade Kim Jong Il
General Secretary
Workers’ Party of Korea
Pyongyang Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

Dear Comrade Kim Jong Il,

The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), including the Communist Party of the Philippines, the New People’s Army and 15 other allied revolutionary organizations, extends its most heartfelt congratulations to you and the heroic people of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) on the auspicious occasion of the 60th founding anniversary of the DPRK.

We join you and the people of DPRK in recollecting the immortal feats of Comrade President Kim Il Sung, such as:

* Founding the people’s revolutionary government in the guerrilla bases amidst the flames of the anti-Japanese struggle;
* Leading the people’s revolutionary government after the liberation;
* Laying down the line of building the country for founding a democratic people’s republic suited to the desire of the Korean people;
* Leading the founding of the Provisional People’s Committee of North Korea in February 1947;
* Organizing the Joint Conference of Representatives of Political Parties and Public Organizations in North and South Korea in Pyongyang In April 1948 at a time when the US imperialists and their stooges intensified their schemes to divide the nation;
* Proclaiming the foundation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea on September 9, 1948.

The Filipino people who have been waging a 40-year-old armed revolutionary struggle against US imperialism and local reactionaries, to achieve national sovereignty and genuine democracy, join you in celebrating the great historical event of the Founding of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

The NDFP congratulates you, the Workers’ Party of Korea and the people of the DPRK for defeating the war of aggression of US imperialism and firmly upholding and defending your national sovereignty and territorial integrity against numerous malicious schemes of US imperialism and its cohorts.

At a time when the world’s peoples valiantly struggle against the imperialist wars of aggression and plunder, the firm and unwavering stand of the DPRK to uphold and defend its national sovereignty is a source of inspiration to the revolutionary and anti-imperialist forces in the Philippines and throughout the world.

Long Live the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea!
Long live the great legacy and indelible memory of Comrade Kim Il Sung!
Long live the Workers’ Party of Korea!
Long live the international solidarity of the world’s peoples!

On behalf of the National Council of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines:

LUIS G. JALANDONI
NDFP Chief International Representative
Member, NDFP National Executive Committee

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Birthday Greetings Of Makibaka To Comrade Kim Jong Il

By Coni Ledesma
Makibaka International Spokesperson
Utrecht, the Netherlands

MAKIBAKA, a revolutionary organization of Filipino women and an allied organization in the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), extends warmest birthday greetings to Comrade Kim Jong Il, General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea and Chairman of the National Defense Commission of the Democratic Peoples’ Republic of Korea.

From his early years, Comrade Kim Jong Il has been involved in revolutionary work to build and strengthen the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. He took over the reins of government after the death of his father, Kim Il Sung. Under his leadership, the Korean people have continued to build Korea as a strong nation, uphold and defend its independence and sovereignty, overcome natural disasters and persevere in building socialism.

He has earned the love and respect of the Korean people because of his continued efforts to safeguard the gains of the revolution and build a better world for them. His untiring efforts at working for the peaceful reunification of Korea answer the long cherished dream of the Korean people.

The Korean women appreciate the achievements of their nation under the leadership of Comrade Kim Jong Il.

We wish Comrade Kim Jong Il many more fruitful years of service to the people.

Long live Comrade Kim Jong Il!
Long live the Korean People!
Long live the solidarity between the Filipino people and Korean people!

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CPP congratulates DPRK for nuke breakthrough

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today congratulated the people and government of the Democratic People's Republic for successfully and safely carrying out its first-ever nuclear test and hailed the successful test as a “militant assertion of national sovereignty and the right of an independent country to develop its own powerful self-reliant defense capability amidst constant efforts by the US to impose its imperialist hegemony over the world, maintain its monopoly of nuclear weapons along with a few other powerful countries, and subvert the sovereign will of the DPRK.”

