North Korea marks 10 years of Kim Jong-un as its leader

This week, North Korea has marked a decade of having Kim Jong-un as its leader. The public celebrated 10 years of Kim’s leadership as the leader of the country’s ruling political party.

Reuters reports that North Korea celebrated 10 years under Kim’s leadership in overseeing nuclear weapon developments as well as his political achievements as the head of the ruling Worker’s Party of Korea. Kim came to power after the death of his father Kim Jong–il in December of 2011. Kim’s family has ruled the one-party nation since the beginning.

During his remarks at a national meeting Sunday, senior North Korean official Choe Ryeong Hae, who serves as a member of the presidium of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee, described Kim as a “gifted thinker and theoretician, outstanding statesman, and peerlessly great commander.”

Sunday’s remarks kicked off a week of celebrations of Kim’s decade as North Korea’s leader. This will also include the 110th birthday commemoration of North Korea’s founder Kim Il-sung, the grandfather of Kim Jong-un on Friday.

Satellite images have shown North Korean soldiers practicing for a military parade that is expected to take place within the week. Analysts have said that North Korea may also show a display of its intercontinental ballistic missiles at the event.

This follows last month’s news of North Korea conducting a full-fledged intercontinental ballistic missile or ICBM test, with the US, South Korea, and Japan on alert following the test. It also marked the end of North Korea’s self-imposed pause on such weapons tests.

Previously, Pyongyang hit back at South Korea, warning against taking any pre-emptive strike following the comments made by South Korean defense minister Suh Wook regarding South Korea’s military capabilities. Kim Jong-un’s sister, Kim Yo-jong, issued another warning to South Korea, threatening to use the nation’s nuclear force if provoked.

Kim Yo-jong described Suh Wook’s remarks as “a fantastical daydream” and the “hysteria of a lunatic.” Kim Yo-jong stressed that while North Korea does not want to wage war in the Korean peninsula, Pyongyang will retaliate with nuclear forces should South Korea take strikes or other attacks.