North Korean leader Kim Jong Un paid a rare visit to the family mausoleum to mark the birthday of his late father, Kim Jong Il, according to local media.
Kim Jong Il’s birthday, celebrated on 16 February as the “Day of the Shining Star,” is one of the most significant holidays in North Korea. During the visit, Kim pledged to continue the “sacred struggle” for the prosperity and security of North Korea.
This year’s visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang, which houses the embalmed bodies of Kim Jong Il and his grandfather, Kim Il Sung, marks the first time in four years that Kim Jong Un has visited the mausoleum for the anniversary.
Homage to the Kim dynasty
Accompanied by his sister, Kim Yo Jong, a senior Workers’ Party official, and other aides, Kim Jong Un paid homage “in the humblest reverence,” according to KCNA. The report stated that Kim “expressed his solemn will to devote himself to the sacred struggle for the eternal prosperity of the country, the security of the people, and the promotion of their well-being.”
The Kim dynasty has ruled North Korea since its founding after World War II, maintaining power through a cult of personality surrounding its leaders. While Kim Jong Un has often invoked the legacy of his father and grandfather, he has also sought to establish his own leadership identity, relying less on his predecessors’ imagery in recent years.
Meanwhile, Koo Byoung-sam, a spokesperson for South Korea’s Unification Ministry, noted that North Korea appears to be prioritising projects where it can demonstrate visible progress, such as housing construction, by mobilising available resources and manpower.
During the ceremony, Kim praised construction workers and officials for achieving nearly 400% progress in 2023 compared to 2020. He also announced plans to continue expanding the city, declaring that the project would “usher in a new era of prosperity for Pyongyang, where ideal streets of the people, to be proud of in the world, are built every year.”
As North Korea faces ongoing economic difficulties and international isolation, Kim’s efforts to project strength and progress domestically remain central to his leadership strategy.
