NEW DELHI: North Koreans were made to take loyalty oaths on leader Kim Jong Un‘s birthday for the first time since he came to power in 2011, as per a South Korean research institute, Reuters reported.
“Kim Jong Un’s choice to host a loyalty oath ceremony on his 40th birthday, as he begins his 13th year in power, signals a shift towards political assertiveness, departing from his predecessors’ approach,” the institute said.
The oaths which could not be independently verified were administered on, January 8, Kim’s 40th birthday, according to the South and North Development Institute (Sand), that released photos of the oath in an ornate folder on Friday.
The nuclear-armed country has never officially made public Kim’s birth date, and such oath ceremonies have usually taken place on the birthdays of his father and grandparents, the previous rulers.
North Korea could recognize Kim’s birthday as an official anniversary as early as next year, Sand’s president, Choi Kyong-hui told Reuters.
According to a Western tour agency with partners in Pyongyang and analysts who monitor official media, North Korea has stopped referring to founding leader Kim Il Sung’s April 15 birth day as the “Day of the Sun” for the first time this year, Reuters reported.
The Kim family dynasty has dominated the country since its inception following World War II, increasing their hold on power by creating personality cults around them.
“Kim Jong Un’s choice to host a loyalty oath ceremony on his 40th birthday, as he begins his 13th year in power, signals a shift towards political assertiveness, departing from his predecessors’ approach,” the institute said.
The oaths which could not be independently verified were administered on, January 8, Kim’s 40th birthday, according to the South and North Development Institute (Sand), that released photos of the oath in an ornate folder on Friday.
The nuclear-armed country has never officially made public Kim’s birth date, and such oath ceremonies have usually taken place on the birthdays of his father and grandparents, the previous rulers.
North Korea could recognize Kim’s birthday as an official anniversary as early as next year, Sand’s president, Choi Kyong-hui told Reuters.
According to a Western tour agency with partners in Pyongyang and analysts who monitor official media, North Korea has stopped referring to founding leader Kim Il Sung’s April 15 birth day as the “Day of the Sun” for the first time this year, Reuters reported.
The Kim family dynasty has dominated the country since its inception following World War II, increasing their hold on power by creating personality cults around them.
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