North Korea on Friday discreetly commemorated the 76th birth anniversary of former leader Kim Jong-il
Figure skaters perform during the opening ceremony of a figure skating festival marking the anniversary of the birth of late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il at an ice rink in Pyongyang on February 14, 2018. Pic/ AFP
ADVERTISEMENT
North Korea on Friday discreetly commemorated the 76th birth anniversary of former leader Kim Jong-il.
As per tradition, the incumbent leader Kim Jong-un paid a visit to the Kumsusan Sun Palace here at midnight and solemnly placed a wreath in front of the embalmed bodies of his father and grandfather, Kim Il-sung, founder of North Korea, according to the state agency KCNA.
Kim Jong-un was accompanied by high-ranking Workers Party officials, but not military officers, Efe news quoted KCNA as saying.
The South Korean Unification Ministry pointed out that this year the North has opted for a modest celebration of this important event, in contrast with the previous year.
In 2017, the so-called "Kwangmyongsongjol" (the Day of the Shining Star was celebrated with a flower festival "Kimjongilia" in Pyongyang, featuring an enormous mass dance and a fireworks display.
This year, the commemoration took place in an atmosphere of relative relaxation between Seoul and Pyongyang as a result of the North's participation in the ongoing PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games, after agreements were reached between the two neighbouring countries in January.
This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Except for the change in headline, the story has been provided "AS-IS," "AS AVAILABLE, without any verification or editing from our side. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
