The Olympic Committee of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) gave on Saturday its support to the Beijing Olympic torch relay and condemned the disturbance to it, said the official news agency KCNA.

"The Olympic Committee of the DPRK positively supports the torch relays taking place in line with the Olympic idea of peace and friendship and vehemently condemns some disruptive forces' obstructions as a challenge to the Olympic idea," a spokesman for the committee told KCNA.

Pyongyang, the capital of the DPRK, will be the 18th stop of the torch relay on April 28. The spokesman said the preparation for the torch relay in Pyongyang was pushed into the final phase.

"This event will take place in the most secure and smooth manner as planned in the DPRK," he added.

(Xinhua News Agency April 13, 2008)