Kim Jong Un resumes homage to father after four-year hiatus
Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, paid tribute to his father for the first time in four years. Kim Jong Il, who is revered in North Korea, was born on February 16, so his son visited the mausoleum of his predecessors—father and grandfather—to commemorate this anniversary.
Kim Jong Un appeared at the Kumsusan Palace with the mausoleum of Kim Jong Il on the Day of the Shining Star, the anniversary of his birth. He was accompanied by his sister Kim Yo Jong and other high-ranking officials, including Defense Minister No Kwang Chol.
The visit, reported by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), is the first such event since 2021. The son had not visited his father and grandfather, his predecessors in office, for four years.
Kim Jong Un visited the mausoleum of Kim Jong Il
During the visit, Kim Jong Un emphasized his determination to continue the revolutionary ideas of his ancestors, Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. The Korean agency also quotes Kim Jong Un's words, expressing 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."
This visit is a symbolic gesture that aims to strengthen his position as an independent leader. Kim Jong Un decided to emphasize the consistency of the political message of his predecessors.
The dictator visited the Kumsusan Palace every year for about a decade on the occasion of his ancestors' birthdays. However, as noted by the South Korean source Yonhap, he broke this tradition in 2021.
In previous years, the media avoided using the term "Day of the Shining Star". Currently, however, the previous poetic and respectful references to Kim Jong Il's birthday have appeared in reports by the government news agency KCNA.
This may indicate a deliberate, thoughtful shift in approach. Koo Byoung-sam, a spokesperson for South Korea's Ministry of Unification, assessed that in North Korea the campaign to promote loyalty to Kim Jong Un remains unchanged.
