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'Celebratory joy' fills Pyongyang streets on late founder's 113th birthday

Published: 15 Apr. 2025, 12:58 Updated: 15 Apr. 2025, 13:21

LIM JEONG-WON
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North Korea's state-run media Rodong Sinmun reported on April 15 that workers in the Chollima Steel Complex were ″completely resolved to fight desperately to carry out the party's decisions while harboring a deep longing for the leader,″ in commemoration of former North Korean leader Kim Il Sung's birthday. [NEWS1]

North Korea celebrated the 113th birthday of its founding leader, Kim Il Sung, on Tuesday by reaffirming loyalty to his grandson, Kim Jong-un, and promoting an unbroken ideological lineage that ties the past to the present.

In a front-page editorial, the state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun lauded Kim Il Sung’s legacy, calling his Juche ideology a revolutionary foundation that has been “continuously developed and enriched” by Kim Jong-un’s “extraordinary ideological activities.”

The paper described Kim Jong-un’s leadership as a continuation of the revolutionary lineage and emphasized the importance of “unconditionally and thoroughly implementing” his directives.

State media reinforced the celebratory atmosphere by covering a series of events held nationwide to mark Kim Il Sung’s birth anniversary.

North Korea's state-run media Rodong Sinmun said on April 15 that ″a celebratory gathering of Women's League workers and members was held at the Women's Hall″ in commemoration of former North Korean leader Kim Il Sung's birthday. [NEWS1]

These included a national gathering of the Korean Children’s Union, a student performance at the Pyongyang Students and Children’s Palace, and commemorative meetings organized by the Socialist Women’s Union of Korea and youth groups, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The birthday of Kim Il Sung, referred to as the “Day of the Sun,” is one of North Korea’s most important holidays, used by the regime to solidify loyalty and reinforce the legitimacy of the ruling Kim family dynasty.

North Korea's state-run media Rodong Sinmun said on April 15 that ″the streets of the capital were filled with celebratory joy″ in commemoration of former North Korean leader Kim Il Sung's birthday. [NEWS1]