Seoul: In a significant departure from tradition, North Korea marked the birthday of its leader, Kim Jong Un, with loyalty oaths—a practice not seen since his ascension to power in 2011, according to a report by Reuters citing a South Korean research institute.
The decision to hold a loyalty oath ceremony on Kim Jong Un’s 40th birthday, as he enters his 13th year in power, carries symbolic weight, indicating a shift towards assertive political tactics unlike those of his predecessors, noted the institute.
Although the administration of these oaths could not be independently verified, the South and North Development Institute (Sand) released images of the ceremony in an elaborate folder on January 8, Kim’s 40th birthday.
Notably, North Korea has never officially disclosed Kim’s birth date, typically reserving such ceremonies for the birthdays of his father and grandparents, the country’s former rulers. However, Sand’s president, Choi Kyong-hui, suggested that North Korea might soon recognize Kim’s birthday as an official anniversary, possibly as early as next year.
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Another significant change observed this year is the absence of references to founding leader Kim Il Sung’s April 15 birthday as the “Day of the Sun”, according to reports from a Western tour agency with connections in Pyongyang and analysts monitoring official media.
The Kim family’s dynasty has maintained a firm grip on power in North Korea since its establishment after World War II, bolstering their authority through the cultivation of personality cults around successive leaders.