Yesterday, the DPRK government announced that it has successfully carried out an underground test of its nuclear weapons, developed after four decades of painstaking self-reliant efforts, “with 100% of sheer indigenous wisdom and technology… under secure conditions… at a stirring time when all the people of the country are making a great leap forward in the building of a great, prosperous, powerful socialist nation.” There were no reports of radiation leak from the test site. The announcement was met expectedly, however, with condemnation by the US government which called the test a “provocative act threatening international peace and stability.”

“The Filipino people and their revolutionary movement regard the DPRK nuclear test as a significant positive development in the effort of freedom-loving peoples the world over to challenge the US imposition of Pax Americana over the world, break the US and other big imperialist powers’ monopoly over nuclear weapons, and compel the world’s peoples to kneel before its hegemonic power,” said CPP spokesperson Gregorio “Ka Roger” Rosal.

“Now, in the face of the DPRK's advance in scientific and technical knowhow with nuclear power, the US is significantly deterred from threatening and carrying out military strikes against the DPRK. The US is afraid that it can no longer try to bully the DPRK,” said Rosal. With the success of its first-ever nuclear weapons test, North Korea becomes the ninth country in the world to have nuclear weapons, along with the United States, Russia, France, China, Britain, India, Pakistan and Israel.

“Of course, US imperialism and other imperialist powers and their client states will condemn the DPRK’s nuclear breakthrough which broke their monopoly of nuclear weapons and confronts the imperialist-imposed pacifism that oppress and cause great hardships on the countries and peoples of the world,” said Rosal.

The CPP also regard the development of the DPRK's nuclear capability as an important breakthrough in fulfilling its energy requirements and further boosting its economic potential, aside from developing its capability to defend its national sovereignty.

“Contrary to imperialist propaganda, the strengthening of the nuclear capability of the DPRK does not pose a threat to other nations' sovereignty and to genuine world peace. In the past, the DPRK has shown respect for the independence of other countries in the same way that it wants the US to respect the sovereign will of the DPRK. The development of nuclear capability in the hands of independent countries that persist in the fight against US hegemonism and aggression realistically deters the US from using its nuclear weapons and military might to attack these countries, and is thus a positive factor in our common striving for genuine peace in the world,” added Rosal.

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Message Of Greetings On The Occasion Of The Birth Anniversary Of Comrade Kim Jong Il

By Luis G. Jalandoni
Chief International Representative
National Democratic Front of the Philippines

On behalf of the 17 revolutionary allied organizations of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) and the Filipino people, the NDFP extends its warmest comradely greetings to Comrade Kim Jong Il, General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea and Chairman of the National Defense Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea on the occasion of his birth anniversary on 16th February.

Born amid the flames of the struggle against the Japanese war of aggression and occupation, Comrade Kim Jong Il grew in an environment of intense struggle against imperialism and during the great undertaking of constructing socialism in his beloved Korea. Armed with the correct ideological and political principles, he has helped develop and strengthen the Workers’ Party of Korea and the Korean People's Army into a force that is ever-ready and capable to defeat any enemy that would attack and invade Korea and seek to reverse the victories of the Korean people.

Comrade Kim Jong Il’s trust in the Korean people has forged unity among the Party, the People’s Army and the Korean people. This unity continues to be an invincible force in facing the imperialist enemy and overcoming the effects of natural disasters.

Amidst the onslaught of political, economic and military attacks and threats of US imperialism, the Korean people, under the leadership of Comrade Kim Jong Il, have time and again defended Korea’s independence and national sovereignty. Not only have they determinedly countered these attacks and threats, they have defended the gains that the people and the Party won in their struggle against imperialism and reaction.

The struggle of the Korean people, like the struggle of the Filipino people, against imperialism is part of an ever-growing and intensifying international fight against imperialism and reaction. With every victory of the people, the enemy is weakened and international solidarity is forged and strengthened.

We join Comrade Kim Jong Il and the Korean people in their fervent aspiration for the peaceful reunification of their country under the banner of independence, peace and national unity.

Long live Comrade Kim Jong Il!
Long live the Korean people!
Long live international solidarity!