North Korea appears to be phasing out the term “Sun” used for Kim Il-sung. State media, including Rodong Sinmun, referred to the late North Korean founder Kim’s birthday on April 15 not as the “Day of the Sun” but simply as “4.15″ or the “April Holiday.” The Ministry of Unification here interpreted this change as a “deliberate deletion.” Kim Il-sung’s birthplace, Mangyongdae, has also been renamed from the “Holy Place of the Sun” to the “Holy Place of Patriotism.” It was Kim Jong-il, the second leader of the Kim dynasty, who in 1997 named Kim Il-sung’s birthday as the Day of the Sun, idolizing him as a god-like figure to justify the family’s dicatorship.
Early in his rule, the current North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, imitated Kim Il-sung by adopting similar clothing and hairstyles and mimicking his speech style. Like Kim Il-sung, he promised “white rice and meat soup” and tearfully expressed his regret to the people, saying he was “sorry to the people,” to fill his lack of legitimacy by emulating the deified Kim Il-sung. North Koreans briefly harbored hope, recalling the relatively better days of the Kim Il-sung era, but soon faced harsh realities. Economic hardships have worsened, and Kim Jong-un fortified the 1400 km border with China with iron fences, making defection nearly impossible. Internal dissatisfaction is growing.
Amid this crisis, Kim Jong-un seeks to replace Kim Il-sung as a “god.” Placards reading “General Kim Jong-un, the Sun” have appeared, and state media like Rodong Sinmun have started using the phrase “Sun of Juche Joseon” (self-reliant North Korea). Kim Jong-un did not even attend this year’s Day of the Sun commemoration. North Korea on April 17 released a song titled “Friendly Father” praising Kim Jong-un during the completion ceremony of an apartment complex in Pyongyang. The term “father” was used to describe Kim Il-sung, and even Kim Jong-il used it cautiously. However, Kim Jong-un is making both the “Sun” and “Father” titles of Kim Il-sung his own.
The Sun symbolizes an indisputable power, the source of all existence. Kim Jong-un likely wants to promote the idea that while Kim Il-sung’s Sun is setting, his own is rising. However, Kim Jong-un’s power fundamentally stems from Kim Il-sung. If Kim Jong-un tries to distance himself from Kim Il-sung after inheriting power, it could undermine the foundation of his legitimacy. Such dynamics indicate symptoms of terminal decline in the archaic Kim dynasty.
