Following Kim Jong Un’s unexpected state visit to China, North Korea appears to have skipped any outward celebrations of Kim’s birthday, echoing events last year.
“Kim Jong Un’s birthday is not a national holiday,” confirmed a Ryanggang Province-based source on January 7. “He has told the people that his birthday is not a national holiday and requested that officials avoid placing his birthday on their calendars.”
Daily NK recently obtained a 2019 calendar published by North Korea’s Foreign Publishing House. January 1 was designated a ‘red day’ (signifying a national holiday), while Kim Jong Un’s assumed birthday, January 8, was not specifically marked at all.
“Similarly to last year, there are no signs that North Korea is making any special preparations to celebrate January 8 […] We will continue to watch closely for any change in the situation,” said South Korean Ministry of Unification spokesperson Baek Tae-hyun during a regular briefing at the Government Complex Seoul on January 7.
Since gaining power, Kim has avoided talking about his birthday, which stands in contrast to North Korea’s massive celebrations of Kim Il Sung’s (Day of the Sun, April 15) and Kim Jong Il’s (Day of the Shining Star, February 16) birthdays as national holidays.
By not drawing attention to his birthday, Kim may be hoping to emphasize his image as a modest leader in an effort to garner respect from the people of North Korea.
“Recently the local Party Secretary attended a meeting of collective farm workers in Samsu County and emphasized Kim Jong Un’s humility,” said a separate source in Ryanggang Province. “He even claimed that Kim Jong Un is a ‘leader who has forgotten his birthday in the service of his people.’”
Kim Jong Un’s official title was deemed the “Dear Respected Supreme Leader” at the end of 2016 after five years in office, further cementing Kim’s authority as the country’s leader.
During this year’s New Year’s Address, Kim did not mention the words “Kim Il Sung,” “Kim Jong Il,” “Suryong” (a title referring to both leaders), or “General.” This may have been deliberate in order to emphasize independence from his predecessors, though their portraits remained behind him in frame for the duration of the speech.
However, some North Koreans are reportedly unhappy that they’re missing out on a potential national holiday. “Making it a national holiday would allow some rest and the state would likely provide everyone with a bottle of alcohol to celebrate. But the day is just a regular day, so there’s none of that. Some people are a bit unhappy about it,” said a source in South Hamgyong Province.
