North Korea kicked off a huge celebration for what would have been the 80th birthday of Kim Jong-un’s late father.
But there were no missile displays or macho shows of military might this year.
The ceremony featured fireworks and an outdoor music concert in the alpine town of Samjiyon, near the Chinese border, a remote location where temperatures hit -20C this morning.
It is also close to the sacred Mount Paektu, an active volcano famous for being the birthplace of Kim’s father, Kim Jong-il.
Ever since Jong-il died from a heart attack in 2011, his birthdays have become one of the most important holidays in the rogue state’s calendar.
North Korea’s state media KCNA said guests at the freezing ceremony ‘burst into stormy cheers’ when Kim appeared to pay tribute by the huge statue of his father.
The 38-year-old dictator has begun a major development project in Samjiyon, which apparently epitomises Kim’s ‘iron will’ to achieve prosperity, according to KCNA.
Elsewhere, North Koreans climbed Pyongyang’s Mansu Hill to lay flowers and bow before the statues of Kim Jong-il and Kim Il-sung.
Earlier this week, a propaganda video showed Kim joining his top generals to celebrate the construction of 10,000 flats in the Hwasong area of Pyongyang.
North Korea has already test-fired six missiles this year in what experts believe are an attempt to pressure the US into relieving their sanctions.
The isolated state has faced severe economic difficulties due to the pandemic, with Pyongyang pausing the tests before the start of the Winter Olympics in China – its last major ally and economic pipeline.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].
For more stories like this, check our news page.
