North Korea Quietly Marks 81st Anniversary of Workers' Party

Performance and Dance Events Held Without a Military Parade

Kim Jong Un Makes No Separate Speech or Statement

Last Year, Parade Held with Senior Chinese and Russian Official

North Korea marked the 81st anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party on the 10th with commemorative events, including a celebratory performance, but no military parade, unlike last year. Leader Kim Jong Un watched the performance with his wife, Ri Solju, and daughter, Ju Ae, and made no separate speech or statement.


The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on the 11th that a performance celebrating the 81st anniversary of the party's founding had been held the previous day at the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium. Kim watched the performance and sent his congratulations to the performers. Party and government officials, along with diplomatic representatives stationed in North Korea, also attended.


North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watched a performance celebrating the 81st anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party at the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium on the 10th with his wife, Ri Solju, and daughter, Ju Ae, Korean Central Television reported on the 11th. Korean Central Television screen capture, Yonhap News.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watched a performance celebrating the 81st anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party at the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium on the 10th with his wife, Ri Solju, and daughter, Ju Ae, Korean Central Television reported on the 11th. Korean Central Television screen capture, Yonhap News.

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Photographs released by North Korean state media showed Kim, his wife, and Ju Ae watching the performance together. Unlike Kim and his wife, who wore black suits, Ju Ae wore a white skirt suit. She stood directly behind Kim as they entered and sat in the central seat next to her father at the venue.


This year's events stood in contrast to last year's celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the party's founding. Last year, a milestone anniversary marking a five- or 10-year interval, North Korea invited senior officials from China and Russia and held a military parade. Kim emphasized his commitment to strengthening national defense at the parade. On the party's founding anniversary in 2024, he issued a separate statement emphasizing the inheritance of the party's founding ideology and internal unity. This year, state media reports have made no mention of a separate speech or statement by Kim.


North Korea also held various commemorative events for the party's founding anniversary. According to KCNA, party officials and political officers from military institutions visited the Party Founding History Museum in Pyongyang. Flower baskets bearing the names of institutions, enterprises, and universities at various levels were placed at the statues of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il on Mansu Hill.



The previous day, a youth and student gathering was held at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, where participants danced to propaganda songs to celebrate the party's founding anniversary. KCNA also reported that a dance event hosted by the Socialist Women's Union of Korea was held the same day at the Party Founding Monument plaza.


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