Kim tribute absence sparks speculation

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s conspicuous absence from commemorations for his grandfather Kim Il-sung’s birth anniversary this week suggests he could be looking to emphasise his own authority over his family’s legacy, analysts said.

The April 15 birthday of the North’s founder is the most important celebration of the country’s annual political calendar, known as the Day of the Sun.

North Koreans are taught from birth to revere Il-sung and his son and successor Kim Jong-il, father of the current leader, and all adults wear badges depicting the men.

But Jong-un’s absence from any official reports on this year’s commemorations led analysts to speculate he wants to distance himself from the “cult of personality” surrounding the country’s ruling dynasty.

The state KCNA news agency did not mention him in a report yesterday on senior officials visiting the Kumsusan Palace to pay the “highest tribute” to the two late leaders.

Pictures in the Rodong Sinmun newspaper yesterday did not show him attending, although a floral basket was draped with a banner bearing his name. —