On Friday 17 December, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), commonly known as North Korea, marked the tenth anniversary of the death of its previous head of state Kim Jong-il.
At midday, the country's citizens observed a three-minute silence as millions collectively bowed in respect for the late leader, according to AP.
National flags in North Korea were lowered to half-mast and cars, ships, and trains blared their horns.
Many North Koreans visited the Mansu Hill monument complex in Pyongyang to lay flowers and bow before giant statues of Kim Jong-il and his father and the country’s founder Kim Il-sung.
North Korean state-run media has also issued a call for citizens to stand united behind the current North Korean head of state, Kim Jong-il’s son Kim Jong-un.
“We should make our every effort to bolster our single-minded unity... by standing united behind respected comrade Kim Jong Un,” Rodong Sinmun newspaper wrote.
As North Korea continues to endure the pressure of international sanctions and struggles to deal with issues related to the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic, AP states that the country “shows no signs of political instability” and that “few outside experts question Kim's grip on power.”
Born on 16 February 1942, Kim Jong-il assumed the mantle of North Korean leader in 1994, following the death of the previous head of state and his father Kim Il-song that same year. He governed the country until his death in 2011, when he was succeeded by his son Kim Jong-un.
Kim Jong-il authored a number of books on juche, the North Korean state ideology, and is credited in the country for composing several operas and designing the 70-metre tall monument known as the Juche Tower in Pyongyang.