North Korean leader misses annual visit marking grandfather's birthday

Yonhap — Participants attend a ceremony marking the anniversary of North Korea's regime founder Kim Il-sung's birth at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang on April 15, 2025, in this photo released by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) the following day.

SEOUL, April 16 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appears to have skipped his annual visit to a mausoleum to pay respects to his late grandfather and regime founder Kim Il-sung on the anniversary of his birth, according to state media.

The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Wednesday that key party officials such as Choe Ryong-hae and Pak Thae-song visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang the previous day when the country marked the 113th anniversary of Kim senor's birth, but made no mention of Kim junior's attendance.

Kim junior had visited the mausoleum, where the embalmed bodies of his late father and grandfather lie in state, almost every year since assuming power in 2012, but has missed his customary visit in recent years, starting in 2023.

The portly leader instead attended a ceremony marking the completion of a new glitzy high-rise housing complex in Pyongyang's northeastern district of Hwasong, which will accommodate 10,000 households.

The district has been newly developed under his ambitious five-year plan, launched in 2021, which aims to build 10,000 housing units annually in the capital.

His latest appearance marked his fourth visit to the complex, having previously attended its groundbreaking ceremony last year and conducted two additional inspections in March and April while construction was underway.

Some analysts interpret that his frequent visits to construction sites are intended to promote his own achievements, while his irregular appearances or absences from annual rituals and other memorial ceremonies may be a calculated move to consolidate his grip on power.

Park Sae-jin swatchsjp@ajunews.com

North Korean leader misses annual visit marking grandfather's birthday

Related