hankyoreh

On the one-year anniversary of its first nuclear test, North Korea gushed praise over the country's success and its leader, saying the test was a "miracle."

"Our leader Kim Jong-il has brought to us, 70 million people (on the Korean Peninsula), the sky of lasting peace, prosperity and hope," said the Rodong Shinmun, the newspaper of the ruling North Korean Workers' Party monitored in Seoul.

North Korea shocked the world on Oct. 9, 2006, when it tested its first nuclear device. In a landmark deal negotiated by six nations earlier this year, however, the North agreed to ultimately dismantle its nuclear facilities in exchange for political and economic concessions.

Through this "miracle," North Korea and its people were able to stand out as one of the world's most powerful nations, the paper said in an editorial entitled, "Cries of joy resounded."

It also stressed that North Korean people should be united under Kim's leadership against attacks of "more pressing" enemies.
SEOUL, Oct. 9 (Yonhap)