North Korea's state media says mass celebrations took place on Friday to mark the 110th birthday of Kim Il Sung, the country's founder and the late grandfather of its current leader Kim Jong Un.

State-run Korean Central Television on Saturday morning aired footage of a national meeting and a public procession that took place in a square in central Pyongyang the day before with Kim Jong Un in attendance.

Ri Il Hwan, secretary of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, addressed the rally and praised the achievements of Kim Jong Un.

Ri said the younger Kim inherited the economic and national defense building achievements of his grandfather and has made North Korea the most powerful country in the world despite hostile circumstances.

The rally was followed by a parade involving thousands of civilians, who held up placards with such slogans as "single-hearted unity" and "self-reliant recovery."

Kim Jong Un, who was watching the parade from a balcony dressed in civilian clothes, waved to the crowds and smiled.

The United States and South Korea are scheduled to start a joint military drill on Monday, which will most likely draw ire of Pyongyang. With the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Army approaching, South Korea and other countries are on high alert as they believe Pyongyang may conduct its seventh nuclear test.