North Korean senior party and government officials received badges depicting Kim Jong Un for the first time, along with a lecture on his greatness, on June 29. This development follows the recent appearance of the badge in North Korean media coverage of the enlarged meeting of the 10th Plenary Session of the Eighth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea.<\/p>\n
According to a source in South Hamgyong Province last Thursday, the badges were distributed to officials at large enterprises, organizations, and department heads at provincial, municipal, and county party committees during their Saturday study groups. The sudden presentation of these badges reportedly surprised the officials.<\/p>\n
The distribution coincided with the enlarged meeting of the 10th Plenary Session, held from June 28 to July 1. This marks a significant milestone, as badges of Kim Il Sung first appeared in 1970, followed by Kim Jong Il’s in 1992 on his 50th birthday. The source noted the rapid introduction of Kim Jong Un’s badge, just 12 years after he assumed power.<\/p>\n
Following the distribution, a lecture emphasized Kim Jong Un’s greatness as the supreme leader, with speakers urging continued loyalty and revolutionary spirit. The lecture also stressed that this distribution marks a new era under Kim Jong Un’s leadership.<\/p>\n
As Kim Jong Un’s autonomous leadership becomes more evident, the regime is expected to distribute his portraits and badges to the public in stages, furthering his personality cult while diminishing the presence of his predecessors.<\/p>\n
Currently, only portraits of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il are displayed in homes. The source speculated that Kim Jong Un’s portraits and badges might be distributed simultaneously in the future.<\/p>\n
The source suggested that the previously popular “double portrait badges” featuring Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il will gradually lose favor. He added that Kim Jong Un’s badge will likely become popular, especially among young people who previously wore the double portrait badges more for style than loyalty.<\/p>\n