North Korea’s founding chief Kim Il-sung, middle, his spouse Kim Jong-suk and their son Kim Jong-il, are seen on this picture carried by the Korean Central Broadcasting Committee, Jan. 2, 2020. Yonhap
North Korea’s state media made no point out of the birthday of the long-revered grandmother of chief Kim Jong-un on Wednesday as the present chief seeks to cut back his reliance on his predecessors for authority.
The Rodong Sinmun, North Korea’s most generally learn newspaper, has but to report on the late Kim Jong-suk’s birthday, which falls on Dec. 24.
As the primary spouse of North Korea’s late founder Kim Il-sung and mom of former chief Kim Jong-il, the late father of Kim Jong-un, Kim Jong-suk had lengthy been the one deified lady among the many Kim dynasty’s “Paektu bloodline.”
She was additionally described as a “feminine hero” within the struggle in opposition to Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula and one of many “three generals of Mount Paektu” that features Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il.
The Rodong Sinmun has revealed articles yearly on her birthday to mirror on the late determine, describing her because the function mannequin of the individuals.
Final 12 months, the newspaper carried an article touting the late Kim because the “nice mom of revolution.”
However this 12 months, the North’s state media has no point out of Kim Jong-suk’s birthday. There have been additionally no media studies on the Sept. 22 anniversary commemorating her loss of life.
North Korea’s stance of sustaining a low profile for the present chief’s grandmother seems to align with Kim Jong-un’s efforts to strengthen his standing as a stand-alone chief whereas lowering the regime’s idolization of his predecessors.
Since final 12 months, the North has not referred to the birthday of Kim Il-sung because the Day of the Solar and stopped utilizing its “juche,” or self-reliance, calendar — a system of numbering the years that symbolize the late founder.
