North Korea’s Kim Jong-un badges worn by officials in public for the first time

The badges underscore Kim Jong-un’s elevation to the ranks of his grandfather Kim Il-sung and father Kim Jong-il, an analyst says

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his daughter attending the paramilitary parade at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang. Photo: KCNA VIA KNS/AFP

Published: 3:44pm, 30 Jun 2024Updated: 3:47pm, 30 Jun 2024

North Korean officials wore badges with a portrait of Kim Jong-un in public for the first time in pictures released by state media on Sunday, the latest step in the development of a cult of personality about the leader.

The officials, speaking at a key meeting chaired by Kim of the reclusive state’s ruling party, wore the typical party logo badge on the right lapel and, on the left chest, the badge with Kim’s face against a flag-shaped red background.

The 10th Plenary Meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, which reviewed the party’s performance for the first half of the year, began on Friday, state news agency KCNA said.

The Kim dynasty that has ruled North Korea since its founding after World War II has sought to strengthen its grip on power by building cults of personality around itself.

A North Korean official is seen wearing a badge featuring the portrait of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during a key meeting of the country’s ruling party in Pyongyang on June 28. Photo: KCNA via Reuters

In an apparent push to solidify Kim Jong-un’s status as a leader equal to his father and grandfather, North Korean media published photographs showing his portrait hanging prominently next to those of Kim Jong-il and national patriarch Kim Il-sung earlier this year.