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| Commemorative stamps to mark the 111th anniversary of the birth of North Korea's founder Kim Il-sung are shown in this image released by the country's postal service, April 11. Yonhap |
North Korea appears set to hold celebrations for the 111th anniversary of the birth of its founder Kim Il-sung, Saturday, with dance performances and fireworks in Pyongyang.
The North's state-run Korean Central Television reported that a slew of events will be held at Kim Il-sung Square in the capital to mark the Day of the Sun holiday later in the day. But it did not mention large-scale performances and events.
As the North usually marks every fifth and 10th political anniversaries with major celebrations, Kim Jong-un, the North's leader and grandson of the late founder, is unlikely to attend the event.
He previously appeared at military parades that marked the 100th and 105th birth anniversaries of his late grandfather in 2012 and 2017, respectively. Kim also attended a mass rally last year to mark his grandfather's birthday.
Pyongyang has revved up a festive mood with a variety of arts events and commemorative stamps of its late leader.
The anniversary also comes as North Korea has been ratcheting up its provocations.
On Friday, the reclusive state said it had launched a new solid-fueled Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time.
The North launched the ICBM, Thursday, "guided by its leader," to confirm the performance of "high-thrust solid-fuel engines for multi-stage missiles," according to the Korean Central News Agency.
The latest launch also came amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula as the North has not responded to routine cross-border calls through inter-Korean liaison and military communication lines since April 7.
Pyongyang has recently conducted other major weapons tests, such as the launch of the Hwasong-17 ICBM, March 16, and what it claimed to be underwater nuclear attack drones, to protest the combined springtime military exercises between South Korea and the United States.
The regime has decried the exercises as preparations for an invasion of the North. (Yonhap)
