Pyongyang: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has paid his respects at the mausoleum of his father, the late leader Kim Jong-il, on the anniversary of his birthday, marking his first visit to the family mausoleum on this occasion in four years, state media reported.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun on the late leader's birthday, known as the Day of the Shining Star. He was accompanied by his sister Kim Yo-jong, party secretaries, Defense Minister No Kwang-chol, and other officials. This marks the first reported visit by Kim to the mausoleum on his father's birth anniversary since 2021.
A floral basket was laid in Kim Jong-un's name before the statues of the late leader and national founder Kim Il-sung. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim paid "homage of immortality and best wishes" to his father, expressing his commitment to the prosperity of the country and the well-being of its people, while remaining faithful to the revolutionary ideas of the two late leaders.
The Day of the Shining Star and the national founder's birthday, the Day of the Sun, are significant national holidays in North Korea. Although North Korea has often avoided using the term Day of the Shining Star, preferring to call it simply February 16, this year the KCNA and other state media used the reverent term for the late leader's birthday.
The KCNA also reported visits by Premier Pak Thae-song, Choe Ryong-hae, and other officials to the mausoleum, while general workers, soldiers, and students laid flowers at the late leader's statue. Koo Byoung-sam, spokesman at South Korea's unification ministry, noted that North Korea's idolization campaigns and promotion of allegiance to the top leader remain unchanged.
Kim Jong-un had visited the Kumsusan mausoleum annually for about a decade on his ancestors' birthdays since 2012, but he skipped these visits in the past three years, according to Koo. North Korea also reported that Kim sent gifts to schools, orphanages, and child care facilities and hosted celebratory events including a performance, banquet, and ball in honor of the "February holiday."