Thousands attend organised rally in Pyongyang for ritual show of loyalty

Tens of thousands of North Koreans filled Kim Il Sung square in central Pyongyang on Sunday, in a rally considered a ritual show of loyalty.

In the past few years, this rally would follow the New Year's speech by the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

This year, and because the leader did not make the speech, the rally is instead held in support of the results of the late December big party meeting, which were reported on the first of January by state media.

Hundreds of rows of people filled Kim Il Sung Square, with senior officials standing on a balcony above.

Senior Pyongyang party official Kim Nung Ho made the main speech.

"There are severe difficulties lying in our path But we have the leadership of our great party, and our strongest weapon, single-hearted unity, as well as the tremendous might of our socialist self-supporting economy. So, we will definitely be victorious," said Ho, the chairman of Pyongyang City Workers' Party Committee.

Citizens dutifully clapped, punched their fists in the air, and marched through the square waving flags as the rally ended.