Greeting the auspicious February holiday that we upheld the peerless great man, the paean of all the people for Marshal Kim Jong Il, the brilliant commander born of Mt. Baekdu, is reverberating in the sky.

February 16 when Kim Jong Il was born is a national significant day when the Korean people held in high esteem the lodestar of the nation, and a holiday common to humanity that the progressive people of the world greeted the great sun of the independent era.

Thanks to this historical day the Korean people became the glorious people opening up the new history of Songun Korea, and the Korean revolution could register only victories and glories under the Songun revolutionary leadership of  Marshal Kim Jong Il along the road of Juche pioneered by great President Kim Il Sung even under all sorts of challenges and trials.

During the most arduous period when the destiny of the fatherland and the revolution was at the crossroad of life or death due to the reckless hostile moves of the imperialist reactionary forces towards the DPRK, Kim Jong Il smashed in every step the US political and economical offensives and military aggressive moves to isolate and strangle it, and led the do-or-die struggle of defending the fatherland to victory, upholding the ever-victorious banner of Songun.

And he honorably safeguarded national sovereignty and dignity and socialism, and dynamically encouraged and propelled the anti-imperialist independent cause of humankind.

Indeed, Kim Jong Il is the most prominent veteran statesman and extraordinary brilliant commander of Songun in our times who has led the Korean revolution and the human independent cause to victory during the prolonged period of about half a century, thus rendering the immortal exploits to the fatherland and people, the times and history, and a peerless great man enjoying the boundless respect and absolute trust from the world progressive people.

Therefore, today the south Korean people are extolling that holding Kim Jong Il in high esteem is the supreme pride in 5 000 year-long history of the nation and that the Korean people are displaying their dignity over the world is the great national stroke of luck brought about by the historical February when he was born. And they are widely disseminating the greatness of Marshal Kim Jong Il through various celebration functions to mark the holiday.

The world progressive people are also venerating the respected Marshal Kim Jong Il who leads the cause of global independence and socialism to victory through the extraordinary ideological and theoretical activities and outstanding leadership as the great leader and sun to glorify the 21^st century, and earnestly wishing him good health.

Preparatory committees to celebrate February 16 were formed in many countries of the world and the study organizations of Songun politics, friendship bodies and publications in various regions and countries including Britain and the US strive to be the first in introducing and disseminating the revolutionary life and immortal exploits of Kim Jong Il.

It is the greatest glory and supreme happiness of humankind to hold in high esteem Marshal Kim Jong Il, the peerless great statesman and the great brilliant commander of Songun who has made enormous undying exploits for implementation of the human cause of independence through his great ideological and theoretical activities and outstanding and energetic leadership, thus enjoying boundless reverence and ardent praise from all the people.