Present there were officials concerned and representatives of the UN Population Fund and other international agencies here.

The seminar dealt with the young population in the DPRK and its development, understanding and approach to reproductive health among the young people, the targets to be hit for settling the issue of youths after 2015 in the Asia-Pacific region, etc.

In this regard, Yang Song Il, a section chief of the Population Centre of the DPRK told KCNA:

The DPRK has paid deep attention to improving the education and health of young people.

Over the last five years, it worked out a policy on the universal 12-year compulsory education, amended the law on general education and adopted the laws on women's rights, children's rights and labor protection, thus laying legal ground for the education and rights of young people.

The DPRK celebrated the birthday of the Korean Children's Union (June 6) and the Youth Day (August 28) in a splendid way so as to create an atmosphere for loving the young people. And it enhanced the supervisory role of the judicial organs against assault and maltreatment of the young people.

The DPRK government included the issue of health for the young people in its 2011-2015 state reproductive health strategy and 2010-2015 mid-term strategic plan for development of public health, in order to ensure high-level health service for them.

It will further improve the education and health service for the young, implement the ICPD (International Conference on Population & Development) action program, the Beijing action declaration and the ICPD Basic Activities to be done after 1999 and strengthen cooperation with the UN Population Fund and other international bodies.

Meanwhile, media of the DPRK dedicated articles and programs to World Population Day and the Population Centre issued Population Newsletter.

A similar seminar is to be held in Hamhung City, South Hamgyong Province of the country on July 15.