North Korea's Kim Jong-un Likely Absent from Kim Jong-il's 11th Memorial Ceremony

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Yuri] It appears that Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, did not attend the visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun on the 11th anniversary of the death of Kim Jong-il, Chairman of the National Defense Commission.

On the 18th, the Korean Central News Agency reported that senior North Korean officials paid tribute at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun on the 17th. However, there was no mention of Kim Jong-un or Kim Yo-jong, Deputy Director of the Workers' Party, attending in North Korean state media.

Senior North Korean officials placed a flower basket in the name of Chairman Kim Jong-un in front of the statues of President Kim Il-sung and Chairman Kim Jong-il, and also laid flowers in the names of the Party Central Committee, the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly, the Cabinet, and the People's Army. Attendees included Premier Kim Tok-hun, Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, Vice Chairman of the Party Central Military Commission Ri Pyong-chol, and Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission Pak Jong-chon. It was also the first time in a while that Hwang Pyong-so, former First Deputy Director of the Party Organization and Guidance Department who had been demoted, was seen attending in military uniform.

However, the photos released by the news agency did not show Chairman Kim Jong-un, Choe Ryong-hae, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly, Jo Yong-won, Secretary of the Party Organization, or Kim Yo-jong, Deputy Director of the Workers' Party.

Although this year marks the 11th anniversary, which is not a significant milestone year (such as 5 or 10-year intervals) that North Korea emphasizes, it is considered unusual that Chairman Kim did not pay tribute. He visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun on every 1st to 10th anniversary of his father's death and held large-scale central memorial ceremonies on the 3rd, 5th, and 10th anniversaries.

There is speculation that after attending the solid-fuel engine test for the development of a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) held on the 15th in Dongchang-ri, Cholsan County, North Pyongan Province, Chairman Kim may have stayed in nearby Samjiyon City and begun planning for the New Year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.