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| North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and the state's military leaders visit Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang at midnight Tuesday to mark the 102nd anniversary of the birth of the nation's late founder, Kim Il-sung. Third from left is Choe Ryong-hae, the military's top political officer. / Yonhap |
By Kang Seung-woo
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his military leaders observed the 102nd anniversary of the birth of the nation's late founder on Tuesday.
April 15, known as the "Day of the Sun" in the North, marks the day the first leader of the Stalinist state, Kim Il-sung, was born.
Unlike in previous years when Pyongyang marked the anniversary with high-profile military tests to show off its strength for the purposes of regime consolidation, no such demonstration took place for the second straight year, according to the defense ministry.
Celebrations opened with a visit by the current to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun at midnight to pay tribute before the embalmed bodies of his grandfather and father, Kim Jong-il, who died in 1994 and 2011, respectively.
"Kim Jong-un, together with other visitors, paid homage to Kim Il-sung in the humblest reverence for him," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.
The country's top military brass that accompanied him included Choe Ryong-hae, the North Korean military's top political officer; Jang Jong-nam, the minister of the People's Armed Forces; and Ri Yong-gil, chief of the military's general staff.
The state-run agency also said that those who went with Kim made a pledge to complete the revolutionary cause and the military-first policy initiated by his two predecessors.
The Rodong Sinmun, which publicized a picture of the founder in front of Mount Baekdu, reported that Kim Yong-nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, urged all military personnel to pledge their loyalty to the current leader, according to the AFP.
"Being loyal to Comrade Kim Jong-un's leadership is the decisive guarantee to carry forward with the Great Comrade Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il's thoughts and accomplishments," he was quoted as saying.
"No matter what winds may blow, we must put firm faith in dear leader Kim Jong-un and follow his lead."
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