North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appears to have skipped a traditional visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun on the birth anniversary of his grandfather and national founder, Kim Il-sung.
According to a report by South Korea's Yonhap News Agency on Wednesday, top officials including Premier Park Thae-song and Choe Ryong-hae, chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly standing committee, paid tribute at the mausoleum on April 15. This day marked the 113th anniversary of Kim Il-sung's birth—one of North Korea's most important national holidays, known as the "Day of the Sun."
The Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang is the final resting place of Kim Il-sung and his son, former leader Kim Jong-il. Traditionally, Kim Jong-un has visited the site annually since taking power in 2011, but he halted the custom in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Although he resumed the practice briefly in 2021 and 2022, he has not been publicly seen visiting the mausoleum on this occasion since.
Despite Kim's absence, North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that visiting officials laid a flower basket in front of the statues of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, bearing the name of Kim Jong-un—a symbolic gesture signifying his respect.
The North Korean leader's absence from such a high-profile ceremonial visit continues to fuel speculation about his current political strategy and public appearances, as analysts monitor potential shifts in Pyongyang's leadership dynamics.
