North Korea has celebrated the 80th anniversary of the birth of the late Kim Jong Il leader without a rocket launch or military parade, but with a concert and fireworks display in the city of Samjiyon, the state-run KCNA news agency reported.
His son, the current leader of North Korea Kim Jong Un, celebrated the Day of the Bright Star, as his father’s birthday is called in this city near Mount Paektu, where, according to official history, he was born Kim Jong Il on February 16, 1942.
Pictures broadcast by North Korean media showed a crowd of people – including Labor party officials – gathered in front of the statue of Kim Jong Il “to celebrate the great feast of the good omen of the nation,” the report said. KCNA.
The crowd applauded enthusiastically when they saw Kim Jong Un attending the event in Samjiyon County, “the holy land of the revolution,” the source added.
It is rare for such events to take place in such a remote area.
The North Korean leader has sought to transform the city into a major financial center, with his government funding projects to build new homes, hotels and a ski resort, as well as cultural and medical facilities.
Samjion’s transformation is part of Kim Jong Un’s plans to boost the “autonomous” economy, as international sanctions have been imposed on North Korea over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
The North Korean leader himself has repeatedly visited the city, which he has described as a “socialist utopia” and an “epitome of modern civilization.”
Kim laid a wreath in front of his father’s statue, but the KCNA did not release any of his statements.
Every year in North Korea, various anniversaries are celebrated in connection with the official history of the country and its two first leaders, Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un’s grandfather and father.
These celebrations are an opportunity for large flower exhibitions, dance shows and tributes to the press, with the aim, according to experts, to strengthen citizens’ faith in the regime.
The international community has been watching closely for the holiday as tensions on the Korean Peninsula escalate, with observers expecting a large military parade for the regime to present its new weapons.
Pyongyang conducted an unprecedented number of missile tests in January, launching, among other things, its most powerful missile since 2017.
Analysts estimate that North Korea may test a major weapon on April 15, the 110th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il Sung.
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