Air sirens sounded at 15:28 local time (0628 GMT) Monday over the sky of Pyongyang, capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), mourning China earthquake victims.

As a friendly neighbor, the DPRK people and government have paid great attention and sympathy to the victims of the massive earthquake that hit Sichuan, southwestern China at 14:28 Beijing time (0628 GMT) last Monday.

Kim Jong Il, top leader of the DPRK, sent deep sympathy and consolation to Chinese President Hu Jintao on May 13, the second day of the earthquake, hoping Chinese people would overcome the aftermath of the disaster at an early date.

Other DPRK leaders, including Premier Kim Yong Il and Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun, also expressed their deep condolences to the losses of lives and properties in the Sichuan earthquake.

Meanwhile, some institutions and social organizations of the DPRK, including the Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries, the Central Committee of the DPRK-China Friendship Association, the Central Committee of the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League, sent messages of sympathy to their Chinese counterparts.

The aid given by the DPRK to the quake-stricken areas was more than words. The DPRK government offered US$100,000 to the Chinese government on May 17 to help people in the quake-stricken areas relieve the aftermath of the disaster and bring their life to normal as early as possible.

"The DPRK people took the distress the Chinese people had suffered as their own," said Pak Ui Chun, "the money is not a big number, but it embodies the DPRK people's feeling of sharing pains with the Chinese people."

Chinese Ambassador to the DPRK Liu Xiaoming said what particularly impressed him was that the DPRK gave aid to Chinese people even when they themselves were in need of help.

In these days, the DPRK media reported the deadly earthquake and the efforts made by the Chinese government and people to fight the calamities. Their coverage gave prominence to the work that the Chinese People's Liberation Army had done.

While the sirens wailed over Pyongyang on Monday, a mourning ceremony was being held in the Chinese embassy.

(Xinhua News Agency May 20, 2008)