N. Korea is observing the 10th anniversary of former leader Kim Jong Il's death with calls for greater public loyalty toward his son and current leader Kim Jong Un, who is facing pandemic-related hardships and long-dormant nuclear diplomacy with the U.S.
He was expected to do the same this year but North Korea’s state media did not immediately report on any public activities by Kim Jong Un on Friday morning. State-run newspapers published articles venerating Kim Jong Il and calling for greater unity behind Kim Jong Un, while state TV aired propaganda songs and documentary films on the late leader.
On Thursday, ordinary citizens offered flowers and paid homage before giant bronze statues of Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung at Pyongyang’s Mansu Hill. “Unless North Korea accepts offers for denuclearization talks with the U.S., it cannot stay away from powerful international sanctions. Without international cooperation, North Korea must continue to seal off its borders due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19. And this is a North Korean dilemma,” analyst Cheong Seong-Chang at the private Sejong Institute in South Korea said in a recent analysis piece.
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