North Korean state media on Sunday published photos showing top officials wearing pins featuring the portrait Kim Jong Un, the country's powerful leader, for the first time, in a symbolic move perceived as strengthening Kim's position as supreme leader.
North Korea convened the 10th enlarged plenary meeting of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee on Friday, with Kim in attendance. The gathering aimed to facilitate the implementation of party and state policies and tasks for the year, according to the country's official Korean Central News Agency.
In photos published by the Rodong Sinmun, the party's official newspaper, officials delivered speeches while wearing pins of Kim's faces on their suit jacket lapels. This marked the first confirmed use of such a decoration featuring only Kim's face, according to South Korean media.
During working-level talks between North and South Korea in 2013, North Korean officials confirmed that a pin featuring the portrait of Kim was created the previous year, the Yonhap news agency reported.
Kim became the leader of the country in 2011 following the death of his father, the nation's second supreme leader, Kim Jong Il.
The Kim family has made major efforts to consolidate its dominance over North Korea through a cult of personality. Portrait pins are a symbol of loyalty to the leadership—all in the party are required to wear one.
Pins featuring the regime's founder, Kim Il Sung, and his successor and son Kim Jong Il, were produced in 1970 and 1992, respectively.
Pins featuring portraits of Kim Jong Un are used by North Korea to "obscure the legacies" of Kim's grandfather and father, while establishing his authority as the sole leader of the country, Kim In Ae, the deputy spokesperson of South Korea's Unification Ministry, said during a press briefing on Monday.
North Korea has lived under international sanctions which have caused economic hardships and public dissatisfaction. By producing and distributing badges of loyalty to Kim Jong Un, Pyongyang hopes to strengthen internal cohesion and legitimize his rule, said Kim In Ae, who also added that idolization of Kim Jong Un began in earnest in 2021.
North Korea observers noted that by wearing pins featuring the portrait of Kim Jong Un, senior Workers' Party officials also demonstrated their loyalty to the leader during what was a significant political event. However, it was unclear whether ordinary citizens in the country were required to wear the same pins.
North Korea's embassy in Beijing did not respond to a request for comment.
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