North Korea was in festive mood on Sunday, a day before the 101st anniversary of the birth of the country's founder Kim Il Sung, even as it continued to warn of war breaking out on the Korean Peninsula.
The main streets of the capital Pyongyang were decorated with national flags and commemorative signs, while citizens dressed in suits and traditional dress were seen laying flowers before statues of Kim, who died in 1994.
There was even an international marathon, participated in by runners from more than 10 countries, including Ethiopia, Kenya and Ukraine, as well as some 600 North Koreans.