Kim Jong Un Pays Tribute at Kumsusan Palace of the Sun on 32nd Anniversary of Kim Il Sung's Death

On July 8, the 32nd anniversary of the death of his grandfather, Chairman Kim Il Sung, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un paid tribute at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where the bodies of his predecessors are enshrined. Analysts have interpreted this as an effort to emphasize Kim Jong Un's legitimacy as the orthodox successor.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un paid tribute to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun at midnight on the 8th, the 32nd anniversary of the death of Chairman Kim Il Sung, along with party and government leaders, reported by Korean Central Television on the 8th. Yonhap News Agency

According to reports from North Korean media, including the Korean Central News Agency, Kim Jong Un visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang at midnight on the 8th and paid his respects to the statues of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.

According to the report, the event was attended by members of the Politburo Presidium of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, senior party and government officials, members of the Party Central Committee, and top-ranking military officials, including Kim Jong Un. In the front row stood party secretaries such as Jo Yongwon and Jeong Kyungtaek, as well as Premier of the Cabinet Park Taesong. In the back row were Kim Yo Jong, Director of the Party General Affairs Department; Choe Son Hui, Minister of Foreign Affairs; and No Kwang Chol, Minister of Defense. Kim Jae Ryong, the former secretary who was dismissed from his post last month, was also present.

However, unlike the tribute paid at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun at the start of the new year in January, Kim Ju Ae, Kim Jong Un's daughter, was not seen this time.

On this day, the Rodong Sinmun linked Kim Il Sung's past policy of self-reliant economy to the current policies of Kim Jong Un's regime in several articles. In particular, while highlighting Kim Jong Un's regional development policy, the report noted, "Under the leadership of the respected General Secretary, a new era of local transformation long wished for by the leader (Kim Il Sung) is unfolding in this land."

Experts have analyzed that this event contains a strategy for idolizing Kim Jong Un. Yang Moojin, a distinguished professor at the University of North Korean Studies, explained, "By strictly adhering to protocol on the memorial day of Kim Il Sung's death, Kim Jong Un reinforces the legitimacy of the Paektu bloodline without undermining its authority, and positions himself as a leader with roots who inherits the instructions of his predecessors." He added, "This reflects a sophisticated idolization strategy that differentiates between erasing birthdays and honoring death anniversaries."

Kim Jong Un used to visit the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun on the Day of the Sun, Kim Il Sung's birthday, to commemorate the occasion on a grand scale. However, for the fourth consecutive year including this year, he has not attended, and since 2024, visits have only been made on the anniversary of death.

Meanwhile, this year is not a jubilee anniversary of Kim Il Sung's death, which North Korea considers significant (such as a multiple of 5 or 10 years). Therefore, it is expected that there will be no large-scale central memorial ceremony with Kim Jong Un's attendance; instead, gatherings such as "Deokseong meetings" to praise Kim Il Sung's achievements and character will be held.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.