Pyongyang, September 9 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il Friday received a congratulatory message from the Central Standing Committee of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon) on the 63rd birthday of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The congratulatory message said:

The DPRK's founding was a great event in history for the Koreans in Japan as it made it possible for them to live a new life as overseas citizens of a sovereign state and bring about a turn in their destiny.

President Kim Il Sung brought up the Koreans in Japan as proud overseas citizens of an independent and sovereign state with warm loving care and put forward Chongryon as a dignified overseas compatriots organization of the DPRK, and a model of the world overseas compatriots movement.

The benevolent love shown by the President who led and took care of Chongryon and Koreans in Japan as part of the huge family is going down in history with more brilliant rays thanks to you who have successfully carried forward the President's feats performed in the nation-building.

We will share the faith and will with you who are making indefatigable efforts to commemorate the centenary of birth of the President as the greatest holiday of our nation and humankind and wage a patriotic movement to greet 2012, a hopeful year, through a general offensive.

Chongryon and Koreans in Japan will make a tangible contribution to defending the socialist motherland from the anti-DPRK moves of the reactionary forces at home and abroad and building a thriving nation, cherishing the fixed faith that the destiny of Chongryon is linked with that of the homeland and the truth of life that Koreans in Japan find their happiness and bright future in the prosperity of the homeland.

We will join in the nationwide struggle for the country's reunification under the banner of the June 15 joint declaration and energetically conduct the work to boost the friendly relations with the Japanese people and international solidarity by dint of international prestige of the DPRK daily rising under your wise leadership.