July 8, 1999
Web posted at: 12:55 p.m. EDT (1655 GMT)

From Seoul Bureau Chief Sohn Jie-Ae

SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) -- North Korea's army paraded through the streets of Pyongyang on Thursday as the isolated, famine-stricken country marked the fifth anniversary of the death of its founder, Kim Il Sung.

Kim died in 1994 at age 82, and North Korea is now run by his son, Kim Jong Il. The younger Kim was hailed by military leaders Thursday, as words of praise flowed for the legacy of his father.

"We will forever hold Great Leader Kim Il Sung highly and uphold the honor of North Korea's ideology of justice and dignity of the people for generations to come," said Gen. Jo Myong Rok, a member of the National Defense Commission.

Mass rallies and seminars were held across the country, which also observed a three-minute silence at noon as tribute to the late leader.

Although reeling from years of famine, North Korea used the memorial as an opportunity to lash out at arch rivals South Korea and the United States. Jo accused the two countries of trying to start a new war and urged the people to prepare for a fight.

North Korea has been heavily dependent on donated food since 1995, when natural disasters and an inefficient economy combined to produce major food shortages.

But North Korea's neighbors are increasingly concerned about the Stalinist state's secretive weapons programs. Seoul, Washington and Tokyo have expressed concern about a possible North Korean test of a missile that could reach all of Japan and even parts of the United States.

A North Korean missile test in August 1998 alarmed much of East Asia and encouraged Japan, South Korea and Taiwan to discuss improvements in their military capabilities, especially their missile defense systems.