North Korea’s cult of personality entered a new phase by juxtaposing Kim Jong Un’s portrait with those of his grandfather and father, putting him in a similar status to the two former leaders who were considered demigods at home.
Photos released by official media on Wednesday showed Kim speaking to officials in a classroom at the new Central Cadres Training School under portraits of himself, state founder Kim Il Sung and his father Kim Jong Il. The school will serve as the “highest institution” for training executives of the ruling Workers’ Party, the Korean Central News Agency said.
“It is the first time that the North Korean official media has linked portraits of the three leaders,” South Korea’s Ministry of Unification, which manages relations with Pyongyang, said in a statement. It was not immediately clear whether the three portraits were shown. side by side in other places, such as in homes across the country.
