A torch performance and firework display were held after the military parade, lightening the night sky of the capital.

The DPRK People's Army didn't hold a parade.

A torch performance is seen at the Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), September 9, 2008. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) staged a military parade on Tuesday, marking the 60th anniversary of the founding of the nation. [Zhang Binyang/Xinhua]

In the evening, the DPRK government held a banquet to celebrate the national day.

Speaking at the banquet, top legislator Kim Yong Nam called on the DPRK people to make efforts to fulfill the "unshakable" will of the government to build a powerful and prosperous country.

Kim Jong Il, top leader of the country, was not present at Tuesday's events.

The DPRK government has attached great importance to the country's 60th birthday, renovating and repainting many buildings, revamping many streets and paving sidewalks with colorful stones to give the capital a new look.

At least 60,000 main construction projects have been completed in the DPRK over the past decade and more, including power stations, pig farms and steel furnaces, the official KCNA news agency reported.

The 60th anniversary should be a "grand political ceremony", said an editorial carried by the official Rodong Sinmun last week. The ceremony should fully demonstrate the spirit of the DPRK people to build a powerful and prosperous country, it added.