North Korea's new year stamps reveal accelerated ”exclusive idolization” of Kim Jong Un

A major change was confirmed this year in the writing on the stamps issued by North Korea on the 1st of this month to coincide with the New Year. Until now, the stamps have featured the name of Kim Il-so, grandfather of Kim Jung Eun, the general secretary of the North Korean government.
The stamps issued this year, however, do not have the Juche era name and only the Western calendar year "2025".
In North Korea, stamps are an important means of state propaganda. Kim Jong-il, the current supreme leader of North Korea, has long used the influence of his father Kim Il-sung and his father Kim Jong-il to seize power.
However, recently he has been trying to break away from this and is promoting idolization of himself. The stamps were issued by the North Korean Post Office. The stamps were designed for the new urban area "Zen'ei Street" that was completed in the capital Pyongyang in May last year.
The project to build 4,100 houses in the Seoppo district of Pyongyang, where the street is located, is one of the three major construction projects proposed by the Workers' Party of Korea two years ago.
The North Korean government said it was "very grateful" for the young people's spirit in building the 4,100 houses, which are being constructed.
Kim also praised the young people who were involved in the construction at the completion ceremony. By using the "avant-garde street" design on the stamps, the government is emphasizing the success of the nation's construction project.
As seen above, the stamps issued this time did not include the “Juche era.” The stamp project is led by the Propaganda and Agitation Department of the Workers’ Party of Korea, and stamps issued to coincide with the New Year usually feature economic and military achievements from the previous year.
The Juche era symbolizes the veneration of North Korea's first supreme leader, Kim Il-sung, and the disappearance of this notation has been a major turning point.
This could be seen as an indication that Kim is trying to break out of his grandfather's shadow and promote his own idolization. North Korea has recently stepped up such efforts, and last year it held a special event on Kim's birthday (
The official name of the day (April 15th) was changed from "Day of the Sun", which was meant to idolize Kim Jong Il, to "4.15th". In addition, the official name was changed to "Day of the Sun", which refers to the birthday of Kim Jong Il's father (February 16th).
The term "Sungjeol" has also almost never been used by North Korean media since last year. Also, in May, a portrait of Kim Jong-il and Kim Il-sung was hung alongside those of Kim Jong-il and Kim Il-sung at a school that trains party officials.
At the time, the Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo reported that "the idolization of Kim Jong Un appears to be in full swing." Furthermore, in July, a poster bearing a portrait of Kim Jong Un was also found.
The official badge was first confirmed in a press release. A photo published at the time by the Rodong Sinmun, the organ of the Workers' Party of Korea, showed officials attending the party's Central Committee plenary session wearing "portrait badges" with Kim's portrait on their chests.
" (badge). North Korean officials and residents always wear the portrait badge, which is a symbol of the idolization of the Kim family, unless there are special circumstances.
The party leaders and other officials wore badges with the faces of both Il Sung and Kim Jong Il side by side. Badges with Kim Jong Il's portrait are also said to have existed since 2012, but they were not used by party leaders at official events.
This was the first time that Kim Jong Un was seen wearing the "Kim Jong Un badge." At the time, South Korean media and others expressed the view that this change was intended to elevate Kim Jong Un's status.
With Kim Jong-il's passing away (December 17, 2011), it has been more than 10 years since Kim Jong-un took over the top position in the government, and there are gradually signs of Kim Jong-il establishing his own ideological system.
Starting around the fall of 2000, state media began to use the term "leader" to refer to Kim Jong Un, a term originally only used for Il Sung.
Kim is believed to have skipped the New Year's visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang for the second year in a row.
The bodies of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il are enshrined here. Meanwhile, the Korean Central News Agency reported on the 2nd that party and government officials had visited the palace the previous day. Kim Jong Il's visits to the palace have been greatly reduced in recent years.
South Korean news agency Yonhap News reported that "there is a view that the movement to idolize previous generations may be weakening."
Last year, North Korea changed the "Loyalty Pledge Day" to require residents to pledge loyalty to the regime, and
The event took place on January 8th, which is said to be the Secretary's birthday. Attention is focused on whether the event will be held on the same day this year, as it was last year.