On February 16, North Korea marked the birthday of Kim Jong Il, former Chairman of the National Defense Commission, by hosting various events and fostering a celebratory atmosphere. While the country hasn’t officially removed the term Gwangmyongsong Day from commemorative occasions, its usage appears to be gradually declining.
The state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper reported on the national gathering of the Korean Children’s Union. Speakers at the event congratulated students joining the organization on this special day, urging them to grow into pillars of the nation imbued with fervent patriotism.
The paper also noted that agricultural workers organized the 3rd February 16 Festival of People’s Art, featuring performances that paid tribute to Kim Jong Il’s achievements in addressing agricultural challenges.
Furthermore, young people visited the Paektu Mountain Secret Camp House, which North Korea claims as Kim Jong Il’s birthplace. There, they expressed enthusiasm for carrying on their predecessors’ fighting spirit by studying historical artifacts preserved at the site, which North Korea promotes as the place that announced the birth of Baekdu’s Gwangmyongsong to the world.
The newspaper mentioned Gwangmyongsong Day four times on this day, following its appearances on February 14 and 15. An article about the Mangyongdae Student and Youth Palace Art Group Performance reported celebrations with songs and dances. The previous day, it noted that the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan laid flowers at Kim Jong Il’s statue to mark the occasion.
Since 2024, North Korea has largely discontinued the use of Day of the Sun to refer to Kim Il Sung’s birthday. While Gwangmyongsong Day hasn’t been completely eliminated, state media appear to be using it far less frequently.
The scale of commemorative events and articles seems somewhat reduced compared to previous years. Although this isn’t a significant anniversary year for North Korea, the relatively subdued atmosphere is notable, given that the Day of the Sun and Gwangmyongsong Day are major North Korean holidays.
However, as more celebratory events typically occur on the actual holiday, there’s a possibility of increased festive coverage in the following day’s reports. Last year, Kim Jong Un, the Party’s General Secretary, visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun on Kim Jong Il’s birthday, which was reported on Monday.
Interestingly, despite it being Kim Jong Il’s birthday, North Korea dedicated the first four pages of its six-page publication to numerous photos of General Secretary Kim attending the completion ceremony of Saebyul Street, a project for families of fallen soldiers. This emphasis on Kim Jong Un’s achievements ahead of the 9th Party Congress is noteworthy.
Some experts highlighted the mention of the era of Kim Jong Un at the conclusion of the Saebyul Street ceremony report. The newspaper declared that Saebyul Street would perpetuate the new legend of love and loyalty that has blossomed in the great Kim Jong Un era, shining brilliantly for generations to come.
Hong Min, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, suggested that starting from the 9th Party Congress, North Korea might distinguish its history by designating it the Kim Jong Un era, separate from the Kim Il Sung era and the Kim Jong Il era. While previous narratives centered on our state-first principle or the continuity of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il-ism, Hong noted that since 2024, there’s been a surge in emphasizing Kim Jong Un’s distinct authority, exemplified by the prominent display of his portraits.
Page 5 of the newspaper featured an editorial commemorating that Kim Jong Il’s birthday,’ notably without mentioning Gwangmyongsong Day. The editorial stressed the unique leadership system while extolling Kim Jong Il’s lifetime achievements. It asserted that under the leadership of the beloved General Secretary Comrade (Kim Jong Un), the revolution and North Korean-style socialism would progress, fulfilling Kim Jong Il’s vision of a prosperous socialist power and hastening the ultimate triumph of the Juche revolutionary cause. This rhetoric underscores the legitimacy and leadership of the Kim Jong Un regime.
