North Korea is rallying its internal atmosphere by hosting commemorative events for the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day (August 15). The regime is particularly utilizing the anti-Japanese struggle as a basis for political legitimacy, glorifying the dynastic succession of Chairman Kim Il Sung, Chairman Kim Jong Il, and Chairman Kim Jong Un.
The Workers’ Party’s official newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, reported on Wednesday that a stamp exhibition had opened the previous day at the Korea Stamp Museum to mark the 80th anniversary of Liberation. The newspaper stated that the exhibition showcased stamps commemorating the immortal achievements of the great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung, the great leader Comrade Kim Jong Il, and the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un in liberating the country, promoting its prosperity, and strengthening the revolutionary armed forces.
Additionally, since August 4, a central photo exhibition titled, Great Victory of the Anti-Japanese War, Brilliant Inheritance, has been held at the People’s Cultural Palace in Pyongyang to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Liberation. This exhibition features photographs depicting Chairman Kim Il Sung’s anti-Japanese struggle during his youth, as well as images of Chairman Kim Jong Un observing the successful launch of North Korea’s first independently developed reconnaissance satellite, Malligyong-1, in November 2023.
The front page of the newspaper also featured an article emphasizing that the Paektu Revolutionary Tradition is the strongest weapon of North Korea. Paektu Mountain serves as a symbolic location for Chairman Kim Il Sung’s anti-Japanese struggle and personal narrative. Recently, the newspaper has been encouraging residents to visit Paektu Mountain, claiming that doing so will allow them to learn the revolutionary spirit needed to lead a comprehensive national revival.
This appears to be North Korea’s strategy to rally its citizens around Liberation Day, especially as it approaches significant political events, such as the 80th anniversary of the Workers’ Party’s founding (October 10) and the 9th Party Congress, scheduled for the end of this year or early next year.
Furthermore, the newspaper reported that members of the diplomatic corps in North Korea visited the Korean Revolution Museum in Pyongyang to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Liberation. It also noted that North Korean organizations in China, including the General Federation of Koreans in China, laid flower baskets at the statues of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il located on Mansudae Hill in Pyongyang.