It is being interpreted that Kim Jong Un is working on establishing an independent line. Recent changes, such as changing Sun’s Day to April 15th, show Kim’s effort toward independent idolization. Releasing the three portraits for the first time at an educational institution responsible for party ideology education can be analyzed as strengthening his image as an ideological leader.

North Korea’s cult of personality entered a new phase by elevating the portrait of Kim Jong Un next to that of his grandfather and father, showing him in a similar status as its two former leaders regarded as demigods at home.

The portrait of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was publicly displayed along with those of his father and grandfather for the first time, sparking speculation about the message it sends. Portraits of leaders are at the core of North Korea’s state-sponsored cult of personality that has buttressed the Kim family’s rule since the country’s foundation in 1948.