SEOUL�The capital city of the last remaining Stalinist regime came to a standstill to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of the "Great Leader" Kim Il-sung.
All activities on the streets in the capital came to a standstill except fora few buses, Chinese official media reported from Pyongyang.
"Shops andrestaurants were closed while entertainment and other activities weresuspended," Xinhua news agency said.
As part of the official memorial ceremonies, Kim's son and supreme NorthKorean leader Kim Jong-il visited the Kumsusan Memorial Palace, where thebody of Kim Il-sung was housed. Representatives from the Workers' Party ofKorea, the government, the army, and some embassies in Pyongyang also visitedthe palace.
"The palace was wrapped in an atmosphere of deep condolences," the officialNorth Korean news agency said in a report.
"Standing on both sides of the full-length statue of the president wereflags of the Workers' Party of Korea, the Democratic People's Republic ofKorea," KCNA said.
"A floral basket was laid before the statue in the joint name of the centralcommittee of the WPK, the central military commission of the WPK and theNational Defense commission of the DPRK."
"Written on the ribbon of the floral basket were letters �The great leadercomrade Kim Il-sung is immortal,�" the agency said.
People from all walks of life commemorated the late leader in governmentoffices, factories, schools, and other public places, according to Xinhua.
During a commemoration speech, a top military official warned the UnitedStates that Pyongyang would use a "military deterrent" to produce a"merciless annihilating strike� should the United States launch a pre-emptive nuclear strike against North Korea.
A surprise U.S. attack is a perennial fear cited by Pyongyang.
"Currently, with the ambition to crush our Republic through a preemptivenuclear strike, the brigandish U.S. imperialists are franticallyaccelerating preparations for a war of aggression behind the curtain ofsix-party talks," army minister Kim Il-ch'ol told a packed PyongyangStadium.
"Should the U.S. imperialists stubbornly ignite the flames of war, ourPeople's Army will completely settle the anti-U.S. confrontation through amerciless annihilating strike by exploding a military deterrent that hasbeen consolidated century after century and will make sure to achieve thehistoric cause of the fatherland's reunification," he said.
Kim Il-chol called on the People's Army to "hold the sloganone-a-match-for-a-hundred higher [and] strengthen their fighting power andpreparations in every way."
Three rounds of Beijing-brokered six-party talks aimed at resolving thestandoff with the U.S. over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program have so farfailed to make substantive progress.
North Korea viewed the outcome of the last round of six-way talks in June asbroadly positive, but said a U.S. proposal showed there was little new onoffer to resolve the crisis. The United States offered security guaranteesand South Korean aid in return for North Korea agreeing to dismantle itsnuclear programmes, including a uranium enrichment scheme the North deniesit has.
Meanwhile, North Korea called off inter-Korean talks due next week after denouncing South Korea for preventing its citizens from visiting for the anniversary.
Pyongyang condemned Seoul as unethical and inhumane for preventing South Korean pro-unification activists from visiting the North for the 10th anniversary of the death of Kim Il-Sung which fell on Thursday.
The six South Koreans cancelled their trip to Pyongyang at the behest of Seoul which feared a possible conservative backlash.
While delaying the maritime talks, North Korea showed no signs of alteringthe upcoming reunions of separated families scheduled to take place at theNorth's Mount Kumgang from July 11-16, a South Korean official said. #####