North Korea conducted its largest military parade ever on the anniversary of the founding of the North Korean military last Monday. The military parade, the 12th during North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s decade in power, focused on idolizing Kim and showing off North Korea’s nuclear arsenal to demonstrate its status as a nuclear state.
How do Pyongyang residents who took part in the parade and party cadres who helped organize it feel about the event? Daily NK listened to what locals in North Korea had to say.
Surprise that Ri Sol Ju sat above Kim
For Pyongyang residents mobilized for the late night parade on Monday, the chief focus of their interest was Ri Sol Ju, Kim’s wife. Pyongyang residents said they were pretty surprised that Ri sat in a higher position than Kim.
Ri was located on the upper part of the platform with Choe Ryong Hae, chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People’s Assembly, Premier Kim Tok Hun and Jo Yong Won, secretary for organizational affairs of the ruling party’s Central Committee. However, in the camera lens, she appeared to be standing right above Kim’s head. One Pyongyang resident said Ri was standing in an “unimaginable position.”
Many people were reportedly impressed by the high status given Ri, who was dressed in white like her husband and the focus of the platform’s pin lights.
In fact, Daily NK’s reporting has determined that full-scale efforts have recently begun to idolize Ri.
According to a high-ranking Daily NK source in North Korea, the Central Committee has been working hard to idolize Ri, distributing ideological materials about the First Lady.
The material was composed for late leader Kim Jong Il’s 80th birthday on Feb. 16, and contains flowery language about Ri, praising how she has “carried on the Juche Revolution” and calling her an “exact manifestation of Mother Kim Jong Suk [Kim Il Sung’s wife].”
The expression about how she has “carried on the Juche Revolution” was possible because she has given birth to a son, said the source.
Daily NK previously reported that her appearance in traditional Korean clothing at the Lunar New Year performance at Pyongyang’s Mansudae Art Theatre in January may have represented an attempt to “turn her into Kim Jong Suk.” This is because the red traditional jacket and black skirt is a symbolic sartorial choice that reminds everyone of Kim Jong Suk.
Kim In-tae, a senior researcher at the South Korean Institute for National Security Strategy (INSS), told Daily NK that the latest military parade brought to a conclusion a decade of idolization of Kim, and now it is time to idolize Ri as an auxiliary entity.
Kim noted that a recent trend in Kim Jong Un’s idolization is an effort to make him a more fatherly figure, such as by calling him “Father Supreme Leader.” He said Ri must play the symbolic role of mother as the authorities turn Kim into a father.
This means in North Korea, the spouse of the top leader serves as a means of support to accelerate the idolization of the leader, rather than playing the role of First Lady.
Pak Jong Chon, Ri Pyong Chol’s white hats made for parade
Kim Jong Un’s choice of fashion for the parade also drew attention. He appeared in a white marshal’s uniform that reminded people of his grandfather Kim Il Sung.
This is the first time he has appeared at a function wearing the white marshal’s uniform. He apparently wore it to highlight how North Korea’s accomplishments over the decade of his rule — namely, the strengthening of its nuclear arsenal — equals the accomplishments of his ancestors during the armed struggle against Japan.
However, a Daily NK source in the North Korean military said the white hats worn by Pak Jong Chon and Ri Pyong Chol, who stood to Kim’s sides, were for the event only and outside the scope of North Korea’s regulation uniforms. That is to say, they were made for the parade to accentuate Kim, who wore the white marshal’s uniform.
In particular, by once again placing Ri — who has led North Korea’s nuclear weapon and missile development — in the Presidium of the Politburo, and by making Pak, the chief of the general staff, a vice chairperson of the Central Military Committee, Kim symbolically demonstrated his governing keynotes to promote military unit and bolster military strength.
Some people said Kim’s epaulets resembled the insignia of a “generalissimo,” or daewonsu. However, within the North Korean military, no signs have emerged that Kim was named to such a rank.
Why 10 PM instead of midnight?
Meanwhile, according to the high-ranking North Korean source, North Korea initially planned to host the parade at midnight Sunday.
However, an accident involving a defective aircraft during practice ceremonial flights at Sunan Airfield forced authorities to move the start time to Monday night. Daily NK has yet to learn the specifics of the accident that delayed the start of the parade.
North Korea initially considered holding the parade at 10 AM, but decided instead to hold it late at night as the final and culminating event of the “greatest celebratory period of the nation.”
The high-ranking source said North Koreans felt that as the final event, the military parade highlighted even more how the armed forces make the people safe.
Translated by David Black. Edited by Robert Lauler.
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
