Pyongyang, April 24 (KCNA) -- The 38th National Festival of Science and Technology opened with due ceremony at the Sci-Tech Complex on April 23 under the sponsorship of the Central Committee of the General Federation of Science and Technology of Korea.

The festival, being held on the theme of "Successful completion of the Five-Year Plan and the turning out of the scientific circle", brought together officials, scientists and technicians from more than 650 units who were nominated by ministries and national agencies and highly appreciated at provincial sci-tech festivals.

The festival is being held, divided into more than 30 panels, including metal, chemical, electric power, coal, machine-building, light industries and agriculture. On display in the forms of actual objects and operating exhibits were the achievements made in scientific researches for the economic development of the country and the improvement of the people's living standards and scientific and technological proposals conducive to implementing the Party's policy on regional development.

During the festival there will be a presentation andexamination of sci-tech achievements, exchange service for new technical products, lecture on new technologies, scientific and technological symposium and presentation.

Present at the opening ceremony were Choe Tong Myong, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, officials concerned and working people.

Kim Song Bin, chairman of the State Commission of Science and Technology, made an opening address.

He called upon all the participants to concentrate all efforts on the perfect implementation of the decision of the plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea while actively sharing and exchanging the successes and technologies gained in the scientific researches and technological innovations through the festival.

At the end of the ceremony the participants looked round the venue for the festival. -0-