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WORLD NEWS Monday 17 deceMber 2018

North Korea marks 7th anniversary of Kim Jong Il's death

By ERIC TALMADGE ficial Korean Central News taphs around the country.
Associated Press Agency ran a lengthy com- North Korean adults wear
PYONGYANG, North Korea mentary late Sunday that pins over their hearts bear-
(AP) — North Koreans are slammed the United States ing the likenesses of Kim Il
marking the seventh an- for "slander" and "sheer Sung of Kim Jong Il, or both.
niversary of the death of malice" against the coun- The North has yet to come
leader Kim Jong Il with visits try and for dragging its feet out with a Kim Jong Un pin
to statues and vows of loy- on efforts to improve rela- or to order his image join
alty to his son and succes- tions after Kim's summit with the others on every wall,
sor, Kim Jong Un. President Donald Trump in though Kim and his wife, Ri
As snow fell Sunday, tens Singapore in June. Sol Ju, have been referred
of thousands of people The commentary deliber- to with increasingly lofty
offered flowers and paid ately focused its criticism titles — "chairman" for Kim
respects to the late lead- on the State Department and "respected first lady"
er at Mansu Hill in central and administration officials, for Ri. A special portrait of
Pyongyang, the location of not at Trump, suggesting the young chairman was
huge bronze statues of the that Pyongyang remains unveiled recently at a cer-
"Dear Leader" and national open to another summit. emony to welcome the
founder Kim Il Sung. Trump has suggested he visit of Cuba's president,
The anniversary observa- could meet Kim again early but none have appeared
tions were expected to next year. in public since. And unlike
continue through Monday With Kim's power base his father and grandfather,
across the country. seemingly more solid than Kim's Jan. 8 birthday has yet
The death of Kim Jong Il on In this April 25, 2002, file photo, then North Korean leader Kim ever, and his recent effort to be declared a national
Dec. 17, 2011, thrust his son Jong Il claps from the balcony as soldiers salute him during a to establish himself on the holiday or even marked on
military parade, celebrating the foundation of the armed forces
into power when he was still in Pyongyang, North Korea. world stage through sum- calendars.
in his late 20s and a virtual Associated Press mits with Trump and others, None of that should be
unknown figure outside of North Korea watchers have assumed to be a sign of
the North. attained a goal his father the anniversary, there was been on the lookout for weakness, however.
Despite many predictions and grandfather could little mention in the state signs that his own personal- Kim is generally afforded
from outside experts that only dream of — he is the media of the issues that ity cult is being bolstered. the same reverential treat-
he wouldn't be up to the first North Korean leader to have gotten the most at- Virtually all homes and ment by the state media,
task, Kim Jong Un has con- possess an arsenal of nu- tention elsewhere, includ- public offices in North Ko- and for maintaining a re-
solidated his power, bol- clear weapons and long- ing a flurry of speculation in rea feature portraits of the spectful step behind his
stered the country's econ- range missiles capable of South Korea that Kim might elder Kims, who are also predecessors, he is cred-
omy in the face of intense reaching the United States. visit Seoul by the end of memorialized in countless ited with showing humility
international sanctions and With attention focused on the year. But the North's of- statues, mosaics and ceno- and confidence.q