No Smiling On The Anniversary of Kim Il-Sung’s Death
Kim Jong-un‘s grandfather, Kim Il-sung, is presented as the benevolent father of the nation. Though he died in 1994, the date of his death, July 8, is a day of nationwide mourning. And North Koreans are expected to grieve and grieve noticeably. The law forbids smiling or even talking loudly on July 8. Kim Jong-il had died of a suspected heart attack while travelling by train to an area outside Pyongyang. He was succeeded by his youngest son Kim Jong-un, who was hailed by the Korean Central News Agency as the “Great Successor”.
The Kim dynasty has ruled North Korea since 1948 for three generations, and still little about the family is publicly confirmed. Kim Il-sung rebelled against Japan’s rule of Korea in the 1930s, which led to his exile in the Soviet Union. … He started the Korean War in 1950 with hopes to reunify the region.
North Korea takes its mourning seriously; when Kim Jong-un’s father, Kim Jong-il, died, citizens were sent to labor camps for not grieving hard enough. This law carries over into any reverential activities surrounding both Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il. No gum-chewing, loud talking, or boisterous behavior is allowed near their statues or during times of paying respect.
