April 15 was "Day of the Sun" (Taeyang-jeol), the national holiday commemorating the birthday of the late Kim Il-sung. Long regarded as the nation's greatest holiday, the occasion has traditionally been marked by numerous events and the distribution of special rations to the population — but in recent years, celebrations have been steadily scaled back. What did this year look like? (ISHIMARU Jiro / KANG Ji-won)
◆ More References to Jong-un Than to Il-sung
On the evening of the 15th, a female reporting partner living in northern North Korea reported: "The Day of the Sun events consisted of nothing more than a flower-laying ceremony at the Kim Il-sung statue, organized by the Women's League, followed by a thirty-minute commemorative lecture. There was nothing else."
According to multiple reporting partners, until around 2023 it had been customary for events — including sports competitions, loyalty song gatherings, and study sessions on the greatness of Kim Il-sung — to be held over the course of several days. In recent years, however, the scale has been reduced annually.
"The lecture was titled 'The Great Persons of Paektu Who Serve the People Generation After Generation,' and was about the Kim family. There was actually more content about the current Marshal [Kim Jong-un] than about Kim Il-sung. There was no mention whatsoever of his daughter."
