SEOUL: The portrait of North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un was publicly exhibited along with his grandfather and father for the first time, sparking gossip regarding the message it sends.
Portraits of leaders are at the core of North Korea’s state-sponsored cult of personality that has strengthened the Kim family’s rule since the country’s foundation in 1948. Almost all public offices and homes in North Korea must have portraits of Kim’s father Kim Jong Il and grandfather Kim Il Sung, but featuring that of the current leader hadn’t yet been a requirement until recently.
Earlier, on Wednesday, North Korea’s official media released an image showing Kim Jong Un’s large portrait hung on the wall of a building alongside those of his father and grandfather during his visit to the Central Cadres Training School of Workers’ Party.
