Pyongyang, February 14 (KCNA) -- The Third People's Art Festival for Celebrating February 16 opened in the DPRK to mark the 84th birth anniversary of Chairman Kim Jong Il.

The festival, divided into the categories of mobile artistic motivation teams and art groups, will be held at theatres and halls in the capital city and regions with the attendance of teams and group members selected from Pyongyang and local areas.

An opening ceremony took place at the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre on February 13.

Present there were Ri Il Hwan, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Jon Kyong Chol, vice department director of the WPK Central Committee, officials concerned, the festival participants and working people in Pyongyang.

Minister of Culture Sung Jong Gyu, chairman of the festival organizing committee, made an opening address.

He said that the grand celebration of the 84th birth anniversary of Kim Jong Il as an auspicious holiday of the people across the country is the highest honour of the people who regard their kinship with Kim Jong Il as their lifeblood, and the noble moral obligation of his soldiers and disciples.

He declared the opening of the festival after expressing belief that through the festival all the participants would highly praise the immortal exploits of the peerlessly great man and powerfully encourage all the people in the struggle to bring earlier the era of comprehensive prosperity of our state, rallied firmly behind the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un with patriotism.

The flag of the festival was hoisted amid the playing of the song "Shine, Jong Il Peak".

Then there was an opening performance by artistes of the Mansudae Art Troupe and other national art troupes.

Performances of the festival were given at theatres and halls across the country on the same day. -0-