N. Korea kicks off mass games to mark 60th anniversary of Korean War armistice

SEOUL, July 23 (Yonhap) -- North Korea kicked off its annual Arirang mass games performances to mark the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice Agreement that halted the 1950-53 Korean War, the country's official news agency said Tuesday. The North has maintained that it won the three-year conflict and commemorates July 27, 1953, the day the cease-fire agreement was signed to end hostilities, as a day of victory in what it calls the Fatherland Liberation War. The first event of the so-called Arirang Mass Games, held on Monday at the May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, featured thousands of synchronized gymnasts, who performed to music, fireworks and flashing lights, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The official news wire service monitored in Seoul said the event honored Kim Il-sung, the communist country's founder, who transformed the DPRK into a political and military power on the world stage. DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name. "The performers praised Kim Il-sung, an invincible and iron-willed commander and legendary hero who made a long journey of anti-Japanese bloody struggle and accomplished the historic cause of the national liberation and defeated the U.S. that boasted of being the 'strongest' in the world," the KCNA said. The performance, however, did not showcase the North's launching of its long-range rocket or its detonation of a nuclear device. The North said earlier this month that this year's Arirang performances that run through Sept. 9, 2013, will focus on the achievements of the country's founder and his son Kim Jong-il, as well as its astounding military victory over the United States. The mass games performances are to be held five times a week in the evening during the festival period. Meanwhile, Radio Free Asia commented that the first mass games performance on Monday appeared to indicate the North's wish to point out traditionally close ties between Pyongyang and Beijing, as well as its desire for cordial relations with the rest of the international community. This is seen as a sign that the North wants to mend fences with its neighbor that have been strained in recent months. Citing a person who saw the performance, the U.S. radio station also said the performers even formed an olive branch as a metaphor of the country's willingness to seek better relations with the rest of the world. In recent months, the country has come under intense pressure from the global community after it tested its third nuclear device in February, drawing toughened U.N. sanctions supported even by China. The widely publicized event was first organized in 2002 to commemorate Kim Il-sung's 90th birthday and has been held every year from 2005, with the exception of 2006, when the country suffered severe flood damages. Founder Kim Il-sung died in 1994, while his son, Kim Jong-il, ruled the country until his death in late 2011. The communist country is currently run by Kim Jong-un, a grandson of the founder. yonngong@yna.co.kr (END)