Kim Jong-un Visits War Veterans Cemetery on Armistice Day, Calling Korean War "Great Victory"

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited national cemeteries to mark the 73rd anniversary of the armistice agreement on July 27, seeking to boost loyalty while highlighting increasingly close ties with China.

The Korean Central News Agency reported today that Kim visited the Cemetery of the Martyrs of the Fatherland Liberation War, the Taesongsan Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery, and the Cemetery of the Chinese People's Volunteers Martyrs the previous day.

At the Cemetery of the Martyrs of the Fatherland Liberation War, Kim met with and encouraged veteran soldiers and toured the burial sites.

This cemetery is where North Korean soldiers who made contributions during the 1950-53 Korean War are buried.

Regarding the outcome of the Korean War, Kim claimed it was "a great victory in which the newborn Joseon [North Korea], outnumbered and facing enemies like U.S. imperialism and its followers, decisively defended not only the dignity and sovereignty of the state but also world peace and safety." He repeatedly asserted that North Korea won the war, calling it "the most phenomenal and miraculous victory and an immortal epic of heroes."

North Korea refers to the signing date of the armistice agreement as the "Day of Victory in the Fatherland Liberation War," claiming it won the conflict.

Kim added, "The miracle of July 27 is a precious ideological and spiritual asset that must be thoroughly and unvaryingly inherited as generations change and the achievements of the revolution multiply on the road toward building a powerful nation."

Photos released by North Korean media showed Kim's daughter, Kim Ju-ae, accompanying him along with Ri Sol-ju.

This marks Kim Ju-ae's first public appearance in 52 days, following her inspection of the navigation test of the destroyer Kang Gun on June 4.

Visiting the Taesongsan Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery, which honors anti-Japanese partisans and independence fighters, Kim laid wreaths at the graves of first-generation partisans such as Kim Chaek, Kang Gun, and Choe Hyon.

Emphasizing the legacy of his predecessors, Kim stated, "The absolute loyalty to the leader, the spirit of carrying out revolutionary duties at the cost of one's life, and the indomitable fighting spirit that knew no impossibilities, as possessed by those fighters, have been sublimated into the ideological and spiritual traits of the defenders of the fatherland in the 1950s."

Kim's emphasis on the Korean War and the legacy of early partisans appears aimed at instilling absolute loyalty to the leader among the younger generation that has not experienced war.

The KCNA reported that Kim also visited the Cemetery of the Chinese People's Volunteers Martyrs in Hoechang County, South Pyongan Province, today to pay tribute at the grave of Mao Anying, the eldest son of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong.

The cemetery houses the remains of 134 Chinese People's Volunteers, including Mao Anying.

Reporting on Kim's visit, the KCNA underscored the blood alliance between North Korea and China, stating, "The noble souls and self-sacrificing spirit of the Chinese People's Volunteers fighters who shed blood to assist our people's righteous war in the most difficult and fateful era are vividly embedded in the victory won by our people and shine as the cornerstone of North Korea-China friendship centered on socialism."

The KCNA gave relatively detailed and prominent coverage of Kim's visit to the volunteers' cemetery today.

The agency also detailed that Kim was accompanied by key officials, including party secretaries Jo Yong-won, Kim Song-nam, and Ju Chang-il, Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, Defense Minister No Kwang-chol, and Pak Jong-chon, military advisor to the Ministry of National Defense.

During last year's armistice anniversary, when North Korea-China relations were assessed as somewhat strained, the KCNA briefly reported Kim's visit to the Friendship Tower as a short brief.

The Friendship Tower is a monument commemorating the Chinese People's Volunteers who were killed in action in North Korea during the Korean War.

(Photo: Korean Central News Agency, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.