PYONGYANG, North Korea — North Koreans are marking the seventh anniversary of the death of leader Kim Jong Il with visits to statues and vows of loyalty to his son, Kim Jong Un. Though focused on remembrances of his father, the anniversary also marks Kim’s own rise to power. The death of Kim Jong Il on Dec. 17, 2011, thrust his son into power when he was still in his late 20s and a virtual unknown figure outside of the North. The North’s official Korean Central News Agency instead ran stories about memorials to Kim Jong Il in Libya, Russia and Serbia. North Korean adults wear pins over their hearts bearing the likenesses of Kim Il Sung of Kim Jong Il, or both.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer December 16, 2018 16:18 UTC