Koreans join to celebrate liberation

cctv.com 08-15-2005 09:33

Meanwhile in Seoul, a festival is being held to mark the 60th anniversary of the Korean Peninsula's liberation from Japanese occupation. About 50-thousand Koreans, including representatives from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, attended Sunday's grand opening ceremony. It marked the start of four days of joint celebrations.

The World Cup Stadium in South Korea's capital, Seoul.

In the VIP stands, nearly two hundred delegates from the DPRK arrived earlier on Sunday to attend the special event, named the "Independence, Peace, and Reunification Festival".

The four-day celebration highlights renewed exchanges between the two Koreas.

Kim Ki Nam, secretary of the Standing Committee of the Worker鈥檚 Party, leads the DPRK delegation. Kim called on both countries to over come their differences.

South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young echoed these sentiments, saying the two sides should leave behind their bitter history, bring about sincere reconciliation and help each other.

The ceremony continued with a football friendly between the two Koreas. South Korea beat the DPRK 3-nil.

Various symbolic activities are planned for the DPRK delegation over the next four days. On Monday, they'll visit a prison constructed by the Japanese during their occupation.

Editor:Wang Ping  Source:CCTV.com