The 2005 "Arirang" Festival, a gala gymnastic and artistic performance show named after the most representative chef-d'oeuvre of the Korean nation, opened here Tuesday to mark the 60th anniversary of the Korean Peninsula's 1945 Liberation from the brutal colonial rule of Japan and the founding of the Worker's Party of Korea.

A large audience of more than 150,000 people watched the opening ceremony, the first debut after eight months of exercise by more than 100,000 youths and artists.

The DPRK's top leader Kim Jong-il and Kim Yong-nam, President of the Presidium of Supreme People's Assembly, Pak Bong-ju, the Cabinet Premier and other senior party, state and army officials were among the audience to watch the opening ceremony.

The current "Arirang" Festival will be lasted to late October.

The first "Arirang" Festival was held in 2002 to mark the 90th anniversary of the birthday of late leader Kim Il-sung.

Source: Xinhua