Pyongyang, March 23 (KCNA) -- Deputy Ko Kil Son, secretary general of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly, made an opening speech at the First Session of the 15th SPA.

He said that the past seven years since the First Session of the 14th SPA were a proud period in which a new era has been opened up in all spheres by thoroughly applying the revolutionary line of independence and the people-first principle in state building and all the state activities.

Thanks to the rare wisdom and outstanding political ability of the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un, the administrative policies of strategic significance in the existence and development of the DPRK were put forward and a radical change was made in its sovereign activities, thus opening a broad avenue to building the most powerful, advanced and popular socialist state, he said.

He stressed that the new era of national prosperity, being ushered in by Kim Jong Un, is an era of unprecedented prosperity which surpasses all the records and precedents of the DPRK's history in terms of the height of creation and standards, the breadth of struggle realm, the depth of its change and the speed of its advance.

He continued:

687 people were elected deputies to the 15th Supreme People's Assembly. Among them are 201 deputies in the industrial sector, 100 in the agricultural sector, 15 in the land, forest, and urban management and service sectors, 70 in the sectors of science, IT industry, education, public health, literature and arts, mass media, sport and the administration of revolutionary relics, 170 at power organs, 10 at social organizations, 6 of the friendly parties and religious organizations, 53 at Party organs, and 62 in armed forces organs.

Among them are 108 women deputies.

676 deputies to the SPA are present at the session, and five deputies working at the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan and, for the reason of health, six deputies absent.

Present as observers are 1 252 central and local officials concerned, including the relevant ones of the Party Central Committee, the Standing Committee of the SPA, the Cabinet and armed forces organs, and Party and administrative leading officials of commissions, ministries and national agencies, the chief secretaries of the city and county Party committees and chairpersons of the city and county people's committees.

The speaker declared the First Session of the 15th SPA of the DPRK open, expressing the belief that the current session would serve as a crucial occasion in further increasing the high fighting spirit of all the people and service personnel out in implementing the decisions of the Ninth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea. -0-