Government on 'Kim Jong-un Emblem': "Movement to Establish Independent Status"

Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il 'Double Emblem' Replaced by 'Kim Jong-un Solo Emblem'
"Part of Effort to Obscure Predecessors through Kim Jong-un Idolization"

The government evaluated the fact that North Korean officials wore badges featuring only the face of Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, at official events for the first time as "a move to establish his status as an independent leader."

Kim In-ae, deputy spokesperson of the Ministry of Unification, responded this way when asked about the matter during a regular briefing on the 1st. Deputy spokesperson Kim explained, "The trend of idolizing Kim Jong-un began in earnest after the 8th Party Congress in August 2021, as part of efforts to obscure the previous generations," adding, "This year, the three major portraits were unveiled for the first time, expressions related to the Day of the Sun (Kim Il-sung's birthday) have been restrained, and the Kim Jong-un portrait badge officially appeared for the first time at this plenary meeting."

At the plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, a party official was seen for the first time wearing a portrait badge featuring only Kim Jong-un's face on the left chest.

North Korea has been holding the 10th plenary meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party since the 28th of last month. On the second day of the meeting, the 29th, high-ranking officials attracted attention by appearing with Kim Jong-un portrait badges attached to their chests. Deputy spokesperson Kim assessed, "In a situation where public dissatisfaction is increasing due to economic difficulties and the influx of external trends such as the Korean Wave, it is also seen as an effort to strengthen internal unity and secure the legitimacy of governance."

The portrait badge featuring the face of North Korea's supreme leader is a representative idol item that must be worn on the left chest by everyone from ordinary citizens to party officials and the highest-ranking members. Until now, a "double portrait" featuring both Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il had been commonly used, but this is the first confirmation of a badge featuring only Kim Jong-un. However, it is unclear whether the "Kim Jong-un badge" has widely spread among ordinary citizens inside North Korea. Since high-ranking party officials wore it at the plenary meeting, a major event of the Workers' Party, it is possible that it was implemented temporarily to emphasize loyalty to Chairman Kim. In major reports broadcast through Korean Central Television the previous day, North Korean citizens were still seen wearing double portraits or various types of badges.