Pyongyang, February 7 (KCNA) -- A KCNA journalist met with officials of the organizing committee of the Third People's Art Festival for Celebrating the February 16, the birthday of Chairman Kim Jong Il, as regards the preparations for the festival.

Pak Kyong Chol, vice-minister of Culture, noted that the festival organizing committee has stepped up the preparations for the festival with the main emphasis on strikingly demonstrating the firm faith and will of all the people to hold Chairman Kim Jong Il in high esteem as their eternal leader and surely build a socialist power of Juche on this land under the leadership of the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un.

Kim Un Chol, department director of the Ministry of Culture, said that the organizing committee has paid top priority to ensuring the ideological and artistic level in numbers reflecting the yearning for the peerless patriot, popular leader, the validity and vitality of the Workers' Party of Korea's policies and the thoughts and feelings of all the people.

He noted that a detailed outline for the festival, including the themes and forms of works to be presented to it, was carefully worked out and a preliminary examination for selecting the participating units was made on a high level.

Jo Yun Il, an official of the Ministry of Culture, said that the festival would take place at theatres and halls in Pyongyang and local areas with the attendance of mobile artistic motivation team members from across the country and art group members of ministries, national agencies, factories and farms.

Diplomas, cups and prizes will be awarded to the successful organizations and participants. -0-